Servings: 4
Serve in an espresso cup. A small amount is enough to satisfy your chocolate cravings. This is very similar to a hot chocolate we had in Paris at the famous Angelina's.
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (62% ) such as Ghiardelli, chopped
4 glassses cold water
1. Bring cream and milk to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat and immediately add chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth. Stir over medium-low heat until just beginning to bubble. Divide among 4 espresso cups and serve with a spoon and glasses of cold (no ice) water.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Servings: 6 first course or 4 main course
5 cups canned low salt chicken broth
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
12 ounces crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram (both from my herb garden)
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh please)
additional grated Parmesan cheese for topping
1. Bring broth to simmer in heavy saucepan. Add porcini and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to cutting board. Cool and chop finely. Cover broth and simmer over low heat.
2. Melt buter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add crimini mushrooms; saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add porcini, garlic and herbs; saute 4 minutes. ( I prepared onions and mushrooms up to this point earlier in the day, soaking porcini in boiling water. Then I added this mixture to the arborio rice). Add rice; stir 2 minutes (coating the rice with the butter/oil helps keep the grains separate as they cook). Add wine; cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, (this is what makes it creamy as it breaks down the starch on the outside of the rice grain, stir often throughout recipe). Add 1 cup hot broth and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Continue to add broth 1 cup at a time and stirring until rice is just tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Mix in 1/2 Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately passing additional Parmesan cheese.
5 cups canned low salt chicken broth
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
12 ounces crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram (both from my herb garden)
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh please)
additional grated Parmesan cheese for topping
1. Bring broth to simmer in heavy saucepan. Add porcini and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to cutting board. Cool and chop finely. Cover broth and simmer over low heat.
2. Melt buter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add crimini mushrooms; saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add porcini, garlic and herbs; saute 4 minutes. ( I prepared onions and mushrooms up to this point earlier in the day, soaking porcini in boiling water. Then I added this mixture to the arborio rice). Add rice; stir 2 minutes (coating the rice with the butter/oil helps keep the grains separate as they cook). Add wine; cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, (this is what makes it creamy as it breaks down the starch on the outside of the rice grain, stir often throughout recipe). Add 1 cup hot broth and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Continue to add broth 1 cup at a time and stirring until rice is just tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Mix in 1/2 Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately passing additional Parmesan cheese.
Mixed Greens with Lardons and Goat Cheese Phyllo Blossoms
Servings: 6
For Goat Cheese Blossoms:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces soft, mild goat cheese at room temperature
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 (17X12 inch) sheets phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
For Salad:
6 ounces slab bacon, rind discarded and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices, then cut into 1 inch wide pieces (to form lardons, You can use thick sliced bacon and cut into rectangles)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 1/2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds mixed greens
a 6 cup muffin tin
Make lardons: Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat for dressing. Set aside.
Make goat cheese blossoms:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 375 degrees. Brush muffin cups with some melted butter.
Stir together goat cheese, cream, egg, mustard, and pepper in a bowl until combined well.
Cover phyllo with 2 overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and then a dampened kitchen towel or paper towels. Arrange 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface (be sure to cover remaining phyllo), then brush with some melted butter. Cut phyllo into 4 rectangles (across short end) and arrange one over the other in a crisscross patttern. Place in muffin cup and spoon in goat cheese filling. Loosely gather edges of phyllo over center to form a flower. If pieces of phyllo break off, just arrange them in center. Repeat with remaining phyllo and cheese to form 6 "blossoms".
Bake phyllo blossoms until tops are golden brown and sides are golden, 25-35 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool slightly. These can be made 3 hours ahead and kept at room temperature. Reheat in a preheated 350 degree oven about 10 minutes.
Prepare salad dressing:
Add oil to bacon fat in skillet, when hot add shallot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar, quickly stirring and scraping up brown bits, then stir in sugar and salt. The recipe uses dandelion greens and uses the dressing warm. I let it cool to room temperature. Pour over greens and toss well. Serve with lardons on top and the warm goat cheese phyllo blossom along side.
For Goat Cheese Blossoms:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces soft, mild goat cheese at room temperature
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 (17X12 inch) sheets phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
For Salad:
6 ounces slab bacon, rind discarded and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices, then cut into 1 inch wide pieces (to form lardons, You can use thick sliced bacon and cut into rectangles)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 1/2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds mixed greens
a 6 cup muffin tin
Make lardons: Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat for dressing. Set aside.
Make goat cheese blossoms:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 375 degrees. Brush muffin cups with some melted butter.
Stir together goat cheese, cream, egg, mustard, and pepper in a bowl until combined well.
Cover phyllo with 2 overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and then a dampened kitchen towel or paper towels. Arrange 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface (be sure to cover remaining phyllo), then brush with some melted butter. Cut phyllo into 4 rectangles (across short end) and arrange one over the other in a crisscross patttern. Place in muffin cup and spoon in goat cheese filling. Loosely gather edges of phyllo over center to form a flower. If pieces of phyllo break off, just arrange them in center. Repeat with remaining phyllo and cheese to form 6 "blossoms".
Bake phyllo blossoms until tops are golden brown and sides are golden, 25-35 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool slightly. These can be made 3 hours ahead and kept at room temperature. Reheat in a preheated 350 degree oven about 10 minutes.
Prepare salad dressing:
Add oil to bacon fat in skillet, when hot add shallot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar, quickly stirring and scraping up brown bits, then stir in sugar and salt. The recipe uses dandelion greens and uses the dressing warm. I let it cool to room temperature. Pour over greens and toss well. Serve with lardons on top and the warm goat cheese phyllo blossom along side.
Skillet Greens with Crispy Shallots and Cider Gastrique
6 Servings
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar ( in my winter menu I used combination of red wine vinegar and Balsamic)
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 cups thinly sliced shallots
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons bacon drippings ( if you don't have any, fry a few pieces of bacon until you have enough)
2 pounds greens such as collards, chard and kale, stems removed and chopped crosswise into 1/2 inch strips
1. Dissolve sugar in 1 tablespoon water in small saucepan over medium heat. Increase heat; boil without stirring until amber, brushing sides with wet pastry bursh, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar and crushed pepper (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until caramel bits dissolve. Cool. ( I strained out crushed pepper so no one would get a hot bite)
2. Pour 2 cups oil into heavy medium saucepan. Attach deep-fry themometer to side of pan and heat oil to 350. Working in bathces, fry shallots until golden brown, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer shallots to paper towels. Sprinkle with Kosher salt.
3. Heat drippings with 1 tablespoon peanut oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add half of greens and sprinkle with coarse salt and peper; toss until wilted. Add remaining greens; toss to wilt, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until greens are tender, adding water by 1/4 cupfuls if dry, about 45 minutes. Season with coarse salt and pepper.
Rewarm gastrique. Transfer greens to large shallow bowl. Drizzle some gastrique over and sprinkle shallots over. Serve, passing remaining gastrique.
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar ( in my winter menu I used combination of red wine vinegar and Balsamic)
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 cups thinly sliced shallots
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons bacon drippings ( if you don't have any, fry a few pieces of bacon until you have enough)
2 pounds greens such as collards, chard and kale, stems removed and chopped crosswise into 1/2 inch strips
1. Dissolve sugar in 1 tablespoon water in small saucepan over medium heat. Increase heat; boil without stirring until amber, brushing sides with wet pastry bursh, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar and crushed pepper (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until caramel bits dissolve. Cool. ( I strained out crushed pepper so no one would get a hot bite)
2. Pour 2 cups oil into heavy medium saucepan. Attach deep-fry themometer to side of pan and heat oil to 350. Working in bathces, fry shallots until golden brown, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer shallots to paper towels. Sprinkle with Kosher salt.
3. Heat drippings with 1 tablespoon peanut oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add half of greens and sprinkle with coarse salt and peper; toss until wilted. Add remaining greens; toss to wilt, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until greens are tender, adding water by 1/4 cupfuls if dry, about 45 minutes. Season with coarse salt and pepper.
Rewarm gastrique. Transfer greens to large shallow bowl. Drizzle some gastrique over and sprinkle shallots over. Serve, passing remaining gastrique.
Shrimp with Carrot Juice and Thai Spices
4 Servings
1 cup diced carrots
2 cups fresh carrot juice ( I tried bottled and it is not as good, get fresh from health food store)
2 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass or lemon peel ( I use lemon peel - yellow part only)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped lime peel (green part only)
1 small red chili, minced
24 medium shrimp
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons butter
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish
Bring small saucepan of water to boil. Add carrots and cook 4 minutes. Drain. Refresh in cold water and drain. Add carrot juice, lemongrass (or peel), lime juice, lime peel and red chili to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Strain carrot juice mixture into a bowl then return to saucepan. Add shrimp and carrots; simmer until shrimp are pink and opaque, about 3 minutes. Add cilantro and mint. Whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with mint sprigs.
1 cup diced carrots
2 cups fresh carrot juice ( I tried bottled and it is not as good, get fresh from health food store)
2 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass or lemon peel ( I use lemon peel - yellow part only)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped lime peel (green part only)
1 small red chili, minced
24 medium shrimp
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons butter
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish
Bring small saucepan of water to boil. Add carrots and cook 4 minutes. Drain. Refresh in cold water and drain. Add carrot juice, lemongrass (or peel), lime juice, lime peel and red chili to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Strain carrot juice mixture into a bowl then return to saucepan. Add shrimp and carrots; simmer until shrimp are pink and opaque, about 3 minutes. Add cilantro and mint. Whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with mint sprigs.
Slow-braised Short Ribs
Servings: 8
8 meaty short ribs (5 lb. total)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
1 quart beef stock (not broth)
2 cups water
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/4 lb. slab bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices, then slices cut into matchsticks (lardons)
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Pat ribs dry and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Heat oil in a wide 6-8 quart heavy pot over moderatley high heat until just smoking, then brown ribs in batches, without crowding, turning with tongs, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate. NOTE: Don't turn heat up too high, the meat should be nice and brown but not have a thick crust. Be sure not to crowd pan or they will not brown properly.
3. Reduce head to medium, then cook onion, chopped carrots, and celery in fat remaining in pot, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned on edges, about 7 minutes.
4. Stir in tomato paste, wine and vinegar and boil over high heat, uncovered, until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add stock, water, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add ribs along with any accumulatd juices.
5. Cover pot tightly, then transfer to oven and braise ribs until meat is very tender (falls from bone), 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
6. Transfer ribs to platter and discard bones. then let meat stand, covered loosely with foil. Pour cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl (do not press on solids). Discard solids. Let cooking liquid stand, uncovered, until fat rises to surface, about 15 minutes, then skim fat. (If you cook a day ahead and refrigerate, you can easily skim off congealed fat.)
7. While coooking liquid stands, cook lardons in cleaned pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp then transfer to paper towels to drain.
8. Add lardons to rib cooking liquid and boil slowly, uncovered, until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
9. If you wish, cook vegetables such as pearl onions, potatoes, carrots, turnips, etc. separately then add to sauce with ribs. Divide meat among 8 soup plates and top with sauce (and vegetables if desired).
8 meaty short ribs (5 lb. total)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
1 quart beef stock (not broth)
2 cups water
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/4 lb. slab bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices, then slices cut into matchsticks (lardons)
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Pat ribs dry and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Heat oil in a wide 6-8 quart heavy pot over moderatley high heat until just smoking, then brown ribs in batches, without crowding, turning with tongs, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate. NOTE: Don't turn heat up too high, the meat should be nice and brown but not have a thick crust. Be sure not to crowd pan or they will not brown properly.
3. Reduce head to medium, then cook onion, chopped carrots, and celery in fat remaining in pot, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned on edges, about 7 minutes.
4. Stir in tomato paste, wine and vinegar and boil over high heat, uncovered, until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add stock, water, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add ribs along with any accumulatd juices.
5. Cover pot tightly, then transfer to oven and braise ribs until meat is very tender (falls from bone), 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
6. Transfer ribs to platter and discard bones. then let meat stand, covered loosely with foil. Pour cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl (do not press on solids). Discard solids. Let cooking liquid stand, uncovered, until fat rises to surface, about 15 minutes, then skim fat. (If you cook a day ahead and refrigerate, you can easily skim off congealed fat.)
7. While coooking liquid stands, cook lardons in cleaned pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp then transfer to paper towels to drain.
8. Add lardons to rib cooking liquid and boil slowly, uncovered, until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
9. If you wish, cook vegetables such as pearl onions, potatoes, carrots, turnips, etc. separately then add to sauce with ribs. Divide meat among 8 soup plates and top with sauce (and vegetables if desired).
February Dinner Party with friends
We had three other couples come over for dinner Friday evening and I was in the mood to cook. I had my piles of Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines with dog-eared corners and I got excited about trying some new things.
Since it was going to be a cold day in February I wanted my entree to be something comforting - probably something braised and something my guests might not take time to prepare for themselves. I decided on Slow-Braised Short Ribs (See Recipe). I looked at some new preparations but ultimately decided on a recipe I know I like. However, I tried a new technique -"steamboating" the ribs. I couldn't find short ribs with a bone that were long enough so I tried to use one short rib with a longer boneless one. Before they were cooked they looked fine, but afterward they fell apart so that experiment didn't work. "Steamboat" style means that you remove the bones, scrape one off, then wrap the remaining meat around the one bone and tie it with string. The bone sticks out of the circle of meat looking like the smoke stack on an old time steamboat. Can you picture it? I wish I had one that turned out so I could show you. But anyway, they cooked until wonderfully tender and flavorful, so what if the presentation was a little off. One great thing about the short ribs (and any braised meat) is that it really tastes even better if prepared a day or two ahead. All I had to do was warm up before the party.
Once that was decided it was easy to decide on doing a risotto to go along with it. I did a Wild mushroom risotto using my standard risotto recipe, but adding sauteed crimini and porcini mushrooms. I have posted this recipe as well. Risotto usually take 25-30 minutes to cook and I didn't want to take that long between courses, so I cooked it about half way and put a lid on then finished it between courses. It worked fine.
Now I needed something green on the plate. Brussel sprouts? Green beans? Oh yeah. The Dunes Club had short ribs with collard greens for their Valentine menu. I could do some kind of greens. I found a dog-eared page with Skillet Greens with Crispy Shallots and a Cider Vinegar Gastrique. That sounded like a perfect accompaniment. It has collards, kale and swiss chard. For the Gastrique I switched to a combination of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar at the last minute. I really like the flavor of those two vinegars better than cider (plus it sounded better!). The gastrique added so much flavor to the greens, I really hope you will try it. Claudia was sitting next to me and put it on everything. It has that wonderful savory sweet, sour, hot thing going on that makes your mouth happy.
Okay, so the entree was decided. Now, for the soup and salad. I wanted to do a soup that was not too heavy since the rest of the meal was going to be rich. Some kind of seafood would be a nice contrast to the dark meat. Frank's favorite soup is one we had at a restaurant in New York called JoJo's. It is Shrimp with Carrot Juice and Thai Spices. He liked it so much he ordered it for dessert after our meal! It sounds a little strange I'll admit, but the combination of sweet from the carrot, heat from a chili, tang from lime juice and freshness from the herbs is amazing. The flavors just dance all over your tongue. First the sweet, then the mint and on and on. Get fresh carrot juice from the health food store . Everything else is available from the grocery store.
For the salad course I did a Salad of Baby Greens, Lardons and Goat Cheese Phyllo Blossoms. The phyllo blossoms have a pretty presentation and taste really nice as well. The original recipe called for Dandelion greens, but I'm not that crazy. I'm not going out to pick Dandelions (sorry Chip), so substituted baby greens and baby arugula.
If you know me, you know dessert has to be chocolate. And one can never have too much chocolate, right? Why have one chocolate dessert when you can three? I was inspired by a chocolate extravaganza I saw in a pretty picture cookbook. I switched out one of the desserts for a Chocolate "Espresso". The other two were a chocolate panna cotta on a brownie bottom and a chocolate tuile. I wasn't too impressed with either of these, so I won't include them here. The best part was the brownie, and that was almost insignificant in the presentation.
I also made a couple of the breads featured on the cover of this month's Gourmet magazine - the cornstalk one and the buttermilk fans. The cornstalk one was the favorite of my guests and it looks really cool. If you have time to bake bread, give it a try.
The final menu consisted of a few tried and true and a few experiments. I think that is a pretty good plan. It's fun to try new things, but can be stressful as well. It's nice to have some things in the menu that you know will turn out well. I hope you will try some of these recipes and have as much fun as I did.
Since it was going to be a cold day in February I wanted my entree to be something comforting - probably something braised and something my guests might not take time to prepare for themselves. I decided on Slow-Braised Short Ribs (See Recipe). I looked at some new preparations but ultimately decided on a recipe I know I like. However, I tried a new technique -"steamboating" the ribs. I couldn't find short ribs with a bone that were long enough so I tried to use one short rib with a longer boneless one. Before they were cooked they looked fine, but afterward they fell apart so that experiment didn't work. "Steamboat" style means that you remove the bones, scrape one off, then wrap the remaining meat around the one bone and tie it with string. The bone sticks out of the circle of meat looking like the smoke stack on an old time steamboat. Can you picture it? I wish I had one that turned out so I could show you. But anyway, they cooked until wonderfully tender and flavorful, so what if the presentation was a little off. One great thing about the short ribs (and any braised meat) is that it really tastes even better if prepared a day or two ahead. All I had to do was warm up before the party.
Once that was decided it was easy to decide on doing a risotto to go along with it. I did a Wild mushroom risotto using my standard risotto recipe, but adding sauteed crimini and porcini mushrooms. I have posted this recipe as well. Risotto usually take 25-30 minutes to cook and I didn't want to take that long between courses, so I cooked it about half way and put a lid on then finished it between courses. It worked fine.
Now I needed something green on the plate. Brussel sprouts? Green beans? Oh yeah. The Dunes Club had short ribs with collard greens for their Valentine menu. I could do some kind of greens. I found a dog-eared page with Skillet Greens with Crispy Shallots and a Cider Vinegar Gastrique. That sounded like a perfect accompaniment. It has collards, kale and swiss chard. For the Gastrique I switched to a combination of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar at the last minute. I really like the flavor of those two vinegars better than cider (plus it sounded better!). The gastrique added so much flavor to the greens, I really hope you will try it. Claudia was sitting next to me and put it on everything. It has that wonderful savory sweet, sour, hot thing going on that makes your mouth happy.
Okay, so the entree was decided. Now, for the soup and salad. I wanted to do a soup that was not too heavy since the rest of the meal was going to be rich. Some kind of seafood would be a nice contrast to the dark meat. Frank's favorite soup is one we had at a restaurant in New York called JoJo's. It is Shrimp with Carrot Juice and Thai Spices. He liked it so much he ordered it for dessert after our meal! It sounds a little strange I'll admit, but the combination of sweet from the carrot, heat from a chili, tang from lime juice and freshness from the herbs is amazing. The flavors just dance all over your tongue. First the sweet, then the mint and on and on. Get fresh carrot juice from the health food store . Everything else is available from the grocery store.
For the salad course I did a Salad of Baby Greens, Lardons and Goat Cheese Phyllo Blossoms. The phyllo blossoms have a pretty presentation and taste really nice as well. The original recipe called for Dandelion greens, but I'm not that crazy. I'm not going out to pick Dandelions (sorry Chip), so substituted baby greens and baby arugula.
If you know me, you know dessert has to be chocolate. And one can never have too much chocolate, right? Why have one chocolate dessert when you can three? I was inspired by a chocolate extravaganza I saw in a pretty picture cookbook. I switched out one of the desserts for a Chocolate "Espresso". The other two were a chocolate panna cotta on a brownie bottom and a chocolate tuile. I wasn't too impressed with either of these, so I won't include them here. The best part was the brownie, and that was almost insignificant in the presentation.
I also made a couple of the breads featured on the cover of this month's Gourmet magazine - the cornstalk one and the buttermilk fans. The cornstalk one was the favorite of my guests and it looks really cool. If you have time to bake bread, give it a try.
The final menu consisted of a few tried and true and a few experiments. I think that is a pretty good plan. It's fun to try new things, but can be stressful as well. It's nice to have some things in the menu that you know will turn out well. I hope you will try some of these recipes and have as much fun as I did.
Hot Artichoke Dip
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup real mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can artichokes (not marinated)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Put all ingredients into a food processor and process just until artichokes are chopped. Put into a baking dish and bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbling. Serve with crackers or toasted pita wedges.
How easy! You can mix things up by adding a can of green chilies. Use sauteed Vidalia onions instead of artichokes or add sundried tomatoes. This is always popular and I almost always have all the ingredients on hand so I can make an appetizer in a flash. Also, the recipe is on some of the artichoke cans, so you don't even have to look up the recipe.
1 cup real mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can artichokes (not marinated)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Put all ingredients into a food processor and process just until artichokes are chopped. Put into a baking dish and bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbling. Serve with crackers or toasted pita wedges.
How easy! You can mix things up by adding a can of green chilies. Use sauteed Vidalia onions instead of artichokes or add sundried tomatoes. This is always popular and I almost always have all the ingredients on hand so I can make an appetizer in a flash. Also, the recipe is on some of the artichoke cans, so you don't even have to look up the recipe.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Grilled Tortilla and Onion Cake
These go great with grilled shrimp marinated in garlic and rosemary. I think they are better cooked on the grill than in the broiler. They get crispier and smokier on the outside. Also, I wouldn't make them much more than 4 hours ahead because the tortillas get soggy and hard to slice.
I saw this recipe on the cover of Gourmet recipe 15 years ago. The mail came on a Friday in June with the magazine and I showed it to Frank saying I couldn't wait to try that recipe. That night we went to Frank's restaurant in Pawley's Island and they had that very dish on the menu. We tried it and thought it was great. Now we make it several times every spring and summer when Vidalia onions are in season.
Servings: About 8
twelve 7-8 inch fresh flour tortillas
1 1/2 pounds sweet onions such as Vidalia or Maui
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup minced fresh parsly leaves (I don't use quite as much)
3/4 cup mayonnaise, divided
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
about 3 dozen wooden toothpicks
1. Prepare grill.
2. On a rack about 5 inches over glowing coals toast tortillas lightly a few at a time turning them once, until they begin to puff on each side but are still soft. Alternatively, tortillas may be toasted on a stove-top griddle over moderately high heat. (I confess that I forgot to do this step on the ones I made for Vestry retreat.)
3. In a large non-stick skillet cook onions in oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes. Transfer onions to bowl and cool. Stir in parsley, Parmesan, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spread onion mixture on 11 tortillas, stacking them, and top the stack with the remaining tortilla. Wrap cake well in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
5. Discard plastic wrap and with a large sharp knife cut cake into 3/4 inch wide slices (not wedges). Turn each slice onto its side and secure ends and middle with wooden picks.
6. In a small bowl stir together vinegar and remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise and brush some of mixture on a cut side of each slice.
7. Grill slices, mayonnaise sides down, until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Brush tops with remaining mayonnaise mixture, turn slices, and grill until golden brown, 3-4 minutes more.
Alternatively, broil slices on rack of broiler pan about 4 inches from heat, mayonnaise sides up until golden brown, turn slices and brush tops with mayonnaise mixture and contintue to brown.
8. Discard wooden picks before serving.
I saw this recipe on the cover of Gourmet recipe 15 years ago. The mail came on a Friday in June with the magazine and I showed it to Frank saying I couldn't wait to try that recipe. That night we went to Frank's restaurant in Pawley's Island and they had that very dish on the menu. We tried it and thought it was great. Now we make it several times every spring and summer when Vidalia onions are in season.
Servings: About 8
twelve 7-8 inch fresh flour tortillas
1 1/2 pounds sweet onions such as Vidalia or Maui
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup minced fresh parsly leaves (I don't use quite as much)
3/4 cup mayonnaise, divided
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
about 3 dozen wooden toothpicks
1. Prepare grill.
2. On a rack about 5 inches over glowing coals toast tortillas lightly a few at a time turning them once, until they begin to puff on each side but are still soft. Alternatively, tortillas may be toasted on a stove-top griddle over moderately high heat. (I confess that I forgot to do this step on the ones I made for Vestry retreat.)
3. In a large non-stick skillet cook onions in oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes. Transfer onions to bowl and cool. Stir in parsley, Parmesan, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spread onion mixture on 11 tortillas, stacking them, and top the stack with the remaining tortilla. Wrap cake well in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
5. Discard plastic wrap and with a large sharp knife cut cake into 3/4 inch wide slices (not wedges). Turn each slice onto its side and secure ends and middle with wooden picks.
6. In a small bowl stir together vinegar and remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise and brush some of mixture on a cut side of each slice.
7. Grill slices, mayonnaise sides down, until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Brush tops with remaining mayonnaise mixture, turn slices, and grill until golden brown, 3-4 minutes more.
Alternatively, broil slices on rack of broiler pan about 4 inches from heat, mayonnaise sides up until golden brown, turn slices and brush tops with mayonnaise mixture and contintue to brown.
8. Discard wooden picks before serving.
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