All-American potato salad

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seafood stew from Nancy

Seafood appetizers from Monica

Seafood appetizers from Janet

Bye Bye Bebo, Hello Morou

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.