Strawberry Vin Santo Sauce

Servings: —
Source: Bon Appétit
May 2000
*Vin Santo is an Italian dessert wine sold at some liquor stores and some specialty foods stores.

Ingredients
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered (about 4 cups)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Vin Santo,* Muscat wine or cream Sherry
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered (about 4 cups)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Vin Santo,* Muscat wine or cream Sherry
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel

Directions
Puree 1 pound strawberries in processor. Transfer puree to heavy large saucepan. Mix in sugar, Vin Santo, vanilla extract and grated lemon peel. Simmer over medium-low heat until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Cool. (Sauce can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Makes 2 cups

Strawberry Shortcakes with Balsamic and Black Pepper Syrup

Servings: 8
Source: Bon appetit 6/2010
All-American strawberry shortcake goes modern with a hit of balsamic vinegar and a dash of black pepper. Making the biscuits square instead of round is quicker and easier than using a biscuit cutter. Plus, you won’t have to reroll the dough, which can make the biscuits tough.

Ingredients
Biscuits

* 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
* 5 tablespoons sugar, divided
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
* 1 large egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

Filling

* 2 pounds fresh strawberries (about 8 cups), hulled, quartered if small, sliced if large
* 6 tablespoons sugar, divided
* 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 1 large pinch of freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preparation
Biscuits

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt in processor. Using on/off turns, process to blend. Add butter; cut in using on/off turns until butter resembles large peas, about five 1-second intervals. Add cream; using on/off turns, process until moist clumps form. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. Gather dough into ball; flatten into 8×4-inch rectangle (about 1 1/4 inches thick). Cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 4 equal strips, forming 8 square biscuits. Transfer biscuits to prepared baking sheet and chill 20 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Brush top of biscuits with egg glaze; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until biscuits are golden brown and tester inserted horizontally comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Filling
Mix strawberries, 5 tablespoons sugar, vinegar, and black pepper in medium bowl. Let macerate 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Using electric mixer, beat cream, vanilla, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another medium bowl until peaks form.
Cut biscuits horizontally in half. Place bottom half of each biscuit, cut side up, on plate. Using slotted spoon, divide strawberries among biscuits. Spoon dollop of whipped cream atop strawberries. Cover each with top half of biscuit. Drizzle some of juices from strawberries around shortcakes.

Stir-Fried Burdock

Servings: —
Source: Coke Farms

Ingredients
2-3 burdock roots
1TB peanut oil
1TB sesame seeds
1-2 TB soy sauce
1 pinch of chili flakes
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Dash of sake (optional)

Directions
Scrub roots and scrape skin with a sharp knife under running water. Keep burdock in water to keep from turning brown. Cut into 2″” sections and cut into match sticks. Keep cut pieces in water as you cut.

Heat peanut oil in wok on medium heat. When a bead of water evaporates on contact, add cut burdock, and stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until tender, but still firm. Add sesame seeds and chili flakes. Continue cooking for another minute, then add sesame oil and soy sauce.

Burdock is commonly used in Japanese cuisine and macrobiotic cooking. Burdock is very nutritious and has an earthy, nutty flavor. May also be used as an addition in soups and stews.

Spinach with Pine Nuts & Raisins

Servings: 6
Source: Fine Cooking August/September 2001 pg 39
Use baby spinach when it’s available; it’s sweeter, less gritty, easier to clean, and there’s no need to trim the stems.

Ingredients
2½ lb. fresh spinach, stems trimmed, leaves rinsed
½ tsp. coarse salt or sea salt
½ cup water
¼ cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil; more to taste
½ medium onion, finely chopped
3 Tbs. golden raisins
3 Tbs. pine nuts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Put the spinach leaves in a large pot with a tight fitting lid (if all the spinach doesn’t fit, add the rest once it starts cooking and collapsing). Add the salt and water and cook, covered, on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted, 2 or 3 min. Drain in a colander, let cool, and squeeze out the liquid with your hands. You’ll end up with about 2 cups cooked spinach.

Heat 3 Tbs. of the olive oil in a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to turn golden, about 5 min. Stir in the raisins and cook for another 3 to 4 min. Stir in the pine nuts and sauté until they’re lightly toasted, about 3 min. add the spinach and cook until any excess liquid has evaporated. Season generously with salt and pepper and drizzle each serving (or the whole serving platter) with the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil.

Spinach & Grilled Radicchio Salad

Servings: 6-8
Source: Fine Cooking, September 2006

Ingredients
¾ to 1 lb radicchio (2 sm or 1 large), trimmed and quartered through the core
7 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 oz baby spinach (ab 6 cups), rinsed well and spun dry
3½ to 4 oz shaved Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano (ab 1 cup)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions
Heat a gas grill to medium or prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire.

Brush the radicchio with 2 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon kosher salt. Grill the radicchio (covered if using a gas grill) until it browns and chars lightly in spots on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and grill until the other side is browned and the radicchio is softened and wilting, 3 to 4 minutes. (If using a large radicchio, you may need to grill it on a third side for a few more minutes to fully soften it.)

Let the radicchio cool on a cutting board for a couple of minutes, and then trim off the cores and coarsely chop. In a serving bowl, toss the radicchio with the spinach and the cheese.

Just before serving, toss the salad with the remaining 5 tablespoons oil and the vinegar and season salt and pepper to taste.

Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil

Servings: 4
Source: Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan
This is one of the easiest, quickest, and tastiest pasta dishes you can prepare. Its humble origins are in the shanty towns of Rome, but it is now a universal favorite, especially among Rome’s chic insomniacs, who depend upon a wee hours’ spaghettata to see them through the night until their early-morning bedtime.

In most versions, crushed garlic cloves are sautéed in olive oil until they are nearly black. They are then discarded and the spaghetti is seasoned with the flavored oil. In this recipe the garlic is chopped, sautéed lightly, and left in the oil to be added to the spaghetti. The result is a fuller yet milder taste of garlic, with no trace of bitterness.

Ingredients
½ cup plus I tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons very finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoon salt
1 pound spaghetti or spaghettini
Freshly ground pepper, 6 to 8 twists of the mill
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
hot pepper flakes (optional)
8 oz jumbo shrimp (optional)

Directions
The sauce can be prepared in the time it takes to bring the water for the spaghetti to a boil. When you’ve turned on the heat under the water, put the 1/2 cup oil, the garlic, and salt in a very small saucepan. Sauté the garlic over very low heat, stirring frequently, until it slowly becomes a rich, golden color.

Drop the spaghetti into the boiling salted water and cook until tender but al dente, very firm to the bite. Drain immediately, transfer to a warm bowl, and add the oil and garlic sauce. Toss rapidly, coating all the strands, adding pepper and parsley and hot pepper flakes to taste. Mix the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into the spaghetti and serve. Serve with shrimp if desired.

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Servings: 2
Source: Fine Cooking May 2008, pp. 57
If you’d like to make this pasta for four people, double the recipe, but transfer the pasta back into the pot used for cooking it and then toss it with the eggs and cheese.

Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. fatty pancetta or guanciale, sliced ¼ inch thick and cut into 1 ½ x ½-inch rectangles
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup diced red onion
2 large eggs, chilled
½ lb. imported dried spaghetti (
½ cup lightly packed, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.

In a 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta or guanciale and ½ tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. (If the meat is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium low.) Add the onion and continue to cook until it’s soft and golden and the meat is crisp, about 5 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully spoon off all but about 2 Tbs. of the fat. Add 1 Tbs. water to the pan and scrape any brown bits from the bottom.

Beat the eggs in a small bowl until smooth and set aside.

Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water4ecording to package directions until it’s just shy of al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water and drain the spaghetti. Transfer the spaghetti to the skillet, set it over medium heat, and toss with tongs to coat the spaghetti with the fat and finish cooking to al dente, about 1 minute. If the pasta is too dry or starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, add 1 or 2 tsp. of the pasta water. You want the bottom of the pan to be just barely wet. If the pan is too dry, the eggs will scramble when you add them.

Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the eggs over the pasta, tossing quickly and continuously until the eggs thicken and turn to the consistency of a thin custard, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (Tossing constantly is important, as it prevents the eggs from scrambling.)

The sauce should be smooth and creamy, and it should cling to the pasta. Add a little more pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce. Stir in the Parmigiano and season to taste with salt and pepper (you may not need additional salt, as both guanciale and pancetta can be very salty). Serve immediately.

Snapper and Mango with Green Peppercorn Sauce

Servings: 4
Source: Gourmet, 7/81 pg 32

Ingredients

Directions
Rub two 1½ -pound snapper fillets with 2 teaspoons lime juice and dust them with 3 tablespoons flour seasoned with ¼ teaspoon salt and ? teaspoon white pepper. In a skillet heat 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over moderately high heat until it is hot, add the snapper, and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until it just flakes when tested with a fork. Transfer the snapper with a slotted spatula to a platter and keep it warm.

In a skillet cook I large mango, peeled and sliced thin, in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter over moderate heat for 2 minutes and arrange it decoratively over the snapper. In the skillet cook 1 tablespoon drained whole green peppercorns or capers packed in water (available at specialty foods shops) and 2 teaspoons drained and bruised green peppercorns packed in water in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for 1 minute. Add ½ cup heavy cream and simmer the mixture for 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the snapper and mango and garnish the dish with sprigs of watercress.

Smothered Okra

Servings: —
Source: New Orleans Cook Book

Ingredients
3 Tbs lard
2 C thinly sliced onions
2 lbs fresh okra, stems and tips removed, sliced ½ inch thick
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground pepper
? tsp cayenne
½ tsp mace
¼ tsp sugar
¼ tsp chili powder
1-lb can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
¼ tsp dried mustard
2 tsp Creole mustard
dried thyme

Directions
Sauté lard over medium heat. Sauté the onion until light brown (15 min). Add the sliced okra and Sauté for 15 min more, gradually adding the salt, pepper, cayenne, mace, sugar, and chili powder.

Add the drained tomatoes and thyme and continue to sauté. Break up the tomatoes with stirring spoon as the mixture cooks. Add mustard. Cover and cook for 30 minutes longer. Stir from time to time.

Serve hot or chilled as a salad.
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Smoked Trout Rillettes

Servings: 8
Source: Fine Cooking December 2000
These slightly smoky, velvety rillettes are as good tucked into an omelette as they are on freshly made croutons. But be advised, even so-called boneless smoked trout may harbor small bones, so keep a sharp eye as you mix.Serves six to eight.

Ingredients
2 boneless smoked trout, skin discarded (to yield about 8 oz.)
5 to 7 Tbs. crème fraîche (depending on how moist the trout is and on your personal taste)
3 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Remove any bones from the trout and break it up into small pieces. Add the crème fraîche and mix with a fork, taking care to shred rather than mash the trout. Fold in the chives and a generous amount of ground pepper. Serve with freshly made croutons or toasts.

Be gentle with your final folding to avoid bruising the chopped chives and to keep the flaky-chunky texture of the smoked trout.