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Untitled - Exit109

Copyright 2010 by the publishers and authors
(the members of the Foodwine E-mail Discussion Group)
Printed by Rose Printing, 12 Ontario Street, Orillia, Ontario, Canada L3V 6H1
ABOUT THIS BOOK · iv
IN MEMORIAM · v
THE PASTORIO FUNDAMENTALS · 1
APPETIZERS & BEVERAGE · 39
BREADS & BREAKFAST · 65
SOUPS · 85
SALADS · 107
FISH & SEAFOOD · 125
POULTRY · 141
MEAT · 157
PASTA, RICE & GRAINS · 189
SLOW COOKER & CASSEROLE RECIPES · 201
VEGETABLES & SIDE DISHES · 217
SAUCES · 245
COOKIES & BARS · 255
DESSERTS · 261
INDEX · 283
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Welcome to the second Cyberfeasts & Foodstocks Cookbook, with recipes and
tips from members of the International Foodwine E-Mail Discussion List, and
a lot of our favorite recipes, instruction, and wisdom from a beloved original
member of the group, Bob Pastorio, to whom we dedicate this book. Bob died
in 2007, early in the book’s planning stages; Sheila Foster, another member
whose name you’ll see on these pages, died last year and is also missed.
List members nominated the recipes from old favorites we did not include in
our first book, and newer favorites we’ve enjoyed since the first book appeared.
Each recipe was tested by one or more members, whose notes provided
valuable tweaks and serving suggestions, and whose feedback and witty
signoffs you’ll see following many of the recipes.
Several list members worked hard to turn these recipes into a book. Maryellen
Casey again gave us a great online recipe testing site. Lyn Belisle’s beautiful
covers and chapter opening pages enhance the look of our endeavor. Maggie
Johnson (a.k.a. Conan the Librarian) compiled the index. We also thank nonlist member Harry McCracken for once again contributing the chef’s hat tip art.
Editor-in-Chief: Tina L. Vierra
Editor and Layout Wizard: Denny Arar
We thank the following contributors, editors, sponsors, and workers, without
whom our book could not be written, printed, and published.
Christine Babcock
Blake Olson
Sandra Beatie
Terry Pogue
Lucia Casaravilla
Joanne Schweik
Matthew Hill
Cynthia Wenslow
Kathy Dell-Kukawsky
Dan “The Scarlet Wombat”
iv
IN MEMORIAM
The International Foodwine Discussion List is a community; a group of people
with whom you can share your passions and cooking problems, rejoice and
mourn. Never was this last more evident than when, as we began assembling
this cookbook, we learned that we were going to lose our mentor and friend,
Bob Pastorio, before we would complete the work.
Bob was a chef, restaurateur, food columnist, radio host, devoted father,
outstanding writer, and incorrigible raconteur. One of the earliest members of
the Foodwine list, he was also one of its most vocal. We could depend on his
‘voice’ appearing in our Inbox several times a day. We missed that voice the
instant he fell ill and stopped posting, and we miss it to this day.
Bob knew everything about food—there was nothing we couldn’t ask—and was
beyond generous with his time and advice, tips and recipes, instruction and
wisdom. This book is full of Bob’s voice, and we have included the best of his
wisdom in its pages.
To celebrate Bob’s contributions to our community, and the impact he had on
our lives, we offer some of the words members wrote when we lost our friend.
“I didn’t expect my husband (not an Internet user) to understand why I’ve been
down since reading the news about Bob—after all we never met, except on
screen. I guess I’d forgotten how many times I’d read Bob’s hints and recipes
and put them into practice, announcing at meal time that this or that was from
Pastorio, but Mike didn’t. He recognized the name immediately as the guy who
‘showed’ me the right way to make Cream of Anything Soup. Bob was a part of
my family’s table, and I will miss that.”—Barbara Leckstein
“Bob and I exchanged email gags now and then. On thinking about his
legacies, and all the people whose lives he touched, I recalled an old chestnut,
a long-winded joke about all of the people Bob knew and how far his influence
extended. The joke ends with Bob at the Vatican, chatting with the Pope on his
viewing balcony. A man in the crowd below asks the boy next to him who the
man on the balcony is. The kid replies, ‘I’m not sure who the guy with the hat is,
but the other one is Pastorio.’”—Diane in Chicago
v
IN MEMORIAM
“I recently printed out the recipe Bob’s daughter developed, which he posted
some months ago. We have all, along with all the rest of Bob’s legacy to us on
the list, followed Carla’s culinary development with great pleasure. Reading that
recipe again brought on the tears as I thought of Bob. The recipe is definitely in
his voice and is definitely vintage Pastorio. Not to be too sentimental or sappy
(but why not in such situations?), we are all going to miss him and his presence
among us.”—Joanne Schweik
“It can be difficult to know what to say. Does one offer heartfelt compassion to
the family? Yes. Does one tell Bob that he has made us laugh, cry, cook better,
and enjoy life a little more? You bet! Does one say that where there is life,
there’s hope? That, too.”—Dan, the Scarlet Wombat
There were many, many more words, of course; news of Bob’s illness spread
to all of his contacts in groups and on the Internet. Most of them can be found,
if you are interested in learning more about this marvelous man, through links
and comments on the journal page his wife started for us and for him, when he
fell ill. The url is http://bobs-amanuensis.livejournal.com/.
We hope you enjoy our small bit of his legacy, contained in these pages. As
Bob would have said, “No, seriously…”
The International Foodwine Discussion Group
October, 2010
vi
vi
IN MEMORIAM
And special notes from two of our core members who knew him best:
Some of us in the FoodWine group met as many as 15 years ago on the
Internet to share our love for food, wine, and cooking. Many of us have met in
person at what we have dubbed FoodStocks. Some are professional chefs,
while most are very good home cooks. We are all striving to learn and improve,
and in doing so we help each other. It’s hard to describe the fondness we have
for each other, unlike any other groups on the Internet ... at least any I know of.
Our heartbeat was Bob Pastorio. He was a chef, teacher, writer, and
restaurateur. The person we went to with any food or food safety question,
the one who inspired some to continue or start Culinary School, the defender
who always stuck up for the regular members. He shared his newspaper
column with us, and many, many recipes. He was a regular in our Cyberfeasts
Podcasts.
Bob passed away in the spring of 2007, and we all miss him terribly. It was
such a shock to the group, and it took us awhile to recover but we have, and
our active group is still talking, sharing recipes and tips, asking questions, and
reporting back to the group our successes and failures.
This second Cyberfeasts and FoodStocks Cookbook was started not long
before Bob became ill. He contributed many recipes to the book. We hope you
look for his name, enjoy his humor, and try his recipes. He was always the
teacher, and he would have enjoyed that.
—Terry Pogue
vii
IN MEMORIAM
Knowing Bob Pastorio was one of the little joys that make life better. His
knowledge of – among other things – food, and his skill at and pleasure in
sharing these, as well as his humour, enriched all of us on Foodwine. They all
come together in his great line “It’s not world peace; it’s only lunch.”
I once had the pleasure of chatting in Bob’s kitchen while he made lunch, and
later sitting in on one of his cooking classes. Was there really a worldwide
shortage of olives, or did he just forget them? His students didn’t care. They
learned as they laughed, or vice versa. So did all of us on Foodwine.
Bob became our kitchen guru. He did have some fixed opinions—who
else would become vociferous about what should or should not be called
a Napoleon? More characteristic was his generous provision of solutions,
often multiple, to the cooking problems we addressed to Foodwine. Or his
frequent advice, as on salted versus unsalted butter, or sweet versus common
onions—in both cases, once cooked they taste the same. But “don’t sweat it;
it’s cooking, not rocket science.”
It is a wonder he had time to write so much to Foodwine, in between
encyclopedia articles on food songs and poetry, or a novel (unpublished), or his
weekly radio show, much less his contributions to other net venues on bonsai
and still other passions. We can only rejoice that he did.
Good night, sweet Chef.
—Matthew Hill
viii
viii
the
PASTORIO
FUNDAMENTALS
THE PASTORIO FUNDAMENTALS
ANYTHING RISOTTO
Bob Pastorio taught many of us how to make risotto with these instructions.
Risotto is a northern Italian approach to cooking rice. Reduced to its minimum,
it’s a starchy medium-grain rice cooked over medium-high heat, constantly
stirred with frequent additions of stock to result in a soupy finished consistency.
It’s customarily flavored with a very wide range of additions. Sometimes basic
risotto is flavored and colored with a few strands of saffron infused in maybe ½
cup of stock and added near the end.
BASIC RISOTTO
5 cups chicken stock (approximately)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
2 shallots, minced
Couple pinches of salt
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1½ cups arborio rice
Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in one pot and hold it there. Put the oil,
butter and salt into a large, deep-sided saucepan and cook the shallots over
medium-high heat until soft, maybe 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat
with the buttery oil. Cook for about 2 minutes until shiny and translucent. Add a
ladleful - about ½ cup - of hot stock, stirring to distribute evenly. When the rice
has absorbed most of it, add another ladleful, stirring as before.
Repeat this until the rice is almost tender, with a slight firmness at the center.
The rice should have a thin layer of stock over it all the while it’s cooking.
The process will take 16 to 18 minutes and should result in a creamy, moist
consistency. When done, remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Cover
and let stand for a minute or two, and serve. Pass additional cheese at table.
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LEMON RISOTTO (RISOTTO AL LIMONE)
To the basic ingredients, add:
Sprig of fresh mint
Sprig of rosemary
Sprig of sage
Grated zest of a lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Prepare risotto as above, adding additional ingredients to the rice pan
immediately upon removing from heat. Stir to combine, cover, and let stand for
a few minutes. Serve.
PORT RISOTTO (RISOTTO DEL PORTO)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Meat of 1 pound mussels, cleaned and cooked
½ pound squid, cleaned and cut into strips lengthwise
Small bunch parsley, coarsely minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
½ pound tomatoes, chopped
Fish or seafood stock can be substituted for chicken stock, if available
Prepare rice as above. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet and add all but the
tomatoes to sauté until lightly brown. Then add tomatoes and cook over
medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Combine with risotto. Remove from
heat, cover for 5 minutes or so, and serve.
3
RISOTTO WITH FOUR CHEESES
(RISOTTO AI QUATTRO FORMAGGI)
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
4 ounces mozzarella cheese
4 ounces Fontina cheese
1 cup lukewarm milk
30 to 35 shelled pistachio nuts
Reduce broth to 3 ½ cups.
Begin preparing the basic risotto as above. Meanwhile, cut the three cheeses
into small cubes less than ½-inch square. Put the cheeses into a non-reactive
bowl and add milk. Blanch the nuts in boiling water for a minute or two and rub
off the skins.
When all the broth has been absorbed, add the milk and cheeses to the pan,
continuing to stir until cheeses and rice are well combined. Add nuts and
Parmesan cheese, taste for salt and pepper and serve.
Janet Morrissey formally tested this recipe for our cookbook, though many,
many Foodwinos have made Bob’s risotto over the years. “As with anything
from Pastorio,” she said, “the basics are here with some great variations. And,
most importantly, you are invited to learn the basics and then run with them.”
Here’s to vices...he says as he lifts a double single malt...
Posted by Dan, the Scarlet Wombat
4
PANZANELLA, AMERICAN-STYLE
Bread is central to the Italian table—good crusty bread with a delicately white
center. So are fresh vegetables, vinegar, oil, herbs, tomatoes. Let’s look at
a very simple beginning and then we’ll talk about complicating it. You have
to understand that there’s no real recipe for this. Change the balance of
ingredients to suit yourself. And, by the way, this is wonderful picnic food.
It won’t work as well with American-style supermarket bread. That becomes
soggy much too quickly. Slightly stale Italian bread will retain some good
texture even when moistened. Maybe ½-inch or ¾-inch thick slices.
Traditional Italian panzanella breaks up the bread and uses it as an ingredient
in a tossed salad. This is an adaptation my grandparents made nearly a
century ago, of their old country classic.
BASIC AMERICAN PANZANELLA
Serves 4-8
8 ounces (half a loaf) firm Italian bread, cut into slices
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 cup cheese, sliced or shredded (fresh mozzarella, cheddar, feta
and/or blue)
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 head butter lettuce, shredded (or Boston, red leaf or anything but iceberg)
12 fresh basil leaves
A few sprigs of thyme
Up to ½ cup red wine vinegar
½ to ¾ cup olive oil
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
5
Lay out bread slices to form a single layer in the bottom of a rounded bowl.
Top that with slices of tomato, then add onion and cucumber. Scatter some
celery around. Scatter some lettuce. Cheese. Trickle a little of the vinegar and
oil over the top. Add a layer of bread slices. Scatter basil and thyme leaves.
Add tomatoes and repeat with as many layers as the materials permit. Trickle
remaining vinegar over top.
A good finish is to cover the salad with slices of bread. Cover with plastic
wrap and press down to compress the salad. A plate or small tray is good. Put
a weight on it and let it sit for an hour or so. Invert out onto a platter or tray,
sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and cut into wedges.
A simplified version could be done by cutting all the ingredients into even-sized
cubes and tossing together. It doesn’t look anywhere near as pretty, but it eats
well enough. Put everything in a large bowl and toss. Let sit for about ½ hour.
Taste and see if it needs anything. Maybe more vinegar or more oil or a grating
of pepper. Tip: if it’s not moist enough to suit you, add a bit of tomato juice.
That’s all there is to the basic salad. Let’s look at variations that change the
final effect but still preserve the same rustic spirit.
The Bread: French bread will work well, or some of the newly available artisan
breads. Cut it into cubes. Or, tear it roughly into chunks for a different visual
approach. Strips. Thin slices.
Croutons: Some people make croutons for this salad out of the breads they
choose. Either of two ways: Cut the bread into cubes and toss it with melted
butter or olive oil, to which you add a bit of seasoning: basil, garlic, oregano,
thyme. Spread out on a tray and bake at 350°F until lightly browned.
Or: Cut into cubes and deep fry in 365°F (or so) oil just until lightly browned.
Let them cool and continue as in the recipe above.
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Tomatoes: Use the ripest, juiciest ones you can find. Roma and other plum
tomatoes don’t have enough juice for my tastes. Mix the varieties. A good red
one and a pretty yellow or orange one look nice together and offer different
flavors.
Things to add: Bell peppers, chopped or sliced—mix the colors for eye
appeal. Fresh zucchini strips—just a few. Hot peppers for the venturesome.
Olives—black, green or any combination of them. Mixed pickled vegetables—
like the Italian giardiniera that’s in the supermarkets. A tablespoon of capers to
give that marvelous salty-vinegar-herbal flavor.
Fish: You can dress it up with some more substantial things. Add a can of
good, oil-packed tuna that you’ve partially drained. Better yet would be to add
some cold fish left over from dinner. Shrimp, scallops, leftover lobster. That last
was a joke. Who ever heard of leftover lobster?
Chicken: Chicken strips from last night’s roast chicken. Or from last night’s
fried chicken. The breading will change the basic flavor of the salad and it will
sing with the new seasonings.
Other meats: Strips of roast beef or venison. Shreds of baked pork tenderloin.
Leftover lamb chunks. I’m going to whisper this so the purists don’t hear it—
pepperoni, salami, any kind of well-seasoned, cooked (or preserved) meats.
This isn’t traditional, but it’s still in the spirit, don’t you think? And, oh, it’s
pronounced pahn-zah-nel-lah. Dazzle your friends with the word and even
more with the dish.
Buon appetito, as they say in Italy.
Tester Tina Vierra tried two of these variations and both worked beautifully.
7
CREAM OF ANYTHING SOUP
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
6 ounces (1½ sticks) butter
6 ounces (about 1½ cups) flour
1 gallon chicken stock
1 pound of anything*
1 pint heavy cream
Sauté the onion and celery in butter in large saucepan or small stockpot until
sweated. Add flour, stir in well and cook for about 5 minutes.
Whisk in stock and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming occasionally. Add solids,
return to boil, reduce heat to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add cream and correct
seasonings. Leave chunky, or puree with wand or countertop blender. Serve.
*“Anything” can be sliced mushrooms, diced chicken or turkey, asparagus,
green beans, broccoli, tomato pulp, cauliflower, artichoke hearts, shrimp,
carrots, lobster, or whatever. You can also add rice or pasta to extend the
recipe. And cheeses.
Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.
~Ludwig Van Beethoven
Posted by Tina V.
8
ANY NUT TRIPLE-NUT PIE
Makes one 9-inch pie
Crust:
1½ cup nuts, finely ground
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Filling:
1 cup dark corn syrup
½ cup sugar
¾ cup nut butter
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup lightly salted nuts, chopped
Whipped cream to garnish (optional but desirable)
Heat oven to 400°F, combine crust ingredients and mix well. Press into bottom
and up the sides of pie plate. Bake for about 9 minutes and cool on wire rack.
Combine corn syrup, sugar, nut butter and vanilla in the top of a double boiler,
over boiling water. Stir often until hot (200°). Beat eggs and whisk about ¼ cup
of nut-butter mixture into eggs to temper. Pour egg mixture into double boiler,
whisking until thickened, about 10 minutes. Do not boil or eggs will curdle.
Pour into pie shell, sprinkle with chopped nuts and chill for 4 hours. Serve with
too much whipped cream on top and running down the sides.
Bob’s notes: The idea is to fill a nut crust with any nut butter (creamy or
crunchy) and top with chopped nuts. It works with any nuts (except black
walnuts—too strongly flavored unless used very sparingly) or combinations of
nuts. Think macadamia-cashew-hickory nut pie. Peanut-hazelnut-Brazil nut pie.
Walnut-almond-sunflower seed pie. Or almond-almond-almond pie.
9
ANY FRUIT DESSERT SOUFFLÉ
This will work with any berry—raspberry, strawberry, blueberry—and is an
example of the type of soufflé made with purée instead of Béchamel sauce.
Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar or the glaze below.
Serves 6 if you’re lucky.
Butter and sugar for the mold
2 cup ripe berries, mashed for the glaze
¾ cup preserves of the same berries
⅛ cup fruit brandy or cognac
6 egg whites
¾ cup sugar
2 cups very ripe berries for the soufflé
Heat oven to 375°F. Butter and sugar the mold. Prepare the glaze: Mix mashed
berries and preserves in saucepan over low heat; cover, bring to a boil and
simmer for 5 minutes. Stir to mash the berries. Remove from heat; cool for 5
minutes. Add the brandy.
In bowl of mixer, whip whites at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar
gradually while beating. Chop and crush 1⁄3 of soufflé berries, and add them
with the remaining whole berries to the whites, gently folding them in. Pour into
mold and bake for about 20 minutes or until puffed. Serve immediately.
Variations: Substitute any soft fruit for the berries—e.g. mango, persimmon,
peach or plum. Use a combination of fruit. Add a teaspoon of grated lemon,
orange or grapefruit peel. Add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to the soufflé.
Bob’s note: I use a round, white, ceramic, high-sided, soufflé mold that says
“20 cm” on the bottom. My ruler says it’s about 7¾ inches.
10
ANYTHING-INFUSED VINEGAR
Our word “vinegar” comes from the French “vin aigre” or sour wine. Virtually
every culture on earth uses vinegar as a flavoring (alone or blended with other
flavors), as a preservative, or as a beverage.
Adding the flavors is the simplest job in the kitchen. Combine the vinegar with
the flavoring agents and wait a month. Want to shorten it to days? Stand the
uncovered bottles of vinegar with their flavoring agents in a pan of hot water
(180° or so) for an hour or two, then let them cool, cap them and wait about
three days for the flavors to develop. Store in the dark.
What flavors? How much to use? In which types of vinegar? What size bottles?
Well, here’s some of what I have, in a wide selection of bottles, most of which
hold 750 ml. As far as how much of the flavoring to use, I just put stuff into the
bottles until I don’t think I should put any more. I find that three or four sprigs of
fresh herbs is good. From one, up to a dozen cloves of garlic, but less if other
flavors are to be emphasized. Peels of two citrus fruits. A cinnamon stick.
Orange/white vinegar: Distilled vinegar with the peels of one or two oranges.
Peel the orange with a vegetable peeler so none of the white gets into the
vinegar. The white (or pith) is bitter. Great for fruit salads or molds.
Lemon/white vinegar: Distilled vinegar with peel of two lemons. Does magic
for oily fish like tuna or salmon. Two or three drops on ripe melon is a pleasant
shock.
Grapefruit/cider vinegar: Obviously citric but people look confused for a
moment until they figure it out. Has a sharp edge that cuts through oiliness.
Fresh tuna, salmon, or best, mackerel.
Garlic/red wine vinegar: Five or six peeled cloves of garlic on a skewer in a
tall-necked bottle. Very decorative that way. Or, one clove of elephant garlic
in a large-mouth jar. Full, rich flavor and full scent. Mostly for salads, and only
11
with friends. Garlic/white wine is more subtle and somehow graceful, although
not as bold as the red.
Cinnamon/cider vinegar: I first tried a tablespoon of ground cinnamon. One
of my aesthetically less successful efforts. Tastes good, looks bad. The vinegar
ends up cloudy, and there’s a ring around the inside of the bottle at the top of
the liquid. Now I use a large cinnamon stick and leave it on heat for about 3
hours. Surprising what a tablespoon in an apple pie does; toss with apple slices
before putting into the shell. Good in a Waldorf salad.
Peppercorn/cider vinegar: One of the best. A half-cup of whole, black
peppercorns in the bottle. Open the bottle and smell the sweet, pure scent
of fresh pepper. A few drops on a steak is terrific. Use it in a beurre blanc for
meat. Add some to barbecue sauce or demi-glacé.
Shallot/cider vinegar: Nasty tasting, stinky and an altogether, no-doubt-aboutit failure. Despite the clear facts, I keep hoping it’ll improve with age but so far
the hope is vain.
Ginger/cider vinegar: A good one. One good-sized hand (that’s what the full
root is called) of fresh ginger, sliced thin and put into the vinegar for a week
or so. Run it through a strainer before using to take the slices out. Use in fish
poaching liquid. Makes a wonderful mayonnaise for tuna salad and the like.
Anise/white vinegar: Anise seed tastes and smells like licorice. About ¼
cup of seeds. Good on fruit salads, white-fleshed fish, or strongly flavored
vegetables like broccoli.
Mint/white vinegar: A couple sprigs of fresh or ¼ cup of dried mint flakes—
makes a highly aromatic vinegar. Nice on salads, especially if fruit is included.
Add a few drops to marinade and/or gravy for lamb.
Basil-garlic/cider vinegar: Superb as part of an oil and vinegar salad dressing
or a blended vinaigrette for cooked vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower or
cabbage. Five basil leaves and three cloves garlic.
12
Honey/cider vinegar: A quarter cup of honey—complete with tiny pieces
of honeycomb. Very quiet touch of sweet and sour, and the very small waxy
pieces of comb add a nicely puzzling texture note to salads and fruit compotes.
Jalapeno/Anaheim/cayenne/habanero peppers/cider vinegar: One or two
of each type of pepper in the bottle. Bites the tongue hard if you’re not careful.
Judiciously used, this one makes marinades, salsa, mayonnaise, and salad
dressings sing. The scent is rich and peppery, and it makes sauces sparkle.
Bob treated my brother, Rich, and I to a lunch at the Beverly Cafe in
Staunton, Virginia, several years ago. He also gave us a walking tour of the
downtown, which he was obviously proud of. After the tour of Staunton,
he gave Rich and I ten ornate bottles of infused oils and vinegars.
=Mark
13
CLASSIC SAUCES
1 bunch flour
1 bunch milk
1 cup chicken or beef stock
1 cup dry white wine
There are six basic sauce types, I say. Others classify from five to eight. The
French call theirs “mother sauces” and either use them as is or add other
ingredients to make compound or “small sauces.”
The whole idea behind these sauces is to add a full richness of flavor to your
food, and to save you work. That may seem amusing when you see how
much time many of the recipes take, but it is true. Don’t confuse time spent
simmering with work. You don’t have to do anything while it cooks. Once the
bases are made, you can make a sauce for either a family dinner or the most
formal party with no fuss or mess.
These recipes are the bases of other sauces that you can tailor to the specific
meal. Add sautéed onions, a little white wine and some Dijon mustard to the
demi-glacé and you have Sauce Robert...THE pork sauce for centuries. It also
works well with venison. Speaking of which, you can substitute venison for beef
in the stock recipes.
Combine some Béchamel sauce, Gruyére and Parmesan cheeses with a little
heavy cream and unsalted butter for Mornay sauce. Coat chicken or fish with it
before popping it under the broiler to be glazed.
Too rich? Margarine can be substituted for butter as long as it’s understood that
the flavor will differ. Use non-fat cheese instead of Gruyére and you’ve taken
out most of the cholesterol and other saturated fats. It’s not the classic recipe,
but recipes are not what good eating is about. We eat to nourish the body and
we eat for pleasure and it behooves us to do it wisely.
14
These rich sauces aren’t for every day, but then neither is good crystal. The
recipes below are modernized classics more in keeping with today’s kitchen
and budget. It’s just as easy to make large batches of stocks and sauces as
small ones. And they freeze beautifully in cup-sized portions for easy thawing.
We’ll be taking a more liberal view of sauce cookery than the classic cuisines
did, starting with some preliminary definitions.
Bouquet garni: The aromatic ingredients of stocks, usually parsley or chervil,
bay leaf, thyme, and clove. Used either tied in a tube of celery stalks or in small
cheesecloth bags.
Depouillage: Literally, stripping. Removal of all the fat and impurities from a
stock or sauce.
Fonds: Stocks–the French word for “foundations.” There are two types: fonds
brun (brown) and fonds blanc (white).
Fumet: Fonds blanc made from fish.
Liaison: Literally, a bond. In classic French cuisine, any thickener. In modern
cookery, the name of a process wherein some of the hot stock is mixed with the
thickener to both dilute and warm it. The mixture is then whisked into the stock
and the combination simmered. Most often used with egg, but will work with
any thickener.
Mirepoix or matignon: Basically equal quantities of celery, carrot, and onion,
plus bay leaf and thyme. If left in large pieces, it’s called a mirepoix. If minced,
a matignon. Also called the “aromatic ingredients.”
Roux: The archaic French word for “red” that 200 years ago came to mean
flour cooked long enough to change color. Equal weights flour and butter
combined and cooked until a nutty odor can be detected. There are three basic
types of roux. White roux is cooked long enough to get rid of the raw smell, but
not long enough to change color. Blonde roux is slightly browned and brown
15
roux is cooked to a deep brown color, but not burned. The more a roux is a;,
the less thickening power it has. In more modern usage, it has come to mean
any fat with any starch. For those concerned with cholesterol, it means that
other, less saturated fats than butter can be substituted and an lighter starches
(corn starch, arrowroot, etc.) can be used as well.
Velouté - literally, velvet. Smooth sauce made from fonds blanc.
Some sauces require stocks as their bases. Let’s look at the types of stocks
and how to make them. These are the roots of modern sauce making:
1. Brown sauces are made from a base of browned beef and/or veal bones
and meat. They are simmered, skimmed, reduced and thickened with a brown
roux.
2. White sauces (velouté) are made from a base made of veal and/or chicken
or fish without browning or pre-cooking of any kind. Meats and bones are also
simmered, skimmed, reduced and thickened with a blonde roux.
3. Béchamel (also called white sauce) is based on a white roux, milk or cream
and flavorings. Sometimes made with veal stock.
4. Emulsified sauces are served either cold like mayonnaise or warm like
Hollandaise, Béarnaise or beurre blanc. They are all based on one fact of
physics - oils can be held emulsified by either egg yolk or acids, and do so in
surprising quantity. One yolk will hold nearly a cup of oil, and two tablespoons
of acid will hold as much as a pound and a half of butter.
5. Pureed sauces are based on vegetables, sometimes including stocks. The
most common one is tomato sauce for pasta. Classic French cuisine doesn’t
recognize this as a sauce type in its own right even though they use them in
daily cooking.
6. Dessert and custard sauces aren’t a single type of sauce like those above.
They are a small part of sauce cookery but demand techniques all their own.
16
7. NOT true sauces: Gravy made from pan juices with the last-minute addition
of flour. They lack the finished fullness of long-cooked sauces, but have their
place in daily cuisine. Let’s make our stocks starting with basic brown stock, or
fonds brun.
GRAVY TACTICS
1 bunch flour; and/or
1 bunch corn starch
1 bunch pan juices
Flour and corn flour (or cornstarch in the U.S.) will clump when they’re added
to liquids that are hot enough to cause the starch to agglutinate (clot). If adding
flour to hot fat with no water-based liquids (like meat juices) in it, just dump it in
and whisk. It’ll mix in easily and forms a roux.
If adding flour to a hot mixture of fat and juices, the flour needs to be mixed
with something else cool first, whether fat or juice. Add and whisk and it’ll
combine.
For pan gravies that use the fat and juice residue of roasting, a slurry (water
and flour) will work best.
For making gravies from fat drippings like bacon or sausage fat, just mixing the
flour with some room-temperature butter (called beurre manié in French) and
whisking that in will work.
Flour gives an opaque gravy. Cornstarches give a shiny, translucent, or even
transparent gravy unless milk or cream is added.
Using stock as the liquid to extend a gravy adds a huge flavor boost. Almost no
matter what kind. Any kind of rich stock added to any basic gravy mixture will
make a good gravy.
17
DECORATIVE PICKLED VEGETABLES
1 bunch cauliflower
1 bunch broccoli
1 bunch red peppers (sweet or hot)
1 bunch pearl onions
1 bunch baby carrots
Dill heads, washed
Onion slices, ½-inch thick
Whole garlic cloves
Carrots sliced lengthwise, optional for color
Brine:
6 cups water
2 cups white vinegar, 4% to 6% acidity
1
⁄3 cup canning salt, to retain firmness
I also have sometimes included celery (strings removed), fennel bulb slices,
sundried tomatoes, and already pickled things like mushrooms, artichoke
hearts and olives. Usually put in a sprig of rosemary, some black peppercorns,
a few fennel seeds and some strips of lemon zest.
There is no quantity of vegetables given as this method may be used for
several quarts or several dozen quarts of pickles. The amount of brine given
is sufficient for about six quarts of pickles. Larger or smaller amounts of brine
may be prepared, but be sure to keep the correct proportions of water, salt, and
vinegar intact. Use pickling salt to retain firmness in the vegetables.
Heat the brine in a large pot to boiling. Have water boiling in water bath canner.
Wash and scrub the vegetables carefully. Cut everything to expose interior
surfaces and to let the brine in. Place 1 or 2 garlic cloves, slice of onion, carrot,
and head of dill into the bottom of a clean, hot quart-sized canning jar, then
layer the rest of the vegetables as you wish.
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Place two-piece lids (lid and screw-band) in boiling water. Cover vegetables
with hot brine to within ½ inch of the top of the jar. Wipe rim of jar. Place lid on
jar and tightly screw on metal band by hand.
Process jars in simmering water bath at 200°F to 205°F for 10 minutes. Count
processing time from the point when water returns to simmer. Remove jars. Do
not tighten screw bands. Set jars upright several inches apart on wire rack or
wooden board to cool.
I process longer than the suggested time, up to 20 minutes, just because it
makes me feel better to overdo the safety aspects.
Make 'em up for X-mas gifts maybe 2 weeks ahead of time. Arrange the stuff in
pretty combinations inside the jars. Everyone is terribly impressed and you get
good karma points. Oh, by the way—it all tastes good, too.
The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you always shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to
two-step time, a dry martini you always shake to waltz time.
~Nick Charles, from the movie The Thin Man
Posted by Rob Wells
19
ANY FRUIT CURD
Start with lemon curd:
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
zest of two lemons
3 egg yolks
½ ounce orange liqueur
Put the juice, sugar and butter into a double boiler over, not in simmering
water. Heat to about 180°F. Whip the yolks and make a liaison—take a couple
tablespoons of the hot juice and whisk it into the eggs. Dump the egg mixture
into the pan of warm juice and whisk to mix thoroughly. Stir often. It should
thicken in a few minutes.
Remove from heat, pour or spoon into a bowl and put into the refridgerator to
cool and set.
I must give away a small secret: put a dash of orange liqueur in there. Maybe
a half-ounce or so. It will astonish you. Don't tell anyone…
Pastorio
Other fruit curds: ‘Member when I said I was making samples of several
different curds and would like some feedback on them from my customers. And
then I’d send them to you at my cost? ‘Member that?
Funny thing. I’ve been selling everything I could make and in a couple flavors,
am out of stock. Today, I made cases and cases of cranberry-orange curd
(cranberry juice with chopped fresh navel and dried mineola oranges) and
orange-cranberry (orange juice and chopped dried mineola oranges with
chopped cranberries).
20
I’m producing 11 different flavors of curds and haven’t been able to stop
production long enough to make the small bottles I wanted y’all to try. I think I’ll
be out of the woods in a few weeks. Getting a new kitchen with considerably
better production facilities. That should help. I’ll let you know. <pant pant>
Editor’s note: Bob finally emerged from making and selling curds that year, with
instructions on other flavors that we cannot find just now. Several list members
have since made curds using his base recipe above, with various fruit juices
and citrus zest combinations, and even different liqueurs when orange didn’t
suit. Experiment for yourself and enjoy the possibilities!
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
Posted by Diane Laux in Chicago
21
LOTS OF APPETIZERS
Foodwine members have often discussed the value of keeping a well-stocked
pantry or refrigerator with good, interesting ingredients. As Bob showed us
here, if you keep some of these ingredients on hand, impressive appetizers at
a moment’s notice are easy.
1 package fresh or frozen tortellini
2 ripe pears
Lemons
Avocados
Fresh figs
Fresh thyme
Fresh lavender
Fresh rosemary
Fresh basil
Fresh parsley
Honey
Pecans or other nuts
Bocconcini (mozzarella balls)
Brie cheese
Parmesan cheese
Gorgonzola cheese
Cream cheese or mascarpone
Prosciutto
Smoked salmon
Deli smoked turkey
A baguette
Mini tart shells
Can or jar of olives
Can or jar of dolmades (stuffed
grape leaves)
Jar of jalapeño jelly
Jar of roasted red peppers
Mayonnaise
Fresh garlic
Olive oil
Cognac
Here are a few quick items to consider when company drops by this weekend.
These few super easy items are my fall back things to serve if I have
unexpected cocktail company, or just for us.
Tortellini Skewers with Lemon Parmesan Aioli: Cook fresh tortellini, then
skewer, 2 to 3 per skewer. Serve with a dipping sauce of lemon Parmesan aioli
(prepared mayo, lemon juice, lemon zest, a little minced garlic, and freshly
grated Parmesan cheese whipped together). These can be tray passed or
presented on a platter on a buffet.
22
Warm Brie and Pear Tartlets: Fill purchased mini tart shells with a slice of brie
and finely diced ripe pear. Sprinkle a little minced fresh thyme or lavender on
each, and drizzle lightly with honey. Bake in a 375°F oven for 7 to 8 minutes,
until the cheese is bubbling. Serve immediately.
Skewered Bocconcini with Prosciutto: Start several hours before serving.
Cut thick rosemary stems (stripped of leaves) into 3-inch lengths. Use the
rosemary to skewer 1 to 2 bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls). Wrap and set
aside for 1 to 2 hours in the fridge. Cut very good prosciutto into strips. Arrange
on a baking sheet in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil, dash of balsamic
vinegar, and ground black pepper. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before
using. To serve, wrap each bocconcini with a marinated prosciutto strip.
Warm Figs with Gorgonzola and Pecans: Cut ripe, fresh figs in half, dust
lightly with sugar, place on a greased sheet pan and bake in at 400°F oven for
about 7 minutes, until the sugar begins to color. Remove from the oven. Use
the back of a spoon to press a hollow in the center of each half. Fill the hollow
with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and top with a pecan half. When ready to
serve, return to 350°F oven for 5 minutes, until the cheese begins to melt.
Serve immediately.
Warm Figs with Prosciutto: I also cut fresh figs into either halves or quarters
depending on size and wrap in prosciutto and either sauté till prosciutto is crisp
or do under the broiler. These are always a hit.
Smoked Salmon and Avocado Rosettes: Mash a ripe avocado with a
squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper and 1 to 2 tablespoons cream
cheese or mascarpone. Set aside in the fridge. Cut very good smoked salmon
into 4-by-1-inch strips. Cut firm dark bread, such as German rye, into small
squares. Wrap each salmon strip around the end of your finger, then sit this
roll, standing upright on the bread. Drop a spoon of avocado mousse in the
middle and gently spread the edges of the salmon back to form a rosette.
Garnish with a sprig of dill or a sprinkle of cumin seeds.
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Corn Muffins with Smoked Turkey and Jalapeño Jelly: Purchase mini corn
muffins. Slice almost in half and spread one side generously with japapeño jelly
and the other with softened butter. Fill with finely sliced smoked turkey breast
and some watercress.
Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves): Drain purchased dolmades. Drizzle
with fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. season with black pepper and
minced cilantro, mint, or parsley; toss to coat. Garnish with roasted red peppers
and pine nuts.
Lemon Basil Crostini: Slice a baguette into very thin rounds. Dry out on
a sheet pan in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a food
processor, purée 2 tablespoons cream cheese, ¼ cup soft unsalted butter,
1
⁄3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, pinch lemon peel,
pinch sugar, pinch granulated garlic, 1 tablespoon minced basil, and salt and
white pepper to taste. Spread generously on baguette slices and bake in a
350°F oven about 10 minutes, until bubbling and crispy.
Olivada on Focaccia or Baguette: In a food processor, purée 2 to 3 cups
of plump, pitted black olives such as kalamata. When smooth, drizzle in 2 to
3 tablespoons olive oil. Add a splash of Cognac and a generous amount of
coarsely ground black pepper. Serve with sliced focaccia or baguette.
To make warm, seasoned potato chips, take a bag of good
grocery store potato chips and put them on a sheet pan. , into
a 350°F oven for a few minutes until you see the oil appear.
Take them out of the oven and put your own seasoning on them (Old Bay
perhaps) while they are hot. Then when the oil is re-absorbed, the flavors
sink in, too. ~Terry Pogue
TT
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ANYTHING QUICK BREAD
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups anything*
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and
set aside. Beat eggs in large bowl. Add oil and sugar and cream well. Add
“anything” and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Add nuts.
Spoon into 2 greased and floured loaf pans or a large Bundt pan. Bake at
350°F for 40 minutes (loaves) or 50 to 55 minutes (Bundt pan). Cool in the pan
for 15 minutes and then turn out onto rack to cool completely.
*The “anything” in this recipe can be one or any combination of: grated apples,
mashed bananas, grated carrots, chopped dates, pumpkin purée, raisins,
chopped rhubarb, chopped strawberries (or any other berry), grated squash or
zucchini, etc.
Maryellen Casey said, “The ‘anything’ concept is fun. I had a banana and two
apples that needed to be used, so I combined them with enough raisins to
make the ‘2 cups anything’ the recipe calls for. Next time, I’ll tweak the spices a
little, depending on what fruit I’m using, but this is a good starting point.”
Maryellen reported that the recipe froze and defrosted well. “I could see making
this bread in several small loaf pans and freezing them to quickly thaw when
unexpected company shows up or to give as hostess or holiday gifts.”
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ANY BEER BREAD
Bob always made us laugh, as with his preface to this post: “This basic recipe
came from a caller to my radio program and it sounded so good and so simple
that I felt the need to make and eat a lot of bread over a couple weeks. It was
a hard job, but I did it in the interests of science, furthering human culinary
knowledge, and because I’m just that kind of giving person. Seriously.
“This can be done with any kind of beer. I’ve done it with a range of them from
a very light American-style lager, to a medium-weight lager like Yuengling,
all the way to Guinness Stout. They were all wonderful. And I made several
variations (see below).”
3 cups self-rising flour (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces beer (one can or bottle)
Heat oven to 350°F. Combine dry ingredients and mix. Add beer, mix and
pour/scrape into bread pans. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, depending on any
additions. The top should be lightly browned, and a toothpick or knife inserted
for testing comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.
Beer bread with fruit: Same as above with the addition of two more
tablespoons of sugar, some spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, or
whatever you like) and chopped dried fruit. I’ve used cherries, mangoes,
apples, pears, apricots, cranberries and raisins. I’ve rehydrated the dried fruit in
the beer, and I’ve done it without rehydrating. Works both ways. Grand.
Beer bread with bacon: Cook a pound of bacon (and save the fat for making
your hair shiny or cooking other things). Chop it into fingernail-sized pieces. Stir
into the dry ingredients. Finish as above.
Beer bread with three onions: Same as above, but add sautéed onions (I
cooked two medium onions low and slow until nicely browned and very sweet),
chopped chives and dehydrated chopped onions. A total of about ¾ cup.
26
Beer bread with...I’d say, try it with anything that sounds good to you, with a
few considerations:
1. Nothing too wet. Nothing that will give off juices and soggy-up the bread.
2. Nothing too dry. Consider how much liquid they’ll soak up in the baking. Dry
out the bread.
3. I’d stay under a cup of total additions.
4. Have plenty of butter on hand.
5. Make more than one at a time. Otherwise you won’t get any.
Janet Morrissey reported, “This is the quickest, easiest bread to make. It’s
also delicious, with a surprisingly good texture. It can be thrown together and
be ready with the rest of dinner. Also wonderful cooled and used for ham
sandwiches. But it’s at its very best when still warm.”
Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.
27
ANYTHING PASTA SALAD WITH ANYTHING VINAIGRETTE
1 pound pasta, cooked and drained
Vinaigrette
1 bunch other stuffs
Cook pasta, drain and toss immediately with your vinaigrette dressing made
separately. Ratio of oil to vinegar for a classic vinaigrette normally is between
2:1 oil to vinegar, and 4:1 oil to vinegar.
Use 1⁄3 roasted garlic grapeseed oil, 1⁄3 basil (or other herb-flavored, less
if rosemary) olive oil and 1⁄3 very light olive oil. (Heavy/fruity olive oils will
overwhelm the other flavors. Lower quality oils will have more acid, and so
provide a bit more sparkle. I usually use “pure” olive oil or pomice for such
applications. The oil isn’t a star, just a supporting player.) A total of 1 to 1½
cups.
Use 1⁄3 blood orange vinegar, 1⁄3 basil vinegar, 1⁄3 apple cider vinegar. Optionally,
whisk in a tablespoon or two of tomato paste (tubes of it are handy), roasted
red pepper purée, or a tablespoon of roasted garlic purée, for a total of ½ cup.
If you want the dressing to remain more integral, whisk an egg into the vinegars
before combining them with the oils. The acid will kill the unlikely salmonella, as
it does in mayonnaise. Add oil as for a mayonnaise. You can use dry mustard
with or instead of egg for emulsification, but it won’t bind as well by itself.
I’d figure about 1½ or 2 cups of dressing per uncooked pound of pasta
because a good bit of it will be absorbed, and you’re adding other stuff later
that will need to be coated. Maybe reserve a bit of it to add at the end to insure
coverage of tomatoes, basil, and whatever else you decide to add.
Add some chopped (peeled and seeded) cucumber for a fruity flavor. I’ve
added chopped melon to similar salads and it adds a few flavor notes that
are surprising and pleasant. Chopped, roasted, oil-packed red peppers. My
approach would be to add layers of flavor and small fireworks to what most
28
people see as “picnic food” so they’re positively surprised and wondering why
they never thought of it. Drained capers or, even way better, caper berries
with stems still attached. Scatter the berries over top for presentation. Most
people won’t know what they are, and when the first one asks, the salad will
occupy center stage in everyone’s mind until they know. And there will be more
questions. Answer them with your best “aw, shucks, it weren’t nothin” imitation.
You don’t have to *be* sincere. You just have to *act* sincere.
Bring recipe cards to sell to the startled public. I’d go at least $2.95 each. No,
seriously...
Pastorio
We have never been a melting pot. The fact is we are more like a tossed
salad. We are green, some of us are oily, and there’s a little vinegar
injected when you get up to Ottawa.
~Arnold Edinborough, Canadian journalist
Posted by Tina V.
29
RAPID LEMON GLAZE (OR ALMOST ANY FLAVOR)
½ cup orange juice concentrate
½ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon corn starch
Okay. Now don’t tell anybody, but here’s the quickest orange-lemon sauce I’ve
ever heard of. It’s just you and me here and this is a restaurant secret.
Combine in a stainless or glass saucepan, whisk and bring to a gentle boil.
Chill and do whatever you want with it. Have a friend nearby.
Adjust the balance of flavors, thickness and temperature to suit yourself.
Promise you won’t tell anybody...
Oh, you can radically change the whole thing by using different juice
concentrates and juices. Orange-tangerine and pineapple. Cranberry and
cranberry. Pineapple and coconut milk (and a dash of rum). Any more ideas?
That pineapple, coconut, and rum sauce might just be wonderful over a
tembleque (Puerto Rican coconut custard) or a Spanish-style flan. Or on your
thumb. Have a friend nearby.
Walk me through your checkout line and I’ll tell you who you are.
~Elinor Lipman
Posted by Terry Pogue
30
STOCKS BY BOB
1 bunch bones
Leftover roast meat or poultry, with bones and skin
1 bunch vegetables (celery, carrot, onion)
1 bunch water
Salt
Stock cubes and other commercial preparations are approximations of what
real stock tastes like. Sometimes the approximation is a long way off.
Enriching the flavor of stock by precooking the meats or vegetables offers a
possibility of greater intensity and fullness of flavor. Sweat the chicken first.
Likewise veal. Same with the veggies. Start fish stock with trimmings and
bones in cold water over low heat.
Roast beef meat and bones and the veggies (celery, carrot and onion) in a hot
oven to deeply brown them. The resulting stock will have the color and flavor
of the Maillard reactions (the name of all the things that happen when foods
brown) to add to the basic flavor of the meats.
I don’t know where that notion that roasting meats, bones and veggies makes
for cloudy stock. It isn’t so. Cooking stock ingredients before simmering has a
long tradition in both home and haute cuisine. Searing veggies adds a bit of
color and additional flavor notes. Stock is cloudy if it’s boiled, not skimmed, not
defatted or if solids are left in—not filtered. Or some combination.
I routinely roast chickens before making stock (and sometimes a leg and thigh
accidentally get eaten before they make it to the stockpot) and season them
lightly with salt, pepper and garlic. Much of the fat is rendered, skin is crisped
and the meats become firm. I cut it up and put into just enough water to cover,
sometimes with a mirepoix (celery, carrot and onion but no turnip or potato) and
sometimes not. And, again, sometimes, the mirepoix is roasted, or sweated or
even just raw.
31
Each variation will give a different finish. To get the true flavor of stocks,
somewhere near the end, it needs to be salted. Even very rich stocks (reduced
or reinforced) have flavor notes that don’t appear until salt is added. It needn’t
be a lot of salt, but the difference is astonishing with and without salt.
Bones add a wonderful darkness of flavor, and a good ratio for beef stock is
3 units of bones to one of meat. Since I make it in large quantity, it’s 10-12
pounds of bones to 3-4 pounds of meat. I usually use one of the cheap cuts
and leave it whole—some chuck cut, usually. Local meat cutters are happy to
provide bones for the purpose—one calls them “dog bones.” I roast bones and
meat at 450°F in a flat roasting pan.
After a couple hours, I throw in the veggies and let them roast to a good brown
color. Pour off the fat (it's usually scorched and not very tasty) and dump
everything in enough water to cover.
Boiling the stock hard or at all guarantees a cloudy stock. A very gentle simmer
(so the surface "laughs," as a French chef would say) and frequent skimming
make a clear and intensely flavored stock. Use low heat and let it go for maybe
24 hours, skimming whenever I happen to be nearby and adding liquid as
needed. Water, wine, tomato juice… whatever the moment offers.
If I'm making a clear broth, I take pains to skim very deliberately. Skimming
and filtering make for the clearest and richest-tasting stocks. When it reaches
the place I want it to be, I gently pour through 3 or 4 layers of cheesecloth in a
chinois (fine conical sieve). Solids are useless for anything else. Sometimes I
give the meats to my cats and they seem to like it. Can't hurt.
I don't often do the traditional clearmeat approach with ground meat and
egg. Too fussy for any but the most elaborate exercise. Still, filtering through
cheesecloth makes for a good stock. Do that a few times and it really sparkles.
When I’m at home, I use a crockpot to reduce stocks. Set it to medium and
leave the lid off. Let it go all night. The surface doesn't even ripple. The whole
house smells grand.
32
If I'm using it as a soup base, I filter once to get the pieces out and that's it. For
risotto or similar dishes, I filter only through a colander so that small bits are still
in there. I like what it looks and tastes like. Adds tiny bits to the bite as well.
The ice-cube approach has been in common currency for decades. It works
fine. If you operate according to a fixed recipe and reduce to a fixed amount,
you can freeze stock in concentrated portion size. Maybe one cube makes a
cup of broth or some other amount you find useful.
Who bothers to cook TV dinners? I suck them frozen.
~Woody Allen
Posted by Romain
If a lump of soot falls into the soup and you cannot conveniently get it
out, stir it well in and it will give the soup a French taste.
~Jonathan Swift
Posted by Tina V.
33
PASTORIO’S MAYONNAISE
1 egg
1 cup oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice or ⅛ cup vinegar
Dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
The Kid and I make our own mayo. Whole eggs, salt, dry mustard, lemon juice,
oil. It’ll last months in the fridge.
Sometimes, vinegar instead of lemon juice. Other times, pureed garlic or
pureed roasted peppers added. Different oils. Last time, I used a dash of truffle
oil with the walnut and olive oils.
If using a wand blender, add egg, lemon, salt, mustard, and oil in that order to
a tall, narrow vessel (mine came with one—holds maybe 3 cups and is about
3½ inches across the bottom). Put the blender end all the way to the bottom
and turn it on. Leave it there for about 10 seconds, then slowly pull it up, taking
about a minute or more. Mayo.
If you want it thicker, add another egg (or just a yolk) or cut back on the oil.
Chloe Parrott asked: “I would imagine that one of the main issues here is that
food processor/hand blender mayonnaise is easier made with whole eggs and
hand-made mayonnaise (whisk, fork, spoon, finger if you’re desperate :-) ) can
*only* be made with egg yolks. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that has been my
experience. How easy is it to make *real* (egg-yolk) mayonnaise successfully
in a food processor?”
And Bob said, “Easier than using traditional methods. And with more control
over thickness of the finished product. Either one can be made either way. I like
whole egg mayonnaise better—broader flavor and texture profile.
34
I would also consider egg-yolk mayonnaise and whole-egg mayonnaise to be
very different sauces. I make both, but for quite different purposes. I always
make mayonnaise with 100% olive oil—about three-quarters a very light oil
that I buy in Spain and one-quarter normal good Portuguese oil. I’ve given up
buying non-olive oil, it tastes so horrid.
Different applications call for different oils. A full-flavored garlic mayonnaise
(aioli and the like) demands fruity olive oil.
A lighter mayo for, say, a grilled fish salad suits my tastes better if made with
an oil with milder flavor notes, such as walnut oil or maybe a grapeseed/canola
combination.
Veni. Vidi. Coxi!
I Came. I Saw. I Cooked!
Posted by Jon Randall
35
BREADCRUMB AND FLOUR COATINGS
1 bunch flour
1 bunch bread crumbs
1 bunch stuff to put it on
1 cup milk
1 egg
As I was growing up, my mother used to make the most delicious breaded veal
chops (and other breaded and fried foods, like salmon and tuna croquettes).
She always let the food sit on a plate for a while (most likely not in the
refrigerator) until she fried them maybe a half hour later. That drying step
makes an enormous difference in the adherence of the crust as well as its
integrity. It doesn’t break off or stick to the pan.
I never let these items sit after coating—they just never tasted as good, didn’t
have that wonderful crust, etc. Mom and I always let them sit for a few minutes
after cooking, on paper towels to take away excess oil.
For those things that benefit from a good crust of breading, I even go so far as
to double-dip. Pork chops, dredged in seasoned flour, then into a seasoned
egg wash, into seasoned crumbs, back into the egg, back into the crumbs, on a
tray on wax (greaseproof) paper for an hour or more, turning once after a halfhour or so.
Typically, I pan fry the chops in a very uncharacteristic way for me—I guess
when they’re done by looking at the color of the breading. It should be a good
gold color on both sides. The meat is effectively steamed inside the crumb
crust. It’s very good.
The seasonings are: in flour—salt, pepper and a bit of garlic powder. In egg
wash—Tabasco sauce, salt, white wine, a few eggs. In crumbs—place salt,
pepper, oregano, basil, rosemary, sage, ginger in a blender and whirl to make a
fine powder. Mix with the bread crumbs.
36
BEYOND BASIC BUTTER
1 quart heavy cream
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
One of the more remarkable butters I’ve ever made goes like this: Take a quart
of heavy cream (at least 36% milkfat) and heat it to 180°F. Cool to 110°F and
stir in about 3 tablespoons plain yogurt.
Pour into a thermos jug or some other container that you can keep at about
110°F for 24 hours. At that point, put it in the fridge to cool thoroughly. It will
gradually become thick. Let it rest 24 hours in the fridge.
(You might want to taste this yogurt with some serious sensuality. The
mouthfeel is astonishing, and a shake of sugar on a strawberry dipped in it
makes it a personal moment.)
Now whip it with a mixer until you have butter. Let it drain in a colander in the
fridge over a bowl to collect the buttermilk. Spread that on a piece of toast and
you’ll have a whole new idea of what butter is.
The buttermilk is wonderful in soups, breads, or even as the liquid in pasta.
I would far prefer to have things happen as they naturally do, such as
the mousse refusing to leave the mold, the potatoes sticking to the skillet,
the apple charlotte slowly collapsing. One of the secrets of cooking is to
learn to correct something if you can, and bear with it if you cannot.
~Julia Child
Posted by Bob Pastorio
37
SEVICHE (CEVICHE)
Fish (mackerel, orange roughy, salmon, tuna, red snapper, flounder
or turbot) or shellfish (scallops, shrimp and rock shrimp—if you can
find them—or lobster)
Citrus juice
Vinegar
Onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Pimentos (optional)
Olives (optional)
Bell peppers, diced (optional)
Seasonings (mix and match, pick and choose): peppercorns, bay leaf,
red pepper flakes
Vinegar is strongly acid and will cook some seafood without heat, by firming the
protein in the food, making it snowy white. Some recipes call for lemon or lime
juice, either alone or with vinegar, for both flavor and effect. Some versions
call for the food to be marinated in the acids and served as is; others marinate,
then cook more traditionally. In either case, it can be a very elegant treat.
Layer bite-sized pieces of fish or shellfish in a glass or ceramic container. Next,
add a layer of thinly sliced onion seasoned with pinches of red pepper flakes,
peppercorns and powdered bay leaf. Some cooks add diced bell peppers,
pimentos, jalapenos, peas, carrot shreds or black olives. Repeat the layers
and, finally, add enough of the pickling liquid to cover.
Use 1⁄3 to ½ cup citrus juice, and white or white-wine vinegar. Refrigerate for
24 hours. Serve as an appetizer or hors d’oeuvre with toothpicks, or drain and
toss the fish and onions with sour cream or yogurt. I add some thinly sliced
cucumber when I do it this way. The seviche will hold for 4-5 days in the fridge.
I use a blend of lemon, peppercorn, orange and ginger vinegars. Yellow onion,
red pimento, green pepper, and black olives with white fish, pink shrimp and
creamy-gold scallops make a visual treat and a festival of flavors and textures.
38
APPETIZERS
&
BEVERAGES
APPETIZERS & BEVERAGES
ARTICHOKE-ASIAGO DIP
Contributor Matthew Hill says his wife and daughter created this recipe after
tasting a local deli shop’s version of it.
½ pound block Asiago cheese
2 garlic cloves
2 small jars (about 350 ml) marinated quartered artichoke hearts
1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh, not bottled)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Using the knife blade, process the garlic cloves on fine chop in your food
processor. Add Asiago and pulse into small chunks (do not pulverize smooth).
Add artichokes, using marinade from one jar only. Add salt, lemon juice, and
mayonnaise, pulsing to mix while keeping texture chunky.
Notes: If you buy artichoke hearts in a larger jar, start with ¼ cup of the
marinade, taste, and add more if needed. You can substitute marinated whole
hearts with stems; they are more flavorful but much more expensive. Do not
substitute Miracle Whip for mayonnaise: It separates and is sweet.
Eating an artichoke is like getting to know someone really well.
40
CHEESE BALL
Susan D. Schoneweis adapted this recipe from a Better Homes & Gardens
cookbook. “This is the only cheese ball I’ve ever liked. I make it for Christmas
Eve with family, but have also taken it to work. I’ve never had anyone say they
didn’t like it. The recipe doubles, triples, quadruples … just season to taste.”
1 8-ounce package cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese, softened
3 tablespoons Heinz 57 sauce (do not use A1!!!)
1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted in oven and cooled
3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
Tabasco sauce to taste
4 whole pecan halves
Reserve ½ cup of the chopped nuts. Blend together the remaining ingredients.
Place the reserved pecans on a sheet of plastic wrap or waxed paper. With a
spatula, form the cheese mix into a ball and place on the nuts to coat. Decorate
the top with the pecan halves. Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate.
Tastes best when made a few days ahead and flavors have time to mingle.
Serve with crackers.
The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.
~G.K. Chesterton
Posted by Bonnie Howard
41
BOURSIN-ISH CHEESE
Bob Pastorio came up with his own version of the soft herbed cheese sold in
grocery stores, preferring the freshness of using his own ingredients, and the
flexibility of the variations you can try depending on what’s in your own pantry.
Makes about 3 cups
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1¼ teaspoons dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
Put all ingredients in food processor bowl, and process until smooth. Scrape
down sides and run again until ingredients look uniformly mixed. Put into
another container and chill for 2 hours or more.
Notes: You can vary the recipe by altering the balance of ingredients or adding
others. Sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, finely chopped rosemary,
anchovies, and wasabi are all good choices. Testers found the basic recipe
mild and added goat cheese for extra flavor.
One can drink too much, but one never drinks enough.
~Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Posted by Ellen in Dallas
42
BEER-BATTER ARTICHOKE HEARTS
Contributor Anne B. writes: “These make a real mess when being made, but
they’re still great for parties because they freeze well and reheat beautifully.”
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup beer
Pinch salt
1 can fresh or 1 package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
Oil for frying
Mix the flour with the beer and salt until all the flour is wet. It’s okay to leave
lumps, just make sure there are no dry patches at the bottom of the bowl. Chill
for an hour or more.
Drain the artichokes and cut into quarters, or small bite-sized pieces,
depending on size. Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok over high heat until a
drop of water sizzles when dropped in. Dip the ‘chokes into the batter, then, in
batches, carefully slide into the oil and fry about two minutes each side until
golden brown. Drain on a rack over paper. When possible, break off a small
piece of fried batter and taste; season with salt if needed..
You can serve the chokes as soon as you can pick them up, or, you can spread
them on a baking sheet and freeze them, bagging them once they’re frozen (if
you bag them before freezing, you’ll never get them apart later). To reheat, fire
up your oven to 400˚F, put the frozen ‘chokes on a sheet in one layer and heat
for about 5 to 10 minutes, until they’re hot and crisp again.
Serve with dipping sauces. For parties, put out a variety of sauces: Bearnaise,
aioli, BBQ, ranch dressing, mayonnaise, whatever.
Notes: Testers added more salt and red pepper flakes to the batter, and used a
deep-fat fryer.
43
GOUGERE
Tina Vierra nominated this recipe by winemaker and list member Penny Coster
after having it with champagne at Penny’s dinner party. “The flavor of these
with sparkling wine is fantastic!”
Penny says, “It is a mixture of a recipe that we used to make in the tasting
room, and from a French cookbook called The Food of France. This is just a
choux paste with the addition of cheese, usually Gruyere; you can add herbs or
spices to fit the meal.“
¾ cup water
½ stick unsalted butter
1 cup sifted flour
3 large eggs
1 cup grated Manchego cheese
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
Preheat oven to 425˚F. Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Add butter, salt,
cayenne, and nutmeg, and heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat.
Add flour and blend thoroughly. Return to heat, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes until
mixture pulls away from side of pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat, let
cool to the touch.
Make a well in the center of the mixture. Add eggs one at a time and beat after
each addition until well blended. Add the cheese and mix well. Spoon onto
baking sheet. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until puffy and brown.
Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends.
~Tom Waits
Posted by Bruce Baker
44
FIG-WALNUT TAPENADE WITH GOAT CHEESE
Contributor Robyn came up with this recipe for a wine party, reporting that the
flavor of thyme and the other ingredients is a great pairing with wines.
Serves 4-6.
½ cup chopped, stemmed, dried Calimyma figs
3 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons chopped Niçoise olives
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1½ teaspoons drained capers, chopped
¾ teaspoon fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 5½-ounce log goat cheese
¼ cup walnut halves, toasted for garnish
Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
Assorted sliced breads and/or crackers for serving
Combine figs and water in a small heavy saucepan over medium high heat;
cook for about 7 minutes, until liquid evaporates and figs are soft. Transfer figs
to a bowl. Mix in olives, olive oil, vinegar, capers and chopped thyme. Season
with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped walnuts.
Place cheese log in center of a small dish. Arrange tapenade around it and
garnish with walnut halves and thyme. Serve with sliced bread and/or crackers.
Notes: The tapenade can be prepared without chopped walnuts up to 3
days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature and stir
in chopped walnuts before serving. While the recipe calls for Calimyma figs,
testers reported that any figs on hand are fine to substitute.
45
GORGONZOLA, GRAPE AND NUT CROSTINI
Contributor Terry Pogue found this recipe in the Washington Post and served
the crostini to a weekly gathering of her husband’s group of friends. They were
such a hit that they were immediately nominated for the cookbook.
Yields 30 slices, serves 15
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
½ cup toasted pine nuts
30 slices French baguette-style bread
Toast pine nuts on cookie sheet in oven preheated to 350°F until lightly
browned, about seven minutes.
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Beat together cream cheese, mayonnaise, gorgonzola
cheese, and green onions; season with salt and pepper. Fold in grapes and
pine nuts. Spread a tablespoon of cheese mixture on each baguette slice. Bake
until heated and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes: Testers found the blue cheese strong and reduced the amount. Some
chopped the grapes rather than just cutting them in half.
Cooking time for the crostini varied greatly from oven to oven. Testers finally
settled on baking for 5 minutes at 400°F, then broiling for a few seconds to
brown the tops.
46
HERBED HUMMUS DIP
Contributor Pat Belanger found this recipe in Canadian Living magazine, and
knows a restaurateur who serves it as a free appetizer to diners.
1 19-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons each lemon juice and water
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon each, dried dillweed and salt
Pinch of pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, chopped
Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Make ahead and
refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days. Makes 2 cups and can be
served with vegetables or whole-wheat pita crisps/crackers.
Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and
for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water.
~W. C. Fields
Posted by Tina V.
47
GRANDPA MIKEY’S HABANERO JELLY
Contributed by Lyn Belisle, this is an old family recipe.
Yield: 7 half-pint jars
3 large fleshy orange bell peppers
5 to 10 ripe habanero peppers
1½ cups distilled white vinegar
7 cups sugar
9 fluid ounces liquid fruit pectin (Certo or equivalent)
Remove stems, seeds and membranes from all peppers (use gloves when
handling the habaneros ... yes ... seriously ... USE GLOVES!). Put peppers and
the vinegar in a blender and process until smooth.
Combine pepper-vinegar purée and all the sugar in a non-corrosive pan. Bring
to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat
and strain through cheesecloth into another pan (straining is optional—I like to
leave the little pieces of pepper for texture).
Add pectin and bring to a full rolling boil while stirring. Boil about one minute,
remove from heat and ladle into sterile jars.
Bond reflected that Americans were fine people, and that most of them
seemed to come from Texas.
~Ian Fleming, Casino Royale
Posted by Texas Chris
48
MERRY TOMATOES
Terry Pogue’s Merry Tomatoes are famous, party standards for so many list
members that copies of this recipe have been handed out far and wide.
Gretl Collins, one of many who nominated the recipe for this cookbook, writes:
“I use a toothpick to poke a few holes in each tomato, then marinate them
(refrigerated) in a ziplock bag with the vodka, squeezing out the air so all the
tomatoes are covered. As a variation, sometimes I use lime pepper.”
30 to 40 cherry tomatoes, stems removed
1 cup or more vodka
1 teaspoon celery salt
¼ teaspoon lemon pepper
Place the tomatoes in a glass bowl (like a small trifle bowl) and pour vodka
over them (you made need more than one cup of vodka because you want the
tomatoes to be covered). Depending on the strength of the infusion desired,
soak the tomatoes for between two hours at room temperature and overnight in
the refrigerator before serving.
To serve, place celery salt and lemon pepper in a separate, wide-mouth
shallow bowl, with a container of tooth picks nearby. Guests stab a tomato and
dip in the salt/pepper combination … it tastes just like a bloody Mary.
Notes: It doesn’t hurt to double the salt and pepper mixture. Actually, testers
say it doesn’t hurt to double the whole recipe –these go fast!
Avoid strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors—and miss.
Posted by Blake in San Antonio
49
PARMESAN CRISPS
Janet Morrissey contributed this recipe inspired by Food Network’s Alton Brown
and modified by Foodwine list testers.
Yield: 30 crisps
3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Smoked paprika
Cayenne pepper (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Finely grate cheese using the smallest-hole side of
a 4-sided box grater (a microplane also works well) into a small bowl.
Using a tablespoon measure, place cheese in mounds onto a nonstick silicone
pad or a cookie sheet lined with greased parchment paper. Flatten mounds
with the back of a spoon, making sure they’re at least ½ inch apart. Season
with pepper, paprika, or cayenne if desired. Bake on the middle rack of the
oven for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden.
Notes: One tester made very large versions of these, baked over upside-down,
oven-safe bowls to create bowl shapes. She used the cooled Parmesan bowls
to serve Caesar salad.
The table is a meeting place, a gathering ground, the source of sustenance and nourishment, festivity, safety, and satisfaction.
~Laurie Colwin
50
PEPPER JELLY CHEESECAKE
List member Rosebud says of her recipe, “This is a really easy appetizer that
frequently appears on my New Year’s Eve party buffet and at birthday parties.
You can make it a day ahead and just get it out, plate it, top it, and step back.”
8 ounces cream cheese
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
5 ounces sharp cheddar, grated
6 ounces pepper jelly (jalapeño or habanero)
Preheat oven to 325˚F. Mix cream cheese, egg, garlic, cheddar and 4 ounces
pepper jelly in food processor. Spray a 6-inch springform pan with nonstick
cooking spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again.
Pour mixture into pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Turn off
the oven and let cool down in oven for 2 hours. Cool in refrigerator for several
hours or overnight.
Spread with the remaining 2 ounces pepper jelly. Serve with crackers.
Notes: Tester Sheila Foster didn’t have a springform pan, but her 7-inch tart
pan worked just fine. She also recommends slightly less cooking time (20 to
25 minutes) if you want a firm cheesecake, and more time (25 to 30 minutes) if
you like it crumbly.
A recipe is only a theme,
which an intelligent cook can
play each time with a variation.
~Madame Benoit
Posted by Ron
51
SALMON BALLS
Contributor Sherry Blair makes several of these for the holidays and freezes
them, taking one out each time she’s off to a holiday gathering.
1 15-ounce can salmon, drained
1 8-ounce package cream cheese (can use low fat or fat free)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon horseradish
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup pecans (halves or chopped)
Mix together the first five ingredients, by hand or with a mixer. Form into two
balls, chill until the balls are hard enough to roll in the pecans to coat.them.
Serve with crackers. Freezes well.
Notes: Testers served with slices of pumpernickel bread and celery.
I bet that when serious heroin addicts go to purchase their heroin,
they do not tolerate waiting in line while some dilettante in front of
them orders a hazelnut smack-a-cino with cinnamon sprinkles.
~Dave Barry
Posted by Michele Spainhour Rumohr
52
POLENTA ROUNDS WITH BLACK-EYED PEAS
This recipe from Southern Living magazine was contributed by Jeanie Roberts,
who found it tasty, pretty, and easy to make.
1 tube refrigerated sun-dried tomato polenta, cut into 12 rounds
1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
½ onion, finely chopped
½ cup finely chopped red pepper
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon red pepper
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (optional)
½ cup sour cream
Cook polenta rounds in large nonstick frying pan coated with a little bit of olive
oil. Fry about 4 minutes per side until lightly browned. Remove and keep warm.
Cook peas, pepper, onion and spices in water over medium-high heat until
water evaporates. Stir in the cilantro, if you like it. Spoon warm pea mixture
over polenta rounds, top with a dollop of sour cream.
Notes: Tester Marie Pinho added a teaspoon each of olive oil and vinegar to
the pea mixture as it cooked.
Even though eating honey is a very good thing to do,
there is a moment just before you begin to eat it which is better.
~A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Posted by Rob Wells
53
CRAB BOBOLI EXTRAVAGANZA
Contributed by Terry Pogue, this recipe has been a list favorite for years.
Serves 10-12
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
¼ cup parsley, minced
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
10 ounces lump crab meat
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts or bottoms, chopped
1 large Boboli bread
Combine all ingredients except bread. Warm the bread for 5 minutes in a
250°F oven. Spread crab-cheese mixture on the bread and broil for 3 to 4
minutes or until cheese is melted.
Notes: This decadent lovely appetizer is almost a crab dip.
Good taste is the worst vice ever invented.
~Dame Edith Sitwell, English poet 1887-1964
Posted by Juergen Gasche
54
SHRIMP PONTCHARTRAIN
Karen Brack has had this recipe clipping so long, she’s not sure where it came
from; she thinks it dates back to the 1970s. A hand-written note on the clipping
says “N.Y. Times Favorites.” Karen says it’s a delicious, elegant first course.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons finely minced heart of celery
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon finely minced scallions
1 tablespoon minced parsley
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon sharp horseradish or Creole mustard
1 teaspoon horseradish
24 cooked, chilled and peeled shrimp
Thoroughly blend all ingredients except the shrimp. Pour mixture over the
shrimp and chill until ready to use. Serve, if desired, over chopped lettuce.
Notes: The dressing also goes very well with mussels and other seafood. Can
be made a day in advance and chilled overnight.
Tester Janet Morrissey served it on a buffet, using the sauce for dipping. Tester
Lyn Belisle said the dish “reminded me of a shrimp recipe that my mother (who
was from Louisiana) fixed at Thanksgiving called Shrimp Arnaud. Some people
may be inclined to leave out the anchovy paste, but it works well and adds a
richness to the sauce.” Lyn’s husband Mike suggests using larger shrimp. “It
would make a nice first course or a light cold lunch in the summer.”
55
STUFFED DATES
Contributed by Robyn, our resident wine lover.
Serves 4
16 large or 32 small dates
¼ pound hunk of Parmesan cheese
16 very thin slices applewood-smoked bacon
Parsley leaves
Preheat oven to 500˚F. Pre-cook the bacon to about ½ done (you can either
use a microwave oven, parboil it, or cook in a pan on the stove).
Cut a slit in each date and remove the pits. With a dull knife, chop the
Parmeson into chunks slightly large than an almond. Place a chunk of cheese
inside each date and wrap with a slice of bacon (if you have smaller dates, use
half a slice). Place the dates on a roasting rack on a sheet pan and cook until
bacon is crispy, about 10 minutes.
Place in a bowl and top with parsley leaves. Serve immediately but be
careful—they will be hot inside!
Variations: You can substitute Brie cheese for Parmesan, and add some
crumbled bacon to the inside of the dates. Thin pancetta can be used instead
of bacon.
Nobody gets out of here without a doggie bag.
Posted by Anne B.
56
TEX-MEX DEVILED EGGS
Contributed by Maggie Johnson, with testers reporting that the eggs are both
delicious and beautiful on the serving plate.
6 eggs, hard-boiled
2
⁄3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup mayonnaise
1
⁄3 cup salsa
2 tablespoons green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons sour cream
Salt and pepper
Hard-boil the eggs, then plunge into ice and cold water. Peel, and place
the yolks in a mixing bowl. Mash yolks with all other ingredients. Taste for
seasoning. Fill the egg whites. Chill before serving.
Note: A little hot sauce is a nice addition.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the kings’ horses
And all the kings’ men,
Had scrambled eggs,
For breakfast again.
57
SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND RED PEPPER DIP
Contributor Matthew Hill says, “This is from a Gourmet magazine recipe. While
it’s great as a dip, it is superlative served over eggplant patties.”
2 7-ounce jars roasted red peppers, drained
3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (NOT packed in oil)
2 (or more) cloves garlic, chopped fine
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 or 2 pickled jalapeno chilis, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup chopped fresh coriander (or parsley if preferred)
¼ cup chopped green onion
1 8-ounce block cream cheese, cut into bits and softened (optional
if using the dip as a sauce)
Soak sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 5 minutes and drain well, reserving 3
tablespoons of soaking liquid.
Purée tomatoes and all other ingredients except the cream cheese until
smooth. Add cream cheese and salt to taste; purée till smooth, adding reserved
tomato-soaking liquid to thin as needed.
Use as dip, as a cold sauce for pasta, or over eggplant patties (see next
page). Tester Wendy Hunt, who owns a food shop in Canada, says the dip is
wonderful and says she serves it in her shop, where it sells well. She reports it
keeps fresh for several days.
What I like to drink most is wine that belongs to others.
~Diogenes
Posted by Tina V.
58
LISA’S EGGPLANT PATTIES
(BASED ON NONA’S MEATBALLS)
All in the family here. Lisa is Matthew Hill’s former daughter-in-law, and this is
her grandmother’s (Nona’s) recipe. Matthew says, “Nona is a wonderful cook
who can bone a whole chicken in minutes, and thinks there is never enough
food nor enough family around to eat it.”
1 large eggplant, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil
3 or 4 eggs
2 to 3 cups breadcrumbs and/or cornmeal
Fresh parsley
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
If you feel your eggplant is old (not perfectly fresh), revive it by salting, placing
in a colander, and draining over the sink for about 30 minutes. Then rinse.
Sauté eggplant, garlic and onions in olive oil over medium-low heat until soft.
Remove from heat, pour into mixing bowl, and add remaining ingredients. Form
into patties or balls. Return to pan and fry.
Notes: Ingredient amounts are variable in Nona’s recipe, which was dictated to
Lisa and had never been written down. Nona says they depend on the size of
your eggplant.
Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he’s buying!
~Fran Lebowitz
Posted by Daniel in Nashville, TN
59
SWEET ONION, APPLE AND CHEESE TART
Contributed by wine-lover Robyn.
For flaky pastry crust:
1½ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water
For the tart:
2 small Granny Smith or Newtown Pippin apples, peeled, cored, and cut
into ⅛-inch lengthwise slices, divided in half
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided in half
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup blue cheese
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese, grated
Make the crust. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour
and salt. Add the butter and shortening. Using your fingers or a pastry blender,
work the butter and shortening into flour until crumbly and some pea-size
pieces remain. If time permits, chill the flour mixture for 30 minutes.
Drizzle ice water over the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until all
the flour is moistened and the pastry just clears the side of the bowl (add 1 or
2 teaspoons water if needed). Using lightly-floured hands, gather dough into a
ball. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
60
Remove dough from the refrigerator; soften slightly if needed. Roll the dough
into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured board and transfer to a 9- inch fluted
tart pan with a removable bottom. Prick bottom of crust with fork, line with
aluminum foil, and fill to the top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in the
center of the oven until the edges start to turn golden, about 15 minutes.
Remove weights and foil and bake until crust is golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and transfer to rack. Keep oven on at 375˚F for the tart.
Make the filling. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of
the butter and sauté half the apple slices until they are tender and beginning to
brown. Transfer to the tart shell and arrange in a single layer.
In the same skillet over medium-high heat, melt the remaining tablespoon
of butter and sauté the onions until they are very soft and golden. Add the
sugar and the dried thyme, and continue to sauté until the onions are lightly
caramelized and any liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool
slightly.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together eggs, cream, salt and a few
grinds of fresh pepper until blended. Stir in the blue cheese, 1 cup of the
cheddar cheese, and the onion mixture.
Place the prepared tart shell on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and pour
in the filling—the shell will be very full. Arrange remaining apple slices on top,
and top with remaining 2 tablespoons of cheddar.
Bake until top is golden brown and knife inserted in the center comes out clean,
35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool for about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve
warm or at room temperature.
61
LORI’S WARM BRIE APPETIZER
Contributed by Tina Vierra, this is her friend Lori’s recipe. “I don’t even LIKE
Brie very much, but I love this. Everyone loves this—it’s a huge hit at parties.”
1 round double-cream Brie wheel
½ cup light brown sugar
Raw walnuts, amount to your taste
3 or 4 firm, crunchy, tart-sweet apples (Fuji or Granny Smith)
Slice (but do not peel) apples. Sprinkle some brown sugar and walnuts on the
bottom of a baking dish. Cut the wheel of Brie into sections and lay it on top
of the sugar and walnuts. Place apple slices into the spaces between the Brie
wedges. Cover all with the rest of the brown sugar and more walnuts.
Bake at 350°F until melted and gooey, about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm, with
crackers and more apple slices.
Tester’s notes: This a pretty flexible recipe…you can use different types of
apples, different nuts, or maybe add some maple syrup. Great to prepare
ahead of time and then just pop in the oven. Definitely a keeper!
What sparkling fancies, whirling and foaming
from a stout body of thought in that full and ripe champagne!
What mild and serene philosophy in that Burgundy
ready to shed ‘its sunset glow’ on society and nature!
~Sir Thomas N. Talfourd
Posted by Janet Morrissey, a.k.a. Mostly Harmless
62
BOB COLLINS
Our beloved Bob Pastorio wrote this drink recipe in his unmistakable,
entertaining and informative style.
“It’s a very unusual drink yet very familiar for a few reasons. Refreshing, light in
the mouth, complex. Easy to make. Let’s build one up from the bottom; this can
be scaled up for a pitcher. Here’s a place where the booze is absolutely there,
but it will absolutely stump the drinkers. It doesn’t taste like there’s gin in it. The
combination of flavors blends so completely that lemon is about the only clear
flavor anyone will identify.”
Makes one tall glass,10 ounces or so
3 ¼-inch thick slices of peeled cucumber
2 ounces gin
Ice to top
3 ounces 7-Up or equivalent
Sour mix to fill (Daily’s or similar)
Grenadine inside around the rim
Maraschino cherry to garnish
Mull three slices of cucumber in the bottom of a tall glass. That means to drop
them into the glass and smoosh/crush them with a wooden spoon, just enough
to release a little juice.
Add 2 ounces of gin (don’t rush to a judgement yet…) and fill nearly to the
top with ice. Pour on about 3 ounces 7-Up and fill to the top with sour mix.
To garnish, pour a circle of grenadine around the top of the glass and drop a
cherry on top.
To make a 64-ounce (½-gallon) pitcher, start with about 5 inches of cucumber
sliced ¼-inch thick and mulled. Pour in a pint of gin and slosh around a bit to
mix with the cucumber juice. Fill with ice to about 3 inches down from the top.
Add 1½ to 2 cans of 7-Up, leaving enough room for sour mix. Add sour mix to
63
fill. Run a circle of either grenadine or crême de cassis around the top, which
will sink and make it look pretty. Drop on a handful of cherries and put a bowl of
them next to the pitcher.
For a party, you can make a punchbowl of this stuff. Float cubes of frozen sour
mix with cherries frozen into their centers in the bowl. Top it up with more gin
and 7-Up as it goes down. The sour mix will take care of itself. You can lighten
the gin content as the evening wears on so you can send a relatively sober
group home.
Certainly the evening whisky did not take me long. I had the civilian
ration of one bottle a month, with two bottles of gin and six bottles of
beer. After a painful period of deprivation, I was able, with the help
of the Air Force Intelligence officer, to obtain a few extra bottles of
Canadian Club, which no one in the Air Force seemed to like,
and with the aid of an R.N.V.R. officer, who once a month took his
little antisubmarine patrol boat to Bissau in Portuguese Guinea
to fetch the Consul’s mail, I was able to obtain demijohns of
excellent Portuguese wine, red and white—tasting all the better because no duty had been paid. Gin remained a problem.
One type of Canadian gin became the subject of an Admiralty order,
so dangerous it proved to be. All bottles had to be dumped overboard,
adding to the reef on which the Edinburgh Castle rested.
~Graham Greene
Posted by Matthew Hill
64
BREADS
&
BREAKFAST
BREADS & BREAKFAST
AMAZING ALMOST NO-KNEAD BREAD
The first time Lyn Belisle made this bread, the list received this post from her:
“Hi, All, I am so excited! I made a loaf of bread! That may not seem like much,
but I am a confirmed non-baker thanks to many bread disasters. However, I
saw this method in this month’s Cook’s Illustrated. It involves making a fairly
easy ‘almost no-knead’ dough, letting it rise, then baking it inside a Dutch oven
that’s been heated to 500˚F. You make the process less scary by transferring
everything on parchment paper.
“It's unbelievably good - the crust is chewy and awesome. I did the Rosemary
Olive Parmesan version and can't wait to do it again. Try it, you'll like it.”
3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting work surface
½ teaspoon instant yeast
1½ teaspoons table salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water (7 ounces), at room temperature
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (3 ounces) mild-flavored lager
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using
rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until
shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature
for 8 to 18 hours.
Lay 12-by-18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray
with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface
and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle.
Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface
of dough with nonstick cooking spray.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough
has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger,
about 2 hours.
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BREADS & BREAKFAST
About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place
6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to
500°F. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make
one 6-inch long, l/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough.
Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting
parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over
pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425°F
and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is
deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210°F,
20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack
and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
ALMOST NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH OLIVES, ROSEMARY,
AND PARMESAN
Follow recipe for Almost No-Knead Bread, adding 4 ounces finely grated
Parmesan (about 2 cups) and 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary to flour
mixture in step 1. Add ½ cup pitted, chopped green olives with water in step 1.
ALMOST NO-KNEAD WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
Follow recipe for Almost No-Knead Bread, replacing 1 cup (5 ounces) allpurpose flour with 1 cup (5 ounces) whole wheat flour. Stir 2 tablespoons
honey into water before adding it to dry ingredients in step 1.
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BREADS & BREAKFAST
ALMOST NO-KNEAD CRANBERRY-PECAN BREAD
Follow recipe for Almost No-Knead Bread, adding ½ cup dried cranberries and
½ cup toasted pecan halves to flour mixture in step 1.
Recipe notes from Cook’s Illustrated: Transferring dough to a preheated Dutch
oven to bake can be tricky. To avoid burnt fingers and help the dough hold
its shape, we came up with a novel solution: Let the dough rise in a skillet
(its shallow depth makes it better than a bowl) that’s been lined with greased
parchment paper, then use the paper’s edges to pick up the dough and lower it
into the Dutch oven. The bread remains on the parchment paper as it bakes.
Lyn’s Notes: An enameled cast-iron Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid yields best
results, but the recipe also works in a regular cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy
stockpot. I used a heavy Le Creuset Dutch oven. Use a mild-flavored lager,
such as Budweiser (I used Shiner Bock). The bread is best eaten the day it is
baked, but can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a cool, dry place for
up to 2 days. This is a loaf of bread that both looks and tastes incredible.
With the bread eaten up, up breaks the company.
~Miguel de Cervantes
68
BREADS & BREAKFAST
BRACK FOREST BREAD (FOR BREAD MACHINE)
Karen Brack wondered, “Does anyone still use their bread machines? If so,
here is an original recipe for one. It is actually a variation on one from The
Bread Machine Cookbook, by Melissa Clark (my cousin, a little family bragging
here).”
⁄3 cup milk
1 egg
1
⁄3 cup sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
21⁄3 cup bread flour
1½ teaspoons yeast
¾ cup dried cherries
2
Bake according to manufacturer’s instructions. Makes a 1 pound loaf.
Notes: Tester Janet Morrissey reported this recipe can be started in a bread
machine, then baked in a regular oven. “Use dough cycle. Remove from bread
maker and place in a greased loaf pan or shape as desired. Let rise until
doubled in size. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes.
The first loaf of this bread that I made was gone before I could eat more than
one slice (luckily). My husband couldn't leave it alone. The blend of cherry &
chocolate in this is much more intense than you would think in a bread. A slice
of this bread makes a great breakfast or snack. Dressed up with a little créme
anglaise, this makes a very elegant dessert.
69
BREADS & BREAKFAST
BONANZA BREAD
This one comes from Joanne Schweik. “I love this bread. It is a powerhouse
of healthful ingredients and good nutrition. It is delicious with cream cheese,
butter, or other spreads.”
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup dry milk powder
1
⁄3 cup wheat germ
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts, chopped
½ cup raisins
3 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup molasses
¾ cup orange juice
2 medium bananas, mashed (1 cup)
1
⁄3 cup chopped dried apricots
Combine flour, salt, soda, baking powder, dry milk, wheat germ, sugar, nuts
and raisins in a large bowl. Blend thoroughly with pastry blender or fork.
Whirl eggs in container of electric blender until foamy. Add oil, molasses,
orange juice and bananas, whirling after each addition.
Pour mixture into bowl with dry ingredients, and just mix. Pour into two greased
loaf pans. Bake in a slow oven (325°F) for 1 hour, or until center is firm when
pressed down lightly with fingertip. (Watch closely so it doesn't get too brown. It
may take less than an hour.)
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BREADS & BREAKFAST
Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack, then remove from pan and cool completely.
When cool, wrap tightly and store overnight to mellow flavors. (Can be baked
in greased muffin cups at 350°F for 20 minutes, or until muffins test done. Onehalf recipe makes 18 muffins.)
Variations: Add ½ small orange, including peel, to the liquid ingredients in the
blender. Use other nuts in place of walnuts, but don't substitute for the peanuts,
in order to get nutritional balance. Substitute raw chopped apples, grated
carrot, applesauce, fresh ground apricots, peaches, pears or even grated
zucchini instead of bananas.
To make several times the recipe, measure out all dry ingredients for each
batch onto a separate square of waxed paper. Use them consecutively, or bag
and refrigerate for future use. Mix the liquid ingredients for each recipe at time
of baking; then add to the dry and pour into the baking pan(s) immediately.
Bake enough for several weeks and freeze.
A great tip from my wife, Toni. Those of you lucky enough to
own juicing machines may have had the same problem I had
with the plastic jug supplied. After some months a deposit
of tannins and other extracts built up inside, which resisted attempts
to remove with hot detergent or any usual other method. In my case,
the design of the jug also left areas difficult to access, even with a
toothbrush.
Toni used her magic standby, bicarbonate of soda, and it worked
wonders when applied to a wet brush and used. The first attempt
removed most of the deposit; two more and I have a jug that looks
brand new. ~Tom McRae, Brisbane, Australia
71
BREADS & BREAKFAST
CINNAMON TOAST PANCAKES
Janet made these pancakes a tradition for her annual New Year’s Day brunch.
Serves 4
Non-stick vegetable cooking spray
2 large eggs
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon no-sugar-added vanilla extract
½ cup almond flour (recipe below)
¼ cup milled flax seed
¼ cup Splenda or equivalent sugar substitute
⅛ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon sprinkle:
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar substitute (recommended: Splenda)
Butter, or fat-free vegetable spread, or fresh berries (optional) for garnish
Grease a griddle or large pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter and heat
over medium heat. Mix all batter ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon
until well blended. Pour approximately 16 mini-cakes onto the hot griddle, and
cook on the first side for about 3 or 4 minutes until almost done, then flip and
cook for just another minute or so to finish.
Mix together the cinnamon and sugar substitute and sprinkle over the hot
cakes to serve. If desired, top with a pat of melted butter or fat-free margarine
and garnish with fresh blueberries and strawberries.
72
BREADS & BREAKFAST
Make your own almond flour: Grind 10 ounces whole, raw almonds on high in
a food processor for about 3 minutes until you have a grainy flour consistency.
Almond flour can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 week on the counter,
or several months in the freezer.
Notes: Jennie Martin pronounced this a guilt-free treat, great for breakfast or as
a dessert.
“I used these as a dessert base with two layers of the pancakes, macerated
strawberries, and whipped cream. I sprinkled a bit of cinnamon on top. Very
good! My husband and kids really loved them, too.”
Homer: Lisa, honey, are you saying you are never going to eat any
animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad! Those all come from the same animal...
Homer: Heh, heh, heh. Oh, suuure Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal!
~The Simpsons (writer Matt Groenig)
Posted by =Mark
73
BREADS & BREAKFAST
CINNAMON ROLLS (OR STICKY BUNS)
FOR THE BREAD MACHINE
Rosebud told us, “This recipe makes the very best cinnamon rolls ever. I used
to make this frequently before I went low carb (now you know why I was prediabetic). I would make the sticky buns, too, but not often because even I had
limits. The dough can, of course, be made in the regular fashion, but this is so
easy: You can do other things while the bread machine does most of the work.”
Dough:
4 cups flour
1
⁄3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 package yeast
Filling:
1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups brown sugar
¼ cup cinnamon
¾ cup nuts, chopped
Icing (for cinnamon buns):
1½ cups powdered sugar
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅛ teaspoon salt
74
BREADS & BREAKFAST
Caramel topping (for sticky buns):
1½ cups brown sugar
1½ stick unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons corn syrup
¾ cup nuts, chopped
Using dough cycle of bread machine, add dough ingredients per bread
machine’s specifications. When dough cycle has finished, roll dough out on a
floured board to a rectangle approximately 16 by 24 inches.
Spread softened butter and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar evenly over surface,
then sprinkle with nuts. Very lightly press down with a rolling pin to adhere
ingredients to dough. Roll up jelly-roll fashion and cut into 12 rounds. Place in
a greased 9-by-3-inch pan and let rise for about 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at
400°F for about 20 minutes.
If making sticky buns, add butter, sugar, and corn syrup to saucepan and heat
slowly, stirring often. When the sugar is well dissolved, stir in nuts. Pour into
pan and place rolls on top. When done, let stand for 2 minutes and then very
carefully invert onto a platter or tray and remove the pan.
If making cinnamon rolls, combine butter and cream cheese and beat until light
and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla; beat again until light and fluffy.
While the rolls are still hot, spread them with about half of the icing. Spread the
rest after they've cooled for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Notes: Tester Jennie Martin pronounced these rolls delicious, “next to no work!”
and even better than a popular cinnamon roll eatery makes.
75
BREADS & BREAKFAST
BROOKLYN GRANDMOM’S DATE NUT BREAD
Karen Brack said, “Whenever my grandmother made this bread for our family,
my dad and I [playfully] fought over it. She soon learned to make two. She
always baked hers in vegetable cans, but a loaf pan will do. Enjoy this bread
topped with cream cheese or cottage cheese.”
1¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup cut-up dates
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup warm water
½ stick butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
Add dates and nuts. In small bowl, beat the eggs together with vanilla, water
and melted butter. Stir wet ingredients into dry. Pour batter into 2 greased
vegetable cans, or one greased loaf pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until an
inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Janet says, “This a very dense, moist bread with great flavor. It went together in
5 minutes. It was very good this morning for breakfast just slightly warmed and
spread with a bit of cream cheese.”
Go in your room, lock the door, and only let the good guys in!
~Solution to job stress from Emily (age 4)
Posted by Laurie Thompson
76
BREADS & BREAKFAST
HUSH PUPPIES PUFFS
Terry Pogue said, “Don’t you think we need a really good hush puppy recipe in
the book? This is a wonderful one. The best light hush puppy I’ve ever had.”
Makes about 2 dozen
¾ cup cornmeal ,self rising
¾ cup flour, self rising
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup buttermilk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Slightly beat egg and add buttermilk and onion and stir to mix. Add to combined
dry ingredients. Carefully drop batter by tablespoonfuls into deep hot oil; cook
only a few at a time, turning once. Fry until hush puppies are golden brown (3
to 5 minutes).
Drain well on absorbent towels.
Notes: Helen Rundell added cayenne to her ingredients, loving the spicy result.
May all the shopping carts be non-wobbly, and all grocery lines be short.
~Terry Pogue
77
BREADS & BREAKFAST
LEMON CARROT MUFFINS
Pat Belanger gave us this recipe from her late grandmother Adelaide.
Makes 6 large muffins
5 cups all purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons salt
½ cup sliced almonds
1¼ cups golden raisins
4 large carrots, grated (2½ cups)
1 whole lemon
5 eggs
2 cups sugar
1¾ cups vegetable oil
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl combine
almonds, raisins and grated carrots. Cut lemon into small sections, puree in
blender, and add to the carrot mixture. In a third bowl, combine eggs and sugar,
then beat in the oil. Add eggs to the carrot mixture and then fold into the flour.
Do not overmix. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.
Notes: Wendy Hunt made these muffins with orange as well as the original
lemon. Using another suggestion from Pat, she also made them using 2 cups
whole wheat flour, 3 cups white flour, and only 1½ cups of sugar. “They sold out
in a flash in my shop, so I didn’t get a chance to taste them!"
78
BREADS & BREAKFAST
MAMAN’S CHEESE SOUFFLÉ
Gretl Collins found this recipe in Jacques Pepin’s The Apprentice: My Life in
the Kitchen. “I bought good quality Gruyère, and I’m sure it makes a difference.
I used a Kitchen Aid stand mixer with the balloon whisk to beat the eggs."
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (¾ stick), plus more to butter a gratin dish
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups cold whole milk
½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
5 extra-large eggs
2½ cups grated Swiss cheese, preferably Gruyère (about 6 ounces)
3 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 6-cup gratin dish and set it aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour, and mix it in well with a whisk.
Cook for 10 seconds, add all the milk at once, and mix it in with a whisk. Keep
stirring with the whisk until the mixture thickens and comes to a strong boil,
about 2 minutes. It should be thick and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in
the salt and pepper. Allow about 10 minutes for the white sauce to cool.
Meanwhile, break the eggs into a bowl and beat well with a fork. Add eggs, the
cheese, and the chives to the cooled sauce, and mix well to combine. Pour into
the buttered gratin dish and cook immediately, or set aside until ready to cook.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the soufflé is puffy and well browned on top.
Although it will stay inflated for quite a while, it is best served immediately.
Tester Janet Morrissey said, “When I saw this recipe, I wondered how this
could be a soufflé without egg whites and was a bit hesitant about making it. To
my surprise, it puffed up almost as much as if there were egg whites in it.”
79
BREADS & BREAKFAST
ROSEMARY MUFFINS
Terry Pogue’s savory-sweet muffins will surprise your guests. They are perfect
for breakfast, brunch, tea parties, or if you’re like Maryellen, you’ll try them after
dinner with a nice Sauternes.
Makes 12
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup cup golden raisins
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup currants
¾ cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ cups flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces goat cheese (8 tablespoons) or 4 ounces cream cheese,
cut into ¾-inch cubes and crumbled
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a muffin pan. Combine rosemary,
raisins, currants, and milk in a small saucepan. Simmer 2 to 4 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add butter and stir until melted. Let cool. (To cool quickly,
place pan in refrigerator about 10 minutes.)
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until
combined. Set aside.
Slowly add beaten egg to cooled milk mixture. When combined, add to dry
mixture. Mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon one third batter into
muffin cups. Place 2 teaspoons goat cheese in center of batter, dividing among
cups. Top with remaining batter. Bake 20 minutes, or until golden brown and
springy in centers. Muffins can be served hot or at room temperature.
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BREADS & BREAKFAST
Terry’s notes: I used fromage blanc. I didn't have golden raisins so I just
omitted this ingredient but continued with the recipe. I think the combination of
black raisins and currents is really very nice –much better than raisins alone.
Don't worry if the milk mixture gets a bit funky looking. It smooths out with the
addition of the butter and works fine in the recipe.
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes in holy dread,
For he on honeydew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.
~S.T.Coleridge, Kubla Khan
Posted by Janet Morrissey a.k.a. Mostly Harmless
81
BREADS & BREAKFAST
PEAR GINGER MUFFINS
Gretl Collins says, “I think Wendy’s Pear and Ginger Muffins are WLF!” (WLF is
list-speak for “worth living for.”)
Makes 12-18 muffins
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2
⁄3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
2
⁄3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1¼ cups chopped peeled pear
In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar,
ground ginger, fresh ginger and 1⁄3 cup crystallized ginger. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Stir in the milk and butter. Pour
over dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Fold in
chopped pear. Do not over-mix.
Spoon into muffin cups, sprayed or paper liners. Sprinkle remaining crystallized
ginger evenly over the tops. Bake until done!
Wendy's notes: Recipe says 425°F for 15-18 minutes. I always bake muffins at
350°F (I have a convection oven) until they are done with a toothpick test. With
regard to the whole milk, I've used 2% and 1% and both work just fine. I usually
double the recipe to get between 12 and 18 large muffins.
82
BREADS & BREAKFAST
TERRY’S BEST PANCAKES
Bob Coomler said of Terry’s cakes, “Nothing fancy here, but this is how
pancakes are supposed to be!”
1 cup flour
¼ cup cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1½ cups buttermilk
Combine dry ingredients. Beat egg and mix with buttermilk. Combine all and
cook as usual.
Tester Helen Rundell reported these were the nicest, lightest pancakes she’s
ever made. “Lightning quick, and glides from griddle to mouth in one luscious,
feathery light bite!”
Wisdom from Wolves
One evening an old Cree told his grandson about a battle
that goes on inside people.
He said, My son, the battle is between two Wolves inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, selfpity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness,
benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.
The grandson thought about it for a minute
and then asked his grandfather: Which wolf wins?
The old Cree simply replied, The one you feed.
Posted by Greg Walker
83
BREADS & BREAKFAST
ZIPLOC OMELET
It’s not always serious and gourmet with our list. Scientific experiments in the
name of good food are also common. The Ziploc omelet, originally posted by
Pat Belanger, took the list by storm.
Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large, not more than 2!) into a Ziploc bag, and
shake to combine them.
Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper,
tomato, salsa, etc. Each person adds prepared ingredients of choice to their
bag and shakes. Make sure to get the air out of the bag, and zip it up.
Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually
cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.
Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to
be amazed.
Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the
process, and it's a great conversation piece.
Just a few of the list comments about this recipe:
“I think this should be in the cookbook! We’ve done it dozens of times and it’s
always fun, with something for everyone.”
“This works great! Good for when all your family is together. The best part is
that no one has to wait for their special omelet. Have each person write their
name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker.”
84
SOUPS
SOUPS
BLACK BEAN CHILI
Carol Peterson says, “This is just good, old-fashioned Midwestern-style chili,
with a twist.” Tester Janet Morrissey adds, “The mix of ground meat and stew
beef made the texture much better than a chili made from just one or the other.”
Janet used Eden black soy beans and couldn’t tell it was ‘“low-carb” chili.
Yields 4 quarts
1 pound ground chuck
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, to coat stew meat
1½ pounds beef stew meat, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 16-ounce cans black beans, drained
5 teaspoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Water, as needed
Place the flour in a bowl. Add stew meat and toss to cover all pieces evenly.
Starting with the ground beef (which will render fat to keep the stew meat from
sticking to the pan later), brown the meat in a 4-quart saucepan.
Add onion and green pepper; cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic and
cook for about 2 more minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Add tomatoes, beans,
and spices. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until stew meat is tender. If
chili is too thick, add water as needed. Adjust seasonings and serve.
Serving suggestions: Accompany with saltines or oyster crackers, shredded
cheddar, Monterey jack, or other cheese, and/or chopped onions.
86
SOUPS
BLACK BEAN SOUP
Contributor Terry Pogue makes this “soup” thick and serves it as a side dish.
This is her and her husband’s favorite black bean recipe, Terry says. “Maybe
it’s the bacon. Everything is better with bacon. Okay, you could probably use
turkey bacon, if you must.” Carol Peterson adds, “You’d have to try very hard to
mess this recipe up. This soup is going to become a regular at our house.”
Serves 6
10 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 14½-ounce can chicken stock
1½ cups canned tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 15½-ounce cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
Salt and black pepper
1 bunch cilantro, chopped coarsely
Juice of ½ lime
Optional garnishes: Thinly sliced scallions, sour cream, grated cheddar
Cook bacon in a large pot until it starts to render its fat, about 3 minutes. Add
onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent. Add the garlic and
cook until you can smell it, being careful not to burn it.
Add broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the
beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup
is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, stir in
chopped cilantro. Cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove
from heat, stir in the lime juice. Serve topped with optional garnishes.
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CHIPOTLE CHICKEN AND VEGGIE SOUP
Mark Stevens created this soup after sampling some regional style soup during
a trip to the Fiery Foods Festival in New Mexico.
Serves 20-25
1 6-pound roasting chicken
1 32-ounce can chicken stock
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup sliced carrots
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 cup corn kernels
1 16-ounce can diced tomato
1 cup chipotles in adobo sauce
½ teaspoon thyme
Cracked black pepper to taste
Salt to taste (or heavy Chinese soy sauce)
Roast chicken in oven till done; cool overnight. Debone, saving all bones and
scraps. Cut meat into bite-size bits, removing fat and gristle. Refrigerate.
Put bones and carcass in a large stock pot along with veggie peelings, carrot
butts, onion skins, etc., and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer
for 2 to 3 hours, skimming any foam and stirring occasionally.
Strain through a colander and return stock to pot. Add celery, bell pepper, corn,
onions, carrots and the canned stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until veggies
begin to turn tender. Add chicken and canned tomato.
While soup returns to a simmer, put about a cup of it in a food processor with
the chipotles and adobo. Whir it up for about 30 seconds or until the peppers
are well pureed. Add salt, pepper and thyme to the soup, then start adding the
chipotle puree about a quarter cup at a time, stirring and tasting for the desired
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pungency. Using all of it makes for a Chileheads delight, but may be too much
for some gringos to handle!
Notes: This makes a big old pot full which would probably serve 20 or 25
people. Good for freezing and serving at a later time.
You could use all canned stock and one of those rotisserie chickens from the
store, but my life is dull and I got nothin’ better to do.
On rainy days alone I dine
Upon a chick and pint of wine.
On rainy days I dine alone
And pick my chicken to the bone;
But this my servants much enrages,
No scraps remain to save board wages
In weather fine I nothing spend,
But often sponge upon a friend;
Yet, where he’s not so rich as I,
I pay my club, and so goodbye.
~On Himself by Jonathan Swift
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SOUPS
BRUSSELS SPROUTS SOUP
Terry Pogue relates that her husband David found this recipe in the New
York Times many years ago. “This hearty soup is wonderful on a cold winter
evening. Fast and tasty even if you think you hate Brussels sprouts. I promise.”
Beatrice Powell reports that the soup freezes well too.
Serves 4 as a main course
1 tablespoon oil
½ to ¾ pounds kielbasa (low-fat if you like)
1 medium onion, cubed
1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed
1 10-ounce package frozen Brussels sprouts
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper
Cut the kielbasa into half moons to fit on a spoon. Cube the potatoes and
onions, just small enough to also fit on a spoon. Thaw the Brussels sprouts and
pulse in food processor about 3 times. You want nice (but not mashed) pieces,
with a few of them remaining almost whole.
Put the oil in a sauce pan, add the kielbasa and sauté for 3 minutes to render
some of the fat. And the potato and onion and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the
chicken stock and simmer until the potato is just tender, about 15 minutes. Add
the cut Brussels sprouts and simmer for 5 minutes.
Terry’s notes: Sometimes I add some whole Brussels sprouts to the pot so that
each bowl gets a few whole ones. If you want to do this you will probably want
two 10-ounce packages of frozen Brussels sprouts, or a few fresh ones.
I make this soup with all fresh Brussels sprouts if available, but the cooking
times will be a bit longer. Proportions of each ingredient are very flexible.
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SOUPS
ORANGE BLOSSOM LENTIL BARLEY SOUP
Food store owner Wendy Hunt says of this recipe from Sheila Foster, “I have
made it, sold it and received good feedback!”
1½ cups red lentils
1⁄3 cup pearl barley
½ russet potato, sliced
½ cup chopped onion (or 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes)
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped)
1¾ teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic flakes
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
½ cup orange juice
Put all ingredients except orange juice into slow cooker and cook on low for
6 hours. Add more water if soup gets too thick. Stir in orange juice before
serving.
Stove-top instructions: Put all ingredients except potato and orange juice into a
3-quart (or larger) saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer.
Cook for 1 hour. Add potato and simmer for another half hour. Stir in orange
juice before serving.
Non-cooks think it’s silly to invest two hours’ work in two minutes’
enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet.
~Julia Child
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SOUPS
COLD BEET BORSCHT
Contributor Karen Brack tells this story: “When my great-grandmother brought
her family of eight children over to America from Russia, hers was one of the
few intact families to make the crossing. Once settled in Philadelphia, fellow
passengers from the boat would show up on the doorstep for Sunday suppers,
homesick for the family atmosphere. My mother once asked her how on earth
she managed to feed all those people; they were poor, after all. ‘Nu,’ she
replied, ‘A nickel gets you a sack of potatoes. Another nickel, a sack of onions.
A dime for a bag of beets, a nickel for some lemons and some sugar. For a
quarter you make latkes and borscht for an army.’
“I’m not sure if this is her recipe, but it’s a good one. Aerating the soup is an
unusual technique, but it really makes a difference in the finished soup. This
recipe is great for a summer brunch or garden party. Serve the soup and allow
people to personalize their portions with an array of garnishes.”
Janet Morrissey says the foamy, creamy texture is really different. Along with
the refreshing flavor and lovely color, it made the soup a big hit with her guests.
4 medium or 3 large fresh beets
Juice of two lemons
Pinch of salt
5 cups water
4 egg yolks
Pinch sugar, if needed
Wash and peel beets and finely dice, julienne, or shred in a processor. Place
in pot with half the lemon juice, the salt and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat
and simmer until beets are tender (about 30 minutes). Remove from heat.
Beat egg yolks until thin and watery. Slowly ladle some hot soup into the eggs,
beating constantly. After adding half the soup, pour mixture back into pot,
pouring slowly and beating constantly. When all the egg mixture has been
added, pour soup back and forth between pot and a bowl or pitcher about 15
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times, until mixture is smooth, airy and creamy. Be careful about splashing,
unless you really like the color pink!
Midway through, taste and add more lemon, sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
Continue pouring to blend. Chill thoroughly.
Optional garnishes: sour cream, snipped fresh dill, diced peeled and seeded
cucumber, chopped scallions, diced boiled potatoes, sliced hard boiled eggs.
Still, no other group could claim such a bunch. I hereby dub all who
work on the cookbook to be officially designated as Wayout Lizards.
Someone needs to make up badges and sashes and stuff.
I’d do it, but I’m the Big Picture Guy. It’s my middle name.
~Robert B.P.G. Pastorio
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SOUPS
GRILLED SHRIMP AND SMOKEY CHILLED GAZPACHO
Janet Morrissey nominated this dish, posted by Mark Stevens. Janet says,
“I made this with all local ingredients from the farmers’ market and it was so
bright and fresh. A great dish for a hot evening. I think this gazpacho would also
be good topped with sliced grilled chicken breast or pork.”
Serves 8
1½ pounds 20-count shrimp, peeled and cleaned
For the soup:
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Minced chipotle peppers to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cups tomato juice
Sour cream for garnish
Sliced avocado for garnish
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Combine all soup ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency. Place
in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate
overnight, allowing flavors to blend.
Skewer or place shrimp in a grill basket. Grill on high heat till just done, about
90 seconds per side.
Spoon soup into small bowls, top with 4 or 5 shrimp in each bowl. Try not to
submerge them. Serve with sliced avocado and sour cream for garnish.
A monastery in England, having fallen on hard times, decides to open
a fish-and-chips restaurant.
A visitor comes across two of monks working in the monastery kitchen
preparing for the evening meal. One monk is frying the fish, the second
one is peeling, slicing, and frying the potatoes.
What are you guys doing? asks the visitor.
Well, says the first monk, I am the friar, and he is the chip monk.
Posted by the stray grey mouse
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SOUPS
OYSTER SOUP WITH COCONUT MILK AND CHILES
Tester Denny Arar reports, “This soup reminded me of Tom Kha Kai soup at
Thai restaurants, but with oysters instead of chicken and mushrooms.”
Serves 4
1 pint shucked oysters (about 16), including their liquor
1 cup bottled clam juice
1½ cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 jalapeño chile, quartered lengthwise
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Zest of ½ lime
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Strain oysters over saucepan and reserve the liquor. Add the clam juice to the
oyster liquor along with the coconut milk, jalapeño, green onions and lime zest.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the oysters and lime juice; simmer gently until the edges of the oysters
curl, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil, cilantro and salt. Serve immediately.
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head—
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.
~Lewis Carroll
Posted by Tina V.
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SOUPS
SAUSAGE, SPINACH AND WHITE BEAN SOUP
Chris Babcock nominated this recipe, originally posted by Patrick Gerding.
“This is another one of my all-time favorite Foodwine recipes. I make this often
during the winter months. It freezes really well and has become one of our
camping favorites because I can make it ahead, freeze it, and let it thaw in the
cooler while keeping everything else cool!“
1 12-ounce tube of sage sausage (I use Owens)
10 sage leaves, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried sage)
1 onion, chopped
2 14-ounce cans cannellini beans (or any white bean)
2 small cans chicken broth, plus more if needed
½ cup orzo (or other tiny pasta)
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Brown the crumbled sausage in a large soup pot. Add onion and garlic; sauté
until onion is transparent. Add the sage and stir well. Add beans and broth. Add
more chicken broth or water to cover all the ingredients. Let the soup simmer
for at least half an hour. Add orzo and simmer until the pasta is tender.
At this point you can cool the soup and refrigerate or freeze. If you plan to
give the soup to someone else, add the spinach and simmer for 10 minutes
before freezing. Otherwise, when ready to serve, thaw and bring to a simmer,
and then add the spinach and simmer again. Add salt and pepper to taste; just
before serving add Parmesan cheese and stir well.
Chris Babcock’s notes: “I add the Parmesan to each bowl instead of the pot. I
think the original recipe called for Italian sausage instead of the tube stuff. I like
the increased sage flavor of the tube, but I have also added half-moons of hot
Italian sausage as a variation.”
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SCOTCH BROTH
Pat Belanger nominated this recipe from a book of Mary Moore cooking
columns. “This is an excellent, hearty, fat-free recipe… I often double it.”
Joanne Schweik adds, “This is a marvelously easy recipe, and the flavor is
outstanding. Lovely for a cold winter night.”
2 tablespoons pearl barley
Cold water
1½ pounds stewing lamb or large lamb shank
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon basil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup diced potatoes
½ cup diced carrots
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup tomato juice
2 chicken bouillon cubes
Soak barley in ½ cup water for several hours or overnight. Brown lamb in Dutch
oven. Add 2½ cups water, salt, pepper, thyme, basil and garlic. Cover and
simmer for 1½ hours, then strain into a large bowl, chill, and remove fat.
Cut meat from bones. Return broth to pot; add meat, soaked barley and liquid,
celery, carrots, potatoes and onion. Simmer for 45 minutes.
Add tomato juice, chicken bouillon cubes and 2 more cups of water. Stir well,
bring to a boil and serve.
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SORREL SOUP
“This is my favorite summer soup. Served chilled, it is marvelous—tangy,
different, smooth, and a bit of heaven,” says Joanne Schweik. “It comes
originally from Nora Ephron’s novel Heartburn, which was a delight because in
the bittersweet story of divorce she included recipes at appropriate moments,
thus making an eminently readable novel.”
Yields 20 small or 10 large servings
4 cups washed sorrel, with stems carefully trimmed
2½ quarts chicken stock
4 chopped, peeled potatoes
Red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1 to 2 cups heavy cream, half and half, or nonfat half and half
Garnish: lemon slices, croutons, chives or parsley
Sauté the sorrel in the butter until wilted. Add chicken stock and potatoes.
Simmer 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Let cool, add red pepper flakes, and puree in a blender. Add salt and pepper,
the lemon juice, and heavy cream, half and half, or nonfat half and half.
Chill several hours or overnight and serve cold, garnished to taste with
suggested items. Adjust seasoning after chilling; it may need more.
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SOUPS
SPICY PUMPKIN SOUP WITH MEXICAN CREMA
AND TOASTED PEPITAS
Beatrice Powell nominated this southwestern recipe from contributor Lyn
Belisle. “This soup is wonderful. So wonderful that I have a good chunk of
freezer space dedicated to it at the moment!” Lyn says that the crunchy, green
hulled pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, add delightful texture to this smooth soup.
Serves 8
Mexican crema, Cacique brand or make a substitute by blending
the next three ingredients per recipe)
½ cup whipping cream
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) butter
2 finely chopped small onions
2 15-ounce cans solid pack pumpkin
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin seed
6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth, or 1 49-ounce can
½ cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted
If making crema, whisk whipping cream, sour cream and lime juice in a small
bowl. Cover; chill at least two hours or up to a week ahead.
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until
translucent, about 10 minutes. Mix in pumpkin, milk, cumin and crushed red
pepper. Working in batches, puree mixture in processor. Return to pot.
Add broth; simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Season
with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead to this point.) Ladle
simmering soup into bowls. Drizzle with cream. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
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SPICY SPLIT PEA SOUP
Tester Pat Belanger loved this recipe nominated by Carol Peterson.
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more if needed
½ pound pepperoni, cut into ½-inch cubes
5 medium carrots, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
16 ounces dried split peas
5 cups water (or chicken or vegetable broth)
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Heat olive oil at medium temperature in a small frying pan. Add pepperoni to
the olive oil, frying until browned; remove to large saucepan. Add onions and
garlic to the remaining oil. Sauté until onions become translucent, then add to
the saucepan.
Place dry split peas into the saucepan, along with the water. Add carrots, then
stir in the herbs and spices.
Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, for 45-60 minutes, or
until peas just begin to break down. Add more water, if necessary. Remove bay
leaf before serving.
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STAR ANISE-SCENTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
WITH GINGER CREAM
Janet Morrissey says, “My friend John and I made this for my birthday dinner
back in February and it was amazing. I was really happy that we had enough
left for my lunch the day after. The original used sweet potatoes and onions
rather than butternut squash and shallots.” Sheila Foster remarks, “The recipe
is excellent and the spicing is unusual.” Sheila added a little salt and increased
the amount of chicken stock to thin it a bit.
½ cup chopped shallots
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
4 star anise pods (or about 2 teaspoons of star anise pieces)
2½ pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
Roast the butternut squash pieces in a 375°F oven until lightly browned, about
10 minutes. Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add
shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and translucent.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the ginger. Add the butternut squash and stir to combine. Add the
chicken broth and water, and mix well, scraping up any browned bits that may
have adhered to the pot. Put the star anise in a tea ball and add to pot.
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low
and simmer, uncovered, until butternut squash are completely tender, about 12
minutes. Remove from heat.
Allow soup to cool slightly. Remove the tea ball with the star anise pods.
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Carefully puree soup in batches in a blender or food processor until very
smooth. Return to pot over medium-low heat and stir in the heavy cream.
Serve soup in warmed bowls, and top with a tablespoon of Ginger Cream
(reipde follows).
GINGER CREAM
6 tablespoons creme fraiche
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
While the soup is simmering, make the ginger cream. In a small bowl, combine
the creme fraiche and grated ginger. Mix well. Chill until ready to use.
JJ asked: “How long may one expect properly-stored fresh
ginger root to last in the refrigerator? If the refrigerator is not
the proper place to store ginger root, what is a good mouseproof, ant-proof “shelf” method of storage?”
Blake Olson replied: “Vodka, gin, or Everclear....”
Tina V. said: “I actually store mine in the freezer. The downside is that
I usually have to defrost it for a good 15 minutes or so prior to peeling
and using it. The upside is, it keeps for up to a year at max flavor. I
found this out because there was a ginger root lost in the depths of my
freezer for months--by the date I had written on the plastic, the root had
been there almost a year. I defrosted and used it for dinner that night.
Still pretty close to the original fresh, bright ginger flavor.”
And Jeanie said: “I keep mine in the freezer, but don’t wait to defrost it.
It microplanes nicely when frozen, and peels easily.”
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STILTON SOUP
Chris Marksberry nominated this recipe for inclusion. “This is a recipe that
appeared on Foodwine quite some time ago. I believe Helen Rundell originally
posted it. Very nice for you blue cheese lovers out there.”
Yields 4 small servings
1¼ cups milk
1 bay leaf
¼ cup sliced onion
2 tablespoons unbleached flour
4 ounces (about half a cup) Stilton cheese
Salt and pepper
Bring the milk, bay leaf and onion to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and
leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for one
minute. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually pour in the milk, stirring
constantly. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, for one minute, then
add the stock. Bring the soup to the boil, then let it simmer for five minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the cheese. Stir until the
cheese melts, then season with pepper and salt if necessary.
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THAI CORN SOUP
Tester Joan Waldron says, “This excellent soup from Gretl Collins was a snap
to make. I thought that much sesame oil would be overpowering, but it wasn’t. I
use a lot of sesame oil, buy it in half-gallon cans, but was still surprised. I loved
it…Rob [Joan’s husband] hated it. I guess he doesn’t like cilantro!”
Serves 4
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 or 3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2½ cups vegetable stock
1 15-ounce can cream-style corn
2 cups peeled, cooked small shrimp
6 Kaffir lime leaves, julienned
1 teaspoon Crystal hot sauce
1 tablespoon sweet Vietnamese chili sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan; saute onion and garlic over
medium-high heat until softened. Stir in sesame oil, stock, cream-style corn,
shrimp, kaffir lime leaves, and chili sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Season to taste with the salt and pepper, add cilantro leaves and cook briefly.
Add more cilantro leaves as garnish floating on the soup.
Gretl’s notes: The addition of a little coconut milk toward the end would be
divine. I buy the Kaffir lime leaves when they look nice and fresh—that is, dark
glossy green—at Wegmans market.
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TOMATO FLORENTINE SOUP
Wendy Hunt’s staff made this for her store using fresh tomatoes. Testers note
you might want to add some salt if your chicken broth doesn’t have it.
Serves four as a first course or two as a main course.
½ cup onion, diced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 cup tomatoes, diced
¾ cup fresh spinach, chopped
¼ cup red wine
1 tablespoon diced basil
1½ teaspoons finely chopped oregano
2 ounces prosciutto (or country ham), diced (optional)
Romano cheese, grated
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until just
soft. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, broth, spinach, wine and
herbs. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 35 minutes.
Add the prosciutto and simmer 10 minutes longer. Serve warm, garnished with
the Romano cheese.
Wendy’s notes: I usually make this in the winter and use canned tomatoes, but
it’s even better in the summer with fresh tomatoes. It’s so good and so easy.
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SALADS
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SALADS
AEGEAN RICE SALAD
Lyn Belisle nominated this recipe. “This cold rice salad is just perfect for
picnics. I make it every year for the Flowers and Fireworks celebration at the
Botanical Garden during Fiesta week in San Antonio. It keeps very well and is
excellent at room temperature (or outdoors, where we watch the fireworks and
have a late night picnic with friends—it even stands up to dining by flashlight).”
Serves 6
For the lime vinaigrette:
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup fresh dill weed (or equivalent dried, but better with fresh)
For the salad:
1 cup raw rice
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted
½ cup chopped scallions
1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
½ cup fresh parsley sprigs, packed
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Freshly ground pepper to taste
For the garnish:
5 or 6 cup-shaped Boston or romaine lettuce leaves (optional)
Mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and reserve. Cook the rice in a very
large pot of rapidly boiling salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender but
slightly firm. Drain and rinse. Combine the rice and half the lime vinaigrette
and let stand until the mixture reaches room temperature. Mix in the remaining
ingredients and the rest of the vinaigrette and chill.
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Before serving, arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter and fill each with a
portion of the salad, or serve the salad from a glass bowl.
Tester Chris Babcock added extra salt because the rice soaked it up. “I really
like the flavor of dill and would add some more chopped to the salad. I also will
add more of the chopped scallion next time as I like crunch in this type of salad.
It improved with chilling.”
Come into the Cave, have a drink from the champagne fountain.
In the Cave, all things are possible…especially if chocolate is involved.
Sounds like you take the engineering approach to cooking, following a
recipe exactly, nothing in the world wrong with that. Some of us take a
somewhat more amorphous approach…recipe? You mean there is a recipe?
Then there is me, Oh, I think I’ll add a bit of this, a dash of that,
a dollop of something else…wouldn’t wasabi be good in this;
maybe butterscotch chips…
Thanks for piping up and letting us know you are round, I mean around.
Posted by Dan, The Scarlet Wombat, on welcoming a new list member
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BLOCK PARTY PEPPER SALAD
Pat Belanger nominated this recipe posted by Joanne Schweik. “I first served
this at our street block party; it is delicious. Serve it as a salad on a buffet, or as
an antipasto with good crusty bread and, perhaps, a strong-flavored cheese.”
Serves a crowd
3 red bell peppers
3 green bell peppers
3 yellow bell peppers
1 pound fresh green beans
2 1-pound cans light or dark kidney beans (or chick peas
or cannellini beans)
1 large red onion, halved and sliced
¾ head small cauliflower, cut into florets
12 medium radishes, sliced
Dressing:
¾ cup olive or vegetable oil (or half and half of each)
¼ cup balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
Seed all peppers and cut into 1-inch squares. Blanch each color pepper
separately, drain, rinse in cold water, and pat dry on paper towels. Cook green
beans in large amount of salted water until crisp-tender. Drain, rinse in cold
water and dry on paper towels. Place peppers, green beans, kidney beans
(drained), onion, cauliflower, and radishes in a large bowl. (Glass is nice, to
show the rainbow of colors.).
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Dressing: Put all ingredients in a jar, cover tightly and shake until well mixed.
Pour dressing over salad and toss gently until everything is coated. Cover and
refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors. Mix gently with a fork several times
during chilling to make sure dressing flavors everything.
Adjust vinegar and seasonings to taste. Bring salad to room temperature to
serve.
Tester Pat Belanger notes: “This salad looks absolutely gorgeous in a glass
bowl, with the red, green, and gold colors. It’s also a very healthy recipe and it
makes a large quantity. It also keeps very well. A definite keeper!”
A real friend knows when to listen,
when to stop listening, when to talk,
when to stop talking, when to pour the wine,
when to stop pouring and just
hand over the bottle.
Posted by Lynn VH and Jennifer Kosco
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SALADS
APPLE & WALNUT SALAD WITH MAPLE DRESSING
Beatrice Powell nominated this recipe posted by Terry Pogue: “I’ve made it
again and again, often varying the fruit and nuts that are in it. It’s always a hit!”
Serves 6
1 5-ounce bag mixed greens
2 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, cut into matchsticks)
½ cup currants (original recipe called for dried cherries)
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Dressing:
¼ cup mayonnaise (I use light)
¼ cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
Combine first four dressing ingredients, then slowly whisk in oil. Dressing can
be made up to 3 days ahead, cover and refrigerate. Re-whisk before using, if
necessary.
Mix the greens and apples (unless you have very small apples, you will find
you have more apple than you need), then toss with dressing (you will also
have left-over dressing). Plate the salad, then top with currants and walnuts.
The recipe doesn’t say to serve that way, but the first time I tossed everything
together, and the small stuff wasn’t distributed evenly.
Tester Wendy Hunt used baby spinach and it worked well. “I also roasted the
walnuts as I thought they might last longer before going soggy. This recipe is
simple and flexible, likely better served immediately rather than the next day.”
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SALADS
BLT SALAD WITH BASIL MAYONNAISE DRESSING
Rosebud nominated this recipe. “It makes a beautiful salad for either lunch
or a light dinner—crisp, tangy and delicious, especially in the summer when
the tomatoes are at their peak. The dressing is also good with cooked, chilled
chopped broccoli or chilled quartered Brussels sprouts.”
Serves 4
½ pound bacon
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 slices French bread, cut into 1/2 -inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound romaine lettuce, rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly
brown. Drain, crumble and set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings.
In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved bacon drippings, mayonnaise,
vinegar and basil. Let the dressing stand, covered, at room temperature. In a
large skillet over medium heat, toss the bread with salt and pepper. Drizzle with
oil, continue tossing over medium-low heat until golden brown.
In a large bowl mix together the romaine, tomatoes, bacon and croutons. Pour
the dressing over the salad and toss well.
Tester Lyn Belisle noted that she would add chopped green onion. “It’s amazing
—tastes just like a BLT but is easier to eat. Would be great for a picnic.”
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BROCCOLI SALAD
Rosebud nominated this salad. "It has a nice variety of tastes and textures,"
and can be made several hours ahead for picnics and cookouts..
4 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
½ pound bacon
½ cup apple, diced
¼ cup red onion, diced
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1½ cups mayonnaise
4 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup sugar (or to taste; I use Splenda)
Cook the bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels and crumble. Toss together
the apple, onion, raisins, sunflower seeds and bacon. Add to the broccoli in a
large bowl.
Mix in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and sugar. Pour over the broccoli mixture
and lightly toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 1
hour before serving.
Broccoli would be better if it were made of meat
and slathered in BBQ sauce.
~an ad for KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce
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SALADS
CHOPPED SALAD WITH SALSA VERDE DRESSING
This recipe, nominated by Robyn, works great on its own or served alongside
grilled fish, chicken or steak.
Serves 4
3 husked, quartered tomatillos
1⁄3 cup (lightly packed) cilantro
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño chili
1 garlic clove, peeled
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup finely chopped green onions
2½ cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped green cabbage
¾ cup chopped seeded tomatoes
¾ cup chopped peeled jicama
¾ cup fresh corn kernels
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, diced
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Corn tortilla chips (optional)
Purée first 5 ingredients in blender. Pour into medium bowl. Whisk in oil, then
green onions. Season with salt and pepper. Mix all remaining ingredients
except chips in bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Serve with chips, if
desired.
Tester Tina Vierra noted that jicama can be difficult to find, but there are plenty
of “crunchy” alternatives.
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DILLED POTATO SALAD
This recipe was nominated by Carol Peterson. It includes several variations,
noted below.
8 medium russet* potatoes, diced
4 large eggs, hard cooked
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
3 tablespoons dill pickle juice*
½ cup dill pickles, minced
½ teaspoon dill weed
½ teaspoon onion powder
* If red potatoes are used, reduce pickle juice to 2 tablespoons.
Hard cook the eggs; chill, remove shells, and cut in half. Remove yolks and
dice the whites. Set aside.
Cook potatoes in water until desired tenderness. Drain; rinse under cold,
running water to stop cooking. While potatoes are cooking, combine mashed
egg yolks with remaining ingredients.
Combine chilled potatoes and sauce. Add egg whites. Refrigerate for several
hours or overnight, to allow flavors to blend. Check for moisture. If too dry, add
more pickle juice or milk. Sprinkle paprika on top just prior to serving, if desired.
VARIATIONS: Use dill pickle relish instead of chopped pickles. Use fresh
minced onions in place of onion powder. Add finely chopped celery for
crunchiness. Add a dash of Tabasco sauce for a little extra zing.
Tester Judy Chesen processed the egg whites instead of chopping them, which
made the salad much creamier.
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GERMAN POTATO SALAD
This potato salad is Rosebud’s “go-to” salad for family gatherings.
1 pound bacon
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 cup vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar)
12 cups cooked potatoes, sliced (about 5 pounds)
Fresh parsley for garnish
Cook bacon until crisp. Drain the bacon and crumble; set aside. Reserve 1/2
cup bacon fat and cook onion and celery in it until tender. Blend in the flour,
sugar, salt, celery seed, vinegar, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until
thickened and bubbly. Add potatoes and bacon and toss lightly; heat through.
Garnish with fresh parsley.
Tester Jennie Martin said, “I liked the slightly sweet/sour dressing, and the
bacon flavor was really absorbed by the potatoes.”
Signed,
Barb in Idaho, the Potato State
A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.
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MANGO CILANTRO JALAPEÑO SALAD
Tina Vierra nominated her own salad, adapted from Nigella Lawson’s
‘Celebration Chicken’ recipe. “I want crunch in my salad so I added toasted
pine nuts or crunchy fried Asian noodles.”
2 ripe mangoes
¼ cup mango nectar (optional)
2 jalapeño peppers
2 scallions
Olive oil
Toasted sesame oil
2 fresh limes
1 bunch fresh cilantro, cleaned, dried, and chopped, most stems removed
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
Toasted pine nuts or crunchy fried Asian noodles
Chop the mangoes and place in a large salad bowl along with their juices. If the
mangoes aren't ripe enough to be juicy, you can add ¼ cup of mango nectar.
Mince the jalapeños and drop into the bowl. Chop and then add the scallions.
Juice the 2 limes directly into the bowl. Add the chopped cilantro.
Pour two turns around the bowl with the olive oil, and two turns around the
bowl with the sesame oil (comes out to about ¼ cup olive oil, and one to two
tablespoons sesame oil). You can taste and adjust if you want more of either.
Toss the salad and then put the bowl into the refrigerator for half an hour or so
for the flavors to mingle. (While not absolutely necessary, this step certainly
helps intensify the flavors.) Add the chopped lettuce; toss. To finish, add a
handful of toasted and cooled pine nuts, or crunchy fried Asian noodles.
Tester Sheila Foster noted that fresh jalapeños should be used (not canned),
and that this is a great make-ahead salad. Add the lettuce and pine nuts or
fried noodles right before serving.
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QUINOA AL SALPICON
Chris Babcock nominated this recipe from Cooking with Herbs. She uses fresh
roasted chilis, adds 2 to 3 minced garlic cloves, and doesn't peel the tomatoes.
1 cup quinoa
4 cups water
1 cup peeled, seeded, diced cucumber
1 cup peeled, seeded, diced tomato
½ cup finely chopped green onion
1
⁄3 cup finely chopped parsley
1
⁄3 cup finely chopped mint
Vinaigrette:
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 chili, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup olive oil
Rinse quinoa and put in a saucepan with the water. Cover; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; simmer for about 8 minutes, until quinoa grains begin to open
and spiral. Don’t cook too long or the quinoa will get mushy. Drain and cool.
In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, pepper, chili and salt. Gradually add
olive oil, whisking constantly. Set aside.
Combine the chopped vegetables and herbs in a large bowl. When quinoa is
cool, add to the chopped vegetables. Toss to mix, then add vinaigrette and toss
to combine thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tester Maggie Johnson thought this was a very refreshing salad, great to serve
vegetarians for lunch.
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SHRIMP, WATERMELON, AND AVOCADO SALAD
This recipe was nominated by Robyn. “It is the perfect no-cook dinner. I made
this for dinner on the patio and served it with a Robert Sinskey Pinot Blanc.”
Serves 6
1 1-pound package frozen cooked shrimp, thawed
4 cups watermelon, seeded and roughly chopped
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup cilantro leaves (die-hard cilantro haters can try Italian parsley)
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 avocados, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Place shrimp, watermelon, onion, cilantro, jalapeños, and avocado in a large
bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, oil, salt and pepper.
Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss gently. Set aside for 10 minutes before
serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Tester Denny Arar felt that “the combination of ingredients proved magical. It’s
a great hot-weather dish.”
I never have trouble getting in shape. The Ancient Greeks thought
the sphere was the perfect shape, all points being equidistant
posted by the center. I effortlessly tend toward perfection.
Posted by Rich Stevens
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SALADS
SPINACH AND BERRIES SALAD WITH DILL
Phyllis Keating nominated this recipe originally posted by Terry Pogue.
Red wine vinaigrette:
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon onion powder
1 cup almonds, slivered
1 pound baby spinach
1 pound butter lettuce
1 bunch scallions, chopped
½ pint strawberries, sliced
½ pint raspberries
½ pint blueberries
¼ cup fresh dill weed, chopped
Toast the almonds for about 5 minutes at 350°F, then cool. Toss the almonds,
spinach, lettuce, onions, fruit and dill week in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette
just before serving and toss to coat.
Tester Phyllis Keating noted that this salad is a great side dish and looks very
good plated. “I also made this recipe with a combination of baby leaf lettuce,
romaine and baby arugula and it’s wonderful with a slight twist.”
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TART POTATO SALAD
This recipe is Chris Babcock’s favorite potato salad. “It keeps well and tastes
even better the next day. I also add pickle juice and more onion!”
2 pounds potatoes
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 dill pickle, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 green onions, chopped
At least two hours before serving, boil potatoes in salted water until tender, but
not mushy. Drain and slice thinly.
In a medium bowl, stir vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Gently stir in the sliced
potatoes, celery, pickle and onion. Add pickle juice, salt and pepper to taste.
Tester Lyn Belisle noted that this would work very well with grilled sausage.
“This is one of those recipes that you want to make the minute you read the list
of ingredients.”
Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and
oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital
ingredient in beer.
~Dave Barry
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SALADS
TUSCAN TUNA SALAD
This recipe was doubly nominated by Terry Pogue and Judy Chesen.
Serves 2
1 14-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons sliced sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 4-ounce container imported tuna in olive oil, drained and broken
into chunks (see note)
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
2 tablespoons white balsamic or balsamic vinegar
Ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh basil, julienned (cut into thin strips)
Fresh chives for optional garnish
In a large bowl, gently mix beans, tomatoes, olives, tuna and green onions. Stir
together vinegar and oil; add to bowl and mix gently but well. Add pepper to
taste; stir in basil. Garnish with chives, if desired.
Note: Tuna packed in olive oil is often imported from Italy or Spain. Look for it
in ethnic markets or gourmet shops. You can substitute domestic tuna in oil, but
the flavor and texture of this salad won’t be as good.
Tester Maryellen Casey found the salad a bit dry and increased the oil and
vinegar to 3 tablespoons each. She also found that it worked best if not made
ahead.
Wendy Hunt used Romano beans instead of cannellini and liked the results.
She also used the recipe as a sandwich filling. “Can you tell we really liked it?”
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WARM ITALIAN SAUSAGE SALAD
This recipe was nominated by Tina Vierra, who got it off the side of a malt
vinegar bottle. “I wrote it down on a napkin, took it home and tried it. It is also
fabulous with spinach; just toss the warm mixture on top of it to wilt.”
½ pound Italian sausage
½ teaspoon fennel seed
1
⁄3 cup malt vinegar
½ teaspoon dried basil
1 bunch Swiss chard or spinach
½ red bell pepper, chopped into rings
2 scallions, sliced
Crumble and brown the sausage with the fennel and garlic. Then stir in vinegar
and basil. Cook 4-5 minutes over medium heat.
Wilt the Swiss chard in olive oil in a frying pan for just one minute. Toss with the
sausage mixture, top with the scallions and bell pepper, serve.
Tester Matthew Hill tried the spinach option and felt it was too weak in flavor.
He suggested using kale, collards, or Savoy cabbage instead. He also noted
that it would be equally good with hot Italian sausage or chorizo.
To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomatist. The problem is
entirely the same in both cases—to know exactly how much oil one
must put with one's vinegar.
~Oscar Wilde
Posted by Tina V.
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FISH & SEAFOOD
BROILED FISH WITH INDIAN SPICES
Doreen brought us this delicious Madjur Jaffrey recipe.
Serves 4
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon mustard powder
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 fish fillets or steaks, such as swordfish, halibut, haddock, tuna,
or salmon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl, combine ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin, turmeric,
mustard powder, cayenne, lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black
pepper. Stir in about 1 tablespoon warm water to form a very thick paste.
Brush a baking sheet or broiler pan with 1 tablespoon butter; place fish on top.
Cover fish on both sides with paste; set aside for at least 15 minutes but no
more than 30 minutes.
Preheat broiler. Drizzle 2 tablespoons butter over fish; broil until nicely
browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn over the fish steaks, and drizzle with remaining 2
tablespoons butter; broil until browned and cooked through. Serve immediately.
Tester Marilyn Watson says that those wary of spicy foods can cut back on the
cayenne and the garam masala and still have wonderfully flavored fish.
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GRANDMA’S MARYLAND CRAB CAKES
Foodwine list members once famously held a crab cake cook-off, with
particpants cooking others’ recipes until the winners were declared. One of the
winners was Rosebud’s grandmother’s authentic Maryland-native crab cakes.
“Back in my Grandma’s day and my mother’s, we took trips to the Eastern
shore and got the crab meat from the little old ladies, who could pick crab meat
faster than your eyes could follow. And it was very seldom that there was ever
a piece of shell or cartilage in it. With good Chesapeake Bay blue crab meat,
you really want to taste the crab, so less is definitely more!”
1 slice white bread, processed to crumbs
1 slice white bread, processed to crumbs and seasoned with 1 teaspoon
Old Bay seasoning
1 pound fresh lump crab meat, well but carefully picked
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon dry mustard (Coleman’s preferred) or
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (if using dry mustard, use 1½ tablespoons)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (ONLY fresh will do)
1½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
Butter or oil for frying
Beat the egg and add the mayonnaise, parsley, mustard, and Old Bay
seasoning and stir together. Add the unseasoned bread crumbs and stir again.
Carefully stir the egg mixture into the crabmeat, leaving the lumps as intact
as possible. Shape into 6 patties. Coat with the seasoned bread crumbs and
refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour.
Melt butter or oil in a pan and fry crab cakes on both sides until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels and serve piping hot with slices of summer tomatoes
and lots of mayonnaise.
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ALICE’S CORN CRAB CAKES
Sheila Foster likes this light, tender version of classic crab cakes.
Serves 4
1 pound fresh or frozen lump crabmeat, cartilage removed
1 cup cooked corn
½ cup finely diced green pepper
¼ cup finely diced onion
½ cup finely diced celery
1 cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon mustard powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2¼ cups saltine cracker crumbs
Tartar sauce (makes 1½ cups):
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Tabasco sauce
¼ cup finely diced dill pickle
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
2 tablespoons tiny capers, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine the crabmeat, corn, onion, bell pepper, and celery in a mixing bowl,
and toss well. In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise with the mustard and
cayenne pepper. Stir into the crabmeat mixture, and add salt and pepper. Using
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a rubber spatula, gently fold in the eggs and 1 cup of the cracker crumbs. Form
the crab mixture into eight patties.
Carefully coat the patties with the remaining cracker crumbs and chill, covered
for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than a few hours.
For the tartar sauce, mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce,
and Tabasco together in a bowl. Fold in the pickle, parsley, shallots, and
capers. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate, loosely covered, at least 1
hour before serving (so that the flavors will meld).
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium size
skillet. Cook the crab cakes over medium heat until golden on both sides,
about 3 minutes per side, adding more oil and butter as necessary. Serve
immediately with tartar sauce on the side.
Tester Lyn Beslisle reported that the combined flavors of fresh corn and fresh
crab made these cakes wonderful.
In the hands of a master, the English language is a powerful
and beautiful tool; in the hands of a novice
it’s more akin to giving a gun to a duck.
Posted by Chris Gunning
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CRAB PATTIES WITH CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE
Dan, our Scarlet Wombat, found this recipe on the CBS news web site,
“modified it, played with it, fondled it, got it happy, and it is delicious.”
Patties:
½ pound lump crabmeat, drained, picked clean of shell,
lightly squeezed if wet
½ pound cooked baby shrimp
6 ounces Devonshire or clotted cream at room temperature
12 saltine crackers, finely ground in a food processor
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Heaping ½ tablespoon jarred hot peppers, stems and seeds removed
Heaping ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour for dredging
½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning for the flour
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Spicy chipotle mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or more
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
2 tablespoons puréed canned chipotle peppers in adobo
2 teaspoons minced garlic or more
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Combine crabmeat, shrimp, Devonshire cream, saltine crumbs, chives, lemon
juice, peppers and cayenne in a large bowl, and mix thoroughly with your
hands to avoid destroying the lumps of crabmeat. Cover and chill 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise with lemon juice and olive oil. Add cilantro,
chipotle, garlic and salt. Add more lemon juice, garlic, and chipotle to taste.
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Remove crab mixture from refrigerator and form into 8 equal size patties, about
3 inches around, ½- to ¾-inch thick. Press cakes firmly together so they don’t
break apart during cooking. Combine the Old Bay seasoning with the flour in a
shallow bowl. Dredge the crab patties in the flour mixture, turn over and repeat.
Make sure the patties are well coated.
To cook, place skillet on medium heat with ½ cup oil, and heat for 2 minutes.
Place cakes in skillet and cook until golden brown on one side (about 4 to 6
minutes). Turn carefully so the cakes don’t break. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on the
second side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
Plate on salad greens if desired, and top with chipotle mayonnaise.
Barbara Leckstein made this recipe three times during testing, using various
sizes of shrimp and brands of crabmeat, and it always turned out well. “The
chipotle mayo is perfect for the crab cakes, not too spicy but the flavor is
intense, and got even better when I added the cilantro. The crab cake itself
stayed moist and had a great texture.”
We do a crust for fish at home with very thinly sliced
potatoes. I kept a commercial slicer when I got out of
restaurants.
Slice potatoes so thin you can read through them. Lay the slices on a
piece of plastic wrap in a pattern overlapping like shingles. The whole
“panel” of slices should be large enough to completely wrap around the
fish, leaving just the ends exposed. I spray the fish with pan release
because it makes the slices stick better.
Lay the fish in the middle of the potato wrap, and bring up the wrap
such that the potatoes wrap all the way around the piece of fish. A
little fiddling, if necessary, will push the potato slices into pretty order.
Press the slices gently against the fish and slide the whole thing into a
medium-high hot skillet with a bit of butter-oil mixture. Brown on both
sides. Eat.~Bob Pastorio
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MOROCCAN SPICED SALMON ON LENTILS
Several Foodwinos nominated this recipe by our own Scott Miller.
Serves 6
2 cups (¾ pound) French green lentils, picked over and rinsed
¼ cup coriander seeds
¼ cup fennel seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
2 teaspoons whole cloves
¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
2 large shallots, minced
2 tablespoons harissa (buy or make the recipe that follows)
35 ounces Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped, juices reserved
6 6-ounce fillets salmon, skin on
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
In a medium saucepan, cover lentils with 6 cups water; bring to a boil over high
heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils
are tender, about 25 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste; set aside, covered.
In a medium skillet, combine coriander, fennel, cumin, cardamom seeds and
loves. Toast over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant—about 3 minutes.
Transfer to a plate to cool. Finely grind spices in a spice grinder or mortar. Set
aside one tablespoon for the tomato sauce, and save the rest for the salmon.
In a medium nonreactive saucepan, warm ¼ cup olive oil over moderately low
heat. Add garlic and shallots; cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add harissa and 1 tablespoon spices; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3
minutes. Add tomatoes with juices; raise heat to moderate and simmer, stirrinrg
occasionally, until flavors blend—about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste..
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place 2 large ovenproof skillets over high heat. Add
1 tablespoon of the oil to each skillet. Season the salmon fillets with salt and
pepper and coat them on both sides with the remaining spice mixture.
When the oil is very hot, add 3 salmon fillets to each pan, skin side down. Put
1 piece of the butter next to each fillet and shake the pans to incorporate the
butter into the oil. Sauté the salmon fillets for 3 minutes. Transfer the skillets to
the oven without turning the fillets and roast the salmon for about 6 minutes, or
until the skin is very crisp and the fish is just cooked through.
Meanwhile, reheat the lentils and the tomato sauce. Spoon the lentils into the
center of warmed dinner plates and set the salmon fillets on top, skin side up.
Spoon the tomato sauce around the lentils and serve at once.
You can prepare the lentils and tomato up to three days ahead, storing in
refrigerator. You can also mix spices and keep in a jar at room temperature.
HARISSA
Makes about 1 cup
1 cup red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 teaspoons ground caraway
2 to 3 tablespoons water
Olive oil
In a food processor or blender, combine the pepper flakes, paprika, garlic,
coriander, caraway, 2 teaspoons water and 3 to 6 tablespoons olive oil. Puree
until mixture forms a paste, adding additional water and/or oil if necessary.
Transfer to a jar and cover with olive oil. Harissa will keep in the refrigerator for
up to 6 months.
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THE MUSTANG WINEMAKER’S PAELLA
A winemaker specializing in Tempranillo, Penny and her husband Frank
have a strong love for things Spanish. After several trips to Spain and lots of
experimenting, Penny has developed a paella that is uniquely her own.
Serves 6-8
2 pinches saffron
2 cups long grain rice
1 14½-ounce can stewed tomatoes
¼ link Mexican chorizo (soft not dried)
4 Andouille sausages, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
4½ cups chicken stock
6 to 8 chicken thighs
16 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (more if small, or to taste)
16 live mussels
1 teaspoon paprika
1 sweet red pepper, broiled, peeled and sliced
(jarred roasted red pepper will work as well)
Heat the chicken broth in the microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes. Add saffron
threads, crushing them between your fingers, to the hot broth. Set aside.
In a 16-inch paella pan, heat olive oil on medium to medium high heat. Brown
the chicken thighs (do not cook through), then remove from pan. Add Mexican
chorizo and let it melt. Add stewed tomatoes and cook until very little liquid
is left. Then add the Andouille sausage, onions, and garlic, cooking until the
onions are translucent. The smell is getting pretty amazing at this point!
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Note: Penny prefers to complete the recipe from here forward on her outdoor
gas grill as it has a larger surface for cooking. Using a 4-burner grill, she
keeps the middle two burners just a notch down from high. Grilling yields the
caramelization on the bottom that you cannot get on a stovetop.
Add the rice, mixing to coat evenly, then the broth with saffron threads, the
paprika, and chicken thighs. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set heat
to medium low. Cook for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Important: Do not stir during this time.
After the liquid has been absorbed and the bottom of the rice is browning, lift
the cover and add the shrimp, mussels, and sliced red peppers. Do not stir.
Cover and cook for about another 5 minutes, or until the mussels have opened
and the shrimp are pink. (Discard any mussels that do not open.)
Best served with a Sangria, or a Tempranillo wine, with fruit or green salad on
the side.
Tester Beatrice Powell added frozen peas to this dish as Penny suggested
you could. The fish and chicken can be mixed, matched, left out, or upped in
quantity, whatever your preference.
Drink Sonoma County wines—they are good for your heart!!!!
Posted by Frank & Penny Coster
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GINGER-STEAMED WHOLE FISH WITH ASIAN FLAVORS
Denny Arar found this recipe while surfing through the FoodNetwork site, and it
became a favorite in her household.
Serves 2-4
1 whole 2- to 3-pound fish, such as sea bass, red snapper or rock cod,
scaled, cleaned and gutted, with head and tail intact
Marinade:
1 teaspoon salt
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons peeled and slivered ginger
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 scallions, white and green parts cut into slices on diagonal
2 chunks of fresh ginger
Sauce:
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
Sliced scallions, black and white toasted sesame seeds (optional garnish)
Rinse the fish under cold running water, pat dry, and place on a lightly oiled,
heatproof platter that will fit in your steamer or a large roasting pan.
Cut 3 deep diagonal gashes along each side of the fish, to allow the flavors to
penetrate the meat. Sprinkle the inside cavity and outside of the fish with salt,
squeeze the lemon juice over the fish, drizzle with sesame oil, then stuff the
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slivered ginger and chopped garlic into the gashes. Scatter the scallions over
the fish, and marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Fill the steamer or roasting pan with water to within an inch of the steamer rack,
and bring to a boil on the stovetop. Reduce to a simmer, and add the ginger
chunks to the water. Place platter with fish on the steaming rack, cover, and
steam over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the
fish (plan on 10 minutes for each 1-inch of thickness at its widest point).
About 5 minutes before the fish is done, heat the peanut oil and the sesame oil
in a small saucepan until hot, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and
stir in the soy sauce, lemon juice and sugar.
Test fish for doneness by poking with a fork or chopsticks. The fish meat should
flake easily at its thickest part. Remove from the steamer, transferring fish and
juices to a larger platter if you need the room. Pour the hot oil mixture over the
fish, and serve immediately.
Terry Pogue served this to dinner guests when she tested it for the cookbook,
and her guests loved it, remarking over the ginger flavor that steamed into the
flesh of the fish.
Where do Foodwinos hail from?
Wanda in Indy
Kelly in Cleveland
Kathy in San Luis Obispo, CA
Janice from Upstate New York
137
FISH & SEAFOOD
GRILLED MAHI MAHI WITH BANANA SALSA
The surprise in this recipe from Rosebud is the flavors of banana and Chinese
five-spice together. In the summer, grill the Mahi Mahi and, in the winter, broil it.
Serves 4-6
2 pounds fresh Mahi Mahi
¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro
4 tablespoons salt
2 large firm ripe bananas
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ cup golden raisins
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
Slice the fish into 6 equal portions. Press the chopped cilantro into the top of
each portion then generously sprinkle each piece with the kosher salt. Chill the
fish tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for at least 1 hour.
Add the remaining ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Chill for at least
an hour.
Preheat the grill. Grill the fish for about 5 minutes on each side or until desired
doneness. Serve the fish generously topped with the salsa.
To do is to be. ~Descartes To be is to do. ~Sartre
Do be do be do. ~Sinatra
Posted by Pamela Davis
138
FISH & SEAFOOD
PESTO CRUSTED SALMON
Personal chef/caterer Blake Olson’s recipe is delicious, easy, and flexible. He
serves it at room temperature at cocktail parties.
Salmon filet
Tomatoes, thinly sliced (optional)
Pesto
Bread crumbs, dry
Choose a salmon filet of any size you want, salt and pepper it, cover with the
sliced tomatoes (if using), ¼ inch of pesto and then bread crumbs. Cover it with
plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge overnight.
Remove the fish from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
Bake at 425ºF for 15 to 18 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish.
Terry Pogue made this great variation: “Instead of the pesto, I used some
sun-dried tomato bruschetta topping (a big jar of it from Costco). I used
breadcrumbs for the overnight resting in the fridge and right before baking, I put
on a light layer of coarsely crushed pine nuts.”
Tester Janet served this dish at a buffet dinner. “This was the first thing to go
from the buffet table. The pesto made the flavor so bright!”
I am a kind of paranoid in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make
me happy.
~J.D. Salinger
Posted by Joan (new to the list and still tip-toeing around)
139
FISH & SEAFOOD
TEQUILA-ORANGE GRILLED SHRIMP
Doreen nominated this recipe for our cookbook. While often circulated on the
list, we don’t know how we originally came by it.
Serves 4 to 6
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails left on
1 jalapeño chili, very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
Zest of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup orange juice
¼ cup tequila
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
In a medium bowl, combine shrimp, oil, half the jalapeño, half the garlic, and
the zest; season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 15
minutes and up to 1 hour.
In a shallow saucepan, combine remaining jalapeño, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt (or
less), pepper, orange juice, tequila, and shallots; bring to a boil over mediumhigh heat. Cook until thick and syrupy, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in butter; keep warm.
Set a gas grill to high, or put a stovetop grill pan over high heat. Grill shrimp,
turning once, until just opaque, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter;
top with tequila sauce, grnish with chives; serve immediately with lime wedges.
Marilyn Watson cooked the spicy shrimp on an outdoor grill and cautions
cooks to watch them since they cook quickly. Sheila Foster liked the shrimp but
thinks they might be too sweet for an entrée, suggesting they are perfect as an
appetizer instead.
140
POULTRY
POULTRY
APRICOT BRANDIED CHICKEN BREASTS
This makes an easy but impressive main course. Serve with rice or buttered
noodles on the side.
Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken fryer breasts, pounded to even thickness
½ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon tarragon leaves, crushed
¼ cup butter
2 apricots, chopped in quarters
½ cup apricot brandy
¾ cup chicken broth
½ cup sour cream or creme fraiche
Preheat a large skillet on low heat. In a shallow dish, sift together the flour, salt,
pepper and tarragon. Dredge the chicken pieces, one at a time, to coat.
Melt the butter in the skillet, then increase the heat to medium high just before
placing the chicken pieces. Cook 5 to 10 minutes on each side, until browned;
remove from pan and place on a warmed plate.
Add apricots, brandy, and chicken broth to the same pan. Bring to a boil, then
reduce heat and return chicken pieces to the pan. Simmer for 10 more minutes,
until the chicken is done (160°F on an instant-read thermometer).
Add the sour cream and stir to warm. Place the chicken back on the warm
plate, pour the warm sauce over the chicken, and serve immediately.
Tester Gretl Collins increased the pepper and tarragon to ½ teaspoon each.
“This is fast and easy to prepare, especially if you flatten the chicken breasts to
an even thickness and cut in half. You could also substitute pork chops.”
142
POULTRY
CHICKEN & SPINACH IN A COCONUT CURRY SAUCE
Gretl Collins loves this curry recipe from Foodwino Beatrice Powell, who
claims, “My Indian friend Ram says it tastes just like his Mom’s cooking.”
Serves 2
2 onions, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger purée
1 tablespoon Indian curry paste (or more to taste)
1 cup coconut milk (I use light)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
½ cup raisins
2 cups baby spinach
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet and sauté onions on low for about 10
minutes. Mix in ginger and curry paste. Sauté for about a minute, until fragrant.
Add coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Meanwhle, in another skillet, heat remaining oil and sauté chicken for about 5
minutes, then add apple and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Put the chicken and apple mixture in the coconut curry sauce. Stir in raisins,
lime juice and spinach. Mix and let simmer for two minutes, until spinach wilts.
Serve chicken and sauce over basmati rice.
Testers loved this recipe. Wendy Hunt served it in her café, and customers
cheered. Jeanie Roberts used curry powder instead of paste, and points out
that you can use other vegetables if you do not have spinach.
Chris Babcock used Thai curry paste and minced (instead of puréed) ginger.
And her kids “ate it happily! Now they’ll eat spinach and not complain about it!”
143
POULTRY
CHICKEN A LA ROMANA
Karen Brack ate this as a child. “Mom always served it with white rice and
peas. Now that I think of it, she served a lot of things with white rice and peas.”
1 2½-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
Flour for dredging
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper
½ cup dry white wine (plus a little to deglaze)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ cup chicken stock
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat butter and oil in an oven-proof pan large enough
to hold the chicken in one layer. Add chicken pieces and brown on all sides.
Add rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper; continue cooking until garlic is fragrant.
Add a bit of the wine and deglaze bottom of pan. Add the ½ cup wine, lemon
juice, and chicken stock. Cover pan, place in oven, and bake until chicken is
cooked through and tender, about 30 minutes.
Tester Chris Babcock’s daughter and friends (and the family dog!) kept coming
into her kitchen while this dish was cooking, lured by the fragrant smells. One
of the girls took the recipe home to her own mother.
“This tasted a lot like a marinated grilled chicken that I make in the summer
time, but was a lot juicier when served. I liked that. If you have fresh rosemary
use it instead of dried as the flavor has more punch.”
144
POULTRY
CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH LEMON SAUCE
Serves 6
½ cup olive oil
½ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
1¼ cup Panko crumbs
1¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2½ ounces)
12 8-inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Sauce:
¼ cup (½ stick) butter
juice of ½ lemon (approximately 2 tablespoons)
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a ziplock bag, add the chicken, toss to coat,
and marinate at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Preheat broiler. Combine Panko and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl.
Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Add chicken to the Panko/
cheese mixture; toss to coat. Arrange chicken on skewers.
Broil chicken until cooked through, turning frequently, about 8 minutes. Transfer
to platter.
Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Remove
from heat and mix in lemon juice. Drizzle butter over chicken.
Tester Roberta Merkle advises coating the chicken in several batches, rather
than trying to put it all into the Panko-cheese mixture at once. These skewers
can also be grilled.
145
POULTRY
CHUTNEY GLAZED CHICKEN BREASTS
Serves 4-6
3 tablespoons Balducci’s Hot Curry Powder or other curry powder
1
⁄3 cup dry white wine
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (optional)
4 full skinless chicken breasts, bone in
1 jar (about 9 ounces) Patak’s Major Gray or other mango chutney
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a low-sided sheet pan or roasting pan with foil or
parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, melt butter and vegetable oil. Add curry powder and cook
2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add wine and stir till blended. Remove from heat.
Make a deep slit in the side of each chicken breast and, if using chopped
cilantro, stuff a good 3 tablespoons into the cavity. Lay breasts on the sheet
pan and baste with the curry-butter mixture. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from
oven and spread chutney over chicken.
Bake for 15 minutes more, basting frequently with more of the curry butter
mixture. Remove chicken to serving platter, and spoon any remaining butter
sauce over chicken. Now cover with foil, and let the chicken rest for a good 10
to 12 minutes so the residual heat will finish the cooking. Serve hot or at room
temperature.
Tester Sheila Foster cautions that the butter curry mixture can stain wooden
cutting boards, and recommends using a plastic one. She used leftover chicken
from this recipe in tortilla roll-ups and salads. She also tried the butter-curry
sauce on grilled fish and pronounced it delicious.
146
POULTRY
CREAMED SAGE CHICKEN SCALLOPINI
Chris Babcock nominated this Foodwine original from Patrick Gerding. “Patrick
would dream up the most awesome meals that often had me drooling over the
keyboard. This was one that he came up with because he had a plethora of
sage in a pot on his deck. I nominated it because it’s one of the first recipes
from Foodwine that I totally fell in love with.”
Serves 1
1 chicken breast, cut into scallopini
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup half-and-half or cream
Freshly grated Romano cheese
Season the scallopini with salt and pepper; pound lightly. Melt the butter in an
8-inch skillet and add the garlic and the sage, then sauté for a minute. Add the
scallopini, and brown lightly on both sides in the butter/garlic.
Add half of the white wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the chicken and
keep warm. Add the rest of the wine and the cream to the skillet and deglaze.
Reduce by half, and pour the sauce over the chicken. Serve immediately with a
little fresh grated Romano cheese on top.
Patrick said, “I served it with wild mushroom ravioli and diced portobello
'shrooms sautéed in garlic and butter. I had a dry Washington Riesling with it
and was quite pleased. Thought about steamed broccoli but ran out of time!”
Chris usually uses 2 or 3 chicken breasts, sliced in half, and increases the
ingredients accordingly, “usually with a heavy hand on the sage.” She serves it
to her kids with basmati rice.
147
POULTRY
CURRIED CHICKEN CLAFOUTIS
Terry Pogue gave us this recipe—perfect hot or cold, for lunch or dinner, or as
her husband claims, a favorite midnight snack.
1½ cups diced cooked chicken
¼ cup green onion
2 tablespoons raisins (or dried cranberries)
½ cup flour
1½ teaspoons curry powder (or to taste)
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
1½ cups half-and-half (or milk of any fat content down to 1%)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a deep dish pie plate, and sprinkle chicken,
green onions and raisins or cranberries in the bottom of pan.
Mix the flour, curry powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in
the half-and-half until blended; whisk in the eggs until blended. Pour over the
chicken mixture in the pan.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until puffed, browned and set. Cut into wedges
and serve.
Tester Joan Waldron said her husband Rob, who won’t eat quiche or fritattas,
loved this dish both hot and cold.
Wisdom is like an open oven; the food is gone but the heat remains.
148
POULTRY
FOUR-CHEESE CHICKEN BREASTS FLORENTINE
Rich Stevens wrote this recipe, a favorite nominated by both Rosebud, and the
man we know as =Mark.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 ounces imported prosciutto
8 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces roasted pine nuts
4 ounces smoked provolone
1 quart marinara sauce
4 ounces mozzarella (smoked if you can find it), shredded
Freshly ground Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 package frozen chopped spinach (or 8 ounces fresh spinach,
cleaned, cooked and drained)
Pound out the breasts to an even thickness of about ½ inch. Heat and drain the
spinach.
Place 2 ounces ricotta, 1 ounce prosciutto, 1 ounce mozzarella, 1 ounce
roasted pine nuts, and about a tablespoon of spinach onto the center of each
breast. Sprinkle liberally with Romano or Parmesan.
Place a third of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Fold the
sides of the chicken breasts around the stuffing. Place breasts, seam side
down, in the baking dish. Cover each breast with provolone, and all with
remaining marinara sauce.
Bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes
before serving. Serve with a long string pasta such as fettucine, spaghetti or
angel hair.
Rosebud’s dinner guests were very impressed. “The chicken was tender and
juicy, and the amount of sauce was just right. I especially liked the pine nuts
and the smoked provolone—the flavors and texture were lovely.”
149
POULTRY
GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS
Tina Vierra nominated Bob Coomler’s easy chicken recipe, which “changed my
whole world view on how flavorful grilled chicken can be!”
Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
Marinade:
Juice of 1 lemon
2 heaping tablespoons whole grain mustard (e.g. Plochman’s Natural
Stone Ground, or Maille Moutarde a l’Ancienne)
3 to 4 smashed cloves of garlic
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Cracked black pepper
Fresh rosemary, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
Dry white wine
Marinate chicken in the mixture for at least an hour (longer is better). Grill
chicken pieces over a hot fire, turning when grill-marked, and check for
doneness after about 2 or 3 minutes per side, depending on how close the
meat is to the fire. An instant-read thermometer should read 155 to 158°F.
Remove the breasts to a heated platter, cover with foil (the temperature should
then increase by a few degrees to a poultry-safe 160°F), and allow to rest for
10 minutes before serving. Crack open the Rosé. Bon appetit.
Tester Gretl Collins marinated her chicken for 5 hours. “This is an EXCELLENT
recipe. The mustard acts as a binder to hold rubs or spices, and it also helps to
tenderize the meat. As in most cases, the mustard flavor in this recipe receded,
leaving a wonderful lemony-garlicky flavor. Pounding the chicken breasts into
an even thickness ensures there won’t be any areas over or underdone, and
the meat doesn’t have a chance to dry out when grilled quickly."
150
POULTRY
POBLANO CHICKEN
Terry Pogue chose this recipe from Arizona Chris for our cookbook, claiming,
“We love it and it is a standard at our house. I also love the fact that this recipe
easily doubles or even triples for parties."
Serves 4
3 large poblano chili peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 chicken breasts or 6 chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces
½ cup milk
½ large onion, coarsely chopped
½ cup sour cream
2 cups grated Monterey jack cheese (or a jack-cheddar blend)
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet and sauté the peppers and onion until
limp. Remove from pan and purée the peppers and onions with the milk and
sour cream in a blender. Salt and pepper to taste.
Melt the remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet and sauté the chicken about
5-8 minutes. Chicken doesn’t need to be done, but the pink should be mostly
gone. Salt and pepper to taste.
Place the chicken in a casserole dish and pour the pepper-onion mixture over
the top. Liberally sprinkle the top with the cheese, creating a nice heavy layer.
Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned.
Serve over rice.
Tester Joan Waldron marveled that such a tasty recipe could be so easy to
make. Wendy Hunt said that to make the recipe more cheaply, you can use
cheaper cuts of chicken, and less expensive peppers. All testers declared this
recipe gave a lot of “bang for the buck—big flavor results with very little effort.”
151
POULTRY
LEX’S ROAST CHICKEN
Terry Pogue found this recipe in Cuisine at Home magazine, and made some
minor changes that made a lot of difference to the success of the dish. All part
of the tinkering we do on the Foodwine list.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large onions halved, then sliced into half moons
2 cups celery, sliced
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1¾ teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon thyme, dried
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 3 to 4 pound chicken (backbone removed and butterflied;
small kosher or organic birds are best)
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ baguette French bread cut into large cubes
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat oven to 375°F. Sauté onions and celery in ¼ cup oil for about 10
minutes, until soft but not browned. Add lemon zest, salt, garlic, pepper, thyme,
and red pepper; sauté a few more minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in
parsley and set aside.
Rub the chicken on both sides with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. In a
lightly oiled roasting pan, layer the bread cubes and onion mixture.
Place the butterflied chicken skin-side-up on top of the bread and onion
mixture. Pour lemon juice over the chicken and roast, uncovered for 1½ hours,
or until golden brown with an internal temperature of at least 160°F. Check for
doneness in the last 15 minutes.
152
POULTRY
Remove from oven, let stand for 10 minutes before cutting chicken into
quarters. To serve, spoon some bread and vegetables onto each plate and top
with chicken.
Beatrice Powell reported: “We love this recipe. I make it over and over again,
sometimes for Sunday dinner for the family, often for company. I especially like
that I can assemble it early in the day, and then pop it in the oven for dinnertime
without having a big mess. It’s a great make-ahead meal.
"I’ve made it both with chicken quarters and the whole bird, and it’s good either
way. I’ve also used different breads—whatever is lying around the house—and
got neat results. Multi-grain and pumpernickel make for nice eye appeal and a
different flavor, all yummy!”
We have seen the Queen of cheese,
Laying quietly at your ease,
Gently fanned by evening breeze—
Thy fair form no flies dare seize.
Cows numerous as a swarm of bees—
Or as the leaves upon the trees—
It did require to make thee please,
And stand unrivalled Queen of Cheese.
~Ode on the Mammoth Cheese, James McIntyre (1828-1906)
Posted by the stray grey mouse
153
POULTRY
PHYLLO CHICKEN WITH RICE, ARTICHOKES, AND
CREAM SAUCE
Sheila Foster says, “I took this dish from Terry Pogue to a party, and my
cooking prowess has been famed ever since.” We have to warn that this dish
is not low-calorie, and takes some time to prepare, but everyone felt the results
were well worth the effort.
Serves 10
For the chicken:
10 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons thyme
½ teaspoon rosemary
1 bay leaf
For the rice:
½ cup chopped onion
½ pound mushrooms, sliced
¾ cup long-grain rice
For the cream sauce:
¼ cup flour
½ cup skim milk
For assembly:
9 ounces artichoke hearts, thawed
16 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
154
POULTRY
In a large pot, combine chicken, wine, salt, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and
water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes
or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and cut into bite-size
pieces. Set aside. Boil chicken broth gently, uncovered, until it is reduced to
about 3½ cups. Set aside.
Make the rice: In a large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add the garlic,
onion, and mushrooms; cook until tender. Stir in rice. Add 1½ cups of the
reduced chicken broth. Simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed (about 20
minutes). While the rice is cooking, make the cream sauce.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour and
cook until bubbly. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the remaining 2 cups of
broth. Gradually add skim milk. Return to low heat and stir until thick.
When the rice is cooked, stir in the artichoke hearts and 1 cup of the cream
sauce. Set aside. Stir remaining cream sauce into chicken pieces. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Melt 3 tablespoons
butter. Unfold the phyllo leaves. Cover with plastic or a damp towel. Place
1 phyllo sheet into bottom of pan. Brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat
procedure with 6 more sheets of phyllo.
Spread half of the rice mixture over phyllo dough. Spread chicken over rice
mixture. Spread remaining rice mixture over chicken. Cover with 6 sheets of
phyllo, brushing with butter between each sheet. Tuck in the edges of last
sheet and brush the top with butter. Cut lightly through 3 or 4 layers of phyllo
dough to indicate pieces to be cut later.
Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Or refrigerate for up to
24 hours and bake later for 60 minutes.
Tester Leo Zick suggests using puff pastry in muffin cups for attractive
individual portions. Wendy Hunt has made this several times for catering jobs
and in her café; she says either canned or frozen artichoke hearts work fine.
155
POULTRY
ZUNI ROLLS
Terry Pogue proclaims Susan McDonald’s Zuni Rolls, “the world’s best
sandwich—we love it. Plus, the chipotle sauce is so good I always have the
ingredients on hand to make it for other things.”
Serves 2
For the chipotle sauce:
1 cup fresh raspberries or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup ruby port
1 can whole chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce, drained
For Zuni Rolls:
2 9- to 10-inch flour tortillas (use the largest you can find)
2
⁄3 cup coarsely grated Havarti cheese (about 2 ounces)
2 scallions, minced
¼ pound thinly sliced smoked turkey breast
6 slices crisp-cooked bacon
In a small saucepan, combine sauce ingredients and simmer, stirring
occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Purée the sauce in a blender or food
processor and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.
Arrange tortillas on a work surface and divide Havarti, turkey, bacon, and
scallions evenly between them. Drizzle some chipotle sauce over the filling and
gently roll up tortillas.
Toast the rolls in a lightly oiled skillet over moderately high heat, starting
with seam sides down and turning until golden on all sides, about 3 minutes.
Diagonally halve tortillas crosswise and serve remaining sauce separately.
156
MEAT
MEAT
BASIL CRUSTED VEAL CHOP
Terry Pogue submitted this recipe saying, “this is my first choice for a company
dinner or even a luncheon. The nice thing is, you can get them all seared off,
and then hold them until you are ready to seat everyone for the first course.“
Serves 2
¼ cup minced fresh basil
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs made from French bread
with crusts removed
¼ cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons coarse-grained mustard
2 8-ounce veal loin chops (about 1½-inch thick)
Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix basil, ¼ cup bread crumbs, Parmesan, butter, and
mustard in small bowl.
Pat veal chops dry; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy, large
ovenproof skillet, over high heat. Add veal, and cook until brown, about 1
minute per side. Remove from heat. Press basil mixture onto top of veal chops.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon remaining bread crumbs over each. Roast in oven until
cooked to desired doneness, about 15 minutes for medium-rare.
Tester Janet Morrissey made enough chops for planned leftovers—lunch the
next day with a nice salad.
I will live in a house by the side of the road and be a friend to ham.
158
MEAT
MEAT LOAF OF THE GODS
Carol Willis likes this recipe posted by Dan Graham, a.k.a. the Scarlet Wombat.
2 pounds top quality round steak, but not the extra lean stuff
1 pungent red onion, diced
1½ cups homemade unseasoned bread crumbs
1
⁄3 cup Romano cheese, grated
2 eggs
1 can tomato paste
½ cup mushrooms, chopped
1½ tablespoons fresh thyme
1½ tablespoons fresh oregano
1 teaspoon salt (more, if desired)
1 tablespoon pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon cracked mustard seeds
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
Bacon strips
Using your hands. mix everything except for the bacon strips in a large bowl.
Place the meat on a large piece of extra wide heavy duty aluminum foil. Shape
into a log the size of a 9-by-12-inch pan, and wrap completely with bacon
strips. Wrap the log in the foil; seal lighly.
Poke little holes in the bottom of the foil so the fat may drip out. Bake at 300°F
for 1½ hours on a roasting rack in a 9x12-inch pan. Let settle for 30 minutes
in cooling oven, then serve warm, or use in cold sandwiches with honey
horseradish mustard and sharp cheddar cheese.
Tester Tom McRae liked the recipe; Wendy Hunt used lean hamburger and
made two loaves rather than one from the recipe.
159
MEAT
INGRIYI (IRAQI SWEET-AND-SOUR MEAT WITH
EGGPLANT)
Matthew Hill originally posted this recipe.”I have since made this with
Portobello mushrooms in place of meat for the vegetarians in my family. This
recipe was originally posted in The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles.
Although it has since appeared verbatim without credit elsewhere, I have made
changes, and added some comments on my experiments with it.”
Serves 6
¼ cup oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1½ pounds meat (beef, lamb, or pork) cut into 1-inch cubes
Eggplant, about 1½ pounds, trimmed and sliced ½-inch thick
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1 green pepper, sliced thin
2 tomatoes, sliced thin
1 cup tomato juice
½ cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons, if freshly squeezed, which is
preferable to bottled juice, but not vital)
3 tablespoons sugar
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in large pot over medium heat. Wilt the onions,
stirring often. Remove the onions, salt and pepper the meat, and add to the
pot, raising heat to medium-high. Brown well on all sides. Return onions to
the pot, add water to cover meat, and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam that
appears in the early stages. Cover, reduce to a simmer and leave for at least
an hour. Drain and set aside. (Save the liquid for soup).
While the meat simmers, salt eggplant slices and set them in a colander to
drain for half an hour. Rinse and pat slices dry with paper towels. Heat the rest
of the oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add the eggplant in batches. Cook
till lightly browned on both sides, adding oil as needed. Drain on paper towels.
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While the oven is heating to 350°F, put a layer of eggplant in a large oiled
baking dish. Put a layer of the meat and onions mixture on top, and top this
with tomatoes and peppers. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine the tomato and lemon juice juices with the sugar and pour over the
layered meat and vegetables. Cover loosely with foil and cook for an hour to an
hour and a half. The meat should be very tender. Serve hot, with rice.
Matthew’s notes: The original recipe calls for beef or lamb. I have used both
successfully and, straying well away from the lsorecipe’s Jewish roots, I have
used pork, which I think I prefer. I have fried the eggplant in a skillet like this, or
grilled it over charcoal. I prefer it grilled.
Matthew also used 2 red peppers (instead of a green and a red pepper), since
he dislikes green peppers. He has also used canned tomatoes, either diced or
cut in half, in lieu of sliced fresh tomatoes.
Tester Joanne Schweik chose beef for this dish, and cut the fat a bit by baking
her eggplant at 400°F, sprayed with a bit of olive oil, until both sides were
brown.
“Although the preparation is a little complex—browning separate ingredients
and all—it is easy to do, and then the long cooking allows time to make the rest
of the meal,” Joanne writes. “People who don’t like eggplant won’t even know
it’s in the dish. The sweet-sour element takes this out of the ordinary; great dish
for casual company dinners.”
My idea of pure heaven is to spend a day in the kitchen, peeling, chopping, and stirring while the words of a good book fill the air around me.
~Ruth Reichl
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MEAT
ROMAN-STYLE VEAL CUTLETS WITH SAGE
Recipe by Chris Marksberry. “Here is something I made a few weeks ago, and
I was very pleased with the outcome. I served with vermicelli tossed in olive oil
and garlic, and the extra sauce was excellent on the pasta.”
Serves 4
4 veal cutlets, about 2 ounces each
4 fresh sage leaves
4 slices prosciutto
Flour for dusting
Salt
Lemon wedges
Pound each slice of veal to about ½ inch thick. Place one sage leaf and one
slice of prosciutto on each veal cutlet and fold over to form a sandwich with the
meat inside the prosciutto. Pound lightly and then secure with toothpicks.
In a 12-inch sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over high heat until it
foams. Season the flour with salt and paper and dredge the cutlets lightly in the
flour. Add to the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter
and keep warm.
Pour the wine into the pan and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to
dislodge the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the remaining 2
tablespoons of butter and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Return the
cutlets to the pan just to reheat, and then transfer to plates, pour the sauce,
and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Tip: To keep the cutlets warm while making the sauce, place in a 200°F oven.
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MEAT
TUSCAN-STYLE STEAK WITH ARUGULA AND PARMESAN
Another excellent recipe from Terry Pogue.
Serves 4
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 boneless strip steaks, 1- to 1¼-inches thick (8 to 10 ounces each)
8 cups arugula, loosely packed
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, cut into thin shavings
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley,
oregano, and a pinch each of salt and pepper until well mixed.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat
until smoking. Meanwhile, pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season
them liberally with salt and pepper. Lay the steaks in the pan and cook, without
moving, until a well-browned crust forms, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Using tongs, flip the steaks. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook 3 to 4 minutes
more for rare (120 degrees on an instant-read thermometer) or 5 to 6 minutes
for medium-rare (125 degrees). Transfer the steaks to a cutting board, tent with
aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
Divide the arugula evenly among 4 individual plates. Cut each steak crosswise
into thin strips and arrange the steak over the arugula. Drizzle any juices that
collected from the meat over the greens. Re-whisk the dressing and drizzle it
over the steak and greens. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately
with crusty bread to soak the juices.
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MEAT
STRACATTO DE MANZO (BRAISED BEEF IN RED WINE)
WITH CAROTE ALLA GIUDIA (CARROTS IN THE JEWISH
STYLE)
FoodWine member Karen Brack originally posted this recipe, saying,”I made
this meal for the holidays and it was a huge hit. It all has such different flavors
from the usual braised beef, glazed carrots and noodle kugel (pudding) that
I usually make, but it was still as easy as the more familiar versions. And it’s
really delicious!”
Recipes adapted from Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen, by
Joyce Goldstein.
For the beef:
1 beef roast, about 2 pounds, tied into a compact shape, or
2 pounds stewing meat, cut into 1½- to 2-inch cubes
2 large onions, diced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped (optional)
2 celery stalks, chopped (optional)
4 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
3 or 4 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
1 lemon zest strip, about 3 inches long
1 cinnamon stick
A few whole cloves (optional)
3 to 4 cups red wine, or as needed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the roast or meat
cubes in batches, and brown well on all sides. Transfer to a heavy pot; add
the onion, carrots and celery (if using), tomatoes, garlic, lemon zest, cinnamon
stick and cloves (if using). Pour in wine to cover. Bring to a boil over medium
high heat, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the meat is very tender
and the pan juices are thickened, about 2 hours.
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Remove and discard cinnamon stick, lemon zest and cloves. Season the beef
with salt and pepper, and serve with carrots (recipe follows).
Variations: Sauté the onions, carrots and celery in olive oil before adding to
the pot. For more flavors, marinate the meat overnight in the wine, lemon zest,
garlic and cinnamon. Then drain, reserving the marinade, and dry and brown
the beef. Add the marinade to the pot for braising the meat.
Karen has made with beef short ribs.
For the carrots:
¼ to 1⁄3 cup rendered goose or chicken fat, or olive oil
1½ pounds carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
¼ cup water
6 tablespoons raisins, plumped in water or sweet wine
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Dash of vinegar or sugar to taste (optional)
Heat the fat or oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the carrots and sauté
until well coated with fat, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the water and cover the pan.
Reduce heat to very low and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 20
minutes.
Add the raisins, with their liquid, and the pine nuts. Season with salt and
pepper. Add a little sugar, or vinegar, or both, if you like. Serve hot or at room
temperature.
Tester Tom McRae adds, “Wonderful dish; very easy to prepare and cook. Meat
was wonderfully tender and full of flavor. I have cooked this several times; great
way to handle a tough piece of beef.”
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MEAT
WINE-BRAISED SHORT RIBS
=Mark Stevens, exit 109, originally posted this dish, which he likes to serve
with onions and mushrooms sautéed together, and garlic mashed potatoes.
6 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 1-rib pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 medium onions, chopped
1 pound bag carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
6 stalks celery, cut in 1-inch pieces
5 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups dry red wine
½ cup dry sherry
1 28- to 32-ounce can whole tomatoes including liquid,
smooshed by hand
16 ounces beef broth, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
6 3-by-1-inch strips fresh orange zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
3 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
Finely chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Pat short ribs dry and season with salt and pepper. In a heavy 8-quart kettle,
heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, and brown ribs in
batches, transferring with tongs to a large bowl.
Add chopped onions to kettle and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until
golden. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and sherry, tomatoes,
beef broth, carrots, celery, Worcestershire sauce, orange zest, rosemary, and
salt and bring to a boil. Add ribs, including any juices that have accumulated in
bowl. Add remaining broth as needed to cover ribs and simmer, covered, 3½
hours, or until meat is tender.
Transfer meat with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Let ribs cool until they
can be handled, then remove bones and any large areas of fat. Skim fat from
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braising liquid and reduce, if necessary. Return meat to kettle and cook over
low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
After serving and/or storing ribs and vegetables, strain braising liquid and
refrigerate. When fat solidifies, skim it from container. You’ll end up with a
seasoned beef broth that can be frozen or used as a base for soups or stews.
Beverly Bradley reported her husband and son could be found drooling over
the pot while this dish cooked. “We liked it. My husband and son wanted a
thicker sauce, and I could have thickened it more. I simmered it for only 3
hours, and the meat was fork-tender and delicious. I skimmed a lot of fat off,
using a gravy separator, while the ribs were simmering. The broth and leftover
meat will make an excellent base for soup tomorrow, a very nice bonus.”
Where ya’ from?
Jersey.
Yeah? What exit?
Posted by =Mark, exit 109
Give a man a fish, he eats for a Day.
Teach a man to fish, he eats for Life.
Teach a man to sell fish, he eats steak.
Posted by =Mark
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MEAT
TATER TOT CASSEROLE
Tina Vierra shared this recipe from her favorite Auntie. “It ain’t highbrow, but my
friends request this one regularly throughout the winter months.”
Serves 6
1 package frozen tater tots
2 pounds raw hamburger
1 bag frozen vegetables (corn, peas, or green beans are best)
2 cans cream soup (Cream of Celery or Cream of Mushroom)
About ¼ cup milk
Preheat oven to 400°F. On the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch casserole dish,
press the raw hamburger in a flat even layer. Then spread an even layer of
the frozen tater tots, followed by a layer of the frozen vegetable. In a bowl
or measuring cup, empty the two cans of cream soup and mix with a small
amount of milk to thin it. Pour the soup mixture over the casserole layers.
Bake for 60 minutes, or until the top layer browns a little, the hamburger is
cooked through, and the tots are crisping when you check underneath.
You can cut this recipe easily in half and use an 8-by-8-inch square baking dish
to feed 2 to 4 people.
Chris Marksberry called this “true comfort food,” and said her husband asked to
have it once a month.
It is a cruel thing to do to a beer to make it leave its home area code.
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MEAT
LAMB AND ORZO WITH INDIAN SPICES
Terry Pogue told us, “If you like Indian flavors, you will love this dish.”
Serves 4
1 pound lean ground lamb
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
1¼ teaspoons ground cardamom
1½ teaspoons curry powder
8 ounces orzo pasta
2 cups canned beef broth, plus more if needed
1 cup ripe tomatoes, chopped
½ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb and sauté
until cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Using
slotted spoon, transfer lamb to bowl.
Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, ginger and chili to same skillet and sauté 2
minutes. Add cardamom, curry powder and orzo and stir together for 1 minute.
Add broth and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and
cook until orzo is tender and most of broth is absorbed, stirring occasionally to
prevent sticking on bottom of skillet, about 15 minutes. Return lamb to skillet
along with the tomato and mix in. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Mound the orzo-lamb mixture on large platter and garnish with the cilantro.
Serving suggestion: Serve with mango chutney and cold yogurt or raita.
Maryellen Casey used close to a cup of additional broth, and says the dish was
even better a day later when flavors melded nicely.
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MEAT
FOREVER ROASTED LAMB
Lyn Belisle nominated this recipe that was originally posted by Terry Pogue,
channeling chef Michael Chiarello.
Serves 6
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves
¾ cup water
4 pounds leg of lamb, at room temperature
4 carrots
4 stalks celery
About ¼ cup fennel spice seasoning (see recipe below)
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line roasting pan with heavy-duty foil for easy
cleanup. Place in the oven to warm.
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of
salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 1 minute. Add
sage and cook about 3 minutes. Add water, cover, and cook until the onions
are very tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover and sauté until the onions are very
soft and the pan is dry again, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Slice open the leg of lamb and lay flat. Season meat well with about half of the
fennel spice seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Spread half of the sautéed
onion mixture directly on top of the seasoning, inside the leg of lamb. Roll up
the meat and tie with kitchen twine. Set aside the remaining onion mixture. Rub
the outside of the lamb with rest of the fennel spice seasoning.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and lay the carrots and celery on the
bottom. Place the lamb on top of the carrots and celery, drizzle with extra-virgin
olive oil and cook for 7 hours. Spread the remaining onion mixture on top of the
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lamb, place a foil tent over the lamb and roast for an additional hour. The lamb
is ready when it pulls away easily if picked at with a pair of tongs.
FENNEL SPICE SEASONING
1 cup fennel seed
3 tablespoons coriander seed
2 tablespoons white pepper corns
3 tablespoons kosher salt
Put the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a heavy pan over
medium heat. Watch carefully, tossing frequently so the seeds toast evenly.
When seeds are light brown and fragrant, pour onto a plate to cool before
grinding (or they will gum up the blades).
Pour the seeds into a blender and add the salt. Blend to a fine powder, shaking
the blender occasionally to redistribute the seeds. Store in a tightly sealed
glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.
Seasoning recipe notes: The minimum amount you can successfully grind in
the blender is one cup, so if you’d like to cut the recipe in half, use a spice
grinder. You can use this spice as a rub on any cut of pork, veal chops or
chicken breast. A little bit added to lentil soup gives a nice depth of flavor. This
spice mixture makes a welcome gift to friends.
Tester Gretl Collins thought that the addition of garlic would be good for this
recipe. “The fennel rub is delicious! I think you could add granulated garlic to
the rub, or add chopped fresh garlic to the onion mixture. We served the lamb
with some jalapeño jelly. It’s like mint jelly, but with a bit of a kick. Boy, was that
a good accompaniment.”
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MEAT
LAMB WITH APRICOT, CINNAMON, AND CUMIN STUFFING
Serves 4 to 6
½ cup bulgur
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¾ cup dried apricots, chopped
2
⁄3 cup pine nuts
1 boned shoulder of lamb, 4 to 4½ pounds
½ cup red wine
½ cup lamb stock
Place the bulgur in a bowl and add enough warm water to cover. Let it soak for
about an hour and then drain thoroughly. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add
the onion and garlic. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon,
cumin, apricots and pine nuts. Salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the bulgur.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Open up the lamb shoulder and spread the bulgur
stuffing on it. Roll up firmly and tie with kitchen string. Place in a roasting pan.
Roast for 1 hour. Pour stock and red wine into the pan. Roast an additional 30
minutes. Remove from pan and place on a plate with foil over the plate. Let the
meat rest for an additional 15 minutes before carving.
Skim the surface fat from the juices in the roasting pan. Place the pan on the
stovetop over high heat and boil the juices, stirring occasionally. Carve the
lamb and spoon over some of the gravy
Janet Morrissey says she’s used a butterflied and boned leg of lamb instead of
lamb shoulder, and chicken or veal stock in place of lamb stock.
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CURRIED LAMB CHOPS
Terry Pogue says that “since there are just the two of us, this is a perfect meal.
Using a small, usually Australian rack of lamb, cut into chops, you get just
enough for a really nice dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day. Or because
the rack is frenched, we can even eat them as finger food. The lemon and curry
gives the meat a lovely bright flavor.”
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 rack of lamb, cut into 6 chops
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
To prepare the rack, the chine, or major backbone, needs to be cut so that the
rack can be cut into chops. Trim the layer of fat on the side of many racks.
Mix flour with curry powder, salt and pepper. Dip both sides of chops into the
lemon juice. Then dredge well in seasoned flour.
Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add chops and
cook first side until golden brown, about 1½ minutes. Flip the chops and lightly
brown second side, 1 to 2 minutes.
Recipe options: For very large lamb chops, preheat oven to 350°F and
increase the frying time. After browning in the pan, transfer to oven and roast,
turning once, until medium rare, 8 to 10 minutes.
Tester Denny Arar said her rack of lamb was larger, so she doubled the
dredging materials and increased the amount of lemon juice to fit. “I’m always
on the lookout for dinner recipes I can prepare on weeknights coming home
from work. This fits the bill, and we scarfed up all the chops.”
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MEAT
MADHUR JAFFREY’S GRILLED BONELESS LEG OF LAMB
This recipe was included in Craig Claiborne’s Favorites from the New York
Times, a sadly out-of-print four-volume set of Claiborne’s favorite columns from
his years as food editor of the Sunday Times Magazine. Karen Brack, who
posted it, says, “Use the spice measurements as...suggestions.”
Serves 6 to 8
8- to 9-pound leg of lamb, boned and butterflied
2 medium onions
1 piece ginger, about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, roughly chopped
5 to 7 cloves of garlic, peeled
2
⁄3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground mace
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup olive oil
2½ teaspoon salt
Cayenne pepper to taste, optional
12 radishes for garnish, optional
Roughly chop 1 onion and put into work bowl of food processor (for the
marinade); set aside the second onion.
Add ginger, garlic, and ¼ cup of lemon juice to onions in food processor, and
process until smooth. Add remaining ingredients (except the radishes) for the
marinade; process to combine.
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Trim excess fat from lamb and, using a sharp pointed knife, pierce the flesh all
over, on both sides. Put meat into non-reactive container, large enough to hold
the meat and marinade comfortably. Rub the marinade paste onto the meat,
over. Cover and refrigerate. Let marinate 24 hours, turning occasionally.
Grill or broil meat to desired doneness. As the meat cooks, slice the remaining
onion into very thin rounds and drop into ice water. Clean radishes and cut into
radish roses, if desired. When ready to serve, garnish meat platter with well
drained onion slices and radish roses.
Tester Janet pronounced this excellent, and thinks that this would be a great
marinade with pork as well.
Signoffs from the list member known as the stray grey mouse:
mouse, who is always amazed at the contents of other people’s fridges
and women’s pocketbooks, and who upon first entering someone else’s
home always makes a bee-line for the book shelves to see what sort of
person it’s just made the acquaintance of.
mouse (who is occasionally an irrationably stubborn little critter—and
not a vegetarian, either)
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MEXICAN STYLE PORK SANDWICH
Originally posted by Terry Pogue.
Serves 4
1 slow-roasted pork butt (see below), sliced and excess fat removed
(bone-in pork shoulder is also great)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 canned chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce
4 soft rolls, split in half
4 plum tomatoes, cut into 20 thin slices
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into 16 thin slices
8 thin slices pepper jack cheese
To make the slow roasted pork, rub it all over with McCormick’s Pork Rub or
any seasoning you like—Terry uses a combination of fennel, coriander, and
pepper. Then place into a 275°F oven for about 10 hours. Terry suggests
popping it into the oven at bedtime, and letting it roast overnight, uncovered.
Remove excess fat and slice the pork.
To make the sandwiches, preheat oven to 350°F. Place mayonnaise and
chipotle peppers in a food processor; blend until smooth. Generously spread
cut sides of rolls with the chipotle mayonnaise. Cover the bottom half of each
roll with generous slices of pork, overlapping the slices. Top each portion of
pork with 5 tomato slices and 4 avocado slices. Cover with 2 slices of cheese.
Place assembled sandwiches open faced on a sheet pan and bake until
cheese is melted, about 8 minutes. Cover the sandwiches, slice in half and
serve immediately.
Tester Constance Felten says, “This is pig heaven. My kids, who are kind of off
pork, except for a couple of dishes, LOVE this sandwich. We are all practically
clawing at the oven by the time the pork has finished cooking.”
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MEAT
PORK CHOPS WITH CAPERS
Recipe by Bob Coomler.
Serves 4
1½ pounds pork chops, cut fairly thin
Flour for dredging
Salt and pepper
2 ounces vegetable oil
8 ounces beef stock
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 ounce capers, chopped
1 ounce sweet gherkins, chopped
Cut any surplus fat off the pork, season with salt and pepper, and dip in flour on
both sides. Shake off excess.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and sauté the pork chops, turning frequently
until they are golden on both sides. Add the beef stock and vinegar; bring to a
boil and cover. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Before serving, add the capers and gherkins (stir in a bit earlier for a more
dispersed flavor if desired).
Oh Wad Some Power the Giftie Gie Us
Tae See Oorsel’s as Ithers See Us
~Robert Burns
Posted by Tom McRae, Brisbane, Australia
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MEAT
PORK CHOPS WITH PEACH SALSA
Janet Morrissey submitted this and says “This is a favorite during the summer
when the peaches are ripe and luscious. The peach salsa is also good with
chicken and fish. It’s especially good over ice cream.”
Serves 6-8
8 boneless pork loin chops, cut 1¼ to 1½ inches thick
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup coarse-grain brown mustard or Dijon-style mustard
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Place the pork loin chops in a clean, heavy plastic bag. Set the bag in a large
bowl. Combine the lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, water,
cumin, salt, and pepper. Pour over the pork in bag; seal the bag. Marinate
in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
Remove the pork from the bag, reserving marinade.
Put marinade into a heavy bottom pot and bring to a boil, then simmer for 10
minutes. (Add a tablespoon or two of water if it gets too thick.)
Grill method: Cook the pork on an uncovered grill directly over medium coals
for 15 to 25 minutes or until juices run clear, and meat is still slightly pink in
center. Halfway through cooking, turn and brush with reduced marinade.
Oven method: Place pork on unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches
from heat for 15 to 25 minutes or until juices run clear, turning once halfway
through cooking and brushing with reduced marinade.
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PEACH SALSA
1¾ cups chopped and peeled fresh peaches
½ cup chopped red sweet pepper
1 cup chopped, seeded cucumber
¼ cup sliced green onion
1 to 2 jalapeño or habanera peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons honey or 1 tablespoon Splenda
1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro or parsley.
In a medium size mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill for up to
4 hours, stirring once or twice. Makes about 2½ cups salsa.
Tester Diane Laux assembled this recipe in the morning, packed it all up with
chips, and cooked it at a friend’s house that evening, where everyone liked the
meal. They had extra salsa as a snack with chips.
Signed:
Dan Graham, who never ceases to be amazed at
how marvelous people can be.
Philip Osztromok (the worst little cook in Scotland—
but stubborn with it)!
These Comments are MINE!. MINE! MINE! MINE! They certainly
do not reflect the beliefs of the organization with which I am employed;
anyone who knows me would be among the first to agree!
Posted by Richard F Gillespie Jr.
Sherry & Randell, in a cozy chair with their Armagnac, soft music,
and warm memories
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ROAST PORK TENDERLOIN CHINESE STYLE
This recipe comes from a cookbook published some years ago by the Crème
de la Crème committee of the Art Gallery of Brantford, Ontario
Serves 6
3 pork tenderloins, ¾ pound each
1 cup chicken stock
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Combine chicken stock, soy sauce, honey, sherry, lemon juice, garlic,
cinnamon, salt and ginger. Marinate meat in this mixture for two hours. Drain
meat and reserve liquid.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat the meat with cornstarch and place in shallow
roasting pan. Bake for 1½ hours, basting frequently with marinade. To serve,
slice on the diagonal and garnish with parsley and lemon slices.
FoodWine member Sheila Foster suggests that you line the roasting pan, and
that the marinade should be boiled after marinating and before basting, for food
safety purposes.
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SPICY ORANGE PORK CHOPS
This is quick and easy and very good. You can vary the spiciness to your taste.
The sauce is also good with chicken and stronger-flavored fish.
Serves 4
1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1½ cups rum
1 habanero pepper (or your favorite hot pepper), seeded
1 teaspoon sugar
4 thick-cut boneless pork chops, butterflied
Combine the orange juice, rum, sugar, and habanero pepper in blender or food
processor and purée until smooth. Place in small pot over medium heat and
simmer to reduce, 5 to 10 minutes.
In a large pan, sauté the pork chops in the oil for 4 to 6 minutes on each side
until nicely browned. Add the orange juice/habanero mixture to the pan. Cover
and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
Turn chops over and simmer, covered, for 10 more minutes.
Susan Schoneweis likes her chops pink and suggests soaking them in this
marinade, grilling until lightly pink but safe to eat, then cooking the marinade
separately until slightly reduced. Pour over the chops.
A dining room table with children’s eager, hungry faces around it ceases
to be a mere dining room table and becomes an altar.
~Simeon Strunsky
Posted by Janet Morrissey a.k.a. Mostly Harmless
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PORK LOIN WITH GREEN PEPPERCORN SAUCE
Terry Pogue based this on a recipe in Barefoot in Paris (by Ina Garten). You
can easily halve it for a smaller rack. A great, easy meal for company.
Serves 8 to 10
1 pork loin, bone in, Frenched and tied (about 5 pounds, 10 bones)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
4 teaspoons whole-grain mustard, divided
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup good white wine
3 cups homemade chicken stock (recipe follows), or canned broth
¼ cup green peppercorns in brine, drained
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Allow the pork to stand at room temperature for 30
minutes. Place the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan just large enough to hold
it comfortably.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of each mustard, the
fennel seed, 2 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Rub the mixture
on top of the pork and roast for 1 to 1¼ hours, until the internal temperature
reaches 140°F. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and cover
tightly with aluminum foil for 20 minutes.
For the sauce, remove all but ¼ cup of fat from the roasting pan. If there isn’t
¼ cup, add enough butter to the pan to make ¼ cup total. Over medium heat,
whisk the flour into the fat in the pan and cook for 1 minute.
Add the wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add
the chicken stock, the remaining 2 teaspoons of each of the mustards, the
182
MEAT
green peppercorns, 2 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a
boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is
reduced and slightly thickened.
Remove the strings from the roast pork, slice between the bones, and serve
warm with the hot sauce.
Denny Arar regularly makes this dish for dinner parties. “The pickled
peppercorns burst in your mouth like a little fireworks of flavor, and the meat
was wonderfully tasty.”
HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK
Makes 6 quarts
3 5-pound chickens
3 large unpeeled onions, quartered
6 unpeeled carrots, halved
4 celery stalks with leaves, cut in thirds
4 unpeeled parsnips, cut in half (optional)
20 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
15 sprigs fresh thyme
20 sprigs fresh dill
1 head unpeeled garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
Place ingredients and 7 quarts of water in a 16- to 20-quart stockpot and bring
to a boil. Skim the surface as needed. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours. Strain
the entire contents of the pot through a colander, discarding the chicken and
vegetables, and chill. Discard the hardened fat on top, and then pack the broth
in quart containers.
183
MEAT
TUSCAN PORK WITH RED-PEPPER RELISH
In the way recipes have of traveling and changing, Matthew Hill gives us this
one, from a Baltimore Sun article by Rob Kasper, who adapted it from The Bon
Appétit Cookbook by Barbara Fairchild. “The only significant addition I made,”
Matthew said, “is to crush some rosemary and let it soak overnight in orange
juice. I then strained the juice and injected it into the pork.”
Serves 6
Red-pepper relish:
1½ pounds red bell peppers (about 3 large)
2 tablespoons drained capers
4 anchovies, chopped
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon dried crushed pepper
Pork:
½ cup fresh rosemary leaves (about 2 large bunches)
1
⁄3 cup olive oil
6 large cloves garlic
Peel from 1 orange, orange part only, removed in strips
with vegetable peeler
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 3½-pound pork rib roast
For red-pepper relish, char peppers over flame or barbecue grill until blackened
on all sides. Enclose in paper bag for 10 minutes. Peel and seed peppers.
Transfer peppers to food processor; using pulse button, chop peppers coarsely.
184
MEAT
Transfer peppers to bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients for relish, seasoning to
taste with salt and pepper. Let stand 1 hour. This can be prepared 1 day ahead.
Cover and refrigerate.
Prepare the pork: Combine rosemary, oil, garlic, orange peel, salt and pepper
in a food processor; blend until thick and almost smooth. Spread rosemary
purée evenly over pork. Let stand while preparing barbecue fire. (Pork also
can be prepared 1 day ahead, covered and chilled. Bring to room temperature
before continuing.)
Prepare an indirect fire (briquettes or gas heat on one side) in kettle barbecue
cooker, with bottom vents open. Place pork bone side down on grate, away
from heat. Cover with lid, positioning open top vent of lid directly over pork.
Grill pork 1 hour, and then turn it with tongs. Cook until instant-read
thermometer inserted into top center of meat registers 140°F to 145°F.
Transfer meat to platter, tent loosely with foil and let stand 15 minutes before
slicing. Serve with pepper relish.
Think where man’s glory most begins and ends,
And I say my glory was I had such friends.
~William Butler Yeats
The table is a meeting place, a gathering ground, the source of sustenance and nourishment, festivity, safety, and satisfaction.
~Laurie Colwin
185
MEAT
LESLIE’S MOM’S SWEET AND SOUR PORK
Originally posted by Denny Arar who “… learned the basics of this recipe in
college from a roommate, whose mom learned it as an army wife during the
war. I’ve refined it a bit over the years. The sauce is very vinegary and tangy,
which I love.”
Serves 4 as a main course, or more as part of a Chinese meal
6 scant tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with half a cup of water
2 pounds pork (almost any cut will do), cut in 1½ inch cubes
2 tablespoons cornstarch plus more for dredging wet pork
Dry sherry or rice wine
Soy sauce
1 cup peanut oil
6 to 8 slices fresh ginger root
6 to 8 scallions, white parts minced, darker parts cut in one-inch pieces
on the diagonal
2 green bell peppers, cut in bite-sized pieces
Combine first five ingredients for sauce.
Wet the two tablespoons cornstarch with sherry or rice wine, soy sauce, and
water. The consistency should be wet and slightly thck. Coat the pork with wet
cornstarch, then dredge in dry cornstarch, tapping off excess. Heat oil in a
deep skillet and fry pork pieces in batches until golden brown; set aside.
Strain oil and reserve 3 to 4 tablespoons (or just use clean oil if you wish).
Wipe out skillet and reheat the reserved oil. Sauté ginger, scallions and
peppers for a few minutes until crispy-tender. Add pork pieces and mix.
186
MEAT
Stir sauce to distribute settled cornstarch, pour over meat and vegetables, and
stir until it thickens and coats everything. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Maryellen Casey reported, “I don’t know how authentic it is to use ketchup, red
wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce to make sweet-and-sour sauce, but
this was easily better than the sweet-and-sour pork we can get at either of our
two neighborhood Chinese take-out places, and I’ll definitely make it again! It
wasn’t too sweet, which is my biggest objection to what I can get locally.”
One can drink too much, but one never drinks enough.
~Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila ...FLOOR!
Posted by John
My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne.
~John Maynard Keynes
Posted by Leslie
187
MEAT
SPICY PORK WITH NOODLES
Constance Felten gave us this recipe.
Serves 4
1 pound ground pork
1 cup minced scallions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons black bean sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ pound egg or wheat noodles
1 tablespoon sesame oil (or to taste)
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Meanwhile crumble pork into large skillet
over medium-high heat. Stir to break up clumps. After pork is browned, add half
the scallions along with garlic and ginger, and stir. Add stock. Stir in the bean,
hoisin, chili and soy sauces. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until thick.
Reduce heat and keep warm.
Cook noodles in boiling water until done. Drain and top with pork mixture. Top
with remaining scallions, and drizzle with sesame oil.
Note: You can substitute beef, chicken or turkey for the pork. Constance likes
to use the thin soup noodles (brand name Mrs. Grass) to serve under the pork.
Egg noodles seem to work best.
Testers Wendy Hunt and Denny Arar found this a nice meat/noodle dish
alternative to Italian pastas. Both found it fast and easy to make, and liked the
sauce.
188
PASTA, RICE
& GRAINS
PASTA, RICE & GRAINS
ARROZ VERDE (GREEN RICE)
Gretl Collins nominated Terry Pogue’s favorite household rice recipe.
Serves 4
½ cup fresh cilantro, tightly packed
1 cup fresh spinach, tightly packed
1¼ cups chicken broth
1¼ cups milk
1½ cups long-grain rice
¼ cup onion, finely minced
Put the cilantro, spinach, and broth in a blender and blend until the vegetables
are pureed. Add the milk and salt, and blend a bit more until well combined.
In a medium (3 quart) heavy-base saucepan with a lid (or a Dutch oven), heat
the butter and olive oil over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the
rice and sauté, stirring about every 30 seconds, until it begins to turn golden, 3
to 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add
the contents of the blender, stir well, turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
Cover the pan, turn heat to very low, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir rice carefully
to avoid crushing it, cover, and cook for another 5 minutes. Take the pan off the
heat and let the rice steam in the covered pot for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
If you are cilantro-averse, substitute parsley.
Gretl adds: “We love this recipe! It’s beautiful, and very flavorful. For an Indian
dinner, I substitute coconut milk for the cow’s milk and add 6 cardamom pods.
190
FETTUCCINE AND SHRIMP IN SCALLION-GINGER-CHILI SAUCE
Rosebud has made this recipe since 1996. “It was originally from back when
the Food Network really was about food and cooking.”
Serves 2 with enough leftovers for lunch the next day
⁄3 pound fettuccine
2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, finely chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons pecan pieces, finely chopped
1 teaspoon peanut oil
12 large shrimp (about ½ pound), cooked or uncooked
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon dark (toasted) sesame oil
1
Bring a medium pan of water to a boil. In a food processor, finely chop the
ginger, scallions, garlic, and pecans. In a small bowl, combine the chili sauce,
soy sauce, and sesame oil. If using uncooked shrimp, clean and remove tails.
Cook the fettuccine in boiling water until tender but still chewy. Drain. Heat
wok over medium-high heat and add peanut oil. Add chopped vegetables; stir
a minute or two. Add shrimp (if raw, cook and stir until pink and just cooked
through; if already cooked, stir until heated through). Add wet ingredients and
stir until shrimp is coated. Then add pasta, and toss and stir until coated and
heated through; serve immediately.
Maggie Johnson loved this dish. “The pecans add just enough crunch and the
sauce is just spicy enough.” Tester Maryellen Casey used an Asian chili sauce,
which gave her dish a spicy kick, and said she planned to double the amounts
of soy sauce and sesame oil (while holding steady on the chili sauce). Both
testers said the speedy prep time made this suitable for weeknight meals.
191
CURRIED COUSCOUS
Terry Pogue and several other list members are fans of chef Ina Garten,
television’s Barefoot Contessa. Here’s Terry’s take on a Garten dish.
Serves 6
1½ cups couscous
1½ cups boiling water
¼ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup good-quality olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup small-diced carrots
½ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup dried currants or raisins
¼ cup blanched, sliced almonds
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
¼ cup small-diced red onion
Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and
pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5
minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper.
Pour over the fluffed couscous, and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots,
parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to
taste. Serve at room temperature.
Variations: Add diced broccoli and cucumbers, omitting the raisins and parsley,
and reducing the amount of cilantro. Add about ¼ teaspoon curry paste along
192
with the curry powder for more heat. Use less olive oil (about 3 tablespoons)
Use finely julienned carrots and diced red pepper for color and bite.
Tester Beatrice Powell commented: “Loved it—very easy, very good. Goes
well with so many things and it can really be served hot, cold, or at room
temperature. I’ve tried the recipe with different add-ins: I especially like adding
leftover grilled tandoori chicken and then heating the dish gently.“
Tester Wendy Hunt has been serving this in her café for years, usually without
the salt, yogurt, or almonds. The almonds tend to get soggy when the dish is
served from her cold case all day long, and her customers felt the added salt
was not necessary.
Where do Foodwinos hail from?
Michelle Lucas In Sunny Hottttttttttttttttt Houston!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chris in Houston (really Friendswood)
Susan from Grand Rapids, Michigan
Derek in New Orleans
Kathy in SLO, CA
Nancy in Madras
Alain (on the other side of the ocean, in Pau, France)
Paige in Jamaica
193
FETTUCCINI ALFREDO WITH PROSCIUTTO AND PEAS
Chris Marksberry contributed this recipe, warning that it’s not exactly lowcalorie or low-fat, but it certainly is delicious.
Serves 4
2 shallots, minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup heavy cream
¼ pound prosciutto, julienned
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish
1 pound fresh fettuccini
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic
and sauté for a couple minutes or until tender. Add cream and cook for 1 to
2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add prosciutto and peas
and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle cheese over the top and stir to melt and
combine. Cook until heated through.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, add fettuccini and cook until al dente, just
a couple minutes for fresh pasta. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water.
Add the reserved pasta water and drained fettuccini to skillet. Toss to combine
pasta with sauce and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve, garnished
with extra cheese.
Tester Janet Morrissey pronounced this another fast and tasty dish. “I used
Dreamfields dry pasta for this. The next time I make this, though, will be when
the Farmers Market has fresh peas. Soon, I hope!”
194
LIME-CILANTRO RICE
Doreen’s recipe turns out beautifully flavored and perfectly cooked rice.
Serves 4
2 cups water
1 teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup white rice
Juice of ½ lime (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro
In a medium saucepan, bring water, butter, salt, and cumin to a boil over
medium-high heat. Stir in rice, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, covered,
until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat; add
lime juice and cilantro. Fluff with a fork until combined. Serve immediately.
Denny Arar chose to test this recipe because she loves cooked rice with a kick
of citrus, and she said the cumin and cilantro combined with citrus made an
unusual and tasty side dish. Citrus lovers should use the amount of lime juice
indicated; if you feel the flavor is too strong, decrease by half. Her husband, not
usually a fan of cilantro, also liked this dish.
I’ve found another word for sushi: bait.
Posted by Greg
Talk doesn’t cook rice.
~Chinese proverb
Posted by Sheila in Southern Southern California
195
PASTA WITH HAM, TOMATO AND PARSLEY
Rosebud nominated Chris Babcock’s easy weeknight pasta.
Serves 2 to 4
Pasta (linguini, spaghetti, or other string pasta is recommended)
1
⁄3 cup butter
1 cup minced parsley
1½ cup chopped tomato
½ cup green onion, minced
1 cup cooked ham slivers or chunks
Grated Parmesan (about ¼ cup)
Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water.
While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet. Add green onions, garlic and
parsley. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and ham. Sauté everything
until warm. Add Parmesan. When melted, spoon over hot pasta.
Chris’s note: “I buy one of the small ham packages...about two pounds’ worth.
If I’m really lazy I’ll buy the ham already cut into half-inch cubes.”
Tester Janet Morrissey suggests holding back half of the parsley, and adding it
at the end for a fresh, herbal flavor.
Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
196
RED WINE RICE
Gretl Collins says that this Arizona Chris recipe is one of her family’s favorites.
Serves 4 to 6
1 cup raw rice
½ cup butter
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
½ cup chopped green onion
½ cup red wine
2 teaspoons salt
Pinch of pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, cook rice, tomato and
onion in butter for until the rice is translucent. Add wine and seasonings, and
mix well. Add chicken broth, cover and simmer on low up to 45 minutes, until
the rice is tender. Stir in the cheese.
Gretl’s notes: “In place of 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes, you can use a
thoroughly drained can (14 or 15 ounces) of chopped tomatoes (I usually use
Muir Glen brand). Add 1 teaspoon salt instead of 2, and cut the 3 cups chicken
broth down to 2 cups (then watch to add more if necessary); my pinch of
pepper is probably more like ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.”
Terry Pogue reports this is a beautiful company dish, a lot like a firm risotto.
197
SAFFRON ORZO
Foodwinos have long found that sometimes the simplest dishes are the best.
Terry Pogue says you can add vegetables (and even Parmesan cheese) to this
dish but advises cooks to try the simple recipe first. As with so many recipes
that call for the use of stock, the better your stock, the better the dish. Terry
uses Minor’s Chicken Base for great full flavor, but homemade stock (see page
183) would be even better.
Serves 6
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 pound dried orzo
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to low, bringing the stock to a simmer. Add the saffron, stir,
and allow the saffron to bloom, about 5 minutes.
Increase the heat to bring the stock to a boil, then add the orzo and cook until
tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes until stock
is absorbed. If it seems a little dry, add a little more stock or water. Transfer to
a large bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parsley. Toss to
combine.
Tester Stacey Marien used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and found
she had a delicious vegetarian dish.
198
STEEL CUT OATMEAL PILAF
Karen Brack got this recipe from Central Market after tasting it several times.
“This is a wonderful side dish alternative to rice, potatoes and all the usual
suspects. It is nubbly and rather creamy, more like a risotto than a pilaf.”
Serves 4
1 cup steel cut oatmeal
1 cup mushrooms, sliced or chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt (if broth is unsalted)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Heat the oil in a heavy medium-sized saucepan and add the oatmeal. Stir
constantly over high heat for about 3 minutes to toast. Add the onion, and
sauté about 3 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the mushrooms and cook
five minutes more. Add the broth, pepper and salt, if using. Bring to a boil and
reduce heat to low.
Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the oats
from sticking. Remove pilaf from heat and stir in the parsley. Adjust salt and
pepper and serve.
Carol Peterson said, “We liked this unusual dish a lot. It has the nuttiness of
wild rice pilaf, but is less expensive to make, and is much more healthful. The
recipe offers a lot of room for improvisation.”
199
Where Foodwinos go for help: How long can that bottle of
ketchup stay in your fridge before it goes bad? I’m thinking 5 or
10 years, but for an expert opinion, go to www.stilltasty.com.
This site lists all kind of foods and how to keep them fresh longer, as well
as when to get rid of them. If you have a question, click on the particular
picture, and a whole list of stuff appears…WHAT A GREAT SITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Greg Walker
Did I tell you about this book I just found? It’s pretty fabulous. I am flooded
with ideas. Take a simple ratio for, say, a piecrust or bread, and WoW the
book opens up so many ideas. I wish I had this book 40 years ago when I
first really got serious about cooking. I’m going to buy it for all of my good
cooking friends. The book is Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft by
Michael Ruhlman.-Terry Pogue
Need a holiday cake recipe fast? Try www.northpole.com/Kitchen/
Cookbook/cat0002.html.-Blake
I recommend the Cook’s Thesaurus: www.foodsubs.com. The great
strength of this extensive food dictionary is that everything is illustrated with
color photographs. You can actually see the difference between Bhutanese
red rice and Himalayan red rice. The site also goes to great pains to note
and expound upon equivalent terms.-Terry Pogue
Look at this great Chef and Restaurant Database, www.chefdb.com: It’s
dedicated to “documenting the careers of chefs and restaurateurs from
restaurants around the world.” Modeled on IMDb.com, the Internet movie
database, ChefDb allows you to search “places” to see who has worked
in a given restaurant, or “people” to see the career path of a given chef or
restaurateur. For example, the entry on New York’s Bouley restaurant says
that from 1993 to 1996, Cyril Renaud was chef de cuisine; click on Renaud’s
name to learn that he is now chef-owner of Bar Breton and Fleur de Sel. The
site is a valuable resource!-Terry Pogue
200
SLOW COOKER
& CASSEROLE
RECIPES
SLOW COOKER & CASSEROLE RECIPES
EASY CROCKPOT CURRY
This versatile recipe was submitted by Maggie Johnson. “I got the original
recipe from a friend at the library in Kansas City who used to live in South
Africa. She said they loved curries there. Even though I was 39 years old, I’d
never had curry before; so she gave me this easy recipe and some mild curry
powder. I fell in love with it!”
1 pound sirloin steak or lamb, cubed 1-inch thick
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon curry powder, or more if desired
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
½ cup sultanas
3 tablespoons oil
2 whole bay leaves
Fry sliced onion in oil until golden. Add curry powder and mix quickly. Gradually
add the chicken stock, stirring until smooth. Add vinegar, sugar, sultanas, and
canned tomatoes. Brown the beef in a separate pan. Put everything in slow
cooker and cook, low setting, 8 hours. Serve with rice.
Tester Wendy Hunt said, “What’s not to like? And because people can choose
between lamb or beef, it is versatile. If you and your guests like curry, add more
than 1 tablespoon.”
Do illiterate people not receive the full benefit of alphabet soup?
202
SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW
“This is my standby slow cooker recipe,” says Maggie Johnson. “It’s easy
because the meat doesn’t need to be browned. I have tried it both ways
(browning the meat and not browning), and both were great. This is nice to
come home to on a winter night.”
Serves 6 to 8
¼ cup tapioca
1 can tomato soup
1 can water
2 bay leaves
1 beef bouillon cube or beef stock
Salt and pepper
4 carrots
4 potatoes
2 stalks celery
2 onions
2 pounds beef
Mix tapioca, tomato soup, water, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, bouillon
cube or stock, salt and pepper in slow cooker. Cut vegetables and beef into
bite-size pieces, and mix with sauce in slow cooker. Cook 8 hours on low.
Notes: This recipe was tested in one of the newer, hotter slow cookers. If you
have an older one, the cooking time will probably need to be increased.
Our tester, Wendy Hunt, made two batches of this stew for her store and
quickly sold out of both of them.
203
CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES
This recipe was nominated by Lyn Belisle. “Since we’re talking slow cookers,
here’s a recipe I made it last week, and it was very good and very easy. It’s one
of those that’s been in my files for a while, and I finally got around to trying it—
will definitely make it again soon. I made it with my own sun-dried tomatoes.”
Serves 4
1 3-ounce package sun-dried tomatoes (if oil-packed, drain the oil and
blot in paper towels)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 2-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
2 tablespoons capers (optional)
Slice tomatoes into julienne strips. Combine with remaining ingredients in a 3
to 4 quart slow cooker. Cover slow cooker, and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, or
until chicken is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in center. Serve with hot
cooked polenta or rice.
Notes: This recipe was tested in one of the newer, hotter slow cookers. If you
have an older one, the cooking time will probably need to be increased.
Wendy Hunt said that the recipe doubled well, but she did cook it in two
cookers. Wendy used oil packed tomatoes, which worked fine.
204
SLOW COOKER TAMALE PIE
Mary Curry nominated this recipe by Terry Pogue.
Serves 8
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 large can pinto beans
1 can tomatoes (Terry likes Rotel brand)
4 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
3 tablespoons cumin, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 can black olives, drained and coarsely chopped
½ fresh tomato, chopped
¾ cup corn meal
2 large eggs, beaten
1¼ cups whole milk
1½ cups cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Heat a medium-sized
nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook beef and onions until the meat is no
longer pink and the onion is limp, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat.
Add chili powder and cumin and cook for a minute. Add the beans, tomatoes,
and olives. Cook for 1 minute and then transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, eggs, and milk until smooth. Pour
into the cooker and stir to combine all the ingredients. Cover and cook on high
for 3 to 4 hours. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, drizzle with the oil, cover,
and cook 10 minutes more to melt the cheese. Serve directly from the crock.
Wendy Hunt substituted navy beans for pintos. “For people who really like a
kick, the chili powder could be doubled. I made this again for a Super Bowl
catering gig and added more chili powder.”
205
GREEN CHILI STEW
Another easy and delicious entry from Terry Pogue.
Serves 8
4 pounds pork butt
1 jar of your favorite green salsa
3 poblano chilis, roasted, seeded, peeled, and chopped
2 tomatoes, roasted, seeded, and chopped
2 cooked potatoes, cut into chunks
½ cup beef broth, less or more as needed
Place the pork butt into the slow cooker at night before you go to bed. Cook on
low for 10 hours. Remove from pot, pull apart the pork, and discard excess fat.
Place the meat back into the slow cooker and add one large jar of green salsa,
the chili peppers, roasted tomatoes and a splash of beef stock. Turn the cooker
on low and cook for up to another two hours to blend flavors. About an hour
before serving, add the cooked potatoes.
Chris Babcock said: “I used a smaller cut of meat the second time as we
don’t need as much, and I dumped the salsa right in with the pork in its first
cooking. You can also use raw potatoes; just put them in with the tomatoes to
cook longer. This was excellent! We ate half of it straight, with a little cheese
sprinkled on top. The rest I drained, and used the meat in enchiladas.”
Swiss cheese could use a little work.
It’s not even watertight!
~Adam Hindman
206
HUNGARIAN BARLEY STEW
Maggie Johnson gave us this one: “Here’s an easy slow cooker recipe I’d like
to offer, even if it isn’t as sophisticated as our usual Foodwine recipes!”
Serves 4
1½ pounds beef stew meat, in ½-inch cubes
1 cup onions, chopped
1 28-ounce can tomatoes, diced or chopped
3 cups water and 3 bouillon cubes (or 3 cups beef stock)
2
⁄3 cup barley
1 tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon caraway seeds
Sour cream
Brown the beef in the oil in a sauté pan. Drain extra oil. Put the beef and all
ingredients in a slow cooker. Stir together. Cook on low 10 hours or so.
Serve with sour cream and a Hungarian salad of cucumbers, green peppers,
and lettuce with a vinegar-based dressing.
Wendy Hunt noted, “The new slow cookers are hotter than the old ones. I
cooked this on low but timed for 8 hours. Then left for an additional hour, and it
was nicely done.” Wendy’s husband and friends loved this stew.
Never eat anything at one sitting that you can’t lift.
~Miss Piggy
207
MEDITERRANEAN ROAST TURKEY BREAST
Gretl Collins enthusiastically nominated this recipe, originally posted by Jeanie,
who spotted it in Cooking Light magazine.
Serves 4
2 cups chopped onion
½ cup pitted kalamata olives
½ cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, julienne-cut and drained
1½ teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 4-pound boneless turkey breast
½ cup chicken broth, divided
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
Combine first nine ingredients in slow cooker. Add ¼ cup broth, and cook on
low for 7 hours. Whisk the other ¼ cup broth with flour, add to slow cooker, and
cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Remove the meat and olives to a platter to keep warm, strain the broth, make a
roux (2 tablespoons flour with one tablespoon butter) in a pan on the stovetop,
and add the hot liquid from the slow cooker to it, whisking until smooth for a
nice gravy.
Gretl Collins re-testing this recipe. “Instead of using prepared Greek seasoning,
I used a generous pinch each of dried rosemary, oregano, thyme, and
marjoram. I use a bone-in breast of turkey with skin on, and removed both the
skin and bones before serving.
“As a side for serving, I cooked pasta, and tossed it with fresh tomatoes (seeds
removed and diced) and pesto, with some basil leaves for garnish.”
208
BALSAMIC PORK AND CRANBERRY ROAST
Tina Vierra found this easy, 4-ingredient recipe in a supermarket flyer, and it
has become a perennial List favorite. The gravy it makes is very tangy from the
cranberries, and rich from the pork fat.
5 pound pork roast, butt or shoulder, frozen
1
⁄3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 bag whole frozen cranberries
Place the frozen pork roast into your slow cooker, pour in 1⁄3 cup of good
balsamic vinegar, grind a generous amount of fresh black pepper, and dump in
the bag of cranberries. Set your slow cooker on low, all day, and leave it.
When you are ready for dinner, remove the pork and place it on a platter,
discarding any excess fat. Strain the juices from the slow cooker into a
saucepan, pressing to get all of the juice from the cranberries. Add a few
tablespoons flour, salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. Simmer for a
few minutes until it thickens into a gravy.
Serve with mashed potatoes, and a winter salad with cranberries and nuts in it.
Terry Pogue adds a little veal stock or chicken stock to enrich her gravy and
tone down the tangy cranberry flavor. “I made a roux and cooked it until it
became a very light peanut butter color, then added some veal stock. Then I
put the cranberries and pork jus into my chinois [a fine-mesh, cone-shaped
chef’s sieve]. I added that to the veal sauce. This seemed to tame the tartness.
Cook it a bit, seasoned, and back into the chinois. Silky smooth and delicious. I
sliced the pork tenderloin into pieces about ½ inch thick and put a bit of sauce
over all, and then garnished with some of the whole berries. Wonderful and
easy. Pretty platter too.”
209
OLD SOUTH PULLED PORK ON A BUN
Sandra Beattie found this in Judith Finlayson’s 150 Slow Cooker Recipes,
though Foodwinos, including Gretl Collins who nominated it for this cookbook,
have fine-tuned the original.
Gretl said when she makes this recipe, “I don’t use the buns—just serve on
heated plates with potatoes and vegetables. For a potluck, you could take it in
the slow cooker and serve it on-site. And a 2.5-pound, boneless pork loin works
quite nicely.
“I also changed it to 4 cloves garlic, added 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, and
1 ounce of bourbon. I used a whole bottle of chili sauce, because it was just a
little over a cup.”
Serves 8
2 onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
1 cup tomato-based chili sauce
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 boneless pork roast (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
Kaiser or onion buns, halved and warmed (optional)
In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring,
for a few minutes, until fragrant. Add the chili powder and pepper to coat, then
stir in the chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to
combine and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Place pork in slow cooker and pour in sauce. Cover and cook on low for about
10 to 12 hours or on high for 6 hours, until pork is falling apart.
210
Transfer pork to a cutting board and pull the meat apart in shreds, using two
forks, and removing any excess fat. Return to sauce and keep warm. When
ready to serve, spoon shredded pork and sauce over warm buns.
Sandra’s note: “The chili sauce I use is an Extra Spicy one from Bonnie Stern,
noted Canadian chef and teacher. I like the idea of the bourbon; I might try it
with Irish whiskey instead.”
Tester Lyn Belisle likes a tangy sauce and would add more vinegar. “This is
a good basic pulled pork recipe and a keeper! When my husband and I had
a busy week coming up, we tossed this into the slow cooker on Saturday
morning, shredded it and added the sauce on Sunday, and had pulled pork
sandwiches the rest of the week!”
Sadder than destitution, sadder than a beggar is the man who eats
alone in public. Nothing more contradicts the laws of man or beast,
for animals always do each other the honor of sharing
or disputing each other’s food.
~Jean Baudrillard
Posted by Tina V.
211
POTATO LEEK SOUP WITH HAM
Carol Peterson gave us this winner.
Yields 4 quarts
3 14-ounce cans chicken broth
8 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 leeks, white and light green part only, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and cubed
3 cups chopped ham
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
½ teaspoon pepper
12 ounces evaporated milk
Shredded cheddar cheese, if desired
Chopped chives for garnish
Put everything but milk, cheese, and chives in a 4.5-quart slow cooker. Cover
and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours (or high for 7 to 8 hours). Add milk during
last hour. Serve topped with shredded cheese and chopped chives (optional).
The recipe’s use of evaporated milk brought back a family memory for Diane
Laux. “My dear old farmer Dad used to reel people in with a joke he told about
PET (evaporated) milk. He’d say, ‘You know, I won a jingle-writing contest for
PET milk, way back.’
“‘Really,’ the poor unsuspecting person would say. ‘Do you remember how it
went?’ they’d ask.
“Scratching his chin, he’d ponder a moment and then say, ‘Hmmm, let me
see. Yes, that’s it: [Note: off-color joke coming!] No tits to pull, no shit to pitch;
just poke two holes in the sonofabitch.’ One more thing—when asked what
his favorite food was, my dad would say ‘soup’ so I always think of him when I
make soup. He’d have loved this one.”
212
SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN FOR THE SLOW COOKER
Mary Curry nominated this recipe from Phyllis Keating.
5 green onions, white parts only, sliced
1 red sweet pepper, seeded and cut in ½-inch chunks
2 large carrots, sliced on the diagonal
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
Salt and pepper (a three-pepper lemon blend was wonderful in this dish)
1 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed if possible)
½ cup liquid honey
½ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 small tin pineapple tidbits
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Place onions, pepper chunks, carrots and garlic in the slow cooker. In a skillet,
heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and
brown in batches. Transfer to slow cooker. Drain off any fat in skillet.
Whisk together orange juice, honey, soy sauce, tomato paste, and grated
ginger. Add to skillet; mix and cook until fragrant, a minute or two. Pour into
slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Check chicken for doneness.
Half an hour minutes before serving, whisk cornstarch with ¼ cup warm water.
Stir into the slow cooker along with the drained pineapple; cook on high for
another 30 minutes. Serve with jasmine or basmati rice.
Testers report this dish is absolutely delicious, and one noted it tasted like
something she’d get in a good Chinese restaurant. However, cooking times
varied widely depending on size and age of the slow cooker (newer ones are
hotter). Cooking time could take up to eight hours with a cooler slow cooker.
213
SLOW-COOKER CHOUCROUTE
Gretl Collins wanted us to include this recipe from Terry Pogue, who serves it
on Superbowl Sunday at her house.
Serves up to 12 people
1 large onion, peeled (root end left intact) and quartered
4 whole cloves
8 ounces thick-sliced smoked or pepper bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 pounds sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
½ garlic head (about 6 cloves), chopped
1 finely chopped carrot
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
8 to 10 juniper berries
2 10-ounce inch-thick smoked pork chops
1 pound kielbasa, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
2 Fuji or other baking apples, cored and cut into large chunks
1 pound small red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and parcooked
1½ cups dry white wine
¼ cup gin
Pumpernickel rye bread for serving
Mustards for serving
Horseradish for serving
Cornichons for serving
Stud each onion quarter with a clove. Layer bacon, sauerkraut, garlic, onion
quarters, carrot, herb sprigs, bay leaves, juniper, pork chops, kielbasa, apples,
and potatoes in the slow cooker in the order listed; pour in wine and gin top.
Cover the cooker and set it on low. Cook until the pork is falling off the bones
and the potatoes are fork-tender, at least 6 and up to 8 hours.
214
Arrange meats, potatoes, apples, onions, garlic, and sauerkraut on a large
platter. Serve with pumpernickel rye, mustards, cornichons, and horseradish.
Gretl and Tester Marie Pinho use 1½ pounds of pork loin, cut into cubes, or
regular pork chops, when they cannot find smoked ones. Cooks can also just
slice the onions and place them as the bottom layer in the pot, scattering the
cloves into the mix. The potatoes can be cooked and served separately.
Terry has also added some duck to the dish, which her husband thought was a
splendid idea.
If you accept a dinner invitation, you have a moral obligation to be amusing.
Terry Pogue
This does not mean dancing on the table with a sausage between your teeth.
Addendum posted by Tom McRae, Brisbane, Australia
215
THE PATS’ OVERNIGHT CASSEROLE
Contributed by Pat Belanger from her friend Pat Parker’s recipe. The
combination of ingredients distinguishes it from typical noodle casseroles.
Serves 12
2 cups or more cooked diced turkey, chicken, tuna, shrimp or crab
1¾ cups baby shell pasta, uncooked
2 tins cream of mushroom soup
2 cups milk
½ pound grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tin water chestnuts, drained and sliced
½ green pepper, diced
1 small jar of pimientos
1 small onion, diced, or 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and put into a 9-by-13-inch pan. Cover and refrigerate
overnight. Bake at 350°F for 1¼ hours.
Tester Joanne Schweik made this with tuna and took it to a meeting, where it
was a huge hit.
That all-softening, overpowering knell, the tocsin of the soul—
the dinner bell.
~Lord Byron, Don Juan
216
VEGETABLES
&
SIDE DISHES
VEGETABLES & SIDE DISHES
AWESOME ASPARAGUS
Lyn Belisle nominated this recipe by Terry Pogue, who developed it after
watching a cooking show in which expatriate Australian chefs Curtis Stone and
Ben O’Donoghue had gone home to Australia for a visit. The unique sauce
looks like a cream sauce or hollandaise, but it’s just cheese and lemon and oil.
The poached egg on top of each serving gives the same stunning showcase
presentation as Eggs Benedict.
Serves 4
4 bundles fresh asparagus, trimmed and tied (6 to 8 spears each)
1 cup Pecorino cheese, grated (or substitute fresh Parmesan)
1 lemon, juiced
Extra virgin olive oil
4 large eggs, poached
Fresh mint, chopped, for garnish
Make the sauce: Whisk the lemon juice into the grated cheese and drizzle in
enough olive oil to make a creamy dressing; set aside.
Poach four eggs. Meanwhile, cook the asparagus bundles in boiling salted
water until just tender (3 to 4 minutes).
Remove the string tie and place an asparagus bundle on each of 4 plates.
Drizzle with the cheese sauce. Place a poached egg on top of each asparagus
bundle. Sprinkle with fresh chopped mint, and drizzle the plate with some
additional olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
Janet Morrissey served this recipe to her husband and friends, who loved
the flavors and beautiful presentation. “My husband preferred not to have the
poached egg, and luckily, this is really good without the egg as well. Instead
of tying the asparagus bundles with string, try using chives as ties. It makes a
really pretty presentation.”
218
GRILLED BABY ARTICHOKES
Mary Curry nominated this recipe from Tina Vierra, who says she first had
artichokes this way at the Rutherford Grill restaurant in the Napa Valley.
Tina notes: “I adore baby artichokes. Stripped and steamed, the hearts are
wonderful for light pasta dishes. But this is my favorite way to eat them.”
Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer or side dish
4 small or baby artichokes, stems trimmed
¼ cup Herbes de Provence, or more as needed
1 tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt
½ tablespoon freshly ground black, or mixed black and pink pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges for squeezing
Steam or boil the artichokes until al dente tender, cool them, then cut them in
half. Remove the purple heart material. This can be done several hours or a
day in advance.
Mix the salt, pepper, and herbs in a shallow, wide-bottom dish. Dip the cut
sides of the artichokes into olive oil, and then the herb mixture, and grill the
halves on an outdoor grill, or a cast iron pan on the stovetop, until warmed
through and brown on the herbed side. Remove from the grill, squeeze the
juice of a fresh lemon over them, and serve.
You can steam the artichokes in the microwave instead of boiling them: Put
them in a covered glass casserole dish with a small amount of water and
microwave them for several minutes, testing for doneness by pulling on a leaf.
This method preserves more of the artichoke flavor.
The Rutherford Grill served their artichokes as a bar appetizer with a delicious
mustard aioli.
219
BABY SQUASH ROMANO
Tom McRae, a Scottish expatriate living in Brisbane, Australia, is constantly
creative with weeknight meals for himself and wife Toni. When he posted this
recipe, he said with his usual humor, “Okay, so the Romano name has been
taken for chicken. I hereby claim it for this dish I created on Thursday.”
Serves 2
8 yellow baby squash, topped, tail stems cut off, and quartered
Minced garlic (or reconstituted granules) to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
A ‘slurp’ of tomato ketchup
Pinch of mixed herbs (your choice)
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
¼ cup chicken stock
Salt and black pepper
Dash of Maggi seasoning
Heat oil over medium heat and toss in squash and garlic. Stir fry for 3 minutes.
Mix in tomato paste and ketchup, stir well, and lower the heat. Add Maggi
seasoning and stir to mix. Add stock and herbs; bring to simmer, then add
cheese and stir in well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and cook
for about 15 minutes until squash is tender but still crisp.
Janet Morrissey tested this recipe using baby squash from her local farmer’s
market. “Nice flavors and texture. It was quick and easy and I will be making
it again,” she said. Morrissey added blossoms from the baby squash about 5
minutes before the dish was done, but said she would probably use them as
garnish next time because they lost too much flavor in the pot.
Maggi seasoning (a Nestlé product) is similar to bouillon cubes, and Maggi
sauce is a vegetable protein-based sauce similar to soy sauce.
220
BOB’S BAKED BEANS
Foodwino Maryellen Casey took one of Bob Pastorio’s instructional posts and
wrote it up as a recipe that every picnic-going cook needs to have.
Serves 8
2 cans white beans
2 cans kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can chick peas
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
16 ounces vinaigrette salad dressing
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
¼ cup brown sugar
Bob’s instructions: Take a square baking dish, or disposable aluminum one for
summer outdoor stuff. Imagine you’re looking down on a target. Black beans
in the center. A ring of navy beans around that; limas around that; a ring of red
kidney beans; garbanzos. Pan is now full. Puree any leftover beans and add to
dressing.
Dress with a vinaigrette (about 3 or 4 cups; Maryellen adds apple juice and
dark brown sugar) and bake (350°F), covered, until bubbling, an hour or so.
Uncover, top with a mixture of crumbled bacon and light brown sugar. Bake
until sugar melts, maybe 15 minutes. Serve.
Maryellen likes to mix all of her beans in a friendly jumble.
Terry Pogue says this recipe tastes wonderful, and is easy and useful for any
cook. “You can choose any beans you like for this; there are so many options.”
221
BROCCOLI TREES WITH PARMESAN AND LEMON
Sheila Foster nominated this side dish recipe from Terry Pogue.
Serves 4
3 heads broccoli (about 3 pounds)
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Trim about 1 inch off the ends of the broccoli stalks
and cut the broccoli lengthwise into uniform spears. Arrange the broccoli on a
nonstick cookie sheet, drizzle with some olive oil, and season with a little bit
of salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat
evenly. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
Remove the broccoli from the oven, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top,
and bake until the cheese melts and forms a crisp shell over the broccoli, about
10 minutes. Lift the broccoli out onto a platter with a spatula, and drizzle with
fresh lemon.
Sheila’s notes: “I used four good sized ‘trees’ of broccoli—not the entire
amount called for in the recipe. Enough olive oil to coat the broccoli, enough
Parmigiano-Reggiano to really coat the broccoli, and one lemon. If you like
your broccoli a bit softer, cook 10 minutes before adding the cheese.”
Gretl Collins reported that her cheesy error turned into success: “The cheese
I thought to be Parmesan turned out to be Locatelli Romano. This makes no
difference to the success of the recipe. I used a Microplane grater to make fine
clouds of cheese, which melted very nicely to the broccoli.”
222
CURRIED CAULIFLOWER WITH CILANTRO
Terry Pogue says of her recipe, “I love this at room temperature, but it’s good
right from the oven also.”
Serves 6 as a side dish
12 cups cauliflower florets
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
¾ cup olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
3½ teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon Hungarian hot paprika
1¾ teaspoons salt
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat oven to 450°F. Place cauliflower florets in large, low-sided roasting
pan. Pull apart onion quarters into separate layers; add to cauliflower.
Stir coriander seeds and cumin seeds in small skillet over medium heat until
slightly darkened, about 5 minutes. Crush coarsely in a mortar with pestle, and
place the seeds in medium bowl. Whisk in oil, vinegar, curry powder, paprika,
and salt. Pour dressing over vegetables; toss to coat.
Spread vegetables in single layer. Sprinkle with pepper and roast until tender,
stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature,
sprinkled with fresh cilantro.
Maggie Johnson served this with her Easy Crock Pot Curry (page 205), made
using lamb. She placed the bright red curry in a small bowl in the middle of a
large platter, then put a layer of baby spinach around the bowl, and put the hot
cauliflower on the spinach. “It was such a lovely dish, I had to take a picture.
The curry bursts in your mouth; then you get the mellow cauliflower.”
223
GREEN LENTILS WITH LEMON SLICES
Doreen gave us this delicious Madhur Jaffrey recipe.
Serves 4
1 cup green lentils (about 6 ounces)
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 lemon, peeled, pith removed, and thinly sliced crosswise
½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
2 hot dried red chili peppers
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed and peeled
Bring lentils and 3 cups water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Cook, partially
covered, until very tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Stir in salt and cilantro; remove
from heat. Add 8 lemon slices; stir to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl; set
aside.
Heat oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat; add mustard seeds. After
a few seconds, seeds should begin to pop; add peppers. When peppers have
darkened, add garlic; stir to combine. Top lentils with mustard seed mixture.
Terry Pogue makes this dish often in winter. “This is good as part of an Indian
dinner, or as the main dish with a side salad and bread for a vegetarian option.”
Can I have another plate please Mum?
Someone threw up on this one!
~Calvin and Hobbes
Posted by Rob Wells
224
GRILLED CHIPOTLE BRANDY PORTABELLAS
=Mark is our resident Chilehead and loves a spicy recipe like this one. Cotija
cheese can be found in Mexican markets and is a crumbly, salty cheese.
Serves 10 to 20 for appetizers
20 portabella mushroom caps
1 cup olive oil
½ cup wine vinegar
2 ounces cotija cheese, grated or crumbled (can substitute Romano)
1 clove fresh garlic
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 14-ounce can chipotles in adobo sauce
1
⁄3 cup brandy
Salt to taste
Remove stems from portabellas. Blend remaining ingredients in a food
processor until smooth. Brush mushrooms with marinade about 10 minutes
before cooking. Grill over medium heat, flipping occasionally and basting with
marinade. Portabellas are done when they start bubbling with the gill sides up.
Slice into quarters and serve with toothpicks. Great picnic side dish.
=Mark’s note: These measurements are for Chileheads. You might want to add
the chipotles in smaller increments to achieve your desired level of heat.
Tester Janet Morrissey, her husband and four friends loved these so much,
they polished off every one. “I used the suggested substitute of Romano
cheese since I could not locate cotija. I wasn’t at all sure about the brandy, but
it added a really good depth of flavor without a boozy taste. This would be a
great side to any grilled meal, and I will be making this often.”
225
ITALIAN GREEN BEANS WITH TOMATOES
Beatrice Powell nominated this recipe from Terry Pogue. “I’ve made it again
and again, and even freeze small batches for my son who absolutely loves
them. They freeze really well.”
Serves 4
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 14.5-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes in puree
4 handfuls fresh green beans (about 1½ pounds)
Coarse salt
In a large skillet with a tight fitting lid, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add
onion and oregano; cook, stirring often, until lightly browned (2 to 3 minutes).
Breaking up tomatoes with a spoon or your fingers, add them and their puree,
and stir to combine. Add green beans, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until
green beans are soft and onions caramelized, about 45 minutes.
Tester Beverly Bradley used a can of petite diced tomatoes and found they
worked perfectly in place of the whole tomatoes. “I’ve only done this with
fresh green beans, but someday I mean to try it using canned green beans,
just to see if the tomato can overcome that metallic taste that canned beans
sometimes have. If so, this would be a very handy from-the-pantry type of
recipe. Back when I was a mother of toddlers, I was very interested in those!”
226
ORANGE ASPARAGUS WITH TOASTED WALNUTS
Rosebud gave us this dish. “I’m not sure where I found this recipe, but it is
really light and lovely, and goes particularly well with chicken or fish dishes.”
Serves 4
1 large orange
1 pound fresh asparagus spears
¼ cup mild olive oil
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
Grate peel and squeeze juice from the orange; set peel aside. Pour juice into
small saucepan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to
medium-low and simmer 10 minutes, or until juice is reduced by half.
While juice is reducing, blanch asparagus in lightly salted boiling water; drain.
Add oil to orange juice; beat with wire whisk until well blended. Season to taste
with salt and pepper.
Arrange asparagus on serving platter; drizzle with orange juice mixture.
Sprinkle with orange peel and walnuts.
Terry Pogue reported, “I have made this recipe twice – once following the
directions exactly, and then using ½ cup of high-pulp orange juice instead of
a fresh orange. It was just as good and saved me a little bit of time. This is a
wonderful way to make asparagus special, without the calories of hollandaise.”
Life itself is the proper binge.
~Julia Child
Posted by Rosebud
227
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER I
=Mark’s easy roasted cauliflower is a list favorite.
One of my favorite preparations is cauliflower broken up into florets, drizzled
with olive oil, and roasted in a baking pan at 400°F, stirred every 5 minutes or
so until it starts to caramelize (about 20 minutes).
Joan Waldron adds, “Very flexible recipe—can be adapted to any amount that
your pan will hold in one layer. I added leftover broccoli florets. Wonderful! I
have a quick-fix version I also use: If I’m going to broil something, I stick the
cauliflower in the microwave for a minute, then into the preheating oven, and it
finishes in the time it takes for the broiler to heat and broil what I’m fixing.”
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER II
Jeanie Roberts found this recipe in the Houston Chronicle, from the Herbfarm
Restaurant in Seattle, Washington.
1 head cauliflower, about 1½ pounds, separated into florets
½ large red onion, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 large unpeeled apple, cored and coarsely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons dried currants
2 teaspoons chopped dried herbs, or ¼ cup fresh herbs
Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss cauliflower, onion, apple, olive oil, and salt in
baking dish, spread into a single layer. Roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring once
or twice, until edges of cauliflower begin to brown. Stir in currants, and bake for
another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with herbs, stir, and scoop into a serving dish.
Gretl Collins suggests varying the recipe with different herb mixes (e.g. Indian
curry, Tex-Mex, Herbes de Provence) or adding finely chopped garlic for the
last 10 minutes of cooking.
228
POTATO NOISETTE
Greg Walker’s recipe has been “a winner every time we’ve served it.”
Serves 4
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into about 6 pieces of equal size
Splash of cooking oil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Peel and cut potatoes. Boil in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain, then pat dry
with paper towels.
Melt butter in a frying pan, add a little splash of oil to keep the butter from
turning brown. Add potatoes. Cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes until
tender and browned. Sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper.
Tester Sheila Foster thinks fresh parsley might make this dish even better, but
made it several times, noting how easy it is, and that her husband and guests
always love it.
Age is important only if you’re cheese or wine.
229
POTATOES DA DELFINA
Another recipe fromTerry Pogue, who likes to make these potatoes in her deepfat fryer when she has it out for other dishes. She makes these potatoes first,
and re-uses the oil for later things.
Serves 4
1½ pounds (about 16) very small thin-skinned potatoes, preferably
Yukon Gold
Peanut oil
Kosher salt
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup chopped garlic
Put the potatoes in cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until nicely
tender. Drain the potatoes. Refrigerate until cool.
Take a potato and press it with your hands to ½ inch thickness, but not so hard
it falls apart. You want it in one piece. The idea is to expose some of the flesh
and have nice cracks that will crisp up when you fry them. You can do this a
couple of hours before you fry them.
You need at least ½ inch of oil in a pan on moderately high heat, or a deep
fryer. When the oil is hot, put the smashed potatoes into the oil and cook on
both sides until crisp and well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and sprinkle
with salt and pepper.
Combine the parsley and lemon zest in a bowl and mix well. In another
pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat, add the garlic, and sauté until lightly
browned. Drain and add the garlic to the parsley-lemon mixture.
230
When the potatoes are browned and crisp, add them to the garlic mixture and
toss gently. Serve immediately.
Sheila Foster said, “The flavor of these potatoes was superb. I loved the lemon
zest in the condiment. The texture of the potato pieces was really nice.”
I never eat anything whose name starts with ‘Turd…’
Posted by =Mark, on the subject of Turducken
Kelly in Cleveland, sometimes it’s good to be a vegetarian...
He who eats garlic and butter need fear no poison.
~Czech Proverb
Posted by Lisa McShine
231
REFRIGERATOR DILL PICKLES
Maggie Johnson gave us this easy recipe. “When the cucumbers start coming
in from gardens, I get a lot of requests for this recipe. They come out somewhat
like Claussen’s brand of pickles, but much fresher.”
6 cups water
2 cups vinegar
¼ cup kosher salt
Fresh dill sprigs or dried dill seeds
1 onion
6 cucumbers
Garlic cloves
Put water, vinegar and salt into a pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Allow to cool to room temperature. Slice the cucumbers any way you wish;
Maggie has done chunks and lengthwise slices. Slice the onion into thin strips.
Put one teaspoon dill seeds or one sprig of fresh dill in the bottom of each
container (Maggie uses tall deli containers). Pack with onions and cucumbers.
Put a clove of garlic and 1 more teaspoon dill seeds (or one sprig of fresh dill)
on top. If you really like garlic pickles, put a clove on the bottom as well.
Pour vinegar solution over the top. Let them sit on counter for a few hours, then
refrigerate. The pickles will be ready to eat in four days and will keep for a year
in the refrigerator. You can use small whole cucumbers if you wish.
Maggies’s notes: “I often double the recipe for the brine mixture because it’s
always a guess as to how many containers of pickles I will have. The extra
brine will keep until the next time you pick your cucumbers.”
Tester Beatrice Powell reported: “This was my first attempt at pickling anything
and it was so easy! For my first batch I followed the recipe exactly; the next
two batches I made, I experimented with crushed chilies, more garlic, mustard
seed, whole dill seed...they kept getting better and better.”
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SWEET FREEZER PICKLES
Another pickle reciple from Maggie Johnson. “My spouse and I can easily finish
a container in one sitting—the hard part is waiting for it to thaw!”
4 cups sugar
2 cups vinegar
7 cups cucumbers, sliced ¼” thick
1 bell pepper, red or green, sliced thin
1 cup sliced onion
1½ tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon celery salt
2 tablespoons celery seed
Put the sugar and the vinegar into a saucepan and stir while bringing to a boil.
Remove from heat to cool.
Put the sliced cucumbers, pepper, and onion into a bowl; add the salt, celery
salt, and celery seed. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables and mix.
Place in small containers (such as 2-cup plastic deli or freezer containers) and
freeze. Keep in the freezer about a week, and then thaw to serve.
Tester Helen Rundell said this may sound like a weird idea, but it really works.
The pickles were tasty, and still fresh in her refrigerator two weeks after
removal from the freezer. “I added a serrano pepper to kick it up a notch.”
Life is like a mustard burp, momentarily tangy, then gone…
Posted by Mary in MO
233
RUSTIC HERBED TOMATO TART WITH PARMESAN CRUST
Doreen loved this recipe by Robyn, who provided detailed notes.
Serves 8
Pastry:
1½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup unsalted cold butter, cut into 5 pieces
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Zest from ½ lemon
¼ cup ice water
Filling:
1½ to 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 to 8 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1¼ pounds), sliced ¼-inch thick
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the flour, butter, salt
and Parmesan cheese. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 5 to
10 seconds. With the motor running, add the lemon zest and pour the water
through the feeder tube in a steady stream. Process 5 to 10 seconds, until the
dough begins to bind. Remove the dough and shape it into a disk.
If mixing by hand or with a pastry blender, rub the butter with the flour and the
salt until it resembles the size of small peas. Add the lemon zest and Parmesan
234
cheese and combine. Slowly add the ice water, stirring with a fork until dough
starts holding together. Shape the dough into a disk.
Use the dough immediately, or wrap in plastic and refrigerate. When ready to
use, bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into
a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, paint the
pastry with the mustard, leaving a 1- to 1½-inch border all around. Sprinkle the
Parmesan cheese evenly over the mustard.
In a small bowl, combine the basil, thyme, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.
Arrange half of the tomato slices over the mustard-coated portion of the pastry,
and sprinkle the herb mixture over the tomatoes. Cover the herbs with the
remaining tomatoes, overlapping the slices if necessary.
Fold the pastry edges over the tomatoes to enclose the sides of the tart,
creating soft pleats every few inches. Pinch any cracks to seal the pastry and
prevent tomato juices from running out during baking. Drizzle the olive oil over
the tomatoes. Using a pastry brush, paint the dough with the egg wash.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the dough is golden. Remove tart and let
cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Slice and serve warm.
Robyn adds that a friend varied the filling by layering sliced buffalo mozzarella
with green pesto and tomatoes dressed with salt and pepper only. “I think she
puts fresh basil leaves on top after cooking for a bit of show. I just love this one;
it’s a summer favorite and I could eat it for days on end.”
Tester Janet Morrissey reported: “This is good warm or cold, or room
temperature on the buffet. I was concerned about excess juices from the
tomatoes, but did not have a problem. I used organic plum tomatoes from the
farmers’ market and they worked perfectly.”
235
SAVORY TOMATO CRUMBLE
Kathi Shapiro nominated this recipe from Phyllis in Mississauga, Ontario,
Canada, who serves it as a side dish with “almost any grilled fish or pork. It’s
wonderful to make ahead and simply pop in the oven the next day.”
Serves 6
15 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons each chopped fresh thyme and rosemary
½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
2
⁄3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1
⁄3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1
⁄3 cup butter, melted
Place tomatoes, cut sides up and without touching, on a large foil-lined rimmed
baking sheet. Brush with oil; sprinkle with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Roast in 350°F oven until tops are shriveled and bottoms are browned, about
1½ to 2 hours, depending on your oven (a convection oven takes 1½ hours).
Arrange tomatoes, overlapping, in an oval ceramic or glass baking dish. You
can make ahead to this point and let cool. If you do, cover and refrigerate for
up to 24 hours; add 20 minutes to the final baking time.
In a bowl, stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and flour; drizzle with
butter and toss until crumbly. Sprinkle over tomatoes. Bake in 400°F oven until
golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes.
Janet Morrissey made this with crumbs made from regular bread the first time,
and used a low-carb bread on her second try, with good results.
236
VEGETABLE TIAN
Terry Pogue adapted this recipe from Ina Garten (TV’s Barefoot Contessa).
Serves 4 to 6
Olive oil
2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced
1 pound medium round potatoes, unpeeled (Yukon Gold or Red Bliss)
¾ pounds zucchini
1¼ pounds medium tomatoes
½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (plus an extra sprig)
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
For this dish to look its best, choose potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes that are
about the same diameter, and slice with a mandoline or Cuisinart slicer.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish with olive oil.
In a medium sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook the onions over
medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook
for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.
Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes ¼ inch thick; layer alternately on
top of the onions, fitting them tightly in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper,
thyme leaves, and thyme sprig and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the
potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the
cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes, or until browned. Serve warm.
Notes: This dish multiplies very easily; use any size pan and bake for the same
amount of time (just be sure you only make one layer).
237
WILDLY INAUTHENTIC CRUSTLESS POTATO KNISHES
Bob Pastorio told us, “Knishes are traditionally made with a crepe filled with
mashed potatoes. This recipe dispenses with the wrapper, and the potatoes
form a crust all their own.”
Yields about 30 walnut-sized knishes, or ten larger ones
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
3
⁄8 cup matzo meal
3 cups mashed potatoes (about 1½ pounds)
1 medium onion, diced and sautéed (optional)
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Oil for baking sheet
Heat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter or margarine, salt,
pepper, and matzo meal. Stir in mashed potatoes and, optionally, a diced and
sautéed onion.
Form heaping tablespoons of the dough into walnut-sized balls, or shape
½-cup portions into the traditional square shape. Brush with egg.
Place on a well-greased cookie sheet (non-stick is a good idea) and bake for
20 minutes or so, until well browned. Serve warm. I split them horizontally and
spread a little mustard around the inside.
Notes: This recipe can be easily doubled. You can also substitute up to ¼ of
the potatoes with sweet potato for a pleasantly different taste and texture. If
you don’t have matzo meal, virtually any cracker meal will work, although the
taste and texture will vary.
238
Terry Pogue told us, “My husband went back for thirds, even though this is not
the kind of thing he usually likes.”
Terry did add the sautéed onions and believes they are necessary rather than
optional. She baked, peeled, and riced her potatoes, believing they needed to
be as dry as possible to keep the final product light.
“I made the knishes again, this time for a dinner party. I formed them, covered
well, and held them for 6 hours in the fridge. Took them out of the fridge 1 hour
before time to bake. Just before baking I brushed them with the egg wash,
which is really important so don’t miss this part. The wash helps make the ‘skin’
and provide the shine. They were just as good as the ones I’d done right after
mixing.
“I still had some of the potato mixture left over, so the next day I formed
pancake-type patties and fried them. Served them under a nice green salad.
Lovely surprise, and a little warm dish with a crisp green salad is always nice.
This is really a very versatile recipe.”
It is, of course, entirely possible to cook without using wine. It is also
possible to wear suits and dresses made out of gunny sacks,
but who wants to?
~Morrison Wood
239
ROASTED GREEN BEANS WITH BLUE CHEESE
Gretl Yeager Collins contributed this family favorite. She has made it with feta
cheese in place of blue cheese and “it was just as delicious.”
Serves 4 to 6
1 pound green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 large red bell pepper, cored and seeded
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, peeled
½ cup walnuts
2 to 3 ounces American blue cheese, preferably Rogue River smoked
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Preheat oven to 475°F. Toast the walnuts in a small baking dish, 5 to 10
minutes; make sure they don’t burn. Cool, then coarsely chop and set aside.
Wash the green beans and dry well. Place in a large bowl, add 1 tablespoon of
the olive oil, and half of the salt. Season with pepper to taste. Toss to coat well.
Spread on a rimmed baking sheet.
Cut the red pepper and onion into slices about the same thickness as the green
beans. Place in a bowl, add the remaining oil and salt, and season with pepper.
Toss to coat well. Spread on a second rimmed baking sheet.
Roast the vegetables until they’re soft and starting to caramelize, 15 to 30
minutes, stirring and turning every 5 minutes to cook evenly without burning.
Transfer to a shallow serving dish. Sprinkle with the walnuts. Sprinkle with
crumbled blue cheese and chives. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Maggie Johnson says to be sure to use a sweet onion. “This makes a very
colorful side dish with lots of good flavors. It was also very easy.”
240
ZUCCHINI WITH GORGONZOLA
Mitch liked this dish because while very simple to make, it looks more
sophisticated than the typical vegetable side.
Serves 6 as an appetizer
3 medium zucchini, sliced ½- to ¾-inch thick
2½ ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
½ cup finely chopped fresh tomato
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste
Using a melon baller, hollow out each slice of zucchini to create a bowl. Lay
them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Fill each with about ½ teaspoon of cheese, and top with the finely
diced tomato. Give each another good grind of pepper.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm or at room
temperature.
Tester Maggie Johnson says this dish is great for anyone on a South Beachtype diet, and also looks great for cocktail parties.
Dieting is the triumph of mind over platter.
Posted by Greg
241
BLACK BEAN QUESADILLAS
Tina Vierra nominated this recipe after making the quesadillas at home and on
road trips. You can also cook it on a cast iron skillet laid on top of a BBQ grill.
Serves 6, or more as appetizers, sliced into wedges
3 tablespoons plus 8 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 poblano chili peppers, seeded and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
2 ears fresh corn, shaved
3 tablespoons (approximately) water
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 can black beans, rinsed and dried
8 9-inch flour tortillas
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Fresh salsa
Guacamole
Sour cream
Dry-roast the corn in a skillet on medium heat until brown and fragrant. Pour
into a large mixing bowl.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium heat. Add peppers, cover and
cook until soft. Addi water by tablespoonfuls if they become too dark and stir
occasionally, about 10 minutes. Uncover. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute.
Transfer to mixing bowl. Stir in cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add black beans and cheese, stir.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil on a flat griddle over medium-high heat. Add 1 tortilla
to skillet. Top with some of the filling mixture, and salsa if desired. Top with a
second tortilla; lightly brush with oil. Cook until bottom is golden brown, about 3
minutes. Turn quesadilla over. Cook until bottom is golden brown and cheese
melts, about 3 minutes.
242
Transfer to cutting board. Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges. Transfer to
platter. Repeat with remaining oil, tortillas, filling mixture, and salsa. Serve hot
with salsa, sour cream and guacamole on the side.
Terry Pogue said, “This is a good all-round quick lunch sandwich, one I’ll do
over and over. The nice thing about this, along with the flavor, is that I almost
always have the ingredients in the house so it’s really convenient.”
The locals have never bothered to describe the taste and construction
of their wines. However, after having several glasses they become very
eloquent in describing the way it makes them feel.
~Australian Wine Browser
Posted by Rob Wells
243
HOT BANDANAS
Terry Pogue named this dish for the blue and red kerchiefs that she wraps
around the foil-wrapped sandwiches when they come out of the oven.
Serves 10
7 ounces kalamata other good olives, sliced
1½ cups diced and peeled white onion
1 pound ripe beefsteak tomatoes, chopped
½ pound mozzarella cheese, diced (about 1½ cups)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves pressed garlic
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons dried basil
¼ cup wine vinegar
1
⁄3 cup olive oil
10 large hard sandwich rolls
3 tablespoons soft butter
3 fresh basil leaves
Mix olives, onion, tomatoes, and cheeses in a large bowl. Place the garlic, salt,
pepper, basil, vinegar and oil in a covered jar and shake. Pour the dressing
over the vegetables and cheeses; toss gently. Set aside.
Cut a shallow plug-hole, 2 inches in diameter, out of the top of each roll; pull
out the soft inside. Make sure to leave some bread on the bottom. Melt butter,
add the fresh basil leaves and let steep. Brush basil butter on the bottom of
each roll; add about 2⁄3 cup of the filling and then replace the plug on the top.
Wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil. Refrigerate if not cooking right away and
remove an hour before baking. Bake in a 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
Tester Anne Bannon used leftover filling on cooked pasta.
244
SAUCES
SAUCES
BRINING FOR BEGINNERS
One of the best lessons ever posted by the great Bob Pastorio.
This is one of those “gotta have faith” pieces. I want you to sink meats, birds,
and seafood in salty water so they’ll cook faster, taste better, be more tender
and juicy. Yeah, I know. Sounds absurd. But it works, and now it’s all the thing.
Time was when there were no refrigerators. Meat spoils quickly. All kinds of
meats—four-legged, winged and ones with gills. What to do? Well, there were
several choices for storage. Put it under cold water. Store it hanging in a cold
root cellar or springhouse. You could hang the meat over a slow, smoky fire.
The other major way to store meat was to pickle it; to brine it. Sink it in a
flavored brine and in fairly short order, you have a piece of meat that won’t spoil
any time soon. We still have some being produced like that nowadays—corned
beef, pastrami, many different kinds of hams.
Here’s the new-old method, brining the meats, but with some modern changes.
The salt and sugar draw moisture out of the meats. Then a kind of balance is
struck where no more juices come out of the meat. Then, in a funny reversal,
the brine is taken up by the meat, bringing moisture and flavoring into the meat.
It makes the meat plumper and juicier. It makes it more forgiving in cooking. It
makes your dinner a bit more tender. What’s to not like?
We aren’t going to pickle them, just soak them in a light brine solution. Stay
with me here. We aren’t making the meats taste salty, just better. And cook
more quickly.
Poultry, pork, lamb, beef and game meats can all be brined and I guarantee
they’ll be tastier, juicier, and more tender than without brining. Brining will also
shorten cooking times. Cook as you always do, just check on the progress of
the meats a bit earlier and more often than usual until you get the sense of it.
And this isn’t just for special occasions. Every time you cook meats, they can
benefit from this approach. Discard the brines after using once.
246
SAUCES
BASIC MEAT BRINE
This much brine will take care of a 3- or 4-pound piece of pork loin, a chicken
(or chicken pieces), or a 3- or 4-pound beef, lamb or veal roast. How long to
leave the meats in the brine? Depends. For poultry, at least 24 hours. Up to
about 36 hours. Roasts benefit from 3 days or more. Since I first started doing
this, I’ve evolved my recipe. This is the one I’m working with now.
1 quart water
¼ cup salt
2 tablespoons sugar
½ tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
4 or 5 bay leaves, crumbled
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons vinegar
Heat the water and add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a low simmer, stir a
few times and remove from the heat. Let cool. That’s the brine.
How to use it? One very easy way is a gallon freezer bag. Put the meat in the
bag and pour the cooled brine over it. Squeeze out much of the air, put the bag
in a container (just in case of leaks), and refrigerate.
Variations: The amounts of water, salt and sugar should remain fairly constant,
but the other ingredients are variable. For duck, goose and other oily birds,
add 2 tablespoons ground ginger, a cup of soy sauce and ¼ cup orange juice
concentrate. Stick the duck all over with a fork and brine for 3 or 4 days. Roast
in a 400°F oven for about an hour. Chicken pieces benefit from the juice of a
lemon and a tablespoon of rubbed sage added to the brine. And don't forget
that whole turkey or the venison leg. Got a really big bucket? Enjoy very much.
247
SAUCES
BRINED PORK AND VEAL CHOPS
These chops will be rosy inside like a good cured ham and very tender. Don’t
try to cook the wonderful pink color out, you’ll ruin them.
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup salt
10 black peppercorns
5 bay leaves
2 tablespoons mixed dried herbs (rosemary, oregano, thyme, and sage)
1 quart hot water
3 quarts ice water
12 chops, 1 inch thick
Olive oil or cooking spray
Put sugar and salt in a large nonreactive container (plastic, glass, or stainless
steel). Add the hot water and stir to dissolve. Add other seasonings and let sit
for a few minutes to rehydrate herbs. Stir in the ice water. Submerge the chops
in the brine. Cover the container and refrigerate for 24 hours or more. Or use
the freezer bag technique.
To cook, remove the chops from the brine, pat dry and lightly brush or spray
with oil. Grill, broil or pan-fry. Figure 7 to 9 minutes per side.
Anybody remotely interesting is mad in one way or another.
~The Seventh Doctor
248
SAUCES
FISH FILLETS IN A MAPLE AND DILL BRINE
This brine works well on fillets of tuna, salmon, orange roughy and trout.
Brining fish is faster than meats. You need real maple syrup for best results.
1 quart water
2¼ cups salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 bunch fresh dill, coarsely chopped (about 1/ 2 cup)
3 garlic cloves, smashed
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fish fillets, about 2 pounds total, center cuts if possible
Combine the water, salt, maple syrup, and brown sugar in a large nonreactive
container. Stir to dissolve the salt. Add dill, garlic, and pepper. Submerge the
fish skin-side-up in the brine. Cover the container and refrigerate for 8 to 10
hours.
To cook, remove the fish from the brine and pat dry. Brush or spray with oil.
To broil, put the fish on a foil-lined baking sheet, skin side down and broil for
about 10 minutes per inch of thickness at the thickest point, or until just cooked
through. To grill, put on a sheet of foil directly on the grill rack over medium
heat for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
As one Foodwino put it, “For meats, poultry and fish, this is the Bible on how to
prepare them. The basic background and variations are perfect. The deep fried
brined turkey has been my favorite. For a lovely light seasoning and moist,
moist meat, this is the way to go. I might do beef or pork without brining it first,
but I will never again do turkey or chicken without it.”
249
SAUCES
DIJON-TARRAGON CREAM SAUCE
List member Nick Petti runs the Mendo Bistro in Fort Bragg on the California
coast. This talented chef’s crab cakes once won a northern California crab cake
competition so many years in a row, that they gave him a lifetime achievement
award and asked him to retire the recipe. This is Nick’s sauce, nominated by
Bob Coomler for our book.
Yields about one cup of sauce
2 shallots, thinly sliced (about one cup)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup white wine
½ bunch tarragon, chopped (about ¼ cup)
1 cup cream
Sweat shallots in small saucepan until translucent. Add mustard and deglaze
the pan with white wine. Add tarragon and reduce over medium heat by three
quarters. Add chicken stock and reduce by half. Add cream and gently reduce
by one half. Can be strained if desired. Goes well with pork or chicken.
Tester Stephanie Gerding raved about this sauce. “Loved it! Patrick and
I served it with grilled chicken, and did not strain it because we used a
mandoline for the shallots, and the thin slices were pretty in the sauce. It would
be easy and luxurious for entertaining, though you’ll have to resist licking the
plate in front of guests!
“As stated, would be good with chicken or pork, but I could also see it on steak
or pasta as well. Very versatile!”
Worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra problem
by chewing bubble gum.
Posted by Finn
250
SAUCES
SAUCES MADE WITH WHIPPED CREAM
Tina asked, “Has anyone tried a mustard or horseradish whipped cream on
smoked salmon? I’m thinking of smoked salmon on crackers that’s normally
topped with créme fraiche, capers, and a sliver of red onion. Would the flavored
whipped cream, instead of créme fraiche, be over the top?”
And Bob Pastorio replied: “Of course it’s over the top. What could be better?”
And then he showed us how.
Horseradish whipped cream: How about incorporate the horseradish, capers
and onion, very finely minced or even puréed, into the whipped cream? Want to
really, really take it over the top? Add a bit of finely minced smoked salmon to
the whipped cream and fold in a bit of caviar—both red and black.
Gorgonzola (or any blue-veined cheese) dressing for salad: Make whipped
cream (a cup of cream whipped to full volume, then put in a sieve over a bowl
in the fridge to let whey drip out—couple hours). After draining, put it in a bowl
and stir ½ to ¾ cup (or however much suits you) crumbled Gorgonzola into it.
Let sit for 12 hours or overnight. Stunning on salads or as a dip for fruit.
Salmon whipped cream spread: Whipped cream drained like that with finely
minced smoked salmon, a dash of lemon juice, grate of black pepper, and a
sprinkle of minced fresh dill is an astonishing spread (ground ginger optional).
That technique of whipping the cream and holding it in a sieve or strainer for
a while to let any loose liquid drain out means it’ll be simultaneously light and
denser than if left un-drained. Incorporating other flavors into it then is easy. I’d
run the other ingredients in a processor and fold them in to the whipped cream.
Think of other flavors to do that with... Ground or fresh ginger to put on top of,
oh, I dunno, pumpkin pie? Cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg on top of hot
apple pie. Others...?
Pastorio
251
SAUCES
LITTLE GIRLIES GREEN SAUCE
Terry Pogue gives us this recipe, noting, “I have become so addicted to this
sauce. I’ll make a batch and serve it on everything for the rest of the week –
grilled chicken, fish, tacos, steak, roast chicken....ANYTHING.”
Yields a generous quart of sauce
4 bunches trimmed cilantro, chopped
3 bunches green onions, white part and some green
5 serrano peppers, cored
5 whole avocados, cut in tiny dice
1½ cups water
1½ cups white vinegar
Roughly chop cilantro and green onions. Put peppers, water, and vinegar in
a blender and blend until minced. Combine with cilantro, green onions and
avocados in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Lyn Belisle says you could halve the recipe if you need less sauce.
“I liked it—it had a lot of vinegar, which is a great preservative for keeping the
avocado fresh. I served it to a group and one person absolutely adored it and
immediately asked for the recipe. It would really appeal to cilantro fans. This
is kind of a cross between guacamole and green salsa—it’s an interesting
combination, and visually very pretty with a good texture. We served it with
planked salmon, but I think it would be especially nice on chicken.”
I hate people who are not serious about meals. It is so shallow of them.
~Oscar Wilde
252
SAUCES
PRICE-WAR RED PEPPER SAUCE
Matthew Hill gave us this recipe from Gretl Collins for our book, saying he’d
used it as a pasta sauce, and for meat and fowl. The sauce keeps in the
refrigerator for a good long time, and freezes well.
Lots of slivered garlic
Tin of anchovies
Several roasted red peppers
Reconstituted sun-dried tomatoes
Sauté garlic in olive oil until light tan, add tin of anchovies (remove anchovies
from tin and discard tin) reduce heat and stir till anchovies are melted. Put
peppers and tomatoes in food processor and process till smooth. Add garlic
and anchovies and process until smooth.
Matthew’s note: Except for the tin of anchovies, none are firm measurements.
Your inputs will depend on how much of what you have, and your taste
preferences. I would suggest that one tin of anchovies goes with 4 to 6
peppers.
Tester Maryellen Casey used 4 large garlic cloves (“next time I’ll up it to 6”), 2
to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a 2-ounce tin of anchovies packed in olive oil (not
drained), 6 roasted red peppers, and 6 sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, so
they didn’t need reconstituting).
“To my taste, those proportions were fine (except that I always want more
garlic). It’s got to be one of the easiest recipes ever, especially for people like
me who always have a stash of roasted red peppers on hand. It took 10
minutes or less from reading the recipe to completion. It’s very intensely
flavored, so a little should go a long way.”
253
SAUCES
Chicken sauces by Romain Saha: ”I find that when I roast
my chicken at around 400°F it throws a good fond that
makes for a nice pan sauce. Rub the bird with olive oil and
season generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with whole
cloves of garlic and thyme. Roast the chicken, remove from the pan,
spoon off the clear fat and deglaze with white wine. Add around a cup
of chicken stock and reduce by 75%.”
Roast Chicken Piccata: Deglaze with fresh lemon juice and add capers.
Roast Chicken Mamou (kind of): Use creole seasoning instead of salt
and pepper, leave in a bit of fat at the end, and make a roux. Then add
hot stock until you get a thin gravy consistency. Add minced chipotle in
adobo until you get the heat you want.
Roast Chicken Marsala: Leave in a bit of fat, sauté some onions and
deglaze with Marsala wine.
Roast Chicken Tarragon: Deglaze with white wine, add the stock but
mix in a tablespoon of Dijon mustard (separately in a bit of stock so you
don’t get lumps) and mix it into the stock in the pan. Reduce and add
just a splash of whipping cream and fresh tarragon.
Broiled chicken: Flatten the chicken or cut it into halves. Blend olive oil
with crushed garlic, rosemary, ground sage, thyme, savory, salt, pepper
and crushed chili flakes to form a thin paste. Smear the paste over the
chicken and marinate for an hour or two. Broil skin side up for around 7
minutes (until the skin just starts to get dark brown spots on it).
Turn the chicken over, drizzle in about ½ cup of white wine, and broil
another 7 minutes or so. Turn it over again; squeeze the juice of half a
lemon over the bird, and broil until done. (You may have to flip the bird
a couple more times—depends on the size of your bird.)
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BARS
COOKIES & BARS
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DOUBLE CHERRY COOKIES
Karen Brack’s recipe was a runner-up in the Dallas Morning News cookie
contest. Foodwine list members said these rich, decadent cookies are so good,
they deserved to win!
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into large chunks
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 large eggs at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
1½ tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces dried cherries, plumped in cherry liqueur
Soak the cherries in liqueur for a few hours or overnight. Whisk together flour,
salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside until needed. Divide the
bittersweet chocolate in half and set half aside.
Place butter, the remaining 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and the
unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler over (but not touching)
simmering water. Heat mixture, stirring occasionally, until butter and chocolates
are melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, put the eggs, sugar, coffee powder, and vanilla in the bowl of an
electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at high speed for about
ten minutes, until the mixture is very thick and forms a slowly dissolving ribbon
when the whisk is lifted and the mixture is allowed to drizzle back into the bowl.
With the mixer at low speed, very slowly add the warm butter-chocolate
mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and work
your spatula around the bottom of the bowl, then continue to mix just until the
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chocolate is thoroughly incorporated. Add the dry ingredients, the remaining
bittersweet chocolate chunks, and the drained, plumped cherries. At this
point, it will probably be more efficient to finish the mixing by gently folding the
ingredients in with a sturdy spatula. The mixture will look like a thick, lumpy
cake batter.
Cover the bowl with plastic and chill for several hours or overnight. (The dough
can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 4 days.) When you are ready
to bake, position the oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the
oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
Using a heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie, drop the dough onto the
lined sheets, leaving at least two inches between each cookie (these cookies
spread). Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans front to back
and top to bottom halfway through the baking time.
These cookies are better underdone than overdone, so if in doubt, take them
from the oven sooner rather than later. The cookies shouldn't appear dry and
they won't be crisp. Use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to wire
racks to cool to room temperature. Repeat with remaining dough.
Cookies can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for 2 days
or kept frozen for up to a month. Thaw, still wrapped, to room temperature.
Tina Vierra made an enormous batch of these cookies and gave them as
holiday presents to about 30 colleagues where she works. “I knew they would
be a hit and people would ask, so I printed the recipe on pretty paper and
attached it to each person’s cookie bag.”
A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
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CRANBERRY OATMEAL PECAN COOKIES
List member =Mark sent this from Exit 109 off the New Jersey Turnpike.
Makes 4 dozen
⁄3 cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
6 ounces (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2
⁄3 cup granulated sugar
2
⁄3 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups pecan pieces (about 8 ounces)
2
⁄3 cup dried cranberries (about 4 ounces)
2
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking
soda. Stir in oats. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter
with the sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg; beat until thoroughly
incorporated. Scrape down sides with a rubber spatula and beat for another
30 seconds, adding vanilla. Using the spatula, fold in the flour/oatmeal mixture
until completely incorporated. Mix in the pecans and cranberries.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Form the mixture into balls about 1¼
inches in diameter. Place the balls about 3 inches apart on the cookie sheets.
Bake 9-10 minutes for chewy, 10-12 minutes for crisp, golden brown and lacy.
Cool cookies completely before transferring to a plate with a metal spatula.
They’ll keep up to a week in an airtight container, or a month in the freezer.
Wendy Hunt notes that 1 ounce is 28 grams (for chefs using metric
measurements). She set her convection oven to 300°F and baked for only 9
minutes. Hunt adds that rice flour can be used for gluten-free cookies.
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GINGER COOKIES
Contributor Wendy Hunt owns a food shop and café. “I sell more of these
cookies than chocolate chip cookies.”
Makes 30 cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons dark molasses
½ cup toffee bits
¼ cup minced crystallized ginger
Sugar for coating (turbinado or white sugar is best)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 large baking sheets, or line with parchment
paper or Silpat liners.
Mix first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and
sugar in large bowl until well blended, about 1 minute. Add egg and molasses;
beat until well blended but do not over beat. Add dry ingredients; beat on low
speed just until blended. Mix in toffee and crystallized ginger. Chill the dough.
Shape into balls about 1½ inches in diameter. Roll the balls in sugar, coating
completely. Bake 8 minutes, turn sheet around, and continue baking for
another 7 minutes. Cool only a few minutes before removing from baking
sheets—otherwise toffee bits will stick.
Notes: You can refrigerate dough overnight, but let soften before rolling.
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SNOWBALL COOKIES
Rosebud says of this recipe, “This is my favorite Christmas cookie. We vary
it by using different nuts, but pecans are the original. Walnuts are especially
good, too. Even with the sugar coating, these aren’t too sweet, and they’re
perfect with tea or egg nog.”
Makes 2 ½ dozen
½ cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
¾ cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup nuts, finely chopped
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted, divided for use
Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and
fluffy. Stir in flour and ¼ cup powdered sugar. Stir in vanilla extract and nuts,
blending well. Chill 30 minutes.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at
350°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown.
Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Roll again when the cookies are
completely cooled. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Tester Joan Waldron tried the recipe using walnuts and pecans, and suggests
that hazelnuts and unsalted, roasted cashews would be delicious nuts to
choose. The cookies can also be shaped in creative ways, such as rolling out
log-style and then curving them into horseshoes before baking.
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DESSERTS
ANDRE’S KEY LIME PIE
Matthew Hill and his family bring us another treat. Chef Andre of the Green
Flash restaurant on Captiva Island, Florida, made 20 of these pies at a time.
Matthew, Evie, and Lisa have adapted it for a single pie. “This is not the
traditional Key Lime Pie,” Matthew says. “It is more like a delicious Key Lime
Mousse in a pie shell.”
1 graham cracker crust, 8 inches or less (Use Keebler-brand crust if
available; generic ones crumble)
1 cup sugar, divided in half
½ cup key lime juice
6 egg whites
3 egg yolks (give the other 3 to the dog)
8 ounces whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
CAUTION: Ingredients MUST be added in the order given or you are wasting
your time.
In medium bowl, whip 6 egg whites into peaks, adding ½ cup of the sugar near
the end of the whipping. Be sure the sugar dissolves.
In a large mixing bowl, whip 3 egg yolks with ½ cup key lime juice and the other
½ cup sugar and vanilla. In a third bowl, whip the cream as stiff as possible.
Fold the whipped cream into the egg yolks using as few strokes as possible.
Fold the egg whites into the previous mixture using as few strokes as possible.
Put mixture into pie crust and place in freezer for at least 4 hours. Use all of it,
heap it up. It will settle in the freezer.
Thaw slightly before serving. Garnish with additional whipped cream.
Notes: Examine crust carefully before putting your filling in, to be sure it is not
cracked; otherwise the filling will leak out. Use the plastic cover on the crust to
cover the pie in the freezer.
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BAKED STUFFED PEACHES
Pat Belanger offers a recipe from the Crème de la Crème Committee of the Art
Gallery of Brantford, Ontario, Canada.
Serves 6
6 large firm peaches (peeled, halved, and pitted) or
12 large canned half peaches
1½ tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
¾ cup crumbled macaroons
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tablespoon cognac
4 tablespoons Marsala wine or sweet sherry
¼ cup peach syrup or water
Cream butter and sugar; add macaroon crumbs, nuts, egg yolk and cognac.
Stuff the peaches with this mixture. Arrange in buttered baking dish, and
sprinkle one teaspoon wine on each peach. Pour syrup or water into dish
and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, or until peaches are knife-tender. (Canned
peaches only require about 15 minutes.)
Tester Janet Morrissey used the season’s first fresh peaches for this recipe,
and says her guests went nuts for the dessert.
Some say the glass is half empty,
some say the glass is half full,
I say, are you going to drink that?”
~Lisa Claymen
Posted by Tina V.
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DESSERTS
CLAFOUTI OR CLAFOUTIS, DEPENDING...
…on whose cookbook you’re reading,” says Bob Pastorio. “The traditional
preparation uses cherries with the pits still inside them. It’s good, but I don’t
see much flavor difference (actually, I see no flavor difference, but I don’t want
to admit that), and I‘d rather avoid the dental bills from an inadvertent molar-pit
encounter. I prefer large, sweet Bing, Queen Anne or Rainier cherries.”
1 tablespoon butter (or more to fully coat the baking dish)
½ cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1
⁄3 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons kirsch
1½ pounds cherries, pitted
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Heat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9- to 10-inch tart pan, pie dish, or
baking dish.
Put flour, salt, sugar, eggs, yolks, milk, cream, vanilla and kirsch in a blender
and mix thoroughly, about a minute. Spread cherries evenly in the tart pan.
Pour the batter through a sieve over the cherries.
Bake until the top is puffed and uniformly golden-brown. Test with the point of
a paring knife. It should come out clean when stuck into the center. Cool for
few minutes, shake a generous dusting of confectioners' sugar over and serve.
Best served just warm. A dab of vanilla ice cream doesn’t hurt it a bit.
Variations use about 3 cups of peeled, cored and sliced pears; peeled plums;
sautéed peeled, cored and sliced apples; blackberries; or blueberries.
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Bob’s notes: The batter will puff while baking and settle back down as it cools.
Baking time will vary from about 40 to 55 minutes, depending on size and type
of baking dish. Smaller-diameters will take longer because they’re deeper.
You can either pour the batter over the fruit and bake it, ilor you can put a little
bit of batter into the dish, bake until set, scatter the fruit over it (sometimes with
a bit of sugar sprinkled over), pour the rest of the batter over, and finish-bake
it.I prefer the second way, but it takes more time and attention.”.
Tester Janet Morrissey said, “I made a cherry and a blueberry one…There was
a small riot over these and both were gone before any of the other desserts.”
Yes, of course you can freeze apple pies. I recommend
freezing before baking, but my customers tell me they
freeze them after baking too. I do this every year.
Make your crust: Spread some Crisco on the bottom—this is supposed
to aid in keeping out moisture—and add filling. Place top crust, again
spreading Crisco on the top. Add butter to fruit on top before freezing.
Things to remember: Put foil in the bottom of the pie plate before
placing the bottom layer of pastry–makes removing pie much easier.
Don’t ask me how I know this or how often I have forgotten!
After pie freezes, remove from plate, completely cover with foil, and
store in a container that will protect the fragile pastry (again, don’t ask
me how I know). Don’t get too fancy with crust edges of your crust—
plain old is good when freezing. Keep pies away from much contact: I
keep pie-sized boxes around from year to year for this very reason.
When ready to cook, remove from foil, place in pie plate, punch a
holes for the steam to escape, bake frozen at 400°F for l hour or so, et
voilà—a great pie!~Wendy, who runs a café in eastern Canada
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COEUR À LA CRÈME
Another winner from contributor Terry Pogue, this one is easy to make,
beautiful to present, and utterly delicious. “Traditionally you use a Coeur à la
Crème dish. It’s heart shaped with holes in the bottom. If you do not have one,
you can use a 7-inch sieve lined with damp cheesecloth or paper towels.”
Serves 6
12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
2½ cups cold heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
2 half-pints fresh raspberries
Raspberry and Grand Marnier sauce (recipe follows)
Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature or this won’t work. Beat
the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in an electric mixed fitted with the
paddle attachment on high for 2 minutes. Change to the whisk attachment
and beat on low speed while adding the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest
and vanilla bean seeds. Then turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the
mixture is very thick, much like whipped cream.
Dampen a cheese cloth and line the heart with the cloth, allowing the ends to
drape over the sides. Then fold the cheesecloth over the heart. Place the filled
dish on a plate with enough room to catch any liquid. Refrigerate overnight.
To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate, and drizzle
Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce around the base. Serve with raspberries
and extra sauce.
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RASPBERRY AND GRAND MARNIER SAUCE
Yields 2 cups
1 half-pint fresh raspberries
½ cup sugar
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur, preferably Grand Marnier
Place raspberries, sugar, and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil,
lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the
jam, and orange liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel
blade and process until smooth. Chill.
Testers declared the dish topped our “Best Ever” lists. Janet reported, “I love
make-ahead dishes! This was done 2 days ahead and just rested in the fridge
until needed. This is truly a scrape-the-plate dessert (see, I was good and
didn’t say lick the plate).”
Sign on a bakery truck: Cakes—66 cents, Upside-down Cakes—99 cents
Posted by Greg
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GRANDMA’S BLUEBERRY PUDDING
Family recipes are special treasures. Contributor Rosebud remembers,”My
grandmother would make this from the blueberries in her back yard. It always
signaled the beginning of summer to me. When blueberries are around now, I
make this for my sister. This is only a pudding in that pudding=dessert.”
1 cup sugar
1 egg
⅛ pound butter (¼ cup, or half a stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 pint blueberries
1½ teaspoons baking powder
Cream butter, egg, and sugar until light. Sift salt, baking powder, and 2 cups
flour together. Add milk and flour alternately to the creamed mixture. Gently
toss berries in 2 tablespoons flour, and gently fold into the batter.
Pour into a well-greased 9-by-13-inch cake pan and bake at 350°F for 45
minutes.
Serve with warm lemon hard sauce (recipe follows).
A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France
would result in Napoleons Blownapart.
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LEMON HARD SAUCE
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons sugar
½ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon vanilla
Blend sugar and corn starch into butter. Stir in water and lemon juice and cook
over medium heat until thickened. Stir in the vanilla. Serve warm over blueberry
pudding.
Rosebud says, “If it was made for Grandpa, Grandma would use 1 cup of water
and leave out the lemon juice because he didn’t like lemon.”
Tester Jennie Martin told us, “This was very good. A moist, tender cake, and I
think it would be good with other berries. I’ll be trying it with raspberries next. I
really like this best still just slight warm with the hard sauce pored over it warm.
I had never heard of the term “hard sauce” before, but recognized it from the
topping for cooked fruit that my mother used to make.”
Murder is always a mistake. One should never do anything that one
cannot talk about after dinner.
~Oscar Wilde
Posted by Tina V.
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DESSERTS
BLACKBERRY COBBLER
Contributor Terry Pogue told us, “This is the best cobbler I have ever tasted.”
8 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup sugar
¼ cup instant pearl tapioca
Juice of ½ lime
Pinch salt
1 cup flour
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
¾ cup sugar
½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) cold butter, cubed
1 egg
Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Spoon into a
2-quart baking dish.
Combine the next 6 ingredients in a bowl. Using your fingertips, knead in the
butter until incorporated. Mixture should look like coarse sand. Blend in the
egg, then arrange topping over the berries in clumps, covering them evenly.
Bake the cobbler for 45 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden and crisp, and
filling is thick and bubbly. Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before serving.
Serve with crème anglaise.
Tester Janet Morrissey reported, “I loved, loved, loved the addition of coconut
in the topping.”
Function in disaster, finish in style.
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GRILLED PEACHES WITH A CHUNK OF
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE
Terry Pogue gave us this one, saying, “Every cookbook needs a really simple,
elegant dessert. I think this qualifies on both counts.”
Serves 6
2 tablespoons butter, melted
6 ripe peaches, halved and pitted (scoop out any hard bits)
6½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into ½-ounce pieces
Ice cream, optional
Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Place the unpeeled peach halves,
flesh side down on a grill pan or outdoor grill. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until
peaches begin to brown slightly. This will give you some pretty grill marks on
the peaches.
Put the peaches, flesh side up in an ovenproof dish. Place a ½-ounce chunk
of chocolate in the well of each peach half. Using a pastry brush, coat the
peaches with the melted butter. Roast in 450°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until
the peaches are soft and tender all the way through and the chocolate is oozy.
To serve, place 2 peach halves in a shallow bowl and serve with a scoop of
your favorite ice cream.
Tester Denny Arar pronounced this an excellent dish. “Quick, tasty, great
ingredients—what’s not to like? A real winner. Rose straight to the top of my list
of things to do with summer peaches. I used 70% bittersweet chocolate.”
Chocolate sauce is not the answer for bad cooking.
Posted by Lara Fulton
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DESSERTS
MAHOGANY POUND CAKE
We love the personal notes and memories attached to Rosebud’s recipes.
“This was on a recipe card in my sister’s collection. The note she has on it says
it’s from the Southern Living 1989 annual recipe collection. My best friend,
John, loves this cake and I usually make it for his birthday.”
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
6 eggs, separated, at room temperature
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa
1 cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream butter; gradually add sugars, beating well at medium speed of an
electric mixer. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Sift flour and cocoa together. Mix baking soda with sour cream. Alternating flour
mixture and sour cream, add to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour
mixture. Mix just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Spoon the batter into a
greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.
Bake at 325°F for 1 hour, 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the
center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool
completely on a wire rack.
Tester Diane Laux told us, “It was a just-right cake to my taste buds – not too
sweet, not overly moist, and very tasty.”
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MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES
Maryellen Casey gave us this winner. “Here’s my tried-and-true, quick and
easy version that I throw together whenever my husband or I are having one of
those I NEED CHOCOLATE NOW days.”
½ pound butter
½ pound good quality chocolate chips
½ cup sugar
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon flour
Cocoa powder to dust ramekins
Confectioners’ sugar and/or cocoa powder to finish
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter six 4-ounce ramekins; dust with cocoa powder.
Melt the butter and chocolate chips together over low heat. Remove from heat;
whisk in the sugar, eggs, and egg yolks, then stir in the flour.
Spoon into prepared ramekins. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the sides are set
but the center is still a bit loose. ("Bake them until they aren't done enough" is
what we say in our house.)
Remove from oven and let sit for a minute, then run a thin knife around the
sides and invert onto plates; dust with confectioners' sugar, cocoa, or a mixture
of the two. Especially yummy when served with ice cream or fresh berries.
Notes: You can make the batter, spoon it into the ramekins, and refrigerate
or even freeze until ready to bake. (Baking time is, of course, longer if they’re
starting out chilled or frozen, so check them as they bake.) It’s nice to have
some of these on hand in the freezer when chocolate emergencies arise!
Terry Pogue declared this a perfect recipe for beginners, and a perfect dessert
for any chocolate lover.
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DESSERTS
OLD-FASHIONED CARROT CAKE
Carol Peterson sent us this one.
1½ cups oil
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2¼ cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups raw carrots, shredded
2 cups coconut, flaked
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
8 ounces pineapple, crushed
Cream cheese frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, as needed
Combine all ingredients in order given, using wooden spoon. Bake in greased
and floured 9-by-13-inch pan at 350°F for 50-60 minutes, or until cake springs
back when lightly touched. Cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting.
For a layer cake, divide batter between two 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 350°F
for 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and turn out on cake racks. Cool and frost.
Janet Morrissey added ¾ cup of raisins to her cake. She said it was dense and
delicious, with the carrots and pineapple adding lots of moisture. “I have never
used coconut in a carrot cake, and I think it added additional texture and flavor.
I think I might mix some toasted coconut into the frosting next time.”
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DESSERTS
OLD-FASHIONED HOT MILK CAKE
Rosebud tells us, “My mother was never much interested in cooking or baking,
but she made this cake for birthdays and it was always so good. It’s very rich
and moist, and you can get away with no icing if you want to, or you can just
sprinkle powdered sugar through a doily for a pretty decoration.”
1 cup milk
½ cup (1 stick) butter
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 pinch salt
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Heat the milk and butter over very low heat until the milk is warm and the butter
is completely melted. Set aside. Sift together the flour and baking soda.
Beat the eggs until foamy and add the sugar and salt. Beat until light and fluffy
and then add the milk mixture and the flour mixture in alternating batches. Stir
in the vanilla.
Pour into two 8-inch pans and bake at 375°F for 22 to 28 minutes. Cool slightly
and then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
Notes: You can split open a vanilla pod, scrape out the beans and put pod and
beans in with the milk and butter, instead of using vanilla extract.
Tester Jennie Martin loved the moistness of this cake, and says she won’t even
bother to frost it when she makes it again.
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DESSERTS
QUICK AND EASY HOMEMADE SORBET
Contributor Ellen Court first posted this to the list from a newspaper article
she’d read. Numerous Foodwinos have made the recipe and loved it, including
our stray grey mouse and Christine Babcock.
Freeze, for 12 hours, a 16-ounce can of your choice of fruit (pears are a
wonderful choice because pear sorbet is impossible to find). Run under hot
water for a minute or two.
Open the bottom end using a can opener, and drain the liquid into a food
processor; then push the fruit out and chop into 1” pieces. If the heavy syrup in
the can of fruit freezes so that you can’t drain it out, leave the can out at room
temperature for about half an hour. Also, do not open the pull-tab end (some
canned goods come with a pull-tab these days) because you can’t safely push
out the fruit from that end.
Place fruit in food processor and process until smooth, about a minute. Serve
at once or transfer to a container and place in the freezer. Makes about 1 pint.
Apricot sorbet: Use a 16-ounce can of apricots, frozen at least 12 hours. Add
2 tablespoons of Amaretto (optional) at the processing stage.
Pina colada sorbet: Use a 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, frozen
at least 12 hours; add 3 tablespoons dark rum and 6 tablespoons cream of
coconut, chilled, at the processing stage.
Frozen peach yogurt: Use an 8-ounce container nonfat peach yogurt, frozen
at least 12 hours; and an 8½-ounce can peaches, frozen at least 12 hours.
And from our tester: “I have made this now with several other fruits—guava,
canned mango in juice, another tropical fruit I can’t remember that I found in
the Asian market—all of them were delicious. I have a can of lychee in the
freezer now just to have on hand for an impromptu dinner party. Wonderful
surprise dessert!”
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DESSERTS
REAL TEXAS PEACH COBBLER
Joe Wells, an Arkansas man, is our go-to expert on all things barbeque. Bob
Coomler nominated Joe’s peach cobbler for the cookbook, saying, “I have a
dislike of baking, but this is one of maybe three exceptions.”
4 cups fresh peaches, sliced
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup butter
1¼ cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together the peaches, sugar, cinnamon and lemon
juice. Allow the mixture to sit while you make the batter, so the juices can be
drawn out of the peaches.
Put the butter in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish in the preheating oven just
long enough to melt the butter and warm the pan. While the butter is melting,
make the batter by combining the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and milk.
Remove the pan from the oven and pour the batter into the melted butter.
Carefully spoon the peach mixture over the batter, and return dish to the oven
to bake for 45 minutes. As the cobbler bakes, the batter will begin to rise up
and around the peaches.
Notes: You can vary the amount of butter to personal taste, and vary the sugar
based on the sweetness of the peaches.
Maryellen Casey reported success using six cups of peaches and blueberries
and replacing about 1/3 cup of flour with cornmeal.
277
DESSERTS
ROSE-FLAVORED GLASSES
Bob Pastorio became a newspaper food columnist after he retired as a chef.
He wrote this recipe in 1992 and describes it as “a marinated fresh fruit salad
for grownups - very fruity but not overly sweet. The flavors are surprising and
satisfying, and you can wonderfully wreck your diet by putting a generous
dollop of whipped cream on top of each serving.”
Serves 4 to 6
1 cup raspberries
1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 cup cherries, pitted
2 tablespoons white wine
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Petals from 2 scented roses
1½ cups heavy cream (at least 36% milkfat)
½ cup plain yogurt
Mint leaves for garnish
Pound cake or cookies for serving
Yes, you eat the rose petals. Make sure the petals come from flowers intended
to be eaten; many supermarkets now carry them in the produce section.
(Flowers from florists are usually sprayed with various chemicals not for
consumption.) Or pick some unsprayed ones from your garden.
Rinse and dry the fruit, and hold aside in a bowl. Pick petals from flowers, rinse
and pat dry. Combine wine and sugar to mix, and add petals. Add to fruit and
toss very gently to coat.
Refrigerate for an hour. Just before serving, whip the cream and fold in yogurt.
Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the marinated fruit, and fold to mix. Portion the rest
of the fruit into glass dessert cups, top with flavored cream, and garnish with
mint leaves. Serve over a slice of pound cake or with crisp cookies.
278
DESSERTS
SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE
Submitted by Carol Peterson.
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
1 2-pack frozen unbaked 9-inch pie shells, thawed
½ cup sour cream
2 pounds peeled apple slices
Combine first five (dry) ingredients. Cover bottom of one of the pie shells with
¼ of mixture. Stir remaining mixture into sour cream. Slice apples ⅛-inch thick,
and stir into sour cream mixture. Place into the first pie shell and cover with the
other pie shell. Let rest 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 325°F, and bake about 45
minutes, or until apples are done. Important: Cool 3-4 hours on a rack before
cutting.
Tester Janet Morrissey says, “This is less sweet than your normal pie, which I
really liked about it, and the bit of dry mixture put in the bottom of the pie first,
keeps the mixture from making the bottom crust soggy. This really does firm up
nicely if left alone, and the slices are really beautiful.”
She used store-bought pie crust and reports it worked well.
Scary thought of the day: A new set of golden arches pops up somewhere
on the globe every four hours.
Posted by Dragon
279
DESSERTS
WALNUT CAKE WITH SAUTÉED PEARS
AND CINNAMON CREAM
Rosebud contributed this one “I first had this at a friend’s house several years
ago, and begged and pleaded until she gave me the recipe. This is a wonderful
special occasion cake; but then, any day can be a special occasion.”
Cake :
1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
½ cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pears :
6 small Bosc pears, cored, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cream :
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoons sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and
tap out the excess flour.
Prepare the cake: Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and whisk 8
280
DESSERTS
to 10 times until well mixed. Using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed,
cream the butter and sugar in another bowl. Add the egg yolks and beat until
smooth. Add the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 batches, alternating with the milk and
ending with the dry ingredients. Stir well, then fold in the nuts and vanilla.
Using an electric mixer set on medium-high, beat egg whites until they hold stiff
peaks. Fold whites into the batter just until mixed. Spread the batter in the cake
pan. Bake on the center oven rack for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Prepare the pears: In a sauté pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high
heat and cook the pears, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or just until softened.
Sprinkle with the sugar. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice and mix
well. Cover to keep warm.
To make the cream, using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, whip
the cream and sugar until the cream is thick but not dry. Add the cinnamon and
continue whipping until the cream is the desired consistency.
Serve the cake topped with the pears and cream.
Tester Sheila Foster noted that other nuts work as well as walnuts if you prefer.
When serving, top the cake itself with the pears, but serve the whipped cream
separately as each piece is cut, since the toppings may run together. If you
don’t like too much spice on delicately flavored pears, you can adjust to your
own taste.
In my experience, clever food is not appreciated at Christmas.
It makes the little ones cry and the old ones nervous.
~Jane Grigson
Posted by Pat Belanger
281
DESSERTS
STELLA-STYLE NEW YORK RICOTTA CHEESECAKE
“This recipe got me through my first year of low-carb eating,” Rosebud says. “I
sometimes top this with whatever fruit is in season, but it is fine as is.”
1 cup extra-fine whole milk ricotta cheese, processed in a food processor
for 1 minute
½ cup sour cream
1½ cups sugar substitute (Splenda recommended)
1
⁄3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon no-sugar-added vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick vegetable
oil cooking spray. Pour about an inch of water into a shallow roasting pan big
enough to fit the cake pan; place it on the center rack of the oven to preheat.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese, ricotta, sour
cream and sugar substitute on low speed for about a minute until well blended.
In a separate bowl, using a wire whisk, mix heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice,
eggs, and egg yolks until blended. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly
pour egg mixture into cheese mixture. Beat just until blended; don’t over-whip.
Pour batter into the greased springform pan. Place pan into the heated water
bath. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 275°F. Continue
baking for 1½ hours, or until top is light golden brown and cake is pulling away
from the sides of the pan.
Turn the oven off when finished cooking and leave the cake in the oven to cool
for 3 more hours. (This will keep the cake nice and tall.) Remove cake and
refrigerate. Serve chilled.
282
index
“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody,
even one’s own relations”
~Oscar Wilde
INDEX
INDEX
INDEX
A
addi water 242
Aegean Rice Salad 108
Alice’s Corn Crab Cakes 128
almond flour 73
Almost No-Knead Bread With
Olives, Rosemary,
and Parmesan 67
Almost No-Knead Cranberry-Pecan
Bread 68
Almost No-Knead Whole Wheat
Bread 67
Amazing Almost No-Knead
Bread 66
anchovies 42, 184, 253
andouille sausages 134
Andre’s Key Lime Pie 262
Anise/White Vinegar 12
Any Beer Bread 26
Any Fruit Curd 20
Any Fruit Dessert Soufflé 10
Any Nut Triple-Nut Pie 9
Anything Infused Vinegar 11
Anything Pasta Salad with
Anything Vinaigrette 28
Anything Quick Bread 25
Anything Risotto 2
Apple & Walnut Salad with
Maple Dressing 112
Apricot Brandied Chicken
Breasts 142
Apricot Sorbet 276
Arroz Verde (Green Rice) 190
Artichoke-Asiago Dip 40
artichokes 40, 43, 154, 219
Asian chili sauce 191
asparagus 8, 218, 227
avocados 22, 94, 115, 120, 176, 252
Awesome Asparagus 218
B
Baby Squash Romano 220
bacon 26, 56, 87, 113, 114, 117,
156, 159, 214, 221,
Baked Beans 221
Baked Stuffed Peaches 263
Balsamic Pork and Cranberry
Roast 209
banana 21, 25, 70, 138
Basic Meat Brine 247
Basic Risotto 2
Basil Crusted Veal Chop 158
Basil-Garlic/Cider Vinegar 12
284
INDEX
beans 86, 87, 97, 188, 205, 221,
275
black 86, 87, 221, 242
béchamel sauce 10, 14, 16
beef
bones for sauce/stock 16, 31
braised 164
brining 246-248
chuck 86
curried 202
ground 86, 188, 205
short ribs 165, 166
sirloin 202
stew meat 86, 160, 164, 203, 207
beer 26, 43, 64, 66, 122, 168
beets 92
Beer-Batter Artichoke Hearts 43
Beyond Basic Butter 37
black-eyed peas 53
Black Bean Chili 86
Black Bean Quesadillas 242
Black Bean Soup 87
Blackberry Cobbler 270
Block Party Pepper Salad 110
blue cheese 46, 61, 240
blueberries 10, 264, 268, 277
BLT Salad with Basil Mayonnaise
Dressing 113
Bob Collins 63
Bob’s Baked Beans 221
Bon Appétit Cookbook 184
bouquet garni 15
Bonanza Bread 70
bourbon 210, 211
Boursin-ish Cheese 42
Brack Forest Bread 69
Bread Machine Cookbook 69
Breadcrumb and Flour
Coatings 36
Brie 23, 62
Brined Pork and Veal Chops 248
Brining for Beginners 246
broccoli 8, 12, 114, 222
Broccoli Salad 114
Broccoli Trees with Parmesan
and Lemon 222
Broiled Chicken 254
Broiled Fish with Indian
Spices 126
Brooklyn Grandmom’s Date Nut
Bread 76
brown sauces 16
Brussels Sprouts Soup 90
bulgur 172
butter
curried 146
nut 9
sauce 146
buttermilk 37, 77, 83
C
cake 129, 267, 272, 274, 275,
280-282
capers 7, 45, 129, 177, 251
285
INDEX
Carote Alla Giudia (Carrots in the
Jewish Style) 164
cauliflower 8, 12, 110, 223, 228
roasted 228
Cheese Ball 41
cheese sauce 218
cherries 26, 63, 64, 69, 256, 264
chick peas 110, 221
chicken
breasts 142, 143, 145, 146, 147,
149-151, 154, 171, 204
brining 247
broiled 254
diced, cooked 148, 216
ground 188
pieces 144
quarters 153
sauces 16, 254
soups 8, 88
stock 31, 183
thighs 134, 135, 151, 213
whole roaster 144, 152, 254
Chicken & Spinach in a Coconut
Curry Sauce 143
Chicken a la Romana 144
Chicken Skewers With Lemon
Sauce 145
Chicken with Mushrooms and
Sun-Dried Tomatoes 204
chickpeas 47
chili 86, 119, 169, 188
Chili Peppers/Cider Vinegar 13
chili peppers 206
chipotle 88, 130, 156, 176, 225
hot dried red 224
poblano 151, 242
chili powder 87, 205, 210
chili sauce 105, 191, 210, 211
Chipotle Chicken and Veggie
Soup 88
chocolate 69, 109, 256, 257, 271,
273
bittersweet 256, 271
sauce 271
unsweetened 256
Chopped Salad with Salsa Verde
Dressing 115
Chutney Glazed Chicken
Breasts 146
Cinnamon Rolls (or Sticky
Buns) 74
Cinnamon Toast Pancakes 72
Cinnamon/Cider Vinegar 12
Classic Sauces 14
cobbler 277
coconut 30, 270, 274, 276
curry sauce 143
coconut milk 30, 96, 105, 143
Coeur à la Crème 266
Cold Beet Borscht 92
cookies
cranberry oatmeal pecan 258
double chocolate double
cherry 256
ginger 259
286
INDEX
cookies (continued)
gluten-free 258
snowball 260
Cooking Light Magazine 208
Cook’s Illustrated Magazine 66, 68
corn 105, 128, 168, 242
crab cakes 128
cream-style 105
Corn Muffins with Smoked Turkey
and Jalapeño Jelly 24
cornmeal 205
cornichons 214, 215
couscous 192
Crab Boboli Extravaganza 54
Crab Patties with Chipotle
Mayonnaise 130
crabmeat 127, 128, 130
cranberries 26, 30, 148, 209, 258
Cranberry Oatmeal Pecan
Cookies 258
cream cheese frosting 274
Cream Of Anything Soup 8
cream sauce 154, 155, 218
Creamed Sage Chicken
Scallopini 147
crystallized ginger 82, 259
cucumbers 6, 28, 63, 94, 192, 207,
232
curds 20, 21
Curried Chicken Clafoutis 148
Curried Couscous 192
Curried Lamb Chops 173
curry 143, 146, 148, 169, 173, 192,
193, 202, 223
butter mixture 146
paste 143
powder 143, 146, 148, 169, 173,
193, 202, 223
custard sauces 16
D
Decorative Pickled Vegetables 18
demi-glacé 12, 14
depouillage…15
dessert sauces 16
Dijon-Tarragon Cream Sauce 250
Dilled Potato Salad 116
dip 43, 49, 58, 173, 177, 219, 251
distilled vinegar 11
Dolmades (Stuffed Grape
Leaves) 24
Double Chocolate Double Cherry
Cookies 256
dressing 12, 13, 28, 55, 110, 112,
115, 117, 163, 218, 221, 223,
244, 251
anything vinaigrette 28
basil mayonnaise 113
cream-lemon-oil 218
curried 223
Gorgonzola 251
for shrimp 55
maple 112
287
INDEX
dressing (continued)
salsa verde 115
vinaigrette 28
duck 129, 215, 247
E
Easy Crockpot Curry 202
eggplant 59, 160, 161
patties 58, 59
eggs
boiled 117
poached 218
scrambled 57
emulsified sauces 16
F
fettuccine 191
Fennel Spice Seasoning 171
Fettuccine and Shrimp in
Scallion-Ginger-Chili Sauce 191
Fettuccini Alfredo with Prosciutto
and Peas 194
Fig-Walnut Tapenade with Goat
Cheese 45
figs 22, 23, 45
fish 7, 11, 146, 178, 181, 249, 252
baked 139
brining 249
broiled 14, 126, 249
ceviche 38
fish (continued)
crusted 131
fillets 126, 249
grilled 115, 138, 146, 236
pan-fried 132-133
poaching 12
seviche 38
steaks 126
steamed 136
stock 3, 31
whole 136
Fish Fillets in a Maple and Dill
Brine 249
fonds 15
fonds blanc 15, 16
Forever Roasted Lamb 170
Four-Cheese Chicken Breasts
Florentine 149
Frozen Peach Yogurt 276
fruit, cooked 269
fruit salads 11, 12
fumet 15
G
game meats 246
Garlic/Red Wine Vinegar 11
German Potato Salad 117
gin 63, 64
Ginger Cookies 259
Ginger Cream 103
Ginger-Steamed Whole Fish With
Asian Flavors 136
288
INDEX
Ginger/Cider Vinegar 12
Girlies Green Sauce 252
glaze 10, 30, 146
goat cheese 42, 45
Gorgonzola whipped cream 251
Gorgonzola (or any Blue-Veined
Cheese) Dressing for Salad 251
Gorgonzola, Grape and Nut
Crostini 46
Gougere 44
Grand Marnier Sauce 266, 267
Grandma’s Blueberry
Pudding 268
Grandma’s Maryland Crab
Cakes 127
Grandpa Mikey’s Habanero
Jelly 48
Grapefruit/Cider Vinegar 11
gravy 12, 17, 172, 208, 209
Gravy Tactics 17
Green Chili Stew 206
Green Lentils with Lemon
Slices 224
Green Peppercorn Sauce 182
Grilled Baby Artichokes 219
Grilled Chicken Breasts 150
Grilled Mahi Mahi with Banana
Salsa 138
Grilled Peaches with a Chunk of
Bittersweet Chocolate 271
Grilled Shrimp and Smokey Chilled
Gazpacho 94
Gruyère 14
guacamole 242, 243, 252
H
ham 73, 84, 158, 196, 212, 246
Harissa 132, 133
Herbed Hummus Dip 47
Homemade Chicken Stock 183
honey 13, 22, 23, 73, 120, 180, 213
Honey Cider Vinegar 13
horseradish 214, 215, 251
Horseradish Whipped Cream 251
Hot Bandanas 244
Hot Pepper Vinegar 13
Hungarian Barley Stew 207
Hush Puppies Puffs 77
Iicing 74, 75, 275
Ingriyi (Iraqi Sweet-and-Sour Meat
with Eggplant) 160
Italian Green Beans with
Tomatoes 226
Jjalapeño peppers 13, 22, 51, 96,
118, 120, 140, 171, 179
Jalapeño Vinegar 13
289
INDEX
K
kielbasa 90, 214
knishes 238, 239
L
lamb
brining 246
chops 173
curried 173
grilled 174
ground 169
leg of 170, 172, 174
rack of 173
roasted 170, 172
shank 98
shoulder 172
stews 98, 160, 202
Lamb and Orzo with Indian
Spices 169
Lamb with Apricot, Cinnamon, and
Cumin Stuffing 172
Lemon Basil Crostini 24
Lemon Carrot Muffins 78
Lemon Hard Sauce 269
Lemon Risotto (Risotto
al Limone) 3
Lemon Sauce 145
Lemon Vinegar 11
lentils 132, 133
Leslie’s Mom’s Sweet and Sour
Pork 186
Lex’s Roast Chicken 152
Liaison 15
Lime-Cilantro Rice 195
liqueurs, orange-flavored 267
Lisa’s Eggplant Patties 59
Little Girlies Green Sauce 252
Lori’s Warm Brie Appetizer 62
Lots of Appetizers 22
M
Madhur Jaffrey’s Grilled Boneless
Leg of Lamb 174
Maggi sauce and seasoning 220
Mahogany Pound Cake 272
Maman’s Cheese Soufflé 79
Mango Cilantro Jalapeño
Salad 118
mangoes 26, 118
Matignon 15
mayonnaise 34, 35, 113, 114, 176
Basil Mayonnaise 113
Chipotle Mayonnaise 176
Pastorio’s Mayonnaise 34
Meat Loaf of the Gods 159
Mediterranean Roast Turkey
Breast 208
Merry Tomatoes 49
Mexican Style Pork Sandwich 176
Mint Vinegar 12
mirepoix 15, 31
Molten Chocolate Cakes 273
Mornay Sauce 14
290
INDEX
Moroccan Spiced Salmon on
Lentils 132
Mother Sauces 14
mushrooms 18, 96, 155, 166, 168,
199, 204, 225
portabellas 225
mussels 134
Mustang Winemaker’s Paella 134
N
nuts
Any Nut Triple Nut Pie 9
pecans 22, 23, 41, 52, 191, 258,
260
pine nuts, roasted 149
walnuts 34, 62, 112, 227, 240,
260, 281
O
oatmeal 199, 258
Steel Cut Oatmeal Pilaf 199
Cranberry Oatmeal Pecan
Cookies 258
Old South Pulled Pork
on a Bun 210
Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake 274
Old-Fashioned Hot Milk Cake 275
Olivada on Focaccia or
Baguette 24
omelets 84
Orange Asparagus with Toasted
Walnuts 227
Orange Blossom Lentil Barley
Soup 91
Orange Vinegar 11
Oyster Soup with Coconut Milk
and Chiles 96
P
Panzanella, American-Style 5
paella 134
pancakes 72, 73, 83
Parmesan Bowls 50
Parmesan cheese 4, 14, 22, 56, 97,
145, 149, 198, 234-236
Parmesan Crisps 50
pasta 8, 16, 28, 37, 58, 97, 162,
191, 194, 196, 250
Pasta with Ham, Tomato and
Parsley 196
Pastorio’s Mayonnaise 34
The Pats’ Overnight
Casserole 216
Peach Salsa 179
peaches 178, 179, 263, 271, 276,
277
Pear Ginger Muffins 82
pears 26, 276, 280, 281
peas 38, 101, 144, 168, 194, 234
pecans 22, 23, 41, 52, 191, 258, 260
pepitas 100
Pepper Jelly Cheesecake 51
291
INDEX
Peppercorn/Cider Vinegar 12
Pesto Crusted Salmon 139
Phyllo Chicken with Rice,
Artichokes, and Cream
Sauce 154
pickles 122, 232, 233
pies 262, 265, 279
Piña Colada Sorbet 276
pine nuts, roasted 149
pineapple 30, 274
Poblano Chicken 151
Polenta Rounds with Black-Eyed
Peas 53
pork 160, 176, 177, 178, 180, 181,
182, 184, 186, 188, 206, 209,
210, 214, 247
brining 247
butt 176, 206, 209
chops 177, 178, 181, 214
ground 188
loin 182, 215
rib roast 184
shoulder 209
sweet and sour 186
stew 160
tenderloin 180, 209
Pork Chops With Capers 177
Pork Chops With Peach Salsa 178
Pork Loin with Green Peppercorn
Sauce 182
Port Risotto (Risotto Del Porto) 3
portabellas 225
Potato Leek Soup with Ham 212
potatoes 31, 90, 230
cooked 117, 206
diced boiled 93
mashed 166, 209, 238
sliced 122
Potatoes Da Delfina 230
Potatoes Noisette 229
pound cake 278
Price-War Red Pepper Sauce 253
prosciutto 23, 106, 162, 194
Provolone, smoked 149
pudding 164, 268
blueberry 268, 269
puréed sauces 16
Q
quesadillas 242, 243
Quick and Easy Homemade
Sorbet 276
Quinoa Al Salpicon 119
R
Rapid Lemon Glaze (or Almost
Any Flavor) 30
raspberries 10, 266, 267, 269
cooked 267
fresh 156, 266, 267
Raspberry and Grand
Marnier Sauce 267
Real Texas Peach Cobbler 277
292
INDEX
Red Wine Rice 197
Refrigerator Dill Pickles 232
ribs 165, 166, 167
rice
cooked 2, 33, 195, 197, 199
salad, cold 108
rice flour 258
rice wine 186
risotto 2-4, 33, 197, 199
Risotto with Four Cheeses (Risotto
Ai Quattro Formaggi) 4
Roast Chicken Mamou 254
Roast Chicken Marsala 254
Roast Chicken Piccata 254
Roast Chicken Tarragon 254
Roast Pork Tenderlin Chinese
Style 180
Roasted Cauliflower 228
Roasted Green Beans with Blue
Cheese 240
Roman-Style Veal Cutlets with
Sage 162
Romano cheese 106, 225
Rose-Flavored Glasses 278
Rosemary Muffins 80
roux 15-17, 208, 209
blonde 15, 16
white 15, 16
rum sauce 30
Rustic Herbed Tomato Tart with
Parmesan Crust 234
SSaffron Orzo 198
salmon 11, 23, 36, 38, 52, 126, 132,
133, 249
Salmon Balls 52
Salmon Whipped Cream
Spread 251
salsa 13, 84, 138, 206, 242, 243
sandwiches 123, 162, 176, 244
sauces
adobo 88, 156, 176, 225
butter-curry 146
chipotle 156
cold 58
hard 268, 269
marinara 149
modern 16
pan 90
Sauce Robert 14
scallion-ginger-chili sauce 191
sweet-and-sour 187
tartar 128, 129
tangy 211
tequila 140
tomato 16, 132, 133
veal 209
Sauces Made with Whipped
Cream 251
sauerkraut 214, 215
Sausage, Spinach and White
Bean Soup 97
Savory Tomato Crumble 236
293
INDEX
scallopini 147
Scotch Broth 98
Seviche (Ceviche) 38
Shallot/Cider Vinegar 12
sherry 166, 179, 180, 186
shrimp 55, 94, 140, 191
Shrimp Pontchartrain 55
Skewered Bocconcini with
Prosciutto 23
skewers 11, 22, 23, 95, 145
Slow Cooker Beef Stew 203
Slow Cooker Tamale Pie 205
Slow-Cooker Choucroute 214
Smoked Salmon and Avocado
Rosettes 23
Snowball Cookies 260
Sorrel Soup 99
soufflé 10, 79
Sour Cream Apple Pie 279
Spicy Orange Pork Chops 181
Spicy Pork with Noodles 188
Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Mexican
Crema and Toasted Pepitas 100
Spicy Split Pea Soup 101
spinach 97, 106, 121, 124, 143, 149,
190, 223
Spinach and Berries Salad with
Dill 121
squash 102, 220
Star Anise-Scented Butternut
Squash Soup with Ginger
Cream 102
Steel Cut Oatmeal Pilaf 199
Stella-Style New York Ricotta
Cheesecake 282
sticky buns 74, 75
Stilton Soup 104
Stocks by Bob 31
Stracatto De Manzo (Braised Beef
in Red Wine) 164
Stuffed Dates 56
sugar substitute 72, 114, 282
Sun-Dried Tomato and
Red Pepper Dip 58
Sweet & Sour Chicken for the
Slow Cooker 213
Sweet Freezer Pickles 233
Sweet Onion, Apple and Cheese
Tart 60
swordfish 126
T
tapenade 45
tarts 60, 235
Tart Potato Salad 122
Tater Tot Casserole 168
Tequila-Orange Grilled
Shrimp 140
Terry’s Best Pancakes 83
Tex-Mex Deviled Eggs 57
Thai Corn Soup 105
Tomato Florentine Soup 106
Tortellini Skewers With Lemon
Parmesan Aioli 22
tuna 11, 38, 123, 126, 216, 249
294
INDEX
turkey
breast 156, 208
brining 248, 249
cream of, soup 8
cooked diced 216
deli-style, appetizers 24, 156
with noodles 188
Tuscan Pork With Red-Pepper
Relish 184
Tuscan Tuna Salad 123
Tuscan-Style Steak with Arugula
and Parmesan 163
V
veal
brining 247, 248
chops 36, 158, 171, 248
cutlets 162
sauces 16
stocks 31
Vegetable Tian 237
velouté 16
vinaigrette 28, 108, 119-121, 221
vinegar
Anything Infused Vinegar 11
vodka 49
W
Walnut Cake with Sautéed Pears
and Cinnamon Cream 280
walnuts 34, 62, 112, 227, 240, 260,
281
Warm Brie and Pear Tartlets 23
Warm Figs with Gorgonzola and
Pecans 23
Warm Figs with Prosciutto 23
Warm Italian Sausage Salad 124
Warm, Seasoned Potato Chips 24
watermelon 120
wheat bread 67
whipped cream, flavored 251
Wildly Inauthentic Crustless Potato
Knishes 238
Wine-Braised Short Ribs 166
Z
Ziploc Omelet 84
Zucchini With Gorgonzola 241
Zuni Rolls 156
295
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What you`ll need. How to put it all together.

Idiot`s Kitchen Recipe – Swedish Meatballs

shellfish risotto

Bright House 2010 Solar Energy Cook