Special candy for Christmas...

No recipe today- just praise of a candy I usually only get at Christmas- Mozart Kugel. I've loved these since a visit to Austria 20 years ago. I love anything with marzipan in it!



I have a tin and a bag of them...and I'm not going to touch them until Christmas morning.

Nowadays, I can easily get them online from amazon.com, but keeping them for Christmas only makes them special.

YUM!!

Tricolor Cookies and Cherry Shortbread!



I've been looking for a good recipe for Tricolor Cookies (also called Rainbow Cookies) for a long time. The Washington Post had one in their food section this week! Here it is:

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2008/12/10/tricolor-cookies/

I made a batch, and I'm going to make more. They're unbelievably good. They remind me of the cookies I used to get at Alfonso's Pastry on Staten Island, New York, when I was a kid!

They're still there:

http://www.cannoliexpress.com/index.php

These cookies are hard to find outside of the New York City area.



My kitchen smelled like Alfonso's shop while I was baking. It was the mixture of marzipan and orange zest that did it.


Found this recipe for Cherry Shortbread in Rachael Ray's Everyday Magazine, December 2008:

http://www.recipezaar.com/Cherry-Shortbread-Cookies-336955

Least likely to screw up! It is hard to ruin shortbread. The cherries are a nice addition. Next time, I might drizzle chocolate on them.

Thanksgiving 2008

Here's a recipe for an appetizer I make every year:

Liptauer Cheese (my mom's recipe):

1 cup salted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon (heaping) caraway seeds
1 tablespoon pickled capers, drained
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons paprika

Combine all ingredients in food processor until well blended and the seeds are well chopped. Place in a serving dish with a few whole capers and sprinkle with more paprika. Serve with crackers or pretzels.

If I didn't make this for Thanksgiving and Christmas, my sister would never speak to me again!

A history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liptau_cheese

I also made a baked brie appetizer- all I did was cover a wheel of brie with a mixture of pecans, brown sugar, and maple syrup, then baked it until the sugar and syrup bubbled. I served it with thin slices of cinnamon-sugar coated toasted French bread.

Last year's recipes:

http://kiraskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/11/for-thanksgiving.html

And finally, my family's favorite pecan pie. I've posted it elsewhere, but it belongs here!

Caramel-Pecan Pie

From Southern Living 2005 Annual Recipes

Prep. 20 minutes. Bake: 38 minutes. Cook: 7 minutes.

½ (15 ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
28 caramels
¼ cup butter
¼ cup water
¾ cup sugar
4 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Chocolate dipped pecans (optional)

Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of crust with a fork.

Bake pie crust at 400° for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned; cool on a wire rack.

Combine caramels, butter, and ¼ cup water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until caramels and butter are melted; remove from heat.

Stir together sugar and the next three ingredients. Stir into caramel mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in pecans and pour into crust.

Bake pie at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°, and bake for 20 more minutes, shielding edges of crust with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning. Remove pie to wire rack to cool. Top pie with Chocolate Dipped pecans, if desired. Serves 8.

Chocolate dipped pecans:

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
20 pecan halves, toasted

Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in microwave on high for 1 to 1 and a half minutes or until chips are melted. Dip half of each pecan in chocolate, then place on wax paper to cool.

Election Day cookies!

Gee, guess who I'm voting for... :p



I'm not going to post the recipe, but it came from the Rosie's Bakery cookbook. I've had it for a decade, and the first time I made these sugar cookies, my entire family pronounced them the best ever!

Chocolate Almond Brown Sugar Cake

From I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas. The recipe is pretty complicated. If I can simplify it a bit, I'll post it later.

I did a different garnish for mine- chocolate covered almonds and crushed Almond Roca. Yum.

Trying a new recipe!

I had leftover steaks that needed to be cooked, so I tried a recipe I hadn't tried before.

Title: Steak Diane

Yield: 2 Servings
2 6 oz boneless rib eye steaks
1/3 c Beef broth
2 ts Worcestershire sauce
1 ts Fresh lemon juice
1 ts Dijon mustard
1 1/2 ts Cognac
1 1/2 ts Sherry
1/2 ts Cornstarch
1 tb Unsalted butter
1 tb Olive oil
1/2 c Shallot; thinly sliced
2 ts Fresh parsley; minced

Flatten steaks to 1/4 inch thickness between sheets of dampened waxed paper. In small bowl combine both, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, mustard, cognac, sherry and cornstarch. Mix well. In large heavy skillet heat butter and oil over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Saute steaks about 45 seconds on each side for medium rare. Transfer steaks to a plate. Saute shallots in drippings over moderately low heat, stirring, until soft. Stir broth mixture then add it to the skillet with any juices that have accumulated on plate. Boil sauce, stirring, 1 minute or until thickened. Pour over steaks. Sprinkle with parsley. Serves 2. From The Denver Post Food Section 10/2/96 - from Best of Gourmet 1990 edition.

I add minced portabella mushrooms to the sauce. I also make a vegetarian version with eggplant instead of steak, and vegetable broth instead of beef broth.

I also discovered pomegranate liqueur this week. It's so good. I've started looking for drink recipes to use it in.

Here's the website of a brand of the liqueur that includes recipes:

http://www.pamaliqueur.com/index.html?Section

Feeling crabby.

Yum!

My mother held the annual library staff crab feast last Sunday...and we had a ton of crabs left over. The best thing to do with them is make crab cakes! This recipe came from:

http://www.virtualcities.com/ons/md/gov/mdgov90.htm

Ingredients:

1 pound Maryland Crab meat (Blue crabs!)

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 large egg

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Margarine, butter, or oil for frying

1. Remove all cartilage from crabmeat
2. In a bowl, mix bread crumbs, eggs, mayonnaise and seasonings.
3. Add crab meat and mix gently by thoroughly. If mixture is too dry, add a little more mayonnaise. Shape into 6 cakes.
4. Cook cakes in a frying pan in just enough fat to prevent sticking until they are browned (about 5 minutes on each side).

*Note: If desired, crab cakes may be deep fried at 350 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.

This is the simplest recipe I found. They can be served with tarter or remoulade sauce.

A follow-up to last week's post.

A recipe for one of the odder foods from that list...and one I've eaten in the past.

Found at http://www.epicurious.com/ , recipe originally from Bon Appétit.

The article and recipe:

Bagna Cauda

Literally translated as "hot bath," this dipping sauce for vegetables often appears in many Italian homes as part of the Christmas Eve buffet. Although cardoons (an edible thistle related to the artichoke but resembling celery) are traditional, celery makes a fine substitute and any combination of vegetables will do. In Italy, the routine goes like this: Vegetable pieces are dipped into the sauce (a fondue-style fork will help) and then eaten, with a slice of bread held underneath to catch the drippings. Once the bread is soaked with sauce, it's eaten, too. Then everyone starts over. It's fun for a party appetizer no matter where you live.

Servings: Serves 6.

Ingredients

3/4 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 anchovy fillets
6 large garlic cloves, chopped

Assorted fresh vegetables, cut into bite-size pieces
1 1-pound loaf crusty Italian or French bread, cutinto 2-inch sections

Preparation

Blend oil, butter, anchovies and garlic in processor until smooth. Transfer oil mixture to heavy medium saucepan. Cook over low heat 15 minutes, stirring, occasionally. (Sauce will separate.) Season with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce into fondue pot or other flameproof casserole. Set pot over alcohol burner or gas table burner to keep warm. Serve with vegetables and bread.

I don't like anchovies....otherwise, this is pretty good stuff!

Well, it is good to eat a variey of foods...

This meme was floating around at live journal. I posted it there, and then decided it fit here, too!

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.


I added wikipedia links for some of the weirder stuff.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue (just had some on Sunday!)
8. Carp
9. Borscht YUCK
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho There are little Pho shops everywhere you look these days... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi Not a fan. I like my curries to be liquid, not dry!
15. Hot dog from a street cart Of course. I grew up in New York City, ya know!
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle Only a bit mixed with olive oil
18. Fruit wine
19. Steamed pork buns Hell, yes, from many childhood Chinatown visits- and my mom makes good ones, too. They're also great baked. They're a dim sum staple!
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras Will never, ever eat this.
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters Yuck, like slurping snot.
29. Baklava YUM!!!!
30. Bagna cauda Same concept as fondue, only with spiced and herbed olive oil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagna_cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut HATE HATE HATE!
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail Only in French Onion Soup.
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal I like my curry, but not this kind...too hot. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu I value my life too much to attempt to eat this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel No way, and certainly not Jellied Eels...
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut KK rules!
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone Too rare. I wouldn't want to contribute to the species' extinction! :p
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal Never again, though, after having Five Guys....
56. Spaetzle I make it for every Christmas dinner... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine (reads wiki article) YUCK!
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs They really do taste like chicken.
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
66. Haggis Oh, hell no. Never.
69. Fried plantain Yummy!
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho Especially homemade with home grown tomatoes and cucumbers!
72. Caviar and blini Blini yes, caviar hell no.
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky They sell them in just about every grocery store now.
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox hate the lox part
97. Lobster Thermidor I like my lobster with plain old butter and lemon better...
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Good magazines!

No recipes this week, but I have some favorite cooking/food magazines to share.

Everyday With Rachael Ray- great recipes and entertaining ideas.



Everyday Food- from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. Little tiny magazine, stuffed with recipes. Easy to follow directions, includes nutrition information.



Cooks Illustrated- this is for the serious home cook. Each issue has very detailed cooking techniques, recipes, and product comparisons from the magazine's test kitchen.

A great family dish.

Turkey (or Chicken) Tetrazzini

from The American Century Cookbook

5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons dry sherry or Madeira
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 pounds medium mushrooms, sliced
3 medium scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained well
1/2 pimientos, diced (optional)
4 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking dish and set aside.

2. Melt three tablespoons of the butter in a medium heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Blend in flour, and slowly add broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in cream, sherry, 1/4 of the cheese, and pepper. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then take off the heat.

3. Melt the rest of the butter in a skillet over moderate heat. Cook mushrooms and scallions until limp, about 3 minutes.

4. Toss spaghetti in a large bowl with sauce, mushroom mixture, pimientos (if used), and turkey. Transfer to baking dish, and spread remaining cheese over the top.

5. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling and brown, about 25 minutes.

This is a big favorite with my family, and also for church potluck suppers. I've had to share the recipe often!

I got this cookbook for Christmas in 1999. It has great recipes, and excellent histories behind them, as well as a timeline of trends in cooking and prepared foods.

From the Dinner Doctor...

A simple but lovely pasta dish.

Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

8 oz angel hair pasta

2 tbs olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 12 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained
1/2 cup half and half
Basil for garnish

1. Bring water to a boil (salt if desired), add angel hair and cook until al dente, about four minutes. Drain pasta and toss with one tbs olive oil, cover to keep warm.

2. Heat remaining oil in a skillet, and cook onion and garlic on medium heat until onions are softened, about three minutes.

3. Place onion, garlic, peppers, and half and half in a food processor. Puree until smooth. Spoon sauce over pasta, stir together, and garnish with basil leaves.

This book is a life saver when you have stuff in the fridge or pantry that you don't know what to do with!

Thou shalt not covet thy sister's cookbooks!

On my sister's cookbook shelf...

Hot Sour Salty Sweet. A terrific tour of Southeast Asia's cuisine. Well written directions, lovely photographs, brief histories of each region, and a glossary of ingredients and techniques.



My sister got it for Christmas several years ago from our mother- and I was the one who wanted it! I keep saying that I'll borrow it and try stuff from it....but I never get around to it. I'm watching her house while she's on vacation, so I'll take time to study the book and copy down a few recipes.

Too much zucchini!

My mom's garden is producing a good crop of squash. I've picked enough zucchini and patty pan squash to make casseroles several times.

I don't have a real recipe. I just sort of throw everything together:

Two cups of assorted squash, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded cheese (Swiss or a mild cheddar)
1 cup breadcrumbs or crushed crackers (I use Panko breadcrumbs)

Salt and pepper to taste

Stir first four ingredients together in a baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Sprinkle top with cheese, then add breadcrumbs. Bake until crumbs are nicely browned.

Another older recipe...

A recipe I found in The Washington Post a few years ago. It's a Peruvian dish, and it's delicious! Recipes from Peru often have a blend of native, Spanish, and Asian flavors, as in this dish.

Lomo Saltado

Stir-fry of beef with onions and tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce

1¼ pounds beef tenderloin, cut into thin strips (1/2 -by 1/2- by 2-inch)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium red onion, sliced
3 tomatoes, seeds removed and sliced into wedges
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Makes 4 servings.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, cumin, 1 teaspoon vinegar or lime juice and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Add meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and toss meat to cover with liquid. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

When meat is ready, heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a wok or frying pan until smoking. Oil must be very hot. Add beef strips and stir-fry until meat is browned on all sides, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn meat constantly and cook in batches, if necessary, to avoid steaming meat.

Add onion and stir-fry until slightly transparent but still firm, about 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in tomatoes and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Stir-fry just to combine ingredients, taking care not to overcook tomatoes. Tomatoes should be slightly firm and just heated.

Sprinkle cilantro over mixture and toss lightly to distribute evenly. Remove immediately from heat to prevent overcooking.

Serve with rice. I like Goya's Spanish-style yellow rice, but plain white rice is fine, too.

I also make a vegetarian version- I substitute Japanese eggplant and tofu for the beef. I slice the eggplant lengthwise and stir-fry it with the onions, adding the tofu just before the tomatoes.

Another yummy cake!

This is the Fresh Orange Cake from the Cake Mix Doctor.





Serves 16
Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 47 minutes
Assembly time: 5 minutes

Cake:

Vegetable oil spray for misting pan, plus flour for dusting pan
1 package (18.25 ounce) yellow cake mix with pudding
1 cup fresh orange juice (or from the carton)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use canola because it's flavorless)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Glaze:

1 cup confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (from about one medium orange)
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest (from one medium orange)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable spray. Dust with flour, shaking out the excess.

2. Place the cake mix, juice, oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for one minute, then scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Increase the speed to medium and beat for another two minutes, until thick and well blended. Pour batter into the pan and place in the oven.

3. Bake the cake until golden brown and just starts to pull away from the pan, 45 to 47 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes, then invert on a cake plate to cool completely.

4. Prepare the glaze: combine the sugar, juice, and zest in a bowl and stir until smooth.

5. Pour glaze over the top of the cake. Let the glaze set before slicing.

The cake can be stored, covered, for up to a week. It can be frozen for up to six months.

This is a simple cake and is always eaten up at my family gatherings! The orange zest in the glaze makes the cake smell so good.

Perfect for the grill.

Another recipe from Quick Fix Meals- Pineapple Shrimp Skewers.

I adapted it somewhat- it's supposed to be served with a rum sauce, but I added the rum to the glaze.

1 to 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup canned pineapple, cubed (save the juice)
1 large red onion, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 green pepper, cut into chunks (this was my addition)

For the glaze-

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/2 cup dark rum
Pineapple juice

Mix the hoisin, rum, and pineapple juice in a bowl and set aside. Using metal or wooden skewers, alternate pieces of onion, pineapple, shrimp, and pepper. Brush skewers with hoisin mixture. Cook on the grill until shrimp are bright pink, about five minutes. Baste the skewers with sauce as the cook, turning them frequently. Serve with rice.

Pesto Pizza!

This recipe came from Quick Fix Meals, by the Food Network's Robin Miller.

White Pizza with Basil Pesto and Pine Nuts

1 pound fresh or frozen pizza dough (I used Boboli® crusts)
3/4 cup prepared pesto (I used my homemade pesto)
1 1/2 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (I used half that)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 450°. If using pizza dough, roll it out into an 18-inch circle. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Spread pesto evenly onto the dough, to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Sprinkle top with mozzarella, Parmesan, and pine nuts. Bake until the cheese melts and crust is golden brown, about ten minutes. Let stand for five minutes before cutting slices.

Easy and delicious! Takes no more than half an hour to prepare and bake.

A delicious cake!

I made this cake for a Mother's Day dinner. It was a big hit- there was hardly any left!

Smith Island Ten-Layer Cake

Found in the Food Section of The Washington Post, April 23, 2008.

Ingredients:

For the cake

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing the pans
3 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup water

For the icing
2 cups sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
5 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°. Grease 10 9-inch round cake pans, or use 2 or 3 at a time and re-grease them as needed.

2. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

3. Combine the sugar and butter in an electric mixer, beat at medium speed until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beat until smooth. Reduce the speed to low, and add the prepared dry ingredients one cup at a time, beat until incorporated. Still on low speed, add the milk, vanilla, and water, beating until combined.

4. Place three serving spoons full of batter in each prepared pan. Use the back of the spoon to spread batter evenly. Bake two or three layers at a time on the middle rack of the oven for 8 to 9 minutes- a layer is done when a sizzling noise can no longer be heard.

5. While the cakes are baking, make the icing: Combine the sugar and milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the chocolate and butter and stir until melted. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. The icing will thicken as it cools.

6. When the cake layers are baked, run a spatula around the edges and ease them out of the pans. Allow them to cool. Place the bottom layer on a cake plate. Spread two or three tablespoons of icing on each layer. Cover top and sides with remaining icing..

Serves 16.

I added a couple of things- I heated 1 cup of sweet orange marmalade and ½ cup of Triple Sec, and used a pastry brush to spread the mixture on every layer before the icing. I also used orange extract instead of vanilla for the icing.

This cake could become the official dessert of the state of Maryland- though there is some controversy on its origins. It resembles the tortes popular in Austria. There are many variations, but the plain yellow cake with chocolate icing is the “official” version. In any case, it’s delicious!


My cake:



Look at those layers! Yum! Baking each layer separately makes it less soggy from the icing.

Derby Day treats!

Today was the Kentucky Derby, so I had a little Derby Day feast. As usual, I made Benedictine sandwiches (I've posted the recipe here before). I added country ham with biscuits, and cherry cream cheese sandwiches. They're the easiest thing to do- just mix in a food processor: 8 ounces cream cheese and a jar of maraschino cherries (drained). Spread on very thin white sandwich bread.

I found this little tea time treat in Paula Deen Celebrates .

Dinner for one!

I found this great recipe in the Washington Post a few weeks ago. I made a few changes to the original, and also made a vegetarian version. I simplified the cooking directions a bit.

Chicken Marsala Wearing a Jacket

1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for brushing mushroom
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions
1 (4 to 5 ounce) chicken breast, cut into pieces (vegetarian version: three thin slices of eggplant)
Fine sea salt
1/4 cup red wine, such as Marsala or merlot
1/4 cup chicken chicken or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large portabello mushroom cap


Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and onions, stir to coat. Cook, stirring once or twice, for 5 to 7 minutes or until onions are caramelized. Add the chicken (or eggplant) and cook until browned (or the eggplant is tender).

Add wine, broth, and lemon juice, and cook down for a few minutes. Reduce heat to low, and continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Lightly brush mushroom cap with olive oil and a bit of lemon juice and salt. Broil the mushroom for a few minutes on both sides until mushroom has softened. Transfer to a plate, and fill the cap with the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

I served mine with sides of risotto and salad greens. The chicken and mushrooms were delicious. The sauce was sweet- I loved the combination of brown sugar, red wine, and lemon juice. This recipe is a keeper! I've found many good recipes in the Washington Post.

Leftover bananas!

I hate wasting bananas. I had four brown bananas that were perfect on the inside- just about to turn to mush. One more day, the bananas would have been no good except for banana bread, which I hate. I had to use them right away, so I made fritters, and they were delicious...

The basic batter recipe, from The Joy of Cooking:

Sift together in a bowl:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a seperate bowl, mix together:

2/3 cup milk
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Four medium sized ripe bananas, sliced

Add liquid ingredients to the dry mixture, then add the bananas.

Heat 3 inches of vegetable oil to 375°. Drop batter into the oil, about 1/4 cup each fritter, and fry until puffy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle powdered sugar on top to serve.



The original recipe called for two egg whites, beaten and folded into the batter, but mine came out fine without them.

No recipes this week, but...

I did want to share a book I recently found:

The Sweet Spot

Absolutely lovely Asian-inspired desserts- recipes include cakes, cookies, candies, and drinks with ingredients from just about everywhere- China, Japan, Vietnam, India...it is really pan-Asian. Some of the desserts are Western-style adapted for the Asian market, such as layer cake with green tea icing. Others are classics such as red-bean paste stuffed sweet sesame balls- a staple in China, and one Americans who frequent dim sum houses know very well. I'm going to try a few recipes in the coming weeks.

Two holiday recipes!

St. Patrick's Day has come and gone, but I thought I'd share a great quick bread recipe. This was a big hit at a party I had to cook for.

Royal Irish Soda Bread from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum



Oven temperature- 375°

1 scant cup raisins or currants
½ cup Irish whiskey or hot water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ liquid cup plus 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon caraway seeds (this is my own addition)

1. Soak the raisins/currants in whiskey or water for half an hour or until softened. Drain and reserve remaining whiskey for Irish whiskey butter (next recipe).

2. Preheat the oven to 375° for twenty minutes before baking.

3. Mix and knead the dough. Cut butter into 8 pieces so it will soften and be easier to blend into the flour.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, caraway seeds, and salt. Using your fingertips or a pastry blade, blend in the butter until the mixture resembles soft crumbs. Stir in the raisins/currants. Add the buttermilk and stir until moistened and the dough comes together.

Empty the dough onto a flat surface and knead 8 times. Scrape dough if it sticks to surface- don’t add more flour if possible.

4. Shape the dough. Roll dough into a six inch round. Place on a prepared baking sheet (book suggests parchment paper, but I used PAM. It worked well.).

5. Bake the bread for 30 minutes until it is golden brown and a wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool the bread on a rack.

Irish Whiskey Butter

3 tablespoons Irish whiskey
1 tablespoon sugar
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

In a small microwavable bowl, stir together whiskey and sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for about 20 seconds or until hot. Stir to dissolve sugar, cover and allow to cool completely.

With a whisk or spoon, gradually stir whiskey mixture into the butter until incorporated. It will be a caramel brown color. Serve with Irish soda bread. Can be stored in the refrigerator for two weeks.


This is just about the best recipe for Irish soda bread I've found. The only changes I made were to add the caraway seeds and to use currants instead of raisins.

This is a great baking book...I also love Beranbaum's Cake Bible.


From today's Easter dinner...

Spanokapita

This recipe was adapted from a cookbook compiled as a library fund raiser almost a decade ago. My mother and I tweaked the recipe, adding seasoning and pine nuts, as well as deciding to make individual pies instead of one big pie, as the original recipe called for. I've made it for every family Easter dinner for the last ten years, and it is always a hit.

1 package filo dough
1 stick butter
8 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
2 small packages feta cheese
2 eggs
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach, boiled, drained, with excess water squeezed out
3 tablespoons pine nuts, slightly toasted
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350°.


Mix together the cheeses, spinach, garlic, eggs, pine nuts, seasoning, and onion. Let the mixture chill for at least an hour.

Melt the butter. Set aside. Place filo dough on wax paper, cover with damp towel to keep dough from drying out.

Working quickly, take one sheet of filo and brush with butter. Fold the sheet in half lengthwise. Take one tablespoon of spinach mixture and add it to one end of the dough. Fold the dough into triangles as if folding a flag, using more butter to stick the sheets together. Repeat with new sheet of filo. Brush the top of each pie with more butter, and bake until browned, at least 25 minutes.

This recipe should make about 36 pies.



My usual Easter menu includes these pies, ham, lamb, asparagus, scalloped potatoes, and pineapple au gratin (that recipe was posted here several months ago). The pies are usually the most quickly devoured...

Still cooking!

Wow! I haven't updated in four months! I've been trying out a lot of new recipes, but just haven't gotten around to posting them. Here are two that I've tried recently:


Spaghetti with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Parsley

From Lidia’s Italian Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

Salt
¼ cup olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 ½ pounds assorted mushrooms, cleaned and sliced ¼ inch thick (about six cups)
Freshly ground black pepper
8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 pound spaghetti
1 cup vegetable broth or water
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic in skillet until golden, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and toss in salt, pepper, and sage. Cook mushrooms until they wilt, then until they are sizzling and brown, about ten minutes (boil off any liquid the mushrooms give off first).

Cook spaghetti until al dente.

Add the broth to the mushrooms and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

Drain pasta, and add mushroom mixture to pot. Add parsley and bring the pasta and sauce to a boil. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Remove from heat, add cheese, and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

I left out the sage, and added ¼ cup chopped fresh basil instead. I used a combination of white and porcini mushrooms (there were no suggestions in the book), but any combination of mushrooms will work. This is a lovely main course or a side dish for meat or seafood dishes (I made it with turkey scallopine with lemon sauce).

Baked Rigatoni with Cauliflower in a Spicy Pink Sauce

From Fine Cooking magazine, March 2007

3 Tbs. olive oil
2 28-oz. cans whole tomatoes
1 pound yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 ¼ tsp. kosher salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp. crushed red peppers
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound cauliflower, cut into 1 to 1 ¼ inch florets (about 4 cups)
10 oz. shredded Fontina cheese (about 2 ½ cups)
2 oz. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about ¾ cup)

Heat oven to 450°.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with 1 Tbs. olive oil.

Pour off 1 cup of juice from one of the cans of tomatoes and discard. Purée tomatoes and remaining juice in a food processor or blender.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and ¼ tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Push onions to one side of the pot and add garlic, cooking until it begins to sizzle, about 10 seconds.

Add puréed tomatoes, cream, and remaining salt (add slowly to avoid splattering). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, then cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the sauce thickens somewhat. Add the parsley and pepper flakes, and cook until the flavors meld (about 5 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Cook rigatoni until slightly al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and add to the sauce. Cook cauliflower until barely tender, about 2 minutes, and add to pasta mixture.

Add 1 ½ cups shredded Fontina to the pasta and toss well. Transfer to the baking dish, and top with remaining Fontina and the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake uncovered until the cheese is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let the pasta stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 to 8.

Be careful with the crushed red peppers! A little goes a long way. I actually only used half of the amount in the recipe, and the dish was still very spicy.