Archive for May, 2009

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Red, White and Blue Potato Salad for Memorial Day

Friday, May 29th, 2009

peruvian casulaI found this stunning Peruvian causa recipe on veggiebellie.com and thought this would be a perfect salad, with a couple tweaks, for Memorial Day.  The colors are so vibrant and the taste is sensational with lots of lime and garlic in the potatoes, and a red pepper and celery salad with green olives.  A causa is anything layered with mashed potatoes.  So this will not be a causa, strickly speaking, as I’m going to do the layers in a trifle bowl of clear glass with sliced purple and white potatoes instead of mashed potatoes, top it with a layer of roasted red pepper salad and dress it with a Spanish sherry vinegar and avocado oil vinaigrette. purple-pasta-sauce-550x366

Purple and blue potatoes are the latest trend in designer veggies but they’ve been around for decades in Peru and Chile.  Jamie Oliver’s recipe for purple potato salad incorporates sour cream or creme fraiche but it muddles the colors of the potatoes and radishes, though its very tasty and comforting.  Another lovely veggie is the purple cauliflower  (Cafe Liz photo) and it too makes a fabulous salad with fresh asparagus, yellow summer squash, red peppers, ripe olives, fresh dill and a Spanish sherry vinegar vinaigrette.  purple potato-salad-su-523403-lPhoto from Sunset.

Grilled country style ribs, corn on the cob, and strawberry shortcake will complete the menu. Be sure to take flowers to the cemetary on this national day of remembrance.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb blue or purple potatoes, steamed until tender
  • 2 lb new potatoes, steamed until tender
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • fresh cracked black pepper
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 1 jar roasted red bell peppers, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup stuffed green olives, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or curly parsley
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 2 Tbsp Spanish sherry vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil)

Method:

  1. Peel potatoes, slice in half lengthwise, then slice half-moons no more than 1/2 inch thick
  2. Whisk together oil, lime juice, garlic, cracked pepper and salt.
  3. Toss purple potatoes with half the oil mixture.  Layer into bottom of the glass bowl.
  4. Toss new potatoes with remaining oil mixture.  Layer on top of purple potatoes.
  5. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl.  Spoon on top of white potatoes. 
  6. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Donate to My Coffee Kitty and help a senior pay for cataract surgery. 70% of seniors are afficted with cataracts. It's a simple surgery to remove cataracts but very expensive...about $3000 per eye. If you're not old enough to qualify for medicare, and you're uninsured, can't find a job, can't get a driver's license, or read a good book because of cataracts, your world is impoverished. Help save someone's sight!

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Stripped Octopus Salad

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

octopus salad

In 1979 I attended an IBM Systems Operator Certification program in Tempe, AZ.   At that time reel-to-reel magnetic tape was still being used in systems and cobal was the programming language of choice.  My most memorable experience, besides graduation ceremonies and floating the Mesa River in inner-tubes, was a romantic dinner at an Italian restaurant in Phoenix.  The restaurant was elegant with white linens and silver cutlery, the service was attentive, and the starter dish, Octopus salad, was to die for.  From the first bite, I was in love.  It was not rubbery, nor fishy tasting, but lemony and salty with capers, creamy with olive oil and crunchy with celery.  

I moved to Alaska shortly thereafter, where octopus is fresh caught, blanched to a coral color, and the tenacles are as big as tennis racket handles.   In fact, whole octopi are so large in the Aleutian Islands that one tenacle was enough for 6 servings of this starter dish.  The easiest way to the strip the skin off the tenacles was with a boning knife.  Once the tenacles were stripped and diced, it was easy to marinate and throw together on a bed of lettuce, garnish with parsley and serve with a crostini.

You can leave the skin on if you prefer, I don’t, unless the octopus is very skinny as they are in the South Pacific.  Then I prefer them really well cooked, until the skin turns purple, and simmered in coconut milk.  That’s the Polynesian method and it is very tasty also.

Whatever octopi you use for this dish, pulpos from Mexico, or larger varieties from the Pacific Northwest, be sure to include the tips of the tenacles for extra crunch, remove the beeks and clean the heads.  The ink from the heads can be used to color fresh pasta dough.

Ingredients: 

  • 1 lb octopus, blanched, cleaned, diced the size of fresh peas
  • 4 lemons, 3 juiced and 1 cut into wedges for garnish
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1 shallot, chopped finely
  • 2 Tbsp capers
  • 2 Tbsp red pimento, diced
  • black ripe olives to taste
  • 2 ribs of celery, diced
  • handful of parsley, chopped finely, reserve 1/4 cup for garnish
  • 3-4 dashes Tabasco sauce
  • sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 bunch romaine lettuce, chopped coarsely

Method:

  1. Mix all ingredients except lettuce in a glass bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  2. Place a mound of lettuce on each of 6 cold serving plates, top with 1/2 cup of marinated octopus.
  3. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.
  4. Serve with crackers or toasted crostini.

Donate to My Coffee Kitty and help a senior pay for cataract surgery. 70% of seniors are afficted with cataracts. It's a simple surgery to remove cataracts but very expensive...about $3000 per eye. If you're not old enough to qualify for medicare, and you're uninsured, can't find a job, can't get a driver's license, or read a good book because of cataracts, your world is impoverished. Help save someone's sight!

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Red Snapper Meuniere

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

meunierWhen you live on an island in the middle of the Pacific fish is paramount to your diet.  There are relatively few cases of grouchy teenage syndrome, behavioral and learning problems among youngsters and life expectancy is above average for the adult population.  The indigenous diet is full of veggies, fruit, fish and coconut in every form.  Its probably a contributing factor to the high number of PhD’s per capita among the Tongan populace.  Unfortunately, this results in a brain-drain of the islands as the educated migrate to mainland countries. However, they do return to the islands for retirement.

One of the most popular main courses served at my restaurant, Coco’s, was red snapper meuniere.  Lightly dredged in flour, pan fried in butter and olive oil, and dressed in a aromatic lemon sauce with hints of tarragon and chili sauce for sparkle.   Side dishes included a choice of yellow coconut rice or baked potato and ratatouille.  Nothing compares to a fresh caught fish for flavor and nutrition.  The American Heart Association recommends 3 servings of fish per week so try this dish one night soon.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. fresh red snapper fillets (or cod, white fish, or tilapia)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • pinch of tarragon
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • splash of white wine
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • dash or two of Tabasco sauce

Method:

  1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil and butter and heat until bubbly.
  2. Mix flour, salt, pepper, and tarragon in a flat pan or plate.  Dredge fish fillets lightly, shake excess flour off, and place in skillet.
  3. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and fish flakes with a fork.  Remove from pan to a plate. 
  4. Add wine to deglaze pan, scraping up brown bits, add lemon juice and swirl.   Add butter and Tabasco, swirl until creamy.
  5. Pour sauce over fish fillets.  Garnish with lemon slices, capers or parsley sprigs.

Donate to My Coffee Kitty and help a senior pay for cataract surgery. 70% of seniors are afficted with cataracts. It's a simple surgery to remove cataracts but very expensive...about $3000 per eye. If you're not old enough to qualify for medicare, and you're uninsured, can't find a job, can't get a driver's license, or read a good book because of cataracts, your world is impoverished. Help save someone's sight!

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Olé! Chocolate Glob Brownies

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

inabrownie1

The original recipe for chocolate globs appeared in Maida Heatter’s   book of Great Chocolate Desserts, published in 1980.  Maida Heatter is a three time winner of the James Beard Award and was inducted into the Chocolateria Magazine’s Hall of Fame.  She is known as “The Queen of Desserts” and her specialty is chocolate.   Maida’s cream filled chocolate cookies (chocolate globs) was the inspiration for the Chocolate Glob cookies published in the SoHo Charcuterie Cookbook.  Sally Schneider, author of The Improvisational Cook, created her recipe for an elegant Essential Chocolate Cake from the chocolate glob recipe in the SoHo Charcuterie Cookbook.  Several TV personalities such as Ina Garten and Paula Deen have also developed decadent brownies and yummy chocolate globs based on the recipe from the SoHo Charcuterie Cookbook.

The impetus for creating amazing recipes is virtual necessity.  The cook starts with an idea, takes stock of the ingredients on-hand and improvises.  In baking, this could be substituting almond extract for vanilla extract, using yogurt instead of cream, or adding dried herbs and spices to a chocolate batter.   Experimentation or accident can result in dynamic combinations of flavors and textures that awaken taste buds and turn ordinary into extraordinary fare. 

The recipe given here is based on Ina Garten’s Outrageous Chocolate Brownies, Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Copyright 1999.  Everyone loves rich moist chocolate gooey brownies.  The addition of Kahlua and cayenne pepper give these brownies a little kick.  They’re perfect for a piñata party or a coffee break with your favorite espresso or French press brew.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb unsalted butter
  • 1 lb plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
  • 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 6 extra-large eggs
  • 3 Tbsp Kahlua (or coffee liqueur of your choice)
  • ½ tsp almond extract
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • Pinch of cayenne powder
  • 3 cups chopped walnuts (or nuts of your choice)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 x 18 x 1-1/2 inch sheet pan.
  2. Melt together the butter, 1 lb. chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly.
  3. Stir together the eggs, Kahlua, almond and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.
  4. Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne. Add to cooled chocolate mixture.
  5. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Fold into the chocolate batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  6. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Do not over-bake!
  7. Cool thoroughly and chill in refrigerate before cutting into squares.

Donate to My Coffee Kitty and help a senior pay for cataract surgery. 70% of seniors are afficted with cataracts. It's a simple surgery to remove cataracts but very expensive...about $3000 per eye. If you're not old enough to qualify for medicare, and you're uninsured, can't find a job, can't get a driver's license, or read a good book because of cataracts, your world is impoverished. Help save someone's sight!

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Posted in Pies, Cakes & Cookies, Recipes | 2 Comments »

Meyer Lemon Budino with a Twist

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

 

budinoMeyer lemon budino is a sumptuous souffle that has its beginnings in San Francisco eateries.  Budino, Italian for pudding, made with Meyer lemons, a cross between lemons and mandarin oranges, is redolent of a lemon meringue pie without a crust.  Along with the balance of the sweet and tart characters of lemon is the creamy consistency of the pudding and crusty topping of whipped egg whites that rises out of the pudding during baking.  Traditionally, it is served with whipped cream or cream fraiche and is an elegant light finale to a heavy meal.  Berries and chocolate are also delicious accompaniments.

The basic recipe lends itself to improvisation.  Lavender will add another depth of flavor that becomes apparent after the first bite and lingers until the last.  Adding ginger will give the budino sparkle.  Substituting another juice for the Meyer lemons will completely change the budino flavors but the basic light souffle and creamy texture will remain.  Adapt the recipe given here and make it your own.

Servings:  6

Cooking Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp Meyer lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp finely grated Meyer lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp whole milk
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter 6 ramekins (3/4 cup size) and dust with sugar.
  2. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon juice and lemon peel in large bowl, whisk until blended. Whisk in milk.
  3. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in medium bowl until frothy, 1-2 minutes. Add remaining 2 tbsp sugar and beat until soft peaks form; the peaks should fall over when the beaters are raised from the bowl. Gently fold half the beaten egg whites into lemon mixture. When incorporated fold in remaining egg whites.
  4. Divide mixture among prepared custard cups using a spoon or ladle. Place custard cups in roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the custard cups.
  5. Bake puddings until tops are golden and spring back when lightly touched, about 30 minutes.

Variations:

  1. Substitute mandarin orange juice and zest for the lemon components. Add 1 tsp of anise seeds to the beaten egg whites before folding into the batter.  Serve with chocolate shavings and a dollop of whipped cream.
  2. Steep 1 Tbsp lavender (McCormick’s Gourmet brand) in ½ cup warm milk for 30 minutes or longer, stain through a fine mesh sieve, and add to the remaining milk before preparing the lemon batter.
  3. Add 1 tsp black poppy seeds to beaten egg whites before folding into lemon batter.

Donate to My Coffee Kitty and help a senior pay for cataract surgery. 70% of seniors are afficted with cataracts. It's a simple surgery to remove cataracts but very expensive...about $3000 per eye. If you're not old enough to qualify for medicare, and you're uninsured, can't find a job, can't get a driver's license, or read a good book because of cataracts, your world is impoverished. Help save someone's sight!

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Posted in Desserts, Recipes | No Comments »

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