Cooking At Home

Dinner Tonight--Walnut Crusted Salmon Fillets

2012-01-26T20:09:00.000-05:00

It was a dark and stormy night. No, really. It was dark. It was raining. And it was cold. It was the kind of night you wanted to stay at home with a steaming bowl of soup and a crackling fire. But that was not meant to be. I was meeting friends for an early movie before dinner, and because I knew that John and I would be returning home about the same time, I wanted to prepare something for dinner that would be ready for the oven when we got there.

Walnut crusted salmon fillets was the perfect dish. A delicious healthy dinner full of heart-healthy antioxidants and phytonutrients that would be able to be prepared ahead of time, parked in the refrigerator, and roasted in a matter of minutes. A good choice for a dark and stormy night.

Salmon ready for the oven

Walnut Crusted Salmon Fillets
Serves 4

4 6-ounce salmon fillets, whatever kind of salmon you prefer
1 cup lightly toasted chopped walnuts
4 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 teaspoons low fat mayonnaise combined with 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the walnuts, bread crumbs, melted butter, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Place salmon fillets on an oiled, or silpat-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Spread one teaspoon (or less) of the mustard-mayonnaise on each fillet and top with the walnut mixture, pressing into fish.

Bake until just done 12-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish and your preference of doneness.

Cook's Note: A quick and delicious weeknight meal also works well for dinner parties. The salmon can be prepared ahead of time and kept refrigerated until baking. If you don't like walnuts, why not try pitachios or hazelnuts.

Focaccia

2012-01-24T11:44:00.000-05:00

I had just returned from my mother's house where we had watched TV chef, Michael Chiarello, construct a picnic sandwich using a home made focaccia.

The day was cold and windy, and the thought of the smell of hot and yeasty baking bread wafting through the house was all I needed to consider making my own focaccia. I planned to be working at home the rest of the afternoon anyway, and so what if I had no yeast? There was pizza dough in the freezer.

Focaccia, the flat oven-baked Italian bread, is thought to have originated with the Etruscans or the Greeks. The word, focaccia,comes from the Latin panis focacius--bread baked in the fireplace.Focaccia is baked in either a round or oblong stretched into shape in an oiled pan. It can be thick or thin and soft or crisp. The dough's distinctive top is dotted with one's fingertips to create wells in which the fruity olive oil pools. It is usually topped with herbs, such as rosemary and salt. This rustic dish emerges from the oven golden and delicious perfect for snacks, lunch, picnics, or a great accompaniment to dinner.

Making focaccia differs from pizza in that the dough rises three times before it is baked. Carol Field, in her book, The Italian Baker, explains the origins of both beautifully. When I removed the pizza dough ( about one pound) from the freezer I put it in a bowl rubbed with oil to defrost and come to room temperature since its first rising took place before going into the freezer.

The next step is to knead the dough lightly until smooth on a flour-covered work surface. Roll or stretch dough out to approximately 12 x 10 inch rectangle, brush off any excess flour and transfer to an oiled rimmed baking sheet. Brush top with olive oil , cover and let rise about 20 minutes.

Now the fun part. Press your fingers into the risen dough to make even indentations all over. Brush with additional olive oil--be generous here--sprinkle with chopped rosemary and sea salt. Let rise again for about 20 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until focaccia is golden brown.

And try to wait until the focaccia cools down a bit before tearing into it!

After making the savory focaccia, I came across an article online--sorry, I don't remember where--and I just had to try the sweet focaccia mentioned in the article.

This time dried fruits that I had on hand--1/4 cup each of dried cherries, cranberries, and apricots, and chopped rosemary were kneaded into the dough after it defrosted; put in an oiled bowl and brought to room temperature.

The rimmed baking sheet was coated with some oil and butter this time and dough rolled out and fit into the pan. The dough was brushed with melted butter, covered, and set to rest for about 30 minutes.

The dough was then dimpled as before and baked in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes until golden. I didn't have time for a third rise, but I don't think it mattered.

When the focaccia came from the oven I brushed it with melted butter and sprinkled it with demerara sugar.

Although we ate some of this when it came out of the oven, I think slices of this sweet focaccia might be nice for breakfast or a brunch as well as with some after dinner cheese.

Dinner Tonight--Balsamic Chicken Breasts

2012-01-18T06:25:00.000-05:00

Balsamic chicken breasts were a favorite of my clients when I was working as a personal chef. They have a lot going for them. They are quick to prepare, they hold well for reheating if necessary, the ingredients are easy to come by, and they certainly are tasty.

And finding myself with all the ingredients on hand, they are dinner tonight.

Balsamic Chicken Breasts
The original recipe is from Pierre Franey's Cusine Rapide
Serves 4

4 6-8 ounce chicken breast halves
1/2 pound small mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half (larger mushrooms may be sliced)
2 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (you don't need the 25 year old stuff here)
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
sprig of fresh thyme or a sprinkling of dried thyme
2 tablespoons sweet butter

Dredge chicken breasts in seasoned flour. Heat olive oil in skillet, brown breasts about 3 minutes. Turn.

Scatter garlic cloves and mushrooms around chicken. Brown for another 3 minutes.

Add balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover skillet tightly and simmer for about 10 minutes, turning pieces to baste, until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from skillet. Reduce sauce, Remove whole herb, if using, and garlic cloves. Off heat, swirl in butter, and return chicken to sauce.

This is nice served with string beans or a green salad.

The Weekend

2012-01-15T19:36:00.000-05:00

Cold and blustery outside, this weekend proved to be warm and cozy at our house.


Friday night chesse crispettes perfect with a Negroni

Saturday morning bran muffin


A cup of turkey chili for lunch between errands A healthy dinner of roasted mushroom and string bean farro salad from Closet Cooking Sunday brunch potatoes and eggs Sunday ~~dinner~~ half time skirt steak sandwiches

Dinner Tonight

2012-01-03T14:18:00.001-05:00

To me, there could be no better antidote to two weeks of overeating, than a big old bowl of escarole and beans. Not only will a bowl of escarole and beans make you feel virtuous about your diet, but it just may give your immune system a boost.

Escarole is at its peak from December to April. And as are all leafy green vegetables, it is low in calories and high in dietary fiber and antioxidants. Not to mention the fact that a steaming bowl of fragrant greens and beans is filling and delicious.

Chances are you have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now. All you need to do is get to the market and pick up a couple of heads of fresh escarole and start chopping.

I used two heads of escarole, about 1 1/2 pounds, for dinner tonight. You will need to wash the escarole leaves under running water and drain them. Slice leaves into 1-inch strips, removing thick stems if necessary.

Heat some olive oil with some crushed garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Saute about 1 minute. Then add the greens by handfuls, stirring until they start to wilt before adding more. It will look like a mountain of greens, but don't worry, they will cook down quickly. Stir until all are coated with oil.

Add about a cup of low-sodium chicken broth or water--depending on how much escarole you are cooking--and cook until greens are tender. You may add a potato, cut up, with the broth if you wish. Add one 15-ounce can of cannellini beans which have been drained and rinsed, and simmer until beans are heated through. Make sure to season with salt and pepper and enjoy.

Christmas Weekend

2011-12-27T16:21:00.000-05:00

Crepe making for Christmas Eve dinner--

Resulting in spinach-ricotta manicotti with tomato cream sauce--

Panettone French Toast for Christmas morning--

Some of John's favorite Christmas things--

And some of mine--

I hope that you all had a joyous weekend.

The Second Time Around

2011-12-19T16:18:00.002-05:00

Who knew that the ingredients I used for two Friday night pizzas would show up again on the dinner table Sunday night?

I made a pizza topped with Italian sausage, sauteed onions and mushrooms topped with a mixture of grated cheeses as well as a Margherita pizza using grape tomatoes and mozzarella. Both were very good served alongside this salad.

The pickled onions gave the salad a nice sweet and sour crunch.

While looking for some inspiration for supper on Sunday, I came across a recipe for pasta using the ingredients I had in the refrigerator. I love this kind of cooking, that is making a meal from what is essentially in the pantry. No outing to the market is involved. And I get to use the bits and bobs, as Kath would say, so that nothing goes to waste at the end of the weekend. Mr. No Carbs was just going to have to suffer through two carbohydrate-laden dinners this weekend.

This recipe comes from Philadelphia chef, Marc Vetri, and it's a keeper. It goes together quickly and is hearty enough for a cold night like last night--and tasty, too.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Cherry Tomatoes
By Marc Vetri
Serves 4

1 pound orechiette pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt
2 ounces aged provolone cheese, shredded
3/4 cup reserved pasta water

In a large pot of boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add the sausage in 1-inch clumps and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minuets. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a plate.

Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the skillet along with the tomatoes and crushed red pepper; cook over moderate heat, pressing the tomatoes until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the reserved pasta cooking water, season with salt and cook over moderate heat, scraping up any browned bits and crushing the tomatoes, until the liquid is reduced by half and the tomatoes are nearly broken down, about 5 minutes.

Add the pasta to the skillet along with the sausage and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook, stirring, until the pasta is evenly coated, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in provolone. Transfer to bowls and serve.

Cook's Note: I used hot Italian sausage and eliminated the crushed red pepper. I rarely buy pre-shredded cheese, but I had a combination of asiago, fontina, Parmesan and provolone, left from the pizza. Use whatever you like. If you can't get orecchiette, any pasta that will hold the sauce will do.

Comfort and Joy

2011-12-14T11:54:00.000-05:00

Whenever I'm yearning for some comforting food, the first thing that comes to mind is meatballs. Maybe it is because I grew up eating meatballs every week. Hot and steamy, soft and plump, meatballs would appear on the table with macaroni like clockwork each Thursday evening.

So when I came across Mary Ann Esposito's recipe for Pesto Meatballs I just had to try them. This recipe is a little different from my mother's tried and true weekly meatballs. It combines two different cuts of beef as well as incorporating a tasty pesto sauce into the mixture. Also they are baked in the oven instead of fried which makes for a much cleaner cook top when you are finished.

PESTO MEATBALLS
Mary Ann Esposito

2/3 cups breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
3 heaping tablespoons pesto sauce
1/3 cup grated Pecorino cheese (you can omit part of this if you have already added cheese to the pesto)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound ground beef round
1/2 pound ground beef (with higher fat content than round)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the bread crumbs in a bowl and pour milk over them. Let the breadcrumbs soak for a few minutes then whisk in the egg, pesto sauce, cheese, salt and pepper.

Crumble the meats over the bread crumb mixture and use your hands to combine well. Scoop up about 1/3 cup at a time to form the mixture into meatballs.

Place them on a slightly oiled or silpat-line baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until meatballs are lightly browned.

Serve them in tomato sauce as a main course or as a side with pasta. Very good.

Makes 12 2-inch meatballs

Enjoy Everything

2011-12-12T06:01:00.000-05:00

"Enjoy everything." That is how my friend ended her letter to us disclosing her husband's illness. Everything can change in an instant.

"Enjoy everything" are the words I thought of as John and I brought out the Christmas decorations and all the hoopla that went with them. You see, I am not one of those people who loves the Christmas season. John thinks I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. I do not. I just am not sunny by nature and tend toward melancholy. But "enjoy everything" resonated with me.

Was I enjoying polishing the silver platters my mother-in law left to me? Not really, but I thought about how much pleasure I get from seeing these beauties shine with use. My mother-in-law left me some beautiful things--things that she loved but from which she never derived pleasure. They were always safely locked away for special occasions.

I began to think. I leave my things within easy reach and use them all the time. I enjoy them! What a concept.

Am I enjoying the fact that our son is not coming home for Christmas for the second year in a row? Of course not. This just might be the first Christmas Eve in forty years of marriage that John and I are going to be alone.I plan to buy some good smoked salmon and my favorite French Champagne. I'll cook a nice dinner while playing some Christmas Elvis in the background. And I will enjoy the evening.

There are many things in my life that I wish were different; but they're not. But I do know this. I will remember the reason for this season and enjoy the present good health of my family, the laughter of my friends, the warmth of the fireplace and the bounty of food from my kitchen.

Every day I will try to fulfill my friend's wish for me, enjoy everything, because everything can change in an instant.

Our Winter Kitchen

2011-12-07T08:05:00.000-05:00


Clementines


Stir fried Beef and Broccoli


Being prepared


Comfort food

Getting ready for the oven


Dinner last night


Toasted hazelnuts

View from the kitchen window

Spicy Chicken

2011-12-05T07:31:00.000-05:00

To help get me out of this rut I am in, I decided to make an effort to cook some new dishes.

Recently, while reading prolific cookbook author Melissa Clark's book, In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, I came across a recipe that was calling my name. The recipe for Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken Breasts with Sweet Potatoes had everything I was looking for in a recipe and more--flavor, spice, color-- and I had all of the ingredients at hand.

The only change I made was to use much less cumin, as I am not a big fan. Next time I would omit it. Also, I whirred the chipotles into a rough paste instead of mincing them. Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are a staple in my kitchen. When I open a can, I roughly puree them in the food processor, transfer them to a glass jar and store them in the refrigerator almost indefinitely. I think they have a special affinity to sweet potatoes.

This recipe turned out to be uncomplicated and quick to put together--not to mention delicious to boot.

Post Turkey Blahs

2011-11-30T06:49:00.000-05:00

It was late on Sunday afternoon, and my friend T had just gotten her last child back to where she needed to be after Thanksgiving when she called.

"What are you doing?"
"I'm just deciding what to cook for dinner."
"So, what are you cooking?"
"Chicken."
Pause.
"Aren't you going to invite us for dinner?"
"You don't need an invitation."

And so it goes.

After a little back and forth, we decided that since T had all of the side dishes from Thanksgiving to accompany the chicken, John and I would go to their house with the main dish in tow. I prepared Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken Breasts, instructed T to have the oven heated to 400 degrees, grabbed a bottle of wine, and off we went.

While the Martinis were being shaken, the chicken went into the oven, and T heated up the Apple Butternut Squash Soup. Delicious.

What a nice way to end the holiday weekend.

Dinner Tonight

2011-11-29T09:02:00.000-05:00

Whenever I see thin sliced boneless shell steaks in the market, I am sure to pick them up. It takes only four or so thin slices to make a great meal.

One of my favorite dinners in based on Marcella Hazan's recipe for Thin Pan-Broiled Steaks with Tomatoes and Olives.

Thin slices of beef are pounded to 1/4" thick. Then slowly saute a small sliced onion in olive oil. When it wilts, add some chopped garlic and continue to cook until the garlic is soft. Then add about 2/3 cup canned tomatoes, roughly chopped, some black olives, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the oil separates from the tomatoes. Set aside on a low simmer.

Heat a large saute pan until it is smoking hot; quickly grease the bottom with an oil-soaked paper towel. Add the beef slices, brown on both sides, adding salt and pepper. Do not overcook. Add the simmering sauce to the saute pan, turning meat quickly and basting with sauce.

All that is left to do is serve while hot. Enjoy.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T15:38:00.000-05:00

First comes the menu. Easy because each time L and I try to change an item on the Thanksgiving menu we are met with cries of shock and disbelief. So it goes.

Next comes my master list which shows all the dishes being served and the ingredients needed for each. Check. Recipes are gathered. Check. Then an inventory of what ingredients are in the pantry, and the shopping list is made. Check. Grocery store. Check.

And the cooking begins. Cheddar cheese crackers to have with a glass of prosecco before dinner; cranberry sauce; corn muffins; the base for the mushroom soup and a ridiculously easy and delicious do-ahead gravy--really!

Tomorrow I will make my family's stuffing with sausage, raisins, pine nuts, parsley and Pecorino Romano cheese. I'll defrost the pie and crostata doughs I made last week and set into the freezer; the streusel for the crostata; and the pumpkin pie. There is the table to set and the glasses to polish. And all the while L will be making all the side dishes that star at this meal.

All there is to do on Thanksgiving Day is to make the crostata, truss and roast the turkey, add the cream and heat up the soup, and make room in the oven for the side dishes. Whew!

Is all this worth it? You bet. We have a lot to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

November Sky

2011-11-19T17:06:00.000-05:00

A bright, crisp November morning. White trails left by travelers in the sky. I think of journeys to come.

Speechless

2011-10-22T12:33:00.000-04:00

I have lost my voice. I have lost my words. I have lost my passion. Nothing I do seems to bring them back.

I hope that this is not the end of this blog. I hope that something brings me back to normal--whatever that is.

In the meantime, I'd like to share a couple of fun recipes.

Lemon-Cornmeal Sheet Cookies
Adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart, these cookies are delicious and made with an unusual method.

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon demerara sugar
1 large egg and
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons slice almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in 1 egg and lemon zest. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour mixture.

Press dough into and even 1/4" thickness on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash; sprinkle with almonds and 1 tablespoon demerara sugar. Bake until golden, 22-25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, then break into uneven pieces.

The other is a nice little treat to have before dinner with a glass of wine.

Roast some sweet red grapes tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper in a hot oven until they begin to soften, about 20 minutes. Top toasted bread slices with fresh ricotta, the roasted grapes, a sprinkling of thyme and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!

Summer Snaps

2011-09-02T10:55:00.000-04:00

Although the calendar says September 2, Labor Day Weekend has long been emblematic of the end of summer around here. And I can't say that I am sorry to see it go.

Nevertheless, it had its moments.

We benefited from S's recent stint in culinary school.

My foray into the summer's coolest craze


Summer's bounty

Summer's food

Summer fun

Summer past

Cool days ahead

Have a very happy and safe Labor Day Weekend!

Shake It

2011-07-31T16:03:00.000-04:00

On a hot summer afternoon such as this, why not take your leftover morning coffee and shake yourself up and icy treat?

Of course you may use whatever coffee you choose--freshly brewed or freshly pulled--but I like the concentration of leftover coffee because it stands up well to the ice cubes.

Put the coffee in a cocktail shaker along with a pinch of sugar, a splash of milk and a few ice cubes. Then shake until your hand turns cold. Pour into a nice long glass and enjoy.

I understand this drink is a hot weather staple all over Italy. Interestingly enough, it is known as the Caffe Shakerato, a word that sounds a lot like John's fractured Italian. Regardless, this is what I've been taking in place of my afternoon cup of hot black coffee. Perfect.

You may also enjoy reading these posts by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome.

National Tequila Day! Ole!

2011-07-23T12:31:00.001-04:00

Although the origin of National Tequila Day (July 24, 2011) is unclear, I am betting the idea came from a major tequila company. What do you think?

However the day was founded, the idea of honoring the blue agave plant is a happy one; and John and I plan to mark the occasion.

According to Wikipedia, tequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant primarily grown surrounding the town of Tequila, 65 kilometers northwest of Guadalajara, in the western Mexican state of Jalisco. The blue agave grown in this highlands region in red volcanic soil is larger and sweeter than that grown in the lowlands.

Although the Aztecs were fermenting a drink from the agave long before the Spaniards arrived, it was Don Cenobia Sauza, Municipal President of the Village of Tequila, who first exported tequila to the United States in 1873. There has always been much myth and mystique surrounding tequila, and this story is beautifully written and photographed in Karl Petzke's gorgeous book, Tequila.

My tequila education came first hand when we lived in Guadalajara around the corner from the Tequila Sauza factory. That's right. Around the corner. Every weekend when we passed the factory music and laughter abounded from the large rented party space at Sauza. There was something to this tequila thing.

Of course, like most students (John was the student here) our introduction to tequila came with partying and a lot of lime and salt. Can you say "puckered lips?" As we grew as people so did our appreciation for good tequila. We learned about the different types of tequila and the taste of each. We learned that in Mexico tequila is sipped without lime and salt to blunt the taste, and that it is often taken with a sangrita chaser.

As tequila became more popular and appreciated in the United States, we began to experience some very good tequilas here. Alas, my two favorites, Don Julio 1942 Anejo and Jose Cuervo de la familia Anejo have become so expensive that we consider them a very special treat once in a while.

We have had the pleasure of sharing many tequilas with John's family in Mexico City, and they never arrive in the States without a bottle of something that is not available here.

So whether you are sipping a premium anejo or mixing a good plata into a frosty drink this weekend, Salud!

Short And Stout

2011-07-04T07:19:00.001-04:00

The idea for Friday night's dinner began with a short posting on Facebook by The New Jersey Beer Company that they were having a tasting at their brewery. And since is was a cloudy Saturday afternoon and just a short ride away, John and I decided to check it out.

It could be a bit tricky to find this warehouse microbrewery. But find it we did; and, boy, were we glad. We spent a very pleasant hour with co-owner Matthew tasting three beers that he had on tap. We started with an old world Belgian-style ale; then onto an American pale ale with a refreshing hoppy taste; and finished with Garden State Stout--"full-bodied chocolate stout brewed with Belgian dark chocolate, malts and just enough hop character for balance." It was the stout that we took home with us.

A quick call to L and J to come for dinner and help us drink this growler, and dinner was set for Friday. After a bit of researching the perfect--or at least acceptable-- pairings for stout I came up with a dinner menu.

To start we paired some tequila and sangrita chasers with appetizers of queso fundido, salsa and warm tortillas; refreshing jicama and cucumber slices sprinkled with lime and chile; and beautiful guacamole.

Playing to the chocolate in the stout, we served enchiladas de mole Poblano--which proved to be the perfect accompaniment; refried pinto beans, salsa and guacamole.

And dessert? What about Chocolate Stout Ice Cream to serve with the last of that Garden State Stout?

Perfect together! And the perfect way to usher in the Holiday Weekend. Happy Fourth!

My St. Thomas

2011-06-05T07:18:00.000-04:00

When we are in St. Thomas, we lie on the beach, we read, we walk, we sleep, we drink, we eat, we laugh--and we just breathe.

Spicy, Dirty and Hot

2011-05-15T15:09:00.004-04:00

It was Friday night, and we were in the mood for something spicy, a little bit dirty, and definitely very hot.

So, it was lucky for us that we came across this post by Elizabeth Minchelli in Rome to inspire us. We were going to mix up some Spicy Dirty Martinis.

You know by now that John and I are big fans of dry vodka Martinis. Really, what's not to like? But sometimes you just have to change it up a bit. Variety is the spice of life, right?

We started with the vodka and a little more vermouth than we were accustomed to. Then a teaspoon of olive brine and a splash of sriracha sauce. The rest of the ritual was the same--shake vigorously over ice and strain into the waiting cocktail glasses. A nicely balanced drink that proved to be a good match with food.

Of course, we needed something to eat with the drink. Something crisp and salty. I had bought the tiniest new potatoes at the market.

I boiled them until tender, and when cool enough to handle, I placed them between a folded tea towel and smashed them with my palm.

Lined up on a baking sheet, they went into the fridge to await John's arrival, upon which they were doused with olive oil and put to bake in a hot oven until brown and crisp.

When they came out of the oven, I sprinkled them with sea salt, and I hardly could contain myself until they were cool enough to eat.

Sugar and Spice

2011-04-27T11:18:00.001-04:00

I would like to thank my niece, Beth, for the wonderful desserts she brought for Easter dinner from her new business, Sugar & Spice Market.

We wish you much success in your new venture.


Chocolate Fudge Cake


Cake Pops

Coconut Cake

Sausage And Grapes

2011-04-15T13:55:00.000-04:00

I feel as if I have been swirling in the vortex of life for the past few months. Time flies while my activities expand to fill the time allotted. My creativity, particularly my cooking, has become stagnant. Tired of the repetitive dishes of winter, I search the markets for inspiration and find none. My anthem these days seems to be Anna Nalick's "Breathe".

Of course I am impressed by Tracy's bagel experiment. I am enchanted by Denise's butterfly olive cookies. My sweet tooth is piqued by Kath's Kaluha and coffee ice cream, and I am amused by Valerie's adventures in Italy; but a couple of failures in the kitchen and my current funk have rendered me immobile.

As Spring turns Winter into a memory, I am hopeful that my stagnation will retreat as well.

The dish I made for dinner last night, although said to have originated during the fall grape harvest in Umbria, was a nice change of pace.

Sausages With Grapes--My Version
Serves 2

1 pound Hot or Sweet Italian Sausage--I like hot
3 cups seedless red grapes
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Place sausages in a 10- or 12 inch skillet, add 3 tablespoons water, and turn heat to medium. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, turning often.

Remove cover, and prick sausages. Remove excess fat from pan leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan along with the grapes. Sprinkle grapes with a pinch of salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until grapes soften somewhat. Add balsamic vinegar and stir.

Serve hot and enjoy!

.

Rigatoni With Sausage Cream Sauce

2011-04-01T09:07:00.000-04:00

This beastly winter shows no signs of loosening its grip, and Spring seems further away than ever. Having no alternative, I embraced the cold drizzle and made one last hearty dish for dinner. Spring just has to emerge soon--right?

This pasta dish comes from an old classic cookbook favorite of mine, Italian Family Cooking, by the late Anne Casale. Her book is full of family favorites from the Italian regions of Tuscany and Campania, as well as Sicily. As usual, I made the recipe mine.

I sauteed 1/2 lb. of sweet Italian sausage meat in a little bit of butter until just cooked through. While 8 ounces of pasta was boiling--in this case mostaccioli--I added 1/2 cup heavy cream to the saute pan stirring to blend with the sausage and cooking until slightly thickened. Next time I would add a bit more cream. I then added a pinch of nutmeg and some salt and pepper. After the pasta was drained, it went into the saute pan to be coated with the sauce. Off heat, I tossed the pasta with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. To serve, I added a sprinkling of chopped parsley and a bit more grated cheese.

Spring Ahead

2011-03-14T20:18:00.001-04:00

I am so ready for Spring. Aren't you? And, as much as I like hearty comfort food, I am getting tired of cooking and eating it.

For dinner tonight I was looking for something relatively quick, flavorful and a change from the normal routine. I scouted the refrigerator and came up with a container of cremini mushrooms almost at the stage when they are just longing for a home; the end of a once vibrant bunch of parsley; and one lonely lemon.

Farro Salad with Roasted Mushooms and Parmesan sounded just perfect to me.

Carbonnades A La Flamande

2011-03-02T08:42:00.000-05:00

It was one of those days. You know the kind. You don't know what the day will bring, what the outcome will be or what time anyone would be home for dinner. So I needed to prepare something ahead that would hold up well and reheat easily.

As luck would have it, I had a package of beef chuck languishing in the refrigerator begging to be used. And a search of the vegetable bin revealed two large Spanish onions and some garlic. Although there is the promise of Spring in the air, the temperatures are still in the 30's so a hearty braised beef dish for dinner sounded about right.

Carbonnades A La Flamande is a Belgian braise of beef and onions. Like most braised dishes it can be made ahead and reheated when you are ready to eat.

Onions are sauteed in olive oil for about ten minutes, some garlic is added along with salt and pepper.

Beef is browned. Salt, pepper, beer and a touch of brown sugar is added, then onions go back into the casserole. Braise in oven or on top of the stove until fork tender.

Pasta Puttanesca

2011-02-14T11:08:00.004-05:00

In their inimitable manner, our friends, T and J, texted from the road yesterday.

"What's for dinner?"

"Where are you?"

"We'll be home in two hours."

"Good. What do you want for dinner?"

"Do you have pasta?"

"Of course. See you at six."

I did a quick survey of the pantry and the refrigerator and determined that pasta puttanesca would be perfect.

Out of all the stories of the origins of this spicy tomato sauce, I like this legend the best. It is said that puttanesca sauce was originated in Naples by the ladies of the evening. The ingredients were easy to keep on hand and very quick to cook. Thus, the ladies were able to get some sustenance between customers. Although the prostitutes probably did not invent this sauce, they sure made it popular.

This sauce is one of my favorites, and it cooks in the time it takes for the water for the pasta comes to a boil. While spaghetti seems to be the preferred pasta here, I had none so I used penne. Nothing was lost in the translation.

After filming the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil, I dropped in 6 diced anchovy fillets. Don't worry--the anchovies magically melt into the oil giving the sauce a lovely a depth of flavor. Then I pressed about 4 cloves of garlic into the oil and turned the heat to medium. When the anchovies began to melt and the garlic softened, I added a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, a pinch of salt and one and a half boxes of Pomi chopped tomatoes. Actually, I gave the tomatoes a rough puree with my immersion blender before adding them to the pot. After bringing the tomatoes to a simmer, I added about a half a cup of chopped Kalamata olives, 2 tablespoons capers and a handful of chopped parsley and cooked it for about 10 minutes.

After draining 1 pound of penne, I tossed most of the sauce with the pasta and sprinkled on some more chopped parsley.

I served additional sauce at the table for those who wanted more along with some grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wordless Wednesday--Fish Tales

2011-02-09T07:54:00.000-05:00

World Nutella Day 2011

2011-02-05T06:42:00.000-05:00

Did you know that today is the fifth anniversary of World Nutella Day?

Sara of Ms. Adventures in Italy, and Michelle of Bleeding Espresso, declare Saturday, February 5 "World Nutella Day 2011." This is the day to celebrate Nutella--that wonderful concoction of chocolaty-hazel nutty goodness.

Bake something using Nutella, eat it with a spoon right out of the jar, or write an ode to this sugary treat.

Whatever you choose to do today, do it with Nutella.

This recipe for Nutella Scones, from the book "Baked Explorations" by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, came to me through Susan at Spoon and Shutter. What a great way to start the day!

Of course, I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but they were still good.

If you don't have the time or the inclination to make scones, try sandwiching two amarettini cookies together with a smear of Nutella. They will do just fine.

What's In Season--Citrus

2011-02-02T09:29:00.001-05:00

Just when we need a mid-winter boost the most, bright and happy citrus fruit is piled high in all its glory. The produce aisle is shiny with jewels of every color--bright orange, yellow and green. Large navel oranges, tangerines, blood oranges, limes and clementines are enticing us to touch them and bring them home. And that large dose of Vitamin C can't hurt either.

Citrus adapts well to salads, main course dishes as well as dessert. A very versatile ingredient to be sure.

One of my favorite winter salads is this one composed of blood oranges, fennel and oil-cured black olives. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a squirt of lemon juice and it's good to go.

And what could be more beautiful than a pitcher of blood orange juice?

A lime adds punch to a cup of turkey chili.

And lemon sits atop a piece of salmon ready to be wrapped up and roasted in the oven. Or you might want to try Martha Stewart's version.

And for dessert, Walnut-Orange Cake.

OK, winter, bring it on.

Comfort Me With Soup

2011-01-19T12:49:00.000-05:00

"Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup?"
Miss Manners (a.k.a. Judith Martin)

It seems as if seasonal cold germs have taken up residence in our home. John's cold is lingering into its third week, and mine came quickly and left quickly. But now it seems back to stay. So what do we yearn for when we're sick? Chicken Soup. Right?

Although I want the comfort and warmth of chicken soup, I don't particularly feel like doing all the work. So this recipe from Alice Waters by way of Serious Eats has become my go to chicken soup. It's easy, it's comforting and it's flavorful. What more could we want except for our damn colds to go away?

Did I mention that it is cold and sleeting outside? Even more reason to have this soup for dinner.

Note: I didn't use the parsnip nor the dill, as I had neither on hand. This is good sprinkled with some grated Pecorino or Parmesan.

Back to Reality

2011-01-13T07:09:00.000-05:00

After what seemed like weeks of holiday eating and drinking with total abandon, it was the right time to return to more healthy eating.

On the heels of three heavy snowstorms in rapid succession, I had no desire to go to the market. You see, our local chain supermarket is in the midst of their annual can-can sale. That coupled with the threat of snow sends everyone into the store to clog the aisles lest they be stranded with no milk, bread or canned tomatoes.

I came across this old recipe, and as I had everything on hand, it seemed to be the perfect dish for dinner.

Wordless Wednesday--Cotolette alla Milanese

2010-12-29T09:48:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday--A Few Of My Favorite Things

2010-12-22T09:21:00.000-05:00

Gougeres

2010-12-21T06:37:00.000-05:00

I love making pate a choux or puff paste. Not only is making pate a choux a great skill to have in your cooking repertoire, it is fun to make. The process of transforming water, buttter, flour and seasonings--a very thick bechamel sauce--by adding eggs one at a time to make the paste swell is almost magical. Once the puffs hit the hot oven, they rise into tender orbs that become the base for appetizer or dessert. A pretty good pay off, I think, for the short amount of time invested.

Gougeres, from the Burgundy region of France, are created when grated cheese, be it Gruyere, Swiss or Parmesan, is added to the warm paste. They are the perfect bite with a pre-dinner drink, and they freeze perfectly. For your spur of the moment guests, don't even defrost them. Just pop them into a hot oven for a few minutes until they are crisp and enjoy.

I use Julia's classic recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1.

Try this link to see a gorgeous photographic tutorial on making gougeres.

Christmas Cooking

2010-12-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

Holiday cooking is in high gear, and it seems that everyone I know is planning, shopping, cutting, dicing, and most of all, baking. All of those mixers are whirring with flour flying yielding an abundance of sweets to be shared.

My weekend produced some treats that are easy to store and pull out for expected or unexpected guests.

This Wine Bar Nut Mix, a combination of savory and slightly sweet, is delicious before or after dinner.

These dried figs stuffed with a rich ganache and enrobed in dark chocolate make a special treat.

"Chocolate is the answer. Who cares what the question is." Author Unknown

Enjoy!

Hot And Cheesy

2010-12-06T12:18:00.000-05:00

After what seemed like a long hiatus, T and J returned to our house for dinner on Friday night. Sometimes life just happens, but on Friday everything seemed to fall into place. John walked in the side door, as T and J arrived through the front. John shook the martinis until his hands froze as I patted out the pizza and our friends perched on the stools at the kitchen counter. Ready for pizza and politics as usual.

I had come across a recipe last month that got me thinking. With the publication of Amanda Hesser's, The Essential New York Times Cook Book, this recipe for Hot Cheese Olives was all over the press. It was extremely similar to one I had made many times in the early years of my marriage, Olive-Cheese Balls, from my 1969 edition of Betty Crocker's Cookbook. There are a few differences in the recipes, so I thought I would try the one passed on to Ms. Hesser from Southerner, Julia Reed. They are a bit more fussy to make than what I normally serve with drinks, but I had the time and gave it a go.

These tasty morsels proved to be perfect with a drink as well as addictive. If you try this recipe, and I strongly suggest that you do, make the dough in the food processor--fast and easy. The olives may be wrapped in the dough then parked in the fridge on a baking sheet until you are ready to pop them in the oven. Make sure the olives are very dry before wrapping. And be careful when eating as the olives remain quite hot! I saved half the dough and froze it for use during the holidays. I'll let you know how that works out.

If you love olives as much as I do you are bound to love these Fried Green Olives a staple, I hear, at some Roman bars. Delicious!

Wordless Wednesday--Dinner Tonight

2010-12-01T19:54:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-24T14:34:00.000-05:00

Preparations for Thanksgiving

Stylish

2010-11-15T05:56:00.000-05:00

Stylish? Me? I was just passed on the Stylish Blogger Award. Thank you! I've never thought of myself as particularly stylish, but now the pressure is on to live up to the name.

Rules for accepting this award are:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this.

Thanks to Valerie of Living Out of The Box for passing on this award. Val left a stellar IT career, packed a suitcase, and moved to Italy to study wine and the Italian language. And she is about to do the same in France. I love following her adventures as she follows her bliss, laughing all the way.

2. Share seven things about yourself.

I am a private person who is not fond of sharing myself with people I don't know. So here goes.

The day after my wedding, almost 39 years ago, I left everyone I had ever known to start a life with my husband in Guadalajara, Mexico. We lived there for four years. It was quite the culture shock for a 22-year old Jersey girl who had never even been on a plane!

My husband thinks I swear too much. What the f---? Seriously?

I started my career as an assistant buyer for the now defunct department store, Gimbels, in New York City. In budget lingerie and foundations I worked for two old broads from Brooklyn with the ever- present cigarette hanging from their lips. Priceless!

I had a Personal Chef business.

I love books and films, especially foreign films.

My favorite place to be is on the beach in St.Thomas.

3. Pass along this award to 15 stylish bloggers.

I think 15 is a bit excessive, but I would like to pass on the Stylish Blog Award to some of my favorite bloggers:

Amuse-Bouche for Two is where Tracy chronicles her kitchen life with Roberto while they e-mail each other to plan what's for dinner--punctuated with her fabulous photos.

Chez Danisse is where Denise paints beautiful pictures with her words as well as her camera.

Crumpets and Cakes is Monika's edible photography project with her beautiful stylized photos.

Good Food Matters Nancy is an ex-caterer, cooking teacher, food writer and an artist. Quite an accomplished woman.

I n Search of the Finer Things I love sharing in Stacy's travels and her cooking and dining experiences.

Rachel Eats is written by a Brit who fled to Italy, met a Sicilian and lives and eats with him in Rome.
Her food is delicious and her exploits are hilarious.

The Ordinary Cook Kath is another Brit who will have you wishing you could cook all of your puddings in an Aga.

Thank you all for your delicious words and beautiful pictures and the glimpses you give us into your lives. It continues to be a pleasure getting to know you and being inspired by you.

An Autumn Weekend

2010-11-09T11:57:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful fall weekend in New Jersey. As our son was making his way across the country, John and I had plenty to do at home.

When our friend, T, called early Saturday evening asking, "What are you cooking for dinner?", there was only one way to respond. "Come on over."

I checked out the refrigerator and poked through the cupboards--pasta it would be.

After I cleaned and sliced some cremini mushrooms, I sauteed them in olive oil in a large skillet along with some shallots.

When the mushrooms were browned, I seasoned them with salt and pepper, set them aside and put the water on to boil for the fettuccine. As they sipped their Martinis and the fettuccine was dropped into the pot, I put the heat on again under the mushrooms, added some thyme to the pan and deglazed it with some dry Marsala. When the Marsala had reduced a bit, in went the drained pasta and a knob of butter. Adjusted seasoning, tossed in chopped parsley, and passed a piece of Parmigiano Reggiano to grate on top. Done!

Earlier in the day I had made one of my favorite fall cakes, and it became dessert.

This very simple cake feels as if it is straight out of a country kitchen.

Torta di Pere alla Paesana
By Marcella Hazan from her book, More Classic Italian Cooking

2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 pounds fresh pears
A 9 inch layer-cake pan
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat eggs and milk together in bowl. Add the sugar and salt, continue beating. Add the flour, mixing it thoroughly with the other ingredients.

Peel the pears. Cut them in half, scoop out the seeds and core; then cut them into thin slices, no more than 1 inch broad. Add them to the bowl, mixing them well with the other ingredients.

Butter the pan, and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on it. Turn it upside down, and tap it or shake it lightly to get rid of all the loose crumbs. Dot the surface with butter.

Bake in the upper level of preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top has become lightly colored.

Remove from pan as soon as it is cool and firm enough to handle.

NOTE:

The cake is very forgiving. I didn't have two pounds of pears on hand, so the four I had were enough.You know that I can't stop tinkering, so I like to add a pinch of nutmeg to the flour before mixing into the eggs and sugar. I happened to have some small amaretti cookies on hand, so I finely crushed them and used in place of the breadcrumbs. Nice touch.

California Here He Comes

2010-11-02T05:48:00.000-04:00

Did I tell you that our son is moving to California? Did I tell you that he is our only child? Did I tell you that California is 3,000 miles away? And did I tell you that we will miss him?

For a farewell dinner, of sorts, I made one of his favorite fall meals--Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage. This is a hearty and delicious meal--and a little goes a long way.

I followed the pasta with a riff on this salad by New York chef, Andrew Carmellini. A lovely mixture of baby arugula, Granny Smith apples, raisins, fennel and celery; this citrusy salad proved to be a nice counterpoint to the richness of the pasta.

You certainly don't need a farewell to serve this dinner. Give it a try!

The pasta recipe is my rendition of one by Rachel Ray. Oh please, don't judge me!

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage
Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons, extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
4 to 6 sage leaves cut into chiffonade
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked al dente
Parmigiano cheese for grating

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage and saute until brown. Remove and drain sausage on paper towels. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to stove. Add remaining oil then the onion and garlic, and saute 3 to 5 minutes until onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage and wine to pan. Raise heat and reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and pumpkin and stir to combine. Stir sauce until it comes to a boil. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season sauce with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simmer mixture 5-10 minutes until sauce thickens.

Remove bay leaf from sauce and add drained pasta; toss over low heat until pasta is coated. Top pasta with grated Parmigiano cheese and garnish with sage leaves.

Candy Corn

2010-10-24T20:19:00.000-04:00

I have never been a fan of Halloween. But I love Halloween candy.

"I bought you a bag of candy corn."
"Candy corn?"
"Yes. Candy corn. You love candy corn."
" I know, but I don't buy candy corn. I walk past every bag in the market so that I won't eat the candy corn."
" You only eat candy corn once a year and you're not overweight."
"Thank you, that was very thoughtful."

Remembrance of Things Past

2010-10-11T16:38:00.000-04:00

John and I had just finished off a bag of Maria's biscotti which we came across at a farmer's market in western New Jersey. They were black olive biscotti. Perfect with a glass of wine or as an accompaniment to an antipasto platter.

It got me thinking. I've made savory biscotti in the past, but not for a long time. As I started to look around for inspiration, I came across this recipe which very much reminded me of the delicious cheese straws I used to make in my youth for all of our dinner parties. They were light, flaky, buttery twists filled with sharp cheddar cheese and spiced with cayenne pepper. They were also labor intensive and time consuming. My youth has long since passed, and I no longer spend my time twisting cheese straws. So I thought why not combine the flavors of those gorgeous flaky treats with the ease of biscotti?

Of course, me being me, I had to tinker with the recipe adding butter and playing with the amount of flour. They didn't turn out as expected, so I went back to the original. These biscotti lack the buttery flavor, and I do think a bit more tinkering may be in order. But they hit the spot when you want something uncomplicated with a touch of heat.

A Fall Dinner

2010-10-05T06:43:00.000-04:00

Fall appeared in all its glory this past weekend, and it brought with it the desire to cook something for the season. Since T and J were coming for dinner on Saturday night, it was a good excuse to cook up a favorite one-pot meal of chicken fragrant with honey and cinnamon and simmered with apricots and golden raisins.

Pre dinner nibbles

The chicken was served on a platter over couscous and accompanied by a Shiraz

And an apple crostata for dessert

HONEYED CHICKEN WITH RAISINS AND APRICOTS
Adapted from a recipe by All-Clad

1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 chicken, 3/12-4 lbs., cut into 8 pieces
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2-3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Heat oil in a dutch over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken well, about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken. (At this point, I remove the skin from the chicken as I do not like the mouth feel of stewed chicken skin. Leaving it on while browning, helps retain its moisture and add flavor.)

Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and saute 2 minutes. Add honey, cinnamon, salt, pepper and turmeric. Stir, adding a small amount of the broth to deglaze the pan. Cook for 30-60 seconds. Return the chicken to the pan and add the rest of the chicken broth. Cover, turn heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add apricots and raisins and cook for 30 minutes longer until chicken is done.

Brown almonds in the butter and sprinkle over chicken to serve.

Note: I smelled this recipe being tested three years ago in a department store, and I've been a fan ever since. I often use a larger chicken or add thighs to the recipe. If you choose to do that, the recipe is very forgiving--just add a little more broth and season to taste. Enjoy!

Biscotti

2010-09-30T07:44:00.000-04:00

As I have said before, biscotti are my favorite cookies to bake. These twice-baked cookies are easy to make and the perfect sweet, and sometimes savory, treat for any occasion.

I came across a forgotten bag of coconut hiding in my freezer. My friend, L, loves coconut, and I was at home all day. So it should come as no surprise that biscotti is what I chose to bring to dinner with friends last weekend.

COCONUT BISCOTTI

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 heaping cup sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

In a food processor, process sugar and butter until creamy. Add vanilla extract and eggs, and process until combined. Then add dry ingredients and pulse until just incorporated. Stir in coconut.

Form dough into two logs on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle logs with additional coconut and bake for about 30 minutes until logs begin to color. Remove from oven and let cool 10-15 minutes.

Cut each log into slices and place standing up on baking sheet. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. If they color too quickly, turn oven down to 300 degrees.

Cool completely and enjoy!

Note:
You may or may not want to decrease the sugar a bit, as the coconut adds additional sweetness.
Makes about 20 cookies, depending on how large you choose to cut the slices.

September Days

2010-09-20T14:58:00.000-04:00

I've never been one to lament the end of summer. Don't get me wrong, I love the days at the beach and the plethora of fruits and vegetables that summer brings, but by the beginning of September I'm looking forward to fall. The idea of pulling on my favorite jeans and cozy cashmere sweater is quite appealing after the heat and humidity of a New Jersey summer.

John and I spent a few days last week on Cape Cod where our friends P and K have a home. While we anticipated spending the last days of summer on the beach, the brisk winds and chilly weather made that idea moot. Fall is arriving in New England.

I can see the changes already taking place in the markets. Gone are the juicy, fuzzy peaches which now are replaced with towers of shiny red apples and golden pears along with multiple varieties of brightly colored winter squash. It makes me excited to think of cooking with these ingredients that have been more or less hibernating for the summer.

The afternoon before we left the Cape, K and I stopped at Cape Abilities farm stand on Route 6A in Dennis. Along with their display of pumpkins and apples, they had an amazing number of ripe tomatoes, and we immediately thought, "tomato soup."

I must admit I've had tomato soup on my mind ever since I read Kath's post over at The Ordinary Cook, in the beginning of September. Her idea of roasting the tomatoes with garlic sounds perfect. But I defaulted to my fallback recipe--one that first appeared in Food and Wine in 1979. Yes, I know my last post, regrettably, was filled with typos--but I really have been making this soup since 1979.

It's a flavorful soup made with a base of onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Add some fully ripened tomatoes, chicken broth and some seasonings and you are on your way to a very comforting dinner. If you have some end-of-summer tomatoes and some time to spare, give it a try.

Tomato Soup
   Broadly based on a recipe by Richard Sax Serves 6-8

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
5 medium onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 ribs celery, with leaves if you like, sliced
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
Large pinch fresh basil, chopped
3-4 sprigs parsley, chopped
4 lbs. ripe tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
5 cups chicken stock

In a large pot, melt butter with olive oil. Add onions and toss to coat with fat. Cover pot and sweat the onions over medium heat, tossing occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the celery and carrots, toss to coat, and salt, pepper, cayenne, basil and parsley. Toss, cover, and sweat until vegetables are slightly soft, about 5 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes. Cut out stems and core; cut in half horizontally and squeeze out seeds; then cut each half in two. Add tomatoes to pot along with the sugar and nutmeg. Heat the mixture uncovered; when it comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, stirring often breaking up the tomatoes, until the vegetables are beginning to cook down and thicken, about 10-12 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, and bring mixture to boil. Lower heat and simmer, partially covered, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pass the soup through a food mill, pressing the cooked vegetables through firmly. Reheat the soup, and correct seasonings to taste.

NOTE:

Since my food mill has been lost in action for quite some time--and I never realize this until I go to use it-I peeled the tomatoes before seeding and used my immersion blender to do the pureeing. I served the soup garnished with a chiffonade of basil along with crostini topped with Gorgonzola cheese run under the broiler. My friend K, served hers topped with herbed croutons.

"By all these love tokens
  September days are here,
  with summer's best of weather
  And autumn's best of cheer."
   Helen Hunt Jackson

Alone In The Kitchen With A Tomato

2010-09-03T06:54:00.000-04:00

I found myself at home for lunch the other day with a few very ripe tomatoes and a small piece of fresh mozzarella.

I decided to cut one of the tomatoes in half, sprinkled the halves with some thinly sliced garlic, salt and olive oil. I then roasted the tomato in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes until softened.

Meanwhile, I cut a slice from the mozzarella. When the tomato was soft I removed it from the oven and sandwiched the cheese between the two slices as the heat from the tomato began to melt the cheese. Served with a slice of crusty bread, it made the perfect summer lunch.

Actually, I roasted the tomato a little longer, about 20 minutes, so it would be oozing its juices. I figured it was just me for lunch, and soaking up the juices with bread was an enticing though messy event.

If you roast the tomato until just done, then add a thin slice of mozzarella until it just turns soft, this would make a great first course for an end-of-summer dinner.

Since the rest of the tomatoes needed to be eaten that I day, I ran with it and continud the tomato theme for dinner with panzella salad. Bread salad. What could be better than that?

Cubes of crusty bread, chunks of tomatoes, cucumbers and thinly sliced red onions. All tossed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and basil.

With a shrimp vinaigrette on the side, it was the perfect light dinner for a hot evening.

The Figs

2010-08-31T12:01:00.000-04:00

"Why are we surprised when fig trees bear figs?" Margaret Titzel

Although I grew up eating figs straight from the fig trees in our backyard, I am still amazed one can grow figs in New Jersey.

It's pleasant to conjure up visions of the sunny Mediterranean countryside dotted with fig trees. But honestly, my most vivid memories are of the fig trees in the Italian-American neighborhoods standing straight bundled up to ward off the onslaught of winter weather. Sometimes they were black tar-paper wrapped monoliths in a front yard; and at other times they stood in gardens wrapped in burlap or bent in half and buried for the winter. Italian men would go to great lengths to assure that their trees would survive to bear fruit for another year.

John started our fig tree from a shoot cut from one of my father's trees. The shoot was wrapped up and placed in the basement refrigerator to lie dormant over the winter. Once spring came, the shoot was planted, fed, watered and pampered. It grew, but never produced a great yield. When we moved, the tree came with us. We have very rocky soil, and the tree was moved a couple of times before we found the spot that was agreeable to the tree.

Fresh figs are quite perishable, but we are eating them as fast as we can. Mostly, we eat them out of hand, but I have been known to top grilled pizza dough with some grilled figs, prosciutto and arugula. Delicious. Or to grill figs, drizzle with honey and serve topped with a dollop of fresh ricotta. Or to stuff perfectly ripe figs with goat cheese or Gorgonzola. Or I am dying to try this recipe.

Yesterday I had just enough ripe figs to try my hand at a very easy fig jam. I sliced a little more than one cup of figs then crushed them with a little more than 2/3 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. I let the mixture sit for about 20 minutes until it became syrupy. I then brought the mixture to a boil, and simmered it for about 5 minutes until it thickened slightly and the figs were soft.

I poured the mixture into a clean crock to cool before storing in the refrigerator.

Someone told us that it takes five years for the fig tree to bear fruit. This year my father will be gone five years, and I am sure that he would be very happy to know that we are enjoying figs from his tree!

Pomodoro Crudo

2010-08-26T19:48:00.000-04:00

"Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti." Sophia Loren

Spaghetti does not look the same on me as it does on Sophia Loren. Nevertheless, I wait all year to make Spaghetti Pomodoro Crudo. August in New Jersey is the perfect time to make this quick and delicious summer pasta. It is pure and simple. The quality of the tomatoes is paramount, and now is the time to use those farm stand or garden-grown perfectly ripe tomatoes.

For dinner tonight I cut three tomatoes horizontally, seeded them, and then cut them into smallish chunks. To them I added one clove of garlic, pressed, and a handful of basil cut up (or torn, if you like), some fresh mozzarella, and a couple of grinds of pepper. I then poured about 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil over everything. Covered, this sat on the counter until dinner time. The mixture needs salt, but I waited until about thirty minutes before using it to add the salt so that it didn't become too watery. The sauce can sit out at room temperature for up to four hours. It's best to let it marinate for at least thirty minutes to an hour.

This sauce takes well to improvisation. So feel free to add whatever you might like--capers, hot pepper flakes, anchovies, olives--you get the idea.

Some use spaghetti in this recipe, but I prefer a pasta that can hold the sauce, such as orecchiette or shells.When the orecchiette ( I used 6 ounces for two servings) was cooked and drained, it was immediately added to the sauce. The heat from the just-cooked pasta began to soften the mozzarella and barely heated the tomatoes. Heaven. Be sure to have some crusty bread on hand to sop up the extra juices.

Green salads have seemed lackluster to me lately, so I made a cucumber and red onion salad. And it proved to be a cool counterpoint to the pasta.

Weekends

2010-08-24T14:12:00.000-04:00

The comic strip writer, Bill Watterson, once said, "Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something pointless." And as much as I would like to spend the weekends doing just fun things, most weekends around here are a combination. You know, the dry cleaner, the post office, the gas station and dinner with friends.

This past weekend none of the usual suspects was around to play; but fear not, a couple married as long as we had no trouble finding something to do. Friday evening the skies cleared and we were able to enjoy martinis on the deck before dinner.

I took a piece of tuna, briefly marinated it in a lightened teryiaki-type sauce, then pressed some toasted sesame seeds onto the suface. After the grill had heated to HOT, we barely seared it for a couple of minutes, then sliced it thinly on the diagonal and served it with some soy sauce combined with lime juice and a splash of sesame oil for dipping. Delicious with or without a martini.

For dinner we shared a nicely marbled rib eye steak (blurry photo below) and a Greek salad.

Saturday's weather forecast was promising, so we blew off our errands and went to the beach. When we returned and were ready for dinner, I prepped some wild sockeye salmon for the grill, cut some farmstand corn off the cob standing ready to be sauteed in sweet butter and topped with a chiffonnade of basil. And figs for dessert.

By Sunday dinner all we could manage was a farro salad and a bunch of grapes!

Not too bad for an old couple left to their own devices. Let's see what next weekend brings.

It's Not Easy Being Green--Or Is It?

2010-08-15T10:10:00.000-04:00

I was recently sent a sample of eco-friendly disposal, biodegradable palm leaf plates to test. The plates come from Marx Foods, and are considered to be an alternative to "flimsy paper or "forever-in-the landfill plastic dishes."

Marx Foods is a fifth generation high-end restaurant distributor that has evolved into a unique company providing home chefs as well as restaurant chefs with fine, fresh food. They have a strong belief in customer service as well as to be authentic and transparent and to connect their customers to the food source. Check out their website to read more. They have recently added this line of sustainable palm leaf plates.

No trees are harmed in the making of these palm leaf plates. They are made from leaves that are naturally shed from the Adaka palm tree. After being processed using an environmentally conscious

production method, they are molded into differing sizes and shapes.

I received a package of the hexagon shape of two different sizes. They are attractive albeit a bit expensive. The 9 1/2 inch plates sell for $33.50 per 25 pieces, and $77.25 for 100. Since the majority of us do not use disposal plates daily, they would be a nice alternative for a party. Their natural wood-like appearance would fit well into any party theme. Did I hear someone say Tiki Bar?

Since the hexagon shape is the only shape I am able to comment on, I found them to be a bit unstable as the bottom of the plates did not lay flat. Once filled with food, though, they seemed more stable. I also found that because of the higher sides on the hexagon-shaped dish, cutting food was a bit difficult. As promised the food did not leak through the plates!

Would I buy these plates? Maybe--but I'm usually a real-plate kind of person. But I think they would be a great alternative for a large outdoor gathering. If you are going to use plastic plates anyway, and feel like splurging, why not give these eco-friendly care-free plates a try?

I received a sample of plates from Marx Foods. No remuneration was received.

The Zucchini Post

2010-08-09T16:33:00.000-04:00

This is the time of year we are all inundated with the ubiquitous zucchini. To some it is a bland vegetable, but I have never found that to be the case. I think that summer squash adapts well to a variety of preparations. I could not leave these beauties behind at the Farmer's Market.

They were so fresh and so beautiful that I decided to make a "carpaccio" out of them. I know, "carpaccio" invokes images of raw beef--but raw, fresh summer squash makes a delcious treat.

Thin thin slices, some crumbled feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, a squirt of lemon, a drizzling of olive oil, and a sprinkling of mint. Delicious. I have also turned the squash into large thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler, tossed in some arugula, added lemon juice and olive oil and topped them with creamy shards of Parmesan cheese. Beautiful.

One of my favorite lunches when I was a kid was one my grandmother would make. She would go to the garden to pick some zucchini, green peppers and basil. After sauteing the peppers, she would add zucchini slices and either fresh tomatoes, cut up, or a bit of tomato puree along with a sprig of basil. There was no such thing as crunchy vegetables in our family, but the slow stewing did not seem to make this dish any less tasty.

And one of my favorite zucchini dishes comes from a young friend who teaches at an outdoor environmental education center in the Santa Cruz mountains of Northern California. In the summer when the education center is closed, her job is to tend the large garden along with her cat who thinks he's not, Wolfie. Despite her gofer problem this year, her zucchini harvest was overwhelming. Her fabulous recipe for Zucchini Feta Pancakes is a great way to use up excess harvest.

Cypress' Zucchini Feta Pancakes

4 cups coarsely grated zucchini
4 eggs, separated
1 heaping cup finely crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup minced scallions
3/4 teaspoon dried mint, or equivalent of fresh
1/3 cup flour
salt and pepper

Place grated zucchini in a colander and salt lightly. Let stand for 15 minutes to drain. Rinse and squeeze out all of the excess water.

Combine the zucchini, egg yolks, feta cheese, scallions, flour and salt and pepper. Mix well.

Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks; then fold them into zucchini mixture.

Fry spoonfuls of this mixture on both sides in butter until golden and crisp.

These are good topped with plain yogurt mixed with some minced scallion and a pinch of cumin or curry powder.

Sounds perfect to me.

Spatchcocked!

2010-07-26T14:40:00.000-04:00

Spatchcock. Now there's a word you don't hear everyday. Actually in the U.S your don't really hear it at all. But I've always loved that word. Simply speaking it means "to butterfly'', specifically a chicken. I bought a chicken at the market, but the thought of roasting it when outside temperatures were soaring into the 90's did not seem appealing. OK, so the thought of standing outside next to a hot grill was not appealing either, but a girl has to eat.

I wanted to make something a little different, something a little spicy. Chicken Fra Diavolo.

I placed the chicken, breast side down, on the cutting board; and cutting on either side of the backbone, removed it. I then turned the chicken over and pressed down on the breastbone until the chicken was somewhat flattened. I massaged the bird all over with olive oil, salt and hot red pepper flakes, then parked it to marinate for a couple of hours.

In the meantime, I grilled some zucchini, seasoned it, and set it to wait at room temperature.

When the sun went down, I was as ready as I was going to be to light the grill. I heated it to about medium-high and placed the chicken breast side down, poured a glass of icy white wine, grabbed my book and settled next to the grill to keep my eye on the bird. I let the bird cook for about 45-50 minutes, turning quite frequently to avoid burning.

The chicken was done just as John walked through the door. After letting the bird rest a bit, I cut it up and finished it off with a squirt of lemon.

A green salad added, and it was dinner.

Down The Shore

2010-07-21T19:00:00.003-04:00

After a weekend at S and A's beach house, I thought that John and I would have to scale back on our eating last week. Put the four of us together with a beach, and all of our common sense eating habits evaporate. But truth be told it proved quite effortless to eat healthfully. That is if you don't count the tequila and that bag of cheetos.

At the shore we are able to get fish fresh from the boat.

S briefly bathed these still quivering scallops in shoyu sauce--a Japanese soy with wheat added for a bit of sweetness--and a squirt of lime juice. Then he barely seared them on a hot grill.

A perfect first course.

While we ate the scallops the swordfish was marinating.

Perfection!

A has not eaten red meat in years, but decided that weekend she might try it. So before the opportunity escaped, we seized the moment and bought some prime porterhouse steaks to present to her that evening.

We added baked potatoes and sauteed spinach to complete our steakhouse meal.

Ice cream for dessert.

Great weekend with friends.

On second thought we had better scale back our eating.

Ah' Pizz

2010-07-08T06:16:00.001-04:00

It seems as if authentic Neopolitan pizzerias are opening all over New York. Some, as you might imagine, are not so authentic. Now, I've never been to Naples, but I just can't imagine some of these overly-doughy soggy-crust pies even remotely resembling those served in Naples.

But I think we have a winner in Montclair, NJ. You may be thinking,"Do we really need another pizzeria in northern New Jersey?" If the place is Ah'Pizz--I think we do. Business partners Michael La Morte, who runs the front of the house, and pizzaiola, Chris De Lisio believe they have found their niche.

They have set out to create a high end pizzeria serving Neopolitan pizza cooked in a Neopolitan brick oven using ingredients imported from Italy. The restaurant which has been open since April of this year, is a bright and unpretentious storefront with brick walls and floor to ceiling windows.

The night we met L and J there we were seated within five minutes, menus in hand and wine bottle opened. Of course, it was a holiday weekend, but if the pizza that we were served that night is any indication, I expect long lines once word gets out.

We each ordered salads, which were enormous.

This salad was a special that night, cucumber and tomatoes with a balsamic glaze. One of the salads, another special that night, was baby spinach in a mustard vinaigrette; and another a spring mix with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and artichoke hearts tossed with a balsamic glaze. All were quite good.

All the pizzas were delicious. The crust is light--not too dense-- tender but still chewy. Cooking in a 1000 degree wood-burning oven gives the crust the perfect char. The Margherita was covered with crushed San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano and basil. The Carciofi was topped with artichokes, fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, and black olives--nice combination. But the favorite that night was the Gorgonzola pie topped with speck and dusted with Parmigiano Reggiano. Delicious!

As if that wasn't enough J said we had to have the nutella pizza for dessert. I don't think so. But we had it anyway.

The dough hot from the oven was smeared with nutella, covered with banana slices, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Coffee. Done.

Ah' Pizz is open seven days a week. No reservations. BYOB. Take out, but no phone orders. It is not inexpensive, but considering the quality ingredients and excellent pizza, it's worth it. Check out their website for more information.

In the inimitable words of Emma in Wilton Barnhardt's novel, Emma Who Saved My Life, "It is important in the daily diet to have one representative from each of the Four Food Groups. A caffeine, a sugar, a booze and a grease...." Except for the grease, we did all that.

Kale and Hearty

2010-07-07T13:01:00.000-04:00

Although we found ourselves at home for the 4th of July weekend, we had time to meet friends for dinner, sit on the beach for a few hours, and even go to a fabulous fireworks display. Monday morning we were still in relaxation mode.

So while John was outside feeding the plants, I was puttering around the kitchen taking care of odds and ends when I came across five leaves of kale in the crisper. These five leaves were the last evidence of our now unsubscribed-to CSA. I tried, but it just was not for me. Right after I cashed my refund check I heard that this week's box includes a half, yes half, head of lettuce as well as one baby leek. Lord knows, I can't make this stuff up!

Anyway, what to do with the kale? Although I love just about all kinds of greens, kale has never been my favorite. Somewhere in the back of my head was a recollection of someone somewhere making kale chips. I started searching--and you wouldn't believe how many articles I found about kale chips. Who knew?

I rinsed and dried the leaves, then tore them into bite-sized pieces. I then tossed the pieces with some olive oil, apple cider vinegar and salt.

These are the kale leaves on the baking sheet ready for the oven.

Then I had to decide at what temperature to bake them. Some thought low and slow, others used a hot oven. Since my oven was already heated to 375 after toasting a batch of walnuts and making a batch of crostini, that was the temperature I used.

This is what they looked like after seven minutes; turned them over and roasted for another 7 minutes.

This is what they looked like when done roasting.

Well, I can't say that either of us really liked them. I could have used a lot less olive and waaay less salt!

I actually liked our dinner of crostini and farro salad much better.

What Do You Eat When You Are Alone?

2010-06-22T17:09:00.000-04:00

What do you eat when you are alone?

If someone were to ask me that question, I would say, "grilled cheese." I love to eat grilled cheese when I am dining alone, but today I ate a can of beets for lunch.

Yes, a can of beets. Not roasted. No goat cheese. No arugula. A can of beets, drained and tossed with olive oil, salt and oregano. A salad straight from my childhood. And delicious. Beet salad was definitely in my mother's rotation. It never supplanted the tossed green salad served after the meal, but it was a side dish with--what? I don't remember. Maybe hamburgers, maybe cubed steak. Sometimes with a thinly sliced red onion, but always delicious.

Do you ever wonder what people eat when there is no one around? I think what we eat when we are alone can be divided into two categories. There are those of us who live alone and therefore cook for ourselves on a regular basis. In his article, Table for One, writer Nigel Slater believes that cooking for one is the perfect time to indulge his food desires and pour himself a glass of good wine. Mr. Slater takes great pleasure in spending at least a few nights a week satisfying his culinary whims.

In her book, The Pleasures of Cooking For One, the legendary book editor turned author, Judith Jones turns the act of cooking for one into an homage of sorts. She sets the table and pours the wine. And then dines solo. She has even made a cheese souffle scaled down for one.

But don't get me wrong, there are times, Mr. Slater says, when dinner for him could be a a tub of hummus, a bag of pita bread and a bottle of wine. Or a bacon sandwich at midnight. That brings me to the next category. What do you eat when no one is looking?

Ah! See there is a difference. When no one is looking many of us resort to childhood favorites or bizarre combinations we would never think to eat in front of another living soul. Years ago when John would work every third night, my favorite after-work dinner for one was a bowl of salty popcorn and a glass of white wine chased by a couple of pieces of dark chocolate. How healthy is that?

In my very unscientific poll, I saw a big trend in solo eating of carbohydrates--a bowl of cereal, cake, a pan of brownies; an entire candy bar or a half a pan of cornbread as well as the all-time favorite, cold pizza. I've also known someone, who shall remain nameless, who thought the perfect dining companion was a can of cold spam. When no one is around to disapprove of what we're eating, all bets are off.

So I ask you, what do you eat when you are alone?

Pizza Again

2010-06-19T06:22:00.000-04:00

Last night John and I had our first grilled pizza of the summer. If you have never grilled a pizza, you must give it a try. It is easy, fun and never fails to impress. Did I mention delicious?

Simply pat out your dough, brush liberally with olive oil and place directly on a medium-hot grill.
Grill until crisp and brown on one side. Brush top of dough with olive oil and using a tongs or your fingers turn over. When the second side is almost done, add toppings, close grill and continue to cook until toppings are ready. Garnish and serve.

Just Peachy

2010-06-13T17:00:00.014-04:00

It was with some trepidation L and I picked up our first farm box from our CSA. E-mails last week from the woman who runs this CSA gave us the feeling that it is very loosely run--definitely not our style--but OK.

The first e-mail informed us that she is not sure if we will be continuing through the summer. What? We just started our session, because in New Jersey we wait all year long for summer produce. The next e-mail said that because of such a large response, she had to go in search of other providers. OK.

So we go to pick up our boxes, a half share each, in the pouring rain. We make our way back to the garage where a short hunt finds us our labeled boxes. A stop at the cooler to collect our dozen eggs, and off we go. We will return in two weeks for our next box.

When I returned home I was excited to see what was awaiting me.

There was no need for me to have been apprehensive about the quantity of produce being too much for two people as it seemed quite manageable. In fact some of the quantities seemed quite ridiculous. Four baby beets and pea pods that yielded less than one cup shucked peas. Good thing, for me, that John doesn't care for either, because neither would have made a decent side dish for two.

The baby beets looked so much prettier raw than cooked; but I roasted them with olive oil and made them into a tiny first course salad with goat cheese and arugula.

The sweet peas were just steamed and buttered and added to the dinner plate.

Dinner the next night was fresh eggs fried in a ring of red pepper and dusted with Parmesan cheese atop wholegrain toast.

This was accompanied by the broad beans, the only vegetables adequate enough for two servings. They were boiled, drained, tossed with olive oil and salted.

And some beautifully ripe and sweet Campari tomatoes roasted with olive oil, thyme and garlic.

Saturday's dinner was accompanied by the five scallions, grilled.

I am trying to reserve judgement, but I thought the whole concept of community supported agriculture was just that. Eat seasonally, eat locally, and support local farmers. I have been eating seasonally and locally as much as possible my whole life, so it is not a new or foreign concept to me. So you can understand my confusion to find included in my box pears from Argentina, scallions from California and peaches and oranges from who knows where. The Campari tomatoes, by the way, were purchased from the supermarket and hydroponically grown in New Jersey!

Perhaps a half share should contain less variety than a full share, but enough of each vegetable to serve at least two people. Perhaps I'm being too picky.

Today is Sunday and I have left 3 hard pears, two oranges, and one peach. The cherries went quickly.The two yellow squash will be grilled for dinner today or tomorrow, and the large head of red leaf lettuce will be gone as well.

We'll see.

Long Weekend

2010-05-31T17:00:00.003-04:00

Memorial Day Weekend has long been the unofficial beginning of summer, and our weekend was the perfect juxtaposition of activity and relaxation. The true sign of summer for me is the first time I brew a pitcher of iced tea. Perfect.

Friday night ushered in the weekend like many before it. T and J were coming for dinner. But this time it took some convincing as it was T's birthday, and she was determined not to acknowledge it. I had to promise not to. Right before they arrived the sky cleared so we sat outside to enjoy some bruschetta. I cut some slices from a baguette on the diagonal, brushed them will olive oil and placed them on the grill. Hot off the grill I rubbed them with a clove of garlic and piled them high with some ripe grape tomatoes, shreds of basil and salt then anointed them with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Perfect.

So it was pizza and politics as usual.

The only nod toward the occasion was dessert -- affogato. A scoop of ice cream, in our case caramel macchiato flavor, doused with a bit of liqueur, here Patron XO Cafe, and drowned in a shot of espresso. T approved.

Saturday was lovely and we spent it relaxing, reading and enjoying the symphony of birds that visit our birdbath. Between the visits to the bird bath each day by our pair of mourning doves, Fred and Ethel, the rabbits chomping on the lawn, and the deer, well eating our plants, sometimes it's hard to remember that we live only ten miles outside of New York City.

When I checked my small garden, I was thrilled to see that the arugula I had planted just a few days before had germinated.

And as usual, the mint is on its way to taking over. I guess there are Mojitos in our immediate future.

Last weekend was spent mostly doing work in the yard. We weeded and mulched and spruced up as we planned to enjoy it all this weekend. Saturday morning was our first al fresco breakfast overlooking John's newly mulched garden path to nowhere.

Sunday's weather was beautiful, and we continued to putter around at a very leisurely pace. J and L called on their way home from the wine shop. Can they come over and bring some wine? Sure--you've got to love them. So it was bruschetta again, this time with slices of ciabatta grilled, topped with some fresh ricotta, chopped tomatoes and basil. I made a salad and grilled some hot sausages as we drank a lovely zinfandel.

The very best thing about Sunday was knowing that we had one more day of the weekend ahead of us.
Ahh.

Thursday

2010-05-21T06:00:00.002-04:00

Breakfast

Lunch at the office

Haircut

Market

Flowers from the garden

Dinner

Dinner Tonight

2010-05-18T20:00:00.001-04:00

It was approaching 5 pm and I still didn't know what I was going to make for dinner. I must have been channeling Tracy at Amuse-Bouche for Two when I texted John and asked if he had any ideas for dinner.

"Do you have any beef barley soup in the freezer?" No.
"How about any tomato soup in the freezer?" No.

I could see where this was headed as it is a miserable, cold, and rainy day. Ok, I'll survey the fridge and see what I can come up with. Celery, carrots, and an onion. Canned (boxed, actually) tomatoes, a bag of lentils, and some low sodium chicken broth. Good.

I pour some olive oil into the soup pot, add a knob of butter and saute the chopped vegetables until soft. If you happen to have some pancetta--I didn't--now would be the time to add it. Add a pinch of salt then one cup of tomatoes, cut up. Season and simmer for a bit.

Add 1 1/2 cups lentils, stir, then add 4 cups broth or half broth and half water. Season to taste. Cover and simmer approximately 45 minutes or until lentils are tender--adding more water if lentils absorb too much liquid. Off heat finish with a tablespoon or so of butter and correct seasoning. Serve dusted with grated cheese. We used Pecorino. Add a green salad, a whole wheat roll, and a glass of wine. Done.

Master Chef

2010-05-18T11:15:00.003-04:00

I stopped at the Asian market on my way home yesterday. You see I've been yearning to make an Asian-style turkey burger ever since I saw this recipe at Serious Eats, and I needed sriracha sauce for the dressing.

Sriracha is a blend of hot chiles, salt, sugar and vinegar. It can be used to liven up just about anything, and is quite good blended with some mayo as a sauce for the burger. I have, in the past, used these same Asian ingredients that appear in this recipe with great success blended with freshly chopped salmon to form burgers.

I was first introduced to the wonders of the Asian marketplace in the late 1970's by my Chinese cooking guru, Eileen Yin-Fei Lo. Eileen is quite the authority on Chinese cooking and has authored eleven cookbooks on Chinese cuisine and many articles for major magazines. But I knew her as Eileen Ferretti and took cooking lessons from her in her New Jersey kitchen.

Those were the days before anyone had ever heard of a celebrity chef, and people were still allowing strangers through their doors to teach them to cook. Imagine that! Eileen did, and still does, cook food that is traditional to her native land. I worked and ate my way through Eileen's classes all the way up through "super advanced".

An Asian grocery store could be overwhelming to a Westerner; but before classes would begin, Eileen would take us to Chinatown in New York City to make sure we would have all the proper woks and utensils and ingredients to continue our education at our own stoves at home. I did become quite proficient at it, too--even going so far as hanging a Peking duck from a hook on our screened-in porch, fan blowing to dry it out, before roasting it in a hot oven. That was before our kitchen had an exhaust fan, and I don't know how the Fire Department didn't show up!

Eileen Yin-Fei Lo is a 4'9" dynamo who was born in the village of Sun-Tak in Canton and learned to cook at an early age from her beloved grandmother. During the Chinese Revolution Yin fled to Hong Kong to be with her father and continued her cooking education with her Number 6 Aunt. She met her husband of fifty years, journalist Fred Ferretti, in 1958 when this American G.I. walked into the tailor shop that she managed. They married the following year, she added Eileen to her name, and moved to the United States to begin a family.

Eileen believes that Chinese cooking is Chinese culture. One must have respect for the tradition of Chinese cooking and be authentic in technique and in life. Her latest book, Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking, will serve to keep her beliefs and traditional recipes alive forever.

I see Eileen from time to time around town. We always stop to talk. We ask about each others families, the projects we are working on, and about her grandchild. Now Eileen can pass on her treasured culture to her granddaughter Siu-Siu, as her grandmother did to her. And I think of Eileen every time I make Lemon Chicken from Number 6 Aunt!

Click here to see Eileen at home in her kitchen.

A Weekend At Home

2010-05-15T11:46:00.000-04:00

I am planning a weekend at home. John is working and I expect to catch up on many neglected tasks. The weekend started well with a quiet dinner for two on Friday night of a nice broccoli and ricotta pizza on a whole wheat crust.

I got up early today and paid the bills, both home and office--but the filing will have to wait. The day is gorgeous for a change so my mind is racing--should I run out and buy some plants for the deck? Sure! I get to the garden center when it opens, buy some large baskets of New Guinea impatiens, some lettuces and more basil plants. When can I plant these? What else do I need? Should I buy seeds and start a pot of lettuce? No. We've decided to join a CSA and we'll probably have more lettuce than we will know what to do with.

Back home there seems to be unfinished projects everywhere. Focus. I fire up the espresso maker.

Did that coffee help, or did it make me crazier?

I cook for my 94-year old mother, and her freezer needs to be filled. As she is not an adventurous eater and a creature of habit, I prepare the same food for her over and over. A no-brainer, really. So I put a podcast on my ipod and try to get into the zone as I did during my days as a personal chef. I begin with baked ziti, a dish I may add, I never make for us.

Next comes beef barley soup.

Now cool, portion, package and freeze. The remainder of the food will have to wait. You probably can tell that I am having an ADD kind of day. Breathe, just breathe.

The serenity I felt on vacation is gone, and the only thing left from it is the photo on my screen saver!

If you've stuck with me for this long, thanks for letting me rant!

Ready to Roll?

2010-05-10T11:34:00.003-04:00

Back from vacation and up at dawn. Pour coffee, empty dishwasher, check e-mails, jump on the treadmill--both literally and figuratively--drawing up to-do list in my head.

After a beautiful and restful week with our friends at the beach eating and drinking with total abandon, it's time to get back to more prudent habits. I roasted a plump chicken for dinner last night. Sprinkled the cavity with salt and pepper and filled it with a lemon pierced in spots, some rosemary springs and garlic gloves. After loosening the skin over the breast I massaged it with some softened butter and more salt and pepper. I worked some more butter into the skin, s & p, then I trussed it closed and put it to roast in a hot oven.

There is nothing like the smell of a chicken roasting. I added a green salad, some olives and one glass of red wine. Off to a good start.