Cooking with Julian

Chicken Stock, Broth and Soup

2012-01-28T08:00:00.012-06:00

It's that time of the year when I begin using up the chicken stock I made previously whenever I had spare chicken parts or a carcass from a roasted bird handy. I rarely let chicken in any form go to waste as I know I'll need stock for a sauce, or like now, broth for a hearty chicken soup during the cold Chicago winter. And as my supply is already running low, today I'm making fresh stock from chicken wings, which are really the best for this purpose. But before I go on, I thought I would clarify a few terms, sorting out stock from broth and other commonly confused items.

Chicken stock is a liquid in which chicken bones and vegetables have been simmered for the purpose of serving as an ingredient in other dishes. Chicken stock is not usually served as is, as it has been reduced and has a very strong flavor. Stock can be made with less desirable parts of the chicken, such as feet, wings, necks or just bones: the higher bone content in these parts contributes more gelatin to the liquid, making it a better base for sauces.

Chicken consommé is a more refined chicken stock. It is usually strained to perfect clarity, and reduced to concentrate it. I usually just make stock, but if you want to impress, I discuss below how to create a nice clear consommé.

Chicken broth is the liquid part of chicken soup. Broth can be served as is or served as soup with noodles. Broth is usually more mild than stock, does not need to be cooked as long, and can be made with meatier chicken parts. Chicken bouillon or bouillon de poulet is the French term for chicken broth. Chicken broth can be made from chicken stock.

Broth made from Carcass of Roasted Chicken

Mirepoix is a French term for a combination of onions, carrots, and celery. Often, when making stock, the less desirable parts of the vegetables (such as carrot skins and celery ends) are used since they will not be eaten.

While I use my stock for a wide-range of dishes, in the winter I'm most often making chicken soup, which is a family favorite all across the world. It may well be the ultimate comfort food. Its soothing aroma and rich flavor often brings back memories of mother or grandmother making a pot and bringing it to you when you were not feeling well. You may be surprised to learn that the Chinese consume more chicken soup than any other culture. Chicken soup is also firmly entrenched as a traditional food in Jewish culture. It's served in some of the world's finest restaurants and is also considered a peasant food, since it can be frugally made from parts of the fowl which are not necessarily meaty but contain intense flavor, such as the neck, back, wings and the bones. After the meat of a whole chicken has been used for one prime meal, the carcass can be transformed into an equally sumptuous and satisfying soup. My own mother often did this and I do the same. You can get so much good food from one chicken. Is it Jewish penicillin? Perhaps not scientifically speaking, but it does comfort and provides necessary sustenance and hydration while helping to stimulate the appetite.

Julian's Chicken Soup and Salad

Making Stock or Consommé (adapted from an original recipe by Sara Moulton)
Ingredients
5 pounds chicken wings
2 medium onions, quartered
2 small carrots, halved
2 celery stalks, halved
4 rinsed and dried fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
2 rinsed and dried fresh thyme sprigs
1 Turkish bay leaf
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

As I noted above, you can use most any part of the chicken, raw or previously cooked to make a stock. However, if you are just looking to restock your freezer with fresh chicken stock or consommé, I find it best to purchase chicken wings. They really are an ideal combination of bones, skin/fat and meat to make the perfect golden nectar, and they are inexpensive to boot.

I typically rinse the wings and place them in a large pot. Cover with cold water about 2-3 inches above the wings. Starting with cold water promotes the extraction of collagen, which may be sealed in by hot water.

The stock should be simmered gently, with bubbles just breaking the surface, and not boiled. If a stock is boiled, it will be cloudy and if we want a golden consommé to serve our guests, ensuring it is very clear is important.

Start by bring the mixture just to a boil over high heat. Simmer the chicken stock without adding any vegetables skimming and discarding the surface scum using a slotted spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, skimming frequently, for 20 minutes before adding a rough cut mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery) and the remaining seasonings.

Salt is usually not added to the stock, as this causes it to become too salty, since most stocks are reduced.

Simmer for 2–3 hours more.

Remove from heat and when cool enough to handle the pot, strain out the solids.

To remove the fat, place the stock in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours until the fat has solidified and can be easily removed with a spoon.

Return the stock to a pot and simmer until reduced by one third, about 30 minutes.

Divide the stock among several freezer safe containers or molds. I typically use a Wilton Easy Flex Silicone Four Cavity Mini Loaf Pan, as each holds two-cups of liquid and once frozen, the golden bars are easily removed, wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a zippered plastic bag in the freezer. Two cups is often just the amount of stock I need to make a sauce or soup, remembering that this has been reduced and is strong in flavor (to make soup you must add water.) Chicken stock can be frozen and kept several months, although at my house we have trouble keeping around that long!

Chinese New Year Sweet and Sour Appetizer Meatballs

2012-01-23T11:27:00.000-06:00

A last minute invitation reminded me of this party classic, which is quick and easy to prepare. We had been invited to a dinner party (for hot pot) on Sunday to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Having a limited repetoire in this style of cooking and knowing my dinner companions would be largely Chinese, I selected Pear and Ginger Crisp, as they enjoy ginger and pears yet not having to compete with authentic Chinese cooking. Then on Saturday while pondering how much crisp to make, we received a new invitation for that evening for yet another New Year celebration. As I never like to go empty handed, I looked around my kitchen to see what I might prepare on short notice.

Thankfully, I had cocktail meatballs on hand, as well as bell peppers and the other basic items needed to quickly pull together this dish . I modified my usual recipe to add some Chinese crushed red pepper paste, which gave this sweet and sour dish a little kick.

It took me under an hour to prepare and ready it for transport. Thankfully I have a crockpot with a lid strap and warming jacket that was kept the warm until we arrived and then heated throughout the evening.

If you are looking for a colorful dish good for large gatherings, give these meatballs a try.

Ingredients
4 pounds meatballs, frozen, cooked -- or fresh small meatballs if you prefer
28 ounces pineapple chunks in juice
(typically one small and one large can, natural juice preferred)
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon catsup
1 teaspoon chili paste -- optional
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
8 green onions -- thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper -- cut into 1" squares
1 large green bell pepper -- cut into 1" squares

Bake the frozen cocktail meatballs according to the package directions or make your own from scratch as you prefer.

Drain the pineapple reserving the juice. Set the pineapple aside. Combine pineapple juice with 1 cup of the cihcken broth, vinegar, soy sauce and catsup in a large sauce pan. Add the optional chili paste if you prefer a little spice in the dish. Heat over medium high until hot. Stir in the sugar and until combined. Mix the remaining quarter cup of chicken broth with the cornstarch in a separate dish until combined. Stir into the hot broth mixture until thickened and the mixture just begins to boil. (If you prefer youu can refrigerate the sauce at this stage for use later.) Add the onion and peppers and cook for another minute or two to heat through. Stir in the reserved pineapple chunks and pour sauce over prepared meatballs. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Shrimp De Jonghe - A Chicago Classic

2012-01-21T08:00:00.128-06:00

This Chicago specialty is a casserole of shrimp blanketed in toasted bread crumbs in a garlic infused white wine (or sherry) and butter sauce. It can be served as an appetizer or a main course and comes with an interesting pedigree that will fascinate your dinner guests as well as delight their pallets.

According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, the dish originated in the late 19th or early 20th century at the De Jonghe Hotel and Restaurant. The De Jonghe brothers and their two sisters had emigrated from their native Belgium to Chicago only a year before the 1892 World`s Columbian Exposition, their sights set on making a living in the New World. The recipe is usually attributed to the owners, brothers Henri, Pierre and Charles DeJonghe, however there has been speculation that the dish was actually created by their chef, Emil Zehr.

De Jonghe Hotel Dining Room circa 1910

While the hotel and dining room are long gone, the dish lives on in at least a hundred restaurants throughout the Chicago area, not to mention numerous other restaurants around the country. As such, there are many versions of the recipe and I share mine with you below. It is simple to make and always pleases. For a main course I usually serve with some type of fried rice and a vegatable. Have a good bread handy as people often want to dip up the sauce.

Shrimp De Jonghe
[Main course for two adults, or appetizer for four]

Ingredients
12 large shrimp/prawns
1/2 lemon
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine or sherry
salt and pepper to taste
8 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup of bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried chopped parsley

Preheat Oven to 400F degrees with rack arranged to high position (to aid in browning).

Clean, peel and devein the shrimp, removing their tales. Arrange shrimp in an oven proof shallow cooking dish. If using for appetizer arrange in individual ramikins. Sprinkle with lemon juice and chopped garlic. Pour over the wine or sherry and dot with half (4 Tbls) of the butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Melt the remaining half (4 Tbls) of the butter and combine with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Add the dried parsley and stir to combine.

Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over prepared shrimp. Bake on top rack of oven for 15 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through and bread crumbs begin to brown.

Beef Stew, is yours Bourguignon?

2012-01-14T08:00:00.050-06:00

As Julia Child states in her introduction to the famous recipe, "Of the several types of beef stew in which the meat is browned, then simmerered in an aromatic liquid, boeuf bourguignon is the most famous." It is called bourguignon because it comes from the Bourguignons village in the north of France, the region famous of course for its burgandy wines. As such it is a beef stew made with red wine. Julia goes on to state "As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certianly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man..."

While Julia's recipe below is a stew that is traditionally served with boiled potatoes, I make my version in the American tradition and add the potatoes, carrots or other root vegetables during the last hour of cooking so as not to over cook them. If I have other vegetables handy, I add those too. After you've made beef stew by the recipe a few times, you'll know the basic techniques and you can add and subtract ingredients as you and your family enjoy this classic dish.

The most important elements when making any good beef stew are 1) brown the meat first using a better cut of meat such as chuck pot roast; 2) use an inexpensive but drinkable red wine; and 3) cook for 2-4 hours. From these basics, you can improvise. For example after browning my beef I typically add a roughly chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots and a couple stalks of chopped celery to deglaze the pan. Then I add at least a half a bottle of red wine and let simmer for 10 minutes or so, before adding the beef to the pot, covering it well with half chicken broth and half water.

If you'd like to hear from the master herself, check out the video of her making this dish on YouTube.

Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon
[Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms]

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
18 to 24 white onions, small
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)
1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Directions
Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust). Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees. Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.
Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

Ceramic Cook Tops

2012-01-07T08:00:00.130-06:00

At our island home (Villa Morningstar) we were recently faced with the decision of which cook top to install. The home has no access to natural gas although you can do bottled gas. After looking over the options, we decided upon an electric range with a ceramic cook top. The ceramic cook top is a glass-like cook top with electric heating elements under the surface. Now before you say 'on no, you don't want an electric cooktop', please understand that these are not the electric cook tops your mother cursed. (Note, we did not choose a ceramic induction cook top because of their high cost and our only occasional use of the home, but when we do start to spend entire winters in this home, I will be seriously considering the induction option.)

GE Profile Range with Ceramic Cooktop
at our home in St. Thomas, USVI

Electric cook tops traditionally received negative reviews because they were hard to control, taking forever to boil a pot of water and not cooling down quick enough when the cook wanted to reduce the heat.

Flat ceramic electric cook tops come in a variety of sizes and have many features. The clean-looking ceramic top now conducts heat rapidly. Within seconds the top is very hot and I have no trouble bringing a pot of water to boil as quickly as I do on my gas burnered cook top in Chicago. In fact, on my GE Profile ceramic cook top, I find I rarely turn the burners more than half of the full temperature. They simply get too hot and cook to quickly. So if you are new to cooking on a ceramic cook top, I would suggest you keep the temps down at first and stay at the stove top while you cook until you become familiar with just how fast your surfaces heat. Not all brands work as well. These cook tops still do not cool down as quickly as gas, but this too is improved over the old coiled heating elements.

If you are making a new purchase, I suggest you also consider burner configuration. On a ceramic cook top you cannot place pans and skillets much outside of the areas that are marked as the heating areas. If you do, you risk cracking the (expensive) ceramic top. So if you might want to use a griddle or other long pan, purchase a cook top with a 'bridge burner'. If you enjoy canning food or need to bring other large kettles to boil, bring along your favorite pot to the store and fit it to the burner diagram. Remember that any pot/pan/skillet or other cooking device must not extend more than 1/2" on either side of the marked burner on the ceramic top. Also note that some burners have multiple burner markings and it is important you turn on the portion you plan to use so it closely matches your pot or pan size.

The materials and design of your pans and skillets is also important when using a ceramic cook top. As the heat is transferred only when it touches the surface it is important to select pans and skillets that have a totally smooth bottom. It also ideally should be stainless steel and, as noted above, the flat surface should closely match the size of the burner markings. If you are using your old pans or skillets, note that it is also quite important that the outside be as clean as the insides. Any burned on food or other dark markings will transfer to the cook top as it heats. This does not permanently discolor the cook top, but it will require extra cleaning. Finally, you should not attempt to use glass, ceramic, cast iron, copper or enameled surfaces for cooking on these surfaces.

The good news: the surface is smooth and totally sealed, making cleaning easy. The bad news: you must use the manufacturers suggested cleaning solutions. As just two manufacturers make most all ceramic cook tops, the cleaning routine is the same for most brands. Cooking, particularly with pans that are discolored on the bottom, will transfer their brown color to your cook top and if it's a white surface, this will be particularly noticeable. However, this is easily cleaned by using Cerama Bryte brand cream cleanser suggested by the manufacturers, once the cook top is cool. The same company also sells small, individual-use cleaning pads, which should be used instead other abrasive cleaning pads that may permanently scratch the surface. Burnt on food can be cleaned off using a single edge razor blade, if used with care so as not to carve into the ceramic surface.

Finally, while I enjoy cooking on the new flat surfaced cook top, I find you have to change the way you have traditionally cooked and cleaned in your kitchen. For example, you cannot shake your pans bake and forth as you might be accustomed to doing, as it will scratch the surface. Stir with a spoon instead. And as it is a totally smooth surface, you will find yourself temped to utilize the surface for other things while it is not in use for cooking. Keep in mind it was not built to be a cutting board or even a surface you should sit items on when it is not in use. The surface is ceramic and quite hard, but is also fragile and will break if it receives a sharp impact. It can be so hot that copper pans and aluminum foil melt (permanently adhering themselves to your cook top.)

If plumbed natural gas was an option, I would have considered that more seriously as I am accustomed to it. However, with the open living style of our home and the constant island breezes, there are also drawbacks to an open flame. As it is, I am enjoying our ceramic electric cook top and have adapted my cooking and cleaning techniques to accommodate the new system. Good luck with your selection!

Stuffed Lobster Caribbean Style

2011-12-31T08:00:00.198-06:00

Stuffed Caribbean Lobster from
Mim's on St. Thomas, USVI

What better way to ring in the New Year than with a delicious lobster dinner. As you know if you've been reading this blog for long, I often make lobster for this annual celebration. But this year we find ourselves in the Caribbean islands (at Villa Morningstar) and the lobster I'm quite accustomed to is not readily available or fresh. And as I always prefer fresh local foods, I have embraced the Caribbean spiny lobster.

My usual menu includes those famous cold water lobsters (shown left) found off the coast of Maine and Newfoundland. Of course, there are even different varieties of the cold water lobster, with their European cousins typically have a darker color and slightly smaller claws. These clawed lobsters contain more meat then spiny lobsters, and the meat tends to be more tender and whiter than their warm-water cousins which we find here in the Caribbean sea. If you are a Maine lobster lover and prefer the claws over the tail, you might be disappointed in the warm-water variety. But well prepared, the Caribbean lobster can be just as delicious.

Spiny lobsters have no claws, a harder shell, very large antenna and very dense tail meat. (See image below right.) The two main regions that support spiny lobsters are the California coast and the Caribbean, as they prefer the warmer waters. You can also find them in Florida. Spiny lobsters are most often sold live here in the Virgin Islands and I don't think I would purchase them any other way.

If you are purchasing lobster, you should always ask what type of lobster you are getting. You see posts on certain sites that indicate the Caribbean spiny lobsters are smaller than cold water lobsters. This simply isn't true. In nature a spiny lobster can grow to a very large size, and these are sold regularly in the markets here in St. Thomas. They certainly rival any Maine lobster I have ever seen. The fish counter clerk can barely maneuver them into the bag because they are so large and active.

During the winter season when spiny lobsters are plentiful, most local residents tell me they love them and eat them regularly. They often just split and grill them, then baste with garlic/butter and serve. In California they are often accompanied in the classic Baja way with beans, rice, tortillas, salsas, salads, etc. Here in the islands you often get them with rice or potato, and at Mim's, one of our favorite local seaside restaurants, you have the choice of traditional stuffing or Caribbean style, where the tail meat is removed and cooked in a sauce of local flavors. Coco Blue, in the more upscale Red Hook area of St. Thomas also serves a good Caribbean lobster.

Grilled Caribbean Lobster with Shrimp Stuffing
2 Large Caribbean lobsters (approx 1.5 - 2 pounds each)
1/2 cup sliced leek
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 egg white
8 oz. largely diced shrimp
1 diced shallot
1 tablespoon olive oil,
salt to taste
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning.

Instructions
Using a sharp knife and having your kitchen helper hold the live lobster still, make a sharp down thrust just behind head and pulling the knife forward splitting the head of the lobster in two. Turn the knife around and split the tail. The lobster is now cut in half. Repeat with the other lobster. Wash thoroughly removing any inner materials from the body that you do not wish to eat and creating a cavity for stuffing. Brush tail meat with butter and season with lemon-pepper seasoning.

For the stuffing, saute all the vegetables in the olive oil until tender, adding the diced shrimp at the end and removing immediately from heat. Stir in the egg white. Season the stuffing and fill the lobster body cavity leaving the tail meat in place.

Place the stuffed lobster on the grill meat side up and close the lid. Cook until the tail meat is white all the way through. Serve with drawn butter for dipping of the tail meat.

Spiny Lobster Stuffed Caribbean Style
from Mim's on St. Thomas, USVI

Pepper-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

2011-12-24T08:00:00.145-06:00

It's a classic holiday dish that is simple to prepare and will 'wow' your dinner guests. It is not however inexpensive, so this treat should be saved for your most important events.

Because this cut of meat is so tender and rich, pairing it with a pepper crust makes for the perfect balance. Although the preparation is quite simple, you can even do that ahead and just pop it into the oven when the time comes. It cooks quickly. It also marries quite nicely with a fig sauce, which you can also do ahead and finish with any pan drippings just after the meat comes out of the oven.

Meat Selection: I generally suggest a 3 or so pound center-cut beef tenderloin. There are three main sections of the tenderloin: the butt, the center-cut, and the tail. The center-cut is the part used for steaks (fillet mignon) as the diameter of the meat remains relatively consistent. This is also the cut used for Chateaubriand and Beef Wellington. If you get an entire tenderloin, you can use the entire piece for your holiday dinner, but the size at either end will be inconsistent with the center portions. This isn't so much an issue with the butt end, but the other end tapers off into a tail. You can tuck the tail under for roasting (as I did in the photos here) and use this portion for children or others who need a smaller portion. Or you can cut it off and save it for a very tender and delicious beef stroganoff. If you get just the center-cut from your butcher it will generally be trimmed of its fat and silver skin. However, whole tenderloins may be sold as unpeeled (the fat and silver skin remains), peeled (the fat is removed, but silver skin remains) or as "PSMOs" (it is peeled, silver skin removed, and side muscle left on.) While it is the most expensive, if you are given and option take the PSMO version as this not only will save you work, an experiened hand at this trimming task will ensure you get all of the meat and a better presentation. Finally, a note about meat grades. I usually try to buy meat that has been graded as 'prime'. However, my purveyor only had 'choice' cuts of beef tenderloin. Most meat is clearly marked and you pay a premium for 'prime' cuts. I have to say that the 'choice' tenderloin was excellent and I could not tell the difference from prior purchases of 'prime' tenderloin.

Meat Preparation: Cover two heavy duty cooking sheets/trays or shallow roasting pans in aluminum foil and spray them with food release. Unwrap, rinse and dry the tenderloin. Trim away any portions you will not be cooking at this time. Trim fat/silver skin if necessary. Place the tenderloin on one of the roasting trays. Mix together: 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 2 cloves of finely crushed garlic. Spread evenly over the top and sides of the tenderloin. Turn over and spread the remainder on the bottom of the meat. Mix together 1 1/2 Tablespoons of course salt, 3 tablespoons of coarsely ground black pepper and a pinch of paprika. Season the bottom side and then turn onto a clean space on the roasting tray and season the top and sides. Transfer the coated meat to the clean roasting tray. At this point, you can cover with foil and refrigerate until ready for roasting but not more than four hours ahead.

Fig Sauce: Melt the butter (see below) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the figs and cook a minute or two until they start to breakdown. Stir in the honey, wine and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes until reduced and thickened. Add the thyme leaves and check seasoning. You can do this all ahead and let sit on the stove top to cool.
1 Tablespoon salted butter
1/4 cup chopped red onion
6 fresh ripe figs, stems removed, chopped
1 Tablespoon honey
1/4 cup red wine
2 T balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup red wine as needed for proper consistency

Roasting and Plating: Preheat the oven to 450F. Roast about 35 minutes, or until a meat thermometer instered in the middle of the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 135-140F for medium. Remove from the oven and tent with foil and allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes while you finish the sauce.

Add any meat drippings to the fig sauce, return to a medium-high heat and add more red wine (1/4 cup or less as necessary to get the desired sauce consistentcy) and cook for 5 minutes. Strain by pushing through a sieve. Slice the tenderloin into 1/2" slices and plate 2 to 3 slices per person. Spoon sauce over each serving.

From my kitchen to yours, Merry Christmas!

Butterscotch Cream Pie

2011-12-17T08:00:00.007-06:00

With winter upon us here in Chicago, I thought it might be a good time to return to the topic of butterscotch pie. You may recall that in my 2010 master recipe post on cream pie, I mentioned I was looking for a new recipe for the butterscotch version. While I didn't get any recommendations, I did get a question asking what the difference was between butterscotch and caramel cream pies.

Master Recipe with Nestle, Butterscotch Morsels

Technically caramel is made with white granulated sugar that has been melted until it is golden brown. Butterscotch is made with brown sugar and butter. The flavors are similar but not identical. However, many cooks use the terms interchangeably. Martha Stewart has a delicious recipe for butterscotch cream pie with ginger snap crust, but I would argue that it is caramel, not butterscotch. No one really knows where the term 'butterscotch' came from, but there is an interesting post here on the history of the term.

My classic recipe for butterscotch cream pie is shown below, but I wondered if instead I could use my master cream pie recipe as a base and add the butterscotch flavor, as I do for chocolate or banana cream pies. Thanks to Nestle, Butterscotch Morsels were available and the best candidate for this test. I simply melted the butterscotch in a double boiler as indicated on the package and I used 11 ounces (a full bag) for a single pie. I've updated the master recipe with this technique if you want to try it out. Note that because the Butterscotch Morsels are sweet, I had to reduce the sugar in the master recipe. The result was a very creamy pie with a strong butterscotch flavor.

CLASSIC Butterscotch Cream Pie
Ingredients:

3/4 cup light brown sugar -- firmly packed
5 tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups whole milk
2 egg yolks -- lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 baked pie shell -- 9-inch

Directions:

Combine the sugar, flour, and salt over medium heat then slowly whisk in milk. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Lightly beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Add about 3/4 cup of the hot mixture to the egg yolks, mixing on moderately high speed. Add the warm egg yolk mixture back to the pan whisking it in. Cook for about 3 more minutes or until the mixture just begins to bubble. Add butter and vanilla; cool. Place filling in pastry shell and garnish with sweetened whipped cream.

Pie Crust
The thing that stops most people from baking pies is the crust. This pie is good with a graham cracker or ginger snap cookie crust, both of which are easy to make. Additionally, you can simply purchase a piece of pre-made pie dough at any grocery store and you will find it is quite good. Don't let the crust stop you from baking pies. If you make them often, the crust will become second nature to you. If you don't, then buy the dough and bake it in your pie plate. However you do it, remember that when baking an unfilled shell to use a fork to provide air vents in the crust and also to use pie weights or beans on top of parchment paper during baking. This weight will ensure that the sides of the crust do not slide down during the baking of the empty shell.

A Holiday Punch

2011-12-10T08:00:00.010-06:00

Just when I thought the tradition of a good holiday punch was lost, I received David Wondrich's new book Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl. If you're a foodie (or a drinkie for that matter) get yourself a copy and share a bowl of good, holiday punch.

The book starts off talking about what punch is and discusses several historical recipes, one of which is from Charles Dickens. Who can resist a punch that is credited to Dickens? The book seems to indicate that most punches are an alcoholic extravaganza, but my favorite Christmas punch has none at all. Of course to any fruit punch you can add vodka which doesn't change the taste or champagne if you want some sparkle. If you do this, I feel it only fair that you warn your guests. I guess most people are like Wondrich because at my recent Christmas party I made my non-alocholic fruit punch the center piece of my drinks table and I was asked by many if it had been spiked. For Christmas I often just make a simple red fruit punch, laced only with 7-Up. It's cold, crisp, refreshing and kid-friendly. I make a fruit ring with lemons, limes and oranges frozen in fruit juice. It not only keeps the bowl cold it has the appearance of a wreath. For the first time this year someone asked me if it was a plastic wreath decoration. Oh boy! Maybe the punch was spiked afterall. :)

The book also talks about the actual punch bowls. I have a large crystal punch bowl (shown above) with a matching ladle. I rarely use the punch cups for parties, but it has those too. Of course you can make punch in any old container and from my college days I remember several punches made in buckets, salad bowls and even a kettle. Dickens, in the beginning of his recipe, instructs one to use a "very strong common basin... which may be broken, in case of accident, without damage to the owner's peace or pocket." On punch vessels, Wondrich writes: "I've made Punch successfully in silver bowls, ones of fine china and of expensive cut glass. I've also made it successfully in pasta pots, Le Creuset Dutch ovens, plastic bowls, melamine bowls, tin buckets, spackle buckets, salad spinners..., orange plastic things from Home Depot, large earthenware flower-pots, galvanized washtubs, and a host of other miscellaneous vessels". In short most any container will do, but take care to note in the recipe if it includes setting it aflame as does the Dicken's punch. In that case, you are looking for a flame-proof punch container!

The Dickens's recipe calls for 6 ounces Demerara sugar, 3 lemons, 20 ounces of rum, 6 ounces Courvosier VSOP, and 40 Ounces of water, which yields two quarts of punch. Wondrich's list of rums that are good for punches is important. Rum has mellowed into something smooth and more drinkable, over the years, so make an effort to follow his advice if you can find the rum he suggests. As you can see, this punch will have a kick.

I also think Sangria makes an excellent punch and I also find guests enjoy a cold spicd rum and tea punch. I also have a good recipe for a non-alcholic sherbert punch as well as a cranberry tea punch.

New Year's Eve Punch
I think a champagne punch for New Year's Eve is a wonderful idea, although you can serve the following punches anytime of the year. A good champagne punch is always light and refreshing, and good for most parties, winter and summer. It's pretty simple to make and looks beautiful and of course provides that champagne necessary to ring in the New Year.

Make the punch ring (see ingredient list below) of the appropirate size for the punch bowl. The ring must fit comfortably in the bowl and give guests room to ladel out the punch. Fill the ring with the lemonade and sliced strawberries and freeze for at least three hours. Place the ingredients for the punch in the refrigerator and assemble just prior to guest arrival. If you are using the ingredients from Option B you may combine all of the ingredients except the Champagne and refrigerate (to save space in your refrigerator.)

Just prior to guest arrival, assemble the punch ingredients and add the frozen ring last. It will make your event more festive and fun and bring back an old yet welcome holiday tradition!

My best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year!

For the Punch (Option A, Serves 15):
Two 750 ml bottles of Champagne or other dry sparkling wine, chilled
One 2 litre bottle of ginger ale, chilled
Sixteen ounces of lemonade, chilled (no pulp)
Sixteen ounces orange juice, chilled (no pulp)
Fifteen strawberries, sliced

For the Punch (Option B, Serves 25):
One cup fresh lemon juice (5 lemons) strained
One cup no-pulp orange juice
One cup pinapple juice
One cup triple sec (or other orange liquor)
Two-thirds (2/3) cup grenadine
Two cups Cognac
Three 750 ml bottles of Cchampagne or other dry sparkling wine

For the Ice Ring:
Lemonade (no pulp) or Pineapple Juice
Sliced strawberries or oranges

Champagne Cocktails and Elegant Appetizers

2011-12-03T08:00:00.011-06:00

Preparing Green Apple
Champagne Cocktails

During the holidays we all attend many events and consume too much food and drink. So when planning my holiday dinner parties, I like to start by offering each guest a champagne cocktail and a few small but elegant appetizers. If you provide a full bar instead, you'll spend lots of time making drinks for people and perhaps even serving beer or wine, which really should not be consumed as a cocktail before your dinner. The last thing I want is my guest going to the table full, or with a bottle of beer or perhaps even a wine that is not a suitable match for dinner. So it's important to carefully select your pre-dinner menu and to take away the cocktail glasses before you move your guests to the table.

One of my favorite champagne cocktails is a simple mixture of 1 shot of low-sugar cranberry juice, 1 shot of Grand Marnier (or Cointreau), and champagne or prosecco to fill the glass. I try to use a smaller champagne flute so as not to provide too large a serving. A Mimosa (champagne and orange juice) is good if you are serving a brunch or luncheon. There are many choices but whatever you pick, try to keep it light and small in quantity.

Click to Enlarge

I suggest serving these cocktails with little tid-bits of food. Alcoholic beverages should always be served with food, as it enhances the flavor of both the food and the drink. However you don't want the guest to fill up on these so only make a few bites per person and serve them elegantly. One of my favorites is shown here. It consists of a tray of several variations on a similar theme. This is an olive tapenade and pâté de foie gras, served in combination and solo on a small, thin cracker. If you want something more simple, you can do a small piece of cheese, a cheese spread with a slice of olive or ham spread.

Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti

2011-11-26T08:00:00.007-06:00

A sure way to put a smile on the face of house guests during the holidays is my sister's favorite biscotti recipe. As noted in a prior posting, she is an accomplished biscotti baker, making thousands of any number of varieties of these favorite cookies for the local Italian festival each year.

The term "biscotti", while also being the generic term for cookie in Italian, comes from "bis" and "cotti" which are the Italian terms for twice-cooked or twice-baked. An Italian classic, Biscotti have been baked for centuries and are said to have been a favorite of Christopher Columbus who relied on them on his long sea voyages. The biscotti baking technique, first created in the Tuscany region, thoroughly draws out moisture giving them a very long shelf life. Even at home today there is usually no need to refrigerate or freeze biscotti -- just store them in an airtight container, away from direct sunlight.

Italians favor them as "dipping cookies" either in a delicious cup of coffee or cappuccino, or in a special Italian wine known as Vin Santo. They are enjoyed as a breakfast biscuit, dunked in coffee, along side a dish of Gelato or Spumoni, and of course, Biscotti are savored as a subtly sweet crispy snack all by themselves. Keep a big container of them on hand throughout the season when houseguests abound!

The One Step Biscotti Baker (basically a mold) was inspired and designed by a pastry chef and an engineer who were searching for a more efficient way to create biscotti with the same elegance and presentation as those found in fine Italian bakeries. The result is a pan that reduces unnecessary steps and allows anyone the freedom and tools to enjoy these delicious cookies. However, as you will see in the recipe below, my sister needs no such tool and neither do you if you follow her instructions and observe the technique in the photos shown here.

Traditionally, Biscotti were almond-flavored because almonds were plentiful. Today, you find Biscotti in a myriad of different flavors. This recipe, for Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti, is a perfect recipe for the holiday season and a favorite of all who try it. Happy holidays!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup all-purpuse flour plus a 1/3 of a cup
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Topping

6 oz. white chocolate

Instructions

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. line cookie sheet with parchment paper set aside
3. in medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt
4. in a large bowl using electric mixer beat together butter, sugar, eggs and almond extract
5. add dry mixture to wet mixture and stir well
6. stir in cranberries
7. flour and sugar work area (I use about half and half turn dough out onto surface)
8. divide dough in half and form into 2 logs about 9 inches long by 2 inches
9. place on parchment paper and bake for 40 minutes
10. remove from oven and transfer logs to cool
11.cut logs into 3/4 inch slices at an angle
12.place slices on baking sheet and return to oven for 10 minutes
13. turn biscotti and bake an additional 5 minutes.

When cool melt white choclate in microwave and drizzle across biscotti.

I use my kitchen aid mixer dough hook for this recipe which works wonderfully.

Roasted Golden Beet Salad and the History of Beets

2011-11-19T08:00:00.006-06:00

It's not often I find golden beets in any of the markets I frequent (and I often shop in 2-4 each week), so when I came across fresh organic golden beets recently I snapped them up. They are more delicate in flavor than their red cousins, but equally delicious. Whether golden or traditional ruby red beets, they make for great salads and side dishes.

Golden beets on the left, watercress with
goat cheese and toasted walnuts center,
ruby red beets on the right.

Beets are native to the Mediterranean and although the leaves (chard) have been eaten since before written history, the beet root was generally used only medicinally in ancient times. (Even now we know that beets are perhaps some of the worlds healthiest foods, and thankfully they taste wonderful too!)

In the 2nd and 3rd centuries the Roman epicures first gave recipes for cooking the root of Beta vulgaris (beetroots), some claiming it was better food than cabbage. The next known record about beet root was among some 14th-century English recipes, revealing its use in England.

The red beet with a turnip-like root was first described as a food plant in Germany in 1558 and was a rarity at that time in northern Europe. The improved beet was called "Roman beet" in the 16th century in northern Europe and France, indicating its introduction from Italy.

All through the 17th and 18th centuries very few kinds of garden beets were known and they remained unimportant. Up to about 1800 only two kinds, Red and Long Red, were listed by English seedsmen. Popularity on the Continent grew faster than in the British Isles.

In the United States in 1806 only one variety-Red-was listed in a leading catalogue, but in 1828 four kinds were listed. The Bassano variety, still grown today, was common in Italy more than a hundred years ago. The Flat Egyptian, an American production, also cultivated today, was first grown around Boston about 1869. Other varieties grown in America are of more recent introduction.

Colors of garden-beet varieties may range all the way from extremely dark purplish red to bright vermilion and to white. The roots of some varieties, when cut transversely, show distinct light and dark rings, even white alternating with red or purple, like a target. These are quite a rare find and if you see them at the market do snatch them up.

I had no idea that some folks have such a negative response when beets are mentioned. As you may know, I even love pickling them and do so each and every spring. This may be related to the fact the canned beets often have a harsh flavor and when children are exposed to them they have a lasting negative memory. Judy Sobeloff has an excellent blog entry on beets and peoples visceral response to them, if you'd care to read more and pick up a few more good beet recipes as well. But if you haven't had fresh roasted beets, do give them a try. You'll find them subtle, complex and wonderful when properly prepared.

Roasting Beets: Roasting beets brings out their flavor. Select beets as equal in size as possible, looking for the small to mid-sized beets which will roast more quickly and evenly. Scrub the beets with a brush and remove the green tops (saving those for another meal) and the root bottom. Place in a covered casserole or inside a foil packet and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Use more olive oil if you are making a salad as you can use the infused oil for this purpose. Roast in a 350F oven for 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours, until tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and let cook uncovered. I typically perform the next step using latex gloves, as the beets will stain your hands (and anything else they come in contact with.) Under lightly running water, use your figures to peel off the beet skins and use a pairing knife to remove any hard ends remaining. The beets will peel easily, much like fresh peaches after they are blanched. Set the beets aside covered until ready for use, reserving the beet-infused oil for your salad dressing.

Roasted Beet, Watercress, Goat Cheese and Toasted Walnut Salad
To show off these rare golden beets, I featured them by serving them as the first course, garnished with watercress, goat cheese and toasted walnuts. They pair well with the peppery watercress and the salty goat cheese. I made a dressing using the beet-infused oil and some apple cider vinegar. With a sprinkle of salt and a fresh grind of course pepper, this makes for a lovely fall/winter salad.

Rosemary Scented Salt Baked Potatoes with Compound Garlic Butter

2011-11-12T08:00:00.004-06:00

Recently Cook's Illustrated featured an article on salt baked potatoes, which indicated that what was typically thought of as a gimmick actually did produce a better baked potato. I was skeptical and with relatives visiting, decided it would be a good time for a test.

Ready for the Oven

The recipe called for placing a considerable amount of Kosher salt in a baking dish, adding rosemary sprigs and a garlic head, covering and baking at a very high temperature. Following the directions precisely, the potatoes were ready to serve in about 1 3/4 hours. While my family tasters found the potatoes were indeed fluffy, they didn't feel they were significantly better than my standard baked potato. In fact, what seemed to impress them most was the compound butter made to top the potatoes, which certainly could be done without all of the extra salt and fuss. The rosemary and garlic scent during cooking was delightful however, and I did find the potatoes were more white and fluffy using this method. I also very much enjoyed eating the potato skin. Overall I would say these are more akin to steak house baked potatoes.

If you have the time, give it a try. I modified the recipe below to double the compound butter, as everyone at the table wanted to add more. If your not inclined to make these, follow my simple method, which is also noted below and produces an excellent potato with a delicious skin.

Rosemary Scented Salt Baked Potatoes with Compound Garlic Butter
2 1/2 cups plus 1/4 teaspoon salt
4 russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
2 sprigs plus 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 whole heads garlic, outer papery skin removed
5 teaspoons olive oil
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 450F. Spread 2 1/2 cups salt in even layer in 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Gently nestle dry potatoes in salt, as shown. Add rosemary springs. Cut off top quarter of garlic heads and add to baking dish cut side up. Drizzle garlic cloves lightly with olive oil. Cover baking dish with foil and crimp edges to tightly seal. Bake 1 1/4 hours; remove pan from oven. Increase oven temperature to 500F.

Carefully remove foil from baking dish. Remove garlic and set aside to cool. Brush exposed portion of each potato with 1 teaspoon oil. Return uncovered baking dish to oven and bake until potatoes are tender when pierced with a paring knife and skins are glossy, 15 to 20 minutes.

Once garlic is cool, squeeze root end until cloves slip out of their skins. Using a fork, mash garlic, butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt and minced rosemary to a smooth paste. Remove any clumped salt from base of potatoes (holding with kitchen towel), and split lengthwise. Squeeze inward at cut ends to open the potato and top with portion of butter and serve immediately.

Simple Baked Potatoes with Compound Butter
4 russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
2 tablespoons softened butter
4 tablespoons McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 whole heads garlic, outer papery skin removed
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 tablespoons of softened European (cultured) butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
Grind of fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 450F. Using your hands, coat each potato with softened butter and sprinkle with seasoning. (If you don't have the noted seasoning, simply use coarse salt, fresh grated pepper, dried garlic garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.) Cut off top quarter of garlic heads and place on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and close foil around garlic heads. Bake potatoes on oven rack along with foil-wrapped garlic. Remove garlic from oven in one hour. Bake potatoes for 1 - 1 1/2 hours until potatoes are tender when pierced with a paring knife.

Once garlic is cool, squeeze root end until cloves slip out of their skins. Using a fork, mash European butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt and minced rosemary to a smooth paste. Blend in garlic. Split potato lengthwise. Squeeze inward at cut ends to open the potato and top with portion of butter and serve immediately.

Pumpkin Scones

2011-11-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

My sister and niece recently visited and shortly after their arrival they said 'we want to make scones.' My sister is an accomplished biscotti baker, and well known for her many excellent cookie recipes. But she hadn't made scones and wanted to give them a try. As such we began to research the subject, as scones had not been in my repertoire either.

Brother and Sister in the Kitchen

A scone is a small Scottish quick bread which has become popular throughout the United Kingdom. Here in the United States a variation has also become popular. However, we learned that the two types of scones are somewhat different.

Scones are usually made of wheat, barley or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent. The scone is a basic component of the cream tea or Devonshire tea in England, where the scone is just slightly sweet, most always round, and eaten with butter or clotted cream, and jam for flavor. While these are delicious with your afternoon tea, they don't make for the on-the-go meal many Americans equate with breakfast, where scones are often purchased at the coffee shop on your way to work. Americans eat scones plain (no jam or butter) with a cup of morning coffee. As such, the American 'scone' is larger, generally cut into a triangular shape (to differentiate it from a dinner biscuit) and has significantly more flavoring and sugar added.

American vs. English Pumpkin Scones

As we had decided we wanted to make pumpkin scones, we tested classic English scone recipes as well as American recipes from highly regarded sources. In the end, we came up with the following recipe of our own, borrowing from several sources both in ingredients as well as techniques. Please note this recipe is for an American pumpkin scone. This recipe will produce a flavorful, pumpkin scone suitable for your morning breakfast without the need for any additional toppings. However, you must follow the directions precisely. Using a food processor to mix the ingredients or using traditional American butter will produce significant substandard results.

Advance Preparation Note: Purchase European cultured butter with 12 grams of fat in an 8 ounce package. You are looking for approximately 84% butter fat in the butter. Freeze 4 ounces of the butter at least 24 hours before grating. Grate the butter using a food processor (use the large shredding disc; will look like shredded cheese when complete. If you do not have a food processor, use large whole of a box grater working very quickly.) Place grated butter in container and return to freezer for at least 2 hours.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

8 tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans nuts (optional)
1/2 raisins (optional)

1/8 cup flour (for use on the work surface)
1/8 cup sugar (for use on the work surface)

2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup sanding sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add the grated frozen butter. Quickly toss to coat. Using a pastry cutter, quickly cut in the butter. Add the pumpkin (and the optional chopped nuts and raisins). Fold in (using a classic figure 8 pattern, do not stir) using a spatula being careful not to overwork the pastry to ensure the butter does not melt and remains intact.

Once the mixture is nearly combined, scrape the dough out onto a work surface sprinkled with a combination of flour and sugar. Lightly knead (turning no more than 4-6 times) using additional sugar/flour as needed to keep from sticking. Shape into a rough square of 3/4 inch thick.

Cut into smaller squares and then into triangles. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Place onto the baking sheet, so that they do not touch.

Bake for about 17 minutes or until they are no longer soft to the touch. They will be light brown on the bottoms and the tops. Remove from oven. Let cool on tray for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

Stuffed Quail - A Harvest Treat

2011-10-29T08:00:00.004-05:00

In the Autumn treat your dinner guests to these mid-sized birds from the pheasant family. They can be prepared in many ways and as they are not all that common on dinner tables, they appear during this harvest season as a special treat.

The Quail Hunt
Francisco de Goya, 1775
Prado Museum, Madrid

Quail have been used as a food since ancient times. A friend of mine tells me that, according to the Bible, the Israelites were said to have had quail while in the desert. Native Americans were also known to have utilized Bob White quail for food. In 1557, Hernando DeSoto’s expedition reportedly received a gift of wild turkeys and Bob White quail at a Native American village in what is now Georgia. As European immigrants to the New World carved small farms from vast forests, quail became a common meal for these settlers. Markets developed and hunting and trapping of quail were practiced from the early 1800s to the early 1900s. In 1931 it became the California state bird, that state having its own species known as the California or valley quail.

If when purchasing your quail you have a choice of species, select Pharaoh or Coturnix quail instead of the traditional wild birds like the Bob White or Plumed Quail. These preferred species are more naturally disease resistant than wild bird species allowing the farmer to grow them with no antibiotics. They also mature much faster allowing them to grow them without the use of growth hormones. They are also all dark meat birds which stay more moist when cooking.

Julian's quail, stuffed and ready for the oven.

I prefer to purchase my quail already partially boned. When you purchase semi-boneless quail they have removed all bones except the drummette of the leg and the wing bones. This “sleeve boned” product sometimes comes with stainless steel grill pins to hold open the body cavity to make stuffing easy, although this is not required.

If you can't find them locally, there are several good online sources including Manchester Farms and D'Artagnan. Quail have become so common you can even order them from Amazon!

In the Fall, I prefer to prepare the birds stuffed as shown in these photos. I typically push the breast meat to the bottom and stuff on top of it but beneath the skin. This technique also keeps the tender breast meat moist. As there is not all that much meat no quail, I typically use a stuffing that contains some pre-cooked sage sausage. You can use either a bread dressing or rice for the stuffing being sure to add classic vegetables like onion, carrot and celery, along with your favorite seasonings. Tuck the wings under then truss the birds for roasting. If I'm making a sauce for the quail, I don't bother with pan frying to quickly brown the skin before roasting, but you can do this for presentation purposes if you prefer. In the roasting pan, I place the quail on a rack for good air circulation in the oven and roast at 400F. If I'm having a multi-course dinner, I use just one per person knowing that they will be having other courses. If you are preparing just a three-course dinner (salad, main course, dessert) you'll want to serve two stuffed birds per person.

If you still have the grill out, you can also cook your quail using this technique.

Clip and discard the last two segments of both wing tips on the quail, as they will burn on the grill. Rinse the quail under cold running water and pat dry. Place the quail in a large bowl with the olive oil, garlic, thyme, sage, and parsley. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hour or up to overnight.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (350-400 degrees).

Remove quail from the refrigerator and marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Remove the quail from the marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Place quail on the grill and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cook through. (Do not overcook.) Remove the quail from the grill and set aside to keep warm until ready to serve. These can be cooked full bone-in (instead of semi-boneless) which makes the meat more flavorful.

Twice Baked Potatoes

2011-10-22T08:00:00.002-05:00

For a nice dinner you like to dress up even the simplest dishes. Making twice-baked potatoes is an easy way to do this. It is not challenging nor does it take much extra time. Additionally, you can make them well before guests arrive and give them their second baking, popping them into the oven about 20 minutes before your meal.

You've probably all made these before, so I won't go into too much detail on my own recipe. But I will tell you that these will be much better than the frozen ones you get at the store. They are simply more moist and flavorful because they are fresh.

As you can see here, I scrub then butter, salt and pepper the potatoes placing them in a 400F oven to bake until tender, about 50 minutes. This will make the skins crisp and flavorful. Not one came back from the table uneaten.

Carefully slice off the top while they are hot holding the potato in a gloved hand. Use a teaspoon to gently scoop out most of the inside, but being careful to leave a layer of potato inside the skin to help with structural integrity. If you scoop out too much of the potato the skin will tear or at least collapse. You want to have a form that is stable for the stuffing.

Place the potato contents into the bowl of an electric mixer and let cool to room temperature. For six potatoes, I add about 4 tablespoons of butter and mix in. Then I add milk/cream/half & half, sour cream and mix until smooth. Then I mix in one lightly beaten egg. Finally, I add chopped green onions (saving the top part for garnish at serving), shredded cheese, Montreal Steak Seasoning (or just salt and pepper) and chopped crisp bacon bits. For all of this you can add or subtract to your liking, adjusting the amounts and ingredients to suit your taste.

I then spoon the mixture carefully into the shells. If you want to dress them up even more, run the last portion of the potato mixture through a pastry tube to fancy the tops. Then sprinkle with some remaining cheese and cooked bacon and a dash of paprika and they are ready to refrigerate or go directly to the oven. If you refrigerate them, cover with foil during storage. Let them come to room temperature before the second baking, which should only take 20-30 minutes to reheat and slightly brown (baking uncovered in a 350F oven.)

I garnished them here with the tops of the green onions, and served them with peppered ham and sauteed sugar snap peas with garlic. An easy dinner, but one that looks and tastes wonderful.

Simple Pumpkin Sheet Cake

2011-10-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

Great this time of the year, I found this recipe in the local paper in 2004. When my sister visited recently, we made this cake to use up some pumpkin I had on hand. If you use canned pumpkin it is really simple and delicious. Although it was called a Pumpkin Bar in the original recipe, it's more of a cake in texture. The recipe makes enough for a traditional jelly roll pan (15" x 10" x 1") and is not sufficient for a full half sheet (typically 18' x 13" x 1"). You could cut it into bars, or serve it in squares more like cake. It works fine to make as a dessert for a crowd, when several dessert options may be available.

Fresh Pumpkin Option: I've been cooking pumpkins for years. If you can get good pie pumpkins, the flavor will be far superior to canned. You can use fresh pumpkin whenever a recipe calls for canned pumpkin. Choose round pie pumpkins, typically four - seven pounds. Unlike carving pumpkins, these should not sound hollow, which means they are drying out. Heat your oven to 350F. Wash the outside and cut in half. Clean out the seeds and stringy membrane. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet or jelly rollpan and add a little water, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool, remove pumpkin meat and mash through a food mill to remove any remaining solids. You can also freeze the pumpkin puree for use later in the winter.

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup raisons (optional)

Frosting
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered (confectionary) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon milk, more if needed

Preheat the oven to 350F and spray a jelly roll pan with food release (Pam) or grease by hand with By hand or in a mixer, combine eggs, oil and sugar. Add the pumpkin followed by all of the dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts or raisins if using.

Bake 20-30 minutes or until a pick in the center comes out clean. Let cool, then frost with the cream cheese frosting.

Full English Tea

2011-10-08T08:00:00.120-05:00

Today I'm talking about that lovely English custom of taking tea with sandwiches, scones and sweets in the mid-afternoon. I've been to Merry England several times and whenever I'm there I enjoy this tradition. I have fond memories of a trip to Windsor where we stayed at the Windsor Court Hotel and took afternoon tea by the River Thames as well as in the hotel's historic library. I've also visited many of the English tea shops and have read a number of books on the history of tea and its various forms of service. So before I get on to my experience serving full tea at my home, indulge me while I give you a bit of background.

Kevin Enjoys Tea At the Windsor Court

Although the custom of drinking tea dates back to the third millennium BC in China, its reach increased from Asia to Portugal around 1515 and Venice around 1560. After its introduction to Europe, tea was tremendously popular with the French aristocracy and was first documented in Paris in 1636. The English King Charles II married Catharine of Braganza who was Portuguese and enjoyed tea. Catharine had grown up drinking tea in Portugal and it is said that when she arrived in England in 1662, she brought with her a casket of tea. She became known as the tea-drinking queen — England’s first.

By 1700, tea was on sale by more than 500 coffee houses in London. Tea drinking became even more popular when Queen Anne (1665–1714) chose tea over ale as her regular breakfast drink.

During the second half of the Victorian Period, known as the Industrial Revolution, it was common in England to have only breakfast and dinner, the latter of which was served quite late in the evening. As such families would return home around 4-5PM tired and hungry. The table would be set with any manner of meats, bread, butter, pickles, cheese and of course tea. Because it was eaten at a high, dining table rather than the low tea tables, it was termed "high" tea, which has little to do with the fancy affairs on fine china we associate with the term today.

A Victorian Garden Tea by Unknown Artist

The actual taking of tea in the afternoon developed into a new social event sometime in the late 1830’s and early 1840’s. Jane Austen hints of afternoon tea as early as 1804 in an unfinished novel. It is said that the afternoon tea tradition was established by Anne, Duchess of Bedford. She requested that light sandwiches be brought to her in the late afternoon because she had a “sinking feeling” during that time because of the long gap between meals. She began to invite others to join her and thus became the tradition.

The most common terms related to afternoon tea are as follows:
Cream Tea - Tea, scones, jam and clotted cream
Light Tea - Tea, scones and sweets
Full/High Tea - Tea, savory sandwiches, scones, sweets and desserts

When friends were planning a visit to the area they asked if they might visit us mid-afternoon as their schedule was rather full and they needed to get on the road for their drive home to Pennsylvania before it was too late. As I like to feed my guests a meal, I thought for a few minutes about what I could offer them, when of course a Full Tea came to mind.

As I have my father's set of fine porcelain tea service that was made in Selb (Bavaria) Germany by Franconia/Krautheim, but which I rarely use, it seemed an English tea party was destined.

Julian's Full Tea Click to Enlarge

I trimmed the crusts on the bread and made savory little finger sandwiches. Half were ham salad spread and the other were cucumber with cream cheese. I purchased the pastries and then added some delicious pumpkin cakes with centers of cream cheese frosting, to add the fall feeling to the display. If you can, find a three tiered pastry server, as it seems to provide for the quintessential tea service. I shopped for clotted cream (sometimes called Devonshire cream) which is a thick lumpy cream, an essential part of a cream tea. I purchased some lemon curd for spreading. I carefully laid out my father's fine tea service and offered both tea and coffee to my guests. (If had been summer and we were enjoying this in the garden, I would have added homemade lemonaid to the menu as well.)

I've posted previously on baking authentic English tea cakes, so I won't review it again here, but if you really want an authentic tea bake up a batch or two for this special event. Just know however, that you can easily pull together a tea without opening the oven door and most people will find it an elegant and fun afternoon affair using only the baked goods from your local baker.

Peaches and Cream Pie ~ Pie Plate Selection

2011-10-01T08:00:00.013-05:00

With fresh peaches in abudance at local markets, I'm still taking every opportunity to enjoy this golden fruit. This week I'm making an old favorite, peaches and cream pie.

Testing on a Ceramic Pie Plate
Good Filling, Soggy Crust

It's a dessert I've never seen or had anywhere else. I'm not sure where I found the recipe, but I've had it in my database for years. I make it annually and it never fails to impress. Peaches go perfectly with cream, and in this recipe you include both in the pie. You'll note the recipe has no eggs in the cream. If you add eggs you end up with custard and this is not the taste you are expecting when you hear 'peaches and cream'. Of course, you can cut fresh peaches into a bowl and top with some sweetened heavy cream, and that too will be delightful. But if you want a pie that replicates this seasonal delicacy, try this recipe. You'll find yourself making it every year.

Oven Proof Glass Pie Plate
on a Pre-Heated Cookie Sheet
Bottom Rack

Pie Plates: The type of pie plate you use really can make a difference, especially if a crisp, flaky crust is important. I've tested metal, glass and ceramic and of the three the glass pie plate (Pyrex or Anchor Hocking type) outperform all others. Of course, for certain recipes the type of pie plate is of lesser importance. For example, if you are making a cream pie where the crust is baked without filling, a ceramic plate will work just fine. But when making a filled fruit pie, the oven-proof glass plate works best. Even then, I recommend sitting it on a hot cookie sheet, on the bottom rack, to ensure the crust cooks adqequately and you are not left with a soggy bottom crust. In this recipe I take the extra step of partially pre-baking the crust to ensure the cream doesn't render the crust soggy. If you only have room for one set of pie plates, go with the oven-proof glass. While the ceramic may look showy, in the end your pie will be judged by the quality of its crust and nothing will work better for you than the oven-proof glass pie plate.

Ingredients

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1 9 inch pie crust
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk (or water)

6-8 peaches -- about 2 pounds, for a deep dish pie pan
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon -- juiced
2 tablespoons butter -- sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 with a cookie sheet inside on lowest rack.

Make a pie crust using your usual recipe. Place the crust in a pie plate (glass preferred), and prick with a fork on bottom and sides. Line with parchment paper and add pie weights. If doing two pies do this one at a time using all of the weights in a single pie to prevent the crust from slipping down the sides of the pie plate. Pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and remove paper and weights. Let cool for 10 minutes. Lightly beat the egg with the milk or water. Paint the crust with a milk and egg mixture and return to the oven for 5 more minutes. These steps help to crisp and seal the crust. While the original recipe called for using an unbaked crust, I found no way to stop it from becoming soggy. This technique solves that problem.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Immerse peaches for 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on ripeness of the peaches (the more ripe, the shorter the time); remove with a slotted spoon. Let cool briefly in an ice-water bath, then slip off the peach skins with your hands. If they will not come off use a potatoe pealer or knife to remove them. Pit and slice the peaches into a large mixing bowl.

Sprinkle peaches with a dash of salt and a juice from one-half lemon. Let stand in a bowl for 10 minutes to determine how juicy the peaches are. If a large quantity of juice is produced, drain before adding to pie shell and add cornstarch. If the peaches are not sweet, add some sugar.

Mix together sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. When well mixed, stir in the heavy cream. Place the peaches in the pre-baked pie shell and pour the cream mixture over peaches. Dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Place the pie on the hot cookie sheet and bake at 425F for 15 minutes on the lower rack of the oven, then reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake 60 minutes longer, until filling begins to set.

Click to Enlarge

Remove from oven and cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. This pie is best served the day it is made as the cream and peach juice will make the crust wet if stored for a longer time.

Marinated Greek Chicken Kabobs

2011-09-24T08:00:00.062-05:00

With Autumn in full force here in Chicago, this may well be my last grilling recipe of the year. But it is an excellent recipe and is a great way to produce a low-fat yet delicous meal. Grilled chicken breast has never been on my menu because it simply is too lean to be very good on its own when grilled. But if you use this classic Greek recipe for chicken kabobs, you will find they are tender and flavorful and will become a regular on your grilling menu.

I first tasted chicken prepared this way while we were in Greece several years ago. Earlier I posted about the Traditional Greek Salad and my travels to the Greek islands.

Greek cooking traditions date back thousands of years and Greeks today eat some of the same dishes their ancestors did in ancient times. A Greek, Archestratus, is thought to have written the first cookbook in 350 B.C.

Served with Long Grain Rice

The Greek diet has been influenced by traditions from both the East and West. In ancient times, the Persians introduced Middle Eastern foods, such as yogurt, rice, and sweets made from nuts, honey, and sesame seeds. When Rome invaded Greece, the Romans brought with them foods that are typical in Italy today including pasta and sauces. Arab influences have left their mark in the southern part of Greece. Spices such as cumin, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves play a prominent role in the diet of these regions.

Most meals conclude with strong coffee as well as ouzo , an alcoholic drink flavored with anise.

As you can see here, I paired the dish with wild rice which is also popular in the region. I had fresh peppers from my garden in abundance so I used those along with red onions. You can use whatever you like in the kabobs, so long as they will cook in about 20 minutes, which is the total grill time for this dish.

Like all marinated food, some planning must go into this meal. The chicken needs to marinate for 4-6 hours. You could probably get away with 3 hours, but if you have less time, I would pass on this recipe until you can properly marinate the chicken.

Finally you can see that instead of using traditional skewers I used these grill baskets, which were a gift from my sister. For many things I prefer the skewers but for this dish I feel the baskets actually work better and are easier to control. This is because they are easy to turn and cook on all four sides. Additionally in the grill baskets, the chicken is less likely to stick to the grill grates. If you use traditional skewers, make sure the grill grates are well oiled. If you use the baskets as I did, just open them and turn them over to drop out the grilled ingredients, then place on your serving plates. This recipe makes four adult-sized serving.

Ingredients
8 ounces low fat Greek (plain) yogurt
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (or crushed dried)
1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Directions
1. Zest and juice half a lemon. In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and rosemary. If using the optional Feta cheese, add to the mixture and using the back of a spatula, smooth out the large chunks of feta cheese and mix in. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stir. Cube the chicken into 1-2" pieces and place in the yogurt mixture and turn to coat. Transfer the coated chicken and all of the marinade to a plastic storage bag, squeeze out air and zip tightly. Marinate 4-6 hours in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat your outdoor grill and clean grates.

3. Cut the pepper and onion, and toss in olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning of your choice.

4. Remove chicken from the marinade and shake off excess.

5. Thread the chicken, onion wedges, and green bell pepper pieces alternately onto skewers, or use kabob baskets.

6. Grill over medium-high heat until the chicken is no longer pink, turning to brown lightly on all sides (5 minutes per side, about 20 minutes in all.) (Note: With a gas grill cook with grill closed.)

Monterrey Stuffed Peppers

2011-09-17T08:00:00.077-05:00

Last September I was in Monterrey, Mexico on business. Having never been to the city before, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. If you are not familiar with Monterrey, it is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is one of the larger cities in Mexico and, until recently, the city had long been regarded as the safest in Mexico. Monterrey is a highly developed city with the highest per capita income in the nation and I would say it is a very Americanized city.

While my stay was relatively short, I did have a number of great meals while I was there and as my garden has been giving me a plethora of fresh peppers, I decided to try and recreate a dish I enjoyed. As I can't remember what the restaurant called them, I've just named them Monterrey Stuffed Peppers.

Unlike the traditional American stuffed pepper, with these you prepare the meat stuffing and cook it stove top before finishing the dish in the oven. As the weather is still warm, I followed my usual tradition of attempting to cook the entire meal on the grill and serve it alfresco.

These are quick and easy to prepare, so give them a try.

Ingredients

2 large, sweet peppers of your choosing
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ounces or any small amount of prepared pimento, chopped
1 packet of taco seasoning (hot or mild, as you prefer)
1 cup grated cheese, yellow and white of your choosing
1 cup prepare Picante Sauce or
1 cup prepared Mole Sauce (as you prefer)

Directions

Prepare your ingredients by cleaning and halving your peppers, chopping your onion and grating your cheese. Saute the onion in a large skillet with the smallest amount of oil possible, until most of the moisture is gone. Add the ground beef and brown, using your spatula or spoon to break up the beef into very small pieces. Brown the beef until most of the moisture is evaporated. Add the taco seasoning and stir to combine, then add the water per the packet directions (about 1 1/3 cups). Cook until most of the liquid is gone. Stir in the pimentos and remove from the heat.

Stuff each pepper half with the meat mixture and cover the top with the shredded cheese. Bake in a 350F oven (or the same temperature grill) for 15 minutes, to cook the pepper. Be prepared for the peppers to become somewhat soft and to spread out as they cook. Serve the pepper topped by the Picante Sauce and a side of sour cream, if you prefer. Serve with rice or refried beans.

A Better Carrot Cake

2011-09-10T15:00:00.042-05:00

I've tried all sorts of recipes for carrot cake and none are as good as this one. I wish I could recall where it originally came from, but I've had it around for a long time, as it was hand-written in my old cookbook and then imported to my recipe management software years later.

If you feel guilty having dessert, this cake is for you. I don't imagine there is another cake that is as good for you as this one. It's full of carrots, pineapple, raisins and nuts, and only uses some flour, sugar and eggs to bind nature's ingredients together. So go ahead an indulge (you can even serve it without the cream cheese frosting and it will still be wonderful.)

I'm not sure if it so good because of the technique of pulling the liquid out of the carrots in advance or if the crushed pineapple gives it that something extra that most carrot cakes do not have. Maybe it's both. Whatever the case, if you are looking for a wonderful dessert, bake this cake and you will be asked for it time and again!

Ingredients

6 cups carrots -- grated

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar -- white
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup crushed pineapple -- drained 20 oz. can
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup walnuts -- chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions

Grate carrots using your food processor or a box grater. Each large carrot will yield about one cup of grated carrot. Mix the grated carrots with the brown sugar and set aside for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350F, avoiding the convection oven if possible. Grease and flour your cake pans. This is a large recipe which can easily fill two 10 inch cake pans, or two 8 inch cake pans plus a loaf pan, which is what I often do.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir gently to blend.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until light yellow in color, gradually beating in white sugar at a medium high speed (Speed 6 on the KitchenAid stand mixer.) Add oil slowly while you continue to mix and finally the vanilla. Stop the mixer and add the crushed pineapple. Blend at low speed ("Stir" on KitchenAid stand mixers.) When combined, slowly add the flour mixture until will blended.

Stir the raisins into the carrot mixture. Then with the mixer on low speed, add the carrot mixture and stir to combine. (The carrots will have released a considerable amount of water, which should be stirred into the batter along with the carrots. Do not be concerned by the amount of extra liquid.) Scrape down the bowl with a spatula ensuring ingredients are well blended.

Pour evenly into prepared pans.

Bake 35-55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when tested. (Make your first test at 35 minutes, then every 10 minutes until done.) Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

When completely cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.

Grilled Heritage Fingerling Potatoes

2011-09-03T08:00:00.087-05:00

With Labor Day weekend upon us here in the USA it can only mean that summer is rapidly come to a close in Chicago. I still have so many grill recipes to prepare it looks like I will have plenty to hold over until next year.

During the past couple weeks I tried out the heritage potatoes that our local market was selling. I would say they are a combination of fingerling varieties, although they were unmarked. Fingerlings are varieties that naturally grow small and narrow and are mature when harvested. They should not to be confused with new potatoes. Popular fingerling potatoes include the yellow-skinned Russian Banana, the orange-skinned French, and the Purple Peruvian. All tend to be low in starch and have a fine flavor and firm, waxy texture and can be eaten unpeeled.

Fingerlings in Mesh Bag

Because they are more expensive than standard potatoes, you want to show them off and prepare them as a side dish. As such, I made two different versions on the grill as shown here, for two different meals one with lamb and the other with haddock.

I selected two different preparation methods; one crunchy and one soft.

Crunchy and Bold: This method involves washing and halving the potatoes, then tossing them lightly in olive oil. Then using a mixture of 1 part panko bread crumbs and 2 parts grated Parmesean cheese, sprinkle the potatoes to evenly coat. Salt and pepper to taste, and place them in a grill basket over moderate heat. Turn them several times and cook for about 30 minutes. (The smaller potatoes cook more quickly than traditional potoatoes. However it is important to note that these potatoes should always be fully cooked as they undercooking can result in solanine poisoning.) I paired these with haddock and bay scallops. However, I felt the potatoes were too bold for the delicate seafood main course.

Soft and Delicate: I always call this method 'camp potatoes' and regularly use it for red skin potatoes. Wash and cut the potatoes into halves. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil and your favorite seasonings. Place a large square of foil on your work surface and place the potatoes down the center. I usually make this shape to fit the upper grill rack so I can use the full main grill for other foods. Wrap the potatoes neatly in the foil and then using a second piece of foil, wrap again. Use a fork to poke a few holes for steam to escape on both sides. Roast on your pre-heated grill at 350F for 30-40 minutes or until tender and cooked through. I paired these potatoes with lamb T-bones, but because of the strong flavor of the lamb and its sauce, the more delicate flavor of the potatoes didn't pair as well as it would have with the fish.

Of the two techniques, I favor the latter (camp potatoes) as I think they show off the fingerlings best. The crunchy methods bold flavor and crunch tends to overshadow the special potatoes you are serving. In the end however, if your main dish is fixed you'll need to select the preparation method/flavor that goes best with your main course. I should have prepared the camp potatoes for the fish and the crunching/bold potatoes for the lamb.

Grill Roasted Turkey Breast

2011-08-27T08:00:00.009-05:00

It smells as good roasting on the grill as it does in your oven on Thanksgiving. So why not prepare a turkey breast this summer? It really is one of the simpliest things you can do on a grill and it comes out so juicy and delicious you'll wonder why you hadn't tried it sooner.

When grilling a turkey breast, I find it is best to purchase one with the bone in as it makes for more flavorful and juicy meat. I simply buttered the breast and then used a poultry seasoning I picked up at Williams-Sonoma. But any favorite seasoning will do just fine.

Once you have the breast seasoned, you need to determine your roasting method. As my grill has a spit (rotisserie), I like to use it whenever I can as the constantly turning meat is a good way for the meat to self-baste. But you don't have to use this method. Alternatively you can place a drip pan in the center of your grill (below the grates) and place the breast bone-side down (breast meat up) directly on your grill grates. This will permit the breast to roast and drippings will be collected below and make a wonderful gravy or salad dressing base. If the pan doesn't have sufficient drippings to keep them from burning, add some water from time to time. Some fresh-roasted turkey breast atop a salad dressed with a turkey/vinegar/oil dressing is really all you need on a hot summer night.

A large turkey breast will take about two hours to roast using either the rotisserie or the standard technique. Roast with the grill lid closed and watch the grill temperature keeping it in the 325-375F range. If using the rotisserie, set the rotisserie burner to low and light only the burners at the far ends of the grill to keep the skin from burning. Take the meat temperature using an instant read thermomenter after about one and a half hours. The breast meat should have a temperature around 165F when you remove it from the grill. Let it sit for 20 minutes as meat temps continue to rise. You can serve it after this or even wait for up to an hour and the meat will still be warm and juicy.

To finish my meal, I added some potatoes to the grill one hour into roasting and while the turkey breast rested I grilled some asparagus. It really is simple to cook an entire dinner on your grill, keeping your house cool and eliminating pots/pans that require clean-up later.

Traditional Greek Salad

2011-08-20T08:00:00.045-05:00

This wonderful dish is literally translated from the Greek as 'rustic salad' or 'summer salad' and indeed when you are in Greece you find it is very common during the hot summer months. Nothing really tastes better on a sultry afternoon than a traditional Greek salad.

Kevin and I had the pleasure of spending two weeks in Greece in 2008 and one of the souvenirs we brought home was this little recipe. Unlike American salads, the Greek (summer) Salad does not contain lettuce. Instead it is made up of tomatoes, sliced cucumber, red onion, sliced or cubed feta cheese, and black olives. It is typically seasoned with salt and dried oregano, and dressed with olive oil. In a couple locations it also contained cubed green bell peppers, but this did not seem to be common. We use Greek olives, which are salty and sour, but you can also use Kalamata if you prefer.

As you can see here, we serve it with a slice of feta cheese on top as this seemed to be the way most of the local (not tourist) restaurants served it. You simply use your fork to break up the delicious feta cheese, taking a small bite with each piece of vegetable.

Feta, as you may know, is an aged crumbly cheese, commonly produced in blocks and has a slightly grainy texture. Only those cheeses produced in a traditional way in select areas of Greece (mainland and the island of Lesbos), and made from sheep milk or from a mixture of sheep and goats’ milk (up to 30%) may bear the name "feta". With that said, our local Italian grocer carries a wonderful American-made "feta" so do try a few varieties to find the one you like best.

Julian on the island of Santorini

If you get the chance we strongly recommend you visit Greece. The country has so much to offer in terms of history. We visited seven of the islands as well as much of the mainland. Each tells a unique piece of the history of the region, from the pre-Greek civilizations, through the classic Greek period and on to the Dark Ages and time of the Crusades. It is a beautiful region and is filled with so much to see and do. Try out the many local foods and don't be shy when it comes to the slow-roasted kid (baby goat). All highly recommended!

Cena Fredda ~ Cold Supper

2011-08-13T08:00:00.087-05:00

The Romans referred to the dog days of summer and associated the hot, sultry weather with the star Sirius (also known as the dog star.) In Ancient Rome, the dog days lasted for a month, from July 24 to August 24, so the weather in Rome seems similar to the weather pattern here in Chicago.

Ministrant Carrying a Tray of Food with Silenius Playing a Lyre and a Young Satyr Playing a Syrinx, North Wall, Oecus 5, 60-50 BC (fresco)Villa dei Misteri, Pompeii, Italy

While we don't typically have more than a week or two of really hot, muggy days, those that we do have will occur during this period. So when the dog days are upon us, I turn to another Italian tradition for my cooking inspiration, "cena fredda" or the traditional cold supper. Of course, much of Italy lies south of Rome, where no doubt the weather is even hotter in the summer time. As such, the Italians have invented a special set of serving dishes for this meal.

The cena fredda service is typically an ornate set of segmented serving pieces usually with the main meat dish placed in the center dish, and surrounded by cheeses, fruits, olives, marinated vegetables, and other antipastos. All the plates fit together perfectly yet can be easily pulled apart. You see these throughout many of the shops in Italy, although I'm told that most Italian families just use regular dishes while enjoying their cold supper.

My Mother (child) and Grandmother

As you may know, my mother was 100% Italian, and as such she regularly prepared a cold supper during the hottest days of summer. I remember rising from my bed to the smell of fried or roasted chicken as she prepared much of the evening meal very early in the morning, before it was too hot outside. While we had air-conditioning, this was a tradition she knew well and continued to follow despite the modern cooling convenience.

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In addition to a room-temperature roasted meat, poultry or fish, there were typically slices of tomatoes, cucumbers, cheeses and hard-boiled or deviled eggs. We'd have green onions, carrot sticks, cold green beans with dressing, olives (usually Greek style), and always wine (and yes, the children drank small portions of wine too and no one became an alcoholic.) Perhaps as much as the good food, which we would consume on the back patio, I have great memories of these dinners, often with aunts and uncles dropping by for an evening of good food, lots of conversation, uproarious laughter and enjoying the family until well into the night. It seems we could be quite self entertaining!

If I'm preparing a smaller more formal cold supper, I often start with a cold tomato basil soup, gazpacho or vichyssoise (a soup made of puréed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock.) Cold salmon also makes a nice, refreshing main course and I provide you with the very nice recipe for that below, which you prepare the day before.

For the larger group, I prepare a buffet which most always includes a roasted or pan fried chicken. I make the chicken in the morning and let it sit at room temperature until serving time. I know in this day of refrigeration and health department regulation this is not how things are done, but it worked for my mother and thus it is good enough for me.

If you are not into cooking, this is one meal that can easily be picked up at your local Italian deli or any good fresh-food market. The important thing is to enjoy a cold supper after the heat of the day with friends and family and marvel at how wonderful life really is... La Dolche Vita!

Cold Supper Buffet
Click to Enlarge

Cold Supper Salmon (Serves 6)

2 pound salmon filet, skin on

1 medium onion, sliced

1 lemon, sliced thin

2 teaspoons pickling spices
3 stalks fresh dill, pulled from the central stem

3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced very thin

Sliced black olives (optional, to garnish)
Fresh dill (optional, to garnish)

Click to Enlarge

Arrange onion and lemon slices, spices, dill and garlic on the bottom of a well-greased casserole or foil-lined baking sheet. Place salmon skin side up on top of the seasonings. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350F for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool. Refrigerate until well chilled. When ready to serve, place the salmon fillet on a serving platter and carefully remove the skin. Mix mayonnaise and mustard and spread lightly over salmon. Garnish with cucumber slices and olives.

Summer Appetizers

2011-08-06T08:00:00.005-05:00

When having friends or family over for a pre-dinner cocktail, it's best to serve a small appetizer, which both enhances the flavor of the drinks and also puts some food in your guests so the alcohol doesn't go straight to their heads. In last summer's postings I included my recipe for Bruschetta and I continues to serve it this year. Recently with eight guests for dinner, I served up three bite-sized appetizers; just enough to whet the appetites of my guests. In addition to the Bruschetta, I served pesto bites and stuffed endive.

Pesto Bites

Certainly both recipes are simple but the pesto is extraordinarily so. Simply make pesto as you normally would (see my post for Pesto Pasta two weeks ago) and on a dry bite-size toast, place a piece of high-quality shaved Parmesan cheese. Spoon a bit of pesto sauce on top and they are ready to serve. If you want to dress them up, add a tiny piece of pimento as a garnish.

Stuffed Endive

For the stuffed endive, I procured both white and red endive. After carefully washing each leaf and trimming the end to improve appearance, I made a chutney of roasted corn and black beans. You could easily purchase something similar (perhaps salsa) and it would be just as good. My chutney was a bit on the spicy side, which goes well with cocktails, but to cool it down a bit and to add some texture, I spooned a small amount of plain creamy yogurt onto each endive leaf. Then I added the chutney and topped them with some crispy pan-fried Pancetta (Italian bacon, finely diced) and some shaved Parmesan.

For all of the above appetizers you can prepare most of the ingredients before your guests arrive and simply assemble when you are ready to serve your cocktails.

Nectarine and Almond Crisp

2011-07-30T08:00:00.095-05:00

A twist on the always-popular fruit crisps, this one is perfect as we enter August when this fruit is ripe and plentiful here in the Midwest of the USA. As blueberries are also ripe now, nectarines are often paired with blueberries at this time of the year and I encourage you to try that classic combination as well. Peaches also make great crisps, but for one reason I'll discuss below, nectarines are preferred.

Partially Covered Crisp

I'm sort of a crisp fanatic. Nothing is really easier than putting a crisp together for dessert that will feed a crowd. I suppose the most famous is the apple crisp, and I make most of these desserts without a recipe. If you make them often, you'll do this too knowing just the right combination of spices and how to put the ingredients together quickly for your crumb topping.

The issue with any fruit recipe (crisp or pie) is determining how juicy the fruit is. This is really important for a pie as you don't want the fruit to slide out of the crust when serving. It's less of an issue with a crisp as you spoon it into the serving dishes, or make it in individual ramekins. With all fruit recipes, let the fruit rest coated in the sugar seasoning while you prepare the topping. You'll soon see how much juice you will have to deal with and can increase or decrease the amount of thickening you add to the fruit to accommodate the amount of juice. The more juice that exudes from the fruit, the more thickener you will need to add to the recipe.

Most classic crisp recipes call for a crumb topping made with rolled oats and brown sugar. Together with the tender, juicy fruit and berries, it makes a homey, country dessert that reminds us of mom, fruit orchards and the smells of late summer. However, in this recipe, which I found in Bon Appetit Desserts and subsequently modified, the topping contains no rolled oats, and the classic cinnamon is replaced by cardamom. As this spice isn't always easy to find, I've given you the cinnamon substitute amounts as well. Additionally, in this recipe an almond paste is used to provide a nutty flavor which pairs perfectly with this fruit.

Nectarines and peaches actually come from the same tree. Early Asian botanists noticed that nectarines sometimes appeared on a peach tree, or vice versa. As peach trees were crossed, they sometimes produced nectarines. Once genetics became more fully understood, they realized that the difference between a peach and a nectarine was actually a recessive gene which determines whether or not the resulting fruit will be fuzzy. If both parent trees pass on a copy of this gene to a seedling, the result will be a nectarine. Otherwise, a peach and a nectarine are genetically identical. So unlike peaches, nectarines do not need to be peeled before baking. Anyone that has peeled peaches through the blanching method knows this can be time consuming and sometimes difficult if the fruit is not very ripe. As such, nectarines are preferable to peaches for crisps. However, like peaches nectarines come in two basic varieties, free stone and cling. Now you would think your produce provider would clearly mark these, but sadly this is not the case. While you can easily know what most canned fruits are in this regard, I find it very difficult to determine if I'm buying cling or free stone nectarines (or peaches.) As the name suggests, you want free stone fruit so it easily peels away from the pit. However, even with a cling fruit, you can pretty simply cut the stone out of the fruit and continue on with the recipe.

Filling

3 pounds nectarines
1/2 cup apricot preserves -- slightly warmed
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed -- light/golden preferred
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon potato starch -- or other thickener
1 teaspoon cinnamon -- or 1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Topping

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed -- light/golden preferred
1 teaspoon cinnamon -- or 3/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup almond paste -- crumbled
6 tablespoons butter -- chilled and cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375F and butter (or spray with food release) an 11 x 7 x 2 inch glass baking dishing.

Nectarines do not need to be peeled for this recipe. Simply wash, pit and slice in half, then slice each half into four pieces. With the nectarines in a mixing bowl add apricot preserves, brown sugar, flour, potato starch, cinnamon and ginger. Toss gently until nectarines are evenly coated.

Let sit on the bowl while you prepare the topping.

Topping can be made using either a pastry cutter or a food processor. Blend the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Cut in the almond paste (if using the processor, pulse to cut the paste into the flour) until fine crumbs form. Add the butter and cut in. You should now have a granular crumb topping. Gently fold in the sliced almonds.

Check the nectarine mixture and determine if there is a significant amount of juice in the bowl. If so, add some additional thickener and stir. Turn the mixture into your prepared baking dish and sprinkling with the topping.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the nectarines are tender and juices are bubbling. Allow to cool for 2 hours before serving slightly warm or at room temperature. I most always serve my crisps with ice cream in the summer time, and poured cream in the winter.

Pesto Pasta - The Royal Herb

2011-07-23T08:00:00.026-05:00

Summer is the time of year when my garden is overflowing with pesto's essential ingredient and what the Greeks called the "royal herb"; basil. If you don't grow it, you should consider it as it is simple to do in a flower pot on your patio. You can also find it at farmers markets for a fraction of the cost that you pay in the winter when it's sold in those tiny plastic bags looking all wilted and unhappy at your supermarket.

Click to Enlarge

Fresh basil has a strong and wonderful aroma and an incredible flavor. I like to grow standard Italian basil, but you can find other flavors and colors. But for pesto, none of those more exotic varieties (i.e., Thai Chocolate Basil, etc.) are recommended.

Pesto is a sauce that originated in Genoa, Italy and traditionally consists of crushed garlic, basil and nuts blended with olive oil and cheese. The name comes from the Genoese word pestâ (Italian: pestare), which means to pound or to crush. This is a reference to the original technical of crushing with marble mortar and wooden pestle. Using this technique makes a very nice sauce, and if you have the time and are so inclined, I would recommend it. Nowadays, however, the ingredients in pesto are generally blended in a food processor, as shown in my photos here.

The earliest reference I could find for pesto in the USA was in a 1944 New York Times article that mentioned imported canned pesto paste. In 1946, Sunset magazine published a pesto recipe by Angelo Pellegrini. Pesto did not really become popular in North America until the 1980s when it seemed to spring up on many restaurant menus.

Ingredients

2 large fist fulls of basil leaves torn fresh from the plant
2 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
Pinch of course salt (to taste)
1/4 cup grated Parmesean or Romano Cheese (grated)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more or less as you desire

Directions

Dunk the pesto leaves in water to clean the leaves. Dry on paper towels after spinning off the excess water. Garlic and pine nuts are then placed in the food processor bowl and reduced and pureed as much as possible. Then the dry basil leaves are added with coarse salt and processed finely. Add the grated cheese and process while drizzling in the olive oil until I have the right consistency for pasta sauce.

When making this for a first course or luncheon which will be a smaller serving, I tend to use more sauce for the pasta which provides a stronger flavor. If making this for a main dish and therefore a larger serving, I use somewhat less sauce but add Italian sausage, which I have cooked separately and added to the dish just prior to serving.

When I make a batch of pesto in the late summer, I freeze several containers of extra sauce. This way whenever I need a quick pasta meal out of season, I am prepared.

Summer Crab & Shrimp Cocktails

2011-07-16T08:00:00.006-05:00

This is an easy prepare-ahead first course that will please your guests, look beautiful on your table and be cool and refreshing, all at the same time. I served this during a recent dinner party on the patio and they were a big hit. I used parfait glasses, but you can serve these as easily on a plate or in cocktail glass, which is why they are called "cocktails."

Cocktail appetizers (such as fruit cocktail and shrimp cocktail) became popular during Prohibition. In the USA during the1920s these appetizers were actually served in cocktail glasses originally meant to hold alcoholic beverages. It was a creative way to use the stemware which by law, could no longer be used to serve alcoholic beverages.

This recipe, a close cousin of the original shrimp cocktail, uses crab as the main ingredient and adds some peppers and celery to lighten the dish. The red cocktail sauce is replaced with a lime mayonnaise.

If you have friends and family that enjoy shellfish, give this summer treat a try. These will not disappoint on a hot summer evening.

Recipe

Click To
Enlarge

16 ounces cooked white crab meat

8 cooked and peeled large shrimp, tails on

1 tbsp crushed coriander

1 fresh red chili pepper, chopped

1 fresh banana pepper, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 limes, juiced

1 avocado , peeled and sliced into 8 wedges

salt and pepper to taste

8 Lettuce leaves (Boston preferred)

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise

2 limes, zested and juiced

1 tbsp crushed coriander

Mix the coriander, chili and lime juice, and toss with the crab. Refrigerate covered to let flavors blend. Mix the dressing ingredients. Refrigerate until ready for use.

Remove dressing and crab from refrigerator. Salt and pepper crab to taste. Stir dressing to thin. Divide the lettuce leaves between 8 serving glasses. Layer the crab into each dish and add a single shrimp and avocado wedge to each glass. Drizzle dressing over the cocktails.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2011-07-09T08:00:00.032-05:00

A good cake any time of the year is this American classic. What makes it American is the pineapple.

The technique itself has been around for centuries and is traced back to the Middle Ages where fruits were put into the bottom of a cast-iron skillet covered with a cake batter and cooked on the stove top. These 'cakes' were traditionally made with apples, cherries and other seasonal fruits. The fruits, being naturally sweet, thickened and when turned out (upside down) onto a serving plate, provided a glazed topping that dripped down and soaked into the cake. Yum!

However it wasn't until 1903 when Jim Dole of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company perfected a way to can pineapples that they were used in this now classic recipe. In 1925, the company placed ads in popular women's magazines asking housewives to submit creative ways to use their canned pineapples. They reportedly received 2500 recipes for pineapple upside down cake. Jean Anderson, in her American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century (p. 432) includes the following note:

According to John Mariani's ( The Dictionary of American Food and Drink , Revised Edition, 1994), "The first mention in print of such a cake was in 1930, and was so listed in the 1936 Sears Roebuck catalog, but the cake is somewhat older." In Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads (1995), Sylvia Lovegren traces pineapple upside-down cake to a 1924 Seattle fund-raising cookbook...While rooting around in old women's magazines I found a Gold Medal Flour ad with a full-page, four-color picture of Pineapple Upside-Down Cake--a round cake with six slices of pineapple, candied red cherries, and a brown sugar glaze. The date: November 1925."

The next year (1926) the Hawaiian Pineapple company capitalized on the popularity of the Pineapple Upside Down Cake by running a national ad campaign featuring the recipe, further solidifying its place in culinary history.

There are many recipes available online and most all of them seem to come out quite well, so I'm not going to provide you with another one here. You'll notice that most recipes call for using a cake pan (square or round) and using rings of canned pineapple and the prepared maraschino cherries. I guess this is the corporate presentation of choice as it is the one still shown on the Dole website. I however, prefer a more rustic version prepared in the skillet (as shown top of this entry). I particularly like this recipe from Inn Cuisine, which includes pecans. But I have friends that make great versions in cake pans and some that make them right-side up (i.e., they put the cake on the bottom of the pan and the pineapple on the top and bake it this way, never turning it out.) So if you haven't made this American classic in a while, it's time to treat your friends and family.

Inn Cuisine's Decadent
Cast Iron Skillet Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Cobb Salad: A Historical and Hearty Meal

2011-07-02T08:00:00.068-05:00

As it is summer in Chicago the weather often makes one shun a full, hot dinner. When this is the case, I often simply prepare a salad as the main course. This is generally preceded by a cocktail and appetizer, such as chilled shrimp and followed later in the evening by a cold dessert, such as melon Porto.

One of my favorite dinner salads is the Cobb Salad. There are many varieties of this popular choice, although the original is named after Bob Cobb, who was the owner of the famous Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, California. For those that may not be aware, the historic restaurant opened in a building specially designed for Cecil B. DeMille (the famous movie director) near the corner of Hollywood and Vine. It soon attracted a big following from the city's movie industry.

The Brown Derby at Hollywood and Vine
Home of the Cobb Salad

The Brown Derby was a restaurant visited by all of Hollywood's elite. There are many photos of stars eating in the famed booths, under the caricature pictures of themselves. Hollywood moguls and stars dined here regularly, and it is said that Mr. DeMille often sent his chauffeur over to pick up Cobb salads for the director's lunch.

With regard to the salad, the story goes that in 1937 Bob Cobb was hungry one night and plucked items from the restaurants refrigerator to make himself a snack. This included items such as lettuce, watercress, tomatoes, cold chicken breast, hard-boiled egg, chives, cheese and some crisp bacon. Sid Grauman (of Grauman's Chinese Theatre fame), who was said to have been with Mr. Cobb that night, asked the next day for a 'Cobb Salad' and it was then swiftly added to the menu.

Sadly, the original restaurants are gone but Disney has revived them with a reproduction of the original Brown Derby in Orlando, Florida, followed by more Brown Derby restaurants in Tokyo, Paris and Anaheim, California. So if you get to one of these, do try their version of the Cobb Salad.

The recipe I'm going to share with you here however is perhaps a bit lighter than the original, using a yogurt and lemon dressing recipe I picked up from Costco.

This recipe makes two nice dinner size salad portions. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients well (can be shaken in a jar) and poured over the ingredients and toss to coat. If you would prefer a fancier presentation place the lettuce on the bottom of each serving plate and arrange the remaining ingredients artfully on top and serve the dressing on the side. If you don't have all of the ingredients below, do what Bob did and use what you have in the refrigerator!

Ingredients
6 strips of bacon, fried crisp and cool
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 egg, hard boiled and cold, sliced into wedges or chopped as you prefer
1 ripe large tomato, seeded (peeled preferred if nicely ripe)
1 medium avocado, halved, pitted peeled and cubed
2 ounces of crumbled blue cheese
2 small green onions, white part only, thinly sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
chicken breast, skinless and boneless, chilled and cut into bite size pieces

Dressing
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of salt

Summer Cocktails

2011-06-25T08:00:00.025-05:00

It’s the season that cries out for cocktails. After a long day at work, or a weekend gathering of friends, a cold cocktail in hand is the perfect way start to dinner. The summer season is actually too short here in Chicago. I barely have time to get in all of the pre-dinner drinks I want to serve to my family and friends. At our place you may be greeted with a classic martini, a frozen margarita, a fruity glass of sangria, a chilled dry rosé wine, a high ball or a refreshing fruit-flavored cocktail in a martini glass.

To go along with any cocktail, you need either a little appetizer or simply a nice snack mix. Each summer I create a large jar of my own snack mix to use throughout the season whenever cocktails are served. As you can see in these photos, I select a variety of salty and spicy items, mix them together and keep them at the ready whenever drinks are served. This year my mix included wasabi peas, extra crunchy large peanuts, sesame sticks, small pretzels, barbecued corn kernels and other favorites. I like each item to be small in size and easy to pop into your mouth while you sip your cocktail in the outdoors.

This year Kevin created a new drink, based on my recipe for pear and ginger crisp. He likes this dessert so much, he felt he could use the same flavors to create a summer drink.

Pear and Ginger Cocktail
Ingredients (per serving, can make two cocktails at a time in a traditional shaker)

Crushed Ice
2 shots pear vodka
2 shots light pear juice (from canned pears)
3 pieces of thinly sliced and muddled fresh ginger
Pear slice to garnish
Candied ginger piece to garnish

Fill a martini shaker halfway with crushed ice. Crush the ginger to bring out some of the juice and add it (crushed ginger and juice) to the shaker. Add the pear juice and vodka. Cover and shake briskly. Pour into martini glasses. Skewer a piece each of canned pear and candied ginger and serve.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another very refreshing and tasty summer cocktail follows which was sent to me by my friend Tim. It uses limoncello, traditionally served after dessert and often overwhelmingly sweet. However, when added to this cocktail, it adds a lovely light lemon flavor which goes well with the mint. Highly recommended for hot summer days!

Mint Limonata
Ingredients (per serving, can make two cocktails at a time in a traditional shaker)

Crushed ice
2 ounces limoncello
1 ounce vodka
2 ounces sparkling water (San Pelligrino)
2 medium mint leaves, torn in half

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with crushed ice and add the limoncello and vodka. Shake to combine. Remove lid and add the sparkling water and stir to mix in. Pour into a rocks glass allowing some of the ice to drop into the glass. Push the torn mint leaves down into the drink and serve.

Dining Alfresco

2011-06-18T08:00:00.064-05:00

It's finally the season in Chicago for taking meals in the glorious outdoors; what we call 'dining alfresco'. The term is originally thought to be from the Italian and meaning in the cool, fresh open air. It's a term fondly thought of at least as far back as the late 18th century as noted in Mrs. Eliza Haywood's History of Jemmy and Jenny Jessamy: "It was good for her ladyship's health to be thus alfresco." It's good for my health too... mental as much as physical, after a long, cold Chicago winter.

E Phillips Fox - Al Fresco

There is simply nothing so splendid as a bright blue sky, a summer breeze and a glorious garden on a summer afternoon for taking your meal. The American novelist, Henry James, wrote "Summer afternoon ~ summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” If you're from the south you may have a different perspective, but up here in the north those glorious summer afternoon meals on a patio, balcony, porch or under the shade of an old tree cannot be beat.

William Logsdail - Venetion Al-Fresco

Of course there are many ways to dine alfresco. Don't we all enjoy a picnic or even a leisurely meal taken upon the water? Apparrently the Venetion's do! While I certainly love both, today I'm talking about simply dining on our garden patio. When we moved into this home it was new and the builder had not included a garden patio, but only doors that opened onto a lawn. We had a large paver-stone patio installed, big enough for both an umbrella-covered dining table as well as a lounging area for cocktails, appetizers and to rest and let the food digest after a good summer dinner. Our garden is secluded and heavily planted, and often after dinner we find our guests enjoy a stroll around grounds in bare feet where toes feel refreshed in the soft green grass and the smell of the rose garden is enchanting.

When preparing these summer meals I prefer the uncomplicated, using fresh ingredients and highlighting their natural flavors. While my tomatoes are still not ripe (I have three varieties planted), I did find some wonderful specimens at my local Italian grocers. He also carries a wonderful selection of various types of fresh mozzerlla cheese, and when I combined these with some of my own garden-fresh basil, I had a splendid first course. I let them warm in the summer sun, then sliced and drizzled them with some good olive oil, salt, pepper and a dash of sugar and they were ready to enjoy. As you can see by the plate here, they were nearly a meal unto themselves!

For the main course, I just grilled up some jumbo shrimp which is really one of the most simple and delicious things you can prepare on the grill. I skewer them together tightly, brush them with olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and a little bit of sugar to help with browning. A few minutes on the grill and a single turn and they are ready to serve. I also put a little butter, garlic and white wine in a little pan and let that sauté on the grill. At the very end I added a bit of fresh basil finely chopped for some more 'summer flavor'. You can serve the grilled shrimp as is, or you put them over pasta, using the garlic butter for pasta sauce.

Wrapping up the meal, I had previously prepared a custard fruit tart. If you make custard filling regularly, as I do, you find it is easy and reliable. Quickly preparing a pastry shell and filling it with your custard provides the base for those fresh early-summer berries. You can use any soft flavorful fruit, then glaze it with warmed jam or a citrus gelatin. I made this early in the morning and it stayed cool in the refrigerator until we were ready for dessert.

We enjoy a meal like this with a good rosé wine that serves well cold. Outdoors in the summer we tend to avoid heavy, warm red wines, but often find many of the whites don't hold up as well to the bolder flavors we serve. And with our dessert, a nice vintage port followed by a cup of good coffee finishes off the meal.

Claude Monet - Le degeuner sur l'herbe 1865-1866

Whatever you choose to serve on these glorious summer days, I'm sure you'll agree that all of it tastes better when dining alfresco!

Bon appétit!

O Canada!

2011-06-11T07:54:00.000-05:00

What culinary delights you offer. I visit this wonderful country at least annually and often more frequently on both business and pleasure. My most recent trip was the first week of June when we visited the glorious Canadian Rockies. I never come away from Canada without having enjoyed a number of wonderful meals in fine restaurants, many of which procured their food locally. Here I'm mostly talking about seafood and meats. As the country's long winter doesn't provide a bounty of vegetables and fruits year around, in the later summer you can find good, local produce but through most of the year, this is imported. The prairie land of the Midwest also produces the countries grains, and supports ranching.

Jasper, Canada

Now if you know me well, you understand that I'm not much one for catching my own meal. But if you love fishing and hunting, Canada is the place for you. It's wildlife is legendary and its scenery spectacular. During my recent trip even I was inspired to do some hiking and canoeing (yes the water really is that blue.) Canada's many rivers and miles of ocean shoreline provide an abundance of seafood. Her iconic Rockies provide wild game that will walk right up to your car. (With bears the only question is who will be eating who!) It is truly a land of beauty and kind, helpful people. If you haven't visited recently, you should!

Shellfish ~ from the east coast: Prince Edward Island (P.E.I), the smallest and least populous of Canada's 10 provinces, is nestled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence just above Nova Scotia on Canada's eastern coast. This entire area is famous for its shellfish with cold, clean water with the optimal amount of salt due to its partial protection from the open sea. The mussels are legendary here and are exported throughout the country and to the USA usually labeled "P.E.I. Mussels" even though they may be from New Foundland or other locations around the Gulf of St. Lawrence. These mussels are blue mussels, which are different from the Mediterranean mussels available in the Northwest and from New Zealand's green mussels. The mussels here are said to have a more robust flavor and plumpness because of the water's rich plankton supply. Most P.E.I. mussels are farmed in the ocean waters by seeding them from ropes, and after 18-24 months harvesting, cleaning and keeping them wet and cold until they arrive at the kitchen. This is also the area for Canada's best lobsters, clams and oysters.

Game ~ from the Rockies: Have a taste for Moose stew, elk pot roast, venison chili, or bison filet mignon? The great Midwest of Canada is the place for you, with some of the largest herds of both wild and ranched elk and bison. During our recent time in the Rockies we enjoyed all of these game meats and more. Shown below is a bison filet wrapped in wild boar bacon. While more dense than a grain fed beef filet, it was still tender and flavorful. (If you are not inclined toward game meats, Alberta is also famous for its grass fed beef.)

Venison (deer) is also widely available and has more nutritional value than beef, is lower in fat and cholesterol, higher in protein and more richly flavored than beef. The best cuts are chops and ribs and it is also used in numerous recipes as a ground meat for burgers, chili, etc. Elk meat provides the full flavor of beef but again with lower fat and cholesterol. However, because elk meat can be tough, you usually find it in recipes where the meat can be slow cooked to tenderize it. Wild boar meat has a sweet, nutty and intense flavor. It is leaner and a deeper red color than pork and it is often grilled as rib chops and used for sausage. Think you've seen it all? How about moose ravioli? It's like traditional beef ravioli but made with moose liver, heart and minced moose meat. Confused about the menu item entitled "Moose Mountain Oysters". You got it.... moose testicles sautéed in butter and served in a honey sweetened light cream sauce. Perhaps you do need to be a somewhat adventurous diner to travel with Kevin and me.

Halibut Prepared by those
Fantastic Fairmont Hotel Chefs

Fish ~ from the west coast: This is a great place for fish, especially halibut, salmon and trout. Salt water fishing is huge here. That's not to say you can't find fresh lake trout throughout the country, but the large steelhead trout, the amazing Chinook (King) salmon and the oh so flaky halibut are the prize fish in this region. While you can fish and vacation near Vancouver (which is a wonderful city) take the time to get away from this major population center and visit the small towns of British Columbia (B.C.). Consider a little place like Ucluelet, British Columbia where they say "more salmon and halibut swim by their front door than any place on earth." There you'll find salmon headed for all of the rivers on North America’s west coast. The Ucluelet waters swarm with giant schools of herring, pilchard, needlefish and squid. Close behind them are the salmon and halibut gorging themselves and quickly fattening before the winter months.

If you have family along that are not fond of just fishing during their vacation, the salt and fresh water around Victoria, Sooke and Sidney on Vancouver Island is a prime location as it falls within the path of the salmon migrating routes and enjoys many large lakes and rivers from which they harvest delicious fish and that provide for many boating and swimming activities. If you happen to be in B.C. between May and October, you'll also enjoy local Dungeness crab. The capital city of British Columbia, Victoria boasts many historic buildings and fascinating museums. The city benefits from one of Canada's mildest climates and there is plenty to do with golfing, hiking, biking, shopping, dining and even theatre in this city rated a Top 10 Family Vacation by TripAdvisor 2011 Travelers' Choice awards. And it wouldn't be a trip to Victoria without the time-honored tradition of high tea in the tea lobby of The Fairmont Empress that has served England’s most beloved ritual and Victoria's grandest tradition of Afternoon Tea to famed royalty, celebrities and dignitaries alike. Does it get better than this?

Coconut Cake with Candied Pansies

2011-06-04T08:00:00.124-05:00

After first tasting this really moist, delicious cake at my friend Rick's house, I decided I needed to make it myself. The recipe, taken from Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) who once used it for cupcakes in her restaurant, is not complex and makes a wonderful, rich dessert even for those that don't care for coconut. In fact, the coconut flavor is quite overshadowed by the almond flavor and the silky cream cheese frosting.

Following Rick's advice I used the Rose Levy Beranbaum silicon cake strips for more even baking. These help the cake to stay moist around the edges. Without these, or some other similar wrap, the edges cook too quickly causing the cake layer to dome and dry out toward the edges. The wraps I purchased were for 9" round pans, but I decided on three 8" layers instead. So I used binder clips to make them fit. If you do much cake baking, these easy-to-care-for silicon wraps should be on your wish list.

I baked the cake and frosted early the morning of my dinner party, then refrigerated it. Approximately four hours before serving, I removed it from the refrigerator and decorated it with candied pansies and violas, then let it sit at room temperature so the frosting would once again be creamy by serving time.

For a memorable Spring or Summer cake, decorate your cake with candied flowers, as I did here. I used pansies and violas, but any edible flower will suffice. While it is not particularly hard to candy flowers (which simply means coating them in sugar), it is a bit tedious.

In short, you simply soak the freshly picked flowers for a minute or two in cold water to remove any dirt. Let them dry on a paper towel at room temperature. Then cut off the entire stem. Then, holding the pansy by the stem nub with tweezers, use a a small paint brush to coat the flower with egg white (or dissolved gelatin or liquefied meringue powder.) Lay each coated pansy in the bowl of superfine sugar and pour more sugar over the side facing up. Pick up each of the flower heads and gently shake the excess sugar off. Set on a cookie sheet to dry turning every hour until crisp, about 6-8 hours. Do not refrigerate. Store at room temperature until ready to use. If this is too tedious for you, candied flowers can be purchased. Sara Parrilli, a fellow blogger has some lovely images and comments about candied flowers and cakes, which you may also like to view.

Now, on to baking and frosting the cake. As I've stated in other cake recipes on the blog, it is essential that ALL ingredients be added when they are at room temperature. Here is Ina's recipe.

Cake
3/4 pound unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pans
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extra
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup milk
4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Frosting
1 pound cream cheese
1/2 pound unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extra
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Click To
Enlarge

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans (or three 8" rounds), then line them with parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the mild to the batter in three parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 25-35 minutes, until tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. (Note: Ina says to bake for 45-55 minutes. But Rick and I both found a much shorter baking time is necessary. If you over-bake the cake will be dry. When the cake tester/pick comes out clean, the cake is done.) Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar slowly mixing until just smooth (don't whip.)

To assemble, place on layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Pan Roasted Chilean Sea Bass

2011-05-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

Here in Chicago we don't have that much access to really good, fresh fish. As a consequence, I don't make it as often as I would like. No matter how good a cook you may be, you can't make up for starting with poor quality ingredients. But this week my local Italian market happened to have some really fresh Chilean Sea Bass. So I took the opportunity to buy a couple nice pieces and prepare it for a weeknight dinner, as it is quick and simple to make. From start to finish it is on the table in under 45 minutes.

This fish, actually named the Patagonian Toothfish, maybe a very unattractive creature in the wild, but it has some of the nicest, flaky white delicate fish you can imagine. It is however expensive, and if you do find it fresh you will pay significantly for the privilege. I paid $17 for two nice size pieces. This is because there are now regulations on how much of this species can be harvested as over-fishing was causing its numbers in the wild to be reduced significantly, causing concern that it may become endangered. My fish came from South Georgia, which has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council for sustainable management.

This evening I made my fish with a Mediterranean sauce and a side of roasted asparagus. I often use this sauce with a delicate white fish, as it adds both flavor and color. If you plan to do the same, begin by making the sauce as the fish is quick and easy to pan roast. Alternatively, you can simply make a white wine and butter sauce with a bit of chopped shallot after removing the fish from the pan.

Mediterranean Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot
3 garlic cloves
1/3 cup dry vermouth (or dry white wine)
1 medium tomato
8 Calamata olives, pitted
1 tablespoon butter to finish

Finely chop the shallot and the garlic. Cut the tomato into larger cubes and slice the olives. Heat the butter over medium-high heat in a small sauce pan until melted and sauté the shallot for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for a minute longer. Add the vermouth and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and olives. Reduce heat to very low and cover while you prepare the fish. Add some stock if the mixture becomes to dry. Stir in the final tablespoon of butter to finish the sauce just before serving.

Purchasing and Preparing the Sea Bass

Ask the fish monger for two pieces of a similar size and shape. If you get one large cross section and attempt to cut it into two pieces, you'll find one is quite thick while the other is more thin. This is the natural shape of the fillet.

Most recipes suggest that you prepare the fish with the skin on. This, the recipes suggest, helps to keep it together in cooking and improves moisture. I personally, don't like to see the skin on the fish when served. As such, I start by placing the fish skin side down on a cutting board. Then I run a thin, sharp knife under the edge of the skin, holding on to the skin as you slide the knife along between the skin and fish fillet. This fish typically does not fall apart in cooking, nor does it dry out easily.

I also keep a mixture of spices of spices that I use for any number of recipes. A blend of paprika, crushed red pepper, chili pepper, oregano and other herbs makes for a nice rub with just a little kick. This is what I used here. You can use any seasoning or none at all.

Heat a heavy skillet over high heat on the cook top that is also oven safe at high temperatures. (I use cast iron for this.) Add two tablespoons of butter to the skillet and when melted, add the fish. Sauté for 3-4 minutes per side, until browned. Use two spatulas to gently turn the fish as shown. Move the skillet to a 400F oven and let the thick fish cook through, another 5-8 minutes depending on thickness. As I usually serve this with roasted asparagus I put those in the oven just before the fish goes in and it all comes out together.

Plate the fish on top of the asparagus, spoon over your Mediterranean (or other) sauce drizzling the plate as well. You will have a restaurant quality dinner, prepared in your kitchen on a weeknight. Your spouse will be impressed!

Pork Loin Roast with Red Potatoes and Cabbage

2011-05-21T08:00:00.033-05:00

The traditional American Sunday dinner usually brings to mind some type of roasted meat that fills the house with a wonderful smell and makes family members stomachs' begin to growl. While I don't often make a traditional roast on Sunday, this week I decided on a pork loin roast after seeing a nice piece of meat in our butcher's case. I suggest selecting a smaller pork loin cut, 2-3 pounds, with a good layer of fat on the top. One of the problems you encounter with this cut of meat is that it can be dry. While I have several techniques to help with this, nothing is better than ensuring you have a thin layer of fat on one side to help keep the meat from drying out while cooking.

In my mind, cabbage goes oh so well with pork. The problem is that cooking cabbage usually imparts a strong odor that most people do not find appetizing. My technique solves that problem by starting off with browning (streaky American) bacon and using the drippings for all of the braising before the roasting begins. The smell in the house will be tantalizing and the cabbage will have a delicate flavor.

This is a single pot meal that is nice to prepare. Once you do the prep-work you put it in the oven and go get cleaned up and ready for Sunday dinner, as it will require no attention at all for about an hour.

Recipe

1/4 pound (about 4 slices) bacon
2 to 3 pound pork loin roast with fat layer on top
1 pound (or as many as you prefer) small red-skinned potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock, or a combination of the two
1 medium head of cabbage, sliced into 1/2 inch thick ribbons (core removed)
2 tablespoons sugar
salt and pepper

Cut the bacon into small pieces and begin browning in a large Dutch oven over high heat. While the bacon browns, wash and cut into halves the red skinned potatoes. Place the potatoes in a microwave safe bowl in salted water and set aside. Remove the browned bacon to a bowl. You should now have bacon fat in the pot.

Place the pork roast, fat side down first, into the pot and once brown on that side, turn and continue braising the meat on all sides, including the ends. While the meat is browning, drain and microwave the potatoes on high for 3-4 minutes, until they are just starting to be tender. Preheat your oven to 375F degrees.

Remove braised pork loin to a dish and add the potatoes to the pot. Turn potatoes so that the cut sides are down and cook for 3-4 minutes in the drippings until they too are golden brown. (If your bacon and pork did not render enough fat, add butter and oil to the pot to brown the potatoes. If there is more than 3 tablespoons of fat in the pot, drain the excess.) Remove the potatoes once browned and sauté the chopped onion in the pot until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine/stock and cook while stirring, until reduced by half.

Add the sliced cabbage, the browned bacon and the sugar and gently turn to combine ensuring the bacon is well distributed. Place the braised pork on top of the cabbage mixture and push it down slightly, pouring over any drippings from the plate. Surround with the braised potatoes. Cover and place in hot oven for 1 hour. Remove and test meat temperature. Two inches in from each end the temperature should read approximately 160F. Center should be cooler. Remove to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes; center temperature will continue to rise. Cover pot of cabbage and potatoes to keep warm. Slice the meat and serve family style or plated. If serving prepared plates, place the cabbage in the center of the plate and top with a slice of pork. Surround with potatoes. Top with sauce of your choice.

Sauce: I prefer to serve a nice sauce on top of most roasted meats. The technique in this recipe does not produce a sauce, so I typically use a sauce I have made previously. Any good finishing sauce will do and most roasted or pan sautéed meat recipes generate good drippings that can be made into a sauce. Alternatively you can purchase good quality finishing sauces at Williams-Sonoma. Their Dijon Mustard or Marsala Wine Finishing Sauces would go well with this dish and can simply be heated and spooned over the meat.

Julia Child's Steak au Poivre

2011-05-14T08:00:00.017-05:00

The top post that brings non-friends/family to my blog turns out to be my entry on Steak au Poivre. I actually did that version on the grill, and while it is pepper steak it doesn't have the classic cognac sauce nor is it sauteed in a pan. So this week I thought I better make what those 'Googlers' are looking for, the classic Julia Child version of Steak au Poivre. (It seems as though they most always search for both the French name of the dish along with Julia's name.)

Julian's Steak au Poivre

In thinking about the matter, I wondered if others besides Julia had published on the subject and what the exact origins of the dish were. For that I first turned to my encyclopedia of cooking, Larousse Gastronomique, the most authoritative and comprehensive culinary publication in my kitchen. "The origins of steak "au poivre", a steak coated with crushed peppercorns or served with a peppercorn sauce, are controversial. Chefs who claim to have created this dish include E. Lerch in 1930, when he was chef at the Restaurant Albert on the Champs-Elysees; and M. Deveau in about 1920, at Maxim's. However, M.G. Comte certifies that steak "au poivre" was already established as a specialty of the Hotel de Paris at Monte Carlo in 1910, and O. Becker states that he prepared it in 1905 at Palliard's!"

Craig Claiborne's New York Times Food Encyclopedia contains information that suggests the origins of steak au poivre may be traced to Leopold I of Germany in 1790. But Jean Anderson's The American Century Cookbook said "Food historians of solid reputation dismiss the Prince Leopold theory as apocryphal. Or pure fantasy. Whatever the origin, though, Steak au Poivre became the culinary tour de force of many stylish big-city American restaurants early this century."

If Google search data can be relied upon, it seems in the minds of Americans that the dish is 'owned' by Julia Child.

In her actual recipe, Julia does not specify which cut of meat to use. Rather she refers you to her Master Recipe (quoted herein) which discusses steaks in general and explains that you can't get the same cuts of steaks in the USA as you get in France. "Pan-broiled steak is very French and also a very nice method for cooking small steaks. None of the juice essences are lost, and it is easy to tell when the steak is done. A 1-inch steak takes 8 to 10 minutes to cook, and the sauce, or pan gravy, 1 to 2 minutes to prepare after the steak is on its platter... In France you would select an entrecote, romsteck, faux-filet, or bifteck. In America buy any tender, well-aged 3/4-to-1 inch steak or steaks which will fit easily into a skillet." While I personally prefer a small loin strip steak for this recipe, I had on hand a pair of fillets, so that is what I used. As my steaks were thicker than called for above, I transferred them to a 400F degree oven to finish cooking while I prepared the sauce. Larousse indicates that it has also become "standard practice to finish the sauce with cream... using whole green peppercorns." I stuck with Julia's rendition.

Here then, is Julia's recipe for Steak au Poivre from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One, 40th Anniversary Edition.

2 Tb of a mixture of several kinds of peppercorns, or white peppercorns
2 to 2 1/2 lbs. steak 3/4 to 1 inch thick

A hot platter
Salt

1 Tb butter
2 Tb minced shallots or green onions
1/2 cup stock or canned beef bouillon
1/3 cup cognac
3 to 4 Tb softened butter
Sauteed or fried potatoes
Fresh water cress

Place the peppercorns in a big mixing bowl and crush them roughly with a pestle or the bottom of a bottle.

Dry the steaks on paper towels. Rub and press the crush peppercorns into both sides of the meat with your fingers and the palms of your hands. Cover with waxed paper. let stand for at least half an hour; two or 3 hours are even better, so the flavor of the pepper will penetrate the meat.

Sauté the steak in hot oil and butter as described in the preceding master recipe. Remove to a hot platter, season with salt, and keep warm for a moment while completing the sauce.

Pour the fat out of the skillet. Add the butter and shallots or green onions and cook slowly for a minute. Pour in the stock or bouillon and boil down rapidly over high heat while scraping up the coagulated cooking juices. Then add the cognac and boil rapidly for a minute or two more to evaporate its alcohol. Off heat, swirl in the butter and half-tablespoon at a time. Decorate the platter with the potatoes and water cress. Pour the sauce over the steak, and serve.

Kung Pao Chicken - A Homestyle Favorite

2011-05-07T08:00:00.003-05:00

As you may know, my spouse is Chinese and we cook a Chinese dinner once a week. So this week I thought I would highlight his version of the Kung Pao chicken, which is my favorite Chinese dish. This classic Sichuan dish is also known as Kung Bao chicken, Gung Po chicken, and Kung Po chicken in English. It is reportedly named after a late Qing Dynasty official who served as head of Sichuan province . His title was Gōng Bǎo (宮保), or palatial guardian and the name "Kung Pao" is derived from this. During the cultural revolution it was renamed "fast-fried chicken cubes" (hong bao ji ding) or "chicken cubes with seared chiles" (hu la ji ding) until the 1980's when its original name was once again fashionable.

While the dish exists in both traditional Sichuan and Westernized versions, I'm told that in China it is thought of as an 'old home-style' type dish and no longer popular in restaurants. This may be true in China, but in the United States you find it on most every Chinese restaurant menu.

While the classic version in both countries calls for chicken, you can easily substitute shrimp or pork in the recipe, although traditionally only a single meat is used. The trademark ingredient is peanuts, which you roast in the wok. In China it is not traditional to include vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots or celery, but in the U.S. you usually find these ingredients. I include them here but feel free to omit them if you want to be more authentic. I personally like the addition of vegetables in the dish. I also include our 'secret ingredient' in this recipe which you won't find many other places, but I do think it adds to both the texture of the sauce as well as to the flavor. When this American-style dish is served with white rice, you have a complete meal. It should be noted however, that in China all food is served family style and no good family would present you with one single dish. As such, we usually have three dishes on nights when we make Chinese. Each person receives a bowl (or plate) of white fluffy rice, and then servings of each of the three dishes.

Recipe

•2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 7 to 8 ounces each

• carrots, bell peppers, celery or other vegetables of your choosing

Marinade:
•2 teaspoons soy sauce
•2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
•1 teaspoon sesame oil
•1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Sauce:

•2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
•1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
•1 teaspoon sugar

•Other:

•8 small dried red chili peppers (stems removed)
•2 cloves garlic
•2 green onions
•4 tablespoons Canola oil for stir-frying, or as needed
•1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns or crushed red chili peppers if you can't find the Sichuan variety
•1/2 cup peanuts, raw without skins (or unsalted roasted as a substitute)
•1 tablespoon of peanut butter (secret ingredient)

Cut the chicken into bit sized cubes. Combine with the marinade ingredients, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce in a small bowl by combining the dark soy sauce, rice wine and sugar. Set aside. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Cut the green onion on the diagonal into thirds. Wash and cut up any vegetables you have chosen to include (carrots, celery, bell peppers, etc.)

Heat the wok over high heat and add 2 tablespoons canola oil. When the oil is very hot but not smoking, add the peanuts and stir fry until browned. Remove from the wok. Add the chicken to the wok and stir-fry quickly until it turns white and crispy but is not quite cooked through. Remove from the wok to a separate bowl.

Add 2 more tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry about 30 seconds. Add the chili peppers (optional) and the Szechuan peppercorn. Stir-fry a few seconds until they turn dark red.

Add the sauce to the wok. Bring to a boil. Add the cut up vegetables and cook until just tender, approximately 4 minutes. Add the chicken back into the pan with the vegetables. Stir in the peanuts and peanut butter, along with most (but not all) of the green onion. Remove from the heat and move to serving dish, Sprinkle with the remaining green onions. Serve with white rice.

Turkish Dining Delights

2011-04-30T08:00:00.030-05:00

Arriving Istanbul by Sea

As you may know, I was just in Turkey and thought I would share my thoughts on the country's cuisine, which has been influenced by all of the great world empires. As the gateway between Europe and Asia you find a wide mix of flavors and food types in Turkey. As the ancient Silk Road flowed directly through Istanbul spices from around the entire region were available to the chefs of the Ottoman Empire, and are still used generously in cooking today.

Click to Enlarge

Istanbul sits directly on the sea, so you have plenty of access to good, fresh fish. In fact, Turkey is surrounded by seas which contain a large variety of fish so you have many seafood options while dining. Pazıda Levrek is a seafood speciality which consists of sea bass cooked in chard leaves, which I found particularly good. In Istanbul, grilled fish served in bread with tomatoes, herbs and onion is also a popular fast food.

In Istanbul, and many parts of the country, meat has now also become a staple of the local diet. While here on my last trip, we enjoyed a large platter of roasted meats including beef, veal, lamb and sausages. No pork is served in the country, because of the country's predominantly Muslim faith. Kebabs (skewered meat roasted over a fire) are hugely popular and delicious as well. Most kebabs are served with a variety of Turkish-style salads, shredded lettuce, pickled red cabbage, tomatoes, raw cucumbers and lemon.

The Doner kebab should not be confused with traditional kebabs. This is a typically a street and casual food, shaved off of the spit, usually consisting of lamb but sometimes chicken and served in a pita pocket, and much like what Americans think of as the Greek gyros. But you can find restaurants that specialize in Doner kebab cooking and during this trip our local hosts took us to Istanbul's most famous restaurant, Beyti.

This restaurant began in 1945 and is still run by the same owner. We had the pleasure of having him spend some time with us at dinner. On the walls near the entry you'll see letters from heads of state, kings, princes, film starts and members of high society. They are well known for their traditional meat dishes as well as the restaurants unique atmosphere. If you are out by the airport in Istanbul, give this restaurant a try.

Of course, most meals wouldn't be complete with out some type of bread and the Turks serve Lavas. This is a thin, leavened flat bread and you find it with most every meal. Sometimes it comes with toasted poppy or other seeds, but most often it is plain and makes a good accompaniment for foods of all types.

Yogurt is also an important item in Turkish cuisine. In fact, the English word comes from the Turkish word "yoğurt." Yogurt usually comes with most meat dishes (kebabs, köfte), vegetable dishes (especially fried eggplant, courgette, spinach with minced meat etc.), meze and a speciality called mantı (folded triangles of dough containing minced meat). One of the most common Turkish drinks, ayran, is also made from yoghurt.

This post wouldnt' be complete without some mention of the world famous "Turkish Delight". Lokum, the turkish word for this candy which in Arabic means morsel, has been produced since the 15th century, when it originated in the Ottoman Empire. Originally, honey and molasses were its sweeteners, and water and flour were the binding agents. Lokum was introduced to the West in the 19th century reported by a Briton shipped cases of it to Britain under the name Turkish delight. This sweet chewy confection is based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium versions consist of chopped dates, pistachios and hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gelatin. Less expensive versions are mostly lemon or other inexpensive fruit-flavored gels. Whether expensive or not, most all are packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with powdered (icing) sugar. Based on the quantities being purchased by the tourists, I would say this must be the single most popular take home item.

Blue Mosque, Istanbul

With its location on the Mediterranean, with the Black Sea to the north and the Aegean Sea in the west Turkey is an ideal location to reach by ship. In fact, a cruise of the Greek islands brought me to Turkey for the first time. It is also surrounded by Bulgaria and Greece to the west, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to the northeast, Syria, Iraq and Iran to the southeast, and a small piece of the country in Europe. So you'll have a sense of being in the best of all cultures combined, but yet in a safe, hospitable environment that is welcoming to tourists and business travelers alike. And while you can explore the ancient and feel a part of the old world, Istanbul is at the same time a modern country with all of the Western conveniences.

Turkey offers a wealth of varieties to visitors: from dome-and-minaret filled skyline of Istanbul to Roman ruins along the western and southern coasts (highly recommended), from heavily indented coastline against a mountainous backdrop of Lycia and wide and sunny beaches of Pamphylia. While I've only been to a few places in Turkey so far, I hope to return again in the future as I continue to explore this wonderful land and to enjoy the many foods they offer.

Buttered Crab ala the Two Fat Ladies

2011-04-23T08:00:00.129-05:00

"Grab that crab Clarissa
Eat that meat Jennifer
Why doesn't that pheasant look pleasant
Fasten your seatbelts for a gastronomic ride"

And so goes the opening tune of the fabulous Two Fat Ladies. I'm a fan, a BIG fan of these two saucy and hilarious gals. If you've seen their show, you probably are as well. If you haven't you really must seek it out as they sometimes still air episodes on BBC America and Food Network. Of course the complete series is available on DVD at Amazon.

The Two Fat Ladies are cooks, not chefs — they reject pretentious haute cuisine and are aggressively unfashionable, delighting in such ingredients as clotted cream, lard and fatty meats. Vegetarians and the faint of heart, beware! In this show from the late 1990's, Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright toured Britain in their vintage Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle, preparing a wide-range of traditional British home cooked meals using the freshest ingredients. Most meals are laden with cream, butter, and meats (Jennifer notes of one tartine: "Delicious, despite its vegetarian overtones.") As they whip up Loin of Pork Stuffed with Mushrooms and a pot of Clam Chowder, the Two Fat Ladies sing the praises of bacon (Clarissa notes that bacon is a great hangover cure.) Some of the meals look sumptuous--salmon soaked in wine and topped with orange rings, Brazilian bean fritters, and vichyssoise, while others look like a heart-attack waiting to happen (lining a tureen with bacon before stuffing it with meat mixture and placing it in the oven to bake or the lard cooked 'bubble and squeak'.) But it's terrific fun following the women as they go sightseeing at a motorcycle rally, visiting a Welsh choir, on a quest for the perfect drink at the Brazilian embassy, gathering fresh eggs at a local farm, collecting mussels in their motorcycle helmets, etc.) As they cook what they've collected in a wide-range of kitchens in famous locales, they chitchat about tips for picking up men, break into song and generally entertain each other while cooking. While it is a cooking show, it has the feel of a comedy and many of my friends that enjoy it rarely cook, and when they do they would be loathe to prepare one of this traditional British dinners.

While I can't say I've made all that many of the recipes by the Two Fat Ladies (I do have their cookbooks), I have made this Buttered Crab recipe several times and find everyone enjoys it.

You can use a good quality premium canned crab if need be. The canning process cooks the crab. If you are using fresh crab (Dungeness is preferred), pre-cook it as you normally would. Let it cool, and pick out all of the meat until you have approximately one pound of cooked flesh. Clean out the top portion of the crab head shell and use as a serving dish for the recipe. This recipe may seem to include a considerable amount of butter, but crab can absorb quite a bit of butter and still not taste overly rich or oily. You can pre-make the dish and hold in the refrigerator before adding the final bread crumbs and browning the tops. If you do this, re-heat the portions in the oven and ensure the mixture is warmed through before browning the tops using the broiler.

The number of portions you get from the recipe will depend entirely on your serving sizes. If you fill the heads of the crab and you have moderately sized crabs, you will likely get four large dinner-size portions. A large but shallow ramekin will produce the same results. Alternatively use a small ramekin for an appetizer or fish course portion.

The recipe follows which I have modified somewhat for the American kitchen. If you'd like to see the video clip of the ladies preparing this dish, I have included it. Jennifer makes it and it starts about 1/3 of the way into the clip.

Recipe

12 tablespoons butter -- melted
2 large shallots -- chopped
4 cloves garlic -- chopped
1/2 medium lemon -- juiced
2 medium ears of corn -- shucked (optional, Jennifer does not use corn)
3 dashes Tabasco sauce -- or other hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg -- fresh preferred
3/4 cup white wine or vermouth
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup parsley -- chopped
1 pound crab meat -- after cooking and picking
pinch salt and pepper -- to taste
1 bunch cilantro -- chopped

On medium-high heat, sauté the chopped shallots in half of the butter for approximately 3 minutes until tender, then add the garlic and continue the sauté for another minute. Add the juice from half a lemon and the corn which has been shucked from the cobb. Stir regularly until the corn is somewhat tender, approximately 4 minutes. Add hot sauce to taste, nutmeg and the white wine. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the wine has begun to reduce and then add the bread crumbs. Dry prepared bread crumbs from the store will absorb more liquid and may require you to add additional wine. Fresh crumbs, which are preferred, will take slightly longer to toast. Reduce heat to medium and add the parsley and the crab, stirring together with the bread crumb mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste and the remaining butter. Gently turn the crab and parsley into the mixture and then remove from the heat. Do not overcook the already cooked crab.

In shallow oven-proof ramekins or in the cleaned heads of Dungeness crab shells, spoon in the mixture. If using the ramekins, spray first with food release or olive oil. Sprinkle the top of each portion with more bread crumbs and place under a broiler or in a very hot oven to brown slightly, just prior to serving. Remove from broiler and sprinkle each serving with chopped cilantro, and serve.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

2011-04-16T08:00:00.247-05:00

This versatile soup will be welcome as a first course to an elegant dinner or the main course on a blustery afternoon. Its beauty is that it may be prepared a day or several ahead and will be as good as the day it was made.

While you can get good boxed soups, I doubt you'll fine one that has as good a flavor as this soup. If you've only ever had Campbell's tomato soup, you really haven't lived. This soup, even when it is just tomato, has a much stronger and more complex flavor than its canned condensed cousin. When you add in the red peppers, it just gets better!

Another nice thing about this soup is you don't have to use fresh tomatoes, although they are preferred if you have access. I purchase good quality Roma plum tomatoes. Plum tomatoes are meatier, less juicy and have fewer seeds than other varieties. The Roma variety have a particularly good flavor for sauces and soups. My Italian grocer usually has them year around and they always work well in this soup. But if you can't get fresh tomatoes, you can substitute canned plum tomatoes and get equally good results.

Oven Roasted Peppers Cooled and Peeled

As you'll see in the recipe (below), I saute the tomatoes with onions and celery. The roasted sweet red peppers are optional, but if using them I roast them in the oven then peel off the blackened skins. Once you have the cooked ingredients, you must strain them to separate the solids from the liquids and for this you will want to have considered your options well in advance.

Strainer Options

As I have the full attachment set for my KitchenAid mixer, my preference is for its strainer attachment (top photo). While I've used the other devices, I think the KitchenAid does the best job of extracting all of the flavorful liquids for my soup and separating all of the nearly dry solids to a separate bowl. The sauce maker (second image) uses the same mechanical technique as does the KitchenAid attachment and provides similar results while being powered by hand. The food mill (shown third) has larger wholes and doesn't produce the very smooth quality I'm looking for in a soup or sauce, but it would do in a pinch. My food mill only has two plates, neither of which has as small of holes as the strainers above. My mother regularly used the funnel strainer (bottom). For this, it's best if your arms are in good shape and you have plenty of patients as I find the device challenging to use. While it requires plenty of muscle, the necessary force and turning action you apply with the wood auger tends to make it tip over. If you are doing lots of tomatoes, you may be required to stop and periodically remove the solids. If you manage all of this however, it will provide a well strained tomato base.

So why not roast the tomatoes as well? I have tried this and I know cooks that recommend it, as it can bring out the flavor in poor quality tomatoes. But I prefer cooking the tomatoes with onion and celery and this is not possible in the oven. One friend gave me a recipe which included roasting the tomatoes just like the peppers, but then transferring to a sauce pan with the onion and celery afterwards. However the short cooking time suggested didn't really permit the flavors to blend. She also skips the step of straining and so removes the tomato skins and seeds before putting them in the pot with the onion and celery. After a short cooking time, she uses a food processor to puree the ingredients. This method does perhaps save steps but didn't provide me with the smooth soup result I was accustomed to.

My recipe shown below came from a friend's mother, which I've modified somewhat over time. I've also provided a "Cream of" option below the main recipe, although I think you'll find it wonderful as listed and without the issues (and calories) the cream brings with it.

Ingredients: (serves 4-6)
8 medium Roma plum tomatoes (or about 4 cups canned)
2 stalks of celery
1 small Spanish onion
3 teaspoons sugar
3 medium sweet red peppers (optional)
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you have vegans in the house)
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons sour cream
6 parsley or cilantro sprigs

Roasting the Peppers
This is an optional step. Without the peppers you have tomato soup. Start by washing the peppers and removing the stickers. Preheat to 450F. Arrange the peppers on a cookie sheet turning every 15 minutes until somewhat blackened (about 30 minutes). Remove to a covered bowl or brown paper bag. As the steam from the peppers condenses, the skin becomes easier to peel off. No need to remove seeds, as the strainer will take care of that.

Preparing the Tomatoes
Roughly chop the onion and celery, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and saute in olive oil for five minutes in medium heat in a large pot. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and add to the pot and stir. Let cook for another five minutes. Stir in the sugar, then cover with the broth and let simmer for thirty minutes, stirring ocassionally. (add water or more broth if needed to cover the ingredients.) Remove from heat and let cool until safe to handle. Add the peeled red peppers if you are including them. Stir in and then ladel the ingredients into your strainer, bit by bit, and strain all of the mixture, separating the solids from the sauce. If the tomato puree is too thick you may dilute with some additional broth. Refrigerate until ready for use and warm to serve. Add salt just before serving, to taste. Place in bowls and add a small dollop of sour cream to each, and garnish with some croutons, crushed black pepper and a spring of parsley or cilantro.

Cream Soup Option
If you'd like a cream soup, do the following. Over medium heat, melt four tablespoons of butter in a large heavy pan and stir in four tablespoons of flour. Whisk in two cups of cream or milk until the mixture begins to thicken. Continue to whisk until the mixture is hot but not boiling. While whisking rapidly, pour the strained warm tomato mixture into the cream sauce.

How to Avoid Curdling
Acid can cause cream or milk to curdle. The tendency to curdle increases as the ratio of acid to cream, the temperature of the mixture, or the salt quantity increases. To ensure a smooth, non-curdled cream soup, follow the recipe above which separates the cooking of the tomatoes from the cream. It is also important to use the freshest cream possible. The more cream ages, the more susceptible it becomes to curdling because its lactic acid content increases. Where indicated, slowly add the acidic tomato liquid to the hot cream, being certain not to do this the other way around. Also ensure the cream sauce and tomato mixture are not hotter than 180F when blended and that you immediately remove the mixture from the heat once they are. Add the salt just before serving after the soup is removed from the heat. Should you still end up with curdled soup, you can try smoothing it with an electric stick blender or run the soup through a sive. While the soup will be edible curdled, it will have a texture your dinner guests are not expecting.

Pickled Beet Eggs - Perfect for Spring

2011-04-09T08:00:00.044-05:00

Pickled Quail Eggs with Beets

Pickling is the process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation in brine (a solution of salt in water) to produce lactic acid, or marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar (acetic acid). The resulting food is called a pickle. This procedure gives the food a salty or sour taste. Pickling began as a way to preserve food for out-of-season use and for long journeys, especially by sea. Although the process was invented to preserve foods, pickled foods are now also made and eaten because people enjoy the resulting flavors.

The term pickle is derived from the Dutch word 'pekel', meaning brine. In the U.S. and Canada the word pickle alone almost always refers to a pickled cucumber. But today I wanted to talk about pickling eggs, which they do in the Southern regions of the U.S. as well as in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where they are often prepared with jalapeño peppers. My focus however, is in pickling the eggs with beets as do the inhabitants of the Pennsylvania Dutch countryside. As my family resides near this area in Ohio, having pickled beet eggs (also sometimes called red beet eggs) was common each Spring. This delicacy includes beets in the pickling solution to impart a pinkish red color to the eggs.

Old-Germantown

The Pennsylvania Dutch began immigrating to America to the Borough of Germantown in northwest Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania around 1685. Many Pennsylvania Dutch are descendants of refugees from the Palatinate of the German Rhine. Because of a continual string of regional wars, mass emigration began out of Germany in the early 18th century. Some Amish and Mennonite came to the Palatinate from the German-speaking part of Switzerland, where they were persecuted for the religious beliefs, and so their stay in the Palatinate was of limited duration as they too emigrated along with the Germans. In my family's region of Ohio we have a large Amish and Mennonite community. So I can only assume that pickled beet eggs must have also be common in that region of Europe and they brought the recipe with them to our little area of the New World.

Amish Wedding
Pickled Beet Eggs

The first published record of "Pickled Beet and Egg Salad" I was able to locate appeared in the New York Times in 1944. My 1969 edition of Better Crocker's Cookbook contains the recipe with photos, so presumably this was popular nationwide at the time. Growing up in Ohio, you could find jars of commercially prepared pickled beet eggs and many of the deli counters also had pickled beet eggs on hand for your convenience. However when I moved to Chicago in 1985 and packed pickled beets and eggs in my lunch for work, my new colleagues were quite amazed having never had seen or tasted such a dish. I've made pickled beets with eggs every year since and they are common on my Easter dinner table. While most guests have never had them before, they usually enjoy them.

I pickle both chicken and quail eggs (usually one or the other) and I do not use a canning method to preserve them for a long period. I prefer the eggs to absorb the pickling only through the whites leaving the yolks yellow and un-pickled. I serve them on bed of leaf lettuce or watercress. I generally slice or quarter chicken eggs and serve quail eggs whole. I sometimes sprinkle a little gorgonzola cheese over the salad and usually make a dressing by combining some of the pickled beet juice with some oil and a bit of honey. Salt and freshly ground pepper is all that is required to finish up this tasty spring salad. Making this dish for your holiday dinner is a snap as most of the work is done two weeks in advance.

Canned Pickled Eggs

A Word of Caution: While pickled beet eggs are simple to prepare and delicious to eat you should follow proper food precautions with this dish. In 1997 the Illinois Department of Public Health discovered a case of food borne botulism from home-pickled beet eggs. To reduce the risk for botulism when pickling, food items should be washed and cooked adequately, and utensils, containers, and other surfaces in contact with food, including cutting boards and hands, should be cleaned thoroughly with soap and warm water. If you are canning the eggs for long-term storage, the containers (lids and jars) in which pickling will occur should be sterilized. Adequate acidification to a pH <4.6 is essential whether you are canning the eggs or serving them soon (i.e., don't reduce the amount vinegar in the recipe below.) Refrigeration while pickling is essential, as the yolks of the eggs will be inadequately acidified. Poking holes into the whole eggs after they are boiled to increase pickling speed might introduce spores or bacteria into the yolk and so should be avoided. If you pickle the eggs two weeks in advance of serving, they will be adequately pickled.

Pickled Beets and Eggs

10 fresh beets (or 6 cans beets, whole or sliced)
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vinegar
4 cinnamon sticks
12 medium chicken eggs
(for quail eggs, half the recipe above and double the number of eggs)

To cook fresh beets:

For tender, freshly picked medium sized beets - wash, rinse and drain until all traces of garden soil are removed. Use a small vegetable brush if needed. Cut off leaves and stems, leaving about 1 inch of the root end.

Place beets in large heavy pan and cover with water. Bring just to a boil; reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and drain, reserving all of the beet water. Once cooked and cool, you can peel them; the skin of a cooked beet will slip right off. However, it's wise to use a paper towel or wear gloves to keep the beet juice from staining your hands. If the beets are large, cut them into smaller pieces or slice them.

To prepare hard-cooked eggs:

To correctly cook the eggs, place them in a single layer in a pan with enough cold water to cover them completely. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, remove from heat when you are at a full boil, cover with a lid, and allow to remain in the water approximately 8-10 minutes. Overcooking eggs makes the yolks turn green. Then place under running, cold water to cool quickly and stop the cooking; peel.

To make pickled beets and eggs:

Place hard-cooked eggs into a container with a lid. Add the cooked beets on top of the eggs. Place the reserved beet liquid (or canned beet liquid) in a saucepan. Add sugar, vinegar and cinnamon sticks to reserved liquid. Heat to boiling stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Take care that the mixture does not boil over. Pour hot liquid over beets and eggs; cool. Cover and refrigerate. Jossel container or use a spoon to ensure eggs are evenly dyed with beet juice. After about one week you can eat them, although two weeks is better.

Italian Breaded Steak with Fetuccini

2011-04-02T08:00:00.024-05:00

This was a favorite dish of mine growing up. My mother and her many sisters were great Italian cooks, but it was at one of the local Italian restaurants that I fell in love with this dish. It's not difficult to prepare and comes in two varieties, either of which will make your family very happy.

Prepare: Make your favorite pasta sauce a day or more in advance (or use a good quality jar of sauce.) This dish requires that you procure good quality, thin cut beef steaks. As I have a good Italian grocery store with in-store butcher close by, I can usually purchase the meat ready to prepare. However if you are not as fortunate, you may find beef steaks cutlets that are too thick. If so, start by pounding them into uniformly thin slices (1/4" at most) with plastic wrap over them to contain any mess this may cause. About one hour prior to your planned dinner serving time, start a pot of water heating to boil the fettuccini, heat your sauce and cut the meat into serving sizes. Place four tablespoons of oil or solid vegetable shortening (Crisco) to a skillet, and then bread the steaks.

Bread: The classic breading technique (called “a l'anglaise” in French for “in the English fashion”) should be used. If you are sometimes frustrated that your breading comes off of the meat when cooking, it is likely you are not following this standard culinary practice. To begin, I recommend you season a few tablespoons of flour with salt and pepper. Then lightly beat an egg with a tablespoon of milk or water in a low-sided dish placed next to the flour. In the third dish next to the egg mixture, add your breadcrumbs and season generously with Italian seasonings, granulated garlic, dried onion, salt, pepper and even a couple tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese if you prefer. Dry each piece of meat with a paper towel. (Drying is very important.) Then lightly coat one piece of meat first in the flour, then wet with the egg mixture and finally coat with the breading. Repeat to bread all pieces placing them directly in the hot skillet as soon as each is finished breading. While each piece cooks, quickly prepare another piece. (In other recipes this technique should also be used when coating meats with cracker crumbs, cereal or even nuts.)

Click To
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Sauté: In a moderately hot skillet, sauté each piece of meat until brown then turn with a fork to cook on the other side. Remove each piece as it is browned to a cookie sheet, sprayed with food release. When all pieces are cooked, place in the oven at 250F to keep warm while the pasta finishes cooking.

Bake: If the pieces of beef have been uniformly thin, they are already cooked through when you place them in the oven. But if you prefer thicker meat, or use this technique for some other recipe where the meat will not be cooked through when finished browning, increase the oven temperature to 400F to cook through quickly.

Serve: At this stage, I typically plate the dinner sometimes placing the breaded steak on top of the fettuccine and sometimes placing it next to it with some sauce. I sprinkle with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese and serve with a side sale. From start to finish dinner is on the table in about an hour.

Alternative finish: I do know of folks that prefer to cook the pasta until just al dente, tossing it with sauce and placing it into a baking dish. The pieces of breaded steak are then placed over the pasta and are covered with grated or sliced parmesan cheese and returned to a hot oven until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. In my mind, this is too much like veal parmesan, but you and yours may like it. Delizioso!

Is Classic Butter Cake the same as Philadelphia Butter Cake

2011-03-26T08:00:00.006-05:00

My friend Ben Chen was asking me about cake baking recently and it got me in the mood to make a classic butter cake. This is the cake that I like to make for birthdays. It consists of layers of a golden yellow butter cake that are filled and frosted with a creamy chocolate frosting. It's a classic dessert, and one that you can easily make from scratch in about the same time as it takes to make a box mix. So why not give it a try so you know exactly what you're feeding to your family.

To my knowledge there are basically two ways to prepare the classic butter cake, unless you count the famed Philadelphia/St. Louis bakery confection which would make three, and I'll talk more about that in a minute.

The ingredients for classic butter cake recipes are all pretty much the same; butter, sugar, eggs, flour and milk. (recipe below) The variation occurs in the technique. Using the most common method, the butter and sugar are creamed together first, and then the eggs are added, followed by the flour and milk. This technique produces a light, fluffy golden yellow cake. However, a secondary method is also popular, known generally as the 'one bowl' method as advocated by Rose Levy Beranbaum in her Cake Bible. Using Rose's technique you place all the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and then add room temperature butter, along with a little milk. These ingredients are beaten together until well mixed, and then the eggs, vanilla extract, and remaining milk are beaten into the batter. The reason for adding the liquid after the butter and flour have been combined is to reduce gluten formation in the flour. This can only happen if the butter has first had the chance to coat the flour before the liquid is added. This method produces a cake that literally seems to melt-in-your-mouth and it has a very moist, dense, and velvety texture. However, this method produces somewhat thinner cake layers. Many feel it is worth sacrificing a little volume to get such outstanding texture. If you decide to use this method, make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.

In the bakery window.

Philadelphia, St. Louis, German, or Gooey Butter Cake: Having announced my Butter Cake to a friend, he arrived with anticipation of this dessert having grown up in Philadelphia. He had fond memories of a gooey almost cheesecake like dessert which I had previously not known and certainly had not made for him. After getting over his disappointment, he enjoyed my classic butter cake but he left hoping I would find a way to make him what I began calling Philadelphia Butter Cake. As it turns out, the dessert which he expected is known by one or a combination of these words; Philadelphia St. Louis German Gooey Butter Cake. I found a recipe that was published in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin in the 1960s. This is a cake this is usually about an inch or two high where the top half is moist and gooey and sits on top of a cake base that is made with a yeast dough. Sometimes there's a layer of cherry or pineapple filling between the cake and the topping. I've included a recipe for German Butter Cake as well as two Philadelphia Butter Cake versions, one made with potatoes and the other a great entry by a fellow food blogger that used the more typical pastry in case you would like to give these a try.

The famed TV chef, Paula Deen, also boasts a 'southern' butter cake but I could not find any references to such a thing elsewhere, unless you count St. Louis, Missouri as being in the south (when it is, of course, in the Midwest.) Like Philadelphia, in the ethnic German neighborhood of Bevo Mill in south St. Louis in the 1930s you bought freshly baked Gooey Butter Cake that was handed to you wrapped loosely in waxed paper and twine for you to carry home. Hass began making mixes for this and even to this day you can find it in every grocery store in the St. Louis area. A more detailed reference to the St. Louis version can be found here in the New York Times.

Here's the recipe I use for my Classic Butter Cake using Rose's technique:

6 large egg yolks
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray two 9-inch x 1 1/2 inch cake pans with Bakers Joy or grease and flour the pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper, then spray again with Bakers Joy or grease and flour. Set aside.

In a medium bowl lightly combine the egg yolks, 1/4 cup milk, and vanilla.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (using the paddle on a stand mixer) combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt). Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended. Add the room temperature butter and remaining 3/4 cup milk. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 2 minutes more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gradually add the egg mixture, in 3 additions beating about 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the egg.

Divide and pour the batter into the prepared pans, smoothing the surface with a spatula. (Pans will be about half full.) Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in center.

Julian's Classic Butter Cake

Place the cakes on a wire rack to cool in their pans, for about 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto a plate that has been lightly sprayed with food release. Then immediately invert the cakes onto a greased rack cooling completely with the cake sitting in its natural, upright, position on the rack.

Chocolate Frosting:

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup cocoa powder (can use Dutch-processed or regular unsweetened cocoa powder)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 cups confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted to remove lumps
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Using a double boiler or by placing a stainless steel pan over pan of simmering water, add the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, and butter. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and beat in, with a hand mixer or wire whisk, the confectioners sugar and vanilla extract. If the frosting is lumpy, strain through a strainer to remove any lumps. Cover and place the frosting in the refrigerator until it is firm (this may take a few hours). Once the frosting is firm remove from refrigerator and place in your mixing bowl. Beat the frosting for a minute or two or until it is smooth and of spreading consistency. Place one cake layer on your serving plate and cover the top with about 3/4 cup of frosting. Place the other cake layer on top of the frosted layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Cover and refrigerate the cake until serving time.

"I don't like that"...

2011-03-19T08:00:00.004-05:00

and other odd phrases said by dinner guests. Yes, guests at my dinners have told me they don't like a wide range of good foods. So today I thought I would talk about the foods most often disliked upon arrival, and upon departure how minds have been changed!

Mostly I've found that people don't like a certain food because of the way it has been procured or prepared. Many have believed they didn't like an item from having it year's ago, often prepared by their mother. Since then, they haven't tried it and think they still don't like it.

One of the most often cited foods that dinner guests announce I should not bother putting on their plate is asparagus. I find that mother's seemed to purchase this canned and it was mushy and smelled bad. I always tell them I don't like canned asparagus either. Who does? Then I convince them to try mine. I most always prepare asparagus roasted, either in the oven or on the grill. Asparagus is easy to make. Selecting asparagus can be more challenging.

With asparagus, try to avoid the very thin stalks. Pencil thin is too thin. This is second (or third, fourth of fifth growth) and as such not as good. The thicker stalks are from the first harvest, so get those if you can. But you don't want huge stalks either, which could be tough. As big around as my ring finger is just about right. If the tips are still firm, they are good. If the tips break up at the touch of your finger, pass them by as they are not fresh. I bring them home and stand them up in a glass with a little water for service within 24 hours. When about ready to roast, I cut off the bottom of the stalk at the point where it naturally breaks. This is usually about an inch or even two up the stalk. Peel them using a potato peeler on the lower half of the stalk to remove the tough, sometimes bitter, outer skin. You're just taking off a thin dark-green layer, but it will make all the difference. Then, if doing them indoors, I just place them on a foil lined baking sheet sprayed with some olive oil, drizzle a bit more oil over them and add some salt and pepper. Roast these for about 10 minutes at 400F for a quick and easy vegetable. They come out sizzling and delicious.

Another common phrase is "Oh, I don't eat fish." What I'd like to say is "this isn't a restaurant" but trying to be pleasant with my guests I usually start working on convincing them to try it. Actually when I don't know if a guest likes fish, I usually choose salmon or halibut. Both are great fishes to marinate. I have a great little recipe for a barbecue marinade and another that that is teriyaki sesame. Both are sure winners for people that 'don't like fish.' Using a marinade you are sure to take care of any 'fishy smell' or flavor that the guest probably objects too. Further, selecting a nice, fresh piece of fish is key. I usually marinade the fish for two to four hours. Then I either grill it or roast it in the oven. As shown in these photos, you can do the fish together with asparagus on the same sheet as they take about the same amount of time to cook. My brother-in-law was here last year and said "Oh this fish is good. I didn't think I liked salmon." Another convert!

The third dish that guests turn up their nose to is lamb. I suspect many mothers bought cheap lamb and then didn't have a clue how to prepare it. As such, I never offer guests leg of lamb on their first visit, as it can have a taste or smell that too often reminds them of what they disliked. Instead I buy lamb chops (often as a full rack) or little lamb T-bones. I usually just season and roast these, but cook them only until they are medium at most. Then prepare a sauce such as fig or Marsala wine (nothing with mint... brings back bad memories.) But if you want something a little different for someone who you think may be tough to persuade, then do a rack painted with Dijon mustard and then coated with toasted seasoned bread crumbs to which you've combined some crushed garlic and chopped parsley. This is a guaranteed winner. Guests visiting us from Kansas City told me horror stories about bad lamb. Once they tried this, they were amazed at how good lamb could be.

I could go on (beets... "my mom made me eat them until I puked"; mushrooms... "I think I'm allergic", etc.) but you get my drift. I don't query guests before dinner parties to see what they want me to make. I make dinners that I believe will be delicious. I see it as my job to expand their horizons and convince them that there is a world of good food out there for them to explore and enjoy.

St. Patrick's Day, a Visit to the Cathedral, and a Green River

2011-03-12T08:00:00.016-06:00

On St. Patty's day, we are all Irish as they say, so why not enjoy some of their famous foods this holiday. I also thought you might enjoy a short video clip I made during a recent visit to Ireland's most famous cathedral. You can see it below. But before I start on the food, I thought I would tell you what I learned about St. Patrick while visiting the emerald isle.

St. Patrick was not a born Irish. But he has become an integral part of Irish heritage, mostly through his service to the Catholic church across Ireland in the 5th century. The exact date of his birth is not known (373-390 AD) and the location was thought to be either Scotland or Roman England. His real name was Maewyn Succat. However, he was later given the Roman name Patricius, which would later be known as Patrick.

So what caused his fame? Why he drove the snakes from Ireland, of course; or so the legend goes. This was easy for him since snakes have never lived in Ireland. However, the snakes are representative of the pagan Druid gods that he drove out of Ireland by converting the people to Christianity and in the process earning him a Catholic sainthood.

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. In 1995 however, the Irish government began a secular national campaign to use St. Patrick's Day as an opportunity to drive tourism and showcase Ireland to the rest of the world. Long before this however, the first St. Patrick's day parade took place, not in Ireland but in New York City (1762) where a large number of Irish immigrants lived. Today many cities across the world celebrate St. Patrick's Day and here in my home town of Chicago, we not only have a big parade, we dye the Chicago River green.

The tradition started in 1962, when Chicago pollution-control workers used dyes to trace illegal sewage discharges and realized that the green dye might provide a unique way to celebrate the holiday. That year, they released 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the river—enough to keep it green for a week! Today, in order to minimize environmental damage, only 40 pounds of dye are used, making the river green for only several hours. But it's still quite a spectacle to see.

Most years, I make a lamb stew which is tasty and not difficult to make. I don't use the traditional neck bones for the stew, but rather nicer cuts of good lamb, usually pieces from the leg. But this year I thought we would have the always-popular corned beef and cabbage.

As you probably know, corned beef is a brine-cured beef. The term "corn" in corned beef refers to the "corns" or grains of coarse salts used to cure it. References to corned beef can be found in writings dating back to the 12th century. Despite originating in Ireland however, corned beef is not considered an Irish national dish, and the connection with Saint Patrick's Day specifically originates as part of Irish-American culture. This is because for much of its existence Ireland has been a poor country and beef was only slaughtered when it could no longer provide milk or work in the fields.

Current Irish cuisine is based on fresh vegetables, fish (especially salmon and trout), oysters, mussels and other shellfish, as it is an island nation. Other popular Irish foods include traditional soda bread, a wide range of hand-made cheeses, and of course, the potato. Traditional dishes, such as Irish stew, coddle, the Irish breakfast, and potato bread have also enjoyed a resurgence in popularity.

So now I'm off to get the ingredients for my corned beef and cabbage dinner. I hope you enjoy my short tour of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.

Fajitas - A New Method Tested

2011-03-05T08:00:00.089-06:00

Click To
Enlarge

A friend of mine was recently telling me I was going to way too much trouble when I made fajitas. Seems as though he has a one-step method. Simply cut up all of the ingredients, make a sauce, toss together and refrigerator for 24-48 hours stirring a few times throughout. Hmmmmm... more simple than my method for sure. So I thought I would give it a try and report here on the results.

Using my customary method, I slice the chicken and the beef (generally skirt steak) and toss it with a marinade. But I keep them separate and I don't include the peppers and onions. But following his advice, I placed all of the ingredients together and let them marinate as instructed. Just a few minutes before dinner was to be on the table, I placed some wheat tortillas in the over (covered) to warm. While heating my large cast iron skillet I drained the sauce from the mixture. I added the mixture to the hot skillet and enjoyed the sizzle. Thankfully I had my trusty splatter screen handy as I didn't want to cover (and steam) the food, but I did want to try and contain the grease as the sauce had contained quite a bit of oil. It did smell wonderful and after about 8 minutes, I removed it from the stove top and took it directly to the table, still sizzling. It looked yummy, but how would it taste.

Kevin took a big bite and said, 'the flavor's nice'. I concurred but felt the vegetables where a bit over-cooked; likewise for the chicken. The beef was just right. While it was generally good and simple to prepare, I will fall back to my old method of cooking the ingredients separately. This means marinating the meats separately first. Here's my method which I think you will find provides superior fajitas.

Marinade:

Juice of 1 lime
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 fresh Jalapeño pepper, seeded, ribs removed, finely chopped (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, including stems
1 1/2 cups Goya Mojo Criollo (Optional)

Mix together all of the above. Goya Mojo Criollo is a tangy blend of orange and lemon juices, accented with garlic and spices. If you can't find that, look for a similar sauce in the Mexican/Spanish food isle of your grocer, or omit it if you prefer a more dry mixture. Slice your meat (I like half chicken and half beef. Use skinless chicken breasts and flank steak. Cut the flank steak across the grain to improve tenderness or use a better quality piece of beef.) In all you will need three pounds of meat, cut into strips about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide and thick. Place the meats in separate bowls with lids or use a Ziploc bags, which I prefer. Cover each with half of the marinade, turn it a few times to coat, and place in the refrigerator for 24+ hours.

When ready to prepare the meal, slice and de-seed peppers and and slice an onion. I'm a fan of using what I have on hand, although a red onion or sweet onion are preferred, and if you have red, green and yellow peppers, your dish will look nicer. But use what is in the house. Toss them lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside.

Drain the excess sauces from the meat(s). In a very hot cast-iron skillet, saute the beef. When cooked nearly through (about 6-8 minutes for medium-well), remove it to a separate dish. Cook the chicken in the same skillet, noting it requires only about 4 minutes to be fully cooked. Stir frequently. Remove it to the dish with the beef. Saute the onion for 4 minutes not permitting it to brown (turn down the flame if necessary, and add a little oil if required). Then add peppers in the same skillet and saute with the onions until just tender. Add the meat(s) to the vegetables and stir to warm. Take the sizzling pan to the table with the warmed tortillas, and provide sour cream, guacamole and/or salsa to top. Squeeze half a lime over the sizzling dish just before serving.

Baked Ziti

2011-02-26T08:00:00.004-06:00

This is one of my favorite dishes and sure to please a crowd. I've taken it as a covered dish and served it family style at my own table. It comes in many variations and however you make it I'm sure it is popular. I have a friend that makes it with four kinds of cheeses plus sour cream. My traditional recipe is not so complex or perhaps rich.

You can really use whatever ingredients you have in the house. While here I show this made with Italian sausage, ground beef and pork will do equally as well. You can even go vegetarian and it will still be delicious. Likewise, you don't really have to use ziti (hollow tubes which are also smooth in texture and have square-cut edges), as penne pasta or even rigatoni will work fine.

To start, I brown the meat in a heavy pot, remove it and then saute a chopped onion in the drippings for 3-4 minutes. If my guests are not "allergic" to mushrooms (is this code for 'I don't like'), I add those and let them start to release their juices. If I have a green pepper handy, I saute this as well. Once the solids are removed from the pot, I deglaze the pan with some red one (about 1/2 cup), then I make a traditional red sauce or if I'm pressed for time, a good canned pasta sauce suffices. To the sauce I add pitted calamata olives.

While the sauce cooks I start boiling a large pot of water and cooking the ziti, which should be cooked only until it is just al dente (about 8 minutes, ensure not to overcook as it will continue cooking in the oven). Remove the pasta from the cooktop, drain and toss lightly with some olive oil. Then add enough sauce until the pasta is pretty well covered and is relatively wet. The ziti requires more sauce than you might normally apply because it will be going into the oven and as it continues to cook there, it will absorb the sauce. If you do not start with a sufficiently wet pasta, it will be dry when it comes out of the oven.

In a large baking dish which I have prepared with food release (Pam), I now begin the assembly by coating the bottom of the dish with sauce. Simply begin layering the sauced ziti with the meat and cheese ending with the pasta. Make sure your dish isn't too full as it will expand somewhat as the ziti finishes cooking in the oven.

With regard to the cheese, I usually make baked ziti with fresh mozzarella sliced and layered between the pasta, as shown here. Fresh mozzarella is soft and melts easily. However, if you happen to have some provolone on hand, feel free to use that too. Some people even enjoy ricotta cheese in this dish. Really any good cheeses will do, although I do recommend some type of cheese that will become creamy when baked. I would not over do it on the harder cheeses that become stringy when heated. You can top the dish with shredded mozzarella, a combination of mozzarella and cheddar or just sprinkle it with grated Parmesan.

I bake the ziti in a 400F degree oven for about 20-30 minutes. Your goal here is to let the pasta cook in the sauce to absorb flavors as well as to brown the cheese on the top of the dish. If you want to make it ahead of time, you can cover it in foil just before the baking step and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. However, before baking let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours to help it begin to warm. Then bake it for 45 minutes in a 350F to ensure it is hot all the way through.

My nephew Alex, prior to tasting this dish, insisted he didn't like pasta. After he had this dish, he changed his mind!! I'm sure you and yours will love it too.

Food Fit for a Maharaja

2011-02-19T08:53:00.001-06:00

I've just returned from my second trip to India. After my last trip I posted about the Sikh langar that I toured, which you may recall is the practice of a community kitchen and communal eating. This time I thought I should talk more about the diverse foods and dining customs found in this lovely country.

Rambagh Palace Dining

The food on the Indian subcontinent, now more commonly called South Asia as opposed to East Asia, is best characterized by their extensive use of various spices, herbs and vegetables, as well as the widespread practice of vegetarianism. As I was traveling with a vegetarian colleague, I had even more opportunity to explore just how wonderful vegetarian food can be. Each group of Indian cuisines includes a wide range of dishes and differing cooking techniques. It varies from region to region, and even by province, and reflects the demographics of the ethnically-diverse people found there. The differences come from local culture and geographical location based on whether a region is close to the sea, desert or the mountains. Indian cuisine is also seasonal. I learned much of this from an informative waiter at the Rambagh Palace hotel in Rajasthan, where the menu is laid out by region (main dining room shown above, and our table shown up close below.)

If you happen to be a fan of British television programming like I am, you know that the Indian cuisine has had a strong influence on that nation. Likewise, India's food has also been influenced by its domination by both the Mughal (Mogul) and British empires. Of course, its many religions, particularly the Hindu beliefs, have further influenced its foods, cooking styles and dining habits. Because of this, India provides a unique blend of various cuisines, something of which is sure to delight your taste buds.

People in India consider a hearty breakfast important. They generally prefer to drink tea or coffee with this meal. North Indian people prefer roti and a vegetable dish, accompanied by pickles and some curd. (Roti is a bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour that it is unleavened. The famous Indian bread naan, in contrast, is a yeast-leavened bread.). As I was in New Delhi, this was common at breakfast, although in all good quality hotels, more traditional British breakfast items were also available. The people of western India like a chickpea dish called dhokla and milk. As I have yet to visit South India, I can't comment on what breakfast dishes they prefer. Lunch in India usually consists of a main dish with rice and/or roti. It typically includes two or three kinds of cooked vegetables. Curd and two or more sweets are also included. Dinner is considered the main meal of the day, and the whole family gathers for the occasion. It may be followed by dessert, ranging from fruit to traditional desserts. Some Indians consume a particular leaf after meals which they say aids in digestion, although I did not try this as it is best to avoid any raw foods in India. (On my last trip I had a bad case of "Delhi-Belly" from not following this simple rule.) Indian families also gather and enjoy an evening snack to talk over the events of the day while drinking tea.

Tea is a common beverage throughout India; the finest varieties are grown in Darjeeling and Assam. It is often prepared as masala chai, wherein the tea leaves are boiled in a mix of water, spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, and large quantities of milk to create a thick, sweet, milky concoction. Different varieties and flavors of tea are prepared to suit different tastes all over the country. I was told however, that coffee is a more popular beverage in some southern parts of India.

Bukhara Restaurant

While most of our meals were taken in upper-scale restaurants, there are several customs associated with traditional dining, which you often find when being hosted by locals eager to show off their time-honored customs or at restaurants like Bukhara (in New Delhi) which specialize in 'frontier dining'. These meals are often eaten while seated either on the floor or on very low stools or cushions, much as we did for traditional meals in South Korea. Food at these events is most often eaten without cutlery, using instead the fingers of the right hand. Often roti or naan is used to scoop the curry without allowing it to touch the hands. Other etiquette includes eating with one hand only – preferably the right hand – and letting the food touch only two fingers. We were fortunate to get into Bukhara which is famed for its signature kebabs such as Sikandari Raan (marinated whole leg of lamb) and Murgh Malai Kebab (creamy chicken kebabs). I also enjoyed it because it has an open display kitchen, where meat and vegetables hang from swordlike kebab spears and are cooked in a tandoor (clay oven) until amazingly tender. However, among the middle and upper classes throughout India, as well as in most restaurants, individuals are seated on chairs, and spoons and forks are now commonly used.

While visiting the Taj Mahal we stayed at the lovey Oberoi Amarvilas and dined at Esphahan, which serves traditional Indian cuisine. There we not only sat at the kitchen-view table, but enjoyed thali, a large plate with samplings of different regional dishes accompanied by a yogurt dip called raita, breads such as naan and roti, and rice. I was tempted to purchase a set of thali metal dishes, but wasn't sure my luggage would accommodate yet more souvenirs!

Inevitably after visiting India someone will ask if I had a good curry. Curry is a generic term used in Western culture to describe a variety of spiced dishes found in India with the consistency of a stew with a brown, gravy-like sauce. However, there is no particular ingredient or spice that makes something curry. The word 'curry' is not a Hindi-Urdu word. What we call curry is meat and vegetables cooked with a gravy and served with rice. With that said, you find that curry is eaten in almost all parts of the India and south and east Asia, and flavors very widely based on local ingredients and tastes. The word 'curry' appears on most menus that are translated into English.

If you haven't been to India, I would recommend it but only for the seasoned traveler. It's likely not the first international trip you would want to consider, as it is still developing and can be somewhat challenging to navigate. But for those of you who have seen most of Europe and parts of East Asia, India is highly recommended. On my next visit, I hope to tour the southern part of this beautiful country and to learn more about the region's history and its many customs and cuisines.

Bukhara Tandoori Selections

Call Me Old Fashioned, Valentine.

2011-02-12T08:00:00.098-06:00

Now before you think I'm getting too romantic with the big holiday just around the corner, give me a moment to explain. For Cupid's annual holiday this year, I thought an old fashioned egg custard was in order. You see, my valentine has never had it. It is something grandmother's used to make regularly in days gone by. But today it has largely been replaced by other similar dishes such as the famous crème brulée, crema catalana (traditionally served on St. Joseph's day which is March 19), flan, cream pies and custard and egg tarts. These desserts are all really variations on a theme, having more or less egg in the mixture, sometimes flour, cornstarch or neither, and usually having a vanilla flavor but sometimes also flavored with citrus, chocolate and caramel.

As I was listing the variations recently, Kevin humoured me and asked questions about what made them different. During his 20 or so years in the USA, he had enjoyed all of them except the egg custard. He had heard of, but not had, the egg tarts famous in Hong Kong (likely from British or Portuguese influence), but they weren't exactly the same thing anyway having a bit less egg and a pastry crust.

So I thought for his Valentine's Day dinner, egg custard cups he should have. And of course, hanging out in the back of my cupboard was a set of heart shaped ramekins I had used on a Valentine's Day long ago to make crème brulée (for a prior romance... so you know how long it's been since I've used these ramekins!)

As I remembered it, preparation of the dish was pretty simple. But I decided to check a few online recipes anyway. I was actually amazed that there were not that many recipes out there for a true egg custard. So after perusing a few, I came up with the following which worked quite well. It provides for a nice 'eggy' flavor and won't be confused with crème brulée. If your love hasn't had this dish, isn't it time you gave him/her a little holiday treat?

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
2 eggs (large whole)
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar (or a little more if you like it more sweet)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (plus a vanilla bean if you are so inclined)
dash ground nutmeg (or freshly grated if you have it)

Preheat the oven to 300F. Select a roasting pan or baking dish that will hold six ramekins each of 4 ounces. Place the ramekins in the pan and begin heating a kettle of water, to very hot but not boiling.

Place the eggs and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk to combine. Continue whisking and slowly add in the sugar and vanilla. Set aside.

In a saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer stirring constantly ensuring it does not boil or scorch. If you wish to use the vanilla pod, slice it length-wise, strip out of the tiny sides from the inside. Place the seeds and the pod into the milk.

When the milk is simmering, slowly pour the egg mixture in while constantly whisking. Continue to whisk on heat for one minute, then remove from heat. Placing a sieve (fine screen) over a large spouted liquid measure with handle and pour the mixture through. It should still be very thin. If the mixture is already too thick, use a spoon to push it through the sieve.

Pour the hot water around the empty ramekins, until it is half way up the sides of the dishes. Remove the sieve with the solids, and pour the mixture into the ramekins. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the custard is set. If it is a little loose in the center it will still be fine.

Remove from the oven and let the custard stand in the water bath for two hours before serving. It may be served at room temperature at this stage, or if you prefer it can be covered and refrigerated and served at a later time.

Twelve Bean Soup

2011-02-05T08:00:00.051-06:00

After the holidays you can always find a ham bone or two in my freezer. Nothing warms you up like a good soup or stew in the winter time, and this soup is especially welcome as I make it only once per year. If I have a second ham bone on hand, I make Aunt Rose's Pot Pie.

Like most soups, this one is not quick but neither is it difficult. I purchase the 12 types of beans pre-mixed at the grocery store. These must soak overnight or at least for eight hours before cooking. Similarly, the ham bone must cook for a long time.

Making the broth (the day before serving the soup, if possible): Start by roughly chopping and sauteing a medium onion in olive oil for five minutes. To this add two carrots and two stalks of celery, both roughly chopped. Optionally add 1/2 cup of white wine at this point. Saute for another five minutes with some salt and pepper. Then add the bone and cover with water. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 3-4 hours. When all of the meat has fallen off the bone, remove it from the heat and let it cool enough so that you can handle it. Strain the solids from the broth and separate the bones and other waste from the meat. Then return the broth and meat to the pot or a container and skim off any fat solids. (If you are making the broth a day ahead then place in the refrigerator and before you head to bed for the night, put the beans in water to soak.)

Making the soup: If you refrigerated the broth overnight, skim away the fat that has solidified on the top of the soup. Then bring the broth to a boil and add the soaked beans. These need to cook over a medium-high heat uncovered for two or so hours, until nearly tender. Stir occasionally to ensure they do not stick. Then add any additional ham, carrots, celery or other items you prefer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 30-45 minutes. You can also add a peeled tomato or two (or canned stewed or diced) to the soup at this stage if you prefer, although I rarely do. Serve with a light side salad )spinach with pears shown here) and corn bread, which you can make while the soup is cooking, as it goes well with the dish.

Osso Bucco - Veal or Beef?

2011-01-29T08:00:00.046-06:00

Veal Osso Bucco

I talked about osso bucco in a prior posting and not long after one of my regular readers asked me if she could use beef instead of veal, because of the high cost of veal. I did some quick searching of the other blogs and generally felt it wouldnt' be a good idea. But when I was at the butcher shop recently I noticed they indeed had beef shanks on the shelf and, for the $4.00 (for the pair) that they were charging, I figured a test was in order.

Veal Shank Tied

Veal shanks are typically 1-2 pounds and cut relatively thick (about 3 inches.) The beef shanks on the other hand were cut about 1 1/2 inches thick and were more than double the width of a typical veal shank. I've only ever cooked veal shanks, but I understand from a German friend that pork shanks are also similarly prepared.

Since you are dealing with a larger piece of beef, it is better for them to be thinner, one inch or or just a bit more. I used the same technique I use for veal shanks, but changed the cooking time and temperature.

As you can see in the photos at right, I tied the beef shanks, floured and browned them in oil. After removing them from the skillet to my mothers old speckled roaster, I added the vegetables (carrot, celery and onion all cut in 1/2 inch pieces) and cooked those in the drippings for about eight minutes with a little salt to help them start cooking. I then added about a cup of white wine and let that cook down until the volume was about half; another five minutes or so at a moderately high flame. I then added two cloves of minced garlic and three cups of chicken broth. Once this was heated through, I poured this over the braised beef shanks and tossed in a bouquet garni, which I made before I started cooking. It contained a couple bay leaves, two whole cloves, a sprig each of fresh thyme and rosemary, wrapped in cheese cloth and tied closed for easy removal after cooking. If you don't have fresh, you can substitute dry herbs.

I placed this in the oven at 300F and let it cook for three and a half hours. I checked the pot hourly and added more chicken broth each time to ensure the liquid was more than half way up the sides of the meat. I also stirred the sauce around a bit each time to mix the spices in well. I removed the roaster from the oven and let the food set for another 30 minutes before serving.

To my surprise, the beef osso bucco came out relatively well. It was tender and this could easily be seen when I removed the strings just before serving and the meat began falling off of the bone. I spooned some of the vegetables on top and provided a side dish of roasted acorn squash. Kevin quickly scooped out the marrow and proclaimed it to be 'delicious'.

While I still prefer the veal, as it has a more delicate flavor, it is quite possible to have a good, inexpensive meal using beef shanks for osso bucco.