Ladies of the Knife

Saturday at Everona by Martha

2010-09-27T15:46:00.003-04:00

Janet, Susan, Nancy and Martha took a little field trip on Saturday to the Virginia Piedmont, specifically to visit a cheesemaker in Rapidan called Everona. We headed south mid-morning and even though it was Saturday, and sunny and warm, mimicing a mid-summer day, there was no traffic on I-95. (That's worth mentioning.) Just at the Fredricksburg exit we headed west for about 35 miles into the countryside. Virginia is one beautiful state, with rolling hills and lots of trees. We first went to a little town called Orange, which is the site of James Madison's home, Montpelier. Orange is pretty much a farm town, with beautiful brick storefronts along Main Street. But it also attracts folks from horse country, so you have a 1960's-like variety store across the street from a trendy cafe, which, of course, is where we had lunch. Elmwood at Sparks is a neat little surprise. Although not a destination restaurant, Chef Randy Cooper's open kitchen, with well used and nicely cared-for copperware hanging from the ceiling, turns out really tasty lunch food and a dynamite blueberry pie.

From Elmwood we headed to Everone Dairy, an artisan sheep farm tucked alway off of a country road in Rapidan. The cheesemaker, Carolyn Wentz and her six year old daughter, Sadie, proudly showed off both the farm and the cheesemaking operation.

The farm is owned by an amazing woman, who we did not meet because she was a little under the weather. Dr. Patricia Elliott is a Renaissance woman. A practicing physician in her 80s, she started Everona in the 1990s. You can read a bit about her at the Everona website, www.everona.com. But the thumbnail is that she owns the farm, practices medicine, is the country coroner, breeds Border Collies and is the mother of seven children. What a life!

Our tour of the farm started in a small "stable" where there were about 10 head of sheep (I think they are heads) housed for a variety of reasons. We sympathized with the mother who was in labor ... it was such a hot day and she was ready to deliver. There were two baby lambs who were only two or three weeks old.

In the next crib were the 4 month olds

and then a there was a "recuperating" crib for a couple of sheep who had lost their way! (ha, ha) There were a couple of rams, one of which had a broken horn. Carolyn explained that it's a pretty serious injury for a ram. They can actually bleed to death from a broken horn.

We didn't see any of Dr. Elliott's Border Collies, but there were two beautiful dogs present. They are Polish dogs called Tetra. Stunningly beautiful, the older dog was content to sleep in the shade on such a hot day. The new puppy only visited for a minute. Carolyn said the puppy was still a handful.

Once we finished with the farming tour, we headed back to the dairy. (Which means we took about 20 steps. Everona has about 300 sheep, but seems to be a very compact operation.) Carolyn explained that they start milking their sheep at 5:30 every morning and they milk 6 at a time. So you do the math .... She said it takes about 3 hours to milk the entire herd and guess what? TWO milkings a day. If you have kids, but haven't taken them to a farm, it's a real good first-hand reminder for adults and lesson for kids about what goes on to put food on our tables.

From the milking room, we moved to the cheesemaking room where Lucy was hard a work. Through conversation, we learned that although Carolyn carries the title of cheesemaker, Lucy should probably be rewarded a similar title. The vat where the milk is churned was in operation. It's a stanless steel vat with a hollow lining that carries water heated to different degrees. The temperature of the water that circulates around the milk actually determines the type of cheese (hard, soft, feta, etc.) that's produced. Once the cheese is drained in colendars, Lucy shapes and labels it with the date and places it in the cave for aging. Sheep cheese does not develop a rind in the aging process, so it's totally edible. The aroma of the cheese cave, and I think their cave holds about 500 rounds of cheese, is intense and mouthwatering.

We moved into the front room for a cheese tasting. We had tucked a couple of bottles of wine into a cooler, (don't you always travel with wine?) so we were well prepared. (And guess what .... I was the designated driver. Who would have ever thought ....) I don't know how many varieties we tasted. Piedmont, Stony Man, Blue, Ash, Garlic, Herbs de Provence, Feta, Truffle, Marble and summer sausage, along with two mimbrillos ... fig and cranberry. Sheep's milk cheese is mild tasting, so it's the delicate flavoring that makes a difference.

Everona sells about 40% of their cheese at Farmer's Markets. In the DC area, I know they are at Crystal City on Tuesday afternoons, Columbia Pike on Sunday morning and Glover Park on Saturdays. They sell at Cheestique in Del Ray and their cheese is served in some pretty nice restaurants, including the Inn at Little Washington. So this is no slouch cheese!

You can visit Everona at their website where you will find their contact information. But keep in mind, this is a working farm. It smells like a working farm, the farm animals aren't bathed for your visit, and the tasting room isn't picturesque. But I'm so glad we made the trip. I have a couple of pieces of beautiful cheese in my frig and I also bought a pot of this amazing skin lotion. I also brought back a container of cheese whey, which Carolyn said cats like. I poured out some for Kochi and she looked at me as if to say, "You want me to drink this? It smells like a sheep!"

Mid June Catch Up

2010-06-14T16:23:00.000-04:00

It's been quiet a while since I've posted anything on the blog, but I really enjoy reviewing our escapades and thought I'd take a few minutes to do a little catch-up.

Seems as if we've modified our activities a little .... less cooking, but always about the food and wine!

March was the dinner at Central. I was unable to be there, so someone else might want to fill in on the meal.

In April (I don't remember what happend to February) we were treated at Eliza's house. Ingrid had come up with a theme centered around Brain Food. She provided us with some reading material from the book "Brainpower Game Plan" by Cynthia Green and the editors of Prevention. Eliza cooked an amazing salmon which was one of the best salmon recipes that I've ever enjoyed. She served it over a sauce of grilled veggies. Monica brought a powerful plate of appetizers. Susan contributed a vegetable dish and Ingrid a salad. Now, my mind is a little hazy from all the Mom-care I was giving at this time, so I can't quite put my finger on the exacts, but I know that I ate two portions of each. Janet brought along a chocolate raspberry dessert. I'm not sure it conformed to the tenents of brainpower food, which include low refined sugar and high on the dark chocolate (at least 85%). But we had gotten so smart over the earlier dishes that we were ready for a real treat. Nancy brought wine and I, being a total flake, brought nothing. Sorry, I was just happy to be among friends. I have tried to incorporate the Brainpower foods into my diet more. I've switched from coffee with cream and sweetner to a straight shot of espresso in the morning. I am eating wild salmon twice a week and found a great Machu tea (at Costco, of all places!),

May found us with only three people available for dinner at Busboys & Poets in Shirlington.

Busboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place.

I was there a few minutes early and needed a refresher, so I ordered a Tree-tini. It was one of the yummiest cocktails I've had in a while. The food was well priced and great. Nancy ordered the spinach lasagna. It was a generous portion and lots of good healty spinach. Janet had one of their salads, which had a beautiful presentation and she declared it delicious.

I really enjoyed my meal of spring with basil grits. Being from the Northeast, I had never had grits before I came to DC, but I really enjoy them with lots of pepper. This dish was amazing! We agreed that we would definitely return. Great food and good value. Two thumbs up!

Which bring us to this month. We've got me, Nancy, Ingrid, Susan and Vicki headed to Ray's Hellburgers. unfortunately, no wine, but anticipating another one of their amazing burgers and the best dinner companions!

Ed Wheeless has invited us to Laurel Lodge again over the weekend of August 27th. What a great time of the year to be in the heartland of fresh fruit and vegetables. I'm sure we'll plan a great weekend. We tried to get to Laurel Lodge earlier this year and had to cancel because of the last snowstorm. It was a whopper and we all agreed that our decision to stay tucked in at home was the right one. I keep telling everyone that in August I want to tube down the river. I don't know if anyone is taking me seriously, but I'm bringing my bathing suit!

Hope everyone is enjoyed the summer and I'm looking forward to lots of adventures with our group. We've talked about visiting a winery that Janet is familiar with and we all would like to visit Ris la Coste's new DC restaurant.

Back to work and see almost everyone on Thursday. We'll miss Eliza, Janet and Monica who are all enjoying summer travels!

January meeting ... guess not

2010-01-17T14:33:00.000-05:00

Didn't get much feed back on a January 21 meeting, so I guess that we just take it off the calendar and consider Laurel Lodge our January meeting. I'm going to put up the 2010 schedule today, so please make your picks. Thanks.

Our next get together would be scheduled for January 21. Originally, Susan had offered to host this meeting. I remember that we talked briefly about this date and that maybe we could go to Susan's when the potential for bad weather might not be so high. I think that we talked about maybe going to Eliza's or just skipping January since we're at Harper's Ferry a couple weeks later. Susan and I had no recollection of a final decision. Can you please weigh in with your preference? Thanks. Martha

2010 Meeting Calendar

2010-01-17T11:39:00.001-05:00

All meeting at 6:00 PM, third Thursday of the month.

February 5 - 6: Laurel Lodge
February 18:
March 18:
April 15: Eliza
May 20: Dinner out in Shirlington
June 17:
July 15:
August 19:
Sept. 16:
Oct. 21:
Nov. 18:
Dec. 16:

January meeting ... guess not

2010-01-12T23:04:00.001-05:00

We didn't get much feed back on the January 21 meeting, so I guess that we just take it off the calendar and consider Laurel Lodge our January meeting. I'm going to put up the 2010 schedule today, so please make your picks. Thanks.

Our next get together would be scheduled for January 21. Originally, Susan had offered to host this meeting. I remember that we talked briefly about this date and that maybe we could go to Susan's when the potential for bad weather might not be so high. I think that we talked about maybe going to Eliza's or just skipping January since we're at Harper's Ferry a couple weeks later. Susan and I had no recollection of a final decision. Can you please weigh in with your preference? Thanks. Martha

News For All You Central Michel Richard fans

2010-01-04T15:29:00.000-05:00

Top chef says adieu to Central Michel Richard

Chef Cedric Maupillier has parted ways with Central Michel Richard, reports his former boss.

"He did a great job: Two years at Citronelle and three years at Central," says Michel Richard, singing the praises of his former chef at the fashionable French-American bistro earlier today.

The split was described by both men as amicable. Maupillier says he wants to take a two-month "food break" to travel (likely to Asia), but he plans to return to Washington and contemplate "the next step"-- which won't include working for another chef. His dream: Cooking in a place "with my name on the door."

Taking Maupillier's place at Central is Arthur Cavaliere, until recently the executive chef of the 300-plus-seat Parc in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square and now a week-long resident of Washington. Richard was introduced to the 29-year-old Philadelphia native by a mutual friend, and he sampled Cavaliere's bistro cooking twice at Parc before hiring him for Central. Richard appreciated his "simple" food and "elegant" execution, despite the crowds. On a busy day, says Cavaliere, he and his crew served 2,000 lunches and dinners.

Richard says he plans to work with his new hire, who starts next week, to better Central's bar menu and give some "old food fresh twists."Stay tuned, the master of edible wit says, for reimagined meatballs and chicken pot pies.

Laurel Lodge Retreat, please RSVP to Martha by Friday, Jan. 8

2010-01-04T12:32:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a great holiday and that you're all finding ways to keep warm.

I heard from Ed Wheeless about our February retreat to Laurel Lodge. (http://www.laurellodge.com/) He's suggesting that we have our group meal on Saturday, February 6, but has invited anyone who wants to come up on Friday evening and stay through Sunday. For the early Friday arrivals, we'd go to a local Harper's Ferry restaurant called Dish. http://www.wvdish.com/

Since we're approaching Valentine's Day, Ed proposes we base our Saturday night dinner on the book Aphrodite by Isabel Allende. Or, more broadly, any foods reputed to be an aphrodisiac. He will supply recipes from the book and a sample menu from a dinner Café Atlantico did based on the Allende book.

Laurel Lodge has three guest rooms -- two rooms with one queen size bed each and one room with two twin beds. So some of us would be sharing a room, some a bed. If you want to bring a blow-up bed, that might be helpful if we're over 6 people.

Because Ed and Chris are also doing some travel during their break, it would be good to at least have our numbers settled by the end of this week. So please let me know if you will be coming along on this adventure and whether you'll be there Friday, Saturday or both nights.

Thanks and toodles!

To Bring List for Fondue Night

2009-12-07T15:58:00.014-05:00

Here's the final list of what people will be bringing next week. See everyone on Wednesday. Don't forget your $10 swap gift!
Pre-dinner:

Coquito -- Susan
Pate -- Martha
Cheese and Baguette -- Vicki

For the Chinese Fondue:

baby pickled corn -- Nancy
broccoli -- Susan
asparagus -- Susan
alphalfa bean sprouts -- Susan
medium shrimp, 3/4 lb. -- Monica
scallops, 3/4 lb. -- Eliza
thinly sliced tuna, 3/4 lb. -- Nancy
thinly sliced beef, 3/4 lb. -- Monica
dipping sauces -- Martha

For the dessert fondue:

a couple of clementines -- Janet
Some cookies -- Janet
some pretzels -- Janet
strawberries -- Janet
1 or 2 bananas

Wine:

Ladies of the Knife Cellar: 2 bottles red
1 bottle of wine -- Monica
1 bottle of wine -- Eliza

Fondue Night Next Week!

2009-12-07T14:45:00.000-05:00

We've got our annual fondue night next week on the 16th at my house. I think we may have a full complement ... heard from everyone but Susan. Hope she can make it!

We decided to stick with the Chinese Fondue and Chocolate Fondue. (This should be the easiest no-prep-meeting .... great for the holidays!) I'll make the same broth that we liked last year and I happen to have a container of some beautiful Valhrova Couverture chocolate that's perfect for the dessert fondue. I have both pots, so okay there too.

Here's our list from last year, which seemed to work great:

baby pickled corn
broccoli
asparagus
alphalfa bean sprouts
medium shrimp, 3/4 lb.
scallops, 3/4 lb.
thinly sliced tuna, 3/4 lb.
thinly sliced beef, 3/4 lb.
dipping sauces

For the dessert fondue:

a couple of clementines
Some cookies (Janet .... would you ever?)
some pretzels
strawberries
1 or 2 bananas

For hors d'ouvres, I'll make some pate. Could someone bring a nice piece of cheese?

Last year Susan made coquitos. (If you're coming, would you ever think about mixing up another batch?)

I don't know where we stand on wine. I know Monica delivered three of four bottles to Nancy and maybe they went to Janet's house last month. Anyone know what the wine celler situation is?

Mitzy says, "Don't forget the holiday kitchen gift exchange .... something around $10.00, right?"

Let me know what you'll be bringing .... I'll update the list on the blog and look foward to seeing everyone on the 16th around 6!

Felice Navidad!

Martha

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Appetizer Night at Nancy's

2009-11-01T20:05:00.000-05:00

Well, out September dinner goes on record as the smallest. Only Nancy, Martha and Janet made it. So we enjoyed a nice evening sipping some wine that Hawaii-bound Monica had dropped off late in the afternoon.

We had a nice variety of finger foods ... Janet contributed a mock pate and a flourless hazelnut chocolate cake, of which there are no photos (sorry). Nancy made shrimp cocktail, marinated mushrooms and stuffed red potatoes. Martha made a mushroom stuffed baked brie and deviled quail eggs. Recipes and the photos that were taken will show up in the next few days.

November is at Janet's house on the 19th and she mentioned osso bucco! I'm sure we'll hear more from her soon.

Dulce de Leche Crepes by Martha

2009-11-01T10:52:00.000-05:00

I used a basic crepe recipe, which can be found in any standard cookbook. I like Julia Child's recipe in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", and used her suggestion to include some Grand Marnier in the batter. Crepes are relatively easy to make and there's probably nothing I can add to Julia's directions, right?

For the dulce de leche, I decided to try to make my own and found a neat little recipe on line for using the microwave. It worked beautifully and took about 8 - 10 minutes, compared to 2 - 3 hours it would have taken in the over. (I know you can buy dulce de leche in any Latin grocery. I just like to try it from scratch, at least for the first time I'm making something.)

Dulce de Leche

Empty one 15 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk into a fairly large glass bowl. Place in microwave for two minutes at 50% power. Remove and gently whisk. (At this point, you won't notice anything different.) Repeat this process three or four times. When you remove the bowl from the microwave and notice that the milk is looking curdled, it's time to stop. Whisk until the dulce de leche is smooth. (By the way, if you continue this cooking process you would ultimatly end up with dulce de leche candy, which is a fine tasting caramel.)

Plating the dish

Place about 1-1/2 tablespoon of dulce de leche in the center of one crepe. Fold the crepe in half and then into a quarter fold. Arrange on an oven proof dish. Continue the process until you've either used up all of the crepes or exhausted the dulce de leche.

Prior to serving, place the dish of crepes in the oven at 300 for about 20 minutes. You can then bring the dish to the table, pour a 1/4 cup grand marnier and flambe the dish, or if you wish, you can omit the flambe.

Tomato Salad

2009-11-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

I can't remember who made this wonderful tomato salad, but it was amazingly refreshing and I'd sure like to have the recipe, so can the chef step up to the plate and load the recipe? Thanks.

by Monica

2009-11-01T10:29:00.000-05:00

Monica made this beautiful dish .... hopefully she'll be able to add the recipe here soon!

Empanadas by Monica

2009-11-01T10:21:00.000-05:00

Pink Clams by Janet

2009-11-01T10:19:00.002-05:00

Scallops Parmesan Style (or Clams or Mussels) by Janet

2009-11-01T10:06:00.000-05:00

Ingredients: 2-3 scallops/person (if using mussels or clams, 5/person;) 1shallot, peeled and quartered; 2 T. salted butter; 4 T. fresh lemon juice; 1 T. dry white wine; 1 small garlic clove, peeled; ½ t. salt + 1 pinch; 2 sprigs cilantro, very finely chopped; 3 T. shredded Parmesan cheese.

In Chile, the shellfish of choice for this dish is a pink clam called Macha, but it’s not easy to find here in the US. I found them online, canned, and they work great.

Preparation: In a food processor, place the shallot, garlic, 1 T. butter, pinch salt, 2 T. lemon juice, pinch of salt and process to a paste. Add the shredded Parmesan and chopped cilantro and blend quickly.

In a baking dish, place the remaining lemon juice and butter, wine and ½ t. salt and mix well to coat the bottom of the dish. Arrange the seafood in the dish and top each with a (generous) dollop of the paste. Bake at 375 for about 5-7 minutes, or until lightly golden. Serve warm as an appetizer.

Queen Style Avocadoes with egg mix filling, nestled in Fava Bean Salad made in Susan's Kitchen

2009-11-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

(Note from Martha: I am so far behind in posting the photos from both September and October and I'm hoping to get a caught up today, so prepare for an avalanche of wonderful recipes!)

Ingredients for stuffed avocadoes: ½ avocado per person, peeled and pit removed; hard boiled eggs (about 2 eggs for 3 avocado halves; 4 eggs/6 avocado halves and so on); 1 T. extra virgin olive oil/2 eggs; salt to taste; 1/3 tsp. hot sauce/2 eggs (Cholula or Frank’s Red Hot sauces work best;)

Preparation: in a bowl mash up the hard boiled eggs with the olive oil to a smooth paste; mix the eggs paste with the hot sauce and salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to stuff the avocadoes.

Ingredients for Fava Bean Salad: 2 cups of peeled and cooked favas (skin removed) or 1, 280z package of frozen favas (La Fe are the best and can be found in the frozen veggies section of most Asian/international markets or at El Chaparral, across from Whole Foods in Wilson Blvd.) If you can’t find favas, you can substitute with finely chopped Romaine lettuce for the “nest” sprinkling the romaine with a little salt, vinegar and oil so the lettuce is not bland; 1 t. salt; 2 T. red wine vinegar; 3 T. grapeseed or canola oil; 1 shallot, peeled, halved and finely chopped; ½ t. salt; the juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon; 1 T. grapeseed or canola oil; 1 T. finely chopped cilantro.

Preparation: Cook the fava beans until tender, making sure that they don’t turn to mush; if using frozen favas, add to salted boiling water without thawing. Once they cool enough to handle peel and place in a deep bowl. The fava beans should be still warm enough that they can absorb the vinegar. Add the vinegar and salt first and stir well, then add the oil. In a separate bowl, mix the chopped shallot with salt and lemon juice and let steep for at least 10 minutes (a little longer is always better, 20 minutes ideally, but 10 minutes works in a pinch;) then add the oil and the cilantro, stir well and add to the dressed favas. Mix well and make a small nest on a dish, where the stuffed avocado will be placed in the center of the plate.

Cut and peel the avocadoes with a soup spoon, remove pit and stuff each half with the egg mix. Serve atop the fava bean salad nest or chopped romaine in lieu of favas.

Another salad that works well to plate the avocadoes is fresh green cabbage salad. I usually buy the shredded cabbage packages and salt it first, then following the recipe for the fava beans dressing. I also add a 1/3 t. ground cumin so it’s not so heavy to digest.

An Amazing Recipe Search Site

2009-10-28T09:24:00.000-04:00

Here's an amazing website I ran across. It contains recipes, photos and articles from most food magazines, cookbooks, newspapers, tv shows.

You can search by recipe, or by source. I think I can safely dispose of my stacks of magazines!

http://www.projectfoodie.com/

Severed Fingers by Martha

2009-10-27T19:35:00.000-04:00

How about serving up a bowl full of severed fingers for your Halloween guests? These cookies were actually pretty easy to make, were delicious and made quite a presentation. The following recipe makes about 30 cookies.

For the finger nails:

Take about 20 blanched almonds and split them in half. This was actually the most time consuming part of the recipe. Soak them in a bowl with about 1 tsp. of food coloring ... your choice of color. I used green and the almonds actually turned out pretty black. I think a light shade of blue might be fun too. When they reached the shade I was looking for, I spread them on a piece of parchment and dried them for about 10 minutes in the oven. I had the oven set at about 250 for the shrunken heads. You don't want to toast the almonds, just dry the food coloring.)

For the severed fingers:

1 teaspoon food coloring
20 blanched almonds
2 large eggs
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup butter, at room temperature
½ cup confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 pinch salt
1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour

1. Heat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper, and set aside.
2. Separate 1 egg. Set aside the white. In a small bowl, whisk together yolk, remaining egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add egg mixture, and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic, and chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Divide the dough in half. Work with one piece at a time, keeping remaining dough covered with plastic wrap and chilled. Divide the first half into fifteen pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece back and forth with palms into finger shapes, 3 to 4 inches long. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Score each knuckle lightly with the back of a small knife. Transfer fingers to prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. (Hint: this dough spreads dramatically, so be sure to roll the fingers extra skinny. I actually baked one to make sure I had the right size. I think if you eyeball the dough and use about 1 tablespoon of dough for each finger, that should be just about right.)
5. When all fingers are formed, whisk the egg white until foamy and brush the fingers lightly with egg white. Position almond nails; push into dough to attach.
6. Place the sheet pan in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to firm up the dough.
7. Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Cool completely.

For presentation:

I bought a bag of long grain white rice and poured it, obviously uncooked, into a bowl to resemble maggots. (How charming!) and then just stood the severed fingers in the rice. The next time I make these, (and I will) I'm going to add another realistic touch. Once they have cooled I plan to splatter them with red food coloring to resemble blood and also brush some red on the severed end of the finger. It's almost icky how realistic these are, but they taste so good and are really fun ....

Shrunken Heads by Martha

2009-10-26T10:50:00.000-04:00

If you're making a Halloween punch or even soup, here's a decoration that's really fun and easy to make. It's from Martha Stewart, but this Martha's added some useful information of my own.

Use nice round apples. Peel them and cut in half. Remove the seeds with a melon baller. (This is important.) Rub the surface with lemon juice. Take a paring knife, or use your melon baller to cut in eyes, noses and mouths. Make the cut-outs larger that you'd expect. (Everything shrinks!)

Place the apples cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a sillipat. Bake at 250 degrees. (Now Stewart says to bake them for two hours. I kept mine in the oven about 8 hours before I thought they looked right.) I have a dehydrator in my convection oven and that worked great. Also, every once in a while, I'd take one or two out of the oven and squish them gently with my hands to distort the faces. Finally, when they are done, insert whole cloves for the eyes.

These can also be strung up and hung as decorations.

Ingrid Has Lunch With Ingrid! The Edible Island Conference, Deer Isle, ME

2009-10-22T08:12:00.001-04:00

During my recent visit to our home on Lookout Point in Maine, I decided to attend the first Edible Island Conference on Deer Isle, one of my favorite places in Maine. The conference offered several presentations from the leaders in the local food movement, a wonderful fresh mussel or onion soup and salad farm lunch using only fresh local ingredients, and excursions to local primary producers.

The presentation that was the most fascinating was by Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch, the owners of Four Season Farm, a year-round market garden on Cape Rosier. Eliot has over 40 years of experience in organic farming and has published extensively on the subject. You may recognize Barbara’s name from her weekly column in the “Home” section of the Washington Post called “A Cook’s Garden”. She is also the author of several gardening books. Both are internationally recognized as leading authorities in the field.

Inspired by trips to France, Eliot and later his wife Barbara, began a journey that has led their farm to become a model for small-scale sustainable agriculture. I am still in awe that they are able to farm year around (all that snow!) and produce absolutely breathtaking produce. They are creative and continually improve their farming practices. They started by planting crops in cold frames located in greenhouses. Today they no longer use the costly and labor intensive cold frames, but rely on protective plant covers. They have also redesigned the greenhouses so that they shed snow and are movable. It should be noted that their greenhouses are, generally, without any supplemental heat. To make this all work, they choose the best and most suitable varieties of winter crops, practice succession planting, and have designed a complete system of garden tools and equipment specific to the needs of organic farming. Compost along with other improvements such as crab shells ensure far better than average soil composition. For more information, please refer to their website: www.FourSeasonFarm.com.

Sustainable seafood was another topic that was explored. Aaron Dority heads the Downeast Groundfish Initiative, a major campaign to rebuild a sustainable groundfish fishery in eastern Maine (www.penobscoteast.org). Ginny and Blaine Olsen, owners of Oceanville Seafood, have been focusing the last five years on organizing conservation efforts for the local shellfish industry. This has resulted in progress in restoring depleted local and historical clam populations. Terry-Anya Hayes, a wild foods educator, spoke about the local, edible landscape (www.terryanya.com).

Now, what about Ingrid? I had the privilege of meeting and having lunch with Ingrid Bengis-Palei, who has been a Stonington author and seafood distributor for 25 years. Working only with local fishermen from Stonington and Penobscot Bay, she services some of America’s premier restaurants, including Jean Georges, the French Laundry, Chez Panisse, Spago and Le Bernardin. She is a primary force behind the Island Culinary and Ecological Center (ICEC), a non-profit organization of people who love to cook. They focus on cooking with regional products while supporting a sustainable environment. They also aim to inspire others and encourage young people in the culinary and hospitality arts. Ingrid and the ICEC organized the conference as well as the special fundraising dinner with renowned chefs Jean-George Vongerichten, Melissa Kelly, Michael Leviton and Lawrence Klang, who donated their services. I unfortunately was unable to attend, but it was an overwhelming success. Check out their website: www.edibleisland.org.

Oh, and by the way, if you recently saw someone with a rather large box trying to negotiate the New York subway from the airport, that was Ingrid hand carrying fresh Atlantic halibut for a dinner by Jean George for President Obama, the Clintons, and other friends. If she does this again and you happen to see her, please do offer to lend her a hand!

Carla on the NBC website

2009-10-14T14:25:00.000-04:00

Nice item about Carla on the NBC website .... check it out! Link to Carla Hall's Secrets of the Kitchen!

There's also a great little 1/4 page item in this month's issue of Food and Wine.

Today's Washington Post carried an item from Tom Sietsema about Ris LaCoste's restaurant in the West End opening s.o.o.n. Tom says, "I see pigs flying!" I see a great meal coming!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

2009-10-12T17:48:00.000-04:00

My neice, Beth, mentioned today that she was looking for a good recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake. I have a really nice recipe and thought I'd share it with all since it is the season .... I'd also think about adding a 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg to the crust.

PUMPKIN SWIRL CHEESECAKE

2 C vanilla wafer crumbs
½ C melted margarine
2 8 oz. packages light cream cheese, softened
¾ C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 C canned pumpkin
¾ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
Combine crumbs and margarine. Press onto bottom and sides of 9" springform pan. Combine cheese, ½ C sugar and vanilla, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reserve 1 C cheese mixture; add pumpkin, remaining sugar and spices to remaining cheese mixture. Mix well. Layer half of pumpkin mixture and half of cheese mixture over crust; repeat layers. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect. Bake at 350o for 55 minutes. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan. Chill.

Scott in Town

2009-10-07T09:41:00.000-04:00

I got the following note from Scott via Facebook and told him I'd pass it along to see if anyone is available ....

"I will be in town Oct 10-14 and was wondering if you and some of the ol' gang would be interested in getting together at all for drinks or dinner out. I've tried to contact Carla several times, but I haven't heard from her at all. Even after TC I've been trying to reach her, but to no avail.

I really would like to see all of you and catch up. Well I hope we can put something together. Let me know.

Hope you are well...."

Chilean night at Monica's by Martha

2009-09-06T14:57:00.002-04:00

Hope everyone's enjoying a great Labor Day Weekend ..... wow except for the lack of rain and the gardens and lawns turning to shredded wheat, it couldn't be more perfect.

We are scheduled for our next meeting at Monica's house on Thursday, September 18, just a short 10 days away. Several people have mentioned (me amongst them) that they are very unfamiliar with the Chilean cuisine. A couple of people have done some internet research and even looked at the library and our findings were mainly main-dish recipes. Monica has promised to send along recipes for appetizers, side dishes and desserts that would take advantage of the fall harvest that we're all enjoying this month, but those recipes have never arrived. I went back on line today to see if I could find anything and most of what I found were main course recipes. I can't seem to copy the links into the blog, so I'll send them separately.

In the meantime, I'll plan to bring dessert .... it may not be Chilean, but it will be seasonal.

XXXOOO

Carla Alert by Martha

2009-08-19T14:09:00.002-04:00

Just thought that I'd let you know that tonight is both the opening night for this season's version of Top Chef on Bravo, and the finale of the recent Top Chef Master's series. Carla left for California this morning and is scheduled to attend the Top Chef Master's filming, so you might want to tune in!

Julie and Julia night by Martha

2009-08-13T16:54:00.002-04:00

Next Thursday is the date we selected to see Julie and Julia. (I really didn't think I'd be able to wait so long to see this movie and thought I would just see it twice. But I've resisted the temptation to see it before Thursday with everyone else!)

It is showing at Potomac Yard (7:40), Lowes Georgetown (7:15), Hoffman Center (6:30, 7:30) and Kingstowne (7:45).

Do we want to have dinner first and then see the movie, or maybe go to the 6:30 at Hoffman and then have dessert and coffee somewhere in Old Town?

Please let me know your preferences.

(Ingrid and Elisa will be unable to join us on Thursday, but I think everyone else has indicated their availability.)

XXXOO

Anyone Interested?

2009-08-04T19:26:00.003-04:00

I don't know if anyone else is interested, but this seems like it would be lots of fun .... a pig roast at a chef's table at Poste Moderne Brasserie (Hotel Monaco at Gallery Place) on August 31.

The notice came through on my facebook yesterday and the spots are limited to 10 people, and it might be filled by now, but just thought I'd pass it along.

If there's anyone else interested, let me know and I'll register myself .... if not, I might just go by myself.

Here's the link .... http://dcfoodies.pcriot.com/site/welcome.html

All-American potato salad

2009-07-23T11:07:00.004-04:00

By Eliza

Shortly after coming to this country, one of the things that caught my attention was the world of deli salads—tuna, chicken, egg, coleslaw, pasta, shrimp, potato, you name it—all in two, sometimes three different styles. I’ve come to love almost all of them, specially at that not-yet-lunch hour packed tightly between two slices of toasted rye bread—ah, so flavorful and so fulfilling! My favorite though is potato salad, the all-American way. Here's the recipe for the salad I brought to our al-fresco dinner on Saturday.

Ingredients

1 lbs of new golden potatoes, cooked
½ lb of new rosette potatoes, cooked
2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup thick plain yogurt
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of one lime
8 sprigs fresh dill
8 sprigs flat parsley
2 shallots
A pinch of freshly ground pepper

Prepare the salad

1. Peel off the skin from the golden potatoes. Leave the rosettes as are for color. Cut all potatoes in quarters and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with one teaspoon salt. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside.

2. In a big bowl, mix in the sour cream, yogurt, mayonnaise and mustard. Stir in the vinegar, lime and remaining salt. Chop the dill and parsley finely. Finely dice the shallots and add herbs and shallot to the cream mix. Incorporate the potatoes, sprinkle the pepper on top and mix gently until all potatoes are generously covered with the cream. Serve or store in a tight container for up to three days.

Serves 6

Photos from Ladies of the Knife guest night

2009-07-21T17:31:00.013-04:00

Here are some of the photos from Saturday night that came off of my camera and from Warren. Amazing night .... send me any photos that you took and we can add them to the blog for all of enjoy!

Olive Puffs by Martha

2009-07-21T17:08:00.006-04:00

I served these Olive Puffs on Saturday night and everyone seemed to enjoy them. Here's a version of a recipe that I saw Michel Roux demo on Martha Stewart. I tried very hard to make the "olive straws", but that was was beyond my capabilities, so I settled for slicing the olives in halves instead of 1/4 inch lines and offering 1/2 puff pastry olive as a serving. I found that the pastry actually worked better withour the flour and egg that Martha Stewart suggests below. The only other thing different in the preparation was that instead of being in the oven for 5 minutes, it took about 15 minutes for the puff pastry to brown. You can find a photo of the "olive straws" at the following link:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/olive-straws?autonomy_kw=Michel Roux&rsc=header_3

Makes 12
All-purpose flour, for work surface

13 ounces puff pastry
15 large green pimento stuffed olives, about 1 1/4 inches long
1 medium egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out puff pastry to a 12 1/2-by-6-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. Using a large sharp knife, cut the rectangle into a 5 1/2-by-6-inch rectangle and a 7-by-6-inch rectangle. Place both rectangles on a baking sheet and transfer to refrigerator; let chill 20 minutes.

Place the 5 1/2-by-6-inch rectangle on a baking sheet. Place 5 olives, end-to-end, in a straight line along the short side of the rectangle, leaving about a 5/8-inch border. Repeat process two more times to make three lines of olives. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and milk. Brush egg mixture on all exposed spaces between olives. Cover with the 7-by-6-inch rectangle of puff pastry, pressing the whole surface of the dough between the olives firmly with your fingertips. Transfer to refrigerator; let chill 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using a very sharp knife, trim edges of dough; cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide straws. Lay flat-side down on a baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake until pastry is golden and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer straws to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

July 18th Spouses and Guests Night

2009-07-12T17:52:00.001-04:00

Here's the food list for our July 18 ALL-AMERICAN EVENING BARBECUE where we have invited spouses and/or guests. We'll have a total of 12, maybe 13 people.

I'd like to change the time to 7 PM, which will give Mother Earth a few more minutes to cool down since we'll be in the backyard. Nancy has offered to start the evening off with gin/vodka tonics and if everyone else could plan to contribute 2 bottles of red wine, we should be covered.

Notice that Nancy and I both have guests ... Ed Wheeless and Warren Eng will be joining us. Bonnie will not!

Ingrid is in Michigan all week and will let me know tomorrow if she's getting home early enough on Saturday to make it.

Here's the food list:

finger-food appetizer -- Monica
dip and chips -- Nancy
potato salad -- Eliza
Pasta dish -- Janet
Tomato and green beans (to be picked that day from my garden)-- Martha
Steaks - to be purchased by Martha
Spinach bake -- Nancy's guest
Blueberry cobbler -- Vicki
Peach Pie -- Martha's guest
Ice Cream -- Nancy and Martha

Fish Cakes for Dessert by Martha

2009-07-01T16:26:00.000-04:00

With Susan's "Gifts from the Sea" theme for our June meeting, it was a challenge to come up with a seafood-based dessert. I borrowed the cake recipe from Nick Malgieri's "A Baker's Tour" cookbook and adapted the decorations to fit our theme. The recipe was a little complex, and I must have read it about ten times to make sure I had it right. It's not a recipe for the faint hearted baker. But I would bake it again. It comes out like a cannoli in a cake form!

Ricotta-Filled Cake from Sicily

For the Pan di spagna
2/3 c all purpose flour
1/2 c cornstarch
5 large eggs, separated
1 c sugar
2 t vanilla extract
pinch of salt

For the Rum Syrup
1/3 c water
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c white rum

For the Ricotta Filing
2-1/2 pounds whole-milk ricotta
2 c confectioner's sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t ground cinnamon
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/8" pieces

For the Almond Paste Decoration
8 oz. almond paste
3 c confectioners sugar
green food coloring
5 tbsp. light corn syrup

10" round pan, 2" deep, buttered and the bottom lined with a disk of buttered parchment or wax paper. (If your baking pan is only 1-1/2" high, add a parchment collar.
10" sloping-sided pie pan lines with plastic wrap

1. Set a rack in the middle of the over and preheat to 350.
2. Stir the flour and cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Place egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer with 1/2 c. sugar and the vanilla. Whisk by hand. place the bowl on the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on medium speed until very light in color, about 3 - 4 minutes. If you have only one mixer bowl, scrape the mixture into a medium bowl and wash the mixer bowl with hot soapy water, then rinse and dry.
4. In the clean, dry mixer bowl, combine the egg whites and salt. Whip by machine with the whisk attachment on medium speed until the egg whites are white, opaque, and beginning to hold their shape. Increase speed to medium-high and add the remaining 1/2 c. sugar in a slow stream, continuing to whip the egg whites until they hold a firm peak.
5. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the yolks into the whites, then sift about a third of the flour and cornstarch mixture over the egg foam and fold it in. Repeat with the second and last thirds of the flour mixture, folding each time.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the pan di Spagna until it is well risen, well colored and firm, and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges dry, about 30 - 40 minutes.
7. Immediately unmold the cake onto a rack, removing the paper on the bottom of the cake. Place another rack against the bottom and invert. Remove the top rack so that the cake cools right side up. Cool the cake immediately.
8. For the rum syrup, place water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and cool. Stir in the rum
9. For the ricotta filling, gently stir the ricotta in a large mixing bowl with a rubber spatula, just until it is smooth. Gently stir in the confectioners sugar. Do not beat the mixture or it will liquify. Stir in the vanilla and cinnamon. Remove about 1/2 of the ricotta mixture and set aside for finishing.
10. Out the chopped chocolate in a small strainer and shake to sift away any very fine chocolate dust which would color the filling. Stir in the larger pieces of chocolate remaining in the strainer into the large bowl of ricotta filling (not the 1/2 cup).
11. To assemble the cassata, use a long, serrated knife to cut the pan di Spagna into 1/4 inch wide vertical slices. Line the prepared pie pan completely -- bottom and sides -- with cake. Sprinkle the cake slices with about a third of the run syrup and about half the ricotta filling with the chocolate bites in the lined pan. Arrange a layer of cake slices over the filling and sprinkle with another third of the syrup, then spread the remaining filling over the cake slices. Top with more slices of cake, but don't moisten them. (Once the cassata is inverted, this will be the bottom.)
12. Give a good press to the top layer of the cake with the palm of your hand and wrap the cassata in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight to set.
13. While the cassata is chilling, make the almond paste. Combing the almond paste and sugar in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add 3 - 4 drops of green food coloring and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the corn syrup and pulse until the mixture is about to form a ball. Scrape the almond paste from the food processor to a surface lightly dusted with confectioners sugar and knead it until smooth, making sure that the coloring is evenly distributed throughout. Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature until needed.
14. To finish the cassata, unwrap it and place a platter over the pie pan. Invert the whole stack onto the platter and life off the pie pan, leaving the cassata on the platter. Use a brush to moisten the outside of the cassata with the remaining syrup. Spread the reserved ricotta mixture without the chocolate bits over the outside.
15. Roll the almond paste thinly on a surface dusted with cornstarch and drape it over the cassata. Trim away any excess almond past at the base of the cake. Use the scraps of almond paste to make a twisted rope to finish the bottom of the cake. Decorate the top of the cake with candied fruit in a symmetrical pattern.

Cover and refrigerate until service time. Wrap and refrigerate leftovers.

Shellfish Watermelon Ceviche from Vicki

2009-07-01T16:24:00.003-04:00

Makes 6 servings

1 orange
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup diced seeded watermelon
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 T. finely diced red onion
2-3 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper
½ teaspoon slat
¼ lb. sea scallops, cut into ½” pieces
¼ lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined and cut into ½” pieces
¼ lb. cooked lobster meat, cut into ½” pieces
1-2 T. chopped fresh mint

Cut, peel and remove pith from the orange and cut into segments. Chop each segment into pieces.

Stir together the chopped orange, orange juice, lime juice, watermelon, ginger, onion, jalapeno and salt.

Bring a 1-quart saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add scallops. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer and poach about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon to an ice bath. Return the same water to a boil and poach the shrimp the same way. Again, drain the shrimp and place in an ice bath, then drain both the scallops and shrimp and pat dry.

Add the scallops, shrimp, lobster and mint to the watermelon mixture and toss, season with salt and chill

Traditional Ceviche from Vicki

2009-07-01T16:23:00.002-04:00

Seafood stew from Nancy

2009-07-01T16:22:00.002-04:00

Seafood appetizers from Monica

2009-07-01T16:21:00.002-04:00

Seafood appetizers from Janet

2009-07-01T16:20:00.002-04:00

Bye Bye Bebo, Hello Morou

2009-06-22T16:52:00.004-04:00

I don't know where I've been, but turned around the other day to find that Roberto Donno fled his Crystal City Coop in early April! But it looks like it won't be long before another celebrity chef steps into this space that was originally occupied by Joes Andres' Oyamel. This time around, Chef Morou Ouattara from Farrah Olivia in Old Town will open Kora, named after his youngest daughter, hopefully later this summer. Maybe he'll bring good service and consistently high quality food and in return will be rewarded with lots of diners!

2009 Meeting Schedule

2009-06-15T09:09:00.013-04:00

Here's an update on the coming months. Janet mentioned that she and Monica have swapped dates.

All meetings are scheduled the third Thursday of the month and begin at 6 PM. Here's the current list of dates and hostesses:

August 20 Movie night -- "Julia on Julia"
September 17 -- Monica
October 15 -- Nancy
November 19 -- Janet
December 17 -- Martha -- fondue
January 21 --
February -- At Laurel Lodge
March 18 --
April -- Beach trip???

In Search of Herbs and Finding Susan by Martha

2009-05-15T23:22:00.005-04:00

Nancy joined me today for my annual trip to T. DeBaggio's herb farm. This business was started many years ago on 10th Street in Arlington by Tom DeBaggio, one of the world's experts in the science of herbs. Tom was stricken by Altzheimer's several years ago and his son Francesco now runs the business and moved the operation to Chantilly.

There are thousands of plants, herbs, flowers and vegetables with hundreds of varieties. I counted twenty different kinds of peppers today, sweet and hot. I always buy my tomato plants from DeBaggio and each year experiment with a new variety. Last year it was a black cherry plant that turned out to be the star of the garden. This year I picked up a yellow paste tomato plant that comes with a promise of being great for salsas. My oregano from last year shows no signs of life, so I bought a replacement. Picked up Alpine strawberries that are supposed to bear small sweet fruit throughout the summer. In honor of Eliza, I have a epozate plant which has a warning of being a nuisance, so it's going into a pot.

From DeBaggio's, we headed to Ray's Hell Burgers for lunch. This hole in the wall, with no sign outside and seating for probably no more than 40 got some national attention couple of weeks ago when President Obama and VP Biden stopped by for a burger. Even though there's usually a line to get in the door, it's probably the most efficiently run place in town. Tops 15 minutes from the door to sitting down at your table with a simply yummy burger. This was my third trip to Ray's and is probably the only place I'll ever eat burgers. The menu is simple ... Nancy and I decided to split a burger topped with Amish cave cheddar, mushrooms and raw onions. The burger arrives on a great seeded bun, accompanied by a piece of fruit. There's no fries at Ray's, but you don't miss them.

The biggest surprise for Nancy and I was waiting in line for us .... Susan ... standing not two feet from me. She has ordered, what else, a burger with fois gras.

What a great way to spend a sunny day ...

And Yet Another Super Delicious Meal! by Ingrid

2009-05-07T14:00:00.004-04:00

About Susan's Entree Course
Susan outdid herself with the scallops and carrot and chipotle reduction, which she served with black rice. For a starter, she chose a fabulous beet salad with goat cheese. Everything was better than perfect!

About the Vegetable Salad
To go with the carrot and chipotle reduction, I thought that Rick Bayless’ Mixed Vegetables with Lime Dressing would be a great match for the reduction, and it was. You pick and choose from several lists of veggies, decide which ones you’d like to include, and then cut up the appropriate amount. I would say that I was quite liberal with the ingredients and added more than the recipe indicated. I included carrots, beets, blanched green beans, defrosted peas, radishes, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Instead of using a thick slide of red onion as part of the garnish, I diced some red onion – about a half a cup and included it with the veggies. The presentation is quite nice with the lettuce leaves lining the plate and serving as a bowl for the veggies, which after being tossed with the vinaigrette, are mounded in the middle then topped decoratively with the egg slices and Mexican queso fresco.

I used the “baby” carrots and since the slices were thin, I did not blanch the carrots. I used canned beets, which worked out well, but fresh is always better and will roast them the next time I make this dish.

So, check out the link for the recipe!

www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=39

Arugula that gives and gives by Martha

2009-05-01T17:32:00.003-04:00

I seeded arugula this fall which provided me with greens all winter long. Now I have these beautiful blossoms to add to salads, fish, etc. They will soon reseed, but right now are a bright spot in the garden.

Baked Pastry Puffs by Martha

2009-04-29T11:20:00.005-04:00

The recipe of these pastry puffs was developed by David Lebovitz and showed up in his spring newsletter. They are so easy to make (in the blender), beautiful when they puff up, smell great as they are baking and taste delicious. Watch out Krispy Kreme .... no frying for these!

Baked pastry puffs

For the puffs:

Softened unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup flour

For the sugar coating:
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, melted.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Liberally grease a nonstick popover pan, or a muffin pan with 1/2-cup indentations, with softened butter.
2. For the puffs, put the 2 tablespoons melted butter, eggs, milk, salt and sugar in a blender and whiz for a few seconds.
3. Add the flour and whiz for 5 to 8 seconds, just until smooth.
4. Divide the batter among 9 greased molds, filling each 1/2 to 2/3 full.
5. Bake for 35 minutes, until the puffs are deep brown.
6. Remove from the oven, wait a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Remove the puffs from the pans. You may need a small knife to help pry them out.
7. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Thoroughly brush each puff all over with melted butter, then dredge in sugar and cinnamon mixture to coat completely. Let cool on a baking rack. Makes 9 puffs.

Mini Steak and Cheese by Martha

2009-04-28T15:19:00.005-04:00

As part of hors d'ouvres night, I made mini-steak and cheese sandwiches. It meant making my own little buns, but that was real easy and once the buns are made, you can top them with just about anything .... sliders, tuna burgers, etc. I just grilled a steak, sliced it thin, added some provolone and grilled onions. Here's the recipe for the buns:

1-3/4 c plus 2 Tbsp. bread flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried yeast
2/3 c warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1 tsp. honey or sugar

Place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the center. Sprinkle the salt around the raised edge of the flour. Pour the water with the oil and honey (or sugar) into the well and sprinkle the yeast over the liquid. Let stand for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Draw the flour from the sides of the bowl with a spoon and mix to make a rough, sticky dough.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use the heel of one hand to gently push the dough away from you. At the same time, use your other hand to rotate the dough slightly toward you, guiding it around in a circle. Repeat kneading actions until the dough is smooth, shiney and elastic. About 10 minutes. Or once the dough has been mixed, place it in to the bowl of a heavy duty mixer with a dough hook. Set to low speed and let it knead for 10 minutes.

Put the dough in a clean, oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours. Deflate the dough by pressing down with the palm of your hand. The dough is now ready to be shaped.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Divide the dough into small walnut-sized pieces and shape into smooth rolls. Place on a floured baking sheet and press down gently to flatten the buns. Cover the a cloth and leave for about 20 minutes until doubled in size. Brush each bun with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

You can make the buns 3 days in advance, storing in an air tight container, or shape the buns and freeze. Bake frozen buns in preheated 400F oven for 20 minutes.

Beach Blanket Bingo Cupcakes by Martha

2009-04-26T13:51:00.008-04:00

I'm getting ready to go to the All Candy Expo in Chicago in May and Libby Taylor at the National Confectioners Association showed me a cookbook from a baker who is providing a demo for attendees. The baker is a cupcake specialist. I thumbed through the cookbook and found a photo of some cupcakes I thought would be fun to bring to the beach. I brought the “parts” with me to the beach and everyone assembled their own cupcake after dinner one night as a surprise project. They were really quite easy and would be a great little project for kids.

The blankets are made from Starburst candies. Unwrap three and put them on a plastic sheet and zap for about 20 seconds. Cover with a second sheet of wrap and roll them out with a rolling pin and cut to size. (I ended up rolling them, and zapping again to get them to roll to the thickness that I thought would work best. Cut them to about 2” x 2”). I decorated some of the blankets with icing.

The faces are mini vanilla wafers and were probably the most time consuming. I just got a couple of tubes of Wilton icing and used a #1 tip for the eyelashes and a larger one for the hair.

To assemble the cupcakes: ice the cupcakes with white icing. Cut a marshmallow in half length-wise. Put one of the marshmallow halves at the top of the cupcake surface horizontally. It becomes the “pillow”. The second half of the marshmallow is placed perpendicular to the pillow and it is the form for the body. Put a little icing on the back of the decorated “face” and place it on the pillow. Mold the blanket a little and place it over the perpendicular marshmallow. Then take two Jelly Bellies and tuck them under the blanket for the socks.

Really, these were quite easy and the cool thing is that you can make the blankets and the faces ahead of time and toss them in a zip lock. Remember, there were many glasses of wine consumed before we got to this part of the evening ... you can tell by the one who's wearing two different colored "socks" ...

Beach Bean Burritos from Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Ouvres by Nancy

2009-04-25T16:10:00.004-04:00

For the cornmeal cups
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 c cornmeal
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Combine flour, cornmeal and salt. Add it, a little at a time, to the butter mixture, stirring constantly until well incorporated. Knead it lightly with your hands.

Divide dough into 1-inch balls and press them into small muffin tins, using your thumbs to form cups inside the mold. The dough cups should be as even as possiible and come to the top of the tins.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

For the Filling
1 15-ounce can of pinto or red kidney beans
½ cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 package small flour tortillas (about 15)

Drain the beans, reserving one¬fourth of the liquid. Combine the beans and reserved liquid, onion, cilantro, pepper, and oregano in a mixing bowl. Spread 11/2 tablespoons of the bean mixture on one half of the tortilla. Roll once, tuck both ends toward the center, and continue rolling. Arrange the burritos in an oven¬proof dish and cover with foil. Bake the burritos for 10 minutes, or until they are thoroughly warm. Serve immediately. Makes 12 to 15 small burritos. Can be cut in half. Use Salsa Verde as a dip.

For the salsa verde: (From Eliza Gonzales' Master Recipe)
10 tomatillos, medium size
1 avocado
3 garlic cloves
2 - 3 chiles serranos (vary according to preference for piquancy)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped with a bit of stem
1/2 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
Salt

Peel the husks from the tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in halves. Blend the tomatillos, onion, garlic, cilantro and chiles in food processor. Peel the avocado and cut it in half. Add to salsa and blend again until it is the consistency of a thick paste. Adjust to desired consistency with water or add another avocado to thicken. Salt to taste and serve.

More from the Beach -- One Fabulous Raspberry Souffle by Martha

2009-04-25T12:41:00.005-04:00

Our dear friend Ed Wheeless gave me a copy of The Auberge of the Flowering Hearth by Roy Andries de Groot which is said to have been Patrick O'Connell's inspiration for the Inn at Little Washington.

Besides being a wonderful read, there are some amazing recipes in the book, including one for a raspberry souffle, which although requiring tender care that all souffles ask for, holds up beautifully and can even be served cold.

Preheat the oven to 350. Set the shelves so that the lower one will be about 2 - 3 inches above the floor of the oven with a space of about 8 inches between the lower and upper rack. On the upper rack, set a 10" cake pan upside down so that it will reflect heat downwards onto of the souffle. Choose a 1-1/2 quartr souffle dish, about 7-1/2 inches in diameter, lightly butter its bottom and sides, then sprinkle with superfine sugar and knock out excess.

For the raspberries:
7 oz. (14 tablespoons) superfine sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 lb. fresh, beautiful raspberries

Measure the sugar into a heavy saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of water and bring up to a solid boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent sugar from burning, until the sugar is all melted and continues to boil down to a syrup and reaches "hard ball" on a candy thermometer, 250 - 255. Turn off the heat and gently stir in the raspberries. Let them soak in the syrup while you beat the egg whites.

For the souffle:
6 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
Optional: 1 tablespoon lemon zest or 1/4 c grated walnuts

Quickly beat the egg whites, preferably in a copper bown by hand with a ballon whisk, at the same time beating in the 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar, until the whites stand up in firm peaks. Usins a rubber spatula, quickly fold in the still-hot raspberries and syrup and the optional lemon zest or walnuts, folding rather than stirring. Avoid overdoing it--don't try to mix everything perfectly. At once, empty the mixture into the souffle dish and place on the lower rack of the oven, immediately below the reflecting pan. Close the door gently and don't open it for 15 minutes, after which you test it by pressing down lightly with your finger. If it is firm and springy to the touch, it is done. Serve immediately, piping hot, or allow to cool very slowly at room temperature. As the sugar syrup hardens, it will support the souffle, which, once it is set, can be refrigerated until needed.

Corn Cups from Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres by Nancy

2009-04-25T12:36:00.004-04:00

Makes 2½ dozen hors d’oeuvres

Corn Cup Dough
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
Pinch of salt

To make the com cups, cream together the butter and cream cheese with a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Combine the flour, cornmeal, and salt. Add it, a little at a time, to the butter mixture, stirring constantly until well incorporated. Knead it lightly with your hands. Divide the dough into 1-inch balls and press them into small muffin tins, using your thumbs to form cups inside the mold. The dough cups should be as even as possible and come up to the top of the tins. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Fill with Chili Pepper and Cheese mixture and serve.

Variations: Two tablespoons of a variety of minced ingredients can be added to the com cup dough. Try jalapeno peppers, scallions, chives, green onions, or red peppers.

Chili Peppers and Cheese. Makes 1 ½ cups2 jalapeno peppers
(fresh or canned), seeded and chopped
1 fresh chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Saute the peppers in olive oil until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Mix with the grated cheese, season, and spoon into corn cups immediately.

Amish Cheese by Martha

2009-04-25T10:40:00.003-04:00

The week before the beach, I stopped at the Del Ray (Alexandria, VA) market to visit with Tom, the Amish cheese guy. He comes to the market rain or shine, just about 12 months a year, bringing food made by the Amish. He's not Amish, himself, but brings cheese, yogurt, baked goods made in Pennsylvania.

I picked up a piece of cheese to bring to the beach that's my favorite. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. It's bouche, an unpasteurized cave cheese. Aged 12 months, it is tangy and sharp and left to age at room temperature, you can actually see this cheese change in character. At first the cheese is semi-soft, but as it ripens (never to a hard cheese stage), it develops a lacy texture. I like to just shave a taste off and pair it with a slice of tart apple and a good red wine.

Because it's unpasteurized, it's unavailable in any stores, so it's a real treat.

Banana-Citrus Compote by Janet

2009-04-24T22:42:00.001-04:00

In a small, heavy saucepan combine 3/4 C. each water and sugar. Bring to a boil and add 2 Tbs. finely julienned lime zest and 1 Tbs. each lemon and orange zest. Boil 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes. Peel 8 ripe bananas and slice diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Toss with juice of 1 lime. Pour warm syrup over banana mixture and stir to coat. Let macerat 30 minutes at room temperature. Serve at once or chill for 2 hours. The compote must be used within 24 hours for optimum flavor and color.

Crostini with Mushrooms,Prosciutto and Blue Cheese by Janet

2009-04-24T22:40:00.001-04:00

Makes about 18

3 Tbs. butter
1/2 lb. fresh shiitake mushrooms stemmed, caps chopped
4 oz. crimini mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C. whipping cream
1/2 C. crumbled blue cheese
1/2 C. chopped, thinly sliced prosciutto
18 1/2 inch thick diagonal bread slices from a baguette
Chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add all mushrooms and garlic and saute until mushrooms are cooked through and brown, about 10 minutes. Add cream and boil until liquid is completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add blue cheese and stir until cheese melts. Mix in prosciutto and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mushroom topping can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange bread slices on baking sheet. Bake until just golden, about 5 minutes. Mound a generous tablespoon mushroom topping on each slice. Return to oven and bake until topping is heated through, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Chocolate Chip Cookies by Janet

2009-04-24T16:05:00.005-04:00

Janet's recipes from the beach

Clipper Chocolate Chip Cookies--makes about 3 doz.

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 C. sugar
3/4 C. firmly packed golden brown sugar
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. coffee liqueur
1 Tbs. Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)
2 large eggs
2-1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 11-1/2 oz. pkgs. milk chocolate chips
1 C. chopped walnuts
1/2 C. chopped pecans
1/2 C. chopped macadamia nuts.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using electric mixer, beat first 6 ingredients in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Stir into butter mixture. Mix in chocolate chips and all chopped nuts. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing apart. Bake until cookies are golden brown, about 16 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool.

Cornmeal Rosemary Cake with Pine Nuts & Orange Glaze by Janet

2009-04-23T12:19:00.002-04:00

This recipe comes from Seattle chef Tom Douglas and can be found in his cookbooks and on-line at the Fine Cooking site.

For the cake:
Soft butter for the pan
6-3/4 oz.(1-1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
4-1/2 oz. (3/4 cup) finely ground yellow cornmeal (Quaker brand is fine)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted pine nuts (about 1-1/2 oz.)
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbs. finely grated orange zest
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
5 oz. (2/3 cup) mascarpone, at room temperature
4 large eggs
10 oz. (1-1/3 cups) granulated sugar
1/4 lb. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
For the orange syrup:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
For the orange glaze:
1 Tbs. whole fresh rosemary leaves (stripped from the stem but not chopped)
5 oz. (1-1/2 cups) sifted confectioners’ sugar
5 Tbs. heavy cream
2 Tbs. fresh orange juice
1 tsp. grated orange zest

Make the cake:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x2-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with a round of parchment, and butter the parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, pine nuts, rosemary, orange zest, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, briefly whisk the mascarpone to loosen it. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking to combine. Add the sugar and whisk until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the wet ingredients, mixing until smooth. Stir in the melted butter with the rubber spatula until blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spread evenly, and bake until the entire top of the cake is a rich golden brown and springs back when pressed gently in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. A skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should come out looking a bit moist, and the sides of the cake may have begun to pull away from the pan.

Make the orange syrup:
While the cake is baking, combine the orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. Let the cake cool in its pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Run a small knife around the cake. Set an inverted plate over the cake pan and, protecting your hands with a kitchen towel, invert the whole thing. The cake should slide right out onto the plate. Peel off the parchment and set a 9-inch cardboard round or another inverted plate over the cake and, again, invert the whole thing. Remove the top plate and the cake will be right side up. With a wooden skewer or toothpick, poke a few dozen holes all over the top of the cake. While the cake is still warm, brush the cake with the warm orange syrup. Continue brushing for several minutes, giving the syrup time to sink into the cake, until you’ve used all the syrup. Let the cake cool completely.

Make the orange glaze:
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Have ready a small bowl of ice water. Put the rosemary leaves in a small sieve and dip it into the boiling water to blanch them for 1 minute. Drain the rosemary leaves and immediately set them (still in the sieve) into the ice water. Drain and spread the rosemary leaves on a paper towel to dry. In a bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, cream, and orange juice until smooth and then whisk in the blanched rosemary and the zest.

When the cake is cool, transfer it to a rack set over a baking sheet. (If your cake isn’t on a cardboard round, use a wide spatula to transfer it.) Pour the glaze over the top of the cake and let it drip off the sides. You can gently tilt the cardboard or the wire rack back and forth to encourage the glaze to completely flow over the top of the cake. While the glaze is still wet, transfer the cake to a cake plate.
Let sit for an hour or more before cutting the cake into wedges and serving. The glaze may or may not become firm, depending on the weather; it’s delicious either way.

Make Ahead Tips
You can bake and glaze this cake the day you serve it. Or bake it a day ahead, brush it with the syrup, let it cool completely, wrap it in plastic, and store at room temperature. The afternoon before your dinner, glaze the cake.

Rack of Lamb by Martha by Martha

2009-04-23T10:00:00.004-04:00

This is a recipe from the current issue of Martha Stewart Living. The recipe appears with a caper-mint sauce which was not my favorite, but the marinade worked very well. Even though, because of an oven mistake, the lamb was a little over-cooked (140 on the thermometer when it came out of the oven), the meat was still juicy and tender and infused with gentle flavors of mint and garlic that did not overwhelm the wonderful flavor of the lamb.

FOR THE LAMB
Serves 8

4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 c fresh mint, roughly chopped
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/4 c fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 racks of lamb (about 2 lbs.) frenched
2 tablespoons safflower oil

FOR THE CAPER-MINT SAUCE
1/2 c salt-packed capers, rinsed well
2 c fresh mint
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1/4 c minced shallots
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

Make the lamb: Whisk together garlic, mint, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, 2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Place lamb in a large resealable plastic bag. Add marinade and refrigerate overnight.

Let the lamb stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400. Remove lamb from marinade, brush off any garlic and mint and pat dry with paper towels. Discard marinade. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat safflower oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb; cook, flipping oven, until browned 2 - 3 minutes on each side. Transfer skillet to oven; cook until lamb registers 130 on an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 25 minutes for medium-rare. (We did not have a skillet large enough to accommodate 2 racks, so after browning, I transferred the racks to a roasting pan.)

Make the mint sauce: Pulse capers in a food-processor until roughly chopped. Add mint, lemon zest and juice, shallots. Pulse until mint in roughly chopped. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, pulsing until combined but still coarse. Transfer to a small bowl.

Serve the lamb: Transfer lamb to platter and coat racks with a third of the caper-mint sauce. Let rest for 20 minutes. Cut lamb into chops, single or double thickness; transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and mint sprigs; serve with remaining sauce.

Tilapia in Achiote by Eliza

2009-04-23T08:30:00.005-04:00

Achiote is widely used in the Mayan region of Mexico. Made from annatto seeds that are soaked overnight, ground and mixed with spices. Achiote paste takes over as one of the most flavorful, bold and colorful seasonings in this part of the country. It works beautifully with fish, seafood, pork and chicken. Serves 6.

Ingredients

For the achiote marinade:
2 ounces achiote paste (available at Latin markets)
3 cloves garlic
1/3 white onion
1/2 teaspoon ground peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon salt or to taste

For the fish:
6 tilapia filets
3 banana leaves
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
Half orange and one lime, quartered
5 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped for garnish

Pre-heat oven to 400oF

Prepare the achiote marinade: Cut the achiote paste into little cubes so that it dissolves easily in the marinade. Transfer it to a blender along with all other ingredients and blend until there are no more chunks of achiote paste. Cover the fish filets with the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Prep the banana leaves: It’s easier than it seems—just takes a lot of space to explain! Banana leaves are available at Asian and Latin markets in frozen packages of around 10 leaves. When ready to use, thaw and unfold the leaves carefully as they are brittle. Some banana leaves can be very long and cumbersome to use in which case is better to cut them in half or thirds, depending on the size. Clean them with a damp paper towel. One by one, pass them directly through the flame of your stove burner for a few seconds. The leaf will respond immediately to heat, turning a bright green color where it is being heated, thus becoming manageable and aromatic. Do not overheat because it will turn brittle again. Repeat this process with other leaves. Set aside.

Bake the fish: Line a baking mold with a banana leaf and put another one on top. Place the fish and half the marinade in it and arrange the onion slices on top. Wrap the fish tightly with the banana leaf and secure it with more leaves to create the effect of a steam chamber. Bake for 25 minutes. Cut open the top of the package and bake for 3 more minutes.

Dry Packed Scallops--Another Seafood Lesson

2009-04-15T10:44:00.005-04:00

At the recommendation of a good friend, I called Annapolis Seafood Market yesterday to find out if they would have scallops that Susan and I could pick up on our way to Rehoboth tomorrow. Not only do they have scallops, but they have "dry packed scallops" ... a new term to me.

I did a little internet research today and came up with the following information about dry packed scallops from a website called www.tonysmarket.com:

"Buying scallops, those delicious, sweet white morsels of shellfish muscle, used to be simple: you had your large "sea" scallops and your small "bay" scallops, and you could get them fresh or frozen anywhere. Now, in addition to these choices, scallop buyers need a whole new vocabulary, including "chemical free," "dry pack," and "day boat" scallops.

Lets put it simply. Dry pack means “chemical free” or “unsoaked”. For years, inexpensive frozen scallops (as well as many other frozen seafoods) have routinely been treated with phosphates, particularly sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), to reduce so-called "drip loss." STP and other related phosphates are GRAS (generally recognized as safe) food additives, and used in moderation, they help bind the natural moisture in seafood through the freezing and thawing process.

As useful as phosphates are with frozen seafood, they are subject to abuse when applied to fresh seafoods, especially scallops. If a little STP can keep the natural moisture in seafood, a lot can cause it to soak up additional water -- increasing in weight by up to 25 percent -- and since water is a lot cheaper than scallops, there is a powerful economic incentive to "soak" them.

Reports of abuse of phosphates in fresh seafood processing led to a crackdown by the Food and Drug Administration in the early 1990s, and the establishment of an upper limit on the moisture content of scallops that can be sold as natural and unadulterated. If the amount of moisture exceeds 80 percent of the weight of the scallops, presumably the maximum natural water content, they fall into a separate product category which must be labeled "scallop product -- water added."

In practice, this standard does not prevent the use of STP on fresh scallops, but it prevents processors from using STP to increase the weight of scallops without labeling them as such. The most common sea scallop in North American markets, and the one that sets the standard for flavor are found in relatively deep water from Newfoundland to North Carolina. Weather permitting, they are fished throughout the year, mostly by dredging the bottom with a large rake that gathers the shellfish into a chain net. Tony’s carries only dry packed North American scallops, which, in truth, are as natural as when they leave the beds they are harvested from.

... expect:

A slightly stronger scallop scent...very normal ...
Better cooking performance in the pan, on the grill, or in the oven - since they don't steam, or poach in their added water.
A 'meatier' and more satisfying texture and flavor
A color from creamy ivory to a slight tan.
A slightly higher price...but why pay for added water and chemicals?

Scallops are found the world round and vary in quality from one location to the next. Sea scallops harvested from the deep, cold waters of the North Atlantic, sometimes as north as Newfoundland, are considered by the industry as one of the world's finests ... To get these fishing grounds, and to keep fishing profitable, some boats stay out 2-3 days fishing for scallops. Unfortunately, scallops CANNOT survive out of water like mussels, clams & oysters, so they're usually shucked immediately on the boat." Dry packed scallops usually come only from "day boats"

Congratulations!

2009-04-13T16:49:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Sur La Table and Cindy Mushat on the recent James Beard Award for the fabulous cookbook, "The Art and Soul of Baking". It's a beautiful book with great recipes and wonderful directions. It's definitely on my wish list!

Easter Boscht -- by Martha

2009-04-12T10:48:00.005-04:00

My grandfather and his friend built St. Michael's church, brick by brick with their own hands. That tells you the role that the Catholic Church played in our Polish-American family. Easter, next to Christmas, was the most important day of the year. On Holy Saturday, the priest would come to the house to bless our food, and as I recall, there was little eating on Holy Saturday. But Easter morning was an annual ritual. First there was the discovery of the huge, candy-filled Easter basket that had been hidden under the bed by the Easter bunny. (I actually remember the disappointment the year I got too old for the Easter bunny. I still peeked hopefully under my bed.)

There were new Easter clothes, hats, gloves ... of course to be covered by the winter coat, because in New England, it may have still be snowing on Easter! All this happened before we would go to 8:30 Mass. Mass was NOT the highlight of my day. The liturgy was in Latin and the sermon in Polish ... I was not impressed. But then, off to my grandmother's for Easter soup --- borscht. There were no beets, no sour cream, so beats me where the name came from. But borscht it was called. I have never seen a recipe for this soup. I'm sure its roots came from Austria and Poland where my grandparents were born and some of the ingredients suggest a Seder meal of sorts.... horshradish, boiled eggs.

We did not have traditionally colored eggs. Ours were dyed in onion skins, giving them a beautiful amber color. (Martha Stewart talks about doing this with her family.) The onion skins were collected throughout the year in a brown net bag hung from a nail in the basement. The ham had been boiled the day before and the broth saved. The kielbasa had been fried and was all cut up on a plate and we picked up the bread from the Jewish bakery on the way back from church.

Here's the way the soup was made. The fat skimmed off the broth and raw egg yolks were added to give the broth some body. To that, "sour salt" was added to taste. Everyone would take their hardboiled egg(s) and cut it into a bowl. Add pieces of ham, kielbasa and chunks of rye bread. Now, take a fresh horseradish root and scrape horseradish onto the soup. Finish it off with a ladle of piping hot broth.

Soup of the Gods ... eaten at 10 AM on an empty stomach!

My family has dispersed, St. Michael's Church has been torn down, but the soup endures. I still make it most Easter Sundays, even if it is only a small bowl for me. The ingredients have been adjusted to make it a little more healthful ... I use Canadian bacon instead of ham, turkey sausage for kielbasa. I cannot find a good loaf of rye bread to save my life. But the smell of sour salt and horseradish make me feel like I'm sitting at my grandmother's kitchen table.

Healthy Hearty Salad--by Monica

2009-04-08T17:12:00.002-04:00

Healthy and Hearty Salad

Ingredients:
½ c. Fava Beans, shelled and cooked
1/2 c. White Butter Peas (found in the frozen vegetables section at Harris Teeter supermarkets), cooked
1/2 c. Peas, either fresh or frozen, cooked
6 Asparagus, cooked and chopped bite size
1/2 c. Speckled Beans (or any other heirloom variety, also found in the frozen vegetables section at HT supermarkets), cooked
6 artichoke hearts, chopped bite size (I like the brand found in jars at Trader Joe's; the artichoke hearts are meatty, very tasty and are slightly marinated already)

Optional:
6 cornichons, chopped small
6 cocktail onions, chopped small

Dressing:
The juice of 1 large lemon, freshly squeezed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. chopped Dill
4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, preferably a fruity type

Mix well until the vinaigrette emulsifies.

Preparation:
Cook all the ingredients in salted water, but separately (once cooked, the veggies all go into one big salad bowl.) Drain the veggies from their cooking liquids and place in a shallow salad bowl. While still warm, add 3 Tbsp. of red wine or white wine vinegar. Let rest for about 5 minutes, then pour the dressing and toss well. This salad can be served warm or cold. It also reheats very nicely in the microwave and serve as side dish to meat/fish/poultry.

Strawberry Tiramisu (March Hint of Spring Dinner at Eliza's) -- by Janet

2009-04-01T11:19:00.004-04:00

Strawberry Tiramisu
8 servings

1-1/4 C. strawberry preserves
1/3 C. plus 4 Tbs. Cointreau or other orange liqueur, divided
1/3 C. orange juice
1 lb. mascarpone cheese at room temperature
1-1/3 C. chilled whipping cream
1/3 C. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 lbs. fresh strawberries, divided
about 52 crisp ladyfingers

Whisk preserves, 1/3 C. Cointreau, and orange juice in 2-cup measuring cup. Place mascarpone cheese and 2 TBS. Cointreau in large bowl--fold just to blend. Using electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, vanilla and remaining 2 TBS. Cointreau in another large bowl to soft peaks. Stir 1/4 of whipped cream mixture into mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whipped cream.

Hull and slice half of strawberries. Spread 1/2 C. preserve mixture over botton of 3-quart oblong serving dish or 13x9x2inch glass baking dish. Arrange enough ladyfingers over preserve mixture to cover bottom of dish. Spoon 3/4C preserve mixture over ladyfingers, then spread 2-1/2 C. mascarpone mixture over. Arrange sliced strawberries over mascarpone mixture. Repeat layering with remaining ladyfingers, preserve mixture, and mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic and chill at least 8 hours or overnight. Slice remaining strawberries, arrange over tiramisu and serve.

Beach Trip!

2009-03-31T11:21:00.010-04:00

Here's the plan for the beach. We'll fill in as people volunteer recipes:

Thursday: Arrival lunch on your own
Thursday dinner: Everyone brings a finger-food appetizer. We'll make some salas and dips when we're there.
Martha: mini steak and cheese sandwiches, sushi, eclairs or chocolate cups
Ingrid: seafood chowder
Janet: portabello & blue cheese crostini and chocolate chip cookies
Susan: chicken wings
Nancy: Mini-burritos
Dessert: Finger food desserts

Friday breakfast: Orange infused yogurt with granola and oven baked sugar crisps (Martha) Fruit compote: (Janet)
Friday lunch: on your own
Friday dinner: Roasted beet salad (Susan)
Friday dinner: Scallops with forbidden rice and chipotle carrot reduction (Susan)
Friday dinner: Vegetable side (Ingrid)
Friday dessert: Raspberry souffle (Martha)

Sat. breakfast: Eggs benedict (Susan)
Sat. breakfast: Bloody Marys (Nancy)
Sat. lunch: On your own
Sat. dinner: Rack of lamb with caper and mint sauce
Sat. sides: Carla's peas
Sat. side: skillet browned potatoes (Ingrid)
Sat. dessert: Cornmeal cake (Janet)

Sun. breakfast: Bagels and lox

A Guide to Picking Wisely from the Sea: A conversation with Alton Brown and Lunch with Bob Kinkead by Ingrid

2009-03-26T12:38:00.004-04:00

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to participate in a weekend celebration of ocean life sponsored by the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program. The purpose was to explore the connection between a healthy ocean and the seafood we eat, with an emphasis on minimizing our impact on the environment. Being a professional environmentalist and foodie, I was ecstatic! What an opportunity! So, Friday night Monica and I headed to the National Museum of Natural History to taste a wide variety of sustainable seafood treats and other goodies, prepared by 30 of DC’s and our nation’s best chefs. We grazed our way through the Mammal Hall, eating delectables right next to the African mammals, and continued on to the Ocean Hall, nibbling under the North Atlantic Right Whale. Of course we also stopped in the Rotunda for a sample of wine! Highlights included the following:

Bruce Barnes, Mitsitam Café, National Museum of the American Indian: Mequen Chili Spaced Black Cod Ceviche, Carcia, Black and Red Quinoa Salad
Jeff Black, The Black Restaurant Group: Smoked Museel Escabeche on Lavash
Andrew Evans, Thai-Ki: Thai Squid Salad with Lemongrass and Cordiander
Scott Drewno, The Source: Rock Shrimp Dumplings
Kate Jansen and Tracy O’Grady, Willow Restaurant: Sauteed Kona Kampachi with Fresh Chick Peas, Extra Virgin Olive Oil Emulsion and Preserved Lemon

On Saturday morning I continued my sustainable seafood foray and attended two panel discussions moderated by Alton Brown: Keeping Seafood in Our Future and Sustainability in the Restaurant and in Your Kitchen. Panel members, reflecting various occupations associated with sustainable seafood, brought different perspectives to the discussion. Thus the answer to the question, “What should consumers do?”, wasn’t straight forward, and Panel members did not entirely agree on the best approach to sustainable seafood in the home or restaurant. However, here is what I thought were some of the “carry out” messages:

• Consumer choices can drive the market, Don’t select seafood that is caught or farmed in ways that cause harm to marine life or the environment. Select sustainable seafood, which encourages the market to head in a more positive direction. To help you do this, consider using the Seafood WATCH guide, which can help you make more educated decisions. See http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx
• Look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logo. MSC is the world's leading certification and ecolabelling program for sustainable seafood. http://www.msc.org/
• Expand your pallet to a variety of fish, which lessens the pressure on the most popular species.

The event concluded with a sustainable seafood luncheon beyond all expectations. My goodness, what a lovely meal – wild rice and watercress salad, lobster short cake with tropical fruit and rum vanilla sauce, braised pork cheeks with crispy halibut cheeks with a citrus glaze, wild Florida shrimp, and dessert. Plus wines to match! And I had the good fortune to sit with a waterwoman from VA; Bob Kinkead, chef and owner of Kinkead’s Restaurant; a seafood distributor; television producer, and a geologist. What a lively discussion we had!

Now you must be thinking, what about your conversation with Alton Brown? Well, I just had to go and introduce myself! What a bright, charming and savy guy! We chatted for a few minutes about seafood and sustainability as well as about his previous visit to the Smithsonian, which focused on his book, “Feasting on Asphalt”. It was a fantastic evening, full of wit and with lots of audience participation and laughs. My husband and I just loved it!

So, next time you prepare seafood, make it a sustainable feast!

Smoked Salmon Appetizers by Martha

2009-03-24T12:24:00.006-04:00

This recipe is adapted from a Thomas Keller recipe that appeared in Food & Wine last year. He suggested making tuiles as the base. I tried the recipe and it was a complete failure, so I substituted thick cut potato chips, Terra Chips, found at Whole Foods. Next time, though, I'm going to make Parmasean crisps and serve the salmon on them. (Note: I have remade this recipe a number of times and recently served it on Parmasean crisps which is pictured above.)

Makes about 2 dozen servings

4 oz. sliced smoked salmon, finely chopped
1-1/2 tsp. finely chopped shallot
1-1/2 tsp. finely chopped chives, plus a few snipped for garnish
1/4 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground white pepper
1/2 c. creme fraiche
1 tbs. black sesame seeds, toasted
1 small bag original Terra Chips

In a medium bowl, combine the chopped salmon, chives, lemon zest, pepper and sesame seeds. Gently fold all of the ingredients together. (May be made to this point 1 - 2 days ahead of time.) Spoon some of the mixture onto the potato chips and then top with a small dollop of creme fraiche and a couple of snipped chives. Serve right away.

Cantaloupe-Goat Cheese Appetizers by Martha

2009-03-24T11:20:00.006-04:00

This recipe originally called for persimmons and salted almonds. Since persimmons are out of season, I used canteloupe and pistachio nuts.

1/2 c shelled pistachio nuts very finely chopped
1-1/2 tsp chopped mint
4 oz fresh goat cheese, softened
prusciotto
1 ripe cantaloupe, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Aged balsamic vinegar for serving

1. In a small bowl, mix 3 tbsp. of the chopped nuts and the chopped mint with the softened goat cheese. Divide the mixture into 6 equal pieces and roll into a ball. Using 21-inch round biscuit cutter, stamp out 12 rounds from the cantaloupe. Stamp out rounds of proscuitto (or cut with kitchen shears to approximate size).

2. Flatten the goat cheese and place onto of one of the cantaloupe rounds. Top with a slice of proscuitto and finish with another cantaloupe round. Roll the edges in the remaining pistachio nuts and refrigerate until firm, at least 10 minutes or overnight. Cut each round into quarters and transfer to a plate. Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar and serve.

March 19 meeting at Eliza's House

2009-03-09T15:45:00.003-04:00

Meeting time is at 6 PM, and the theme for the evening is "Hint of Spring". Is it springtime in Mexico, too?

Here's what people are bringing to the table:

Martha -- appetizers
Nancy -- salad
Eliza -- fish entree
Susan -- corn torte
Monica -- fava side dish and asparagus
Janet -- dessert

Chive Flan with Carrot Emulsion by Martha

2009-02-14T20:06:00.000-05:00

I won't tell you how many times I tested the flan recipe (okay .... three times). First time I covered the muffin tin in the water bath, but didn't cover it tightly enough, so water condensed on the foil and dripped back into the flan, leaving me with a mixture that wouldn't congeal. Off to Harris Teeter for more chives. Great, none in the store. I had some left from the first try, so I thought I'd just supplement them with some wild chives from the garden. Winter herbs have no taste ... so the mixture was b.l.a.n.d. Off to Giant at 6 AM and eurica chives! Third time is a charm. (I baked it this time with no cover.) This flan is a nice counterpoint to serve with spicy food.

Chive Flan

1/2 cup finely chopped chives plus more for garnish
2 cups half-and-half
3 whole large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks

Equipment: flexible silicone small-size muffin pan. I buttered the pan for safety sake.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Simmer (do not boil) chives and half-and-half in a small heavy saucepan 5 minutes, then let stand, covered, 15 minutes.

Whisk together egg and yolk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. I used a 4-cup measuring cup, which made pouring the hot liquid into the molds fairly easy. Whisk in chive mixture until blended. Put mold on a rack in a roasting pan and fill each cup about 3/4 full.

Bake in a water bath until flan is just set, 15 - 20 minutes. Carefully remove mold from water bath. Cool flans at room temperature, then chill until cold, at least 1 hour.

To serve: Run a thin knife around flans to loosen. Invert mold onto a baking sheet and, pressing gently, pop out flans (or lift out of muffin pans with a small offset spatula). Either decorate the plate with the following carrot emulsion or serve it on the side. I did both.

Carrot Emulsion

1-1/3 cup fresh carrot juice
1/4 tsp. ground cardamon
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. honey
Salt to taste
4 Tbsp. butter cut into small pieces

Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced by 1/3. Whisk in butter to finish the sauce.

Here's a hint when reducing liquid that I picked up from one of Alton Brown's shows. When you pour all of the ingredients into the saucepan, stand a toothpick up in the center. Remove the toothpick and mark the "high-water line" with a marker. As the liquid reduces, do the same with another toothpick and by comparing the "high-water lines" you'll be able to easily judge how much of the liquid has condensed.

Traditional Spanish Tortilla with Red Peppers by Monica

2009-02-14T20:01:00.000-05:00

We always enjoy Monica's native Spanish recipes. Here's the dish she served as an entree.

Monica’s Stupendous Spanish Tortilla!

Ingredients:
5 medium-size potatoes (Yukon Gold work best but can use other types as well), peeled, quartered and sliced about ¼” thin;
1 small onion, peeled, quartered and cut about ½” thick;
1/2 to 3/4 cup Spanish extra virgin olive oil (there should be enough to cover the potatoes and onion once in the pot;)
5-6 x-large eggs;
Salt to taste (about a 3/4 tsp. salt)

Utensils:
1 3 quart size pot and lid
1 10” non-stick frying pan
1 slotted spoon, spider, or similar utensil (this utensil will be used for crushing the potatoes while cooking and for draining the potatoes from the oil once cooked;)
1 rubber spatula
1 fork or whisk
1 10” non-stick pan
1 Sieve and bowl for draining oil;
1 bowl for mixing the eggs, potatoes and onion.

Preparation:
Add the oil to the pot and heat at medium heat; add the potatoes and then the onions. With a metal (or wooden) slotted spoon, lightly crush the potatoes already submerged in the hot oil and then cover the potatoes and onions with a lid. Let cook for about 4 minutes and then check the potatoes and onions. They should be soft and cooked through. Once they are cooked, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon or spider and drain well in a sieve over a bowl. Save the excess oil in the bowl for later use in frying the tortilla.

In a mixing bowl mix well the eggs, and then add the cooked potatoes and onion mixture and salt. Heat about 2 tsps. olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, medium heat, and add the eggs and potato mixture. Let set for about 30 seconds and then stir slightly with a rubber spatula so the eggs set. Let cook for another minute and turn down the heat to medium low; cook for another minute. Then place a plate, bigger in circumference than the pan, over the pan and turn over the plate and pan together. Remove the pan, releasing the tortilla on to the plate. Add another 2 tsps. olive oil and slide the tortilla off of the plate and into the pan. Cook the uncooked side for about 2-3 minutes, or until the eggs set. Repeat the procedure a couple of times at very low heat just to ensure the eggs are cooked through in the middle. Remove from the heat, and let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Holds well for a couple of days, refrigerated. The tortilla can be served warm or cold.

There are a variety of ingredients one can add to this recipe. The “farmer’s” version has the potatoes and onion, and then fava beans, peas, carrots and green beans. One can also add sauted mushrooms, chopped chorizo or Spanish Serrano Ham.

The tortilla can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish accompanied by a mixed salad and Baguette.

Piquillo Peppers Salad
Ingredients:
1 can Piquillo Peppers, drained (reserve the brine they are packed in) and sliced bite-size;
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped;
2 T. Spanish Sherry vinegar;
2 T. Spanish extra virgin olive oil;
½ tsp. salt.

Preparation:
Arrange the sliced peppers in a serving bowl or platter; sprinkle with the salt, chopped garlic, sherry vinegar, the reserved peppers brine and olive oil. Let the salad rest at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve over Spanish Tortilla or Baguette bread slices. This salad keeps well for several days in the refrigerator and tastes fantastic with time as the flavors meld together.

Clams with Chorizo

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh clams in the shell, cleaned (make sure not to use frozen clams as they change the taste and texture of this dish;)
1/3 c. Spanish Chorizo, chopped (on sale at Tienda.com, Wegman’s supermarkets, Dean & Deluca and some Hispanic markets—please make sure to use only Spanish Chorizo as the other varieties are not suitable for this recipe;)
1 large garlic clove, chopped;
1 medium size onion, peeled and chopped fine;
1 small Roma tomato chopped;
3 Bay leaves, whole;
1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and chopped in bite-size cubes
1 c. white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viogner, Spanish preferably;)
½ c. water;
3 T. Spanish extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation:
Sauté the chopped onion, chopped tomato, chopped garlic, bay leaves, potato and chorizo until the onion is translucent and the potato and chorizo have started cooking (about 5 minutes,) in medium to medium-high heat. Add the clams and sauté another 2 minutes, then add the wine and cook for an additional 3 minutes and add the water. Turn down the heat to medium-low and let cook until the potatoes are tender and the clams are cooked. Serve hot with chunks of a hearty bread or Baguette.

Borscht with Porcini Mushrooms by Ingrid

2009-02-14T19:58:00.000-05:00

We loved that Ingrid added porcini mushrooms to a traditional borscht. She served it with a wonderful horseradish sauce.

Ingrid's Comments about Preparation

Thank you for the kind words, Martha, but the credit for the borscht recipe, including the addition of the porcini mushrooms, goes entirely to the extraordinary vegetarian chef Deborah Madison. She has received numberous awards and is the author of several cookbooks, including "Local Flavors, Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets". The recipe is on page 200. I followed it quite closely. And, although she indicates that you have the option of not making a stock with the porcinis, I think that would be a mistake. The porcini stock adds, I believe, a bit of depth to the stock. The recipe does take some time, but based on everyone's enjoyment, was certainly worth it.

Coeur de la Cream by Susan

2009-02-14T19:56:00.000-05:00

Susan brought along a special Valentine's treat at Monica's on Thursday. Actually she brought two treats. She made two versions of coeur de la cream. One with made with cream cheese and one with marscapone. Please note how we served this with an empty glass of wine!

Black Bean Salsa and Chili Cheddar Wafers by Janet

2009-02-11T19:33:00.000-05:00

Here are the appetizers that Janet brought along for dinner at Monica's. The cheddar cheese wafers are an especially nice treat with red wine!

Black Bean Salsa

1 15oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 C. corn kernels
1/2 C. chopped red bell pepper
1/2 C. chopped cilantro or parsley
8 green onions, sliced
3 Tbs. lime juice
2 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt.

Mix all ingredients together. I added a little more vinegar, cumin and also added a little sugar. You could add chopped jalapenos if you prefer.

Chili Cheddar Wafers

1 stick butter
1 C. flour
1 C. finely shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 C. yellow cornmeal

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Cut butter in several pieces and place in food processor along with the flour, cheese and chili powder. Pulse several times to combine, then process about 1 minute until the dough comes together.

Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll them in cornmeal until they are well coated. Place on ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart, then flatten with the bottom of a glass.

Bake about 8 minutes, until the bottom and edges are golden brown. Makes 20-24

Nick Malgieri's Amaretti

2009-01-27T13:30:00.000-05:00

These are the cookies served with our chocolate fondue in December.

One 8-oz.can almond paste (do not use almond paste from tube---too much sugar)
3/4 C. sugar
2 large egg whites, beaten just to break up
1/4 lb. pine nuts (optional)---I didn't use them.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Cut almond paste into 1/2 inch cubes and toss into bowl of mixer fitted with paddle attachment or use hand-held mixer. Add half the sugar and mix on low speed until the paste is broken into small crumbs. Add the rest of sugar and mix until the crumbs are very fine, about 2 minutes. Add egg whites in 3 to 4 additions, scraping down the bowl when mixture starts to stick to the bottom and beating until the batter is free of lumps. You don't want to beat a lot of air into this mixture, because it will cause the amaretti to rise in the oven and then fall--what you want is a nice, even puff that persists.

Pipe cookies in mounds on the lined baking sheets with a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4 inch plain tip. Each cookies should be about 1-1/4 inch in diameter and about 1/2inch high. Leave about 1-1/2 inches between cookies. Alternatively you can use a small scoop to form the cookies, using about 1 TBS. batter for each.

Just before baking, wet a cotton or linen kitchen towel(not terry cloth) and gently squeeze out excess water. Don't wring cloth--you want it to be wet. Fold the towel into a strip 2 inches wide and, holding one end ot the towel in each hand and letting the center droop, gently dab the tops of the cookies with the center of the cloth. Use an up-and-down motion to pat the cookies with the towel several times, until their tops are smooth, slightly flattened and glistening. (Wetting the tops will remove the piping ridges and will help produce the crinkly top that is typical of these cookies.) If you are using pine nuts, press them gently onto the amaretti.

Bake on center rack until they are well risen, lightly colored and covered with fine cracks, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer cookies, parchment paper and all, to racks and cool completely.

Gently peel the amaretti off the paper. If any of the cookies stick, just lift the paper, brush the underside with a little hot water, and give it a few seconds to seep ink then peel off the cookie.

Kept in an airtight tin or plastic container, amaretti will remain moist and chewy for a few days, than become dry and crisp.
Yields bout 3 dozen cookies.

A little time-consuming, but worth it. Janet

Lean and Delicious Pork with Fennel from Janet

2009-01-18T21:59:00.001-05:00

Janet prepared the following pork tenderloin recipe for our dinner last week. The fennel was a wonderful companion flavor to the pork.

Pork Tenderloin with Fennel----2 Servings

2 tsp. olive oil
1/2C. chopped fresh fennel
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2/3 C. canned unsalted chicken broth
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
8 oz. pork tenderloin

Saute fennel and half of garlic over medium heat until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1/3 C. chicken broth and sprinkle in half of fennel seeds. Cover and simmer until fennel is very tender and liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cool.

Starting 1/2 inch up on 1 long side, cut through tenderloin to within 1/2 inch of opposite side. Open as for book. Continue cutting through thick portion of tenderloin until meat forms 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Spread fennel mixture evenly over pork. Beginning at 1 long end, roll pork up jelly roll style. Tie with string to secure. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pork in oven-proof skillet. Rub with remaining garlic clove and 1/4 tsp. fennel seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Deglaze pan with remaining chicken broth. Boil until reduced by half. Cut pork into 1/2 inch slices and spoon sauce over.

Torta al Vina with Red Grapes by Martha

2009-01-16T13:19:00.001-05:00

This is the recipe I selected for "Lite and Luscious" night at Janet's. I took about five recipes that I liked and entered the ingredients into Weight Watcher's "build a recipe" tool and this cake came out at only 5 points per serving. It needs no icing, no side sauce. It was easy to make and has lots of complex flavors and textures. It is basically from Lydia Batianich's book, Lydia's Family Table. I added some fresh thyme to her recipe which I thought would add another complimentary layer of flavor. I used the thyme that's in my garden, but no one could taste it. Perhaps the flavor of winter thyme is too gentle. So next time I make this cake, I'll use fresh thyme from the store or use my thyme only in the summer when it full of sunbaked flavor.

The first time I made this cake, I followed the directions about mixing the grapes into the top half of the batter. Lydia said they would sink. Well, no sinkage occurred and the grapes stayed at the top of the cake. (It was still delicious.) The second time I thought I would compensate, so I poured half of the batter into the pan, sprinkled 1 cup of grapes, poured the second. So, of course, the second time, the grapes sank and they were all at the bottom of the cake (still delicious). I will definitely make this again and really won't care where the grapes end up. This is a wonderful recipe.

1 ½ c all purpose flour, plus extra to flour cakepan and to coat the grapes
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. soft butter, plus 1 tbsp for the cake pan
2/3 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. lemon or orange zest
1 tbsp. thyme
¾ c dry white wine
2 c small red seedless grapes

For Topping the Cake During Baking

2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. Sugar in the Raw

Arrange rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375.
Assemble a springform pan, butter and flour the insides.

Sift or stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

With a stand mixer on low speed, cream the butter and sugar together in a big bowl. When blended, beat on high speed for a couple of minutes until smooth and light. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the eggs, one at the time, mixing well at moderate speed, then mix in the olive oil, the vanilla, the thyme and the citrus zest. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes or so to lighten and smooth the batter.

Pour and scrape all of the batter into the cake pan and spread it in an even layer. Sprinkle a teaspoon of flour over the grapes and toss to coat. Scatter the grapes over the surface of the batter. Swirl a spatula or knife around them, folding and stirring them into the top of the batter. Don’t fold or swirl deeper than an inch. The fruits don’t need to be completed covered because they will sink as the cake rises. (Maybe.)

Set the pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until the top is set. The batter underneath will still be loose and will shake. Carefully remove from oven and scatter butter bits and then the sugar on the top. Return the cake to the oven and bake another 15 minutes or so, a total of 40 minutes, until the cake is set and the top is golden brown and lightly glazed by the final sugar and butter. Remove to a cooling rack and after about 10 minutes, remove the side ring. Cool thoroughly. Serve at room temperature, sliced into wedges.

Eliza's Sauces for Chinoise Fondue

2009-01-16T13:16:00.000-05:00

Asian Dipping Sauces

-Makes about 1 cup dipping sauce for each recipe-

Spicy Peanut dipping sauce

1/2 cup unsweetened chunky peanut butter (I prefer the freshly grounded)
1 tablespoon of Thai red curry paste
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 ½ teaspoons shrimp paste (my favorite is with bean oil)
3 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon palm sugar or corn syrup
1/3 cup water

Mix all ingredients above in a bowl. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, if you like your sauce thinner.

Cilantro/Ginger dipping sauce

1 cup cilantro leaves and soft stems
1 scallion, chopped half way through the green stem
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce or to taste
1 tablespoon water
Juice of half a lime

Put all ingredients in a food processor and grind to a paste. Use a blender instead if you want a smoother version.

Soy/Sesame sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce (light sodium would be better)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Chopped chives for garnish

Whisk all liquid ingredients together, add the sesame seeds and decorate with chives

2009 Meeting Schedule

2009-01-14T10:25:00.000-05:00

All meetings are scheduled the third Thursday of the month and begin at 6 PM. Here's the current list of dates and hostesses:

January 15 -- Janet -- healthy cuisine
February 19 -- Monica
March 19 -- Eliza
April -- beach trip
May 21 --Vicki
June 18 -- Susan
July 16 -- Guest dinner party -- Martha
August 20
September 17
October 15
November 19
December 17 -- Martha -- fondue

Better Late than Never by Monica

2009-01-12T10:32:00.000-05:00

Winter has its perks. Cold weather nights, and sometimes afternoons, are so inviting to a warm cozy drink. I'm not talking about hot cocoa, but a bit more adult beverage that is absolutely delicious, a Gluehwein (aka mulled or spiced wine.) In Germany Gluehwein is usually served during the Christmas season all over the Christmas markets. One of my fondest memories of Germany include seating around with family and friends sipping on Gluehwein and eating traditional Christmas cookies. Gluehwein is now a tradition in our household, one that we also cherish with our dear friends, as we did for our Ladies of the Knife Christmas Fondue dinner at Martha's this past December. I am enclosing the recipe for your enjoyment.

Ingredients:

1 bottle of red wine (preferably German, but a nice Merlot of Shiraz will also do nicely)
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. honey
12 cloves
1 large cinnamon stick
1 large bay leaf
1 Orange, sliced and peeled (remove the pith from the peeled orange)
1 small lemon, sliced and peeled (optional-if using lemon, remove the pith as well)

Preparation:
Pour the wine in a medium size pot and set on the stove at medium heat. Add the sugar, honey, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and orange (and lemon) zest/s until the wine simmers (do not boil as it will make the wine bitter.) Add the orange/lemon slices once the wine has simmered and continue simmering for another 5 minutes or so, or until the flavors have melded. Serve warm. Prosst!!!

Lite and Luscious Night at Janet's

2009-01-07T17:19:00.001-05:00

Our January meeting will be on Thursday, January 15 at Janet's house and in keeping with New Year's tradition, we will focus on Lite and Luscious.

Here's the offeriings for the evening:

Janet: roasted pork tenderloin with Fennel from Bon Appetit

Eliza: roasted beet salad with queso fresco and cilantro pesto

Martha:

Susan:

Monica: appetizer platter, with salmon and ham rolls, olives, almonds

Nancy:

Ingrid:

Vicki: unable to attend

Fondue Night ... An Annual Event? by Martha

2008-12-16T09:35:00.000-05:00

Fondue has always seemed like a real cold weather holiday treat, so this year's December meeting was a total fondue night, starting with a great cheese fondue, followed by a broth-based Chinoise fondue and ending with (what else?) a chocolate fondue.

We started the evening with a series of toasts .... one to my birthday followed by another to Vicki and Paul's engagement. I'm happy to have a birthday. Vicki's happy with Paul, so it's all good!

Monica arrived and quickly heated up a warm German wine, gluhewein. She's got the best recipe and we all hope she will share it with the blog.

Vickie brought along a cheese fondue which we devoured with bread and a beautiful plate of vegetables. Here's her recipe:

CHEESE FONDUE

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash white pepper
Dash nutmeg
2 1/2, cups milk (scalded, if in a hurry)
1 pound process swiss cheese, shredded
7 teaspoon Worcesteshire sauce
Dash of' Tobasco sauce
1/3 cup dry white wine (or milk if preferred)
2 tablespoons kirsch (or milk if preferred)
Frcnch bread, cut in 1-inch cubes

Melt butter in ceramic fondue pot over a moderate direct flame. Stir in next 5 ingredients. Stir in milk; cook, stir constantly until sauce is smooth and thickened slightly. Lower flame, add cheese, a small amount at a time and stir until cheese is melted after each addition. Stir in remaining ingredients except bread. We also had a plate of fresh vegetables, including cherry tomatoes, asparagus, baby ears of corn, and boiled small butter potatoes.

CHINOISE FONDUE

The Chinoise Fondue is something like a hot pot. We had a fabulous broth that I prepared earlier in the day and let sit stove top to enable the flavors to interact. Here are the ingredients:

2 quarts chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
2 thai red peppers (leave the whole to float in the broth)
2 Tbsp. curry powder
4 Tbsp. fresh ginger
Fresh lemongrass from 2 - 3 stalks
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
8 tsp. satay powder (can be found easily at an asian market)
1 tsp. salt

Bring broth to a boil and remove from heat. Let it sit 3 - 4 hours, or at least 30 minutes. Reheat before pouring into fondue pot.

For dipping we used:

baby pickled corn
broccoli
asparagus
bean sprouts
shrimp, 3/4 lb.
scallops, 3/4 lb.
thinly sliced tuna, 3/4 lb.
beef, 3/4 lb.

The sprouts that Janet brought along a were very fine alphalfa sprouts that were absolutely wonderful. We just added them to the broth and as our food cooked, they would cling to it and add just another taste and texture.

I personally love the Chinoise fondue because it's not just dip and eat, dip and eat. I tend to be someone who just can't get food to my mouth fast enough, so the fact that we had to wait a minute or two to cook the food led to more relaxed conversation and eating.

Eliza brought along three dipping sauces, a green onion/cilantro sauce that worked well with many of the seafoods; a soy sauce/ginger dip that was magical with the shrimp and a peanut satay sauce that of course really worked well with the beef.

CHOCOLATE FONDUE

So finally, full as we could possibly be, we got to dessert. The chocolate fondue was a basic toblerone fondue. Rather than using a log of one flavor toblerone, I bought a package that contained bite-sized pieces of milk, dark, and white toblerone. To deepen the chocolate layers, I also added a couple of bars of intense orange dark chocolate. Add heavy cream and a good shake from a big bottle of Grand Marnier. We had traditional items to dip including strawberries, bananas and clementine sections. I made some homemade marshmallows (see Ina Garten's recipe at www.homecooking.about.com/od/candyrecipes/r/blcandy4.htm.) The star, in my opinion, were the amaretti cookies that Janet baked from "Julia Child's Baking", page 320. Chewy, flavorful ... really yummy.

2009 Meeting Schedule

2008-12-14T15:02:00.000-05:00

All meetings scheduled for the third Thursday of the month beginning at 6 PM.

January 15 -- Janet

February 19 -- Monica

March 19

April -- Beach Trip

May 21 -- Vicki

June 18 -- Susan

July 16

--Guest dinner party--Martha

August 20

September 17

October 15

November 19

December 17

"Salt Air" by Martha

2008-12-12T17:33:00.000-05:00

Had an amazing meal the other night hosted by friend and member, Eliza Gonzales at Jose Andres' PennQuarter restaurant Oyamel. Susan insisted that we had eaten at Oyamel when it was in Crystal City, but I just didn't remember it, which tells you maybe why that location closed. But Oyamel downtown is hip, fun, lively and the food is delicious. This meal was to celebrate the fact that Eliza's going to be teaching at the new 14th Street cooking school, CulinAire along with our pal and current Top Chef contestant, Carla Hall.

One of the things that we really liked were the pomagranete margaritas. Well, hard not to like any kind of margarita .... but these were special. Andres serves them not in a salt rimmed glass, but rather topped with a foam which he calls "salt air". We were amazed that the foam was stable enough to last for the whole cocktail. I know what you're thinking, maybe we drank them too fast? Seriously, though, the salt air added a distinct salty taste to the drink, but no way as overwhelming as salt rimming. Susan was brave enough to approach the chef of the night and he gave her the ingredients. He suggested using an immersion blender or foamer to skim the surface of the liquid to create the foam. You're on your own for the ingredients of the margarita. (By the way, the foam also appeared atop the ceviche.)

2 c. water
1 c. fresh lime juice
1/4 c. mezcal
2 tsp. soy lecithin (can be found at health food stores)
Salt to taste (use anything but iodized salt)

A New Toy to Love by Martha

2008-12-12T10:17:00.000-05:00

If you have a KitchenAid mixer, you're going to love the latest toy. It's new beater blade that has a silicone lip on the edge that scrapes the bowl as it mixes. It even gets down into the dimple. This eliminates stopping the machine and scraping the contents down. I've used mine several times and am a happy beater. It's about $25.00 and comes in two sizes to fit different sized mixers. I picked mine up at Sur La Table, where they are "flying off the shelves". Interesting, they are not a KitchenAid product. Mine is manufactured by a company that's found at http://www.beaterblade.com/. There's a different model at http://www.frutproducts.com/ that is an interesting design. That site seems overwhelmed with busness too.

Here’s what I learned from baking this season …. It’s not always me! by Martha

2008-12-11T12:33:00.000-05:00

I don’t know if you’re like me, but every three or four months I discover a new recipe that gets added to my favorites list. The first time I make the dish, its love at first bite. The seasonings, the texture, the presentation …. the entire dish is perfect. I invite friends I haven’t seen for months to taste this new discovery and I, myself, never tire of preparing it. A couple of months ago, it was a monkfish dish from Lydia’s Family Table. Then it was a pasta recipe from Wolfgang. Then it was a salad from Rick Bayless. I’ll even get so involved in the dish that I’ll buy a special serving plate to complete the presentation. But, here’s the problem. Each time I prepare the recipe, it never ever duplicates the first time. Now I’ve always attributed that to me …. Do I get lazy and not follow the recipe exactly? Take Wolfgang’s Pasta Rounds … the dish is home made pasta sheets that are rolled with a spinach cheese mousse, cut into spirals and then baked. Sometimes the pasta is too crunchy, sometimes the mousse filling too heavy. It’s always good and everyone raves about it, but to me, it’s never as good as the first time.

So enter holiday season 2008. Ah, the Pecan Baci Tart. This is a recipe was just a "Baci Tart" which was supposed to duplicate the flavors of that hazelnut candy. A chocolate dough base, topped with a caramel filling, hazelnuts and drizzled chocolate. The dessert can be made with any nut …. I decided to use pecans because I thought that hazelnuts are too dense and that in their whole form would make slicing the tart difficult.

The first time I baked this was for Thanksgiving and it came out beautiful. The caramel was deep and rich, the nuts toasty. Totally yummy and a real show stopper. So when baking for the Christmas bazaar came around, of course I stepped up to make a pecan tart. And since this one what going on the table to be sold, I wanted it to be ultra perfect. I pulled the caramel sauce from the fire just at the first tiny puff of smoke. Another two seconds and it would have been a burned mess. But it was perfect. I placed each nut carefully to insure the presentation aspect. It baked beautifully and I let it cool completely before heating the chocolate in the microwave to drizzle in a creative pattern. When the chocolate was melted, I put it into a little zip-lock sandwich bag, snipped the tip and started the drizzle. So, are you ready? I squeezed the bag to force the chocolate out and the bag split at the seam, spewing a couple of big globs of chocolate. There was no way to remove the chocolate and no time or interest in rebaking. So a sprig of mint was added to help cover most of the problem. So finally we’re back to where I started ….. it’s not always me …. This time it was a flipping plastic bag!

So far, I’ve made five baci tarts and tomorrow will be baking this not in as a tart, but on a sheet pan so that I can cut it into squares to bring for a couple of parties as finger food. This recipe bakes the same time and time again. It’s beautiful, it’s fairly easy and it’s yummy!

I've even modified it by baking it on a half-sheet pan instead of in a tart pan and cutting it into inch square bit size pieces.

Pecan Baci Tart

Place the oven rack in the middle and heat the oven to 350⁰. It’s important that the oven is consistently at 350⁰. If you have an oven thermometer, use it. If you don’t have one, get one. I have an older stove and the oven temperature fluctuates dramatically. I have found that if I pre-heat the oven for an hour and keep a couple of pizza stones (or bricks) in the oven, that will keep the temperature pretty stable.

Place 2 – 3 cups of pecans on a sheet pan and place in the oven to toast. This will take about 15 – 20 minutes and I check them every five minutes, shaking them to make sure they toast evenly. (My hint here is that I buy nuts in the 2 lb. bag at Costco. I toast all of them at once and freeze what I don’t use. That way I always have toasted nuts ready to use.)

Chocolate crust

½ lb softened unsalted butter
2/3 c sugar
2 egg yolks
5 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c all purpose flour

In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa powder and flour. Set aside. Place the butter and sugar into a mixer bowl and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks and beat well. Add the flour mixer all at once to the butter and beat at low speed until well mixed. Turn the dough into a 10” tart pan with a removable bottom. Take a piece of plastic wrap and using it like a little glove, start to push the dough to fit the tart pan. (You can use your hands, but the plastic wrap makes this a much cleaner job.) Work the dough up the sides of the pan. The final product does not have to be perfect. Just do your very best to line the pan evenly with the dough. Put the pan in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes. Once it’s chilled, put the tart pan onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 – 30 minutes. (When it comes out of the oven, it will be slightly lumpy and not at all even … don’t worry it will be fine.)

Caramel filling

While the crust is baking, it’s time to make the caramel filling. For this you’ll need a wooden spoon or silicon spatula, a small saucepan, a heavy 4-quart sauce pan (I use a copper bottom pan to ensure even heating). A candy thermometer is helpful, but not essential.

Place the following into the small saucepan:

1 c. heavy cream
¼ lb. unsalted butter

Heat over very low heat until the butter is melted. Try not to let it boil, but if it does, it won’t be a tragedy. Just be careful because if you let it boil rapidly, you’ll really have a mess.

In the larger saucepan place:

½ c. water
¼ c light corn syrup
1-1/2 c white granulated sugar

Place over high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Keep over high heat, without stirring, until the mixture turns a deep caramel color. This will take 10 – 15 minutes. I’ll actually walk away from it for the first 5 minutes, but once I see any hint of color, I watch this like a hawk. You’re looking for as deep a caramel as possible. This is about 350⁰ on the candy thermometer. I swirl the pan every once in a while to distribute the color. Once you achieve the color you’re looking for, remove from the heat and pour the cream/butter into the sugar mixture. Watch out! This will bubble up and sputter for a few minutes. Once it settles down, stir until you have a beautiful caramel cream.

Now here’s where you have a choice. You can either add the nuts to the caramel sauce at this point or you can pour the caramel mixture into the tart pan and place the nuts onto one by one, by hand. Whatever your choice, just make sure that the tart pan in on an even surface. I pour about half of the sauce into the tart shell and wait a minute or so to see how level the pan is. If it the sauce is pooling toward one side of the pan, I’ll level everything off with a chop stick or hot pad. You may end up with about ½ cup of the caramel cream that you can pour into a jar to use on ice cream. Now you can start placing the nuts on top of the sauce. (Be careful, the sauce is still very hot and you can burn your fingers.) I try to use nuts of all one size and place them in concentric circles, all facing the same direction. (Like the round part of the nut facing the center.) If you’re going to go to all this trouble, you might as well give it your all. I’ve even used tweezers or a bamboo skewer to straighten out a nut that’s drifted out of position.

Carefully place the tart pan and sheet pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. When you remove the tart, the caramel will be very bubbly and very liquid. Use a great deal of care to not “slosh” the filling and place the sheet pan on a very level surface. (Otherwise the contents will “drift” as the tart cools.) After about an hour, place the tart pan on top of a large jar and pull the collar down. If you do this while the tart is slightly warm, the collar will pull off fairly easily. If you wait too long, you may have to work harder to preserve the integrity of the shell.

Chocolate drizzle

Once the tart is completely cool, it’s time to drizzle the chocolate. Melt about 3 – 4 oz of bittersweet chocolate in a small bowl at high power in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir to make sure its smooth and then spoon into a plastic bag. (I suggest using the larger gallon size zip lock bags that are a little sturdier than the sandwich bags.) Or if you have a squeeze bottle, they are the best. Cut the corner of the plastic bag and drizzle the chocolate over the tart.

At this point, I choose the serving plate and will spoon a bit of the chocolate onto the plate. Run a spatula between the tart and the tart pan bottom. You should be able to slide the tart off the metal bottom fairly easily and you’ll be surprised at how stable the tart has become. While the pool of chocolate is still warm, place the tart onto of it. (When the chocolate cools, it will stabilize the tart on your serving plate.)

Whip up some heavy cream and serve the tart at room temperature. You can wrap the tart in plastic and store it in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days or you can even freeze it for a month or so.

Organizing the December Fondue Meeting by Martha

2008-12-02T14:40:00.001-05:00

For those of you who don't have a food club and would like some guidance on how ours works, here's the information that was sent out to our members about our next meeting:

The consensus is to meet on either the 15th or 16th and the 15th works much better for me. So can we plan on 6 PM at my house on the 15th of December? We had decided to have a fondue party and will be featuring three different types of fondues: cheese, Chinoise and chocolate.

I’ve chatted with a couple of people about how we can organize this. How about if we have three different courses? We’ll probably have seven people at the table, so two fondue pots per course. I have three pots, so if we can have three more, that will be great. I’ll have the fuel for my pots, and if you’re bringing a pot, would you please remember to bring your fuel. That way I don’t have to worry about whether you need the gel or liquid.

Here’s what I’d suggest:

CHINOISE FONDUE

For those who are unfamiliar with the Chinoise fondue, this is a broth based fondue into which you dip very thinly sliced meat (usually beef, but sometimes pork), shrimp, bay scallops, vegetables. Here’s a link to a recipe for this type of fondue: http://www.sofeminine.co.uk/w/recipe/r464/chinese-fondue.html. I’ve never made the broth with coconut milk, but this sounds really enticing with the chilies, and the ginger and the satay powder. Wonder what satay powder is? Anyway, the best parts of Chinoise fondue are the sauces. I’d suggest two or three, a curry sauce which is basically curry and mayonnaise. Here are a couple of links for ginger sauce and a peanut sauce:

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/saucesmarinades/r/soygingerdress.htm
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/saucesdipping/r/peanutsauce.htm

CHEESE FONDUE

I don’t have a favorite cheese fondue recipe, but this is the top rated recipe from http://www.foodnetwork.com/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-rays-tasty-travels/swiss-fondue-recipe2/index.html

I’d suggest bread cubes and veggies for dippers.

CHOCOLATE FONDUE

Once again, I went to http://www.foodnetwork.com/ and found one of their highest rated recipes:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chocolate-orange-fondue-recipe/index.html

Remember, the three recipes above are only my suggestions. If anyone has any other recipes that are favorites, just let us know.

Here’s the list of items that we’d need to produce the above:

Broth for Chinoise fondue -- Martha
Sauces for the chinoise fondue --Eliza
¾ lb beef sliced very thin
¾ lb shrimp -- Ingrid
sliced tuna -- Eliza
¾ lb scallops -- Ingrid
Vegetables for both chinoise and cheese fondue -- Janet
Swiss cheese fondue -- Vicki
Greyere and emmenthal -- Nancy
Kirsch for the cheese fondue -- Janet
2 baguettes for cheese fondue -- Ingrid
1 cup heavy cream for chocolate fondue --Martha
Chocolate for fondue -- Martha
Fruit for dipping -- Martha
Amaretti for dipping -- Janet

I’ll have the rest of the incidentals in the kitchen, like the cinnamon, Grand Marnier, white wine, white pepper, etc.

Please let me know what you’d like to bring …. It would be very helpful for me not to have to send out reminders. So, please don’t say you’ll bring what no one else is going to bring … I’d love to have this knocked out this week so that I don’t have to think about who’s bringing what.

Also, don’t forget to bring you Christmas gift for the present exchange … something that’s food oriented and around $10.00.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Love you all!

The Wind Beneath Carla's Wings by Martha

2008-11-13T19:46:00.001-05:00

Last night Eliza, Susan and I attended a viewing of the premier of this year's Top Chef with our friend and Top Chef contestant Carla Hall at the brand new cooking school, CulinAerie which is located at 1131 14th St. (Here's a shot of Carla and hubby Matthew, basking in his honey's success!)

Great fun and can't wait to see next week's competition. So glad, but not suprised that Carla made it through round one!

CulinAerie is a beautiful new facility with great potential and a line-up of top notch instructors. Check out their website at www.CulinAerie.com.

Ideas for Herbs from Janet

2008-11-13T14:58:00.000-05:00

A great idea for the herbs you have left. Chop the herbs and fill each section of an ice cube tray with half water, half chopped herbs and freeze.

Great later for tossing into stews, soups, sauces, etc. Someone told me that these cubes are also available in the freezer section of Trader Joe's. Has anyone tried them?

The International Stylings of Janet

2008-11-13T14:12:00.000-05:00

As I look back on the people and places who have influenced my cooking, the first was my Italian grandmother who showed me how so many tasty, wonderful dishes that can be produced with the simplest of ingredients.

As the wife of an Army officer who served for 28 years, several influences come to mind. Three years in south Louisiana introduced me to food and seasonings that were new to me. Three tours in Germany introduced me to a cuisine that is now one of my favorites, especially when the weather turns cool as it has now. Friends I have made along the way have taught me so much. Among these friends are the members of Ladies of the Knife--we met at Sur la Table Culinary Classes. What fun we have together cooking, teaching and learning from each other!

Three cheers for Carla, a goodbye to my basil and a nice tomato appetizer from Martha

2008-11-12T16:39:00.000-05:00

I’m off tonight to a new cooking school in Washington, CulinAerie, on 14h Street, which boasts a great line-up of Washington chef/instructors. Tonight isn’t a class, though. Susan, Eliza and I have been invited to a premier party of Bravo’s Top Chef which airs tonight, celebrating our friend and contestant, Carla Hall. Beforehand, we’re planning to try out a little seafood restaurant in Georgetown called Tackle Box. Mmmmmm …. I LOVE fried clams!

It’s a little sad to walk through the garden these days. I took down most of my tomato plants a couple of weeks ago. I picked all of the green tomatoes and have them stored in a paper bag where they will ripen slowly. That should give me tomatoes from my garden until the end of the year. There was a little bit of fresh basil clinging on for dear life that got nipped by a light frost last night. My plants got pretty woody this year, so I wonder if I can use the last remnants on the grill to add a little basil flavor to fish …. I’ll keep you posted. There's one bright spot to the winter garden and that’s the arugula. I know most people like little tender arugula leaves, but my preference is actually big leaves from mature plants. When the weather turns cold, the arugula leaves get a little thick, like winter spinach and they make a great salad.

I did try the following recipe, using cherry tomatoes that had ripened in my paper bag and it was yummy:

Cut about a pint of cherry tomatoes in quarters and place in an oven-proof dish. I have a ceramic dish that’s used to heat brie. Top with about a tablespoon full of finely minced basil. Mix a round of Boursin with about 3 tablespoons full of skim milk. You’ll get a gravy that you pour over the tomatoes. Top with another tablespoon full of basil and set it in 350 oven for about 20 minutes. Served it with some water crackers because that’s what I had in the pantry and they were perfect. In addition to being delicious, it made the house smell great too!

I'm Martha .... It's a Good Thing

2008-10-31T14:25:00.000-04:00

I just love to cook. I like to grill, to roast, to sauté, to bake. I guess I’m a risk taker because I love to attack a very complex recipe and am not hesitant to plan a dinner party based around a recipe I have never tried before. Presentation is high on my list of important ingredients. It pains me to eat a meal that isn’t visually attractive. I generally use recipes as guidelines, except in international cuisines where I may be unfamiliar with the ingredients, and of course I am extremely precise when I bake, which is probably my favorite thing to do in the kitchen …. cakes, tarts, pies and especially bread. There is something very sensual about working with a wonderfully warm and tender yeast dough. I idolize Julia Child and Jacques Pepin for their classic techniques, and truly appreciate Lydia Bastianach and Chris Kimball …. How can you question a recipe that’s been tested twenty times by the chefs at America’s Test Kitchens? I love to watch cooking tv, although I’m more PBS chefs than Food Channel. I have a generous library of cookbooks. The last one I used was Baking with Julia. The last one I bought was Lydia’s Family Table. If I had to work with only one cookbook, it would be The Joy of Cooking. I use my computer to research recipes and ingredients and my favorite sites include http://www.cooksillustrated.com/, http://www.epicurious.com/ and http://www.thesplendidtable.com/. It’s a three way tie for favorite kitchen tool— just bought a Nespresso coffee maker and am in love with it. But could I part with my All Clads or my Global knives? Or how about the KitchenAid, I don’t know. (I think the knives would win out!)

Macaroni Popsicles and a Great Chili Recipe by Martha

2008-10-24T09:12:00.000-04:00

As Halloween approaches, I enjoy a funny memory of Richard Greene’s pumpkin carving party. When we arrived at Richard’s we were greeted with two kitchen challenges. First, there was a big pot on the stove with a wooden spoon handle standing straight up from the middle of the pot. Richard had cooked a box of macaroni in a too small pot with too little water and had left it stove top. When Jim walked by, he tugged on the spoon, pulling the contents out leaving him holding a “macaroni popsicle”.

The second challenge involved potatoes. Richard wanted to serve mashed potatoes, but had forgotten to buy them. He had a couple of large cans of potatoes which he had emptied into a pot, heated and tried to mash. It was more a pot full of glue. I tried to make something edible, but no matter what I added, the mixture solidified more. Kitchen hint: there’s no way to make mashed potatoes from canned potatoes.

Right after Halloween Jim and I decided to cook chili and came up with the following recipe. The first time we made it, we had a loaf of crusty bread handy, and it was a real treat to stir the chili and dip the bread into the sauce for tasting:

GRILLED & TOASTED PORK & ONION CHILI

30 medium garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed
4 lbs. 2-inch thick loin pork chops
Salt & pepper
Vegetable oil
large yellow onions, cut into ¾" thick slices
½ C vegetable oil
¼ C unbleached flour
¼ C Hungarian sweet paprika
2 Tbsp.chili powder
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. file powder
jalapeno chili, seeded, deveined and finely chopped
5 C chicken stock
1 C crushed tomatoes in puree
dried ancho or pasilla chilies, trimmed and chopped

Blanch garlic cloves in boiling water until tender, 7 - 10 minutes. Drain.
Prepare very hot fire in barbecue grill. Position grill rack 4" above fire. Season pork with salt and pepper; brush lightly with oil. Grill until crisp on outside but very rare inside, about 5 minutes per side. Cool on platter. Brush onion with oil. Grill until charred, about 8 minutes on each side. Cool on platter. Remove bones from pork and reserve. Cut pork and onion into ½" dice. Set aside.

Heat ½ C oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until very hot. Whisk in flour. Immediately reduce heat to medium. Whisk until roux is deep brown, about 15 minutes. Cool roux completely.

Combine paprika, chili powder, minced garlic, file powder and jalapeno in small bowl. Bring stock, tomatoes, and ancho chilies to simmer in saucepan. Place roux over low heat; whisk in spices. Cook 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in simmering stock 1 cup at a time. Add grilled onions and reserve pork bones. Increase heat and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, skimming and stirring occasionally. Add blanched garlic and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Discard pork bones. Season chili with salt. Refrigerate overnight to blend flavors.