tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74983250127002705362024-03-05T19:10:15.963-08:00Long Island Forksfood blogging on the eastern end of Long IslandPatriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-16348368371089533622010-01-30T14:46:00.000-08:002010-02-11T08:31:04.246-08:00Lime Almond Squares<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJN4XSxD9EUtuoz9NE38SPgdV57bep9gvfP0tpeDwNuEayd1mZ9YGJpYV6bL9aylYJqMqvgzgo4PKG_xFw2k6GbgF-1R2dlmg428e5qCbwiHrLME80igRfjT_8wreJTzRnNX6HH8KZZU8/s1600-h/Lime2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJN4XSxD9EUtuoz9NE38SPgdV57bep9gvfP0tpeDwNuEayd1mZ9YGJpYV6bL9aylYJqMqvgzgo4PKG_xFw2k6GbgF-1R2dlmg428e5qCbwiHrLME80igRfjT_8wreJTzRnNX6HH8KZZU8/s400/Lime2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alot of people are passionate about lemon squares or lemon bars. It's understandable; the combination of tart, sweet, sort of gooey citrus filling and buttery, shortbread-like crust is good. Really good. There's almost nothing like the bright taste of a lemon bar to lift you out of the winter doldrums.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ALMOST nothing, because I have to inform you that this cookie is better. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's lime filling is not only a bit more unusual than lemon filling, but it has a more distinctive flavor and it stands up better to all the sugar in the filling and to the buttery crust. Plus the addition of toasted, slivered almonds to the crust not only adds another layer of flavor, but it also provides a nice crunch. Besides, this cookie happens to be one of my husband's favorites.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not sure where I got this recipe. I thought I got it from my mom, but when I asked her about it she claimed she got it from me. Regardless of its provenance (sorry about the lack of attribution), I promise you that lime almond squares will become one of your favorites too.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGW1f9ZaLsWqn-ojKB2D1KAlaL_Zo1zEa78Sw8JiijWsPrlyCwALmZg2qiKkRpbLaT13FPZPD8HIP039v_Ur5zMUftNX5nhoGhRs0H7cw5avUrjN3xg3PsuGXEB_N7yNXh6uylYgO06bM/s1600-h/lime3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGW1f9ZaLsWqn-ojKB2D1KAlaL_Zo1zEa78Sw8JiijWsPrlyCwALmZg2qiKkRpbLaT13FPZPD8HIP039v_Ur5zMUftNX5nhoGhRs0H7cw5avUrjN3xg3PsuGXEB_N7yNXh6uylYgO06bM/s400/lime3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lime Almond Squares</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Makes 16</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Crust</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup packed light brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6 tablespoons well chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Filling</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">3/4 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">3 tablespoons fresh lime juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 tablespoon grated lime zest</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1/2 teaspoon baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">pinch of salt</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Powdered sugar and lime curls, for garnish</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">For crust:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 8-inch baking pan with tin foil; butter foil. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2. Mix together flour, brown sugar and salt. Add butter and nuts, and blend together until a fine meal forms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">3. Press evenly into the bottom of the greased, foiled pan and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">For filling</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1. Blend together sugar, eggs,lime juice, lime zest, baking powder and salt until smooth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2. Pour filling onto hot crust and bake until filling is slightly browned and just springy to the touch, about 20 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">3. Cool completely. Lift foil from pan, peel off foil and cut into 16 squares. Dust with powder sugar and garnish with lime curls.</span>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-30087720532277471662010-01-02T08:48:00.000-08:002010-01-07T07:20:13.195-08:00Curried Butternut Squash Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirs4WDD6qg0KxvaJ-J26fTbHwv0XNNLvB7aMQgyIas9qD0NFp9iZQ7A87ct4YaGY4zpci9cqaipBuQmXB9XvEsRSzMZjH6qUbzRrLxfwoRSqD4YZjCvuo6gvx9ZS7iNIk-HGw1UJeQe3s/s1600-h/IMG_0895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirs4WDD6qg0KxvaJ-J26fTbHwv0XNNLvB7aMQgyIas9qD0NFp9iZQ7A87ct4YaGY4zpci9cqaipBuQmXB9XvEsRSzMZjH6qUbzRrLxfwoRSqD4YZjCvuo6gvx9ZS7iNIk-HGw1UJeQe3s/s400/IMG_0895.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's snowing (again) and I'm in the mood for soup. I first started experimenting with this recipe for curried butternut squash soup a couple of weeks ago, when a </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">ferocious blizzard buried us in 26 inches of snow. The roads were awful and my car looked like an igloo, so I made do with the rather limited supplies I had: butternut squash, an apple, onion parsnips and a load of pecans we had just picked up in Alabama driving home from Florida.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The first time I made this soup I used chicken broth and some cream, but when my vegan sister-in-law visited last week I left out the cream and substituted vegetable broth -- and the soup actually tasted better! The toasted pecans add a nice crunch and if you're looking for a touch of something creamy (and you're not vegan) garnish with a dollop of sour cream or, better yet, Boursin cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Curried Butternut Squash Soup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Serves 8</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2 smallish butternut squash, about 4 lbs. total</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">3 tablespoons olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 large onion, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2 parsnips, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 granny smith apple, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">4 tablespoons curry</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 tablespoon ground cumin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">6 cups or more vegetable broth (or chicken broth)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 cup toasted pecans, chopped for garnish</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sour cream or Boursin cheese (optional)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Peel, de-seed and chop butternut squash into one-inch cubes. Place squash in large bowl, drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add salt and pepper, and toss to coat squash. Spread squash on rimmed backing sheet and bake for about 45 minutes until easily pierced with a fork and slightly browned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2. In large pot, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, parsnips and apple and saute until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Mix in curry, cumin and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring now and then, an additional minute. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Add cooked squash and vegetable broth to the pot, mix and then bring to boil. Low heat to simmer and let cook at least 10 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">3. Using an immursion blender (or regular blender in batches) puree soup. Depending on your taste, you can leave the soup a bit chunky or puree smooth. (You may need to add additional broth or water if soup is too thick.) For an ultra smooth texture, strain puree. Add additional salt and/or pepper to taste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">4. Garnish with chopped, toasted pecans and/or a dollop of Bousin cheese or sour cream.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-Mf-uC9fy91VIR76zmX5pGfxRUBpKw4zEKzOfZYzqYhI68ZRuRZx1tY1CJG5T0X_Cun5bOpksOBk1CcyEbVRAxRS5NowRHuAvOn24FopCnnaabGKbds10xRv3ZKKyclbATQKVTP42ig/s1600-h/IMG_0870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-Mf-uC9fy91VIR76zmX5pGfxRUBpKw4zEKzOfZYzqYhI68ZRuRZx1tY1CJG5T0X_Cun5bOpksOBk1CcyEbVRAxRS5NowRHuAvOn24FopCnnaabGKbds10xRv3ZKKyclbATQKVTP42ig/s400/IMG_0870.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-57920158559663311612009-12-09T10:31:00.000-08:002009-12-09T10:39:14.776-08:00Momofuku's Ginger Scallion Noodles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUERhqFzybuRJYW1o2fFY34gHOUni1q4OMW_jP4x5tE1RupWv093ZgK2lPw1VGF-xjWi9zptGx5WqXOr8vA2_uFbRjuEWiwRQTd6HwuhAJtLeVzDZMitEBiLXux5UZY0z2gnH-s7Fh79Q/s1600-h/IMG_0733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" er="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUERhqFzybuRJYW1o2fFY34gHOUni1q4OMW_jP4x5tE1RupWv093ZgK2lPw1VGF-xjWi9zptGx5WqXOr8vA2_uFbRjuEWiwRQTd6HwuhAJtLeVzDZMitEBiLXux5UZY0z2gnH-s7Fh79Q/s200/IMG_0733.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IOuuTEf-COeX0m2uyFjssQPf44jvovPTzXKUicGdFgSx7pv0Z-gDdz5v3tK2Bxjuf0piTu2ahz3xT2OVAQiwJq4TyOKA6SAI8UIJ1n89vaA3Wh3vq1g9PcT-YS3xBf3qF4ytcE61l-4/s1600-h/IMG_0732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" er="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IOuuTEf-COeX0m2uyFjssQPf44jvovPTzXKUicGdFgSx7pv0Z-gDdz5v3tK2Bxjuf0piTu2ahz3xT2OVAQiwJq4TyOKA6SAI8UIJ1n89vaA3Wh3vq1g9PcT-YS3xBf3qF4ytcE61l-4/s200/IMG_0732.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I was looking through the New Books section in my local public library when I came upon a copy of the Momofuku cookbook. I snatched it from the shelf so fast I probably left a trail of smoke. Momofuku is a restaurant group based in New York City. The cookbook, written by chef David Chang with Peter Meehan, interweaves recipes from three of Momofuku's restaurants in the East Village (a fourth restaurant recently opened in midtown) with Chang's story.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Chang's tale of his not-so-smooth rise to award-winning chef is a great read and the book captures Chang's "badass" intense style (being a "badass" chef apparently involves heavy use of the adjective "fucking"). What I particularly admired was Chang's ability to turn things around when his restaurants were on the brink of failure, his passion and creativity, and his unerring commitment to quality.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The recipes in this book, however, are not exactly home cook friendly. There are two issues: first, many recipes are complex. For example, the "goal" of the "brick" chicken recipe "is to completely bone out a whole chicken and end up with two boneless halves," which are then made into a "brick" shape using transglutaminase or meat glue. (This explanation is abridged; the recipe runs three pages.) Another example is the 48-hour short rib recipe, which the authors note is "not a reasonable proposition for the home cook unless you are willing to buy a vacuum-sealing machine and fabricate a water circulator situation." Hey, I consider myself a reasonably adventurous cook, but vacuum-sealing machines and water circular situations are probably not in my future. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Second, many ingredients used in this cookbook are difficult to find, especially if you, like me, don't live in a city with a large Asian population (and lovely Asian groceries). And I know, as the book rather unhelpfully says in its sourcing section, if you're unfamiliar with an ingredient or can't find it, Google it (well duh). I just think it's generally impractical to order ingredients online to try a recipe.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">For these Ginger Scallion Noodles (among the book's most accessible to home cooks), I used regular soy sauce instead of usukuchi, a light soy sauce used often by Chang. After looking for usukuchi in four stores, I just gave up. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Surprisingly, I even had a difficult time finding sherry vinegar. For the noodles, I used lo mein instead of ramen (as it turns out Chang also initially used fresh lo mein before he found someone to make ramen to his specifications). Despite these<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> changes, the noodles were delicious and I will make them again, but, honestly, I probably won't be buying this cookbook.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Please don't get me wrong, I actually appreciate the fact that the recipes in this book are not home cook friendly. After all, when I go to a restaurant I generally like to order something I couldn't easily make at home. This book actually makes me want to eat at a Momofuku restaurant. Until then, I'll just settle for these noodles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ginger Scallion Noodles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Adapted, by neccessity, from Momofuku</span><br />
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2-1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts), about 2 bunches<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup finely minced, peeled ginger</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup grapeseed oil or other neutral oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1-1/2 tsp soy sauce (or usukuchi)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3/4 tsp sherry vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3/4 tsp kosher salt </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6 ounces noodles, such as ramen or lo mein (fresh if you can find it)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sliced scallions (optional garnish)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a bowl, mix scallions, ginger, oil, soy, vinegar and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Let stand 15 minutes before using. Refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature and stir before using. Makes about 3 cups.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">To put together dish, boil 6 ounces of noodles, drain and toss with 6 tablespoons of scallion-ginger sauce (above). Top the bowl with 1/4 cup each of bamboo shoots (below), quick-pickled cucumbers (below) and pan-roasted cauliflower (below). Garnish with chopped scallions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bamboo Shoots</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One 12-oz can sliced bamboo shoots, drained, rinsed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 splash each: grapeseed oil, Asian sesame oil, soy sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kosher salt, if needed<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For bamboo shoots, in small saucepan, combine bamboo shoots, grapeseed oil, sesame oil and soy sauce. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Taste; season with salt if needed. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 4 days. Reheat before adding to noodles.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Quick-Pickled Cucumbers</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 Kirby cucumbers, cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds (about 4 cups)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tbsp granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tsp kosher salt</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For quick-pickled cucumbers, in small mixing bowl, combine cucumbers, sugar and salt. Toss by hand to coat well. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate up to 4 hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pan-Roasted Cauliflower</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 small head of cauliflower</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 tablespoon grapeseed oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">salt to taste</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Divide cauliflower into florets. Heat oil in a hot wide pan, add florets and cook about 8 minutes over high heat, stirring occasionally,until florets are dotted with brown and cooked all the way through; season with salt.</span><br />
</span>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-61971681573876977342009-11-19T13:47:00.000-08:002009-11-19T13:48:35.243-08:00Celery Root & Roasted Garlic Puree<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMslGSswVKg0EVo_2K6aRr2yBErvLcaknp4mYdV_MtPGFBhJN1EhDtosGP1ZGWUc4zSw-Ilwx961M90zDsALbgnUa8CV95MOFTcePjvU1Wwn2C9YYNN7EBfJdkVKWxhevLbAXxTA-ruDQ/s1600/IMG_0717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMslGSswVKg0EVo_2K6aRr2yBErvLcaknp4mYdV_MtPGFBhJN1EhDtosGP1ZGWUc4zSw-Ilwx961M90zDsALbgnUa8CV95MOFTcePjvU1Wwn2C9YYNN7EBfJdkVKWxhevLbAXxTA-ruDQ/s400/IMG_0717.JPG" yr="true" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Celery root is not going to win any beauty contests. It'll never be voted most popular. In fact, when I picked up a couple of these gnarly knobs at my CSA I heard several people ask "what are these?" which was inevitably followed by "what do I do with it?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Celery root is actually a kind of misnomer. It is not the root of the much more common celery stalk. But celery root, also known as celeriac, is a member of the same family and it does have a similar flavor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The best thing about celery root is that it's really delicious. This puree is a great alternative to mashed potatoes. It would make a luxurious side next to a holiday turkey or even perhaps, even better, as a bed for braised meat. Short ribs or lamb shank anyone?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Cehl0uhCyFVP3yP0AUaiPONqHvnsA3qpNxPqCK9p2udWR94xENSw9C3EAtaAa2nA2qS-6ikVN1cX5vFLe18Xz4DP6fZ7KhsNQV85JYv9Orcbay39zqg-ULDEa1mNS5yi59iva_kPFAI/s1600/IMG_0722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Cehl0uhCyFVP3yP0AUaiPONqHvnsA3qpNxPqCK9p2udWR94xENSw9C3EAtaAa2nA2qS-6ikVN1cX5vFLe18Xz4DP6fZ7KhsNQV85JYv9Orcbay39zqg-ULDEa1mNS5yi59iva_kPFAI/s400/IMG_0722.JPG" yr="true" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Celery Root and Roasted Garlic Puree</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2 medium celery roots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1-1/2 cups chicken broth (low sodium preferably) or vegetable broth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1/2 cup heavy cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">3 tablespoons butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">4 cloves roasted garlic (or more or less to taste)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper to taste</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1. Simmer celery root and broth in saucepan until tender, about 15 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2. Transfer celery root, reserving liquid, to food processor or blender and puree with cream, butter and garlic -- adding reserved broth as needed for a smooth but not too runny texture. Salt and pepper to taste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Roasted Garlic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">From <a href="http://elise.com/recipes/archives/001712roasted_garlic.php">Simply Recipes</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 (or more) whole heads of garlic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2 teaspoons olive oil per head of garlic</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2. Remove the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Cut off 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the top of cloves with a knife to expose the individual cloves of garlic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">3. Place the garlic heads in a baking pan. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over each head and coat well using your fingers. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at for 30-35 minutes (cloves should feel soft when pressed).</span>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-30592935354410022602009-11-12T13:17:00.000-08:002009-11-12T13:19:13.303-08:00Pork Tenderloin with Creamed Corn and Apple-Cranberry Chutney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp4-ZeY-w4ahmLt5g995WzEva8_maZeQvjTgUVxkklFrUi8fhppO-GjrS1ZlctBKvS7bDq-fTwgTg9OlQgsPuZNsKlcSz5TCF3g_b5iqeYrIInaWK25Y4Is7l3c4iSFs0uiGmBbBCDnA/s1600-h/IMG_0699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sr="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp4-ZeY-w4ahmLt5g995WzEva8_maZeQvjTgUVxkklFrUi8fhppO-GjrS1ZlctBKvS7bDq-fTwgTg9OlQgsPuZNsKlcSz5TCF3g_b5iqeYrIInaWK25Y4Is7l3c4iSFs0uiGmBbBCDnA/s400/IMG_0699.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have really come to appreciate pork tenderloin. It's easy and quick to cook. It's tasty and it's economical. What more could you ask for?</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This recipe combines rich, creamy corn, savory herb-marinated pork and a sweet-spicy-tart fruit chutney in one exquisitely balanced bite. In the summer, I like to use fresh corn and cook the pork on the grill. But, to me, this dish has more of a cool weather vibe; maybe because it's a little heavier than typical summer fare or maybe it's the apple chutney. </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">A load of just-picked apples -- mine came after my mom went apple picking in Vermont -- presents the perfect excuse to make this in the fall. This recipe makes more apple-cranberry chutney than needed, but it won't go to waste. Use it with chicken or turkey or another cut of pork. </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Pork Tenderloin with Creamed Corn and Apple-Cranberry Chutney</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Adapted from Bon Appetit</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the pork:</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2/3 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped </span><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5 garlic cloves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 fresh rosemary sprigs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 shallots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3/4 cup olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 12- to 14-ounce pork tenderloins, trimmed</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the corn:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 tablespoons olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup chopped onion</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 garlic clove, minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 jalapeno pepper, minced (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons all purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1-1/2 to 2 cups whipping cream (or half cream, half half-and-half)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the pork, combine first 6 ingredients in processor and chop finely. Blend in oil. Transfer marinade to glass baking dish. Add pork tenderloins to marinade and turn to coat. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For creamed corn:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cook 1 cup corn kernels in boiling salted water until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain well and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken broth until mixture thickens and boils. Stir in cream. Bring mixture to simmer. Add remaining 5 cups of corn and simmer until mixture is thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer to processor and coarsely puree. Stir in 1 cup cooked corn kernels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Remove pork from marinade. Add pork to skillet and sauté until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast pork until a meat thermometer inserted into center registers 180°F, about 10 minutes (or more).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Apple-Cranberry Chutney</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups apple cider vinegar </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1-1/2 cups sugar </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 cups) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup dried cranberries </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5 whole cloves </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon salt </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger (or about 3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stir vinegar and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring until syrupy and reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add all remaining ingredients. Simmer until apples are tender, liquid is absorbed, and mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To put together: Bring corn to simmer. Spoon corn onto plates, dividing equally. Slice pork tenderloins and place atop corn, dividing equally. Top with Apple-Cranberry Chutney and serve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Serves six</span>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-36542772815202922202009-10-30T13:27:00.000-07:002009-11-20T13:02:30.834-08:00Tangerine Vanilla Loaf Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzj4jeNAUezGZZgEt98-9F5rSZ2dNc3_jfU0sj-y_nSld1uEX1bOggLL_Xk1hbvu-4yx454mEtVBo8PQ8CoJWakw3ej9du0Odk_nEZ4S-BWMNinTsxIu-A35y9wGd68DISvt1gmj15Ho/s1600-h/IMG_0674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzj4jeNAUezGZZgEt98-9F5rSZ2dNc3_jfU0sj-y_nSld1uEX1bOggLL_Xk1hbvu-4yx454mEtVBo8PQ8CoJWakw3ej9du0Odk_nEZ4S-BWMNinTsxIu-A35y9wGd68DISvt1gmj15Ho/s640/IMG_0674.JPG" vr="true" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's fall and many food blogs are featuring recipes made with apples and pears. While I too find apples and pears worthy inspiration at this time of year, autumn also brings to my mind other seasonal fruit -- citrus.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">You see, we lived in Florida for five years and October marks the start of the state's citrus harvest. Large trucks filled with juice oranges become a common sight on the highways and fruit stands are stacked high with several varieties of just-picked, juicy citrus. We luckily lived near a small private citrus grove, where we picked oranges, grapefruit, tangelos (a delicious cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit) and, my favorite, tangerines.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxAZoABaq0E63ywzdVocWamaLXe-JzjGgeALy4RDUpISQomEXB1BazLyJCISMVICkXsxc45cGsMlIeItdZwCIAggY-7xeTOh3J0mVyANJyOmqgXcAzX-g4DHzRlfcYjV35Eu2E0l-v00/s1600-h/tang2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxAZoABaq0E63ywzdVocWamaLXe-JzjGgeALy4RDUpISQomEXB1BazLyJCISMVICkXsxc45cGsMlIeItdZwCIAggY-7xeTOh3J0mVyANJyOmqgXcAzX-g4DHzRlfcYjV35Eu2E0l-v00/s200/tang2.jpg" vr="true" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tangerines, also known as mandarins, are smaller and sweeter than oranges, with a distinctive flavor. They also have looser skin than oranges, making them easier to peel -- and easier to eat. Freshly squeezed tangerine juice is totally luscious, great on its own or mixed with champagne (tangerine mimosa anyone?) I also like to use the juice in cooking. For example, a spritz in an Asian stir fry provides a nice twist. </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So when I saw this recipe for a quick bread using clementines, I instantly thought tangerines. I used five tangerines in total, but more may be needed depending on the size of the tangerines. I also substituted one vanilla bean (I only had one on hand) for a teaspoon of vanilla extract and it worked out fine. The bread, which I'm calling a loaf cake, is moist and full of tangerine flavor; a great afternoon snack with a cup of tea.</span><br />
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</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5u-DRX7NPWf4y7GdFLxh0IO7XNXGAcIfVUeIXQ19JJbysaZZACLOPlpM4K5hPFf9pU1_EkJItBQejN1uVtYtY-oXh1m1bhuo74bekJAXG-bPXVzy_xooFJOG8gqNrwB7FStXpdWxImIA/s1600-h/bread1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5u-DRX7NPWf4y7GdFLxh0IO7XNXGAcIfVUeIXQ19JJbysaZZACLOPlpM4K5hPFf9pU1_EkJItBQejN1uVtYtY-oXh1m1bhuo74bekJAXG-bPXVzy_xooFJOG8gqNrwB7FStXpdWxImIA/s640/bread1.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tangerine Vanilla Loaf Cake</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Adapted from Martha Stewart Living</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 tablespoon tangerine zest </span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">3/4 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice, divided</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2 tangerines, supremed* (for zest, juice and supremes about 5-6 tangerines total)</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">3/4 cup heavy cream</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 tablespoon vanilla extract</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pan</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1/4 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1/4 teaspoon baking powder</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing pan</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1-1/4 cups sugar</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2 vanilla beans, split and scraped</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2 large eggs</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an flour 9-by-5 inch loaf pan.</span><br />
</div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Mix together 1/4 cup tangerine juice, heavy cream and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking poder and salt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. With a mixer on medium, combine tangerine zest, butter, 1 cup of sugar and vanilla seeds (about 4 minutes). Add eggs one at a time. With mixer on low, add about a third of the flour mixture, then half of the cream mixture, another third of flour, the remaining cream and then the last of the flour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Fold in tangerine supremes and pour batter into loaf pan. Gently smooth top.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. Place loaf pan on rimmed baking sheet and bake 55-65 minutes or until tester comes out clean from center of loaf.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6. While loaf is baking, put 1/2 cup of tangerine juice and 1/4 cup of sugar in small sauce pan and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer forthree minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7. Remove loaf from oven. With a skewer, poke holes all over the top and brush with half the tangerine syrup. Allow loaf to cool about 15 minutes, remove from pan, and cool completely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8. Brush the rest of the tangerine syrup onto the sides and top (again) of loaf.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* To supreme the tangerines, use a small paring knife and slice off the top and bottom, to expose the pulp. Starting at the top, where the pith (white part) meets the pulp, slice off the skin following the curve of the fruit. When all the peel is removed, slice out each segment by cutting in towards the center of the fruit along the membranes. Remove the now supremed segments.<br />
</span>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-49412662149268930232009-09-24T07:05:00.000-07:002009-09-24T07:20:44.439-07:00Swiss Chard Ricotta Gnudi with Fall Mushrooms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTw6JIniEbmeWwQAJAD9tERyY1mBn1DuoHHmzDYlMvgVpXZB1cxFY1i-7A3989YiyBdbqANfsKYWom8agn9BPJykLZJM3aXznZzRN1_li2TP8H1u-k8UVlZFJ764J_nY1at-hgc000-AE/s1600-h/gnudi3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTw6JIniEbmeWwQAJAD9tERyY1mBn1DuoHHmzDYlMvgVpXZB1cxFY1i-7A3989YiyBdbqANfsKYWom8agn9BPJykLZJM3aXznZzRN1_li2TP8H1u-k8UVlZFJ764J_nY1at-hgc000-AE/s200/gnudi3.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been a Bon Appetit subscriber for longer than I can remember. Recently, there's been <a href="http://www.eatmedaily.com/2009/09/gourmet-and-bon-appetit-facing-frequency-reductions-and-streamlining/">talk</a> that Bon Appetit and its sister publication, Gourmet, may face reduced publishing schedules and "streamlining" due to a downturn in advertising revenues. This is a shame. I look forward to receiving Bon Appetit each month and I am frequently inspired by their recipes and photographs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Although I spend a good amount of time gaping at the photos, I realized that I rarely make any of the recipes. I mean, I mean to, but I just don't get around to it very often. So, I've decided to make at least one Bon Appetit recipe a month as a sort of show of support. This month I made Swiss Chard Ricotta Gnudi with Fall Mushrooms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This recipe had several things going for it as far as I was concerned. For one thing, I had just picked up a bunch of Swiss chard from my CSA and, for another, I have been making homemade ricotta cheese and this seemed like an ideal way to use it. But the gnudi were what really sold me on this recipe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Gnudi (pronounced nudie) means naked in Italian and, true to their name, they're like ravioli filling without the pasta. I adore gnocchi and gnudi are gnocchish (is that a word?), but gnudi are made with ricotta cheese instead of potatoes and are more delicate and creamy than gnocchi.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Actually, gnudi are easier to make than gnocchi, although they do need to be refrigerated overnight, which makes this a plan-ahead recipe. The gnudi are served with sauteed mushrooms and a reduced chicken broth -- both easy to make -- although I probably should have reduced the broth more. Overall, though, this recipe was a tasty success and I plan to use it as a base to experiment with gnudi. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Swiss Chard Gnudi with Fall Mushrooms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/MAGAZINE/2009/10/SWISS_CHARD_RICOTTA_GNUDI_WITH_FALL_MUSHROOMS">From Bon Appetit</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Serves 6</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 pound Swiss chard, stem ends trimmed </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup coarsely chopped shallot (about 1 large) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 large egg </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup all purpose flour plus additional for shaping dumplings </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6 cups low-salt chicken broth </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 shallots, thickly sliced </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 pound assorted wild mushrooms (such as shiitake, chanterelle, and crimini), stems trimmed and reserved, caps thinly sliced </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, divided </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kosher salt </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To prepare gnudi:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Cut chard leaves from each side of center stem. Cut stems into matchstick-size strips. Cover and refrigerate stems for sauce. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Cook chard leaves in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain; cool. Squeeze chard leaves until very dry; place in processor. Using on/off turns, finely chop chard. Add ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, shallot, egg, coarse salt, pepper, and nutmeg; process to blend. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup flour; stir to blend. Cover and refrigerate dough overnight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To prepare broth:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. In large saucepan, bring chicken broth, sliced shallots, and mushroom stems to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is reduced to 3 cups, about 35 to 40 minutes (after 40 minutes I still had more than 3 cups). Strain and discard solids. Return broth to saucepan. (The broth can be made 1 day ahead. Just cover and chill, then rewarm before continuing.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; add sliced mushroom caps. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; sauté until mushrooms are tender and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add reserved thinly sliced chard stems and sauté until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. (The mushrooms and chard stems can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">3. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon some flour onto large plate. Working in batches, drop heaping teaspoonfuls gnudi dough onto plate with flour to form about 36 gnudi. Using floured hands, gently shape each into 1 1/2-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick oval. Tap off excess flour; transfer gnudi to prepared baking sheet. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Bring large wide pot of salted water to boil. Slide gnudi into pot; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot broth. Season broth to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6. Divide mushrooms and chard stems among 6 bowls. Add broth, dividing equally (about 1/2 cup each). Using slotted spoon, divide gnudi among bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywMTmoLVZnbuNwXJOkOPcltx8Pv5SMw-R77tLuVk-lzl37mbswvyv54T5uXkvmIWejZU8QOFnVK4porh2ioWOSx9bUgak6B8dd5pO93OuD8Nhg77Y7jE-qHPz5YY2sFSgVB-proCcKWQ/s1600-h/gnudi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywMTmoLVZnbuNwXJOkOPcltx8Pv5SMw-R77tLuVk-lzl37mbswvyv54T5uXkvmIWejZU8QOFnVK4porh2ioWOSx9bUgak6B8dd5pO93OuD8Nhg77Y7jE-qHPz5YY2sFSgVB-proCcKWQ/s400/gnudi2.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-10446307063676384712009-09-20T09:22:00.000-07:002009-09-20T09:37:57.575-07:00Cherry Tomato & Three Cheeses Tart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaS78aKIf1AvQj9Yw1zKrFnQoxf-2QJ_FcpKSUd5jIAqBD3MJW-87Ta-9y3lSTDoHjPb4YYsSIsY-JTePJhPJjHFOeRy94GAuG79g9wkhfFDnYfLknriesdwfdBd7-XTKFhcioO54c8k/s1600-h/IMG_0495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mq="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaS78aKIf1AvQj9Yw1zKrFnQoxf-2QJ_FcpKSUd5jIAqBD3MJW-87Ta-9y3lSTDoHjPb4YYsSIsY-JTePJhPJjHFOeRy94GAuG79g9wkhfFDnYfLknriesdwfdBd7-XTKFhcioO54c8k/s400/IMG_0495.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Every year our garden has a "star," that one plant or group of plants that produces an abundance (or over abundance) of gorgeous vegetables. One year it was the bell pepper, we ate peppers stuffed every which way and ended up with jars of roasted, marinated peppers. Another year it was yellow squash. We snuck squash into nearly every dish we made and took squash wherever we went to give away. Still another year, it was tomatillos -- they grew like weeds and I still can't figure out why they're priced in stores like some rare commodity. Then there was the year of the Jerusalem artichokes. We had so many, my husband finally just refused to eat them.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This year our garden star is the cherry tomato. For the last three weeks, we've been harvesting about a pint a day of Sweet 100s, Yellow Pears and, my favorite, the orange Sun Gold cherry. These babies are so easy to use up. They make great snacks on their own; sauteed in a little olive oil and garlic, and you've got a tasty pasta sauce. But I wanted to find other ways to use them, so came up with my <a href="http://longislandforks.blogspot.com/2009/08/borlotti-bean-salad.html">borlotti bean salad</a> and I made this appealing and delicious tart.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And it's so, so easy. I made it more complicated by making my own ricotta cheese (which is also easy and so good) using <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000282.html">this recipe</a>, and I suppose you could really do it up and make your own puff pastry, but I'm not there yet. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2buYkxaJ_cCE1LnsM4EnC9FfZ4NHeTRsd7v8LN-NmHQmBYMPToRNCjD54SGNPcSKioKZGz2cmGzGvQcwnG9_tjR17vKfbtjI-2jWbW9iWVn3ktXywdpG3PAOfE1nkwYFo5S-Rdj_GlEg/s1600-h/IMG_0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mq="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2buYkxaJ_cCE1LnsM4EnC9FfZ4NHeTRsd7v8LN-NmHQmBYMPToRNCjD54SGNPcSKioKZGz2cmGzGvQcwnG9_tjR17vKfbtjI-2jWbW9iWVn3ktXywdpG3PAOfE1nkwYFo5S-Rdj_GlEg/s320/IMG_0489.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cherry Tomato and Three Cheese Tart</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1 sheet puff pastry, thawed if frozen</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1/4 cup ricotta cheese</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons pesto sauce</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">About a pint of cherry tomatoes</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Olive oil</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Chopped fresh basil, for garnish</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 375F.<br />
</span><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Gently roll out puff pastry on lightly floured surface to even out. With a knife, score (don’t cut all the way through) a half inch border around the outside of the pastry as if making a frame. Place scored puff pastry on a parchment-lined or lightly oiled baking sheet. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Drain any excess liquid from the ricotta cheese. In medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, gorgonzola and pesto. Mix well. Spread cheese mixture evenly on puff pastry inside of border.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and place cut side up, tightly side by side, inside border. Drizzle tomatoes lightly with olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and top with parmesan cheese. Brush 1/2-inch pastry border lightly with olive oil.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until pastry is puffed and golden. Let tart cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Serves 4</span>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-4176305538849405262009-09-15T07:43:00.000-07:002009-09-22T14:39:00.864-07:00Fresh Peach Ice Cream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAq3NPaXAfhFnJNHiVals3F4kufnJmCW9xVroWvk1LwjWNQU7YJWaEm099T3dUv3bU1tSZf8wMKUCZpsVJXo2WTmW6MdHfeqn8wjE008CTCZCN6I4dFkXHCZdpjA2LKNDYK0dGDvbqfno/s1600-h/IMG_0478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mq="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAq3NPaXAfhFnJNHiVals3F4kufnJmCW9xVroWvk1LwjWNQU7YJWaEm099T3dUv3bU1tSZf8wMKUCZpsVJXo2WTmW6MdHfeqn8wjE008CTCZCN6I4dFkXHCZdpjA2LKNDYK0dGDvbqfno/s400/IMG_0478.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>T<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">he "season" may be over here on Long Island, but as far as I'm concerned summer doesn't end until September 21. So, I'm still churning out ice cream (as if it needs to be summer to make ice cream...I think not.) </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My latest ice cream inspiration is the fresh local peach. These local peaches -- still available at farm stands -- are so juicy and sweet that I've been looking for any excuse to eat them. I eat them with yogurt and honey for breakfast. I conjured up a kind of upside down caramelized peach cheesecake and actually attempted to reproduce this dream dessert, which is, how can I say this, still a work in progress. And I made a few batches of peach ice cream.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I made a few batches, because I wanted the ice cream to be really peachy. Several recipes I reviewed didn't use very many peaches or obscured the peaches with other flavors. I wanted pure peach and this recipe I concocted delivers.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Fresh Peach Ice Cream</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups cream </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups whole milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup sugar </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 egg yolks </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 teaspoons vanilla</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 pound peaches </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon rum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Juice of one lemon </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Whisk the the cream and milk together with the sugar in a saucepan and heat just until bubbles form around the edges. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks thoroughly. Temper with about a cup of hot cream mixture. Whisk then add back to the rest of the cream mixture. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Cook over medium heat, stirring steadily, until the custard reaches 170 degrees F and coats the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil. Stir in the vanilla, cover and put in the fridge to cool overnight. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Remove pits from peaches and peel. Chop the half of the peaches into 1/4 inch pieces and puree the other half in a food processor or blender. Combine the pureed and chopped peaches, and stir in the 1/4 cup of sugar, rum, and lemon juice. Put in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Simmer for about 5-7 minutes, until slightly reduced and shiny. Refrigerate overnight. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. Run the cream mixture through the ice cream machine for about 30 minutes. Toward the end, pour in the cold peach mixture or fold in by hand, if necessary. Freeze for at least four hours before serving. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Makes about 2 quarts.</span>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-38102462272323537372009-09-03T12:41:00.000-07:002009-09-03T12:41:54.603-07:00Thai Fried Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzyxmBKk7FBWaOKLjL0M-BT4KtioJSgPuS9_pJZt0zvMRRzDLvzNWnnAikXxqSYbzqFFyTY229y4LLywU1pvxobq2ygoY7QNJYLDp1qEQVnUutMsPtgMOdD3OjLYDWKAICOZCreXUskU/s1600-h/chick2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" lk="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzyxmBKk7FBWaOKLjL0M-BT4KtioJSgPuS9_pJZt0zvMRRzDLvzNWnnAikXxqSYbzqFFyTY229y4LLywU1pvxobq2ygoY7QNJYLDp1qEQVnUutMsPtgMOdD3OjLYDWKAICOZCreXUskU/s400/chick2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I not sure what inspired me to tackle a this recipe for Thai fried chicken. I can't remember the last time I fried a chicken or even ate fried chicken. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I blame it on geography. I live in the northeast, where fried chicken isn't exactly as popular as it is in the south. My mother never made it (about as close as she got was Shake n' Bake and that does not count) and growing up I don't recall my friends eating fried chicken at home.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Plus all that hot oil makes me nervous; I was convinced I'd knock over the frying pan and start a grease fire. And speaking of grease, fried chicken isn't particularly the first thing that comes to mind when I think about healthy, low calorie eating.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nevertheless, I got over my phobias when I saw <a href="http://food.theatlantic.com/abroad/better-than-southern-fried-chicken.php">this article</a> on the Atlantic Food Channel. It sounded so good: spicy, crunchy Thai fried chicken. And it was good, with a zippy, crisp, golden crust encircling juicy, perfectly cooked chicken. I made both thighs and legs, but I'll probably use just thighs next time. Some of the article's commentors found it difficult to find cilantro root and used more stems instead, but I often buy cilantro in the grocery store with the root attached and I'm pleased to discover they can be used. For dipping, I used A Taste of Thai's Garlic Chili Pepper Sauce (I couldn't find Sriracha sauce).</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" lk="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXygqGfeGDkf15B2q_hLz5jDSfC-udASLZ7OKmYmrfSwJ8QYWClOupEnRKtxhW062AD6y59AJLPoZOO17QO7gHMXxgwHX-fAmLmSXP4rPunPXtGOHEc-EKauJmmNFrkm7WnO7o8PUb6pc/s400/chickclose.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 lbs. chicken, thighs, legs or wings</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 large cilantro roots, scraped clean and finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5 cilantro stems, finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1-1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7 cloves garlic, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon fish sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7 tablespoons rice flour (I found rice flour made by Goya)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3/4 cup chicken </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Oil for frying</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Garlic Chili Pepper sauce, Sriracha sauce or Thai sweet chili sauce, for dipping</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1. Place cilantro stems and roots and peppercorns in mortar and pestle and pound into a paste (or place in food processor to make paste). Add garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and keep pounding into a fine paste.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2. Put paste in large bowl, stir in fish sauce and chicken stock. Gradually add rice flour, stirring, to make a smooth wet batter.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">3. Add chicken to batter, coat all pieces well and marinate in refridgerator overnight. (Can marinate for as little as two hours, but longer is better.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">4. Remove chicken from refridgerator and allow it to reach room temperature. Heat oil (I used canola) to 350 to 375 degrees F and fry chicken about 10 minutes each side until golden brown.</span>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-2264417345224982692009-08-22T12:10:00.000-07:002009-09-03T21:11:42.973-07:00Long Island Crab & Corn Cakes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSR_6viDOtjxH5bw1TIuWPZ5CPjHTpohmAs-BwpAa4o4qGP9n3e8Sf5p8GViPahk9bM1kX4vOKzxyOjrNQUgq3zwisPbaNy9bL2ZebZ-EbOdoE0YFk_z54p3lN8lKuFs32JOrJuECmGP4/s1600-h/IMG_0290.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372867852419736242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSR_6viDOtjxH5bw1TIuWPZ5CPjHTpohmAs-BwpAa4o4qGP9n3e8Sf5p8GViPahk9bM1kX4vOKzxyOjrNQUgq3zwisPbaNy9bL2ZebZ-EbOdoE0YFk_z54p3lN8lKuFs32JOrJuECmGP4/s400/IMG_0290.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Whenever the topic is crabs -- or crab cakes—the state of Maryland comes to mind. But Maryland isn’t the only place to catch crabs, there’s plenty of blue crabs in the bays of Long Island and the season here is in full swing.<br />
<br />
I like to go crabbing in the evening, when blue crabs swim to the surface and can be lured in toward a net with a flashlight. During the day, we toss in a line with bait (usually chicken) and wait for a tug to reel them in. And what do I do with them? After boiling the crabs and carefully picking the meat out of the shells, I make crab cakes.<br />
<br />
This is my favorite recipe; it combines crabmeat and another seasonal Long Island treat -- corn. These two ingredients really work together well. There’s no need to catch your own crab, crabmeat from a fishmonger or canned crabmeat both work well. Serve them with some <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tartar-Sauce-5891">homemade tartar sauce</a>.<br />
<br />
1 shallot, minced<br />
2 tablespoons butter<br />
1 ear of fresh corn<br />
16 ounces lump crabmeat<br />
¾ to 1 cup fresh bread crumbs*<br />
1 egg<br />
2 tablespoons mayonnaise<br />
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard<br />
1 tablespoon lemon juice<br />
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning<br />
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce<br />
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro<br />
Vegetable oil, for cooking<br />
<br />
1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in small frying pan over low heat. Add shallots and cook until shallots are translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.<br />
2. Steam corn or cook corn in boiling water about 4 minutes. Cool and remove kernels. Combine corn and crabmeat in large bowl. Add bread crumbs and mix lightly, trying to keep lumps of crabmeat intact.<br />
3. In a medium bowl, mix together egg, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, Old Bay and Worcestershire sauce. Mix in shallots and cilantro.<br />
4. Pour egg mixture into crabmeat and gently combine. Divide mixture into about 6-8 portions and flatten into thick patties. Place in freezer for about 30 minutes to set.<br />
5. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and a little vegetable oil, enough to coat the bottom of a large frying pan, over medium heat. Add crab cakes, in batches if necessary (do not crowd otherwise they will be difficult to flip) and sauté until golden brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Serve immediately.<br />
<br />
*For breadcrumbs, can use about 5 inches of french bread. Slice as if making a sandwich and scrape out (or pinch out) white portion, leaving crusts.Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-18658129409034396782009-08-18T12:56:00.000-07:002009-09-22T14:40:10.365-07:00Borlotti Bean Salad<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLqCY4DajVw0-3C0WNXaoVzi3up3j0bv1wUJV_RR1Bkf_3UFObyV1aYGM5CLHH4uiFcpiu0YwvFOwjeoAK_pLP7UIhMc-I9Cyk3XaDTR2ZvuarZfZbEBKOcoBOG5Fx4Hrbyyn_Bln9dk/s1600-h/IMG_0267.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371414218082500482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLqCY4DajVw0-3C0WNXaoVzi3up3j0bv1wUJV_RR1Bkf_3UFObyV1aYGM5CLHH4uiFcpiu0YwvFOwjeoAK_pLP7UIhMc-I9Cyk3XaDTR2ZvuarZfZbEBKOcoBOG5Fx4Hrbyyn_Bln9dk/s400/IMG_0267.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>My husband has this habit of buying mystery fruit and vegetables. When he brings these unknown items home, we have a conversation that goes something like this:<br />
<br />
<div>Me: What's this?<br />
Him: It's a bean (or fruit or something equally obvious and unhelpful.)<br />
</div><div>Me: Well, what kind of bean?<br />
</div><div>Him: I'm not sure (or "I forgot.")<br />
</div><div>Me: So, what are you going to do with it?<br />
</div><div>Him: I don't know.<br />
</div><br />
<div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKG7W6ZgvdYWckqAxNMBEwLElAYTdbxU354g5jcj_daXP7CMQhVh6Xo_tD1Qgth-I21PXGAFFYixHuQ3kpUFreMHKBbd64oudyq9gTPSW5pW2JdtZtN15COC3m1w3zyj8fOP7HtQdc1o/s1600-h/borlotti+beans.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371415496051215298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKG7W6ZgvdYWckqAxNMBEwLElAYTdbxU354g5jcj_daXP7CMQhVh6Xo_tD1Qgth-I21PXGAFFYixHuQ3kpUFreMHKBbd64oudyq9gTPSW5pW2JdtZtN15COC3m1w3zyj8fOP7HtQdc1o/s200/borlotti+beans.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 165px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a> <br />
<div>Yesterday he picked up a bunch of fresh, shelled, what-turned-out-to-be Borlotti beans. These tannish beans with pink splotches, about the size of kidney beans, are sometimes called cranberry beans. They're popular in Italy and Portugal, and no wonder -- their nutty flavor is delicious.<br />
</div><br />
<div></div><div>After finding out how long Borlotti beans need to cook, I came up with this salad recipe that includes roasted cherry tomatoes (the first big batch from my garden), sundried tomatoes, and a red wine vinaigrette with pesto. There was only one problem: I didn't make enough. This totally tasty recipe can easily be doubled.<br />
</div><br />
<div></div><div><em>For roasted cherry tomatoes:</em><br />
</div><div>1 pint cherry tomatoes<br />
</div><div>1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
</div><div>1 large garlic clove, minced<br />
</div><div>Kosher salt, to taste<br />
</div><div>Freshly ground black pepper, to taste<br />
</div><div></div><br />
<div>Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. In medium bowl, mix tomatoes, olive oil and garlic. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet or pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 45 minutes, then set aside and let cool.<br />
</div><br />
<div></div><div><em>For Borlotti beans:</em><br />
</div><div>2 cups fresh, shelled Borlotti beans<br />
</div><div>1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
</div><div>1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced<br />
</div><div>1 cup water<br />
</div><div>1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper<br />
</div><div>Salt, to taste<br />
</div><br />
<div>Over medium-low heat, cook sliced garlic and olive oil until garlic is fragrant, about a minute, Stir in Borlotti beans to coat in oil. Add water and pepper and simmer, covered, until beans are soft but not falling apart, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, salt to taste. Using slotted spoon, transfer beans into large bowl and cool.<br />
</div><div>-<br />
</div><em>For the salad:</em><br />
Roasted cherry tomatoes<br />
Cooked Borlotti beans<br />
1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes<br />
1 tablespoon chopped basil<br />
Red wine vinaigrette, to taste (recipe below)<br />
<br />
In bowl with beans, add roasted tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, chopped basil and enough vinaigrette to coat (or to taste, I probably used less than half amount below.) Toss well and serve. Adjust seasonings.<br />
-<br />
<em>For red wine vinaigrette:</em><br />
1/4 cup red wine vinegar<br />
1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
1 teaspoon honey<br />
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste<br />
1/2 cup olive oil<br />
1 generous tablespoon pesto<br />
<br />
Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil and then the pesto.Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-66601099417039826002009-08-14T13:31:00.000-07:002010-07-18T18:11:55.902-07:00Asian Soba Noodle Salad<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FmowqwagpiFQ9S83ULRk_bA7AB8DoQc-wh-UvtACFDVJhHQqcyE7raXfojG1WZ4SGDT-bTGn1HmvNWJQXMJQZW5cuIbtQNDtny2AT8Ry1RRHIc3SpIy9AdM-583fi6GowYExl4yJckA/s1600-h/noodles1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369920147752388402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FmowqwagpiFQ9S83ULRk_bA7AB8DoQc-wh-UvtACFDVJhHQqcyE7raXfojG1WZ4SGDT-bTGn1HmvNWJQXMJQZW5cuIbtQNDtny2AT8Ry1RRHIc3SpIy9AdM-583fi6GowYExl4yJckA/s400/noodles1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 351px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Sometimes I think I could eat something every day and never get tired of it. This summer, this salad featuring soba noodles, Napa cabbage and a really tasty Asian-inspired dressing, is one of those dishes.<br />
<br />
I’m a big fan of soba noodles, skinny Japanese noodles made from buckwheat. I’m also a fan of Napa cabbage, a light, crunchy cabbage that is ubiquitous in Chinese stir fries. And it’s a good thing, because we recently had somewhat of a Napa cabbage crisis: A friend gave use several heads of cabbage the same week our CSA delivered a head.<br />
<br />
My husband’s solution to this crisis was kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish made by fermenting cabbage and other vegetables. We used this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hH-ePIcFl8">YouTube video</a> to make the kimchi and it turned out great (although I am still humming the background music.) I have to say that, for me, it was an entirely unique way of preparing food. It also called for ingredients I’ve never used, like sweet rice flour and garlic chives. Who knew?<br />
<br />
I, on the other hand, knew exactly what to do with the cabbage: Make this salad. It’s perfect for lunch or a light summer supper. I think it would also work well as a side dish with grilled meat.<br />
<br />
<em>For the salad:</em><br />
3-4 ounces snap peas or snow peas (one big handful), blanched 3 minutes<br />
1 bunch soba noodles (they usually come packaged in 3 or 4 separate bunches), cooked about 5 minutes, drained and rinsed under cold water<br />
Half head napa cabbage (depending on its size and your taste) halved lengthwise and sliced in thin ribbons.<br />
3 scallions, cut in 1/4 inch slices, including green part<br />
1/2 cucumber (or one small cucumber), chopped 1/4 pieces<br />
1 red peppers, cut in quarters lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 wide ribbons or julienned<br />
1 carrot, made into ribbons with a peeler or julienned<br />
1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped<br />
A handful of sprouts (optional)<br />
A handful peanuts (optional)<br />
<br />
Mix all ingredients well in large bowl and toss with dressing.<br />
<br />
<em>For the dressing:</em>1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil<br />
4 tablespoons olive oil<br />
3 tablespoons soy sauce<br />
Juice of half of one lime<br />
5 tablespoons brown sugar<br />
1 clove garlic, minced<br />
1 jalepeno pepper, minced<br />
1-1/2 tablespoons ginger, minced<br />
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped<br />
<br />
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well or combine all ingredients in a tupperware type container, cover, and shake to combine.<br />
<br />
Makes 2 generous main coursesPatriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-11873105986016277852009-08-11T20:00:00.000-07:002009-09-22T14:42:16.577-07:00Pasta with Feta Cheese, Spinach and Sundried Tomatoes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5v3ckUTAiO-QPRHB_waOzeQEifmOldIFDH_JqIKrrok30cMN1VHiiU-0sLn34hqlSqX2O6wWqTWz6O2j02G3y0GgptoWh-8Oa6EL7DKrhQ8U_QnRB6nEugBcG-azOBzKYeyv3iszvzA/s1600-h/curley.pasta.feta2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368907229888299250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5v3ckUTAiO-QPRHB_waOzeQEifmOldIFDH_JqIKrrok30cMN1VHiiU-0sLn34hqlSqX2O6wWqTWz6O2j02G3y0GgptoWh-8Oa6EL7DKrhQ8U_QnRB6nEugBcG-azOBzKYeyv3iszvzA/s400/curley.pasta.feta2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 257px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<div>We’re having a heat wave here, with record high temperatures and stagnant, sultry air . In this weather, my strategy for cooking is simple: spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. <br />
</div><div>-<br />
</div><div></div><div>This recipe exemplifies the laziness of summer. Crumbled feta and grated parmesan cheeses are simply folded into hot pasta, then combined with a flavorful mixture of sautéed spinach, onions, garlic and sundried tomatoes. I used campelle, but other types of pasta that hold sauce well -- such as orecchiette, gemelli or fusilli -- will also work well.<br />
</div><div>-<br />
</div><div></div><div>2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling<br />
</div><div>1/2 medium-large onion, finely chopped<br />
</div><div>4 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
</div><div>1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes<br />
</div><div>1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes (or more to taste)<br />
</div><div>1 6-7 oz. bag of baby spinach<br />
</div><div>1 lb. box pasta, such as campanelle<br />
</div><div>1 cup crumbled feta cheese<br />
</div><div>1 cup parmesan cheese, coarsely grated<br />
</div><div>1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper<br />
</div><div>salt, to taste<br />
</div><div>-<br />
</div><div></div><div>1. In large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add chopped onions. Saute onions, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add red pepper flakes and sundried tomatoes, stir. Then add spinach, cooking until spinach is wilted. Set aside.<br />
</div><div>-<br />
</div><div></div><div>2. Cook pasta as instructed, drain and place hot pasta in large bowl. Add feta and parmesan cheeses and mix well, allowing cheeses to melt. Fold in spinach mixture, pepper and salt. Drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with parmesan cheese.<br />
</div><div>-<br />
</div><div></div><div>Serves 4<br />
</div><div></div><div></div>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-29498461872970279492009-08-09T08:00:00.000-07:002009-08-09T20:27:33.416-07:00Mud Pie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrGM8jjajh-U-tbYXTU26G0c2p9M-BMyfoiyPGOTa5DbgMb8T8BRxjfJ3vEzF6e8FP0lQXvKygHo7f3g1QZcbAHgA_MEbMDyCZzF1rJJsATWXffOvKfn_hHekpIzEL2lo7puiai6fJDk/s1600-h/MudPie.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368021398637391186" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 302px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrGM8jjajh-U-tbYXTU26G0c2p9M-BMyfoiyPGOTa5DbgMb8T8BRxjfJ3vEzF6e8FP0lQXvKygHo7f3g1QZcbAHgA_MEbMDyCZzF1rJJsATWXffOvKfn_hHekpIzEL2lo7puiai6fJDk/s320/MudPie.jpg" border="0" /></a> I don't know for sure if mud pie originated in Mississippi (and apparently either does <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_mud_pie">anyone else</a>), but I do know it's one of my husband's favorite desserts. He used to get his mud pie fix from Starbucks, which, for an all-too-brief while, made a sort of ice cream sandwich version that was really great. I still search grocery freezer sections for their mud pies, but I haven't seen them for more than a year. So, when my husband's birthday came around last week, I decided to make a mud pie.<br /><br />This recipe, based on one my mom used to make, is an ice cream pie as opposed to a gooey chocolate-filled pie also called mud pie. My mom made it the easy way; she just bought already-made coffee ice cream and chocolate sauce, adding kahlua to the sauce, then made a pie crust and put it together. Still in the midst of ice cream-making mania, I decided to make everything from scratch, but, to be honest, next time I'll probably skip the homemade ice cream and just mix in a couple of tablespoons of kahlua into a softened pint of Haagen-Dazs.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368169126530051826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1RSbf_XdS33bWxUltao5rLFlJnEYQ6ggZ6ID7ZClLpeyYY7ACjpy-_wSSPsS6YYOuB9bAIuuuUuzIaKKHjt35xyMUU55rfhupsiUTNeTrN5bS35DEsssPIlTRH8RbssCeyv-T1f_grY/s400/MudPie-divein.jpg" border="0" /><br />Mud Pie<br /><br /><p><em>For the crust:</em><br />1-1/4 cup chocolate wafer crumbs<br />1/4 cup melted butter</p><p><em>For the fudge sauce:<br /></em>1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped pieces<br />1/2 cup heavy cream<br />3 tablespoons butter<br />1 tablespoon kahlua</p><p><em>For the coffee ice cream filling:<br /></em>3/4 cup sugar<br />3 large egg yolks<br />2 teaspoons all purpose flour<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />1 cup whole milk<br />3/4 cup dark-roasted coffee beans<br />1-3/4 cups heavy cream<br />1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />1/4 teaspoon finely grinded espresso powder<br />1 tablespoon kahlua</p><p>1. <em>Crust:</em> Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine chocolate wafers and butter, stir until well blended. Press into 9-inch pie pan and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely. </p><p>2. <em>Fudge Sauce:</em> Combine in a bowl over hot (not boiling) water 1-1/2 C chocolate chips, heavy cream, and butter. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Remover from heat, stir in kahlua or other coffee liquor. Chill 10 minutes. Spread 1/3 cup sauce on bottom of chocolate wafer crust. Chill 15 minutes. Reserve remaining fudge sauce for the top of the pie.</p><p>3. <em>Coffee Ice Cream:</em> Combine Milk and coffee beans in a heavy saucepan and heat over medium heat to a simmer. Pour hot mixture into a bowl, cover and set aside for an hour. In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat sugar and egg yolks until mixture is thick and pale yellow, about four minutes. Beat flour and salt into egg mixture. Reheat coffee mixture until bubbles form at the side, remove from heat and remove coffee beans from milk with slotted spoon. Slowly pour hot milk into eggs, whisking constantly, to temper eggs. Pour entire mixture back into the saucepan and place over low heat, whisking constantly until custard thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Do not boil. Remove from heat and pour coffee cusard through a strainer into a large bowl. Cool 5 minutes, then mix in cream, vanilla, espresso powder and kahlua. Chill, covered, at least 4 hours. Stir and freeze in ice cream machine according to manufacturer instructions. When done, pour ice cream into pie crust and freeze until hard. Remove from freezer and cover with remaining fudge sauce. Return to freezer until set. </p>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-2692398831790435972009-08-06T07:28:00.000-07:002009-08-18T06:50:47.628-07:00Ginger Margaritas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVj1c1_NC0vt-bv2YEy8xpShT90Cohv7-qPbUSSQp8jnAJyruWblK_Gs6ZfZZHdG10DBzLcdmjjuFJruUqRxrFKTEOKpM-0GDQSkypZ3iGBP30Ef9HcMlVlmEgLEafVXsySs_38RcISM/s1600-h/IMG_0180.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371300283373031938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 290px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVj1c1_NC0vt-bv2YEy8xpShT90Cohv7-qPbUSSQp8jnAJyruWblK_Gs6ZfZZHdG10DBzLcdmjjuFJruUqRxrFKTEOKpM-0GDQSkypZ3iGBP30Ef9HcMlVlmEgLEafVXsySs_38RcISM/s320/IMG_0180.JPG" border="0" /></a>A couple of weeks ago I went to Spice Market restaurant in New York City. We had a great meal, but days later I'm not thinking about the food I ate there (sorry, Jean-Georges Vongerichten), I'm obsessing about this cocktail. It may be because summer is finally in full swing here on Long Island, with high temperatures and high humidity, and it's hard to get inspired about cooking or even eating (shock!) meals. The idea of sitting on my porch with this cold, refreshing, slightly spicy margarita, though, is quite appealing. <div><div><div><div><div>-</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367268158251139042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 199px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpj9N_OSbP1aJ1MUZ3JV56_iKPDzAczggmue1se1KbK1oAh_M4j4-JTR9t4xEQAicxxt2U7UBQQcyefmerEDxHX3r0qpRX8gRMUbSNeF9IZsjyoTK6kMKaMZmGP9bHQ9M2ZT8-3OgrkH8/s400/IMG_0170.JPG" border="0" /> -<br /><div>Ginger Margarita<br />Spice Market via Food & Wine </div><div>-</div><div><em>For a single serving:</em></div><div>1 teaspoon ground ginger </div><div>2 teaspoons kosher salt </div><div>Ice </div><div>3 tablespoons añejo tequila </div><div>1 1/2 tablespoons Ginger-Lime Syrup (recipe below)</div><div>1 tablespoon Cointreau </div><div>1 teaspoon fresh lime juice </div><div>1 lime wedge, for garnish </div><div>-</div><div>1. Mix the ground ginger and salt on a plate. Moisten the rim of a margarita glass with water and dip the rim in the ginger salt to coat. </div><br /><div>2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the tequila, Ginger-Lime Syrup, Cointreau and lime juice and shake well. Strain the drink into the margarita glass, garnish with the lime wedge and serve. </div><div>-</div><div><em>For a pitcher:</em></div><div>2 teaspoons ground ginger<br />4 teaspoons kosher salt<br />Ice<br />16 ounces añejo tequila<br />4 ounces Ginger-Lime Syrup (recipe below)<br />3 ounces Cointreau </div><div>1 ounce lime juice<br />8 lime wedges, for garnish </div><div>-</div><div>1. Mix the ground ginger and salt on a plate. Moisten the rim of a margarita glass with water and dip the rim in the ginger salt to coat. Fill glasses with ice.</div><br /><div></div><div>2. In a pitcher, combine the tequila, Ginger-Lime Syrup, Cointreau and lime juice. Stir well and pour one-fourth of the mixture into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake well and strain into 2 of the highball glasses. Repeat 3 more times, using fresh ice each time. Garnish each drink with a lime wedge. </div><div>-</div><div>Ginger-Lime Syrup</div><div>-</div><div>1 cup (about 4 ounces) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced</div><div>1 cup fresh lime juice </div><div>1 cup sugar<br />1/4 stalk lemongrass, smashed and chopped (optional)</div><div>-</div><div>1. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil for about 2 minutes, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let cool to warm, then puree in a blender. </div><br /><div>2. Pour the puree into a fine strainer and press on the ginger to extract as much syrup as possible. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week. </div></div></div></div></div>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-60043240251053512732009-08-01T16:28:00.000-07:002009-08-03T11:09:49.028-07:00Ricotta Vegetable Pie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkzJ2wcLZ-T6ZFSRfJzpBFictYD4pqjZpxMtTgqyv_gooU5RoDAUDj1uSSao6A5dj420oEEWpXm8mwLSEwEDXxtMAZnNbikJbYyYBMswbaQd_aYSP45mmci7uHFYAEvwqYgwDT8Js5cU/s1600-h/IMG_0152.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365160705806042338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 234px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkzJ2wcLZ-T6ZFSRfJzpBFictYD4pqjZpxMtTgqyv_gooU5RoDAUDj1uSSao6A5dj420oEEWpXm8mwLSEwEDXxtMAZnNbikJbYyYBMswbaQd_aYSP45mmci7uHFYAEvwqYgwDT8Js5cU/s320/IMG_0152.JPG" border="0" /></a>Much of my cooking is based on refrigerator management; that is, using what's available in my fridge or, more likely, what needs to be used right now. This week, we received a bounty of vegetables from our CSA, including a load of yellow squash and a big bunch of escarole. Escarole? I also harvested the first couple of zucchini from my own garden, so I was feeling under a little vegetable pressure.<br /><div><div><div><div></div><br /><div>Recently, I discovered some <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/22/science/22recipehealth.html">recipes</a> for Mediterranean vegetable pies in the New York Times and found them a great way to control the vegetable levels in my refrigerator. Although I took some inspiration from those recipes, this recipe differs in several respects. First, there is no crust. There could be a crust -- it would be delicious -- but I wasn't in a crust-making mood. Second, I had a big tub of ricotta cheese (it was on sale) that needed to go, so this pie is decidedly cheesier. Lastly, this is not a purely vegetable pie, I used a bit of prosciutto, but the meat could easily be eliminated. </div><div><br /></div><div>Actually, this pie is perfect for substitutions. No escarole? Use spinach or Swiss chard or some other greens. Don't have any Gruyere cheese? Try Mozzarella or Swiss or Fontina. Fresh basil is great, but any fresh herbs or combination of herbs would do. You could also add chopped sun dried tomatoes or roasted peppers or sauteed mushrooms or a heaping tablespoon of pesto to the mix. Go wild and clean out your fridge.</div><br /><div>1-1/2 lbs. zucchini or yellow squash (or combo)</div><div>1 head of escarole</div><div>1 tablespoon olive oil</div><div>1/2 medium onion, chopped</div><div>3 cloves of garlic, minced</div><div>3 slices prosciutto, chopped (optional)</div><div>2 cups ricotta cheese</div><div>1 cup grated cheese, such as Gruyere</div><div>1 cup grated Parmesan cheese</div><div>3 eggs, lightly beaten</div><div>1 teaspoon ground pepper</div><div>salt, to taste</div><div>Pinch of ground nutmeg</div><div>1/4 cup chopped basil</div><div>-</div><div>1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. </div><div>2. Grate zucchini or squash. Place in a colander, salt generously, and let drain for about 1 hour, pressing down on it occasionally to squeeze out liquid. After an hour, take up handfuls and squeeze out moisture. Set aside.</div><div>3. Thoroughly wash escarole and slice leaves in 1/2-inch strips. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the onion and prosciutto, if using. Cook, occasionally stirring, about five minutes. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Add escarole, cover pan and cook until wilted, about 7 minutes. Add zucchini/squash, mix and cook uncovered, another 5 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from vegetables, I let them cool a bit and put them in the colander to drain.<br />4. In large bowl, mix cheeses, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and basil. Add vegetables and mix well. Pour into a lightly oiled (can use oil spray) 10-inch pie spring pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool 15 to 30 minutes. Slice in wedges and serve. </div><div>-<br />One 10- inch pie serves eight to ten.</div>-<br /><div></div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365161260332197826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gArIFba7UDH6df0WBJHTFWJb6rXGm7lFY-GjEZMcwQeyjFz3JsQJxam_eYcHGiRTwnCIeaGg7UJ1df5_nIRZhbcha2vTb82Nwez9ufT54zqK_qtFYKW5Gp2THcl3OjKmXJjxF1FOxvg/s400/IMG_0163-2.jpg" border="0" /> </div></div></div>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-81468432444800726312009-07-30T08:16:00.000-07:002009-08-09T20:26:33.395-07:00Fresh Corn Chowder<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfe0f4WZglEKX-nIzkFTPh7IgBO0U9OEPzvPv4NNrEY6dh7U02x9MjS03kAARGwRGd6L5_Fp3ruzpe3K8nUMWnsZ_wUDNqPpl6Drxd28XhKWA6GDybaxWfXVY-uSJo7hrIBj_bv8cSko/s1600-h/IMG_0135.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364742427270127362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfe0f4WZglEKX-nIzkFTPh7IgBO0U9OEPzvPv4NNrEY6dh7U02x9MjS03kAARGwRGd6L5_Fp3ruzpe3K8nUMWnsZ_wUDNqPpl6Drxd28XhKWA6GDybaxWfXVY-uSJo7hrIBj_bv8cSko/s400/IMG_0135.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div>I admit it, I'm a corn snob. I refuse to eat corn-on-the cob in winter. I turn my nose up at those plastic wrapped-packaged ears you see throughout the year in grocery stores. For me, corn has to be just-picked from the farm. The good news is that local farm stands have been stocking fresh Long Island corn for the last couple of weeks and my CSA doled out its first batch of corn this week. </div><div></div><br /><div>Usually, I just boil corn-on-the-cob for five minutes, butter it, sprinkle a little salt on it and eat it quite happily, but I also like to use fresh corn in a few recipes. One of my favorite recipes is one for corn chowder. This particular batch was made with sweet white corn, which is highly coveted by most corn hounds. I may be in the minority, but I prefer ears with both yellow and white kernels. While yellow and white corn may not be as sweet as white corn, I think it has a better corn taste. </div><br /><div></div><div>Fresh Corn Chowder</div><div>Adapted from The New Basics Cookbook</div><div>-</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>5-6 ears of corn (about 4 cups kernels)</div><div>3 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces</div><div>2 tablespoons butter</div><div>2 cups chopped onions</div><div>2 tablespoons all-purpose flour</div><div>4 cups chicken broth</div><div>2 medium/large potatoes (russet or yukon gold), peeled and cut into 1/4 dice</div><div>1 cup half-and-half</div><div>1 teaspoon ground black pepper</div><div>Salt, to taste</div><div>1 red pepper, cut into 1/4 dice</div><div>3 scallions, cut into 1/4-inch slices</div><div>Chopped cilantro for garnish</div><div></div><div>1. Boil or steam ears of corn for about 4 minutes. Cool. Slice kernels off cob (hold cob vertically in shallow bowl and slice down cob, cutting off kernels)</div><div>2. In large pot, wilt bacon over low heat about 5 minutes to render fat. Add butter and melt completely.</div><div>3. Add chopped onions and wilt for 10 minutes over low heat. Add flour, stir over heat for 5 minutes.</div><div>4. Add chicken broth and potatoes. Raise heat to medium and cook 12-to-15 minutes until potatoes are just tender.</div><div>5. Add half-and-half, corn, black pepper and salt. Cook 7 minutes, stirring occassionally.</div><div>6. Add red pepper and scallions and cook another 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning, serve with cilantro (or not).</div><div></div><div></div><div>Serves 6</div>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-61485445618050392302009-07-28T12:59:00.000-07:002009-08-13T17:05:02.934-07:00Wild Blueberry Scones<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZ6VlqFoqyeHFVGMf2RSt08Gy82GuouZUAlhlAhh9aBRNQlEVl8rWXjaLe6KarRixKS3TGOw93se_R-xeLmAOloj2kHBIU6PwWuVAhBhkHGW6AJAIscaU9zSSgkH_FT9ArBsyVwRA5_0/s1600-h/wildbs2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363629118254042642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 242px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZ6VlqFoqyeHFVGMf2RSt08Gy82GuouZUAlhlAhh9aBRNQlEVl8rWXjaLe6KarRixKS3TGOw93se_R-xeLmAOloj2kHBIU6PwWuVAhBhkHGW6AJAIscaU9zSSgkH_FT9ArBsyVwRA5_0/s320/wildbs2.jpg" border="0" /></a>The path in the woods, where I walk my dog daily, is lined with hundreds, maybe thousands, of blueberry bushes. This year's crop was a bumper one; I guess the blueberries, unlike me, appreciated the cool, rainy weather in June.<br /><br />I do, however, appreciate the wild blueberries. They're smaller and more tart than commercial berries, perfect for jams, pies and other baked goods. After making a batch of jam and some blueberry pancakes, there were still some berries left over. Not enough to make a pie, so what to do? I saw a recipe in a magazine for blueberry scones and, even though I hardly ever eat scones and have probably made them only once in my life (probably after a trip to England), I decided to try it.<br /><div><div><div><div></div><br /><div>I had a few obstacles: First, my kitchen was undergoing some repairs, which made baking a challenge (although after living in Manhattan I've gained expertise in cooking in tight spaces) and second, I was short some ingredients. The recipe called for buttermilk and even suggested using plain yogurt with a couple tablespoons of milk as a replacement for buttermilk, but I didn't have either and I was too lazy to drop everything and go to the store. Apparently you can also replace buttermilk with two tablespoons of lemon juice and enough milk to make a cup (let sit 5 minutes), but I didn't have lemons. Maybe I should have gone to the store afterall, but I did happen to have sour cream and it work beautifully.</div><br /><div>A tougher problem was my lack of parchment paper. I googled "substitute for parchment paper" and found suggestions of wax paper (I didn't have any), silicone baking mats (nope, don't own one) and brown paper bags (but they sometimes catch fire in the oven -- no thanks, and there was some concern about some of the chemicals in the paper -- double no thanks). So, I just greased some tin foil and prayed to the cooking goddess . . . and it worked. The result? Delicious wild blueberry scones.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8kSK-6kJK-P937ef-O9TihRpnufe_mwEZMBruOkdvWGn5JUPrAcyTxmI9KSn2fpGD-Gbti_-cEL1DGDiaxHP8CZCNWKLaZniGueNKUHRbBf-nj1aaRrhMKRuUiVyQjbZsjECe338QaM/s1600-h/IMG_0123.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363628147711975698" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8kSK-6kJK-P937ef-O9TihRpnufe_mwEZMBruOkdvWGn5JUPrAcyTxmI9KSn2fpGD-Gbti_-cEL1DGDiaxHP8CZCNWKLaZniGueNKUHRbBf-nj1aaRrhMKRuUiVyQjbZsjECe338QaM/s320/IMG_0123.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Wild Blueberry Scones</div><div>Adapted from Martha Stewart Living</div><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>2 cups all purpose flour</div><div>3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling</div><div>2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder</div><div>3/4 teaspoon salt</div><div>1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter </div><div>cut into small pieces</div><div>1 cup blueberries</div><div>1/2 cup sour cream (or buttermilk)</div><div>2 large eggs </div><div>1/2 teaspoon vanilla</div><div></div><br /><div>1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.</div><br /><div>2. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Cut in cold butter pieces with a pastry cutter (or rub in with fingers) until mixture has the texture of course meal. Stir in blueberries.</div><br /><div></div><div>3. In separate bowl, mix together sour cream, 1 egg and vanilla; Drizzle over flour mixture and stir lightly with a fork until dough just comes together but some flour remains in bowl.</div><br /><div>4. Put dough on work suface and gently knead a couple of times to incorporate flour. Pat dough into 1-inch high round and cut into 12 wedges. transfer to baking sheet. Lightly beat second egg and brush dough wedges with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 22 minutes, until golden and baked through. Cool.</div><br /><div>Makes one dozen<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjIx5XmzXYZjPXqKhQ8E9DcxzUl4qHJgDSKSn7ehYMuAt5tMwdSCR9KXBrnmY_CS12TboInH-DcxSe8_nZXwWi2OH9JEM8a__eiu0Zfq2uTt50Rprblc4HI9c7OUY8Z-J6nwvgg6_SIU/s1600-h/IMG_0128.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363627337331930098" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 439px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 387px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjIx5XmzXYZjPXqKhQ8E9DcxzUl4qHJgDSKSn7ehYMuAt5tMwdSCR9KXBrnmY_CS12TboInH-DcxSe8_nZXwWi2OH9JEM8a__eiu0Zfq2uTt50Rprblc4HI9c7OUY8Z-J6nwvgg6_SIU/s320/IMG_0128.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7498325012700270536.post-67139705785226966832009-07-22T08:39:00.000-07:002009-07-28T15:03:52.782-07:00Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjBUlEMkhPF3FHfNBiXGyqqPGv9XkKS-Z46QHJCSUqPPxSfyvH4PSSoTOcwZtmUvdNiJnCKAgpFXv0Bbdbts5WYuX3QuAdq-rpjfe9zGbr3r9rAWGWgVHSJhWa4j5mxHZmljjySvn89s/s1600-h/IMG_0133.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362814043605133346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjBUlEMkhPF3FHfNBiXGyqqPGv9XkKS-Z46QHJCSUqPPxSfyvH4PSSoTOcwZtmUvdNiJnCKAgpFXv0Bbdbts5WYuX3QuAdq-rpjfe9zGbr3r9rAWGWgVHSJhWa4j5mxHZmljjySvn89s/s320/IMG_0133.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:Verdana;">My ice cream maker sat idle for years, stuffed in the far back corner of one of my kitchen cabinets. But this summer, I've become obsessed with making ice cream. It's my husband's fault. We were watching an episode of Top Chef, the one where the challenge was to make a "final meal" for a celebrity chef, and I turned to him and asked, "what would you choose for your final meal?" Without hesitation he answered "ice cream." So, I thought, geez, I really should make some ice cream.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">My first attempt, a <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/04/salted_butter_c.html">salted butter caramel ice cream</a>, was, sadly, a failure; the mixture tasted great but refused to freeze (I do plan to attempt this recipe again). Next, inspired by just-picked strawberries from my CSA, I made a really successful batch of fresh strawberry ice cream. Encouraged, I made nutella ice cream, which was great but a bit rich for my taste. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">My latest effort is mint chocolate chip ice cream. A confession: It's not my husband's favorite, it's mine. Plus I happen to have a nice patch of mint in my herb garden, so I searched the web -- accepting some ideas, rejecting others (no green food coloring please) and came up with the following recipe:</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><div>3 cups fresh mint (leaves only)</div><div>2 cups whole milk</div><div>2 cups cream<br />1 cup sugar</div><div>Pinch salt</div><div>4 egg yolks<br />1 teaspoon vanilla </div><div>1 teaspoon rum (*optional)</div><div>6 ounces good quality dark chocolate</div><div><br />Whisk the milk, cream, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Heat just until it begins to bubble around the edges, then remove, add the mint leaves, and cover. Let steep, covered for at least an hour - preferably two. Strain out the mint leaves and reheat cream mixture to just under a simmer. </div><br /><div>Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl and slowly mix in a cup of the hot cream to temper the eggs. Whisk eggs back into the saucepan and cook, stirring, until the custard reaches 170-174F (coats the back of a wooden spoon). Stir in the vanilla and rum, if using. Pour into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Chop the chocolate into chunks and flakes. Refrigerate chocolate. </div><br /><div>Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker the next day according to directions. Add the chocolate bits about halfway through. Transfer ice cream to a bowl or plastic container, cover, and freeze for at least four hours before serving. </div><div></div><div>*The addition of rum (or perhaps a mint liquor?) helps keep the ice cream soft.</span></div>Patriciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558443319732296673noreply@blogger.com0