Christmas Time for the Jews

Here are some great holiday treats for everyone looking to celebrate the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is a great time to share food with friends and family, and I have received dozens of e-mails asking for some great recipes, so here you go. I should tell you, the potato pancakes are so good that posting this recipe alone is a mitzvah of the highest order. Bubbelah, you should always trust me with this stuff. The chopped liver is the version I have been making for years and have named it after my grandmother who always made me a to-die-for chopped-liver dish every holiday.

Sephardic Eggplant Salad

3 large eggplants at 2–1/2 lbs.
2 T. olive oil
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 c. flat parsley leaves
2 t. dried oregano
4 chopped scallions
2 T. lemon juice
2 large garlic cloves
2 T. salt packed capers, refreshed and drained
2 ripe, diced, skinless, seedless tomatoes
6 pita bread discs cut in 1/8s and toasted

Brush the eggplant with the tablespoons of olive oil, and broil on a baking sheet for 25–30 minutes, turning often until skin blackens and eggplant is cooked.

Let it cool. Peel and chop meats, and reserve to a colander to drip off the excess liquids.

Place the oregano, scallions, garlic, and half the parsley in a food processor, and pulse until well processed. Fold into the drained eggplant, season with the oil, lemon, and vinegar.

Add the tomatoes.

Chop the remaining parsley and capers, and fold into the salad.

Season with salt and pepper, and serve with toasted or grilled pita.

Henriette’s Chopped Chicken Liver

2 lbs. fresh chicken livers
1/4 c. rendered chicken fat (schmaltz)
1 t. minced parsley
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 large yellow onion, minced
1 box matzo

Drain, and pat dry the livers.

Sauté onions in 1 T. schmaltz over medium heat until lightly caramelized (just past beige). Reserve.

Fry livers to medium (pink) in 1 T. schmaltz in the same pan over medium high heat.
Reserve livers.

Grind the liver and onions through a food mill by hand, or pulse in a food processor.
Add the parsley, grate the eggs, and fold in those as well. Add remaining schmaltz, or more, to taste. Season with salt and pepper.

Chill the chopped livers.

Serve with the matzo.

Potato Pancakes

3 large russet (Idaho-style, baking) potatoes
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cooked, and diced
2 eggs, beaten
2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. ground white pepper
1/2 c. matzo meal
1 large yellow onion, grated
2 c. applesauce
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. crème fraiche
1/2 lb. sliced, smoked salmon (I like the Ducktrap line.)
Oil for frying

Peel and grate the Russet potatoes. Rinse with cold water, and drain, gently pressing to relieve excess moisture. Mix half the potatoes with the mashed potatoes. Pulse the other half of the grated potatoes with the onions in the work bowl or food processor to form a paste. Do not over work.

Combine the two mixtures; season with the salt, pepper, eggs, and matzo meal.
Heat enough vegetable oil, in a large skillet over medium heat, to come up the sides of the pan 1/4 an inch.

When oil is 350 degrees, or a small pinch of batter instantly sizzles when dropped in, fry small 2- to 3-inch sized patties in batches until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel.

Serve as a side dish or as a snack or appetizer. I think it is great to serve them with applesauce, sour cream, smoked salmon, and other treats on the side.

Noodle Kugel

1 lb. extra-wide egg noodles
4 c. cottage cheese
3 c. milk
2/3 c. melted butter
1 T. cinnamon
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
6 eggs
2 t. salt
1–1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. minced, dried apricots
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Cook, drain, and cool noodles.

Combine all the ingredients, reserving the almonds, brown sugar, and 1 t. of the cinnamon for sprinkling on the top of the casserole.
Butter a large pan or 2 small brownie pans.

Sprinkle kugel with the reserved ingredients, and bake at 350 degrees for 50–60 minutes until set and golden brown. Serves10–12

Stuffed Cabbage with Veal, Currants, and Pistachios

The Filling
3 lbs. ground veal
2 eggs
1–1/2 c. matzo meal or bread crumbs
1/2 c. currants
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/2 c. minced parsley
2 T. ground cumin
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/3 c. toasted pine nuts
1 minced onion
1 lb. cooked, chopped spinach, drained very, very well
3 large heads Savoy cabbage, cleaned, leaves blanched and cooled

Combine all the ingredients except the cabbage. Roll 3 oz. of this stuffing mixture into the cabbage leaves, burrito style. Place all of the rolls 1/2 inch apart into 2 ovenproof dishes. Reserve.

The Sauce
24 oz. diced tomatoes in juice
4 T. minced, preserved lemons
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 t. saffron
1 c. white wine
2 minced shallots
6 leaves basil
2 diced carrots
2 pinches of chili flakes
1/2 c. orange juice
1 T. ground celery seed
1/2 c. toasted pistachios
2 T. butter

Place the butter in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the shallots, lemon, garlic, carrots, and saffron, and sauté until glassy. Add the wine, and simmer to reduce by half. Add the herbs, spices, and tomato with the juices. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until almost dry.

Divide over the cabbage rolls, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Uncover, and bake for 10 more minutes.

Peaches and Dreams

OK, so in the current issue of the magazine we have a piece I wrote about Colorado peaches, one of my fave fruits, and right now there are cases and cases of them piled high in the produce section of most supermarkets. Buying them by the case is my style, simply because I like to make quarts of the compote (see magazine) and pies by the score (see below). This recipe came about six or so years ago when I was making a video for a cooking how-to series that never went anywhere—one of them was on pie-making. I love this pie, and as pies go, it’s pretty foolproof. I serve it with vanilla ice cream or crème fraiche, seasoned with a few teaspoons of brown sugar.

Peach Streusel Pie

Streusel
2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. sliced almonds
5 T. butter, melted and cooled

Filling
6 c. peeled and sliced peaches (about 3 lbs.)
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. almond extract . . . use the natural stuff!
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. instant tapioca
2 t. grated fresh ginger

Crust
1 disc of the classic pastry (see below) . . . for this pie, use the half
     lard/half butter option

Make streusel. Place flour, 1/3 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. sugar, and almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse to combine. Set aside.

Heat oven to 400. Toss peaches with lemon juice and almond extract in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. sugar, tapioca, and ginger. Stir into peaches. Let rest while preparing crust.

Roll out crust into 11-inch circle on lightly floured surface. Line 9-inch glass pie pan with dough; crimp edges. Add peaches, top with streusel, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 45–60 minutes or until bubbly and thickened. Let cool on wire rack. Makes 8 servings.

CLASSIC PASTRY
2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. salt
14 T. chilled lard, vegetable shortening, or butter
OR
1/2 c. lard or vegetable shortening and 6 T. butter
6–8 T. ice water

Combine flour and salt in medium mixing bowl. Cut lard, shortening, or butter into 1/2-inch cubes and work into flour with fingertips or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-sized pieces of fat remaining. Toss with 6 T. of water and, with fingertips, draw together in a ball, sprinkling with enough remaining water, if necessary, to gather together. Divide in two; flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm. Makes two 9-inch crusts.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

I got a great e-mail last week from Claire in Cottage Grove, asking me what she could do with all her raspberry preserves. I went trolling through my recipe bin and pulled out this favorite that I had not cooked in two years. It still rocks, and despite the obvious knocks (calories, baking-takes-time lament, etc.), this is one fabulous recipe to have in your arsenal. It can be made with any flavored preserves, preferably homemade . . .

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Cake
2-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. plus 2 T. sugar
12 T. butter, softened
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. sour cream
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 t. almond extract

Filling
1/2 lb. softened cream cheese
3 oz. crumbled almond paste (marzipan)
3 T. sugar
1 large egg
1/2 c. raspberry preserves
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Butter a 10-inch spring-form pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare cake batter by combining the flour, sugar, and butter with a pastry cutter until softly crumbled. Scoop out a generous cup of this mixture and set aside. Stir in the baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Mix in the sour cream, egg yolk, almond extract, and egg. Spread batter into pan.

Combine the almond paste and cream cheese. Add the sugar and egg. Drop filling over the batter by spoonfuls.

Drop spoonfuls of preserves over the filling, then scatter the reserved cup of flour mixture over the preserves and top with the almonds. Bake for 40–45 minutes until center is light and the edges are golden brown.

Cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and remove the rim of the pan. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Happy Fourth!

OK, here’s a bonus recipe-set for the Great American Grill-Out. You can serve this as a meal, then add some slaw and sweet corn, perhaps some potato salad, and you’re done. Easy. This is a great meal for 6–8 people—just convince someone else to bring the other sides and let your crazy aunt clean up the mess.

I am a nut for grizzled onions, and this salad is a killer. The pork is my fave version of the classic BBQ dish, the granita is without peer, and the peach cobbler (though you may have to make it without Colorado peaches now) you’ll soon be making twice a week.

Happy Fourth!

Grilled Sweet Onion and Arugula Salad with Shaved Grana Padano
4 large Vidalia or 10–15 sweet onions
3 T. olive oil
12 oz. farm-stand, fresh, small-leaf, young arugula or other peppery
     cress or green
1 pt. cherry tomatoes
4 oz. block of Grana Padano or Reggiano parmesan cheese, shaved into
      elegant curls

Cut the onions in half at the waist and peel off the skins. Brush with the olive oil, season with sea salt and ground white pepper, and grill over medium direct heat, cut-side down until the onions are almost blackened. Finish cooking the onions for 10 minutes on the cooler edges of the grill to remove any offensive raw flavors.

Pop the ‘rings’ of the onion out and arrange over the washed and dried arugula on 8 plates. Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange them around the greens. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve. Serves 6–8.

Shallot and Red Wine Vinaigrette
4 T. minced shallots
1 T. minced parsley
3 T. red wine vinegar
1 t. sugar
1 t. minced garlic
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. brown mustard

Place a small sauté pan over high heat and add 2 T. of the oil. Add the shallots, garlic, and sugar. Swirl pan briefly—you are only cooking for 30 seconds after you hear any sizzle at all. Promptly scrape the pan’s ingredients into a work bowl and whisk in the mustard followed by the vinegar, parsley and remaining oil. Season with sea salt, ground white pepper, and fresh lemon juice. Serve with the salad.

Barbecued Pulled Pork
1 bone-in pork shoulder, about 5 lb. in weight

The Rub
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. paprika
3 T. ground black pepper
3 T. kosher salt
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. onion powder
1 T. celery seeds
1 t. cayenne pepper

The Basting Sauce
1 c. cider vinegar
1 small onion minced
1 t. hot chile flakes
1 T. kosher salt
1 T. brown sugar
1 t. ground black pepper

The BBQ Sauce
2 c. cider vinegar
2 T. molasses
2 T. dark corn syrup
1/4 c. Heinz ketchup
1/3 c. Heinz chile sauce
3 T. brown sugar
4 t. kosher salt
2 T. Crystal hot sauce
2 t. red chile flakes, or more to taste
2 t. ground black pepper

Combine the rub ingredients, or use your favorite store-bought rub.

Combine the basting sauce ingredients, whisking until sugar and salt are dissolved, then set aside.

Combine BBQ sauce ingredients over medium heat in a small pot. When simmering, pull from heat and let cool. Refrigerate for later use. The longer you simmer the thicker your sauce will be.

Massage pork shoulder with the rub and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

‘Grill’ the shoulder over indirect medium-low heat, using smoking chips, if desired, to establish a smoke flavor. Remember, a little goes a long way. You will want to keep adding wood or charcoal every 40 minutes or so to maintain a medium-low heat of roughly 300 degrees. For gas grills you want to maintain a temperature of roughly 275–300 degrees. Baste every hour with the basting sauce.

Pork is done when the meat is fork tender, usually by this time the meat has an internal temperature of 175. Let pork cool for 30 minutes, shred meat, and discard the bones.

Toss meat with the some of the BBQ sauce, mound on toasted rolls and serve with cole slaw.

Strawberry Granita with Balsamic Vinegar
3 pt. quartered, cleaned strawberries
1-1/2 c. sugar
3 c. of the best rose champagne you can get your hands on . . . don’t
     use pink champagne, but do drink what remains while granita sets up
1 T. lemon juice or more to taste

Combine half the berries, the sugar, and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar. Transfer the mixture to a food processor, add the reserved berries, and process until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, stir in the champagne and lemon juice. Scrape mixture into a shallow metal baking pan (8 or 9 inches is fine) and freeze.

Every 20 minutes, stir and scrape the granite. After 3–4 hours the granite will be ready to serve, "shaley" and roughly frozen.

You can also freeze completely and pulse the frozen granite in a food processor. Or you can scrape the granite with a spoon instead of processing it. Serve granita with fresh berries and pass drops of 50-year-old balsamic vinegar . . . .

Peach Cobbler
10 ripe, free-stone Colorado peaches, peeled, stoned, and quartered
5 t. corn starch
2 t. fresh grated ginger
1/2 c. sugar

Toss, place in a buttered baking dish, cover with cobbler topping, and bake for 45–50 minutes at 350 until hot and bubbly with a browned top. Serve warm. Serves 6–8.

Cobbler Topping
2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
Pinch salt
3-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. sliced toasted almonds
1/4 c. sweet almond paste

Mix the dry ingredients and reserve. Beat the butter, almond paste, and sugar until well-blended. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. While stirring, add the nuts until just combined. Crumble/dollop over the cobbler.

Pucker Up

I made these the other day with some frozen Meyer lemon juice I had in the freezer, and I made a note to give all of you this recipe, one of my faves. These small desserts are perfect when served with fresh summer berries and can be made with conventional lemon, lime, or Key lime juice. Just make sure to always use fresh-squeezed juice—nothing from a jar or bottle will work quite as well.

Lemon Puddings
1 T. unsalted butter
3 eggs, separated
1/2 c. super-fine sugar
2-1/2 T. flour
1 T. lemon zest
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1 c. milk
Pinch of salt
Powdered sugar for garnish

Butter 6 custard cups and place in a baking dish lined with a dish towel.

Whisk egg yolks with the sugar until nice and light, then add the flour, zest, and juice. Add the milk.

Whips the whites stiff with an electric beater or mixer, then fold into milk mixture along with the salt. Fill cups with batter. Pour hot water into baking pan to reach half way up the sides of the cups. Bake at 350 for 20–25 minutes until lightly browned.

Cool and serve in the cups, dusted with powdered sugar, and pass a bowl of the season’s first strawberries once they come to market.

Makes 6 desserts.

Choco-a-lot Anyone?

Everyone loves chocolate, and like wine and cheese, today chocolate is all about terroir and artisanal crafting. Regardless of what chocolate you like to eat, with these recipes you should experiment with the good stuff. I like Valrhona and Scharffen Berger these days. Happy Valentine's Day!

The Best Brownies
2 c. toasted and cooled pecan halves
1 c. flour
6 T. unsweetened cocoa powder . . . I love Scharffen Berger brand best
1 T. instant espresso
1/2 t. salt
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate . . . Try Scharffen Berger,
    Schokenag, Callebault, or Valrhona
2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed.
5 large eggs
2 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. sour cream
2 t. vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 400. Butter a 9 x 13 brownie pan, line it with parchment, and butter the parchment. Sift together the dry ingredients. Melt the butter and chocolate in a slow double boiler.

Beat eggs in a standing mixer until light and foamy, slowly add the sugar, increase speed to high and beat for 12–15 minutes. Lower speed to low and add the sour cream and vanilla. Add the chocolate mixture and blend briefly. Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix briefly. Fold in the nuts and pour batter into the pan.

Bake for 16 minutes or so until the edges of the brownies pull away from the pan. Rotate the pan and bake another 10 minutes—the center should be set, but a tester inserted into the center should still come out with a few crumbs attached. Do not overcook!

Cool pan on a baking rack, refrigerate for 4 hours, and turn brownies out onto a cutting board. Cut into small squares and serve at room temperature.

Molten Chocolate Cakes
2 sticks sweet butter, plus some for greasing the molds
8 oz. artisan bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. flour, plus some for the molds

Butter and flour 8 four-ounce ramekins or oven-proof molds—be sure all interior surface area is covered. Cakes will stick wherever you miss, so be thorough.

Place chocolate and butter in a slow double boiler and melt to combine.

Whip eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until light and thick. Beat egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Whisk in the flour.

Pour batter into molds and bake in a preheated 450-degree oven for 10–11 minutes or until set. Cakes will have risen an inch or so. Cakes should barely hold together, holding their molten chocolate center.

Unmold and serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Serves 8 as a dessert

Chocolate Mousse
24 oz. chopped bittersweet artisan chocolate
1 T. instant espresso dissolved in 1/4 c. warm water
1/2 c. Grande Marnier
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 c. of heavy cream, whipped with 1/4 c. fine sugar until stiff
10 egg whites, whipped stiff 

Place the chocolate and butter in a double boiler and stir until melted. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the espresso, Grande Marnier, and the egg yolks in a separate bowl.  Fold the egg whites in to the whipped cream, and then fold the chocolate into the cream/egg-white mixture. Stir in the espresso mixture. Combine well.

Divide the mousse into 8 glasses or bowls and refrigerate for at least 8 hours to chill and set. Garnish with whipped cream seasoned with powdered sugar and serve. Serves 8.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. toasted pecan pieces
pinch salt
3/4 t. baking soda
8 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
3 T. light corn syrup
1 large egg yolk
2 T. milk
1 T. vanilla extract
3/4 c. Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Sift together dry ingredients.

In a standing mixer, use a paddle attachment to combine butter, sugars, and corn syrup at low speed. Add yolk, milk, and vanilla. Mix well and add dry ingredients. Combine on low speed for about 2 minutes. Do not overbeat. Fold in chips and nuts by hand and set batter aside.

Drop 1 T. portions of batter 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 375 until brown and flat. Reserve, when finished, to a cookie rack to cool. They will be crisp. If you desire a little toothy-ness to your cookie, bake a few minutes less.

Chocolate Fondue
A short list of possible dip-ables:
Pound cake chunks
Large, "stem-on" strawberries
Fresh cherries
Fresh orange sections
Pineapple chunks
Bananas
Angel food cake squares
Small cookies
Biscotti
Pretzels
Lady fingers
Dried fruit
Glazed fruit 

The Fondue
1 c. heavy cream
16 oz. high quality bittersweet or milk chocolate, finely chopped 

Heat the cream in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan until very hot, but not boiling. Pull pan from heat and add the chocolate.

Let stand until softened, 3–5 minutes, and whisk gently. Pour into fondue pot and start dipping.

Other ideas:
Roll dipped fruit in shaved coconut, sliced almonds, etc.
Season chocolate with any flavored liqueur or non-alcoholic coffee-bar syrup.

Serendipity

No one invents food anymore, not unless you are Homaru Cantu or Grant Achatz or some other notable heavies working on the edges of the new frontier of culinary alchemy. This recipe, courtesy of the good folks at Serendipity 3 in NYC, has been a favorite for years there, and is one of the best frozen desserts I know of. My buddy John Levy, an intrepid chocoholic, sent this to me two years ago and I am forever indebted, as you are now to him as well.

Serendipity’s Frozen Hot Chocolate
6 half-oz. pieces of a variety of your favorite chocolates
2 t. store-bought hot chocolate mix
1-1/2 T. sugar
1-1/2 c. milk
3 c. ice
whipped cream (recipe below)
chocolate shavings

Chop chocolate into small pieces and place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally, until melted.  Add hot chocolate mix and sugar, stirring constantly until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature. In a blender, place the remaining cup of milk, the room-temperature chocolate mixture, and the ice. Blend on high speed until mixture is smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Enjoy with a spoon or a straw . . . or both!

Whipped Cream
1 c. heavy cream, very cold
1 t. vanilla extract
1-1/2 T. light corn syrup
Combine cream and vanilla and mix well. With an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, start whipping the cream on medium speed. Add corn syrup slowly while beating. Whip until the cream holds soft peaks. Slather, drop, and dollop onto whatever your heart desires. Makes 2 to 2-1/2 cups, enough for 1 to 8 persons, depending on if you feel like sharing.

Recipe courtesy of Serendipity 3, copyright 2004

Straight to the Hips, and Worth It.

Claudia Fleming was the original pastry chef at Grammercy Tavern and supervised much of the baking and pastry work at all of Danny Meyer’s restaurants in NYC, including Union Square. She is among a handful of pastry chefs who can lay claim to being a legitimate top-ten player nationally. She is also a phenomenally kind woman who many years ago shared this pound cake recipe with me that is still the best I have ever worked with. The lemon syrup bounce at the end is so wonderful I cannot even begin to describe its impact on the cake. Try it with different citrus combinations (clementines, limes, mandarins, satsumas, Meyer lemons, etc.) and don’t be afraid to experiment. This recipe is one of the all-time greats.

Lemon Pound Cake
2 sticks unsalted butter
5 large eggs
1-1/2 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. plus 2 T. cake flour
large pinch salt
1 T. grated lemon zest
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 c. strained fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter. With an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat eggs and 1 cup sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Sift flour and salt. Fold zest and flour, in thirds, into eggs. Whisk 1 cup of this batter into the vanilla and butter. Fold this into remaining batter. Pour batter into a buttered and floured loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Meanwhile, combine remaining sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Simmer until the sugar dissolves. Transfer cake to wire rack. Pierce all over with a cake tester. Rotating the cake on all four sides and brush/drizzle with the syrup, finishing with the top. Let cool and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream seasoned with crème fraiche. Makes 8 servings.

Frozen Almond Soufflé with Lichee Nuts and Spiced Almonds

I know, this breaks all the rules, especially the one about frozen desserts in the winter, but for a do-ahead sweet that your guests will go ga-ga for this holiday season, there is no better choice. Try this once before the big day, do it family-style just to see how the freezetime works in your freezer. You will love this dish, the perfect light and easy end to a great meal. Yes, Dolores, there is raw egg in this dish. Be sure to buy fresh eggs, most eggs at big-box stores and discount markets tend to be cheaper because they’re a few days older, not a big deal unless you plan to use them raw or in low temp dishes (hollandaise?). Of course if you are serving this to seniors, little kids, or anyone with a compromised immune system you might want to consider pasteurized eggs.

Frozen Almond Soufflé with Lichee Nuts and Spiced Almonds
6 egg yolks
3/4 c. sugar
2-3/4 c. heavy cream
3 oz. Amaretto
2 T. orange zest

Whip egg yolks and sugar until stiff in a food mixer with a whisk attachment. Whip cream until stiff. Fold cream into eggs. Fold in Amaretto and orange zest. Spatula the mousse into a pastry bag without a tip. Divide into 8 wine glasses. Freeze for 4-6 hours and serve. Can be made a day in advance to this point. Garnish with the following, but should sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving if they are frozen overnight. Makes 8 servings.

Garnish
16 peeled and seeded lichee fruit, or 1 can lichee fruit, drained
1 c. sliced almonds
2 T. butter
2 T. rum
1 T. sugar
2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
2 pinches nutmeg
2 pinches allspice

Place almonds in a small pan and place in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes or so until toasted. Place rum and butter into a sauté pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the nuts and cook for 2-3 minutes until liquid is gone and nuts are glazy. Place the spices, salt, and sugar into a mixing bowl, combine well and add the nuts immediately. Toss to coat, and spill nuts onto a cookie sheet to cool for 20 minutes. Drain lichees and pat dry. Garnish mousses with nuts and lichees and serve.

Hanukkah Recipes

It's Hanukkah time, everyone!!! Here are two of my favorite recipes for this time of year. I kid you not, the pancakes is the best recipe of its kind I have ever tried. For years I used my grandmother’s recipe, until someone else’s bubbe told me to use some mashed potatoes in my recipe . . . Kenahora! What a mitzvah that was! Enjoy.

Potato Pancakes
3 large Russet baking (Idaho) potatoes
3 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes . . . peeled, cooked, and riced
1 large yellow onion, grated
2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. ground white pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 c. matzoh meal
2 qts. vegetable oil for frying . . . I like to add a cup of rendered chicken fat for flavor

Peel and grate Russet potatoes. Rinse with cold water and drain, gently pressing to relieve excess moisture. Mix half the potatoes with the mashed potatoes. Pulse the other half of the grated potatoes with the onion in work bowl of food processor to form a coarse paste. Do not over work. Combine the two mixtures, season with salt, pepper, eggs, and matzoh meal. If your mixture is too wet, add another tablespoon or so of matzoh meal—remember, you can always run a test batch. In a large skillet over medium heat,  heat enough vegetable oil to come up the sides of the pan 1/3 of an inch. When oil is 350 degrees, or a small pinch of batter instantly sizzles when dropped in, fry small 2- to 3-inch-sized patties in batches until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with sea salt and try serving with apple sauce and sour cream on half the cakes and smoked salmon and crème fraiche on the others.

Almond and Orange Cake with Poached Plum Compote
Serves 6-8.

The Cake
2 c. sliced almonds
12 T. flour
1-1/2  c. sugar
2 T. orange zest
4 eggs

In a food processor, combine 1/3 of the almonds with the flour. Reserve. Combine the remaining almonds and 1/3 of the sugar and pulse well. Reserve. Beat eggs until foamy with an electric beater and add remaining sugar and zest. Beat until light and thick. Beat in the other two mixtures. Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch spring-form pan and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes until cake is done (inserted toothpick withdraws cleanly, etc.). Cool, unmold, and dust with confectioner's sugar and serve with the compote.

Poached Plums with Red Wine and Rum
12 plums, firm and ripe but not mushy, halved
2 cinnamon sticks
3 T. brown sugar
1 T. lemon zest
1 T. orange zest
1 bud star anise
1/4 vanilla bean, split
1/4 c. dark rum
2 c. red wine
6 cloves
1 T. lemon juice
2 c. blueberries and strawberries

Place all ingredients except berries into a 14-inch sauté pan. Add warm water to come up halfway on the plums. Bring to a simmer and continue gently simmering for 10 minutes, turning plums every 5 minutes. Move plums to a serving platter. Reduce sauce until almost glazey. Stir in berries and toss. Pour over plums and chill.

Modern Thanksgiving Recipes

All the recipes you need for Thanksgiving are just a click away, on mspmag.com's recipe database.

Oyster Stew
Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey, Stuffing, and Gravy
Puree of Peas and Watercress
Root Vegetable Pan Roast with Brown Butter Sauce
Sweet and Sour Beets with Pearl Onions
Steamed Green Beans with Toasted Almond-Mushroom Pesto
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Tart

Apple and Brown Sugar Muffins

Here is a great recipe for the end of apple season, as many of us get tired of eating them out of hand, and need a way to utilize all the apples in the fridge that have seen some better days. Many of the late-season apples are perfect to use for this delicious muffin; almost any will work.

Make an extra batch, these don't last long on the kitchen counter.

The Apples
1 lb. cored, peeled, and diced apples
1T. butter
1T. sugar
1/4 c. dried currants (any dried fruit works here)

Place apples, butter, and sugar into a large sauté pan over high heat and caramelize apples. Stir in currants and set aside to cool.

The Muffins
1 c. all-purpose flour
1t. baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter
2/3 c. brown sugar, plus some extra for tops of muffins
2 eggs
2 T. buttermilk
1/2 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour and baking soda and reserve. Mix butter and brown sugar in a tabletop mixer until creamed. Add eggs one at a time, then add buttermilk and vanilla. Add dry ingredient mixture. Fold in apple mixture—but do not over-mix. Spoon batter into a buttered 12-cup standard muffin tin. Top each muffin with some brown sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm.

Shameless Plugs

After a few days in New York, I am officially having fun. Here are some of the reasons why:

+ Hanging out and slicing salmon with David, who has been in the center position at the Zabar’s fish counter for most of his thirty years there.

+ Grabbing breakfast at the ultimate NYC eatery, Barney Greengrass, with Gary Greengrass, whose grandfather and father took care of my grandmother back in the old neighborhood.

+ Having my friends Clark and Alice take me to Dim Sum Go-Go (5 East Broadway) for roasted duck dumplings, which are a MUST for the next time you visit the Big Apple. We also ate some funky treats at the Congee Bowery Restaurant (207 Bowery), and I ate fish flown in from Tsukiji Market in Tokyo with Yoshi, the sushi genius at Jewel Bako, one of the best Japanese restaurants in the world. I am stuffed.

 

*****

I think MSPMAG.COM is my new favorite website! Why? Glad you asked . . .

+ Our recipe database includes all of my blog recipes, and hundreds more that I keep sending into the interactive media mavens who run the site. They also have logged recipes from local chefs, recipes on restaurant menus, and recipes from chefs' personal repertoires. AND . . . our entire Restaurant Guide is online and is searchable, which means you can keep up with my editor’s choice selections for the best in local dining. There are reviews of restaurants, travel and eating stories, and plenty of other food-related magazine content now available on the site . . .

. . . such as my Cookbook of the Month selections, so you can keep up with the books, some old, some new, that I am enjoying working out of these days.

Valencia Tomato Sorbet and the Best Tomato Soup

Looking for something to do with all your tomatoes? This sorbet is off the charts and can be enjoyed for dessert, or put a scoop in a large bowl of cucumber soup, gazpacho, or chilled avocado soup. And I have included my favorite tomato soup recipe as well.

Valencia Tomato Sorbet

The Sorbet
1 yellow or red bell pepper
5 lbs. farmstand tomatoes (if you can find Valencia tomatoes use those—the orange color is striking; if not, use Green Zebras)
zest of 1 lime
1 T. herbes de Provence
3/4 c. water
1 c. Sorbet Syrup (see below)

Roast bell pepper. Purée tomatoes with the pepper in a food processor, and strain through a sieve. Place purée in a large (8-quart) pot along with the lime zest and herbes de Provence. Reduce by 50 percent, or until you have 1 quart of purée. Season with sea salt and white pepper. Cool.

Take the purée and place in a large mixing bowl. Add water and Sorbet Syrup. Process in your ice cream or sorbet machine according to manufacturer's suggestion. Freeze for use.

Sorbet Syrup
4 oz. sugar
1 oz. corn syrup
4 oz. water

Bring all ingredients to a boil and let cool.

The Best Tomato Soup

* I make gallons of this stuff in the summer, and then in winter it can be creamed when you reheat it with great success.

6 lbs. mixed farmstand tomatoes, cored and halved
4 T. olive oil
1 T. fresh thyme leaves
5 basil leaves
Leaves from one 6-inch stem of tarragon
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 jumbo yellow onion, minced fine
32 oz. chicken or vegetable stock
4 oz. Pernod

Place the halved, mixed tomatoes in a bowl and coat gently with half the olive oil. Season with some black pepper and sea salt and place cut side up in a baking tray. Roast in a 325-degree oven for 90 minutes.

Place a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the remaining oil, herbs, garlic, and onion. Sweat until onions begin to color. Add Pernod. When liquids are almost evaporated, add roasted tomatoes and stock. When mixture simmers, lower heat to maintain simmer and cook slowly for 45-60 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Purée, season, and freeze or serve.

A Fun Way to Travel

Culinary tourism is one of the hottest travel trends these days, and people are always asking me who to book with and why. Short of tagging along with me one day while I’m eating bats in Thailand, you can check out Gourmet on Tour. Judith, the GOT honcho, is a delight and her tours are superbly run. And doesn’t this trip to the Amalfi Coast sounds awesome? The Amalfi Coast is the sexy pin-up girl of the chic travel monthlies for a reason—the breathtaking views of the Mediterranean and a perfect locale for quintessential dolce vita. Gourmet on Tour teams up the Amalfi with the Agata!

Here are some of the highlights she sent me.

Mamma Agata, the GOT chef, will share with you her insider's secrets and local knowledge—far beyond the traditional tourist holiday.

Pick vegetables from the kitchen garden, cook up a storm, and listen to Mamma’s stories about cooking for celebrities. You can hike high on the mountainside while soaking up the stunning views from Ravello to Amalfi, or savor a delicious Michelin-star dinner on a cliff-top terrace after a day spent touring ancient Paestum and Pompeii, or explore Positano and the stylish isle of Capri. I like the idea of sipping Prosecco poolside or on the beach.

Apparently Mamma Agata started cooking at the young age of thirteen in the kitchens of a wealthy American lady who owned a summer villa in Ravello. Since then she has cooked for Hollywood stars like Humphrey Bogart, Anita Eckberg, Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, Fred Astaire, Federico Fellini (a big pasta e fagioli fan), Jacqueline Kennedy, Marcello Mastroianni, and for writers and politicians such as Susanna Agnelli and Gore Vidal. These days she holds her cooking classes in her 300-year-old country house located on a cliff top 1,000 feet above the sea, with magnificent views. She makes or raises everything used in the classes: chickens, eggs, vegetables, fruits, marmalades, olive oil, wine—the best of everything. Elegant simplicity is the way in which Mamma Agata prepares and shares a meal at table. Here is a recipe from Mamma that Judith sent me to whet your whistle:

Mamma Agata's famous lemon cake
Dolce al limone di Mamma Agata

250 gr butter
300 gr sugar
2 grated lemons
4 eggs
300 gr flour
1 glass of warm milk
1 small envelope of yeast (Pan degli Angeli)

Place butter and sugar in a mixer for 8 minutes. Add lemon grate, eggs and flour, and at the end add milk and yeast. Fill the dough in a baking form and place in a preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon, mix with some water and sugar, and cover the cake. Turn cake over and pour juice of the second lemon mixed with sugar and some water on the other side of the cake. Decorate with finely chopped nuts.

Fourth of July Menu

OK, kids, save the burgers and dogs for next weekend and fire up the ambition meter to eleven for the big July 4 to-do. You can make the cobbler and granita ahead of time, you can do the salad in the morning, but you need to do the crispy shallots at the last minute. Then toss the quail on the grill—they only take a few minutes on hot coals and you will be the BBQ legend you always dreamed of becoming.

Summer Tomato and Onion Salad with Buttermilk Blue Cheese dressing

6 ripe heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin
1 red onion, sliced thin
12 shallots, sliced paper-thin
1 c. milk
1 c. flour seasoned with paprika, salt, pepper, etc.
2 T. minced chives

Arrange tomatoes and onion on a platter. Pop out the rings of the shallots and soak in milk for 20 minutes. Drain and toss shallots with the flour, kicking off excess by dumping the rings in a mesh strainer. Fry in 350-degree oil until crisp and drain on paper towels. Arrange shallots on top of tomatoes, garnish with chives, and serve with the dressing (see below). Serves 6.

BBC Dressing
10 oz. Maytag blue cheese
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 t. ground black pepper
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. cream
1/4 c. sour cream
1 T. minced dill
2 scallions, whites only
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. buttermilk

Combine all ingredients in blender, pulsing to prevent over-mixing. Drizzle in some olive oil and buttermilk to taste if you like a looser dressing. Garnish salad with dressing or pass at the table.

Grilled Quail with Hot Peppers, Apricot, and Mustard Glaze
12 boneless quail
1/2 c. brown mustard
3/4 c. apricot jam, jelly, or conserve
3 T. cider vinegar
1 T. ground coriander seed
1 t. sea salt
1 t. freshly ground white pepper
2 Serrano chilies, minced fine, seeds and all

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let marinate overnight. Grill on medium direct heat for 5 minutes per side, turning frequently, and serve at a pinkish medium. Combine a few tablespoons of apricot conserve and vinegar as a mop for the quail. This dish is great with cole slaw and corn bread. Serves 4-5.

Strawberry Granita with Balsamic Vinegar

3 pints quartered, cleaned strawberries
1-1/2 c. sugar
3 c. of the best rose champagne you can get your hands on (Don’t use pink champagne. Drink what remains while granita sets up.)
1 T. lemon juice (or more to taste)

Combine half the berries, the sugar, and 1/3 c. water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer to dissolve sugar. Transfer mixture to a food processor, add reserved berries, and process until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and stir in champagne and lemon juice. Scrape mixture into a shallow metal baking pan (14 inches is fine) and freeze. Every 20 minutes, stir and scrape the granita. After 3-4 hours the granita will be ready to serve (shale-y and roughly frozen).

You can also freeze completely and pulse the frozen granita in a food processor. Or, you can scrape the granita with a spoon instead of processing it. Serve granita with fresh berries and pass a bottle of aged, syrupy balsamic vinegar.

Peach Cobbler
10 ripe, free-stone Colorado peaches, peeled, stoned, and quartered
5 t. cornstarch
2 t. fresh grated ginger
1/2 c. sugar

Toss, place in a buttered baking dish, cover with cobbler topping, and bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 until hot and bubbly with a browned top. Serve warm. Serves 6-8.

Cobbler topping
2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
Pinch of salt
3-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. sliced toasted almonds
1/4 c. sweet almond paste

Mix dry ingredients and reserve. Beat butter, almond paste, and sugar until well-blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture and, while stirring, add nuts until just combined. Crumble/dollop over the cobbler.

Chocolate Mousse

Everyone loves chocolate. There is not a sexier or hotter ingredient these days. When even local shops and markets are selling varietal, country-of-origin chocolates, the landscape is proven to have changed. Mary Leonard over at Chocolate Celeste on University Avenue is offering rare and exotic bulk chocolates to the consumer in chip form for cooking, as is Michael Roberts at Legacy Chocolate on Marshall Avenue. Grab some great chocolate and use your own favorites to create this exceptional and easy chocolate mousse.

Chocolate Mousse

24 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate (Caillebault, Scharfennberg or similar artisan chocolate)
1 stick butter
8 egg whites, whipped stiff
2 c. heavy cream, whipped with 1/4 c. sugar until stiff
1 T. Medaglia D’oro instant espresso dissolved in 1/4 c. warm water
1/2 c. Grand Marnier
4 egg yolks

Place chocolate and butter in slow double boiler and melt, stirring once or twice. Fold egg whites into whipped cream. Fold espresso, Grand Marnier, and egg yolks into cream mixture. Fold mixture into chocolate. Divide mousse into glasses or bowls and refrigerate for at least 12 hours to chill and set. Then cover with plastic wrap if needed for the next day. Garnish with seasoned whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Serves 8-12.