ONLY MY RECIPES

Cream of Mussel Soup

2011-11-08T08:06:00.006-05:00

Cream of Mussel Soup

Potage Billy By

Adapted from The Art of Eating Cookbook by Edward Behr

Serves 4

1 large onion or 2 shallots, chopped

1 stalk celery, peeled and chopped

3 or 4 branches fresh parsley

1/3 bay leaf

3 or 4 branches fresh thyme

1-1/2 cups dry white wine

2 pounds mussels, cleaned

1 cup heavy cream (the original recipe calls for 2 cups of cream)

Black pepper

A lemon

Salt, only if necessary

Put the white wine in a pot large enough to contain all the mussels. Add the onion, celery, parsley, bay leaf, and thyme. Turn the heat to medium, and cook gently (you don't want to boil away the wine) until the onion and celery are soft, five to ten minutes.

Raise the heat to high, add the cleaned mussels, and cover the pot tightly. It will take from 2 to 8 minutes for the mussels to open. After 2 minutes, stir the mussels, and start removing the open ones (with their shells) when half have opened so the open ones don't overcook while the rest are opening. After 8 minutes, discard any mussels that have remained unopened. Once all the mussels are open and removed from the pot, take the cooked mussels from their shells, and set aside.

Strain the broth. A fine metal strainer should do the job, but if the broth has any grit left in it, strain it again through a cloth-lined strainer or a coffee filter.

Wash the pot or use a smaller clean one, and put the strained broth in it. Bring the broth to a boil, add the cream, and bring back to a boil, stirring. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken just a little, then add the shelled mussels, and heat them through for about 30 seconds. At this point, you do not want to overcook them.

Add black pepper and a little lemon juice. Start with about a teaspoon of lemon juice, and add another teaspoon if that's not enough to brighten the taste. Serve immediately.

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Pureed Potatoes

2011-10-26T06:47:00.007-04:00

Related Post at Vic's Recipes

Pureed Potatoes
Adapted from Simply French by Patricia Wells

Ingredients You Need

I can't really give you amounts; it will depend on how many people you are serving.

Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
Heavy cream, heated
Butter (optional)
Sea salt to taste

Equipment You Need

A potato ricer or food mill
An electric hand mixer
A tamis or a fine sieve

Peel your potatoes, and cut them into chunks. (They are not all cut in this picture.) Halve or quarter them depending on the size of the potato. Steam them (I use a basket steamer) until you can pierce them with a cake tester. Remove the potatoes from the steamer. I just take the basket, lift it, and set it in a clean sink for a minute or two. They will be rather flaky at this point, not waterlogged. Then I remove the potatoes from the steamer and put them through a potato ricer or a food mill directly into a bowl.

Heat some heavy cream - for 2 to 4 people it's usually a 1/2 pint - in a little pan on the stove or in the microwave. Slowly add the heated cream to the riced or milled potatoes, beating the potatoes with a hand-held electric mixer. Don't be stingy. Be more than generous with the cream. When finished, these potatoes should "spread" out on the plate.

If you want, you can beat in some softened butter at this point - Joel Robuchon adds a lot. (I add butter sometimes - it depends on how decadent I have decided to be. I don't always add butter, but I do agree with Julia - butter is delicious. For this recipe, butter is not necessary but definitely yummy!)

Add a little fine sea salt to taste. I don't add much, and I don't add pepper - black or white. I keep unsalted butter in my larder; however,Clotilde mentioned in her post about the delicious Piege Cake that she uses salted butter. If that's what you use, it will, obviously, affect the amount of salt you add.

Now, push the potatoes through a tamis or a fine sieve or - if you don't have one - through a sieve into a heat-proof bowl.

Before serving, if necessary, heat the potatoes in the microwave for 3 minutes or over a double boiler for about 10 minutes until they are warm, then serve with whatever sounds good.

Don't be shy about heating leftovers in the microwave. They aren't as good as freshly made, but they are still a treat.

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Southern Cornbread

2011-10-26T06:34:00.010-04:00

Related Post at Vic's Recipes

Cornbread
Adapted from Hoppin' John Martin Taylor
Serves 6

Because you want to serve this hot, time it so it's done just before you want to serve it. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven.

Small amount of fat to grease the pan
1 large egg, at room temperature or heated in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 2 minutes
2 cups buttermilk, either at room temperature or the chill taken off in the microwave
1-3/4 cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 scant teaspoon baking powder
1 scant teaspoon baking soda

Grease the pan; I used a 9-inch springform pan. Hoppin' John recommends an unwashed 9 or 10- inch cast iron skillet. Put pan into a cold oven and heat to 450 degrees.

Put the buttermilk in a bowl large enough to hold all the batter. Beat in the egg. Then add the cornmeal and blend. When the oven has reached the 450 degrees, stir the salt, baking powder, and baking soda into the batter. Remove the hot pan from the oven, and pour the batter in right away. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top starts to brown. Serve hot with butter.

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French Apple Cake

2011-01-23T09:59:00.011-05:00

Related Post at Vic's Recipes

Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

¾ teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
4 large apples - 4 different kinds are best because you can have crisp, soft, sweet, and tart
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum - I use Goslings Black Seal
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled (1 American stick)
Softened butter for coating the cake pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter an 8-inch springform pan.

In a small bowl stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together with a fork.

Peel the apples. Cut them in half, and cut four large pieces off around the apple, leaving just the cores, which you will discard. I find this easier than using an apple corer. Cut the pieces into chunks, about an inch big. A little larger than an inch is fine.

Break the eggs into a large bowl, and beat them with a whisk until they foam a little. Add the sugar, whisk to blend, then whisk in the rum and vanilla. Add half the flour and whisk until incorporated, then whisk in half the melted butter. Repeat this step by whisking in the other half of the flour followed by the rest of the melted butter, and mix until the batter is smooth and thick. Using a rubber or silicone spatula, fold in the apples, turning until the fruit is coated with batter. You will find there are more apples than batter; this is how it’s supposed to be.

Scrape the mixture into the buttered springform pan, and spread it around with the spatula until it’s as even as you can get it. It won’t be perfect because there are so many apples.

Put a piece of parchment on a baking sheet - I use a half sheet pan - and put the springform pan on it. Slide the baking sheet with the springform pan on it into the oven. Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. This will take about 50 to 60 minutes.

Transfer the cake to a cooling rack, and leave it for 5 minutes.

Run a blunt knife around the edge of the cake. This should be easy as the cake will probably have already pulled away from the sides of the pan, but still be sure to open the springform pan slowly to make sure no apples have stuck to the sides.

It may be eaten warm or at room temperature and is particularly delicious with some lightly whipped cream with a little sugar and rum in it. The cake should keep well for 2 days, but do not cover it. You can put a strip of wax paper on the cut ends.

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Zucchini Parmesan

2010-09-14T11:51:00.007-04:00

Related post at Vic's Recipes

Zucchini Parmesan
Adapted from Marcella's Italian Kitchen by Marcella Hazan

1-1/2 pounds zucchini
Vegetable oil for frying the zucchini (I use grapeseed)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1-2/3 to 2 cups canned Italian peeled plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice or 2 cups plain homemade tomato sauce
Salt
Pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano (real aged Italian parmesan cheese)
10 ounces whole-milk mozzarella, cut into thin slices

Marcella suggests soaking the unpeeled zucchini in water for 20 minutes to loosen any grit that is on them. My zucchini was straight from the garden and didn't need to be soaked, just washed very well. No matter what, wash the zucchini to remove any grit so that it feels smooth to your hand before you proceed.

Trim the ends on both sides of each zucchini, and cut lengthwise into slices 1/4-inch thick. If any zucchini is extremely long, cut that across into pieces that will comfortably fit into the bottom of the frying pan you are going to use.

Put enough vegetable oil into your skillet to come 1/2 inch up the side of the pan. Heat the oil until it is hot, then cook the zucchini slices on both sides until they turn a light golden brown. Don't crowd the pan while you are frying. Remove the zucchini slices, and blot on a paper-towel-lined plate.

I must warn you that when I fry the zucchini, it does splatter all over the top of my stove. I don't think you can avoid this so just be prepared to clean up when you are done. This recipe really is worth it.

While the zucchini is frying, in a separate small saute pan or small saucier, heat the 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and cook the chopped onion until it turns pale gold. Add the parsley, stir, add the tomatoes or homemade tomato sauce, salt if not already salted, and turn the heat to low. Cook until the sauce thickens and the oil floats free, about 20 minutes.

Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add all but 1-1/2 tablespoons of the grated parmesan cheese to the eggs, add some pepper, and beat.

Spread a little tomato sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. Here I used a rounded Pyrex dish that I estimated would hold all the zucchini. You can use a rectangular dish - probably around a 2-quart size - but please estimate that for yourself remembering the contents of the pan will bubble up while it is baking.

Next, add a layer of the fried zucchini, cover the zucchini with slices of mozzarella - keeping in mind that it will cloak the zucchini as it melts, so the slices of cheese don't have to touch each other. Smear some tomato sauce over the mozzarella, and then add some of the egg and cheese mixture, spreading it with a spoon.

Repeat this procedure in the same sequence, ending with a layer of zucchini lightly covered with tomato sauce over which you sprinkle the reserved 1-1/2 tablespoons of grated parmesan.

Bake in the uppermost level of an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Let the dish sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Italians don't favor food as piping hot as Americans so Marcella suggests that this dish is also excellent when served at room temperature.

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Walnut Brandy Cake

2010-04-11T11:31:00.014-04:00

Orange Sponge Cake

2010-04-09T07:15:00.004-04:00

Adapted from Chocolate & Zucchini

Related post at Vic's Recipes

Raised Waffles

2010-03-08T07:55:00.006-05:00

Related Post at Vic's Recipes

From The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham

Raised Waffles

Makes about 8 single waffles

½ cup warm water
1 package dry yeast (1/4 ounce or 7 grams)
2 cups milk, warmed
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Added later:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon baking soda

The batter will double its original volume so use a mixing bowl that will accommodate its doubling.

Put the warm water in the bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast, and let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve.

Add the warmed (not hot) milk, melted butter, salt, sugar, and flour to the yeast/water mixture, and beat until smooth and blended.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let stand overnight at room temperature.

Just before cooking the waffles, beat in the eggs. Add the baking soda, and stir until well mixed. Don't be alarmed; the batter will be very thin; that's okay.

Pour about to ¼ cup to ½ cup batter into a very hot waffle iron. (This will, of course, depend on your waffle maker. I use one with large indentations - the kind for Belgian waffles. It makes four waffles and will hold almost a full cup of batter. You will get the hang of it after a few waffles.) Bake the waffles until they are golden and crisp.

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Spaetzle (or Spätzle)

2010-02-08T07:12:00.010-05:00

Related post at Vic's Recipes

I use a spaetzle (or spätzle) maker for this recipe. As of today, February 17, 2010, it is available here, but, of course, I don't know how long they will carry it. I find this particular one, which is more expensive than others I tried before I got it, surpasses them all. The plastic handle doesn't get hot while you're using it over hot water.

Spaetzle

From Gizi

For 4 servings

1 large egg
A pinch of salt
1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
Water - 1/4 to 1/2 cup
A walnut-size lump of butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Put the egg in a bowl, and beat it with a little salt. Add the flour, stir with the egg, then add water until you get a batter - looser than bread batter but not so loose that it would pour off a spoon. It has to be thick enough that when you put it into the spaetzle maker, it doesn't fall through the holes on its own.

Put water into a pot, making sure the spaetzle maker spans the diameter of the pot. Bring the water to a boil, and lightly salt it.

Put all the batter into the shuttle of the spaetzle maker, put the spaetzle maker over a pan of boiling water, and very quickly (so the steam from the pan of boiling water doesn't clog the holes) start to move the shuttle back and forth over the water until all the batter is in the water. The spaetzle will quickly float to the surface. Cook for about a minute then pour into a strainer. Shake the strainer to remove some of the water. There are two things you can do at this point.

(One) After draining, put the spaetzle back in the now-drained pan off the heat, and add the walnut-size lump of butter. Stir while the butter melts, then add a little salt and black pepper to taste. This is what I normally do.

(Two) After draining, you can melt the walnut-size lump of butter in a saute pan, and saute the spaetzle until it starts to brown a little. (I only do this when I have leftover spaetzle.) You can also saute some chopped onions in the butter until brown before you add the spaetzle.

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Chocolate Torte

2009-12-04T07:06:00.004-05:00

Related post at Vic's Recipes

The only catch with this recipe is you need to use a standing mixer because you beat four extra-large or five large eggs with one tablespoon of sugar until the mixture triples in volume.

1 pound high-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped (I like to use Scharffen Berger 62 per cent)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 extra-large or 5 large eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Confectioner's sugar for dusting the top of the cake (optional)
1 cup heavy cream, whipped softly, to top the cake

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and position the rack in the middle of the oven. Butter an 8-inch springform pan or an 8-inch by 2-inch pan with a loose bottom.

Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper either bought all ready or cut to fit precisely. If you have to cut the paper yourself, the easiest way to do this is to the trace the pan bottom on paper and cut it with scissors.

Butter the paper liner, and dust the whole pan with cocoa powder (because flour would show white), and tap out any excess.

Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl or the top pan of a double boiler set over a pan of gently simmering water. Do not let the pan touch the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are melted. (Alternatively, you can do this step in the microwave, but do it in 30-second increments, stirring between each thirty seconds until it's all melted, being very careful not to burn the chocolate.) Stir to combine the butter and chocolate completely.

Remove the bowl or top of the double boiler from the pan of simmering water to get it away from the heat, scrape the mixture into a bowl large enough to eventually hold all the batter, and let cool for a few minutes.

Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl in bowl of your electric mixer. I use a KitchenAid fitted with the paddle, not the whisk.

Set the mixer on high speed, and beat the eggs with the 1 tablespoon of sugar until light, fluffy, and tripled in volume. This will take about 10 minutes.

Reduce the speed to low, and beat in the 1 tablespoon of flour

In the next step this mixture is going to be folded into the chocolate mixture, so the chocolate has to be in a bowl large enough to hold it. If it isn't, transfer the chocolate/butter mixture to a big enough bowl at this point.

Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg mixture into the chocolate to lighten it, and then carefully fold in the remaining egg mixture, being careful not to deflate the batter. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with the spatula.

Bake for exactly 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, put on a cooling rack, and let cool completely to room temperature. The cake may deflate slightly, but it won't matter. Do not refrigerate. Cure for at least one day, and up to two, before serving.

The cake will pull away from the sides of the pan as it cools, but run a blunt knife all the way around the cake before you remove it from the pan to be sure it doesn't stick.

The top can be dusted with confectioner's sugar if you wish. (I have a holiday patisserie cake stencil set from Kaiser, which I use when I make the cake around the holidays.)

Cut the cake into small wedges, and serve each wedge topped with softly whipped cream.

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Gingerbread

2009-12-02T05:28:00.008-05:00

Adapted from Lost Recipes by Marion Cunningham

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup boiling water

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and dust an 8-inch square pan with cocoa powder.

Put the flour, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a small bowl. Mix with a fork to combine. Sift onto a piece of aluminum foil.

Put the softened butter into a large bowl. Beat with a mixer - hand mixer is fine - until creamy. Add the sugar, molasses, and honey, and mix until blended.

Pour the boiling water into a glass measuring cup, and mix in the baking soda. Add this to the butter/sugar/molasses/honey mixture, and beat well. Add the flour mixture, and keep beating until the batter is smooth. Then beat in the eggs.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake on a middle rack of the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the gingerbread comes out clean.

After removing from the oven, let the gingerbread cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning the pan over to remove.

Can be served warm or cool. This is delicious served with vanilla ice cream.

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Pasta Amatriciana

2009-11-16T08:19:00.003-05:00

Related post at Vic's Recipes

Pasta Amatriciana

Adapted from Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

Serves 4

2 tablespoons light vegetable oil
1 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 slices of pancetta (fat and lean), ¼-inch-thick, diced
1½ to 2 cups of Italian plum tomatoes, diced, with their juice (a 14½ oz. can is fine)
Dried crushed red pepper to taste
Salt
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino-romano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound pasta

Put the oil, butter, and onion in a saucepan, and turn on the heat to medium. Sauté the onion until it becomes colored a pale gold. Add the pancetta, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add the crushed dried red pepper, and cook for 20 to 30 seconds. do not let it burn. Add the tomatoes and a good pinch of salt, and cook in the uncovered pan at a gentle simmer for about 25 minutes. Taste and correct for salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remember, the pancetta and the cheeses are likely to be salty, and the sauce will have reduced a little by now, so be sparing with the salt.

Toss the pasta with the sauce, then add both cheeses, and toss again

Berries & Vanilla Ice Cream

2009-11-16T07:58:00.006-05:00

Related post at Vic's Recipes

Berries & Vanilla Ice Cream

Buy a pint (or a quart) of strawberries or raspberries, hull, and cut strawberries in half - or quarters if the strawberries are large. If you're using raspberries, leave them whole.

Put the berries in a bowl, and add 1 to 3 tablespoons of sugar, depending on how sweet the strawberries are to begin with and how many berries you have. Use the least amount of sugar you can. Allow the berries to macerate in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Serve in wine goblets layering (layering means berries, ice cream, berries, ice cream, berries, ice cream - you get the picture - ending with berries on top) the berries with the best vanilla ice cream you can get your hands on. I usually use Häagan-Daz Vanilla Honey Bee if I'm not making my own.

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Cucumber & Sour Cream Salad

2009-10-28T05:44:00.003-04:00

Related post at Vic's Recipes

I use all different kinds of cucumbers - English, Kirby, and regular.

The amounts of ingredients are vague because you have to sort of eye-ball it depending on how much you want to make, so read the recipe in its entirety before you start. Also, now that Greek yogurt is readily available , depending on what you are serving this salad with, you may want to try it in place of or mixed with the sour cream. Full-fat yogurt is best; I wouldn't go all the way down to zero per cent here.

Serves 2 to 4

1 English cucumber, or 2 Kirby cucumbers, or 1 large regular cucumber:
English – wash, score with a fork, cut in half, scoop out seeds, and cut into half moons
Kirby – wash, score with a fork, and cut into thin slices
Regular – peel, cut in half, scoop out seeds, and cut into half moons.
Sugar – start with 1 tablespoon, but be prepared to add more
Cider vinegar – about 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste
Sour cream – about ¼ cup
Dill (optional - for taste)
Paprika (optional - for color)

Take a small bowl and put in sugar - more than you think. Start with 1 tablespoon, but you may need to add more when you're tasting the dressing at the end.

Moisten the sugar with cider vinegar - less than you think (you can always add more of this to taste too) - enough to dissolve the sugar. Start with 2 teaspoons vinegar to 1 tablespoon sugar, and be prepared to adjust. Add a pinch of Maldon Salt. Mix well.

Spoon in about ¼ cup sour cream. You can use low-fat sour cream, although I do not. However, don’t use non-fat sour cream. That’s a product, not a food. Whisk ingredients together. At this point taste and add more vinegar, or sugar, or salt, if necessary.

Add the cucumbers, and stir.

Right before serving, sprinkle with chopped dill (I just snip it with kitchen shears). Also, you can sprinkle on a little paprika when serving. Both are optional; the dill adds flavor, the paprika, color.

Chill until ready to serve. Does not keep particularly well overnight, but two hours in advance works well. Can also do a few minutes before serving.

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Baked Apples

2009-10-27T06:17:00.008-04:00

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Baked Apples

Adapted from Something Sweet by Jack Bishop

Serves 4

4 apples
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup walnuts
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅓ cup raisins
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 large baking apples (about 2 pounds)
½ cup apple juice or cider
Heavy cream or vanilla ice cream, optional

Preheat oven to 400°.

Grind the walnuts, granulated sugar, and cinnamon together in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until the nuts are quite fine but not reduced to a powder. Set the mixture aside in a shallow bowl.

Combine the raisins and brown sugar in another bowl.

Core the apples. With a vegetable peeler, remove the top half of the peel from each apple.

Fill the hollow center of each apple with some of the raisin/brown sugar mixture. Brush the peeled halves of the apples with melted butter, reserving some of the butter to use later. Roll the apples in the nut/granulated/sugar mixture until the bare sections of the apples are well coated with the mixture.

Place the apples in a small baking dish. Drizzle with the remaining butter, and pour apple juice into the bottom of the pan.

Bake until the nut crust on the apples turns golden brown and the centers can be easily pierced with a small knife, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve the apples warm topped with the juice from the pan and heavy cream or vanilla ice cream.

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Fried Chicken

2009-10-26T06:21:00.010-04:00

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Fried Chicken

Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

Serves 4

Before I cook chicken, I rub the chicken or the chicken pieces all over with kosher salt and refrigerate them on a rack over a platter for 24 hours, turning over once, to air dry.

Chicken - a whole chicken (smallest free-range chicken you can find, preferably 2-1/2 to 3 pounds) cut up into 10 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breasts cut in half crossways for 4 pieces) or 10 pieces of your choosing (thighs, drumsticks, breasts, etc.), air-dried as above
Peanut oil for deep-frying
1 quart buttermilk for dipping

Coating
Mix together:
6 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Maldon salt, crushed with your fingers

Cut off any obvious globules of fat and trim any skin that is obviously hanging from the pieces of chicken. Then dip each piece of chicken in the seasoned flour, then in buttermilk, then in the seasoned flour again.

Heat 2 inches of peanut oil to 350 degrees in a pan with sides between 5 and 6 inches high* and fry the chicken in the hot oil until it is almost mahogany brown. Be extremely careful not to tip the pan over because the oil is very hot. Sprinkle with a little ground or crushed-with-your-fingers sea salt right before serving.

Serve hot, warm, or cold.

*Don't substitute a pan with shallow sides, like a skillet, frypan, or saute pan. Using a pan with high sides allows you to use the 2 inches of oil ensuring that the oil does not splatter all over the kitchen.

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Barbecue Brisket

2009-10-25T10:55:00.004-04:00

Related post at Vic's Recipes

Barbecue Brisket

1 small onion, chopped, or two shallots, chopped
1 brisket 3½ – 4 pounds
1 clove garlic, minced
A little vegetable oil (I use grapeseed or olive)
½ cup chicken broth
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce or a cup of your own tomato sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
½ teaspoon English dry mustard (Colman’s)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup Heinz ketchup or Heinz Chili Sauce
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Chopped parsley (optional)

Rub the meat with garlic, and brown it in a small amount of vegetable oil. Remove the meat from the pan, and sauté the onion. Put the meat back in the pan on top of the onion, and pour in ¼ cup of chicken broth. Cover the pan, and simmer on very low heat for 1 hour.

Combine tomato sauce, sugar, paprika, mustard, lemon juice, ketchup or chili sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and the last ¼ cup of chicken broth in a jar and shake together. Pour this over the meat, and continue simmering for 1-½ hours more.

Remove the meat from the pan, and let it rest on a board so you can carve it, slicing thin on the diagonal. If the sauce is too thin, cook it down to BBQ sauce consistency.

Arrange meat slices on a platter, pour about ¼ of the sauce on the meat, and optionally sprinkle with chopped parsley. Put the rest of the sauce in a bowl to serve separately.

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Asparagus

2009-10-24T04:40:00.002-04:00

Related post at Vic's Recipes

Take your asparagus, and snap the ends so they break off leaving the fibrous stalks behind. Trim the bottoms off neatly with a sharp knife. Lay the asparagus flat in a skillet, fill the skillet with water, and salt the water. Bring the water to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer for 4 (this is usually about right) minutes. The timing, of course, depends upon how thick the asparagus are. You can poke a stalk with the point of a small sharp knife or a cake tester to see if it's done, or taste the asparagus as you go along (as you would strands of spaghetti).

Alternatively, remove the pan with the asparagus in it from the heat as soon as it comes to a boil, clap a lid on the pan, and let it sit for 8 minutes.

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Cucumber & Sour Cream Salad

2009-10-23T04:16:00.005-04:00

Related post at Vic's Recipes

Cucumber & Sour Cream Salad

Serves 2 to 4

I use all different kinds of cucumbers - English, Kirby, and regular.

The amounts of ingredients are vague because you have to sort of eye-ball it depending on how much you want to make, so read the recipe in its entirety before you start. Also, now that Greek yogurt is readily available , depending on what you are serving this salad with, you may want to try it in place of or mixed with the sour cream. Full-fat yogurt is best; I wouldn't go all the way down to zero per cent here.

1 English cucumber, or 2 Kirby cucumbers, or 1 large regular cucumber:
English – wash, score with a fork, cut in half, scoop out seeds, and cut into half moons
Kirby – wash, score with a fork, and cut into thin slices
Regular – peel, cut in half, scoop out seeds, and cut into half moons.
Sugar – start with 1 tablespoon, but be prepared to add more
Cider vinegar – about 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste
Sour cream – about ¼ cup
Dill (optional - for taste)
Paprika (optional - for color)

Take a small bowl and put in sugar - more than you think. Start with 1 tablespoon, but you may need to add more when you're tasting the dressing at the end.

Moisten the sugar with cider vinegar - less than you think (you can always add more of this to taste too) - enough to dissolve the sugar. Start with 2 teaspoons vinegar to 1 tablespoon sugar, and be prepared to adjust. Add a pinch of Maldon Salt. Mix well.

Spoon in about ¼ cup sour cream. You can use low-fat sour cream, although I do not. However, don’t use non-fat sour cream. That’s a product, not a food. Whisk ingredients together. At this point taste and add more vinegar, or sugar, or salt, if necessary.

Add the cucumbers, and stir.

Right before serving, sprinkle with chopped dill (I just snip it with kitchen shears). Also, you can sprinkle on a little paprika when serving. Both are optional; the dill adds flavor, the paprika, color.

Chill until ready to serve. Does not keep particularly well overnight, but two hours in advance works well. Can also do a few minutes before serving.

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Crunchy Brussels Sprouts

2009-10-22T06:22:00.004-04:00

Related post at Vic's Recipes

Crunchy Brussels Sprouts

Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman and The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash.

Serves 4

1 to 1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil (I use olive oil)
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon plain breadcrumbs or 1/4 cup diced pancetta
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves (optional)
Salt to taste

The key to this recipe is not to overcook the Brussels sprouts.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add salt. Add the Brussels sprouts, boil them just until tender. This will take about 4 to 5 minutes for small Brussels sprouts and 5 - 8 minutes for medium. Avoid large Brussels sprouts for this recipe. You really don't want to overcook them because they will get mushy, so test them occasionally with a cake tester. Plunge them into cold - even iced - water to stop the cooking process, drain them well, and put them on a towel to absorb moisture. Cut each sprout in half.

Place the butter or oil in a deep skillet or saucier over medium heat, and add the garlic. Do not let the garlic burn, so be prepared to remove it from the pan if it starts to get too dark. When the butter foam subsides, or the oil is hot, add the sprouts and the breadcrumbs. Stir until hot. If you're using the pancetta instead of the breadcrumbs, add the cubes of pancetta before the sprouts. Stir until the pancetta colors slightly. Then add the sprouts, and stir until hot.

Turn off the heat. Remove the garlic if you haven't already done so, and toss the sprouts with the lemon juice and parsley if you are using it. Season to taste with salt and serve.

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Pork Tenderloin Teriyaki

2009-10-21T04:53:00.004-04:00

Related post at Vic's Recipes

Adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham

Serves 6

Pork Tenderloin Teriyaki

4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pork tenderloins

Mix together the soy sauce, garlic, pepper, honey, ginger, and oil until well blended. Pour over the tenderloins, and let them marinate.

The recipe calls for marinating for 1 hour at room temperature. If you refrigerate them, you can marinate them a little longer, but I would not let them marinate more than 3 hours in the refrigerate, and then they need to be at room temp before you cook them, so I find the one hour at room temperature to be the easiest. You can marinate for less than one hour if you don't have enough time. I have marinated them for 20 minutes with good results.

Remove from marinade, and grill for about 20 minutes (more or less depending on the diameter of the tenderloins), turning to cook all around. Let sit about five minutes before slicing. Can be served immediately, at room temperature, or cold.

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Non-Traditional Moussaka

2009-10-20T06:27:00.006-04:00

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Moussaka

Adapted from The Way to Cook by Julia Child

Serves 6

The Eggplant

2 firm shiny purple-skinned eggplants, 1 to 1-1/2 pounds each
Salt
Olive oil

Wash and dry the eggplants; don't peel them. Cut the eggplants into 1-inch cubes. Salt the cubes lightly, and let them sit in a colander on a plate or in the sink for 15 to 20 minutes. Then pat the eggplant dry with paper towels. Sauté the cubes in a large frying pan or saucier until they release their liquid and start to brown, adding more olive oil as necessary as you go along. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cubes of eggplant to a long piece of aluminum foil, making three equal piles of eggplant cubes.

The Meat

3/4 cup washed and dried parsley sprigs, chopped
1-1/2 cups minced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, pureed*
3 cups leftover roast (lamb or beef) cut into 1-inch chunks and processed not too fine in a food processor or 1-1/2 pounds raw ground meat (lamb or beef)
2 cups canned tomatoes (plum tomatoes are good), drained and sieved through a food mill
3/4 cup of the red wine you will drink with your meal or dry white French vermouth, such as Noilly Prat
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 large egg, beaten
Salt and pepper

Over medium heat, sauté the minced onion in a frying pan or saucier with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the onions are tender, after about 6 minutes, add the pureed garlic, and cook for just about a minute. You don't want the garlic to burn and get bitter.

Raise the heat to just barely high, and add the meat, letting it brown lightly. Add the tomatoes, wine, parsley, allspice, and salt to taste. Lower the heat, and simmer for half an hour, stirring often, until the mixture holds its shape softly in a spoon. Taste. Add more salt if needed, and add a little black pepper if you like. Remove from the heat, stir in the beaten egg, and set aside.

Use a spoon to push the meat to the sides of the pan so you have two equal portions of meat.

Assemble the Dish to This Point

In a baking casserole (I use a Pyrex dish that has round sides and a flat bottom), put a layer of eggplant cubes followed by half of the meat mixture. Add another layer of eggplant, the rest of the meat, and a third layer of eggplant. Set aside while you make the sauce to be used for the topping.

The Sauce

3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
Salt and white pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Swiss cheese
A pinch of nutmeg
(Another) 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

To make a white sauce, melt the butter in a 2- to 2-1/2 quart saucepan or fait tout (also known as a Windsor pan - a saucepan with sloping sides). Add the flour, and with a wooden spoon blend it into the butter. Cook the butter and flour together for 2 minutes to make a roux without letting it color.

Remove the pan from the heat, and when the roux stops bubbling, add 1-1/2 cups of hot milk all at once, whisking constantly. When the sauce is smooth, add the other 1/2 cup of milk , and stir until that is smooth too. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, and blend in the cup of shredded mozzarella or Swiss cheese until the sauce is smooth. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Add a pinch of nutmeg, and stir it into the sauce.

Next spoon the hot sauce over the top of the eggplant and meat layered in the casserole. Shake the casserole to let some of the sauce sink down through the layers of eggplant and meat.

Scatter the 1/2 cup of shredded Swiss cheese over the top of the sauce as evenly as possible, and bake the casserole in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes until the casserole is bubbling, and the top is lightly browned.

Let the casserole cool for at least ten minutes before serving. Julia says it can be served warm, tepid, or even cold, but cold doesn't sound appealing to me at all - certainly not on a frigid winter's night, which is when this is truly delicious.

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Shrimp Creole

2009-10-19T08:19:00.006-04:00

Related post at Vic's Recipes

Shrimp Creole

Adapted from The New Orleans Cookbook by Rima and Richard Collins

Serves 4 to 6

Read the whole recipe through before you make it.

For the Roux:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup light vegetable oil (I use grapeseed)

Mise en Place

Bowl 1:
2 bunches scallions, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons parsley, minced

Bowl 2:
1 tablespoon sliced chives
1/4 teaspoon mace
4 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon dried basil
6 whole allspice
2 whole cloves
2 pounds large shrimp, shelled (I don't devein the shrimp, but you can if you wish)
2 teaspoons salt
75 grinds black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon chili powder

To add to pot:
4 teaspoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons red wine
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5 pound can tomatoes (recipe calls for 1 pound, but this is the size I always find)

Put 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 2/3 light vegetable oil in a skillet. (I use a well-seasoned black iron skillet.) Turn the heat on to medium, and cook stirring constantly until the roux you are making turns the color of rich peanut butter. Count on this taking about 20 minutes. Do it even more slowly - which means at a lower heat - until you get the hang of it. If the roux burns, meaning you have little black specks in it, you have to throw it out and start over.

Once the roux is made, in it over medium heat cook the contents of Bowl 1: scallions, celery, green pepper, onion, garlic, and parsley. This doesn't actually brown; you will start to get a very distinctive - and good - smell. Cook it about 4 to 5 minutes.

At this point, I carefully transfer the contents of the skillet to a Le Creuset pot - about 5 quarts in size. You can probably do the whole thing in a pot like a Le Creuset - from start (roux) to finish, but I have just gotten into the habit of doing the roux in my black iron skillet so that's what I do. I would not make the whole dish in a black iron Dutch oven because it has tomatoes in it.

Heat the mixture back up to where it was before, and add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, red wine, lemon juice and contents of Bowl 2: chives, bay leaves, and rest of the spices. Bring to a boil.

Add 2 cups water (do NOT substitute stock). Boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes. You can cook it ahead to this point - even the day before you plan to serve it - and it will actually improve in flavor. Bring back to a boil before resuming the recipe.

Add the shelled shrimp, bring back to a boil. Clap a cover on the pot, and immediately reduce the heat. The original recipe calls for simmering it at this point for 20 minutes; however, you can cook it only until the shrimp is just cooked, about 6 minutes. Whichever way you choose to do it, at the end of the cooking time you pick, remove the pot from the heat. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve over a small amount of dry boiled white rice. It's shrimp served over some rice, not rice with a shrimp sauce on it.

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Creamed Lima Beans

2009-10-18T06:45:00.007-04:00

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Creamed Lima Beans

1 package frozen lima beans (Fordhook are best, but baby limas are good too)
½ pint heavy cream
Salt for water
Maldon Salt to finish

Put the contents of the package of frozen lima beans into a 2-quart pot. Add as much water as you can, leaving room so the water doesn’t boil over. Salt the water lightly. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer until the beans are three-quarters of the way done. Keep tasting like you would spaghetti or green beans so you know when they get to this stage. Drain the water when there’s just a little resistance to the bite.

Put the lima beans back in the pan, and add the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook at a steady simmer until the cream thickens into a sauce.

If you keep cooking, the cream will essentially “disappear” and coat the beans like butter. Don’t go this far. You really want them creamy.

Add Maldon Sea Salt to taste by picking it up in your hand and crushing it a little as you sprinkle it on the beans.

Leftovers can be made into a delicious puree. Just heat the leftovers in the microwave for one minute to loosen slightly. Then put into a food processor, and run while adding more cream until the puree reaches the desired consistency. Then put the puree into a bowl, and heat in the microwave.

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Curry for Leftover Lamb or Beef

2009-10-17T07:13:00.004-04:00

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Curry for Leftover Lamb or Beef

Adapted from the 1964 Joy of Cooking

Serves 4

1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
2 - 3 tablespoons butter or oil
2 cups cooked lamb or beef, cut into medium pieces
2 teaspoons flour
1½ cups hot chicken broth
1 tablespoon curry powder (I use Sun Brand)
2 tart apples, peeled and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon raisins
1 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup diced celery
Salt and pepper

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter or oil in a sauté pan or saucier. Add onions, and cook until the onions are tender and just beginning to brown.

Add the curry powder and cook for about 1 minute to release the flavor of the curry, being careful not to burn it. Add the apples and celery. You want them to stay crisp so cook for about 2 minutes. Remove the ingredients to a bowl from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving any juices that have accumulated behind.

Brown the meat in the same pan, adding the additional tablespoon of butter or oil if necessary. Add the flour. Stir to coat the meat thoroughly with the flour, and pour the hot broth in slowly, stirring or whisking the whole time.

When the sauce is smooth and boiling, add the apples, onions, and celery from the bowl along with the tablespoon of raisins to the pan. Stir in the lemon juice, and season carefully with salt. Pass the peppermill at the table.

This goes well with Basmatic Pilaf, buttered green peas and cucumber salad.

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Fettuccine All'Alfredo

2009-10-16T07:12:00.010-04:00

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Fettuccine All'Alfredo

Adapted from The Classic Italian Cookbook by Giuliano Hazan

Serves 4

1 pound of pasta serves 4 as a main course (4 oz. per person) and 8 as a side dish (2 oz. per person)

1 pound dried fettuccine
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt (I use Maldon Salt)
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Pepper (optional)
2 pieces of Canadian bacon, cut into small pieces (optional)
1/4 cup frozen petite peas (optional)

Put the butter and cream in a large skillet or saucier over medium-high heat and boil, stirring frequently, until the cream thickens and has reduced almost by half. If you are going to add the Canadian bacon and peas, add them while the sauce is thickening to heat. The peas will defrost while cooking. Add the nutmeg and a little salt to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Add the pasta to lots of salted boiling water, stirring well, and cook until al dente. Drain, and add to the sauce in the skillet. Add the grated cheese to the skillet, then toss until the pasta is well coated with the sauce. Turn off the heat. Taste for seasoning, adding pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

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Garlic-Scented Tomato Salad

2009-10-15T06:00:00.007-04:00

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Garlic-Scented Tomato Salad

Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

4 to 6 Servings

4 to 5 garlic cloves
Maldon Salt or kosher salt
Excellent quality red wine vinegar
2 pounds fresh, ripe, ripe, ripe tomatoes
Optional - a chiffonade of basil made with about 12 fresh basil leaves (basil leaves, washed, dried, and cut into shreds with a sharp knife)
Extra-virgin olive oil

This list of ingredients is just a starting point. You can use as many or as few tomatoes as you like, adjusting the other ingredients accordingly.

After you smash the garlic cloves with the flat blade of a chef's knife, the skin will slip off easily.

Put the cloves of garlic in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons vinegar and about 1-1/2 teaspoons Maldon Salt crushed between your fingers or kosher salt. I know this will seem like too much salt, but it isn't. If it turns out to be too much for you, change it next time, but the first time you should try it this way. Stir, and let steep at least 20 minutes.

Slice the tomatoes and spread the slices out on a platter, or cut tomatoes in chunks and put them in a bowl.

Just before serving, pour the garlic-steeped vinegar through a small wire strainer over the tomatoes. Pour a little olive oil over the tomatoes, optionally sprinkle with the pieces of basil, and serve immediately.

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Molly & Luisa's Rice-Filled Tomatoes

2009-10-13T13:28:00.011-04:00

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Rice-Filled Tomatoes

Adapted from Molly Wizenberg at Orangette and Luisa Weiss at The Wednesday Chef

Serves 4

4 large tomatoes
1 small yellow onion, diced
Olive oil
1/3 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup water
5 fresh basil leaves
Maldon Salt
Breadcrumbs
2 flaky potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tops off the tomatoes, and scoop out the flesh, seeds, and juice inside into a bowl.

Put the tomatoes into a lightly oiled 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Using kitchen shears, cut the flesh of the tomatoes directly in the bowl you have put them in.

Warm a glug of olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat; add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent. Add the rice to the pan, and continue to cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Then add all the contents of the bowl (tomato flesh, juice, and seeds) as well as the water. Tear the basil leaves into pieces, and add them too along with a pinch or two of Maldon Salt squished by your fingertips.

Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste, and add more salt if necessary. The rice is not cooked through at this point. Spoon this mixture into the tomatoes, and sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top of each tomato.

I used plain dried breadcrumbs, and they were fine, but Molly Wizenberg made her own breadcrumbs.

If you happen to have some leftover baguette lying around, or some crusty white bread or something like that, it will take you about 5 minutes. Just cut off the crust, cut the soft center into cubes, and whirl the cubes in a food processor until they are reduced to fine crumbs. (Only process a couple of handfuls at a time, though, or the motor of the machine could overheat.)

Molly Wizenberg

Arrange the potato slices around the tomatoes in the pan. Drizzle olive oil over everything, and turn the potatoes over to make sure they are covered on both sides.

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Make sure the potatoes are cooked through before you take the pan from the oven. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

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Meatball Goulash

2009-10-12T07:35:00.014-04:00

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Meatball Goulash

Adapted from Delia's Winter Collection by Delia Smith

Serves 4

Ingredients for the Sauce

1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 green peppers cut into chunks or slices
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce or 1 cup of homemade tomato sauce
8 to 10 oz. chicken broth, preferably homemade
1 to 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika (I always use 2)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons (or more if needed) of olive oil

Preparation of the Sauce

Cook the chopped onion in olive oil until it turns pale gold. Add the chunks or slices of green pepper, and cook for another minute or two. Then add the sweet Hungarian paprika, and cook for a minute more, just enough to cook the paprika so that it releases its flavor but not so long that it burns. Add the tomato sauce and stir, then add the chicken broth.

Stirring occasionally, heat the sauce till it comes to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer. Season with salt, but be careful if you have used tomato sauce or broth seasoned with salt.

Ingredients for the Meatballs

12 oz. lean chopped beef and 12 oz. chopped pork (or 24 oz. of chopped veal or chopped chicken. I like dark meat chicken so I ask the butcher to grind thighs.)

1 small onion, very finely minced or grated
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 oz. plain dry breadcrumbs or fresh white breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
Flour to dredge the meatballs in, optionally seasoned with a little hot Hungarian paprika or finely ground black pepper and salt
Salt to taste
Grapeseed or olive oil for browning the meatballs (I use olive oil.)

Preparation of the Meatballs

In a large bowl place the chopped meat(s) or poultry, onion, parsley, and breadcrumbs. Mix well, then add the egg and a little seasoning of salt and pepper. Using your hands, combine everything together. Shape into meatballs - whatever size you personally prefer. Delia Smith recommends meatballs small enough that you get 24 of them. You can use a small ice cream scoop or cookie dough dropper if you have one that's the right size to portion the meatballs (mine is about 1-1/2 inches across, which holds 1-1/2 tablespoons), but you still have to hand roll them.

The less you handle the meat, and the less you pack it, the more tender the meatballs will be. They don't have to be perfectly round.

Coat each meatball lightly with the seasoned flour. I like to use Wondra instead of unbleached all-purpose flour.

Heat the oil, and brown the meatballs lightly. You don't want to form a tough crust. Transfer the meatballs to a plate, and add them one-by-0ne to the sauce. This way they will cook at the same rate.

Finishing the Dish

Add the meatballs to the pan with the sauce. Bring back to a low simmer, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, checking every now and then to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. You may have to use a heat diffuser.

The sauce will thicken to a nice consistency because the meatballs were lightly dredged in flour before they were browned.

Turn off the heat and loosely stir 3 tablespoons of sour cream into the sauce to get a marbled effect. This marbling effect is lovely, and the sour cream adds a nice tang to the dish, but be careful since sour cream can curdle. (I have completely forgotten to add the sour cream a few times, and the dish is still delicious. I often plate each dish and then top each serving of the meatball goulash with a little sour cream, allowing each diner to stir it in to get the requisite marbled effect.)

You can use heavy cream instead of sour cream, which is what Craig Claiborne recommended in the original New York Times Cookbook. It doesn't really change the taste much, and it does lighten the color of the sauce without the danger of curdling. (The last time I made this dish, I had heavy cream straight from a dairy, which had no preservatives or stabilizers in it, and I lightened the sauce a little with it. Then I turned the heat off and stirred in a little sour cream too. It was perfect.)

Crème fraîche might have the same tangy effect as sour cream without the danger of curdling, but I have never tried it.

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Plum Torte

2009-10-11T12:31:00.008-04:00

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Plum Torte

Adapted from Marian Burros, The New York Times

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup plus 1 or 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
Pinch salt
24 halves pitted Italian (prune) plums*
1 teaspoon cinnamon or more, to taste

*You can use other, larger plums - 6 will usually do - halved, skin side down.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter with ¾ cup of sugar. Add the flour, baking powder, eggs, and salt to the butter/sugar mixture, and beat to mix well.

Spoon the batter into an ungreased 8- or 9-inch springform pan. Spread it to the edges with the spoon. It is thick, and you don't have to get it perfectly smooth.

Cover the top with the plums, skin sides down. Mix the cinnamon with the remaining 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle over the top.

Bake on a rack in the lower third of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and let cool.

This is fine plain but really shines when served with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream or thick plain yogurt or crème fraiche.

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Fried Red Peppers

2009-10-10T08:03:00.004-04:00

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Fried Red Peppers

Adapted from Cucina Fresca by Viana LaPlace and Evan Kleiman

Serves 4

4 to 6 red bell peppers
Olive oil

Cut the tops and bottoms off from the peppers. Remove the seeds and the white ribs inside. Cut the peppers into 1/2 inch vertical slices.

Cover the bottom of a skillet or saucier with a light coating of olive oil, and turn the heat to medium. Add the sliced peppers. Stir. When the peppers get hot, turn the heat down to moderate, and cook the peppers s l o w l y until soft with a few browned edges.

When done, put the peppers with their oil into a bowl or onto a platter. Cool to room temperature.

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Beef Stew

2009-10-09T07:26:00.007-04:00

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Beef Stew

Adapted from Beat That! by Ann Hodgman

Serves 6

2 pounds beef stew meat in cubes (London broil works well here, believe it or not)
6 carrots cut into thick slices
2 large onions, chopped coarsely
1 large baking potato, cut into stew-size dice
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 10-ounce can Campbell’s Tomato Bisque (preferred) or Campbell's Tomato Soup
½ can red wine

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Combine the beef, carrots, onions, potato, and bay leaf in a large bowl. Sprinkle the seasonings in, and mix well. In a small bowl, combine the soup with the red wine and pour over the stew ingredients. Mix well.

Put everything into a lidded casserole or pot that can go into a 275-degree oven. Cover the casserole or pot first with a tight layer of foil and then with the lid.

Bake the stew for 5 hours. After the first 2 hours, check it every half hour or so to make sure there’s enough liquid left in the pot. (I have never had to add more liquid, but you should be sure to check anyway.) Remove the bay leaf before serving.

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My Favorite Margarita

2009-10-08T07:30:00.007-04:00

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For One Drink

½ lime
kosher salt
2 shots tequila (I use Sauza Hornitos Reposado)
1 shot triple sec (I use Bols)
ice

Slice one wedge from the lime half and use it to rim your glass.

Place about ¼ cup of kosher salt in a plate.

Lay the top edge of the glass in the salt and turn to coat the outer rim all around. If you just turn the glass upside down and dip the whole top of the glass in, the salt gets in your drink.

Juice the lime half directly into a stainless steel drink shaker. I usually use a wooden hand reamer.

Add tequila and triple sec to the shaker along with some ice cubes. Shake well until the shaker is frosted, then pour the contents into a glass. Put a few ice cubes in your glass along with half of the lime rind you squeezed into the drink.

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Pasta Shells with Sausage

2009-10-07T06:28:00.005-04:00

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Pasta Shells with Sausage

Adapted from Marcella's Italian Kitchen by Marcella Hazan

Serves 4

½ pound mild pork sausage (Italian without fennel is best if you can find it)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
⅔ cup canned Italian peeled plum tomatoes, cut coarse, with their juice
¼ cup heavy cream
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 pound pasta shells, mezzi rigatoni, or mezzi millerighe
Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

If the sausage is in a casing, squeeze it out onto a plate. Break the sausage meat into pieces about the size of a walnut.

Heat a saute pan or saucier, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Let the oil get hot, and add the nuggets of sausage meat. (If you add the sausage to oil that is already hot, it won't stick.)

After the sausage meat is lightly browned, add the garlic, and cook briefly - for about 30 seconds. You want the garlic to color a little but not brown. Add the tomatoes, stir, and cook at a gentle simmer.

After about 20 minutes, when the fat separates from the other juices and floats free, add the cream, and turn up the heat. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring frequently until the cream is incorporated and reduced. Add salt. Turn off the heat, and stir in the chopped parsley.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta to the al dente stage. Drain the pasta, add it to the pan the sauce is in, and toss with the sauce. Turn off the heat, and add the freshly grated cheese; toss again, and serve immediately. Let everyone add freshly ground pepper to taste at table, if desired.

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Sweet Potato Puree

2009-10-06T05:32:00.006-04:00

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Sweet Potato Puree

Adapted from Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook by Alfred Portale

Serves 4

4 large sweet potatoes (2 pounds total), a thin slice cut from one end of each potato (to avoid exploding in the oven)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup (I like Grade A Dark Amber or even Grade B because they are dark and flavorful)
Coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes until tender when pierced with a cake tester or fork. This will take about 1 hour.

When done, remove the potatoes from the oven, slit them open.

If you are going to serve them right away, scoop the flesh into a medium saucepan. Add the butter and maple syrup. Mash - or even stir (because they should be very soft after baking in the oven) - the potatoes over very low heat until they are smooth, and the butter is incorporated. Season with salt. (I use Maldon)

You can keep the potatoes warm for a little while placing the saucepan in a skillet of simmering water over low heat.

If preparing ahead of time, place the flesh in a bowl. Add the butter and maple syrup. Mash or stir the potatoes until the butter is incorporated, and the texture is the way you like it. Cover and set aside.

When ready to heat, put a plate on top of the bowl (because you do not want to heat plastic wrap), and heat for 3 minutes in microwave. Stir again, and serve.

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Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

2009-10-05T05:42:00.009-04:00

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Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

Adapted from Great Food Without Fuss by Frances McCullough and Barbara Witt

Serves 6

1 large head red cabbage
1 large or 2 medium onions chopped coarsely or thickly sliced
½ cup granulated sugar (don’t cut back on this amount)
1 cup red wine or cider vinegar (I usually use cider)
1 bay leaf (optional - I only add this when serving the cabbage with roast pork)
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ to ½ cup olive oil

Cut the cabbage into quarters. Core, and shred coarsely with a knife. Put the shredded cabbage into a bowl, and add the sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly. This is important because if you heat the cabbage without the acid from the vinegar, it will turn blue rather than staying a beautiful jewel-like red.

In a pot large enough to hold the cabbage, heat the oil, and cook the onions until they turn gold. Add the cabbage mixture to the onions in the pot. If you are using the bay leaf, tuck it into the cabbage, and stir. Heat the mixture until it bubbles, then reduce the heat so the ingredients simmer.

Cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, and the liquid has evaporated, but be careful that the sugar does not burn. This will take about an hour. If all of the liquid in the pot has not evaporated, raise the heat, and cook uncovered until it has.

Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold.

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Mayonnaise

2009-10-04T06:16:00.006-04:00

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Mayonnaise

Adapted from Essentials of Cooking by James Peterson

1 egg yolk at room temperature
½ to ¾ cup oil - I usually use grapeseed or grapeseed and a little olive oil*
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar (I usually use lemon juice)

Combine the egg yolk, mustard, and lemon juice or vinegar in a small bowl (Pyrex is fine), and whisk the mixture until smooth.

Put the oil in a pitcher. Pour it carefully down the side of the bowl, adding a little bit at a time - use only a teaspoon of oil at a time to begin with, and whisk it into the egg yolk mixture.

When the mayonnaise stiffens slightly, you can add the oil a little more quickly - about a tablespoon at a time. You will get the hang of it when you've done it a few times.

Continue adding oil until the mayonnaise is stiff. If the mayonnaise becomes too stiff, you can loosen it by adding a little more lemon juice., vinegar, or even water.

*I find extra virgin olive oil too strong on its own for regular mayonnaise. However, if that's what you want to use, James Peterson suggests using a wooden spoon or mortar with a pestle since using a whisk with olive oil will make the mayonnaise slightly bitter.

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Basmati Rice Pilaf

2009-10-03T05:59:00.008-04:00

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Basmati Rice Pilaf

Serves 4

Adapted from the February 1997 issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I usually use grapeseed)
1 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken in two
2 whole green cardamom pods (alternatively use ⅛ teaspoon cardamom powder)
¼ cup sliced onion
2 whole cloves
1 cup basmati rice
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups of water
Small pat of butter (optional)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat until almost smoking. Add whole spices and cook, stirring, for one minute. (If using cardomom powder, don't add it at this point.)

Add the onions and cook, stirring until translucent, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the rice, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add 1½ cups water and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. (Add cardamom now if you are using powder.) Stir once, cover tightly, and simmer until all the water has been absorbed, between 13 to 15 minutes. (I generally proceed to the next step after 13 minutes without lifting the lid because it's been my personal experience that 13 minutes works well. But this might have some nuance involved - your pot, the level of your heat, etc. You will figure out what works for you after actually making the recipe.)

Turn off the heat. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. If you're going to add a pat of butter, now is the time.

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Puree of Butternut Squash

2009-10-02T08:09:00.006-04:00

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Puree of Butternut Squash

Adapted from The Frog Commissary Cookbook by Steven Poses, Anne Clark, and Becky Roller

3 pounds butternut squash
4 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Halve the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, wrap the squash pieces loosely in foil, and bake for 1 hour or until tender.

Remove from the oven, scrape out the flesh, and puree it in a food processor.

Mix in the butter and the seasonings, and process until combined. Serve hot.

You can put the puree in a bowl, cover it with a plate, and reheat it in the microwave just prior to serving. That way it’s a good do-ahead dish.

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Big Baked Onions

2009-10-01T06:59:00.007-04:00

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Big Baked Onions

Adapted from Great Food Without Fuss by Frances McCullough and Barbara Witt

1 large sweet onion per person

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with a piece of foil, which you should crumple so the onions will stand up on it. Put the onions on the foil root side down.

Place the pan in the middle level of the oven, and bake until the onions are soft throughout when pricked deeply with a cake tester or skewer.

Slit the tops, and place a pat of butter in each.

To eat, scoop the warm buttery flesh out of the surrounding skin like you do when eating a baked potato (except don't eat the onion skin).

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Almond Cake with a Crunchy Crust

2009-09-30T05:30:00.013-04:00

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Almond Cake With a Crunchy Crust

Adapted from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich

Best made the day before you want to serve it.

6 tablespoons blanched or unblanched sliced almonds

4 ounces unblanched almonds
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks and allowed to soften slightly
1 tablespoon Amaretto (optional)
1.5 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter the sides and bottom of an 8-by-2-inch round cake pan generously with softened butter. Do not line the pan with parchment paper. Coat the pan with two tablespoons of sugar. Scatter 6 tablespoons of sliced almonds, blanched or unblanched, over the bottom of the pan. If you can press some of them one inch up the sides, do. If not, don't worry about it.

Place the whole unblanched almonds, sugar, salt, and almond extract in the bowl of a food processor, and process using the metal blade until the nuts are finely ground. Add the eggs, butter, and Amaretto, if using, and pulse until completely blended. Add the flour and baking powder, and pulse again, this time just long enough for the mixture to blend.

Scrape the batter into the cake pan, and spread it evenly.

Bake the cake on a rack in the lower third of the oven until the top is golden brown and a cake tester put into the center comes out clean. This will take about 35 to 40 minutes.

Place the cake on a rack for 10 minutes - no more - before unmolding. If you leave it longer than 10 minutes, the sugar lining the pan will make the cake stick.

To unmold, slide a slim, small spatula carefully around the inside of the pan, pressing the stapula against the sides of the pan to release the cake without cracking the crust. Cover the pan with a plate, and turn over. Remove the cake pan, and leave the cake crust side up to serve.
This cake can be served unadorned or topped with softly whipped cream with or without fruit. Berries and/or peaches would be good choices for the fruit.

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Puff Pancake with Strawberries

2009-09-29T05:49:00.008-04:00

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Puff Pancake with Strawberries

Serves 4

4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose (unbleached) flour
Dash nutmeg
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup thinly sliced filberts (hazelnuts) about 2 oz. or use walnuts, crushed
Juice of half a lemon
A tablespoon of confectioners sugar
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced and sugared (Victoria, I never use a pint -- always a quart box)
Whipped cream/if serving dish as a dessert
Sour cream/if serving dish for a brunch with sausage, etc.

Beat eggs lightly in mixing bowl. Add milk, flour, and nutmeg, and beat by hand until blended. Batter may be a little lumpy.

Melt butter in a 10- to 12-inch skillet with heat-proof handle over medium heat until butter begins to foam. Stir in filberts.

Pour batter into hot skillet over filberts. Bake in a 425 degree oven (pre-heated) 15 to 20 minutes, or until pancake is puffed and golden brown. Sprinkle with lemon juice and return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

SERVE AT ONCE by cutting into wedges and topping with strawberries and whipped cream for dessert or sour cream for brunch.

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Baked Salmon

2009-09-28T22:41:00.006-04:00

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Baked Salmon

Adapted from Make It Easy in Your Kitchen by Laurie Burrows Grad

Serves 4

4 salmon fillets, skin on
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Pinch of Hungarian paprika

Sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic

Place the fish on a platter. Combine the melted butter with the olive oil, and pour over the fish. Sprinkle the fish with sea salt, white pepper, and a pinch of Hungarian paprika. Let it marinate for 1/2 hour at room temperature, rolling it over in the marinade once.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of a baking pan, and lightly coat it with olive oil. Put the fish in the pan skin side down, baste it with the marinade clinging to the platter, and bake for about 15 minutes, being careful not to overcook. The amount of time will depend on the thickness of the fish.

When you remove the fish from the pan with a spatula, the skin will stay behind.

Serve immediately with a small amount of sauce on top of each fillet.

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Beef Saute with Cream and Mushroom Sauce

2009-09-27T06:58:00.011-04:00

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Saute de Boeuf a La Parisienne
(Beef Saute with Cream and Mushroom Sauce)

Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1 by Julia Child

Serves 6

For the Meat and Mushrooms

8 to 10 oz. of fresh cultivated mushrooms, sliced not too thin
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon bland cooking oil - I use grapeseed
3 tablespoons minced shallots or scallions
A pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper, to taste
2-1/2 pounds beef tenderloin, all the fat and filament removed, cut into 2-ounce pieces, and dried thoroughly
2 (more) tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon bland cooking oil

Heat the oil and butter in a 10 or 11-inch frypan, and cook the mushrooms until lightly browned. Add the shallots or green onions, and cook slowly for two minutes more. Remove the mushrooms to a plate.

In the same skillet used for the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over medium/high heat. When the butter and oil are hot, and the butter foam has subsided, saute the beef a few pieces at a time, lightly browning the exterior but keeping the interior red. Season the meat lightly with salt and pepper, and set it aside on another plate.

Clean the fat from the skillet, but leave any brown particles of beef behind.

For the Sauce

1/4 cup Madeira
3/4 cup stock - beef or strong chicken
1 cup heavy cream
2 scant teaspoons cornstarch blended with 2 tablespoons of heavy cream taken from the 1 cup
2 tablespoons (even more) butter
Parsley sprigs for garnish (optional)

Put the wine and stock into the cleaned-out skillet, scraping to incorporate any particles of meat in the bottom of the skillet, and reduce to about one-third cup. Whisk in the cream followed by the 2 tablespoons of cream that has been mixed with cornstarch.

Simmer for a minute until the sauce has thickened lightly. Add the mushrooms and any mushroom juices that have accumulated on the plate.

Add the meat to the skillet with any meat juices that have accumulated on the plate. Baste the beef with the sauce and mushrooms.

Taste carefully for seasoning. Turn the heat off, and add 2 tablespoons more butter, stirring it in until it is completely incorporated. Serve immediately so the meat doesn't overcook. If you like, garnish with sprigs of parsley.

This is lovely served with buttered peas and buttered noodles. A plain salad made with Boston lettuce is nice too.

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Recipe Index

2009-09-26T16:05:00.066-04:00

Beverages

My Margarita

Breads

Southern Cornbread

Desserts

Almond Cake with a Crunchy Crust

Baked Apples

Berries & Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Torte

French Apple Cake
Gingerbread

Orange Sponge Cake
Plum Torte

Walnut Brandy Cake

Fish
Baked Salmon

Grains
Basmati Rice Pilaf

Meat
Barbecue Brisket
Beef Saute with Cream and Mushroom Sauce
Beef Stew
Curry for Leftover Lamb or Beef
Meatball Goulash
Non-Traditional Moussaka

Miscellaneous
Raised Waffles

Pasta
Fettuccine All'Alfredo
Fettuccine with Saffron Cream Sauce
Pasta Amatriciana
Spaetzle

Poultry
Fried Chicken

Salads
Cucumber & Sour Cream Salad
Garlic-Scented Tomato Salad

Sauces
Mayonnaise

Soup

Cream of Mussel Soup

Shrimp

Shrimp Creole

Vegetables
Asparagus
Big Baked Onions
Creamed Lima Beans
Crunchy Brussels Sprouts
Fried Red Peppers
Molly & Luisa's Rice-Filled Tomatoes
Puree of Butternut Squash

Pureed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Puree
Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage

Zucchini Parmesan

Fettuccine with Zucchini in a Saffron Cream Sauce

2009-09-26T10:34:00.008-04:00

Related Post at Vic's Recipes

Fettuccine with Zucchini in a Saffron Cream Sauce

Adapted from Thirty Minute Pasta by Giuliano Hazan

Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a main course

1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream
About 20 strands of saffron
1/2 large sweet yellow onion, chopped
1-1/4 pounds small zucchini, cut into sticks approximately 1/8-inch thick by 1 to 1-1/2 inches long
Salt
Pepper
8 ounces dried egg fettuccine
1/3 cup grated Parmigianno-Reggiano

Put the heavy cream in a small saucepan. Heat the cream slowly until hot but not boiling, and use the tips of your fingers to crumble the strands of saffron into the pan of cream. Stir with a wooden spoon. Cover the pan, turn off the heat, and leave on the turned-off burner to keep the cream warm while proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

To cut the zucchini into sticks, Giuliano suggests starting out by slicing the zucchini the short way into 1/8-inch rounds. Then make manageable stacks of the slices, and cut them 1/8-inch thick too to finish making the zucchini sticks.

Put the butter in a cold skillet, saute pan, or saucier and heat slowly until the butter melts. Add the chopped onion, and saute until the onion turns gold but does not brown.

Add the sticks of zucchini and salt and pepper to taste, and cook until the zucchini is lightly browned. Let the zucchini soften, making sure it does not get mushy. Add the warm cream infused with saffron, and continue to cook the sauce until it thickens a little and reduces by no more than one third.

While you are making the sauce, cook the egg fettuccine in lots of boiling salted water until just slightly underdone.

When the sauce is finished, turn the heat off, and add the cooked fettuccine to the pan, and toss with the sauce. Add the grated Parmigianno-Reggiano and toss again. Serve immediately.

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