Chocolate Grand Marnier Decadence Cake

I wish it weren’t so, but put anything in front of me with chocolate in it, and I’m a goner. About the only thing I don’t eat of the chocolate variety is candy. Unless it’s chocolate covered nuts.

The photo here looks more like a whipped cream mound with raspberries, but the chocolate cake is hidden behind the cream and berries. I was snapping photos of the food from a big dinner party we did the other night, and I didn’t take much time to compose the picture. I threw the plate in front of my fancy light and SNAP. Done. Whisked the plate to the table.

Obviously Phillis Carey, the cooking instructor who made this, likes chocolate too, as it features often in her class recipes. That’s all right by me.

This cake is not difficult – it has a minimum of ingredients (seven, by count) not including the whipped cream and raspberries served on the top, and it comes together in about 15 minutes. Just enough time for the oven to heat.

You melt the chocolate and butter together, cool it a little. The recipe calls for some instant coffee granules (espresso type). I don’t like to use caffeinated coffee in a dessert, so I made a very small amount of instant decaf espresso (no more than 2 T.). Alternately, you could use ordinary instant coffee dissolved in a tiny amount of water. An egg yolk and sugar batter is also mixed up until light, then the two batters are combined before popping into a greased springform pan. Bake. Cool. the batters are so purty when they're folded in together.

Cook’s Notes: To the whipped cream I added a little Grand Marnier. If you choose, garnish the chocolate wedges with raspberries on the side. This cake keeps at room temp for about a day. Once refrigerated the cake hardens up some, so if you do keep it longer, bring it to room temp before serving the leftovers. The recipe says it serves 10, but if you needed to spread it to serve 14 or so, it can be done.

Chocolate Grand Marnier Decadence Cake
Recipe By: Phillis Carey cooking class
Serving Size : 10-14
1 pound semisweet chocolate -- chopped
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
6 large egg yolks -- room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream -- whipped, lightly sweetened Grand Marnier OR vanilla flavoring for the whipped cream
1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter & flour a 9-inch springform pan. Be sure you know exactly what size your springform is - if it's 9 1/2 inches, cake will bake in less time. Narrower, will take longer. Stir chocolate and butter in a heavy large saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Alternately, melt slowly in Microwave.
2. Remove chocolate from heat and whisk in Grand Marnier, brandy and espresso. Cool to room temperature.
3. Beat eggs and sugar with mixer until tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Fold 1/4 of beaten eggs into cooled chocolate to lighten, then fold chocolate into remaining egg mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
4. How long to bake this cake is critical. Overbaking will produce a dry, crumbly cake. NOT what you want. So, bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist (not wet, but moist) crumbs still attached, about 45 minutes. Start testing the cake at 40 minutes and increase by 2-3 minute increments until it reaches the right crumb. Cool cake in pan on a rack. Cake will sink as it cools. When hot out of the oven, run knife around outside edge of pan to loosen cake. Once cool, release pan sides and transfer cake to a platter. Cake can be made to this point one day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature. Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream. Garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired.
Serving Ideas: If you have leftovers, refrigerate them after one day, but allow it to come back to room temp before serving.
Per Serving (for 10 servings): 508 Calories; 37g Fat (62.4% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 191mg Cholesterol; 20mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 7 Fat; 3 Other Carbohydrates.

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Plate & Utensil Etiquette in Europe

As I sat at the completion of our meal the other night (we were in deep conversation about politics with our son in law, who is visiting with us), I noticed that my fork and spoon (both used to slurp up all the good juices in the bottom of the pasta bowl) were arranged as you see in the left photo above. And I realized that the arrangement of my utensils was one of those visible messages used throughout Europe.

When you visit in Europe, there's a kind of utensil code - it's etiquette, really - when you dine out. Most likely it's the same when you dine in as well.

• The etiquette message of the left bowl - the arrangement of the silverware indicates that I'm still eating. The fork and spoon are in the upright position, and set so I can grab then easily. The message - don't touch my plate.


• The etiquette message of the right bowl - the two utensils are aligned together on the right side and turned upside down. Meaning I'm finished and you may take my plate or bowl.

For those of you who live in some parts of the world this is probably nothing new at all, it's common sense, since you use these codes all the time. You learned it from a young age. But we here in No. America haven't learned these codes. Why, I wonder? Maybe it harkens back to the early Pioneers - they had no time or patience with the fripperies of fancy manners. I like the custom and wish we'd use it more often. I have lurkers (lurkers are people who read my blog, but never comment) from all over the world. Won't you chime in and tell me about your silverware or utensil etiquette? Is it the same as I've explained when we've visited in Europe. Or are yours different still?

Seared Steak Salad

Seared steak salad - with some goat cheese, tomatoes, and delicious roasted onions. Then there’s some chipotle mayo drizzled on top of the steak.
I never think to make a steak salad. It always seems to me that if I’m going to grill a nice steak, I really want to eat it straight away, its own chunk of beefy goodness. With maybe a veggie, or if I’m feeling particularly weak willed, some potatoes on the side.

But I had this ONE steak in the freezer. Lonely steak. Small steak. What could I do with it, to extend it to feed two? I breezed through my recipes and came across this one that I hadn’t made in a couple of years. My recollection was that it was very good. And yes, it was. I didn't have any asparagus, but it was just dandy without it.

Don’t get overwhelmed by the list of ingredients. It’s really not difficult, even though it may look like it. There’s a rub/marinade for the steak. There are onions that get dressed and baked in a blisteringly hot oven. There’s a salad, with an easy oil and balsamic dressing, the specific salad greens and the different decorations to go along with everything, AND there’s a very easy chipotle mayo that gets drizzled on the top. See, not so awfully hard, is it?

It does take a bit of time to assemble everything, I admit, but it is worth the effort.

Cook’s Notes: First do the dry rub and get the steak going. Then do the onions – they take about 20-30 minutes altogether, after the oven gets up to 500. Make the chipotle mayo and let it rest in the refrigerator while you do other things. Then, when you’re ready to do the steak, make sure you have everything else you need ready at hand. Tossing the salad is a cinch, but you need to have the garnishes all ready to go on. The chipotle mayo was very thick, so I added just a little bit of milk to thin it down so it would drizzle better.

Seared Steak Salad
Recipe By: Tarla Fallgatter, 2002
Serving Size : 4
MEAT:
1 pound top sirloin steak
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne — optional
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
ONIONS:
2 medium red onions — cut in wedges
3 cloves garlic — minced
3 whole bay leaves — coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chipotle chile canned in adobo
SALAD:
3 cups arugula leaves
3 cups salad greens
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup goat cheese — crumbled
12 pieces asparagus spears — steamed
1 cup cherry tomatoes — halved
1. MAKE AHEAD: cook asparagus and cool, then chill. Prepare all the salad ingredients and keep in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
2. ONIONS: Preheat oven to 500 (yes, 500). Place the onion wedges in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Sprinkle with garlic and herbs, then season with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the onions and toss with your hands so all sides of onions have been mixed up with the oil and vinegar. Roast for about 10 minutes, remove and stir the onions around some, then return to oven and continue cooking until onions are lightly browned and just tender. If pan is crowded, it may take up to 20-30 minutes. remove and allow pan to cool.
3. CHIPOTLE MAYO: In a small bowl mince up the chiles with a fork until they are completely mushed. (Alternately, place on a flat board and mince with a chef’s knife, then mash with side of knife.) Add the mayo and stir until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. STEAK: In a small bowl combine the herbs and mix well. Trim any noticeable fat from the steak, brush with olive oil, then rub with herb mixture on both sides of the steak. Set aside for 30-40 minutes before grilling. When ready to serve, add the barbecue sauce to the meat, then grill steak until medium rare, about 5-6 minutes per side. When steak is cooked to your liking, remove to a wood board and allow to sit (cover with a piece of foil, loosely) while you prepare the salad.
5. SALAD: On a large platter combine the salad greens and arugula. Pour on the olive oil and toss with your hands, then add the balsamic vinegar and do the same. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice the steak into thin slices and lay across the salad. Around the edges add the cooked asparagus, cherry tomatoes and the cooled, cooked onions. Drizzle the chipotle mayo down the center of the meat so ever slice has some of the sauce on it. Sprinkle the entire platter with the goat cheese crumbles. Serve immediately.
Per Serving: 641 Calories; 51g Fat (69.8% calories from fat); 31g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 90mg Cholesterol; 1093mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 6 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
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Lemon Sponge Pudding and the joys of shopping in England

Warm lemon sponge pudding with a bit of heavy cream poured over.


Lemon sponge pudding hot out of the oven.

As probably with many of you, recipes come your way from so many different places. From people you've met along the paths of life (as in this case), or from a magazine at the doctor's office, the grocery store even. And from friends and relatives, of course.

DH and I were fortunate to meet some very dear people, Rita and Roy, many years ago. They're related to some friends of friends. They're from England, but come to the U.S. with some frequency to visit. DH and I were invited to their home in England (actually three different homes over the years) to use as a base for traveling in the area. They always made us so welcome, and we were very grateful for the hospitality.

One year, probably 10 years or so ago, my friend Cherrie and I decided to take a trip to England together. She'd never been, and since I had some experience driving on the left side of the road, we rented a car at Heathrow and set out on our journey. It's through Cherrie that we knew Rita and Roy, and they'd kindly offered to let us stay in their home in Reading (pronounced red-ding). Every time I get behind the wheel in a right-hand drive car I have to familiarize myself with the mysteries of relearning some but not all of my driving motions. The gear shift is on the left, but the gas pedal is still on the right side. Most cars are stick shift in Europe. Not many people have taken to automatic. That part was fine with me, but it does take a bit more concentration. The turn signal is still on the left side of the steering column, but you have to remember to look at the rear view mirror on the left (inside the car), and the outside mirror on the right. All very confusing. You do get used to it, but the first few days can be very frustrating and stressful until you get into the swing of it.

When DH and I travel, he usually drives, and the first few days the passenger is responsible for navigation AND coaching the driver. As when approaching an intersection, reminding the driver to turn right, but keep in the left lane once you make the turn. Like turn left ahead, but keep left. Or when entering a roundabout, a reminder that we don't have right of way. So Cherrie was my navigator and scout. She took on the role well through the whole trip. Only once did I come out of a parking lot where we'd been shopping, shopping, and I got into the right side of the road. Fortunately nobody was coming. She was johnny-on-the-spot to correct my error. We had a wonderful time on this trip, driving all over.

Rita's sister Sandy lives here in the U.S., and Sandy had always told Cherrie that there wasn't "a thing" to buy in England. So Cherrie went on that trip with nary any space in her suitcase for anything to buy. Hmmm, I thought. The second day we drove to Salisbury. We had fish and chips at a local stand-up bar. They were absolutely delicious. Since it had taken us a couple of hours to get to Salisbury, we couldn't dilly dally, as I wanted to get back to Reading before dark. It was winter when we were there, so there were shorter daylight hours. But, I wanted Cherrie to see the Cathedral in Salisbury, which is so magnificent. She enjoys English history just like I do, so we found a carpark (a pay parking lot) and headed off toward the Cathedral. There was a wide walking street from the carpark to the Cathedral, with solid stores left and right. We walked about 30 feet onto this walking street and passed a window of Boots, the well-known "chemist" (drug store) that is all over the United Kingdom. I paused at the window to look at some cute coffee mugs. Some of the Boots stores carry some lovely gifts and pottery things. Cherrie looked over and immediately was looking closely at the window display too. We went inside. Well, what can I tell you other than we never made it to the Cathedral. Cherrie laughed and roared. What in the world did [her friend] Sandy mean there wasn't any to buy in England? Ha! The dollar was worth a whole lot more then, so exchanging dollars for pounds bought us more value than today. We bought things. We shopped. And we shopped some more.

As time went on, on this trip, Cherrie was filling up the boot (the trunk) of the car with her purchases. There were bags and bags and a couple of boxes in there. Because we were staying with friends, she hadn't had to figure out what she would do with all this stuff because it just lived in the car. Eventually we headed off on our own, driving many directions, including to London too. Cherrie had to fit things in her suitcase. Oh, there was trouble in River City. She stuffed. She pried. She pushed and pulled. She found room for a lot of things. She tossed out some things too. As we approached the last few days of our trip Cherrie was still buying. She still kids me to this day about my remark, but I said to her, Cherrie, if that doesn't fit in your purse, you can't buy it. She bought a second small bag of some sort (a carry-on), which was mighty full when we got to Heathrow to fly home. But she managed. How, I don't know, but she did. She was big-time motivated!

So, I need to get back to this wonderful pudding. This is Rita's recipe. It was actually Cherrie's and my second trip to England that Rita had this in the refrigerator waiting for us when we arrived. We got there late on that trip. She had a couple of plates of food saved for us too, which hit the spot. Then she pointed to the dessert and said help ourselves when we were ready. Cherrie and I were jet lagged and way off-schedule. Rita went off to bed and we had a couple cups of lovely tea to calm down. Finally, we scooped out a serving of this lemon sponge and poured on some light cream (like half and half) on top. Oh yes, was it good. I'm a huge lemon fan anyway, so this hit the spot, as it has every time I've made it since.

If you're not familiar with sponge pudding or pudding cake, it's kind of a cross between lemon curd, lemon pudding, and a sponge cake. You don't make separate batters - the preparation and baking process makes layers - a lemony pudding layer and a very light spongy cake layer. So, you get two desserts in one. I used Meyer lemons in mine, so cut down just a little bit on the sugar.

Thank you, Rita, for sharing the recipe.

Lemon Sponge Pudding
Recipe: from our friend, Rita A., from England
Servings: 6 or 7
2 ounces butter -- or margarine
4 ounces sugar [I use half Splenda]
2 whole lemons -- juice and grated rind
2 whole eggs -- separated
1 cup milk
2 ounces self-rising flour
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter (or margarine) and sugar with grated lemon zest until mixture is pale and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat well. Stir in half of the milk, then the flour. Pour in remaining milk and lemon juice.
3. Whisk egg whites until firm and then fold into the egg mixture.
4. Pour into a greased (buttered) 2 pint glass or ceramic baking dish. Place in a large roasting pan half filled with hot water.
5. Bake in center of oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Serve hot or warm with ice cream or heavy cream drizzled over.
Per Serving: 226 Calories; 11g Fat (41.3% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 97mg Cholesterol; 242mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat. Printer friendly recipe.

Sour Cream Coffeecake with Chocolate Streusel

The stories that go along with recipes, those hand-me-down treasures from family members especially, lend a rich character to them. Their origin gives them special merit. Added credibility. A known quantity of deliciousness.

I don't talk about my first marriage much (thank goodness, you really should be spared the details), but in the course of the years that she was alive, I got to know and love my former husband's step-grandmother, Ethel. She was a dear little lady, and I have 3 or 4 recipes of hers acquired over the years. This is one (I also have one for avocado ice cream, and another for icebox almond cookies that I remember right off the top, neither of which I've posted yet) that must have been served to me one of the multitude of times I visited her home. She was a very good cook, and managed to prepare some amazing meals in her very small kitchen. She enjoyed entertaining, even though it was hard work for her as she aged. She lived to be in her 90's, bless her. I hope she's waving at me from heaven since I'm sharing her recipe for coffeecake.

For many years, even up until recently, I have made this on holiday mornings, like Christmas, or Easter, or the day after Thanksgiving. With a bowl of fresh fruit, and maybe some bacon or sausage, it would make a lovely breakfast or brunch.

Chocolate as an ingredient in coffeecake isn't very common. At least I don't think so. And this really isn't chocolate-chocolate coffeecake. For this occasion I'm going to rename it - originally it was Chocolate Sour Cream Coffeecake, but that's misleading. You might think the chocolate is in the entire coffeecake, and it's not. It's not overwhelming with chocolate, but is laced through in a kind of dry mix that is layered, then sprinkled on top. The coffeecake itself is just a rich sour cream based cake. The only unusual ingredient there is cream of tartar. Not many recipes include it anymore. It used to be quite common, before double acting baking powder. So, that probably gives you an idea how old this recipe really is. Old.

So I did a bit of research about it cream of tartar. I'd forgotten what it is, exactly. Now I know:

• Cream of tartar is a by-product of the wine industry. A crystalline acid forms on the inside of wine barrels. The barrels are scraped and the sediment is purified and ground to form cream of tartar. Cream of tartar is used to stabilize egg whites when making meringue or as an addition to certain frostings to produce a creamy product.

Why it's in this recipe, I don't know, but I've never wanted to bake the coffeecake without it merely to test it. There's so much chemistry involved with baking that I don't want to tamper with success. But be my guest, then let me know!

• Normally, when cream of tartar is used in a cookie, it is used together with baking soda. The two of them combined work like double-acting baking powder. When substituting for cream of tartar, you must also substitute for the baking soda. If your recipe calls for baking soda and cream of tarter, I would just use baking powder.
• One teaspoon baking powder is equivalent to 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar. If there is additional baking soda that does not fit into the equation, simply add it to the batter.

Looks like you could substitute additional baking powder for the cream of tartar and baking soda called for, but since I had the cream of tartar, I stuck with the tried-and-true recipe when I made it this time.

Cook's Notes: The recipe can be halved and baked in a 9x9 pan. That pan will easily serve 9 people, so the double recipe probably would serve 18-20, no problem. The original recipe indicated it served 12. Although the recipe indicates two layers, I made 3 layers - more areas for the chocolate. The middle layer didn't completely cover the bottom layer. You don't have to be exact. The crumb on this cake is so tender, likely from the sour cream addition. The amount of chocolate/cinnamon mixture is probably a bit too much. I always have leftover that I toss out, so you could likely reduce the dry mix by about 1/3 and have just enough.

Grandma's Chocolate Sour Cream Coffeecake
Serving Size : 18
CAKE BATTER:
1/2 pound margarine -- softened
2 cups sugar
4 whole eggs
2 cups sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons baking soda
TOPPING:
4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder [I increase to 2 T.]
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350. In separate bowl combine topping: cocoa, sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
2. Combine margarine, sugar, eggs, vanilla and sour cream in mixer and mix well. Then add flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and soda.
3. Pour half of the batter into an oiled 9x13 pan, then sprinkle half of the topping over it (covering every inch of batter), then pour in remaining batter. Use a knife to swirl the batter a little, then sprinkle remaining topping on top. Bake for 45 minutes.
Per Serving: 396 Calories; 17g Fat (38.2% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 57g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 86mg Cholesterol; 383mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

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Chicken Cacciatore

Some years ago a group of us spent a week in Tuscany, staying in a charming (read: old) villa in a tiny town of Bucine. Actually we stayed at this villa twice over the course of two years. In case anyone is interested, click HERE and you can see the villa. But this is the first trip I'm talking about today. The owners of the villa provided a delicious multi-course meal for us one night (they still do it now, but for a fee). It got us all talking about our favorite Italian food. Carole talked about her fabulous chicken cacciatore, and agreed that when we returned home, we'd have a reunion with all of us to share stories, all our photographs, and she'd fix it for us.

It took us awhile to get a date for everybody, but we did, finally, meet at her home in West Los Angeles, and this is the dish she made. We slicked up our plates in short order, I'll tell you. In between quaffs of chianti and telling stories. Laughing over some of our fun and funny adventures. Like the day we took the train to Florence, and made it on time to the last train back to our little village, with most of us having to help Carole with her bags and bags of purchases. Carole is a very successful real estate agent in Beverly Hills, and she dresses very well, so she thrives on buying all kinds of lovely things whenever she's in Italy. Then there was the story about the huge antique chest Carole bought the day we spent in Siena. She spent nearly as much on the shipping as she did the antique itself (Well, not quite, but it makes for a good story, doesn't it? The chest is lovely and was very expensive.).

We had a grand time at our trip reunion. Carole happened to mention that the cacciatore recipe was Mario Batali's, so it took just a bit of sleuthing on the internet to find it. About the only thing truly different about the preparation is the addition of pancetta. (Remember, pancetta is unsmoked Italian bacon.)

Cook's Notes: This freezes well, and makes a nice presentation with some linguine or thin spaghetti to serve it on. The sauce is part of the greatness of this. And in this case, more is better. Don't skimp on the ingredients for that part.

Chicken Cacciatore
Recipe By: Adapted from Mario Batali, of the TV Food Network
Serving Size : 6
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 pieces chicken drumsticks
6 pieces chicken thighs
Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
1 medium onion -- chopped
3/4 cup carrots -- chopped
1 stalk celery -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
2 cups mushrooms - small, whole [my addition]
2 teaspoons fresh marjoram -- or oregano
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons cognac
28 ounces plum tomatoes -- diced, packed in puree
2 tablespoons Italian parsley -- chopped
4 ounces pancetta -- 1/4-inch dice
1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 T. olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and working in batches brown the chicken until golden brown, about 7 minutes per side. Remove chicken pieces as they are browned.
2. To the Dutch oven add the remaining 4 T. olive oil. sauté the pancetta until golden brown, about 6-7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and save. To the pan add onion, carrot, celery, then scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Add the garlic and marjoram and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cognac and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced by about two thirds.
3. Add the reserved pancetta, tomatoes and tomato puree; season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a slow simmer and partially cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors come together, about 35-40 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°. Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and cook for one minute to heat through. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the chicken is tender, about 35-40 minutes.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer meat to a heated platter and cover loosely with foil. With a large spoon or ladle, skim any fat off the surface of the sauce and discard. Stir the parsley into the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Per Serving: 456 Calories; 26g Fat (56.7% calories from fat); 35g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 142mg Cholesterol; 681mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat.
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Orange Jalapeno Vinaigrette - lowfat

3/4/08 I've made a correction to this recipe - one of the ingredients listed has been corrected.

Salad dressings. A mixed bag, for sure. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you may know already that I'm very picky about salad dressings. There's really only one bottled dressing I'll buy (Brianna's Blush Vinaigrette) and I use it only occasionally, when I'm simply too lazy to make a fresh dressing. I thoroughly enjoy green salads, and the dressing certainly adds to the enjoyment of them.



But I despair sometimes finding anything that's lower in calorie. So, when I find something that IS delicious AND lower in fat and calories, I whoop for joy. This is one of those recipes. I found it at egullet.com a year or so ago and put it aside to try. Ideally, you'll want to make this when Navel oranges are in season (like now). I doubt it would be so good using Valencia oranges. And it isn't a recipe you can whip up in 3-4 minutes because you have to remove the orange segments and finely mince the jalapeno chile, then cook the mixture before pureeing in a blender. But if you have a few minutes and would like to try something quite different, this is your ticket. The first time I used it I made a regular green salad (regular for me, that is, means the salad contained a variety of chopped fresh vegetables). I thought the dressing was lost in the mix, as the vegetables predominated. The next time I made a simple salad with only greens, and we both enjoyed it very much. The greens only allow the orange and jalapeno flavors to come through. It would likely be very good on a salad mixed with some fruit, like apple slices, maybe a few raisins even. Or dried cranberries.

I don't know what "honey blossom vinegar" is, other than vinegar that's infused with some kind of flower called a "honey blossom?" Maybe somebody knows. I don't have that ingredient, so used rice wine vinegar, and the "seasoned" type rather than the more tart rice wine vinegar which has no sugar added.



Cook's Notes: Use normal sized oranges, as using really large oranges may throw off the balance of acid to sweet. Or, just don't put in all of the orange segments. I used just ONE jalapeno chile, and it actually could take another half. I was concerned it would be too hot. I also added a bit more grape seed oil to the mixture (see note below) because it just didn't have quite enough oil in it. This is a juice-based dressing, so don't toss the salad until just before you're serving it, as it may wilt the greens. And, serve with a simple greens-only salad; adding vegetables takes away from the delicate flavor of the oranges.



Orange Jalapeno Vinaigrette
Recipe: adapted from egullet.com
Servings: 6
2 whole oranges, peeled, segmented
1 1/2 whole jalapeno chiles, seeded, finely minced
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sugar, or Splenda
2 tablespoons honey blossom vinegar, or 2 T. seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup grape seed oil, (original called for 1/4 cup)
Salt & pepper to taste
1. In a saucepan place the oranges, jalapenos, juice, water and sugar. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place in a blender and puree. Add honey or vinegar and oil while blending. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and adjust seasoning, or taste, using a lettuce leaf to dip lightly into it before adding salt and pepper. Refrigerate. Use within one week.
Per Serving: 53 Calories; trace Fat (1.4% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
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Alice Waters and Chez Panisse (a book)

For many of you, who don't reside in the U.S., the name Alice Waters may not hold much meaning. She's been an icon of the foodie world for about 40 years, emanating from her ubiquitous restaurant, Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, California.

Thomas McNamee has written a definitive biography of Alice Waters, and the history of the restaurant along with it, that gives interested readers a glimpse into the complete timeline and inner-workings of the famous restaurant and kitchen.

Alice Waters' claim to fame, is her absolute dedication to using farm fresh (Slow Food) produce and products. She's probably credited with bringing this movement to the U.S. long before anyone else was interested. After visiting France when she was newly graduated from college, and enjoying the fresh untainted bounty of the countryside, she and her then boyfriend, returned home to open a restaurant near her Alma Mater, University of California, Berkeley. Chez Panisse is literally about 10-15 blocks north of the campus, and has remained much the same as when it opened back in 1971. A 2-story stucco house, transformed into a very busy, very VERY busy restaurant. After reading the book, I'll just say that it has morphed over the years, and Alice remains in some kind of role, still seeking out the "stage," if you can call a restaurant as such.

Having eaten there twice, I'll say that I enjoyed the food tremendously both times. But I didn't realize the significant difference between eating upstairs vs. downstairs. Upstairs is the casual cafe, with a small, open kitchen, and an a la carte menu (where I've eaten both times). Downstairs is the more formal set menu dining room, where you eat what is placed in front of you. No choices except what wine you'd like to have (extra). The varied chefs (Jeremiah Towers Mark Miller, and the current chef, Jean-Pierre Moulle) over the years, have made and remade the reputation, but with Alice's touch, always. The notable chefs have ebbed and flowed. Some with fiery temperaments. Some who had to take a back seat to Alice's name as chef, when in fact, she rarely cooks. Over the years she's had to wield a frying pan many a night, but you learn that it's not her strength. She'd rather be adding a sprig of chervil on the green beans, or glad-handing the guests in the dining room. She also had the wizardry of Lindsey Shere, certainly a well-known name now in pastry stardom. Alice gave Lindsey her own tiny shack on the property, little more than a lean-to, and it's from there the famous Chez Panisse desserts emanated. Lindsey was given almost complete autonomy, as long as she abided by Alice's desire for local and seasonal products, the freshest, etc.

The first time my DH and I had dinner there, Alice was present in the upstairs dining room. We actually sat in the next booth to where she'd joined a small family (Chez Panisse purveyors) who had come to the restaurant for the first time. Alice was making certain they were appreciated. And now having read the book, I'm certain Alice was spreading "the word," her philosophy, about how the Slow Food movement was progressing and how important their contribution was.

What's interesting is that over the 35+ years of its existence, Chez Panisse has only been making money for about the last 10. Alice has a vision, always, about everything in her life, but particularly the restaurant. Nothing could sway her from her goal of providing the very best, the most expensive, but the freshest seasonal ingredients. But her management style? She virtually has none. She always left and still leaves the supervision, guidance, firing, to underlings. She didn't dirty her hands with the day to day management. She prides herself, however, on the feeling of "family" that exists to this day, amongst the staff. In the early years she accommodated everyone's needs - for vacations, days off mostly whenever they said they needed it, breast feeding in between shifts in a back room, or loans when someone was in financial difficulty. Rather amazing in a way.

But the staff, for probably 30 of those years, took gross advantage of their positions. The waiters and waitresses comped food to lots of guests (their friends, or?), delivered wine to tables that never paid for it, which naturally, affected the bottom line every single night. And, it was commonplace that after a shift was over with, the staff would get roaring drunk (on highly expensive bottles of wine in the wine cellar, for which they didn't pay), got high on drugs, and drinking on the job was almost encouraged. It took Alice's father's strong hand and arm some years ago to bring some kind of order to the chaos. And a modicum of profit to the books. There were many others who helped with this - not just her father - but for every step forward, she'd fall a half step back. However, she never faltered in her vision, and it would seem, she still maintains the vision.

It's one thing to have an idea in your head about what you dream or see for a business. And it's another to make it work and make it profitable. Alice has never seemed to have the guts to step up to the plate and make that happen. Making the restaurant profitable was not a goal for her. And part of that was laudable, actually, since she funded hefty profit sharing to the employees over the years, and always provided health care insurance for them when it was an unknown in the restaurant business.

According to the book, Alice is rarely in the restaurant anymore. She has finally left it (mostly) to the able hands of chefs and managers she's finally recognized as good and reliable. Instead, she flits around the world promoting her myriad of sustainable food projects (including one at Yale University). Alice has a loyal following of friends, and because of her notoriety is sought out by more celebrities. She's a particular fan of Bill Clinton. But Alice still lives in the tiny home near the restaurant (when she's home), and drops in the restaurant to say hello to old friends and to taste a sauce.

It was an interesting read. More so because I've been to the restaurant more than once, and because I've known of Alice Waters since the 1980's. Although I certainly gained an enormous respect for Alice Waters from reading the book, I'm left with a feeling of unfinished business somehow. How she managed to run a business all these years is beyond my ken. Really what happened is that it barely ran itself. It was close to bankruptcy several times. I guess I'm disappointed in Alice for that reason, that she couldn't learn how to manage. Fortunately she has strong, talented help who now do know how to run a restaurant.

Where do I go from here? (1) next time I go to Chez Panisse, I'm planning ahead and definitely going to the downstairs restaurant. That's where the haut food is, where innovation takes place; and (2) I'm going to do some research about Lindsey Shere. Next time I'm in a used bookstore I'm going to look for her 1994 Chez Panisse Desserts, which is still in print.

Grilled & Marinated Provolone

Believe it or not, I'm not certain I'd make this again. Not because it wasn't good. It was. There are a variety of reasons: (1) the grill meister had difficulty keeping the cheese from melting right down through the grates (maybe the temp was too high?); and (2) once served, it didn't stay hot very long (we didn't put it on a hot, hot plate). Not long enough, anyway.

This is a

Michael Chiarello recipe - a show he did a few months ago that was an all-grilled meal, from appetizer through dessert. On the program, grilling the cheese looked really easy. It didn't appear to be when we made it. Obviously there's a technique here that we just didn't get. According to the reader reviews at the tv food network, all who prepared the dish loved it, and I guess, had no difficulty with it. So it had to be something we did. The cheese and herb combination was good - as someone wrote, the herbs complemented the cheese well. I agree.

First you marinate the cheese - two chunks of cheese totalling 1 1/2 pounds - in olive oil, oregano, chile flakes, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Then you grill the cheese briefly, directly on the grates, just enough to put grill marks on the cheese. Michael said about 2 minutes per side. That's when the grill meister ran into trouble. It began to melt, and he had no grill marks. You then transfer the cheese to a metal plate or baking dish (I used a small oblong metal pan that I encased in aluminum foil, so the grill wouldn't damage the pan) and put that on top of the grill. You cook it until the cheese has begun to melt and "begins to brown on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes." Well, we never got to the begins to brown part. Finally our grill meister removed the cheese and we served it, along with a bunch of baguette slices he'd also grilled. By the time we transferred it to a serving plate, the cheese was already kind of firming up again and cooling off fast.

I think the trouble was with the grill temperature. The recipe does say moderately high heat. Maybe I will try this again and see what happens. Maybe we'll start with half a recipe this time too. We had 8 people for dinner, and had lots left over. We did eat it - and it was delicious, but the cheese was cool within a couple of minutes, so be sure to place it on a piping hot plate.

Marinated & Grilled Provolone
Recipe By: Michael Chiarello, a viewer's recipe
Serving Size : 8
1 1/2 pounds Provolone cheese -- in two pieces
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon oregano -- crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried chile flakes
6 cloves garlic -- minced
1 tablespoon parsley -- fresh, minced

Gray salt and fresh ground black pepper
1. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill to moderately high heat.
2. Rub the pieces of provolone all over with the olive oil and season with the rest of the ingredients. Let marinate refrigerated, for one hour. Grill the cheese on the hot grill for about two minutes per side until grill marks appear and the cheese just begins to soften.
3. Transfer the cheese to a metal plate or baking dish and place back on top of the grill. Cook until the cheese just barely starts to melt and begins to brown on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes. Serve hot with grilled baguette slices.
Per Serving: 364 Calories; 29g Fat (72.7% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 59mg Cholesterol; 746mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 4 Fat.

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How to Boil Pasta

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door." Well, the quote doesn't exactly fit my purpose here, but close. There are creative people who thrive on finding a different solution, an innovation, to a problem. In the culinary world, chefs need to create on a dime. Every day. Here, we're talking about pasta. And there's nothing quite like overcooked pasta. I do like it just barely done - but al dente still. So, instead of guessing and having to remove a strand of lingine from the boiling pot, here's a foolproof and very Italian method. There really is more than one way to boil pasta. I know, this isn't exactly a very interesting post subject, but I ran across something in my stack of recipes that I've had for years, and used many times. So, I thought I'd share it with you.

The advice came from a cooking instructor. What class, I can't tell you. It's something she passed out to all of her class participants, every class she teaches. And it's a photocopy from the back of a package or box. Agnesi is an Italian company - they do have a website, but it's all in Italian.

Anyway, the instructor was also a caterer, and she said this is her failsafe method. She uses it always. And as long as I remember, on those occasions when I do make pasta, it's works like a charm.

• "The ANGESI Advice for a Better Pasta Cooking Method: cook pasta in boiling water for just 2 minutes. Measure this time from the moment the water returns to a boil after adding the pasta. After the 2 minutes are up, remove pot from the heat, cover with a lid and leave to stand for the cooking time indicated on the box. Drain the pasta and . . . buon appetitto! This is to encourage you to try a new way of cooking pasta. You will see that when the cooking time is over, the water is almost clear. This is because the pasta has retained most of its precious nutrients, some of which are lost during the normal, longer cooking method."

Quick (Modern) Coq au Vin

Since I Tivo all the America's Test Kitchen programs, I store them up and watch several at one time. They did one a week or so ago called French Classics. It included this Coq au Vin (coke-aw-vahn, chicken in wine) and a chocolate Pots de Creme. I printed out both recipes, and today you get to hear the results of the chicken.

When I was in my 20's, and living in Denver, I think it was, I attended one of my first cooking classes, and the teacher prepared the traditional coq au vin. It required many steps, including rendering some salt pork. Salt pork's not something I see every day, although I suppose it is available at the grocery stores if I sought it out. I have made coq au vin a few times, but never found the chicken all that tender (dry and overcooked) and the gravy was very thin.

The chefs at America's Test Kitchen came to the rescue. They explained that originally French kitchens used a very elderly boiling chicken, the kind you have to cook and cook to tenderize. These days we have young, tender fryers which don't require much cooking. They demonstrated a rather rapid coq au vin, and I was intrigued. It used bacon instead of salt pork. I love the richness and suppleness of red wine, cooked down to a thick gravy with the onions and mushrooms. This recipe took about 50 minutes of total cooking time (browning and simmering), with about another 25 of prep. So, I had dinner on the table in a little over an hour. Their recipe said it took 90 minutes.

The secrets of this recipe include reducing the entire bottle of wine and chicken broth to about 3 cups, browning the chicken first, then making the vegie part (mushrooms and onions) and then simmering the dark meat pieces first (for 20 minutes), THEN adding in the chicken breasts later, so they cook only 20 minutes. What a difference that made. The breast meat was tender and juicy. Once the chicken is done you remove it to keep warm and turn the heat up to high and continue reducing the gravy until it's thick. A tablespoon of butter is added at the very last, along with a tablespoon of the red wine you saved at the beginning, that didn't get reduced.

Definitely I'd make this again. It was certainly a lot easier than my previous recipe. I might not make it for guests just because it's, to me anyway, a kind of home comfort food dinner. But, it looked very pretty in my wide soup bowls with the gnocchi pasta in the bottom and the fresh Italian parsley sprinkled on top. We both slurped it up in quick order.

Cook's Notes: use a light, fruity red wine (they recommend Pinot Noir or a Rhone grenache). Use good, thick bacon (more flavor). If possible use kosher chicken, since it will retain the juice better. Next time I'd use more mushrooms, just because I like them. And if I had my druthers, I'd have more sauce, so that would mean using about a bottle and a half of wine to start with, and would mean measuring a bit more carefully so you reduce each part correctly.

Modern Coq au Vin
Recipe By : America's Test Kitchen
Serving Size : 6
1 bottle red wine -- fruity (pinot noir or Rhone grenache)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 sprigs fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh parsley -- minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 ounces bacon -- thick-cut, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces -- parts or thighs only Table salt and ground black pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup frozen pearl onions -- thawed, drained, and patted dry
8 ounces mushrooms -- crimini, wiped clean, stems trimmed, halved if small and quartered if large
2 medium cloves garlic -- minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1. Bring all but 1 tablespoon wine (reserve for later use), broth, parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 3 cups, about 25 minutes. Discard herbs.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons fat in small bowl; discard remaining fat.
3. Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of chicken in single layer and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining chicken and 1 tablespoon bacon fat.
4. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add pearl onions and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and flour; cook, stirring frequently, until well combined, about 1 minute.
5. Add reduced wine mixture, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; add 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Return chicken, any accumulated juices, and reserved bacon to pot; increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer until chicken is tender, about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.
6. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to large bowl; tent with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer sauce until thick and glossy and measures 3 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and reserved 1 tablespoon wine. Season to taste with salt. Return chicken to pot and top with minced parsley. Serve immediately.
Per Serving: 553 Calories; 40g Fat (63.5% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 159mg Cholesterol; 493mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 5 Fat.

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Almond Crusted Orange Roughy with Lemony Leek Sauce

Whew! That's a mouthful of a title, isn't it? Nah, I didn't dream it up. Phillis Carey did, and in the cooking class she laughed at herself and how she titles recipes she's developed. She wants to make sure you know at the outset exactly what kind of good stuff is going to be included in the recipe.

Here's a shot of the classroom at Great News, in Pacific Beach (San Diego). It's by far the most glamorous and functional demonstration class kitchen I've ever seen. Six large screens are mounted above so you won't miss anything of the prep going on below.














Here's another shot of the other side of the classroom. Phillis is the chef up front in red.

So, what's the deal about this fish dish? The lemon leek sauce is the clincher. Absolutely wonderful. This can be made with any kind of mild white fish. Or even chicken. But the lemony piquant flavor lends itself very well to fish.

Phillis poured a bunch of sliced almonds in a big plastic bag and used her flat pounder to crunch the almonds. Do not use a food processor as it will make the almonds too much like meal. You want chunky, crunchy. You dip the fish in flour, egg, then the almond/parsley/lemon zest mixture, then pan fry it in a tiny bit of oil until done. Meanwhile you will have made the sauce first - leeks, butter, lemon juice and whipping cream. Oh yea. Whipping cream. This is a company-type meal; certainly not something you'd want to serve for everyday family cooking. The leek sauce is pureed in a blender, then you sieve it to remove the leeks. Use a medium gauge sieve; otherwise you'll never get the sauce to strain through.

Cook's Notes: be sure to dry off the fish fillets before you start dredging. If using a thicker kind of fish, like halibut, for instance, do the frying process, but just brown the fish, then put them on a parchment-lined pan in a 375 oven for 15 minutes. Thicker fish is harder to cook correctly in a pan saute. You can make the sauce ahead of time, but the dredging and frying have to be done at the last minute. Oh yes, and don't use a food processor for the almonds. If you are in a hurry to puree the leek sauce, be very careful because a hot sauce will explode right out of the blender. Best advice: puree in two smaller batches instead of just one.

Almond Crusted Orange Roughy with Lemony Leek Sauce
Recipe By: Phillis Carey, author & instructor
Serving Size : 4
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium leeks -- halved, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice -- fresh
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sliced almonds -- finely chopped
6 tablespoons Italian parsley -- chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon peel -- using a Microplane
4 large orange roughy fillets
2 whole eggs -- lightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter -- for frying the fish
1. LEEK SAUCE: use only white and light green parts of the leeks, halve them, rinse well, then chop. Cook leeks in 2 T. butter over medium heat until very tender, about 15 minutes. Add the fresh lemon juice and stir until liquid evaporates. Mix in cream. Simmer until mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes, maybe longer. Cool for 10 minutes, then pour in batches into blender and puree until smooth. Strain the sauce, using a coarse strainer, back into the saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. DREDGING MIXTURE: if you're using sliced almonds, place them in a plastic bag and using a pounder, hit nuts until they're reduced to a coarse mince. Do not use the food processor for this, as the nuts will be too fine. Mix almonds, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste in a pie plate. Place flour on a plate and eggs in another pie plate. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in egg, then in almond mixture to coat.
3. FISH: Melt half of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 pieces of fish to pan and cook 3 minutes per side or until cooked in the center and brown on the outside. Repeat with remaining butter and fish. Reheat sauce and spoon a bit over, and the rest around fillets to serve.
Per Serving: 695 Calories; 59g Fat (74.2% calories from fat); 30g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 249mg Cholesterol; 233mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 11 Fat.
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Potato & Onion Cakes

I'm always on the lookout for a new and different side vegetable. One that isn't too difficult, but is attractive looking (for a company meal) and tastes good. This recipe was one from "the stack" I've talked about recently, of recipes I needed to file. It seemed like it would fit well with the grilled dinner we did about a week ago. There were a couple of different techniques in this recipe (using grated potatoes in a muffin tin) and gently smushing a red onion slice into the bottom beforehand.

The recipe is from Martha Stewart Living, November, 2006. It's not difficult, but does take a bit of fussing just before baking it. I got all the ingredients out, measured out what I'd need and had everything mis en place (ingredients in place, on a tray with everything I'd need) before I started. This must be constructed just before putting it in the oven because potatoes don't keep once they're grated. But I did what I could prior to that.

Ideally you need a 6-place large muffin tin. (You could use individual ramekins, no problem.) And since I don't bake muffins all that often, I was happy to find another use for the tin! First you butter the tin, sprinkle each cup with salt, pepper and a bit of brown sugar (all in the bottom). Then you drizzle a tiny bit of balsamic and red wine vinegars in the bottom of each cup, and artfully arrange a sprig of fresh rosemary across the bottom. Thin slices of red onion go in the bottom next (hopefully just the size of the bottom of the cup), then you grate the potatoes (quick work in the food processor) and toss with salt and pepper, and an egg yolk. Those are pressed firmly into the cup and you dot the top with a bit of butter. Bake for 30 minutes and you're done. You slide a knife around the edges and lift them out. Or, you could invert the whole pan. But I was concerned they wouldn't come out cleanly, so did them individually. I had to try several utensils before I found the right one. Very quickly place them on a HOT plate. They cool off quickly because they're kind of airy (the grated potato) so be ready to sit down to eat or serve them immediately. I'd make these again, just because they're pretty, and went well with a grilled dinner. These weren't a "wow" dish, but they were very good, and making some changes (see next paragraph) might make them "wow."

Cook's Notes: taste the potato mixture for salt and pepper before you pile them into the cups. Even though raw potatoes don't taste all that great, you want them to be seasoned right, and there's no way to do it otherwise. Try to arrange the onion slice "just so" in the bottom, so it looks pretty when you turn it out to serve. Next time I decided I'd add some Parmesan cheese to the potato mixture. And I'd mince up any remaining red onion and toss that in with the potatoes. Pack down the potatoes firmly, otherwise it breaks apart when you try to invert it. And lastly, I might try putting two slices of onion in the bottom if I could. You could also use frozen potatoes for this if you were so inclined.

Potato and Onion Cakes
Recipe By : Martha Stewart Living
Serving Size : 6
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary -- plus 6 sprigs for ramekins
1 small red onion -- sliced into six 1/4" rounds
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes -- grated
1 egg yolk -- slightly beaten
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Generously butter a large (six 1-cup) muffin tins. Sprinkle in the bottom of each cup salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar; drizzle each cup with 1/2 teaspoon of each vinegar. Place a rosemary sprig in each cup, then cover with an onion round. Can be made ahead to this point, about 2 hours before baking.
3. Shred potatoes in food processor, if possible, then toss with the chopped rosemary and the egg yolk in a medium bowl. Season with 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper to taste. Divide the potatoes amongst the cups, then dot with butter.
4. Bake until potatoes are tender and well browned, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of each cup to loosen, invert onto a hot plate and serve.
5. Could be made an hour or so before serving, then reheat in a 300 oven.
Per Serving: 107 Calories; 5g Fat (39.5% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 46mg Cholesterol; 672mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

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Warm White Bean & Brie Dip

I know, I can hear it already in your thoughts. What is this? Bean dip? Brie? Huh? What kind of nonsense is this? In a word: EASY. In another word: TASTY. Believe it or not, this is really very good. And ever so easy to make. I'll insert the full recipe below, but it's nothing more than a can of bean dip mixed up with little tiny cubes of brie (rind removed), and microwaved for about a minute. Serve.


It does take a little bit of time to cut off the rinds, but that's the hardest part. You can serve it with tortilla chips, but it makes it a bit more elegant if you serve it with crackers. I made lavash crisps from a post the other day for Coriander Lime Shrimp. Using crackers might make your guests think you didn't just open a can of bean dip and add cheese.

There's the photo of it in a ceramic bowl, ready for its minute of melting in the microwave. I didn't get an after picture, but I have some leftovers, so maybe I'll add another photo to this post later.


If you are in a hurry and want something really good and really quick, this is your ticket. The recipe came from Andrew Schloss, a chef and author, from his book Almost From Scratch. He taught a cooking class a few years ago. His schtick is about how to make things ahead, and make entertaining easier on yourself. He certainly scored on both counts.

Warm White Bean and Brie Dip
Recipe By : Andrew Schloss, chef & author, from a cooking class
Serving Size : 6
8 ounces Brie -- chilled
8 ounces bean dip -- canned
1. Remove rind from cheese and chop up into small pieces. Place the cheese and bean dip in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at full power for one minute, or until cheese is completely melted. Stir with a fork until well combined.
2. Serve warm with tortilla chips, bread or crackers.
Per Serving: 169 Calories; 12g Fat (62.5% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 38mg Cholesterol; 422mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat.
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Armenian Parsley & Walnut Salad

When entertaining last weekend, we did a mixed grill: racks of lamb (3), Sicilian-Italian sausage with cheese in it (about 2 pounds), and some marinated chicken breasts too. We had grilled provolone cheese (I'll post the recipe soon) and some wonderful coriander lime shrimp as appetizers, so wanted a fairly simple side to serve with the meat. This salad came to mind as it's just wonderful with grilled meats, and it has a kind of Italian bent with the Mediterranean olives mixed in.


The recipe came from Nicole Aloni, a Hollywood caterer and cookbook author. She taught a cooking class some years ago, and we all enjoyed the food, but her stories about entertaining the celebs in Hollywood was most interesting. She kind of became a caterer to the stars by default - lucky, I guess - but her food is very good. Nothing healthy about it, usually, although this salad isn't a bad choice. She particularly works at preparing food the day before a party.


The salad is mostly composed of parsley (the curly leafed, not Italian) and toasted walnuts. But it's accented with Kalamata olives, green onions and fresh tomatoes, then tossed with a cumin, lemony dressing. Oh, and a bit of red chile flakes.


Cook's Notes: You could easily change the proportions of these items to suit your tastes, but the parsley needs to be the featured green. Ideally, make this one day ahead, but any longer than that and the parsley wilts down to nothing. Once you've made the salad, taste it and decide if you'd like to add more tomatoes, or parsley. Or perhaps more olives. Chop the olives fairly small, as they can overpower your taste buds if you get much of it in one bite. And don't skip the walnut toasting step - they add a wonderful grace note to the flavor in the overall salad.

Armenian Parsley & Walnut Salad
Recipe By : Nicole Aloni, author and caterer
Serving Size : 8
1 cup walnuts -- chopped, toasted, or almonds
2 bunches parsley -- regular curly, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup kalamata olives -- pitted, minced
1/2 cup scallion -- minced
1 cup fresh tomatoes -- peeled, seeded, chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1. Toast nuts at 325° for about 10 minutes. Cool completely before using in the recipe.
2. Remove stems from the parsley and coarsely chop. Do not use a food processor for this as they will be too fine.
3. Chop the olives, walnuts and green onions, then combine all ingredients, tossing with the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill.
NOTES : If the tomatoes are out of season, add just a teaspoon of sugar to sweeten them. You can also add mint to this salad if that is a flavor you enjoy. Be sure to use regular curly parsley (not Italian flat leaf) as it gives the salad some "lift." This improves if made a day ahead.
Per Serving: 248 Calories; 24g Fat (82.7% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 365mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 4 1/2 Fat.
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White Lady - an elegant cocktail

This looks like some sweet cream-based blended cocktail. It's not. And it's not really all that sweet, either. What it has in it is egg white (raw) which is shaken with the other ingredients, so when it's first poured it does have a bit of a cloudy look. This is kind of a martini. Or kind of like a margarita, in a way.


At the dinner party last weekend, we decided to offer not only wine, but a cocktail too. This was yet another recipe that found its way to the top of the "try me" file. And it was scrumptious, if you can describe a cocktail by that word. I'm looking forward to making it again. Even just for myself. The glasses are my friend Cherrie's. I don't own any martini type glasses. I need to look for some, but oh, dear. Where in the world am I going to store them? They're an awkward shape to store with any efficiency.


Several people had two of these cocktails, they were that good. The recipe came from Bon Appetit, January 2006. And it's a drink concocted by the Pegu Club (bar) in New York City.


I had all the ingredients standing ready, and you could easily make two of them at a time. You need fresh lemons, triple sec (or Cointreau, which is what I had), very good gin (Cherrie brought Bombay Sapphire, which in the opinion of many, the best out there), egg whites (which I very slightly whipped so I could actually use a measuring spoon to dip into it) and some ice. The ingredients go into a shaker and you pour it out. The recipe said to strain out the ice, but this is one gutsy drink, so I left the ice cubes in the drink. Your choice.

White Lady
Recipe By : Bon Appetit, Jan. 2006
Serving Size : 1
1/4 cup gin -- Tanqueray, or Bombay Sapphire
2 tablespoons Triple Sec -- or Cointreau
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon egg white
1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into a cocktail or martini glass. Garnish with lemon slice if desired.
Per Serving: 265 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 26mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit.
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Cream of Cashew Soup with Armagnac

The photo is a bit distorted - the glass isn't really that bowl shaped at the top. I served the soup in these small 4-ounce glasses, with a small spoon. Even though it was served hot, you could hold onto the bottom or top of the glass without burning your fingers.

My theory must have been, back when I clipped this recipe from Bon Appetit, that it was unusual, therefore, I'd like to try it. Unusual it is. Good? A resounding YES. Perhaps it's not the right first course for just any dinner, but it made a big hit at our recent dinner party. I made it two days ahead, then reheated it, added the cornstarch thickener (so little of it, I hardly think it mattered) and the Armagnac. The recipe comes from a now-defunct restaurant in Oxford, Maryland, called Mathilda's.


In case you don't know about Armagnac, here's the lowdown from Wikipedia:

• Armagnac [pronounced ar-mahn-yak] is a distinctive kind of brandy or eau de vie, made of mainly the same grapes as cognac and undergoing the same aging in oak barrels, but mainly with column still distillation (cognac and part of armagnac is distilled in pot stills).

It comes from the mountainous regions in France near the Pyrenees. I always thought Armagnac had some affinity with apples, but no, it's all grapes. It's just the method of distillation and barreling that differentiates it. Much of the soil is rocky. Anyway, Armagnac is not an everyday staple in liquor stores, so you may have to seek it out. But you could also use Cognac or brandy instead. Just don't use some $4.99 bottle of rot-gut. The flavor does come through in this soup.

Cook's Notes: I didn't find unsalted cashews, so I used the lightly salted ones from Planter's. But, I did use low-sodium chicken broth. That way you can add salt if you would like to. If doing the cornstarch thing doesn't interest you, just eliminate it. I could not discern a bit of difference in the consistency of the soup after adding it. The chives add a nice touch - since the soup is definitely BEIGE, it needs a tad of color.

Cream of Cashew Soup with Armagnac
Recipe By: Mathilda's, Oxford, Maryland (restaurant is now closed), via Bon Appetit
Serving Size : 6
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 cups cashews -- roasted, unsalted
1/3 cup shallots -- chopped
28 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup cream sherry
2 cups half and half -- or fat-free half and half
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cognac -- or Armagnac (preferred)
2 tablespoons fresh chives -- minced
1. Melt butter with oil in heavy, large pot over medium heat. Add cashews and shallots. Cook until shallots are golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add broth and Sherry; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the half and half and cream. Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer uncovered, until cashews are tender, about 20 minutes. Allow soup to cool about 20 minutes before continuing.
2. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until VERY smooth. Strain soup into a large saucepan, discarding solids left in strainer.
3. Whisk the water with cornstarch in a small bowl to blend. Bring soup to a boil, whisk cornstarch mixture into soup, stirring until soup thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in Armagnac. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among soup bowls or short glasses, sprinkle with chopped chives and serve.
Per Serving: 546 Calories; 49g Fat (75.7% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 78mg Cholesterol; 148mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 9 Fat.
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Chicken in a Hurry

You know what I mean when it's 6:00 and you need to get something on the table for dinner? Like right NOW. I have a go-to chicken recipe - it's not a 4-star winner, but it's certainly better than okay. My DH always says it's good, and I think it is too, as long as you know your purpose is to eat quickly.

It's nothing but this:

This is a can - a spice mix. It's imported from Hungary, although everything on the can is in English. The brand is "Pride of Szeged," "The World's Best Chicken Rub." It contains garlic, basil, paprika, oregano, salt and "spices." It can be purchased at some specialty grocery stores. The recipe on the back of the can suggests the following:

• Mix 1/4 cup of seasoning mix with 4 T. oil. Add 2 T. lemon juice or vinegar. Brush entire mixture on chicken [it doesn't say how much chicken]. Grill, bake or broil. For best result, refrigerate chicken in seasoning for 2-6 hours.

When I'm in a hurry I do nothing but sprinkle the spice mixture on chicken pieces and pan fry them in a bit of olive oil. That's it. Sometimes after the chicken has browned on both sides, I'll pour in a splash of vermouth, or red wine, sometimes a squeeze of lemon juice, as suggested in the above recipe. Then I may put a lid on the pan to just steam the chicken completely. Serve.

This time I had boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and some Siciliana Sauce (a sweet and sour, cold, chunky tomato based sauce I blogged about last year) that is absolutely great with chicken. Our friends, Sue & Lynn, brought some over when they came for dinner a week ago. But I've often served the chicken with nothing but this rub.

I bought the chicken rub at a German deli (in 2005), but I've seen it other places. And I did find it online also at a mailorder site. There is a website for the product, but it's not displaying. Don't know what that means. The company also makes other rubs, but this is the only one I've found. I'm not posting a printer friendly recipe for this since it's so simple. As long as you have the spice mix.

For your information, I served this with brussels sprouts that I cut in half and simmered in a bit of chicken broth and thyme. They were ready at the same time the chicken was ready. From start to finish I had dinner on the table in about 25 minutes.