Recipes from a happy marriage :-)
Servings: —
Ingredients
Non-buttermilk variety
Put in a mixing bowl
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
Beat lightly. Sift
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Directions
Add to the milk mixture all at once. Stir just enough to dampm the flour. Add more milk, if necessary, to make the batter about as thick as heavy cream. Cook. Makes 6-or 8 cakes with ¼ cup scoop.
Servings: 6
Source: Adapted from Asian Flavors (Williams-Sonoma, 2000) by Joyce Jue
Green papaya, an immature cousin of the common papaya is used in its unripe state as a salad vegetable. Its mild tart flavor and unexpected crunchy texture highlight this Asian coleslaw. if green papaya is not available, green mango, daikon (Japanese radish) or jicama will work. Whole green papaya and packaged pre-shredded green papaya (which makes this a lot easier), may be found at Asian markets. Chinese glazed beef jerky makes a great substitute for the traditional homemade grilled dried beef. It is available in Chinese and Vietnamese markets labeled as sweet dried beef jerky. Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
6 cup finely shredded green papaya or 1½ lb green papaya
1 med carrot, fine julienne
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 Tbsp chopped rau ram (Vietnamese mint) or fresh mint
4 oz Chinese glazed beef jerky, cut into thin strips with scissors
4 Tbsp chopped roasted peanuts
Shrimp Chips (optional) for garnish
Directions
Put the shredded papaya and carrots in a bowl of ice water for ten minutes to crisp it.
Drain the papaya and carrots well; pat dry and put into a large mixing bowl. Add the cilantro, rau ram or mint, and the glazed beef jerky, and Nuoc Mam Chanh; toss lightly to evenly coat. Allow the salad to sit for 10 minutes to absorb the flavors. Transfer the salad to a serving platter by using tongs to pick up the salad and shake it gently to drain the extra liquid clinging to the papaya. Arrange on a plate with the chopped peanuts on top. Garnish with the optional shrimp chips.
Tip: When using a whole green papaya, cut it in half, lengthwise, then peel and scrape out the seeds. With a Japanese mandolin use the thinnest blade and cut it into fine julienne strips (no thicker than 1/8-inch). There is also a special serrated edge tool available in Asian grocery store for shredding.
Note: Shrimp chips are available in Asian markets pre-fried and ready to eat. To make them fresh, buy the dried shrimp chips, sometimes called prawn crackers. They look like dried dehydrated chips. Bring 2 cups of vegetable oil in a saucepan to 365°. When it is hot, drop a few chips into the oil. They should expand fully and float to the surface within 10 seconds. With a strainer, scoop them out and drain on paper towels. Cool. Store in an airtight container and it should keep for a few days.
Nuoc Mam Chanh (sour lime vinaigrette) 2 teaspoon Sriracha sauce or sambal oeleck 1 clove garlic, finely minced 2 tablespoons sugar 1½ tablespoons lime juice with pulp 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce
In a bowl, mix together the Sriracha sauce, garlic, sugar, lime juice, rice vinegar, and fish sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings; set aside
Servings: 4
Source: Fine Cooking 8/2001 pg 65
To make the vinaigrette ahead, char the peppers under a broiler flame instead of a grill fire and be sure to whisk the vinaigrette just before serving. Any leftover dressing is good with all sorts of grilled or steamed vegetables and with arugula, too. Try a combination of red and yellow peppers. Serves four as a first course; yields 1 cup vinaigrette.
Ingredients
2 sm or 1 lg red bell pepper (enough to yield 1 cup roasted)
1 sm clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
Pinch cayenne
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil; more for preparing the leeks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 med leeks, root end intact (dark green parts removed), halved lengthwise, and washed
2 oz goat cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil
Directions
To make the vinaigrette Prepare a grill fire. Slice off the tops and bottoms of the peppers and make an incision down the length of each pepper. Flatten each into one long piece; remove the ribs and seeds. Char the peppers skin side down over a medium-hot fire until the skins are blackened and blistered. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic, and let steam. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skins. Put the flesh in a food processor, along with the garlic, vinegar, and cayenne; purse until smooth. With the motor running, pour the olive oil through the feed tube in a slow, thin stream. Adjust the seasonings and thin with a bit of water if needed (it will be fairly thick).
To prepare the leeks Simmer the leeks in well-salted water until tender, 3 to 5 min. Arrange on a platter and let cool to room temperature. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill the leeks over a medium-hot fire until charred, 3 to 4 min. per side. While they’re still warm, drizzle them with the vinaigrette, crumble the goat cheese over the top, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve.
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Source: Gourmet
February 2001
Glazed turnips make a nice side dish for roasted meats or poultry.
Ingredients
2 lb sm to med (2-inch) turnips
About 1 1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Garnish: chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Peel turnips, then halve horizontally and quarter halves. Arrange turnips in 1 layer in a 12-inch heavy skillet and add enough water (about 1 1/2 cups) to reach halfway up turnips. Add butter, sugar, and salt and boil over moderately high heat, covered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Boil turnips, uncovered, stirring, until tender and water has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Sauté turnips over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Add 3 tablespoons water and stir to coat turnips with glaze.
Servings: —
Preheat: 350°
Ingredients
1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER’S GERMAN’S Sweet Chocolate
½ cup water
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Cover bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; grease sides of pans. Microwave chocolate and water in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
MIX flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in melted chocolate and the vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.
BEAT egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently stir into batter. Pour evenly into prepared pans.
BAKE 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Immediately run small metal spatula around cake layers in pans. Cool in pans 15 min.; remove layers from pans to wire racks. Remove and discard wax paper. Cool cake layers completely. Spread Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting between cake layers and onto top of cake.
Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting
4 egg yolks
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1½ tsp. vanilla
1½ cups sugar
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter or margarine
1 pkg. (7 oz.) Coconut (about 2-2/3 cups)
1½ cups Chopped Pecans
Beat egg yolks, milk and vanilla in large saucepan with wire whisk until well blended. Add sugar and butter; cook on medium heat 12 min. or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add coconut and pecans; mix well. Cool to room temperature and of desired spreading consistency.
Servings: 8
Preheat: 375°
Source: Fine Cooking June/July 2002
Ingredients
Crunchy Crisp Topping
Yields enough for one crisp.
This is my version of the classic fruit crisp topping. It can be made up to a month ahead and frozen; use it straight out of the freezer.
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
Pinch salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/8 teaspoon ground or grated nutmeg (optional)
8 tablespoons slightly softened unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Combine the flour, both sugars, salt, and cinnamon or nutmeg, if using, in a medium bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it’s well blended and the mixture crumbles coarsely; it should hold together when you pinch it. Refrigerate until needed.
OATMEAL TOPPING VARIATION
Adding oatmeal makes a more voluminous toppin with a rustic, crumbly texture. Add 1 cup old fashioned oats to the master recipe.
CORNMEAL TOPPING VARIATION
Cornmeal adds some unexpected crunch but makes the topping a bit less crumbly. Add ¼ cup cornmeal to the master recipe.
NUT TOPPING VARIATION
After rubbing in the butter, add 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts, or sliced almonds to any of the recipes above.
Directions
Make a topping
Use the Crunchy Crisp Topping recipe (or one of the variations) below and refrigerate.
Prepare 6 cups of fruit
Choose one or two fruits and cut each into even-size pieces:
½-inch pieces for firmer fruit, ¾-inch pieces for tender fruit.
The following are good alone or mixed:
· Apples and pears: peel, core, cut into ½ inch slices.
· Peaches, nectarines, plums, an apricots, Pit and cut into ¾ inch slices.
These fruit are best mixed with each other or with one of the fruits above:
· Strawberries: stem, core, and quarter or halve, depending on size.
· Cherries: stem, pit, and leave whole.
· Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries: Leave whole
Put the fruit in a bowl.
Adjust the sweetness
Taste the fruit and sprinkle on 2 tablespoons to 1/3 cup sugar. For less ripe or tart fruit, use more sugar; for sweet, ripe fruit, use less.
Add the thickener
In a small dish, dissolve 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. For juicier fruit, such as berries, use the greater amount of cornstarch. For denser fruits like apples and pears, use the lesser amount. Pour over the fruit.
Add optional flavorings
Choose one or two spices, zests, or extracts
· grated lemon or orange zest: 1-2 tsp
· ground cinnamon: ½ tsp
· grated or ground nutmeg: 1/8 tsp
· grated fresh ginger: 1 to 2 tsp
· vanilla: 1 tsp extract of the seeds from 2 inches of a vanilla bean.
· almond extract: ½ tsp
· dried cherries, dried cranberries, or raisins: ½ cup soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained.
Gently toss into the fruit.
Assemble and start baking
Pour the fruit mixture into an 8- or 9-inch square (or similar-capacity) glass or ceramic baking dish. Set the pan on a baking sheet to catch overflowing juices. Top the fruit with half of the topping (refrigerate the other half) and bake for 20 minutes.
Finish baking
Sprinkle the remaining topping over the crisp and continue baking until the fruit is tender when pierced with a knife, the topping is crisp, and the juices are bubbling, another 15 to 35 minutes, depending on the fruit (apples take more time; berries take less). Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve warm.
Servings: 4
Every region of Italy with a coastline has a characteristic fish soup. This Roman version is spicy with garlic and hot chile. It contains a minimum of liquid, so it is more like a stew than a soup. Use whatever fish varieties are available with the exception of strong-flavored oily fish, which would overwhelm the delicate shellfish.
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, chopped
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup olive oil
2 lb squid, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch rings (about 1 lb when cleaned)
1 cup dry white wine
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
pinch of salt
2 cups water
1 lb small hard-shell clams or cockles, soaked in cool water for 30 minutes and well scrubbed
1 1/2 lb assorted firm-fleshed fish filets such as whiting, monkfish, turbot, porgy bream, red snapper, and sea bass, cut into chunks
4 slices coarse country bread, toasted and rubbed on one side with a garlic clove
Directions
In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté the garlic and pepper flakes in the olive oil until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and discard. Add the squid and cook and stir until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, parsley, and salt and cook until the juices evaporate, about 10 minutes longer.
Add the water and bring to a simmer. Add the clams (discard any that do not close to the touch) and fish, cover, and cook until all the clams open and the fish is opaque throughout, about 5 minutes. Discard any clams that failed to open. Adjust the seasonings.
Place a bread slice in each warmed soup plate. Ladle the soup over the bread and serve.
Servings: 8-10
Preheat: 350°
Source: Fine Cooking, Winter 2004 p. 18b
I get the best results stirring this batter with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. This cake is delicious on its own but even better topped with ganache.
Ingredients
4½ ounces (1 cup) all-purpose flour
1 ounce ( ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt
4 ounces (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and warm
1¼ cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup hot water
1 cup warm ganache (optional; see the recipe below)
Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of an 8×2- or 9×2-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment.
In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift only if the cocoa remains lumpy after whisking. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add the eggs and vanilla; stir until well blended. Add the flour mixture all at once and stir just until all the flour is moistened. Pour the hot water over the batter; stir just until it’s incorporated and the batter is smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes for a 9-inch pan; 35 to 40 minutes for an 8-inch pan. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 1 0 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge and invert the cake (peel off the parchment if necessary). Invert it again onto the rack and let cool completely.
Once cool, set the rack over a baking sheet or foil. Pour the warm ganache over the cake and use an icing spatula to spread it over the top of the cake and down the sides. Let set for about an hour before serving.
Ganache
Yields 1½ cups.
You’ll have a bit of this ganache left over after icing the cake; use it as a sauce for ice cream or another dessert. It keeps for a week in the refrigerator. Rewarm gently.
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream; more as needed
Granulated sugar (optional)
Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk gently until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. (if using a 70% bittersweet chocolate, the ganache might be a bit thick; add more cream, a tablespoon at a time, to thin it. You might also want to add a couple of teaspoons of sugar when you add the hot cream.)
Servings: —
Source: Joan Berman
Ingredients
1 lb. Farfalle pasta, cooked & drained
2-3 C cherry or sugarplum tomatoes
1 sliced red onion
3/4 C olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 C capers
1/2 C pitted Kalamata olives
Directions
Mix together the tomatoes, onion, olive oil and garlic cloves.
Broil at 400°F until tomatoes are soft & browned (around 35 minutes):
As tomato mixture cools, add capers and olives.
While still warm, add mixture to pasta, along with feta cheese.
Serve lukewarm.
Servings: 6
Source: Gourmet 2/79
Ingredients
1 pound firm-fleshed white fish fillets, such as sole
3 tsp gingerroot
1 tablespoon rice wine
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
6 wood-ear mushrooms or black fungus
1 tablespoon minced scallion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup Chinese chicken broth
2 tablespoons fermented wine rice or sake
2 teaspoons sugar
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups peanut oil
Directions
Holding a cleaver at a forty-five° angle to the cutting surface, cut 1 pound firm-fleshed white fish fillets, such as sole, crosswise into ¼ -inch slices. In a bowl combine 1 egg white, lightly beaten, 2 slices of gingerroot, each the size of a quarter, flattened with the flat side of a cleaver, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and I teaspoon salt, add the fish, tossing it to coat it with the mixture, and let it marinate for 1 hour. In a shallow bowl let 6 wood-ear mushrooms or black fungus soften in warm water to cover for 20 minutes, drain them, and cut them into 1-inch pieces. In a dish combine 1 tablespoon each of minced scallion and minced garlic and 2 teaspoons peeled and minced gingerroot. In a small bowl combine 1 cup Chinese chicken broth (January, 1979) or tinned chicken broth, 2 tablespoons fermented wine rice or sake, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1½ teaspoons cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Heat a wok over high heat until it is very hot, add 2 cups peanut oil, and heat it to 350ºF. Drain the fish and remove and discard the gingerroot. Add the fish to the oil and deep-fry it for 2 minutes, or until it becomes opaque. Transfer the fish with a skimmer to paper towels to drain. Strain all but 2 tablespoons of the oil through a fine sieve into ajar and store it, covered, for reuse in frying fish. Reheat the oil remaining in the wok until it is very hot, add the scallion mixture, and stir-fry it for 30 seconds, or until it is fragrant. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry the mixture for 30 seconds. Stir the broth mixture, add it to the wok, and cook the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened slightly. Add the fish and toss it until it is coated well with the sauce. Transfer the mixture to a heated platter.