Book Club Get-Together

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that when, about six months ago, I joined a book club, I’d reached a milestone.  To say I’d always dreamed of joining a book club, sounds a bit sappy.  But I will say this at least - that I’d always eagerly looked forward to it.  My mom’s been part of an incredibly neat book club, for gosh, it’s got to be over ten years.  She and her six book club ladies get together at least once a month, to talk a little bit about the monthly book, and a lot more about well, anything but.  These six fantastic women have become some of my mom’s best friends over the last few years, and I can tell that their get-togethers are some of her favorite moments of every month.  Beyond a doubt, book club is a really special part of her life.  Watching my mom and her book club friends, and seeing how much they all enjoy this special group, I’ve always wanted to one day join a book club myself. 

And so, when I was lucky enough a while back, to fall into a book club of my own, I couldn’t have been more thrilled!  And I just sort of happened into it.  Last fall, I was catering a Labor Day party for our then brand-new friends Josh and Dana.  It was one of those laid-back gigs where I was the cook, but still more or less a guest.  Once the grill was turned off and the food on the table, my apron was off too, and I could join Ben in getting to know all of Josh & Dana’s wonderful friends.  It was an instant blast, and we knew right away that this was a seriously fun group.  Dana and some of her girlfriends had recently started a book club, and wouldn’t you know it -  without a hesitation, or even a vote -  they invited me to join!  Of course I accepted right away, and called my mom the first chance I got, to tell her the exciting news.

A few months in and I have to say, book club is pretty darn awesome.  These girls are great!  I’ve loved getting to know them over the last few months, and I’ve got a good feeling that this book club of mine has all the makings for being as special to me as my mom’s is to her. 

Last Sunday, it was my turn to host book club.  The monthly reading was Ayn Rand’s humongous tome, The Fountainhead, definitely one of our more daunting book club choices.  Don’t get me wrong – it’s one of my favorite books (just check out the tattered cover of my well-read copy in picture above) but it’s seven-hundred-plus pages of teeny type make for quite an undertaking!  Preparing the menu below was a complete breeze in comparison.

Secret-Ingredient-Sangria with Sliced Fruit    Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Walnut-Pesto, Roast Yellow Peppers, Goat Cheese, Arugula, Balsamic Vinegar & Extra-Virgin Olive Oil   Black Rice Salad with Pecans, Asparagus, Oranges, Grapes, Celery, Scallions, Golden Raisins & Sherry-Orange Vinaigrette   Arugula-Spinach-Radicchio Salad with Strawberries, Radishes, Red Onion, Almonds & Strawberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette   Seven-Layer Bars & Lemon Bars

As I put the finishing touches on the sandwich and salads, the girls gathered around the kitchen island, chatting and laughing and helping themselves to the pitcher of delicious sangria.  I’m not normally one for mixed drinks, but Sangria is not your normal mixed drink, and I can’t help but adore it.  It’s a traditional Spanish beverage, a combination of wine and brandy and sliced fruit.  This Sangria recipe is one of the best things I brought home with me from Spain.  My flat-mate Anna had made buckets of it one Friday night, for an impromptu end-of-the-work-week party.  This stuff was unbelievably delicious, and we all begged for the recipe.  She generously shared it with us, including her ‘secret’ ingredients: a pinch of cinnamon, and a good glug of Fanta orange soda!  A kaleidoscope of colorful fruit surrounded by sparkling ruby red, no drink could be prettier.  But I doubt one could be tastier either. 

This grilled chicken sandwich, with all the fixin’s listed above, is one I love to make from time to time.  It’s a great combination– the smoky-sweet yellow peppers and spicy green arugula, the pungent goat cheese and garlicky pesto and fruity balsamic vinegar.   They all create a perfect harmony with sliced grilled chicken, marinated in lemon and thyme, and a fresh crusty loaf of bread.  Gosh, I just love a good sandwich!

For I don’t know how long, at least a few months, I’ve had a package of beautiful black rice camping out on the top shelf of a kitchen cupboard.  I finally decided it was high time I did something with it, and that is how this beautiful salad, chock full of lovely fruits, nuts,  vegetables and herbs , came into being.  Dressed in one of my favorite spins on vinaigrette (that of the sherry-orange variety), the collage of bright spring-like flavors twisted together into something really spectacular, a deserving fate for that top-shelf bag of gorgeous black rice.

For a second salad, I threw together some of my all-time favorite ingredients – strawberries, arugula and radicchio.  (You know you see them on here just about all the time!)  With a touch of thinly sliced red onion, a handful of slivered almonds, and a drizzling of a rich strawberry-balsamic vinaigrette, it came together into a perfectly pretty spring salad, a wonderful something to have on the table, for any ladies’ lunch.   

For desserts, I chose two of the bar variety – seven-layer bars and lemon bars.   If you’ve never made seven layer bars, you’ve got to try them out.  A perfect treat for just about any occasion – pot luck, bake sale, dinner party or luncheon.  And they’re a breeze to make too.  It’s funny, I’d always thought this was family recipe, until about a year ago, when I saw it on the back of a can of condensed milk!  Oh well, even if they’re not a personal heirloom, they’re no less delicious. 

One thing though, I’ve never understood why they’re called seven-layer bars, rather than six-layer bars.  There’s the graham cracker crust (1), the chocolate (2), the butterscotch (3), the coconut (4), the condensed milk (i.e. the nectar of the gods) (5), and the chopped nuts (6).  Clearly six layers, not seven.  The only way I can figure it, you’ve got to count the butter too, which is part of the crust.  I don’t buy it though.  It’s certainly misleading.  Seven seems like an unfair exaggeration to me.  But like I just said, they’re no less delicious for it!

Bright, tart lemons bars were a great contrast to the rich, chocolaty seven-layers.  The lemon bar recipe below is from my friend Sara.  She’d made a batch a few months ago, and brought some up for me to sample.  One taste and I knew, this was the only lemon bar recipe I could ever need.  Hers was a perfect specimen of the ultimate lemon bar.  Delicate and buttery shortbread-like crust, smooth lemony filling with the perfect balance of bright acidity, and a light dusting of powdered sugar.  I am a huge fan of all lemon sweets, but this one in particular, is exceptional.  My book club girls agreed – These were a hit all around!

Secret-Ingredient-Sangria with Sliced Fruit Adapted from my Spanish friend Anna Serves  6-8    2 small oranges, washed and thinly sliced into circles, ends discarded 2 limes, washed and thinly sliced into circles, ends discarded 1 granny smith apple, washed, cored, and sliced into thin wedges 2 plums, washed, pitted, and sliced into thin wedges 1 bunch red grapes, washed and thinly sliced into circles, about 5-6 per grape 2 (cheap but yummy) bottles of medium-bodied, dry red wine, cold * 1/4 cup brandy 1 1/2 L orange Fanta soda, cold 1/4 cup + 2 Tbl granulated sugar pinch ground cinnamon   Wash and slice all of the fruit.  Place a small handful of sliced fruit (containing a little bit of each type) into each of six or eight glasses (or jelly jars, which I like to use).  Place the rest of the fruit into the pitcher.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the wine, brandy, Fanta, sugar and cinnamon.  Whisk to completely dissolve the sugar.  Pour the wine mixture into the fruit-filled pitcher.  Refrigerate for about an hour or two, along with the fruit-filled cups.  (If you’re pressed for time (or just really excited to drink some sangria) you don’t really have to wait – It will be delicious right away.) When ready to serve, add a few ice cubes to the glasses, then fill each glass with sangria from the pitcher.  Keep the pitcher nearby for refills. * Traditionally, Sangria is made with Rioja, a Spanish wine.  But Rioja can get pricy.  With extra fixins’ like sugar and Fanta, it should be clear to you that we’re not after anything complex and fancy.  Any cheap but yummy wine will do.  Box wine even, is perfect for this situation.  There’s nothing wrong with box wine!   Yes, it certainly lacks complexity, but that doesn’t necessarily make it bad. Box wine can actually be pretty tasty, and that’s all we’re after here. Aim for a medium-bodied mixture of wine.  Any combination of Pinot Noir, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon would do.  (I mixed a bottle of Merlot with a bottle of Cab.)  I only advise against using two bottles of Cab, which may be a little too full in body for a light-hearted beverage like this.

 

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Walnut-Pesto, Roast Yellow Peppers, Goat Cheese, Arugula, Balsamic Vinegar & Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Serves  4-6     For the sandwich:  1 sub-like loaf Italian/French bread (the soft inside/crusty outside kind), about 2 feet long 3 Tbl balsamic vinegar, divided  3 Tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided about 3 oz goat cheese (the smooth kind, not the crumbly kind)  3 grilled chicken breasts, sliced (see recipe below) 3 roasted yellow bell peppers (see recipe below)   about 1/2 cup pesto (see recipe below) 2 handfuls arugula kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste  Slice the loaf of bread in half, length-wise.  In a small bowl, mix 2 Tbl balsamic vinegar and 2 Tbl olive oil with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Liberally brush this vinaigrette all over the cut sides of the top and bottom halves of bread.  Sprinkle both halves with a bit of salt and pepper.  Spread the goat cheese evenly over the bottom half of the bread.  Evenly layer the chicken slices over the goat cheese, then the roasted yellow pepper slices over the chicken.  Spread about 1/3 cup of pesto over the top half of the bread.  In a medium size mixing bowl, toss the arugula with the remaining 1 Tbl of balsamic vinegar and 1 Tbl olive oil.  Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Arrange the dressed arugula over the bottom half of the sandwich, and top with the pesto-dressed top half.  Slice into 6 or eight equal portions.  Serve immediately. For the grilled chicken: 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 lemon 3 garlic cloves 6 sprigs fresh thyme 1 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste vegetable oil, for preparing the grill Marinate the chicken - Slice half of the lemon, cross-wise, into circular slices, but leave one half whole.  Crush the garlic cloves with the broad side of a large knife (no need to remove the peels).  In a medium container, combine the sliced lemon, crushed garlic cloves, chicken breasts and thyme sprigs.  Mix to combine.  Add the olive oil and juice from the half of the lemon.  Season with salt and pepper and mix again.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to marinate at least six hours.  Preheat the grill to very hot.  Here’s a way to tell if your grill is at the right temperature.  Hold your hand right over it.  If you you can keep it there for five seconds, it’s not hot enough.  If you can’t hold it there for even half a second, it's too hot.  When the grill is hot, soak a clean rag or a bunch of paper towels with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, and using tongs, rub it over the grill rack.  Pick off the lemon slices, thyme sprigs and garlic cloves, and discard.  Place the chicken breasts onto the grill rack, close the grill lid, and cook about 5 minutes.  Flip the chicken breasts and grill a few minutes more, until cooked through.  For chicken to be officially fully cooked, the inside temperature should register 165°F.  But, if you pull the chicken from the grill when the temperature is about 155°F, then cover them with foil and allow them to rest for about ten minutes, the temperature should creep up to the safety of 165°F, giving you fully cooked but still juicy chicken.  No matter what, allow the chicken to rest about ten minutes, before you slice it.  Thinly slice the chicken, against the grain, on a slight diagonal. For the roasted yellow peppers: 3 medium-sized yellow bell peppers If you have a gas stove-top: Turn a burner onto high heat.  Place the peppers directly on the grate over the flame.  Keep an eye on the peppers, turning pretty frequently, until the skin is evenly charred all around.  Place the peppers in a container and cover with a lid or plastic wrap.  Allow them to set for about 15 minutes.  [If you don’t have a gas stove-top: Preheat the oven to 500°F.  Place the peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast, turning every 5-7 minutes, until the skin is loose and blistery.  Remove from the oven and place the peppers in a container. Cover with a lid or with plastic wrap. Allow them to set for about 15 minutes.]  Remove the peppers from the container.  Slice each pepper in half, length-wise, and then into quarters, lengthwise again.  Remove the stems, seeds, and any tough, pithy membranes inside.  Using a knife, scrape off the charred skin from the outside of the peppers.  Refrigerate the cleaned roasted peppers, in an air-tight container, until needed.

 

Walnut Pesto Makes 1 cup 1/4 cup walnuts 3 medium-sized garlic cloves, peeled and bottom ends sliced off 2 cups basil leaves, roughly chopped 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil juice from 1 lemon 1/2 cup + 2 Tbl grated parmesan   Add the walnuts and garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Add the chopped basil leaves and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse, grainy paste.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, using a rubber spatula.  Add the salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice, and pulse to combine.  Add the grated parmesan and pulse to combine.  Taste, and season as needed with salt and pepper.  Keep refrigerated in an air-tight container, up to a week.

 

Black Rice Salad with Pecans, Asparagus, Oranges, Grapes, Celery, Scallions, Golden Raisins & Sherry-Orange Vinaigrette Serves  6-8     For the vinaigrette: 2 Tbl fresh orange juice (from the oranges, below)  1 tsp chopped thyme 1 Tbl Dijon mustard 1 tsp dark brown sugar 2 Tbl sherry vinegar 2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup vegetable oil kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, thyme, mustard, brown sugar and sherry vinegar.  Slowly pour in the olive oil, then the vegetable oil, both in a thin stream and whisking as you pour.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  This can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week in an airtight container, until needed. For the rest of the salad: 1 cup medium grain black rice * 1 cup pecan halves about 10 medium-sized asparagus stalks 2 oranges 1/2 cup golden raisins 1 c grapes, washed and sliced in half 4 stalks celery, washed and sliced very thinly on the diagonal 3 green onions, washed and sliced thinly on the diagonal, both white and green parts 1 Tbl orange zest 1 Tbl thyme leaves (whole, not chopped) kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste Prep the rice: First, rinse the rice - Place the rice in a large mixing bowl and cover with cool water.  Give it a few good stirs, then drain off the water.  Cover with new cool water, stir, and drain again.  Repeat covering with water, stirring and draining, until the water no longer turns purplish.   Add the rice and 2 cups clean water to a medium-sized sauce pot.  Bring to a boil, stir once, then cover with a lid.  Reduce the heat to low, to keep the rice at a bare simmer.  Simmer for 50 minutes.  To check if the rice is done, tilt the pot to see if any water is left at the bottom.  If there’s a bit of water left over, cook for about 3-5 minutes more.  When all the water is absorbed, remove the pot from the heat and allow it to rest ten minutes.  Fluff the rice with a fork, then pour the rice over a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Allow it to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an air-tight container and chill it in the refrigerator.  The rice is best made a day ahead, and chilled overnight.  Toast the pecans: Preheat the oven to 350°F, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the pecans across the paper. Toast for five minutes, turn the pan, and continue to toast until you can smell the nice nutty aroma and the color of the nuts has deepened a bit, about 10-15 minutes total.  Remove from the oven and set the pecans aside until needed. Prep the asparagus: The bottoms of the stems are tough and woody but the tops are tender.  To determine where to trim, take one stem and holding the bottom of the stem in one hand and the middle in the other, bend the stem.  It will snap right at the point where tough turns to tender.  Line up the rest of the asparagus so their tips align, and slice off their bottom portions at the same point where the first one snapped.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the asparagus and cook until just barely tender, about three or so minutes.  Drain, then plunge into a large bowl of ice water, and let soak for about a minute.  Drain from the ice water, and slice the asparagus into bit-size pieces of about 1-inch long.  Set aside until needed. Slice the oranges: With a sharp knife, remove the peel - Slice off the top and bottom ends.  Rest the orange on the cutting board, and slice from top to bottom down the sides, removing the skin and the white pith that lies beneath.  Continue to slice away the skin, around the entire fruit.  Cut away any pith you may have missed. Now, slice the orange into segments - Hold the peeled orange over a bowl. Slice downward towards the center of the orange, as close as possible along the white membrane separating the segments. Make the same slice on the opposite side of the same segment.  When the two cuts meet at the center, the orange segment with slide out, and fall into the bowl.  Repeat with the remaining segments.  When done with the entire fruit, squeeze the juice into the bowl.  Strain the juice into a separate container (use 2 Tbl of this for the vinaigrette).  Set aside the orange segments until needed. Prep the raisins: Place the raisins in a small bowl.  Cover with boiling water and soak for about 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside until needed.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked rice with the toasted pecans, sliced asparagus, orange segments, soaked raisins, halved grapes, sliced celery, sliced green onions, orange zest and thyme leaves.  Drizzle with the vinaigrette.  Season with a good pinch of salt and a good few grinds of pepper.  Toss thoroughly to combine.  Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper.   The salad can benefit greatly if you allow it to set for a few hours.  The rice will soak up the vinaigrette and all the flavors will meld.   To serve, transfer to a serving bowl or platter.  Best served at room temperature. * Black rice may be one of those ingredients that’s a bit tricky to find, but it’s just so pretty, I think it’s worth the search.  I used this type, and I find it at Whole Foods, but my bet is that you’d have pretty good luck finding it at any somewhat-specialty grocery store.  (Long-grain wild rice is a very pretty type of black-colored rice too.  It’s maybe easier to find, but it’s maybe a bit more expensive too.)  No matter what type of rice you end up using, you’d be better to follow the directions on the rice package, as far as cooking times, rather than following mine to the T, since the cooking time for each specific type of rice varies a bit.  Adjust the times, but still follow the same general method of bringing the rice and water to a boil, then covering the pot, reducing the heat, and simmering until done.  And definitely make sure you rinse your rice well though before cooking it.  Otherwise, it will be an ugly, sticky mess.

 

Arugula-Spinach-Radicchio Salad with Strawberries, Radishes, Red Onion, Almonds & Strawberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette Serves  6-8      For the vinaigrette: (makes about 1 cup dressing, more than you’ll need for this salad) 1 cup roughly chopped strawberries (from about 6 medium-sized ones) 1 Tbl sugar 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tbl vegetable oil kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste Add the chopped strawberries, sugar and balsamic vinegar to a small sauce pot.  Simmer for about ten minutes, then remove from the heat.  Add the strawberry-balsamic mixture to a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth.  With the blender/processor running, slowly add the oils.  Taste, then season as needed with salt and pepper.  Cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate in an air-tight container, up to a week. For the rest of the salad: 1/4 cup very-thinly sliced red onion 9 oz baby spinach, stems plucked off 4 oz arugula, stems plucked off 1/2 head radicchio, sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons 8 radishes, washed and sliced into thin circles 12 medium-sized ripe strawberries, washed, cored and quartered kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste Place the sliced red onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water.  Soak about fifteen minutes, then drain.  (This removes some of the harsh oniony flavor.) Place the onions, spinach, arugula, radicchio, radishes and strawberries in a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle about a quarter cup of the vinaigrette over the top, and season with a sprinkle of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Toss well to combine, and coat everything with the vinaigrette.  Taste a leaf.  Add more vinaigrette, or more salt or pepper, if needed.  Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and serve immediately.

 

Seven-Layer Bars   Adapted from the recipe on cans of Eagle-brand condensed milk Makes 24 2-inch bars     1 stick butter, melted 1 pack graham crackers (1/3 of a box), finely crushed (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup butterscotch chips 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut 1 can condensed milk 1 1/2 cups pecans, roughly chopped Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Add the melted butter and the crushed graham crackers to a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Mix with a rubber spatula to combine.  Pour the mixture into a 9x13-inch pan.  Press evenly over the bottom of the pan. Scatter the chocolate and butterscotch chips evenly over the graham cracker layer.  Sprinkle the shredded coconut evenly over the chips.  Slowly pour the condensed milk as evenly as you can over the coconut – This is a bit tricky, but don’t stress too much over it – It will be delicious no matter what.  Finally, sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the top.  Bake until set and lightly golden on top, about 25-30 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.  Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until needed. Trim about 1/4-inch to a 1/2-inch around all four borders.  (The border scraps are the cook’s (and the cook’s hungry husband’s) treat.)  Slice the center area into 24 2-inch square bars, 4 rows by 6 columns.  I always hate this part of making desserts of the bar-variety!  Every time, I end up wrestling with the pan, trying to get the first square out.  Once you get that first one though, lifting out the rest gets a bit easier, especially with the help of a good metal spatula.  So don’t be discouraged – Keep at it! I think these are best served a bit cold.  But they’re good too at room temperature.  And now that I think about it, they’d probably be pretty delicious served hot with vanilla ice cream on top.

 

Lemon Bars Adapted from my downstairs friend Sara’s family recipe Makes 24 2-inch bars For the crust: 1 cup softened butter 1/2 cup sugar 2 cups flour Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Place the butter, sugar and flour in a medium mixing bowl and mix well to combine, with a rubber spatula. (The dough will resemble fine sand, and will hold together a bit if you squeeze it between your fingers.) Pour the dough mixture into a 9x13-inch pan.  Press evenly over the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature on a wire rack.  For the lemon filling: 4 eggs 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp baking powder powdered sugar, for dusting In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and the baking powder, and set aside.  Crack the eggs into a medium-sized mixing bowl, and whisk.  Add the sugar and mix to combine.  Add the lemon juice and mix to combine.  Add the flour-baking powder mixture and mix to combine.  Pour this mixture over the cooled crust.  Bake at 35o°F until the center is set, about 25-30 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.  Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap.  Trim about 1/4-inch to a 1/2-inch around all four borders.  (Another treat for you, and kitchen-lingering loved ones.)  Slice the center area into 24 2-inch square bars, 4 rows by 6 columns.  Like all bar-variety deserts, getting these out of the pan can be the bane of my existence!  But once you get the first square out, the rest is more-or-less smooth sailing.  Using a sturdy metal spatula helps a lot.  Right before serving, dust with powdered sugar.  Don’t do this too soon, or the sugar will dissolve into the lemon mixture, and it won’t look as pretty.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

An Attempt at Writing Succinctly

I’ve got a few super-busy weeks ahead of me, on the catering side of things, so I’m going to try and keep the writing short and sweet.  I know I can get pretty talkative, especially when it comes to food.  So for a while at least, I’ll have to tailor down that side of this blogging project.  Don’t worry though – as for the recipes and photos, I’ll be cutting no corners whatsoever!

This week we had our landlord Jay and his wife Aimee over.  I know what it sounds like – like 14 weeks in, and we’re scraping the bottom the the barrel for dinner guests.  But seriously, Jay is a totally cool landlord (way cooler than most I bet, and definitely the coolest we’ve ever had) and we’ve been saying that we want to have him over since we moved in, so it was about time.  It was also the first time we really got to meet Aimee, and wow, is she neat too.  A new girlfriend for me!  Awesome!  All in all, the evening’s menu was pretty simple.  And really tasty.

Cheddar & Rhubarb Chutney Canapés Stilton & Candied Kumquat Canapés   Grilled Hangar Steak Mashed Red-Skinned Potatoes with Watercress & Green Onions Balsamic-Glazed Red Pearl Onions Stilton-Rosemary Compound Butter Sauce   Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries

The hors d’oeuvres were the simplest part, mainly because I made use of some of my homemade preserves, and so had most of the work done already.  Although simple, these were really delicious.  If you don’t happen to have homemade preserves on hand, never fear.  Just grab a jar at the store, of whatever tickles your fancy – orange marmalade, red pepper jelly, mango chutney.  This is a wonderful brand that’s easy to find all over.  A great cheese, a great cracker and a special preserve – it’s my secret weapon for any last minute get-together. 

It’s important that I fill you in a bit on hanger steak.  This is a cut of meat that’s not so easy to find – You may have to go to a specialty butcher, or even special order it.  This is because A) it’s suddenly become quite popular, especially among restaurant chefs, and B) there’s only one hanger steak per cow.  But, it’s definitely worth searching for.  It is full of flavor – Jay asked about three time whether I seasoned it with anything more than salt and pepper – He couldn’t believe I didn’t marinate it.  And another thing:  This is a cut of beef that’s best cooked no further than medium-rare.  If you stay within that realm, it will be tender and juicy and all around incredible. If you venture even a little into the medium zone or beyond, it will be tough and chewy.  So the key: grill it over really high heat, and do it fast.   You won’t be disappointed!

There’s something to be said, I think, for lumpy mashed potatoes.  For sure, there’s a time and a place for utterly smooth potato puree.  But sometimes you’re in the mood for something a little less refined.  Sometimes, a lump or two is not a bad thing at all.  Buttery, creamy mashed potatoes, with a little bit of lumpiness, were exactly what I was after this week.  To up the rustic feel even more, I left in a little bit of the pretty red skin.

Below, you’ll find my personal recipe for lumpy-style mashed potatoes, but with a bit of a twist.  For this particular dinner, I tossed in a bunch of wilted watercress (to add a touch of spring) and handful of green onions (to add a kick of spicy flavor).  I like the pretty green specks too, especially next to the pretty red specks.  And oh yes, they’re all delicious, too.

Balsamic-Glazed Pearl Onions is one of my favorite side dishes.  The sweet little onions, slowly sautéed in butter and extra-virgin olive oil, take on a deep and rich caramel flavor.  A hit of balsamic vinegar lends a touch of brightness, and the last-minute dash of sugar certainly doesn’t hurt things either.  For the sake of time, I won’t go on and on, but I definitely could!  To keep it short, all I’ll say is, you really should give these a try.

The finishing touch to the main course was the Stilton-Rosemary Compound Butter, a simple mixture of butter, blue cheese and finely chopped rosemary.  I dolloped a bit atop the steaks, hot off the grill, and it melted straight away into a wonderfully fragrant sauce.   I hope you’re a fan of blue cheese, because this is a deliciously simple sauce for any cut of steak.

Dessert was supposed to be something altogether different.  I’d been trying all week to perfect a new recipe for cardamom bread pudding.  But I never got it quite perfect.  Having to switch gears at the last minute, I went with one of my all time favorites – Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries.  Man oh man, this stuff is good!  But the beautiful thing is, it’s super easy!  It’s a perfect 10 for deliciousness and a perfect 10 too for easiness.  And every time I make it, everyone goes crazy.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with panna cotta, it’s a creamy gelatin-based dessert.  That simplistic description hardly does justice to how marvelous this is.  But no description could, actually, no matter how eloquent.  You’ll just have to try it out for yourself.  Combined with a syrupy balsamic-strawberry sauce, it’s absolutely over-the-top incredible.  The panna cotta recipe below is adapted from one by Lynne Rosetto Kasper, who’s a host of a wonderful radio show on NPR called The Splendid Table.  I highly recommend that you both check out her show (you can download free podcasts), and that you try this recipe.

Scrolling through this post, I guess I was still rather wordy.  But there was just so much to tell you!  Ah, well, back to the kitchen.  Happy cooking to all of you, too!

Cheddar & Rhubarb Chutney Canapés Serves 4     16 French bread crostini (from about 1/4 baguette) 4 oz aged sharp white cheddar about 1/3 cup rhubarb chutney Slice the cheddar into 8 rectangular slices of roughly 1/4-inch each, then slice each rectangle into two triangles. Top each crostini with a triangle of cheddar, then about 1 teaspoon of rhubarb chutney.  Serve immediately.

 

Stilton & Candied Kumquat Canapés  Serves 4   16 French bread crostini (from about 1/4 baguette) 4 oz Stilton (or any strong-flavored blue cheese) 16-32 candied kumquat halves Top each crostini with about 1/4 oz of blue cheese, then 1-2 candied kumquat halves.  Serve immediately.

 

Grilled Hanger Steak Serves 4        1 medium-large sized hanger steak (between 1 3/4 and 2 1/2# depending on your appetites) kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste vegetable oil, for preparing the grill Heat the grill on high until very hot, about 30 minutes. Here’s a way to tell if your grill is at the right temperature.  Hold your hand right over it.  If you you can keep it there for five seconds, it’s not hot enough.  If you can’t hold it there for even half a second, it's too hot.  When the grill is hot, soak a clean rag or a bunch of paper towels with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, and using tongs, rub it over the grill rack.  Pat the hangar steak dry with paper towels, then season all over with a good dose of salt and pepper.  Place the steak on the rack, close the grill lid, and cook about 5-6 minutes.  Flip the steak and grill about 5 minutes more, for medium rare (which is a temperature of about 125°F).  This kind of steak really shouldn’t be cook beyond medium-rare, or it will be tough and chewy.  Remove the steak from the grill and allow it to rest, covered with a loose layer of foil, for 10 minutes.  Slice into 4 portions,  and serve hot.

 

Mashed Red-Skinned Potatoes with Watercress & Green Onions   Serves 4    If you’re after a basic mashed potato recipe – a rustic-ish one with a bit of skin and lump or two, here or there – and one sans watercress and green onions - just follow this recipe, and leave out the watercress and green onions :).   1 large bunch watercress 2 # red-skinned potatoes 1 cup heavy cream, warm 1/2 stick butter, room temperature 4 green onions (scallions), both white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste To prep the watercress: Rinse in cool water.  Tear off the tough, large stems, keeping the leaves and smaller delicate stems.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a vigorous boil and add the prepped watercress.  Boil for only about 20 seconds, until the watercress is wilted and a vibrant green, then drain.  Immediately plunge the watercress into a bowl of ice water.  Cool for about 1 minute, then drain again.  Squeeze out the excess water, then roughly chop the watercress. Reserve. To make the mashed potatoes:  Rinse the potatoes in cool water.  Peel the potatoes, leaving small areas of the red skin here and there.  Cut the potatoes into medium-sized chunks.  Add to a pot of boiling salted water and cook until tender.  Drain, then add back to the pot.  Add the butter, and mash with a potato masher, leaving a few lumps.  Add the warm cream, season with a good pinch of salt and a good few grinds of pepper, and mash until just combined.  If you want to make this ahead and keep it warm, scoop the potatoes into a metal mixing bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  Place the bowl over a sauce pot filled with about an inch of water, and place the pot over low heat to keep the water at a simmer and the potato mixture warm. Make sure the bowl fits well over the pot – the diameter of the bowl shouldn’t be much larger than that of the pot. Just before serving, add the prepped watercress and sliced green onions to the mashed potatoes and mix well to combine.  Serve hot.

 

Balsamic-Glazed Red Pearl Onions Serves 4 1 1/2 # red pearl onions 2 Tbl butter 1 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 Tbl sugar kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste First, prep the pearl onions: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the pearl onions.  Simmer about two minutes, then drain.  Slice just the barest amount off the tough root end, then using a paring knife, peel off the skin.  Set prepped onions aside. Add the butter and olive oil to a large sauté pan, and place it over medium heat.  When the butter is melted, add the prepped peal onions.  Season with a good pinch of salt and a few good grinds of pepper.  Reduce the heat somewhere around medium-low and slowly cook the onions, stirring only occasionally, until they are tender throughout (try one to make sure) and slightly caramelized all over, about 30 minutes or so.  Just before serving, add the balsamic vinegar and sugar.  Increase the heat to about medium high.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid reduces and glazes the onions.  Taste, and season as needed with salt and pepper.  Serve hot.

 

Stilton-Rosemary Compound Butter  Makes about 3/4 cup 1 stick butter 4 oz crumbled Stilton (or any strong-flavored blue cheese) 2 tsp rosemary leaves, very finely chopped 1 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Using the paddle attachment, mix on high speed until well combined.  Transfer the butter mixture onto a sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Roll into a log of about 1 inch. Refrigerate until ready to use. Can be refrigerated 4 days and frozen a month. When serving, slice into portions of about 1-2 tablespoons.  Place over hot servings of meat, which will cause it to melt.

 

Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries   Adapted from Lynne Rossetto Kasper Serves 6-8, depending on the size of cups you use  For the panna cotta: 1 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin 2 Tbl cold water 3 cups heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup (8 oz) sour cream In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the cold water and allow it to set for 5 minutes.  Add the cream, sugar, salt and vanilla to a medium-sized sauce pan.  Over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, bring this mixture to just a simmer – Do not let it boil.  Stir in the gelatin-water mixture (which should be pretty thick by now) and stir until thoroughly dissolved.  Remove the cream mixture from the heat and allow it to cool about five minutes.  Place the sour cream in a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Slowly add the warm cream mixture, stirring in a little at a time, until smooth.  (I like to use a rubber spatula, rather than a whisk, because it makes for less bubbles on the tops of the panna cotta.  But this means that I have to stir extra well, to insure total smoothness and combination of ingredients.)  Fill 6-8 tea cups or soufflé cups about 3/4 full with the cream mixture.  Chill for at least 8 hours (which was enough time for me the other day) but you’d be even safer with about 12 hours.  To serve, top each cup of panna cotta with about 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic strawberries and a bit of their syrup.  Serve cold.  For the balsamic strawberries: 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries 2 Tbl sugar 1 Tbl balsamic vinegar Toss all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.  Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour, to encourage the strawberries to release their juices.  Cover and refrigerate until needed, up to one day.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

An A+ Easter Dinner

We had quite the Easter feast this Sunday.  We celebrated with Matt and Sara from downstairs, our go-to friends for just about any sort of celebration.  I have to say, it sure is nice having these two around, for sampling experimental baked goods and helping eat leftovers, for their helpful feedback and conscientious food critiques, and for always being there when we find ourselves in a pinch and need last-minute dinner guests.  I know it sounds like a rather pleasant undertaking on their part, but that doesn’t make me any less grateful for their help. So, a big Thank You to Matt & Sara, and a big Happy Easter to the rest of you!

As you can imagine, Scrumptious Company dinner parties can be a bit involved.  (I’m not talking about the food, exactly – these recipes, for the most part, are pretty simple, and definitely doable for any of you non-professionals at home.)  When I say involved, I’m referring first and mainly to the picture taking.  As a novice photographer, I had no idea it could ever take so much time!  Looking for the best lighting, switching up backdrops, playing with angles, adjusting the food, re-adjusting the food, etc…  And trying to do all this before said food gets cold.  It’s a bit of a challenge, especially as I’m simultaneously playing the role of hostess!  What sets our dinner parties apart from the norm even more, and makes them even a bit more involved, is that we talk about the food.  A lot.  And in a critical way.  As the chef, it can sometimes be difficult to tell how others will react to my food.  I know what I like and don’t, but I’m often surprised by others’ reactions.  So, for me to give you, my readers, all the best possible descriptions of my food, I need to hear what our dinner guests really think.  I’m a real stickler for getting our friends’ true opinions.  Constructive criticism is the name of the game. 

So, you see, these aren’t your average laid-back dinner parties.  But our guests, every last one of them, have been sensational -  really getting into the action, helping enthusiastically with the photos and recipe critiques, and showing total support for the unique intricacies of this project.  Picture taking, constructive criticism and all, it’s been so much fun, maybe even more fun than regular old dinner parties.

Fava Bean Puree with Crostini and Spring Carrots Beet-Dyed Deviled Eggs     Apricot-Mustard Glazed Ham with Potato-Fennel Gratin & Roasted Asparagus Ben’s Homemade Butter Rolls     Lemon Tart with Blueberries

Critiquing the food with Matt and Sara (two scholars, through and through), we often find ourselves going by the academic letter-grading-scale, assigning A’s, B’s and so on.  This week’s dinner aced the test.  An occasional A, and the rest A+’s.  There were even a few A+++’s!  With a strong 4.0, this menu is definitely in the running for Scrumptious Company valedictorian!

The fava bean puree scored the first A+ of the night, for both taste and presentation.   Served alongside crostini and fresh baby carrots, the creamy green dip was picture perfect.  But the flavor, man oh man, the flavor!  Smooth, buttery beans with a good dose of nutty parmesan, a splash of lemony brightness, overtones of fruity olive oil, and a subtle sparkle of fresh mint.  I might have said this was the most delicious dish of the night, but that wouldn’t be exactly fair… Snacking on it while putting final touches on the rest of the meal, I got thoroughly carried away by its addictive deliciousness, and may have ruined my appetite just a bit for everything else!

While all the dishes were star students, the beet-dyed deviled eggs were certainly the teacher’s pet.  These were so freaking cute, I had to call my mom (a woman rightfully renowned in Toledo for her delicious deviled eggs) to fill her in.  An adult’s version of colored Easter eggs, these hard-boiled eggs took on a gorgeous deep pink hue from a long soak in a beet-dyed pickling solution.  The soft yellow yolk filling, speckled with grainy dots of coarse-ground mustard and tiny flecks of green parsley, and swirled on top in a pretty spiral, was just as gorgeous as its pink counterpart.  And like a lucky student with both brains and beauty, this adorable hors d’oeuvre was just as delicious as it looked.  Deviled eggs, ordinary as they may seem, are one of my favorite treats of all time.  And this gussied up version, a fancy twist on the humble original, sacrificed none of the original’s fundamental tastiness, for the sake of sophistication.  With a mustardy, mayonnaisy, velvety filling, and just a slight insinuation of pickled beet flavor, these had all the humble goodness of the traditional deviled eggs I love.

The glazed ham and apricot-mustard sauce got another A+.  In fact, I think that this is how I will always make Easter ham from now on.  The simple sauce, made of just apricot preserves, apple cider vinegar and whole grain mustard, hit all the right flavor notes.  Sweet and tart and a little bit spicy, rounded out by the earthy mustard and the fruity apricots.  Slathered all over and rubbed into the nooks and crannies of the diamond-scored ham, it caramelized in the oven into a gorgeously sticky golden brown crust, more sweetly delicious even, than all the candy in your Easter basket.  The ham itself was all around fantastic.  But it’s ham after all, so of course it was.  Ham could get straight A’s without even cracking a book.

Oooh, the potato-fennel gratin.  For the sake of not sounding like a broken record, I won’t even tell you what grade this got ……..…. A+!!!  (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)  Tender and creamy and utterly rich with smooth flavors of roasted fennel and parmesan cheese, and topped with a bubbling golden brown crust, this beautiful gratin deserved its high mark, through and through.

Now, I know some of you may be intimidated by fennel.  Maybe you’ve never cooked with it before – I know I hadn’t until I started cooking professionally.  But honestly, it’s no harder to prepare than an onion.  And maybe you’re put off by its so-called licoricey taste – I know I was.  That is, until I actually tried it.  I hate that fennel has a flavor akin to licorice, not because it tastes bad, but because it scares people away.  Myself, I am not a licorice lover.  On my own personal candy spectrum, licorice lies towards the hate it end.  But on my vegetable spectrum, fennel sits securely at the love it end.  You see, as fennel cooks, the licorice flavor softens and metamorphoses into this sweet and mellow richness, and becomes something altogether different, and altogether charming.  Combined with golden potatoes, heavy cream and parmesan, the subtle fennel flavors just melt into the lovely creaminess of this divine gratin. 

The roasted asparagus was pretty much a gimme A.  Like an easy class where attendance alone is enough to ensure top marks.  So simple.  But, sigh… so delicious. Simply dressed with extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, then roasted until tender and slightly tinged with golden brown.  A squeeze of lemon at the end, and they’re ready to be devoured. 

If roasted asparagus is a gimme class, we all agreed that the dinner rolls were a college level AP course.  But my dear husband always likes a challenge.  Ben is the baker of the family, which works all too well for me.  He rolls out the pizza dough while I prep the toppings.  He cuts fresh pasta, as I whip up a sauce.  If I have a pot of soup simmering on the stove, he’s most likely proofing the dough for a loaf of fresh-baked bread.  We make a good team, don’t we?! 

These dinner rolls were incredible, an A+ on a 5-point scale.  The tender, buttery crusts were brushed with a light golden hue.  Soft as your favorite pillow, the fluffy white insides had an all too earnest propensity to melt in your mouth, causing these glorious rolls to disappear way too quickly.  Fresh out of the oven and slathered in butter, these were pure heaven.  Sliced in half to sandwich a slice of ham and a drizzle of apricot-mustard sauce, they were pure delights. 

And for dessert, a lemon and blueberry tart, one I’d made before, years ago for another Easter dinner.  I remembered really liking it, but realized last Sunday that my memory hardly did it justice.  On this Easter, this tart was even better than I’d recalled. 

A basic lemon tart, only studded with fresh blueberries.  Blueberries that burse and ooze as the tart bakes, creating swirls of sweet berry sauce among the tart lemon curd.  The flavor is intense, on the edge of being a bit too powerful, a bit too fragrant.  With forthright tones of floral perfume, it’s almost too much.  Almost.  It’s not a dessert I’d want every day, but that’s not to say it’s not delicious.  The beauty of this tart lies in its intensity.  Like a shot of hot sauce, or a chunk of pungent blue cheese, a glass of fine whisky, or a slice of honey-soaked baklava, the intense flavor of this tart is what makes it so sensational, so extraordinary.  And it’s what earns it the last A+ of the night.

 

Fava Bean Puree   Serves  8 You can buy fava beans in three different forms – fresh in the pods, frozen and canned. I tend to stay away from the former (because shelling the beans is incredibly time consuming) and the later (because canned fava beans don’t taste all that good) and go for the middle selection, the frozen beans.  Not only are they way easier than the fresh ones and way tastier than the canned ones (in fact, they taste just about as good as the fresh ones, hardly different at all), but they’re the easiest to find in the store. That said, sometimes they’re still impossible to find in your grocer’s freezer.  In that case, go with frozen lima beans.  Trust me, this dip will be just as incredibly delicious with lima beans as it is with fava.  No one will ever know the difference ;).     1 # fava beans 2 tsp lemon juice 2 tsp chopped mint leaves 1 tsp kosher last 1/3 tsp freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 2 Tbl water Bring a large pot of salted water to a vigorous boil.  Add the fava beans, wait for the water to return to a boil, and boil for five minutes.  Drain into a colander, then plunge into a large bowl of ice water.  Soak the cooked beans in the ice water for about a minute, then drain thoroughly in a colander. Reserve a small handful of the prettiest fava beans.  Add the remaining beans and the rest of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until nearly smooth, but still just a bit chunky.  Taste and season if necessary with more salt or pepper.  Transfer the fava bean mixture into a serving bowl and garnish on top with the handful of reserved beans.  Serve at room temperature with vegetable crudités and French bread crostini.  If you choose to make this ahead of time, it can be kept refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to a day.  Remember to bring it to room temp before serving.

 

Beet-Dyed Deviled Eggs  Adapted from Gourmet, November 2009 in Epicurious Serves  8  The trick to making these look extra cute and sophisticated: slicing the eggs in half width-wise rather than length-wise.  They’ll look smaller and dainty this way.  (Also, make sure to use large eggs, rather than extra-large or jumbo.)  To make sure the eggs stand up and don’t wobble, slice just the barest sliver off each end to form a base.     3 cups water 1 cup distilled white vinegar 1 small beet, peeled and sliced 1 small shallot, peeled and sliced 1 tsp sugar 1 bay leaf 12 hard-boiled large eggs, peeled 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 Tbl whole grain mustard 1 Tbl finely chopped flat-leaf parsley kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Combine the water, vinegar, beet, shallot, sugar and bay leaf in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat and cool completely.  (To speed up the cooling, place the pan inside a large bowl filled with ice water and stir the pot frequently.) Place the peeled hard-boiled eggs in a sizable bowl or container and cover with the cooled pickling mixture.  Refrigerate 2-3 hours, stirring from time to time.    Remove the eggs from the pickling mixture and pat dry with paper towels.  Discard the pickling mixture.  Slice a small sliver off the top and bottom ends of each egg.  Slice the eggs in half, width-wise.  Scoop out the cooked yolks and reserve in a mixing bowl.  Carefully rinse the whites under cool running water and place on a double layer of paper towels to dry.  Thoroughly mash the yolks with a potato masher.  Add the mayonnaise, mustard and parsley and continue to mash until well combined.  Taste the egg yolk mixture and season as needed with salt and pepper.  Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a small star tip, with the egg yolk mixture.  Pipe the yolk mixture into the egg white cups, filling them in a circular motion and forming a small dollop rising above the egg white.  Serve at room temperature.

 

Apricot-Mustard Glazed Ham Adapted from Martha Stewart Serves 8-12 The apricot/mustard/vinegar makes both a wonderful glaze and a perfect sauce to pass around the table.  After whipping it up, divide it in two, using half for the glaze and half for the sauce.   1 bone-in smoked ham, shank portion, about 10 # 1/2 cup whole grain mustard 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 cup apricot preserves kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Preheat the oven to 325°F. Wrap the ham in a layer of parchment paper, then a layer of foil.  (It sounds a bit tricky, but it really isn’t too much of a fuss.)  Place the wrapped ham on the rack of a roasting pan and bake in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours.  While the ham is baking, make the glaze/sauce: Place the apricot preserves in a small sauce pan.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then transfer to a blender.  Puree on high until very smooth, about two minutes.  Pour the puree into a medium mixing bowl and add the mustard and vinegar.  Stir to combine.  Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper.  Reserve half of the mixture to use as sauce (pour it into a small sauce pitcher), and keep the rest to use as a glaze.  Remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 375°F.  Unwrap the ham and discard the paper and foil.  Move the ham to a cutting board and using a sharp knife, score the skin and fat in a 3/4-inch diamond pattern, working all around the ham.  Return the ham to the roasting pan. Pour about 3/4 of the reserved glaze (Remember, this is 3/4 of half of the total sauce/glaze, not 3/4 of all of it.) over the ham and using your hands, rub it all over the ham.  Return the ham to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Spread the remaining 1/4 of the glaze over the ham, using a rubber spatula and bake 15 minutes more.  Remove the ham from the oven and transfer to a cutting board.  Allow the ham to rest for 10 minutes before carving.  Carve into thin slices, working around the bone.  Serve hot, with the reserved sauce on the side.  The sauce can be served at room temperature, or quickly reheated, and served hot.

 

Potato-Fennel Gratin Adapted from Gourmet, December 1997 in Epicurious.com Serves 8     1 Tbl + 1 1/2 tsp flour 2 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided 2 small garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup grated parmesan, divided 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg 2 small-medium or 1 large fennel bulb 2 # Yukon gold potatoes 1/2 stick butter, plus more for buttering the casserole dish kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 400°F.  Lightly butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish.  In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour and 2 cups of cream.  Add the minced garlic, chicken broth, 1/2 cup parmesan and nutmeg.  Whisk to combine, and set aside.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the remaining half cup of cream with the remaining half cup of grated parmesan.  Whisk to combine, and set aside. Trim the fennel stalks, even with the top of the bulbs.  (Discard the stalks, or save them for another use.)  Using a mandolin, slice the bulbs cross-wise into 1/8-inch slices.  Peel the potatoes, then slice into 1/8-inch slices with the mandolin.   Arrange 1/3 of the potato slices evenly across the bottom of the buttered casserole dish.  Then arrange 1/2 of the fennel slices evenly over the potatoes.   Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Using half of the remaining potatoes, arrange a second layer of potatoes, spreading the slices evenly over the fennel.  Arrange the rest of the fennel slices over the potatoes.  Season again with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Pour the cream/flour/garlic/ broth/parmesan/nutmeg mixture over the fennel.  On top of this arrange a third layer of potatoes, using the last of the remaining potato slices, and arranging them evenly across the casserole.  Press down on the potatoes to submerge them a bit in the cream mixture.  Melt the half stick of butter.  Pour the melted butter evenly over the potatoes.  Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Remove the casserole dish from the oven and pour the cream/parmesan mixture evenly over the potatoes.  Return to the oven, rotating the pan in the opposite direction, and bake 30 minutes more, or until the top is golden and the vegetables are tender.  Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.  (This is very important, because it allows the vegetables to absorb the sauce.  If you cut it too soon, the cream sauce will run all over the place.)  Serve hot. This can actually be completely made up to a day ahead.  Cool it completely before covering and refrigerate overnight.   Allow the casserole to sit at room temperature for about an hour before re-heating.  Then cover with foil and bake until hot throughout, about 30 minutes.

 

Roasted Asparagus Serves 8   1-2 bunches green asparagus 1 bunch white asparagus extra-virgin olive oil, as needed (about 1 Tbl or a little more) kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste juice from 1/2 lemon Preheat the oven to 375°F. Trim the asparagus:  The bottoms of the stems are tough and woody but the tops are tender.  To determine where to trim, take one stem and holding the bottom of the stem in one hand and the middle in the other, bend the stem.  It will snap right at the point where tough turns to tender.  Line up the rest of the asparagus so their tips align, and slice off their bottom portions at the same point where the first one snapped.  Arrange the asparagus over a parchment-lined sheet tray.  Lightly drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Use your clean hands to toss the asparagus with the oil, to lightly and evenly coat them.  Sprinkle evenly with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Roast in the oven until the asparagus is tender and just beginning to turn light golden brown, about 15-18 minutes.  As long as they are of about equal thickness, the green and white asparagus should take about the same amount of time to cook.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle evenly with a squeeze of lemon juice.  Serve hot.

 

Ben’s Homemade Dinner Rolls Adapted from Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques & Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman Makes 12 rolls    Just as the awesome baking book noted above does, I’ve included both the volume and weight measurements.  For best and most exact results, go by weight.  But if you don’t have a kitchen scale handy, you can make do with volume measurements.   1# 1.6 oz (4 cups) bread flour 8.1 oz (1 cup) water, 100-110°F 1.8 oz (1) egg 1.4 oz (3 Tbl) butter, softened 1.1 oz (2 Tbl) sugar 0.9 oz (3 Tbl) dry milk (powdered milk) 0.4 oz (2 tsp) salt 0.09 oz (1 tsp) instant dry (or active dry) yeast butter, as needed for greasing and brushing Stir to combine the yeast & warm water in a small mixing bowl.  Allow to rest 10 minutes.  Place the rest of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the yeast-water mixture.  Fit the mixer with a dough hook, and mix on first speed until the ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes.  Turn the mixer to second speed and mix for 5 more minutes, until the dough is slightly stretchy.  Remove the hook from the mixer, cover the bowl with a damp towel, and allow the dough to rest 1 hour. Grease the cups of a muffin pan with butter.  Divide the dough into twelve 2.3-oz portions, trying to cut even, square pieces.  Divide each portion into thirds (just eyeball it – no need to use the scale here).  Lightly shape the little pieces into rounds and place them in groups of 3 into the buttered muffin cups.  Cover the muffin pan lightly with a damp towel, and allow to rest in a warm spot until the dough has grown to about 1.5-2 times its original size, is rising slightly above the muffin cups, and is light to the touch.  This will take about 2 hours or so.  Brush the tops of the dough with melted butter.  Bake at 400°F until the tops are just lightly golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.  (Even a few extra minutes of cooking will make for very tough rolls, so err on the side of taking them out a little early.)  Immediately remove the rolls from the muffin cups and set on a cooling rack.  Immediately brush the tops with more melted butter.   These are absolutely the best just out of the oven, with a smear of soft butter and a sprinkling of salt!   But they’re also great for making a few hours ahead, and will stand up well, if stored at room temperature in air-tight containers.  Allow the buns to cool to room temperature before storing in an air-tight container.  They can be stored this way up to a day, but as with all freshly made breads, the quality declines quickly with time.

 

Lemon Tart with Blueberries Adapted from Tyler Florence Serves 8-10   For the tart crust: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 Tbl sugar 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 stick butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 large egg, separated 2 – 2 1/2 Tbl ice water, plus 1 tsp water Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until the mixture begins to resemble coarse cornmeal.  Add the yolk and 2 Tbl ice water and pulse until the dough begins to pull together.  If the dough does not start to pull together into a single mass, add just a bit more ice water.  But be careful – This is a pretty dry dough.  You don’t want it too wet.  Pour the dough out of the food processor bowl and form it lightly into a round disk.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about 30-45 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle.  Roll the dough up onto the pin to lift it, and lay it over a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Fit the dough into the pan and press the dough into the edges of the pan, folding the excess dough inside to double-up on the rim.  Trim the dough by pressing any remaining overhand against the top of the rim.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Place the tart on a baking sheet (to catch any drippings).  Prick the bottom of the dough about 10-12 times with a fork.  Cover the dough with a large sheet of crumpled-up parchment paper (crumpling the paper helps it to fit better into the crust) and fill it with pie weights or dried beans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the dough is set and on the dry side.  Remove the parchment and pie weights.  Lightly beat the egg white with 1 tsp water.  Brush the egg wash onto the bottom and sides of the crust.  (You will not need to use all of the egg wash.)  Allow the tart to cool to room temperature on a rack. For the filling: 4 large eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 5 lemons) 1/4 cup heavy cream zest of 1 lemon pinch of kosher salt 1 pint blueberries, washed and sorted through Lightly whisk the eggs.  Add the sugar, lemon juice, heavy cream, lemon zest and salt and stir to combine with a rubber spatula.  Arrange the blueberries evenly across the base of the tart shell.  Pour the lemon filling over the blueberries.  Bake until the filling is set, and the center jiggles just slightly, about 30-45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.  Remove from the tart ring and slice to serve.