Ginger Fusion

I think it began with ginger ale, the only soft drink my father would let us kids have and then only if we had the stomach flu.

Then came my maternal grandma’s ginger cream cookies and my paternal grandma’s ginger snaps.

Yes, I think that’s how my love of ginger started. As I became older, I realized that I not only loved ginger in sweet items--cakes, cookies and pies—but I loved it in savory dishes, especially Asian, as well.

I even own ginger-scented cologne and lotion and admit to rubbing a leftover nub of ginger root behind my ears and on my wrists.

However, recently ginger has become an obsession.

This fall I drank copious amounts of ginger tea with honey with the hope that its purported immune-boosting properties would help me fend off colds. (By the way, I didn’t have a cold this winter, so maybe it worked.)

Then I moved on to sucking ginger candy which is supposed to be good for digestion. Sensing a gifting niche, my family gave me ginger tea bags, ginger snaps, crystallized ginger, pickled ginger, ginger scones, and ginger jam for Christmas.

Of course, an all-ginger meal was inevitable. The menu that follows incorporates ginger into almost every item and crosses ethnic boundaries into Mexican, Indian, Jamaican, Chinese, and French cuisine—a perfect fusion.

(Thanks to my dear husband for playing along and doing the dishes and to my dear “neighborhood” friends for “gingerly” joining us.)

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The Menu

Sparkling Ginger Cocktails

Goat Cheese Crostini with

Cranberry-Jalapeño Salsa and Ginger Jam

Spiced Mixed Nuts

Carrot-Ginger Soup with Whole Wheat Bread

Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin

Spiced Rice with Cashews

Ginger-Garlic Green Beans

Ginger Crème Brûlée

Ginger Cream Cookies

Ginger Liqueur

The Recipes

Sparkling Ginger Cocktails

The recipe calls for one tablespoon of the syrup per cocktail, but I found that two tablespoons gave more of a ginger flavor, so I doubled the syrup recipe.

Source: Gourmet, December 2007

Yield: Makes 10 drinks

Ingredients:

¾ c. water
½  c. sliced fresh ginger (2 ounces)
¾   cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 lemon wedges
2 (750-ml) bottles chilled Prosecco or other sparkling wine

Process:

Simmer water, fresh ginger, and 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan, uncovered, 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes. Strain syrup through a sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Chill until cold. Finely grind crystallized ginger with remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a blender or food processor, then spread on a small plate. Run lemon wedges around rims of glasses, then dip rims into ginger sugar. Put 1 tablespoon syrup into each glass and top off with Prosecco. (Syrup can be chilled, covered, up to 2 weeks.)

Goat Cheese Crostini with
Cranberry-Jalapeno Salsa & Ginger Jam

I admit I was a little stumped about how to incorporate ginger in the appetizer. I spread a little goat cheese on toasted slices of a baguette. Then I topped some of the crostini with the Cranberry-Jalapeño Salsa, garnished with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro, and some of them with a spoonful of purchased ginger jam, garnished with a sprinkling of chopped chives.

Cranberry-Jalapeño Salsa

This salsa would be good with tortilla chips or as an accompaniment to chicken or pork dishes.

Source: Southern Living, Dec. 2010

Yield: 2 cups

Pulse 1 (12-oz.) package fresh cranberries and 1/3 to ½ c. sugar in a food processor 3 to 4 times or until coarsely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides. Add 2 to 3 chopped green onions, 1 seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper, 1 T. grated fresh ginger, 1 T. fresh lemon juice, and ½ tsp. salt; pulse 3 to 4 times or until chopped. Stir in ¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours. (To make ahead, prepare recipe as directed, omitting fresh cilantro. Freeze in an airtight container up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator 12 hours. Stir in cilantro just before serving.)

Spiced Mixed Nuts

The night before the dinner party I found this recipe in a magazine and it fit in perfectly.

Source: Food Network Magazine, January-February 2011

Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients:

1¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. mustard powder
½ c. sugar
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 large egg white
4 c. mixed roasted salted nuts

Process:

Preheat oven to 250°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the spices, sugar and salt in a small bow. Whisk the egg white in a large bowl until frothy. Toss in the nuts, then add the spice mixture and toss until well coated. Spread the nuts on the prepared baking sheet; bake until dry, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet. (A similar recipe calls for a 300° oven and 20 minutes of baking. I ended up setting my temp at 275° and baking the nuts for about 30 minutes. I think 45 minutes would have been much too long.)

Carrot-Ginger Soup

Instead of garnishing with the chile butter, I topped each serving with a spoonful of purchased crème fraiche and a sprinkling of chopped chives.

Source: Bon Appétit, May 2010

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

Ingredients for chile butter:
¼ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 T. finely chopped green onions (white and green parts only)
¼ tsp. dried crushed red pepper

Ingredients for soup:

2 T. butter
1½ pounds carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1¼ c. chopped onion
1 5-oz. white-skinned potato, peeled, chopped
2½ T. minced peeled fresh ginger
5 c. (or more) vegetable broth or chicken broth
6 T. unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Process for chile butter:

Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

Process for soup:

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, potato, and ginger; sprinkle with salt and sauté until vegetables are slightly softened but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add 5 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly, then puree in batches in blender until smooth. (I used an immersion blender.)  Return soup to same pot; if desired, add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin soup. Bring to simmer. Season with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with small spoonful of chile butter; sprinkle with nuts.

Easy No-Yeast Wheat Bread

Source: The Advocate (Baton Rouge newspaper)

Yield: one loaf

Ingredients:

1½ c. whole wheat flour
1½ c. white flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1½ c. buttermilk
¼ c. honey
1/3 c. cane syrup
¼ c. plus 2 T. vegetable oil

Process:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a loaf pan with 2 T. of vegetable oil. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients thoroughly using a fork. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir with a fork just enough to combine and a sticky dough forms. Turn into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove from pan to cool.

Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin

Source: Adapted from a recipe from my friend Robin Roberts

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1 T. finely minced fresh ginger
¼ c. dark rum
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. olive oil
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. soy sauce
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cayenne
¼ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
1-2 T. vegetable oil
2 pork tenderloins (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds total)

Process:

Combine all ingredients except the pork in a flat baking dish. Reserve 1/3 of the marinade. Trim the pork and place in the marinade. Turn to coat well. Cover and marinate for 15-30 minutes at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy, preferably cast iron, skillet. Brown the pork on all sides. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 150°, about 20-25 minutes. Baste with the reserved marinade during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Cover and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Spiced Rice with Cashew Nuts

I was concerned that the 3 cups of liquid was not enough for the 2 cups of rice, but it turned out great!

Source: Madhur Jaffrey’s Step-by-Step Cooking

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 c. basmati rice
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 T. vegetable oil
2 T. cashew nuts, halved
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
½ tsp. finely chopped fresh hot green chili, or pinch of cayenne pepper
¾ tsp. garam masala
Salt
3 c. hot vegetable stock or water

Process:

Put the rice in a bowl and add water to cover. Rub the rice grains gently with your hands. When the water turns milk, pour it off. Repeat several times until the water runs clear. Drain the rice and return to the bowl. Cover with 2 pints fresh water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Drain, leaving the rice in a strainer.

Preheat the oven to 325°. Heat the oil in a heavy ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Add the cashews and fry for a few seconds, stirring all the time, until they turn golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave on paper towels to drain.

Fry the onion slices in the remaining oil for 2 to 3 minutes or until tinged brown at the edges. Add the drained rice, garlic, ginger, green chili garam masala, and salt. Turn the heat to medium-low. Fry, stirring, for 7-8 minutes or until the rice is translucent and well coated with the oil.

Pour in the hot stock and cook, stirring, on medium-low heat for another 5-6 minutes until the surface of the rice starts to look dry. Cover with a well-fitting lid and cook in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is ready. Remove the rice pan from the oven and leave to stand covered in a warm place for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently transfer the rice to a warmed serving platter, breaking up any lumps with the back of the spoon. Garnish with the cashews and serve at once.  (The cooked rice will retain its heat for 30 minutes after you remove it from the oven, as long as the pan is kept covered and in a warm place.)

Ginger-Garlic Green Beans

Source: Gourmet, September 2009

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb. green beans, trimmed
3 garlic cloves
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. grated peeled ginger
2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 T. vegetable oil
½ tsp. sesame oil
1½ tsp. sesame seeds, toasted
Process:
Cook beans in a 6-15 pot of boiling well-salted water, uncovered, until just tender, 6-7 minutes. Drain in a colander, then plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain beans and pat dry. While beans cook, mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, then stir together with soy sauce, ginger, vinegar, and oils in a large bowl. Add beans and toss. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Ginger Crème Brûlée

The recipe says this makes 4 servings, but I made 6 servings in rather shallow crème brûlée dishes. Since I was making six, I decided to broil them instead of “torching” them. Also, instead of sprinkling 1 T. of sugar on each serving before broiling, I mixed 4 T. sugar with 2 T. crystallized ginger (whirred in the food processor) and used sprinkled a tablespoon of the mixture on each serving for a little extra ginger zap. This is a great “make ahead” dessert.

Source: Vietnamese Cooking Made Easy

Yield: 4 servings (see note above)

Ingredients:

2 c. cream
2½ in. piece of fresh ginger root, peeled, then halved and bruised (I hit it with a meat mallet)
3 egg yolks
¼ c. sugar
4 T. sugar

Heat the cream and ginger in a saucepan over low heat, stirring from time to time, until the mixture almost comes to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover the pan and set aside for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the ginger pieces. Preheat oven to 350°. Mix the egg yolks and ¼ c. sugar in a large bowl until the sugar is dissolved, then gradually pour in the cream, whisking to mix well. (For added precaution, I strained the cream as I added it to the eggs.) Do not beat the cream as this will cause air bubbles in the custard.

Pour the custard mixture into 4 ovenproof bowls (each 4 in. in diameter) and place them in a deep baking dish. Carefully fill the baking pan with boiling water up to half the height of the bowls, then bake in the oven until the cream just sets in the middle, 30to 35 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. When the custard is cool, chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Sprinkle the top of each custard with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and grill under a preheated broiler for about 1 minute, until the sugar blisters and turns golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool. Return the custard to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Grandma T’s Ginger Creams

My maternal grandma was an avid, even rabid baker. I can remember her telling me once that when she couldn’t sleep, she’d get up and bake cookies, even if that meant 3 o’clock in the morning. Her daughter, my Auntie Joyce, is also a wonderful baker, and I would do anything for her cookies and breads.

I cherish the card with the recipe for these cookies as it is in my grandmother’s handwriting. But she must have assumed that ANYONE would know how to make these as there are no instructions other than “Drop by teaspoons. Bake at 375°.” I looked at some other similar recipes to get any idea of the mixing and baking processes, and I added the nutmeg and cloves. I hope these are all right, Grandma.

Source: Mabel Rodd Teske Moyer

Yield: 6 dozen

Ingredients:

1 c. shortening
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
½ c. molasses
2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sour milk (I used buttermilk)
4¼ c. flour (I think I would only use 4 c. next time.)
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves (I added this)
1 tsp. nutmeg (I added this)
1 tsp. salt

Process:

Preheat oven to 375°. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and molasses until well blended. Sift flour and remaining dry ingredients in another bowl. Alternate beating in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, ending with the dry ingredients. Drop teaspoons of the batter on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes. Let cool. Frost with powdered sugar icing.

Ginger Liqueur

Although I have had great success brewing my own liqueurs (limoncello and a wonderfully tart cranberry cordial), my attempt at making a ginger liqueur this Christmas was disastrous. So until I find a better recipe, I will settle for a “store bought” version called Domaine de Canton. Actually, I had seen it advertised in a magazine long ago, but never found it in a store until the newly renovated Cuban Liquor here in Baton Rouge reopened.

Remembering October(fest)

(I think I’m almost a Southerner! The past week of temperatures in the 40s has made me long for the balmy temperatures of October. And thoughts of October reminded me of one of the meals I wanted to post here.)

For many years, my husband and I looked forward to the local Oktoberfest that was held first in Ponchatoula and then Gonzales, small towns near Baton Rouge.

There is something so convivial in sitting at long tables with people you’ve never met, swaying in unison to “oom-pah” music as you drink beer out of steins the size of small children.

When we went to Germany in 2005 to visit my husband’s relatives (see Summer Jazz Brunch, August 2009), I bought a German folk costume which consists of a full-skirted jumper, a puffed-sleeved under-blouse, and an apron. (Think Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music.) Since there are not a lot of occasions to wear such a garment in southern Louisiana, I loved dressing in my trachtendirndl (folk costume) for the Oktoberfest. Surprisingly, many of the attendees also wore their dirndls or lederhosen (leather shorts with suspenders).

Sharing a deep-rooted love for German food, my husband and I also relished the sausages, schnitzel, sauerkraut and red cabbage at the Oktoberfests and always saved room for apple strudel or marzipan-filled treats for dessert.

Unfortunately, the Oktoberfest stopped being held a couple of years ago, leaving sausage-shaped holes in our hearts. So this year, we decided to hold our own, very small, Oktoberfest at our camp on the Tickfaw River. Although we neglected to break out into the “chicken dance,” viel Spass (a good time) was by all.

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German appetizers tend to be heavy and often include pickled herring (not my favorite) or sausage (which I was serving for the entrée.) Instead, I offered some large pretzel sticks with an apple-mustard dipping sauce and a wonderful cranberry-cheddar cheese with the following two items. Of course, German beers were served with the meal.

Asparagus with Black Forest Ham Bundles

German people love asparagus (Spargle), especially white asparagus. In fact, in June many restaurants feature a “sparglefest” and offer white asparagus in all sorts of dishes.

Source: original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb. each green and white asparagus (substitute green if white is not available)
8 oz. Black Forest ham, sliced thin (any good quality deli ham can be used)
prepared horseradish sandwich sauce

Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for a minute or two and then refresh in an ice water bath. Drain the asparagus and pat dry. Slice the ham slices in quarters. Wrap a strip of ham around the center of two asparagus spears to form a bundle. Arrange on a serving plate and serve with the horseradish sauce.

Korzott

This is really a Hungarian recipe, but the caraway seeds give it a distinctive German taste. Don’t omit the anchovy paste—it won’t taste fishy.

Source: Standing Ovation (Junior Board of Tri-City Symphony Orchestra Association, Davenport, Iowa)

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients:

12 oz. cream cheese
½ c. butter
½ c. sour cream
½ c. small curd cottage cheese
1½ T. anchovy paste
1 T. paprika
½ T. caraway seeds
¼ c. chopped green onions (white and green parts)
1½ T. capers
1 pkg. pumpernickel bread

Have cream cheese at room temperature; melt butter; put both into small mixer bowl with all ingredients except chopped onions and capers and blend well. Put chopped onion and capers in and hand mix. Chill for an hour or more. Serve in a mound in the center of a plate, surrounded by “fingers” of the thin pumpernickel bread.

German Sausages

For the entrée, I served four different kinds of grilled German sausages: weisswurst (a mild-flavored veal sausage), knockwurst (on the order of a wiener or ring bologna) and two different kinds of bratwurst. Three kinds of mustard and warm pumpernickel bread were accompaniments as were the following side dishes.

Nana’s German Potato Salad

This is not the version I made for our fest, but I remember it fondly from my childhood, have made it in the past, and plan to try it again soon.

Source: Olga Rohloff, my paternal grandmother, via Mary Rohloff Douglas, my mother

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

½ lb. potatoes, approx. 6-8 medium (red potatoes work best)
1 large onion, chopped
¼ to ½ lbs. diced bacon
4 T. flour
1/3 c. sugar
¼ c. vinegar
Scant tablespoon salt (might be a bit much for modern tastes)
1 c. water
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)

Process:

Cook the potatoes in their skins in boiling water until tender. Drain, cool, peel and cut in cubes. Place potatoes and onion in large bowl. Fry bacon in a large frying pan. When bacon is browned, stir in the flour. In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Whisk this mixture into the fat and flour in the frying pan. Slowly add about 2½ c. water. The mixture should be the consistency of pudding. Pour mixture over potatoes and onions in the bowl. Serve warm. (My mother added the hard-boiled eggs at this point.)



An assortment of German beers



Hot German Potato Salad

This is what I did make with the main difference being the addition of chopped green pepper, celery and pimentos which did add a bright flavor and crunch.

Source: Southern Living Cookbook

Yield: 6 servings

4 med. potatoes
8 slices bacon
¼ c. sugar
2 T. flour
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. vinegar
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
¼ c, chopped celery
1 T. chopped pimiento

Cook potatoes in boiling water to cover 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool slightly. Peel potatoes; cut into ½ -inch cubes. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, reserving ¼ c. drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add sugar, flour, water and vinegar to pan drippings, stirring well. Cook mixture over medium heat until slightly thickened. Combine potatoes, bacon, green pepper, onion, celery, and pimiento in a large bowl; top with vinegar mixture, and toss gently.

Jan’s Daughter’s Mother-in-law’s Red Cabbage

Here, too, I’m offering two versions. The first comes from my dear friend Jan Shoemaker who graciously offered to bring red cabbage. I jumped at the offer because red cabbage is a bit labor intensive.

Source:  Jan Shoemaker, my dear friend

Yield:  8-10 servings
2-2 ½ pound red cabbages
2/3 c. red wine vinegar
2 T. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 T. lard or bacon fat
2 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ⅛-inch thick wedges
½ c. finely chopped onions
1 whole onion, peeled and pierced with 2 whole cloves
1 small bay leaf
1 c. boiling water
3 t. dry red wine
3 t. red currant jelly (optional)

Wash the head of cabbage under cold running water, remove the rough outer leaves, and cut the cabbage into quarters. To shred the cabbage, cut out the core and slice the quarters crosswise into ⅛-inch-wide strips.

Drop the cabbage into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle it with the vinegar, sugar and salt, then toss the shreds about with a spoon to coat them evenly with the mixture. In a heavy 4- to 5-quart casserole, melt the lard or bacon fat over moderate heat. Add the apples and chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until the apples are lightly browned. Add the cabbage, the whole onion with cloves, and the bay leaf; stir thoroughly and pour in the boiling water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, and reduce the heat to its lowest possible point. Cover and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the cabbage is tender. Check from time to time to make sure that the cabbage is moist. If it seems dry, add a tablespoon of boiling water. When the cabbage is done, there should be almost no liquid left in the casserole. Just before serving remove the onion and bay leaf, and stir in the wine and the currant jelly. Taste for seasoning, then transfer the entire contents of the casserole to a heated platter or bowl and serve.

The train station in my mother-in-law's hometown
 in former East Germany.

Ruth’s Red Cabbage (or Blau Kraut)

I have eaten this version for many years at my mother-in-law’s table and have made it several times. The recipe makes a lot, but leftovers are never around for long in our house.  Don't panic when the cabbage turns deep blue after the first cooking.  When you add the remaining ingredients, it returns to a more appetizing deep red.

Source: Ruth Hofbauer Demastes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 red cabbage, hand shredded
½ onion, sliced or chopped
2 chopped apples, cored but not peeled
3 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 T. of bacon drippings

Process:

Put the cabbage into a large pot of salted boiling water. Let the water come to a boil again, about 1 minute. Drain off most of the water. Then add one cup of cold water and the remaining ingredients. Cook all this at low temperature with the lid slightly open until tender, about an hour. Check once in a while and add a little water if necessary. (But you don’t want a lot of liquid.) At the end of the cooking, you can blend 2 T. cornstarch with a little cold water and stir into cabbage just to thicken the liquid.

Sauerkraut with Apples

I made this the day before to let the flavors meld, and they did wonderfully.

Source: adapted from a recipe in Gourmet, November 2009

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 large onion, thinly sliced
3-4 pieces bacon, chopped (original recipe called for 2 T. butter)
4 pounds sauerkraut, rinsed and drained (preferably refrigerated)
2 apples, thinly sliced (Gala, Fuji or Red Delicious)
1 c. dry white wine
1-2 T. packed dark brown sugar

Process:

Cook bacon in a 4-to 5-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned. Remove and reserve bacon. Cook onions in bacon fat until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in sauerkraut, apples, and wine and bring to a simmer. Cover pot and reduce heat, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauerkraut is very tender, about 2 hours. Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add more brown sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in reserved bacon before serving.

Apple Kuchen

After the meal, we took a break with a long boat ride and then came back for this dessert. I topped the slices with whipped cream. The crust here is incredibly quick and easy to make and would lend itself to lots of variations.

Source: Kay Ewing’s Cooking School Cookbook

Yield: 8 servings

Crust:

1¼ c. flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. cold butter, cut up
2 T. sour cream

Preheat oven to 375°. With metal blade in place in a food processor, process flour, salt and butter in food processor until crumbly. Add sour cream and process only until dough starts to form a ball. Transfer dough to a greased 9-iinch tart or pie pan. Press out dough with fingers to cover the bottom and sides of the pan evenly. Place a piece of foil under the pan to catch any drippings. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool slightly.

Filling:

4 medium red delicious apples, peeled and cored (I only could fit 2 on the crust)
Juice of a half of a lemon
3 egg yolks
1/3 c. sour cream
1 c. sugar
¼ c. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 egg white

(The instructions called for slicing the apples in the food processor, but I cut them by hand.) Slice apples lengthwise and place in a bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice. Wipe out processor bowl with a paper towel and with metal blade in place, add egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, flour and salt. Process until combined, about 15 seconds.

After crust cools slightly, brush with lightly beaten egg white to seal the crust. Arrange apple slices in concentric circles in crust and cover with filling. Bake at 375° for about 45 minutes or until custard is set and top is lightly browned. Allow to cool and refrigerate to set custard and for easier slicing.

Boo Bark

A common expression  in southern Louisiana is lagniappe, which means something extra. As a bit of lagniappe for our Oktoberfest, and with Halloween just around the corner, I gave our guests small bags of this candy. I love the combination of candy corn and salted peanuts—together they taste like salted nut rolls—and mixing them with white chocolate was ausegezeichnet (excellent)!

Source: original recipe

Yield: 3-4 cups candy pieces

Ingredients:

1-12 oz. bag white chocolate chips
½ cup (approximately) candy corn
½ cup (approximately) cocktail peanuts

Process:

Line a baking sheet with a sheet of wax paper. Heat the chocolate chips at 50% power in the microwave or in a double boiler until melted. Pour the melted chocolate on the wax paper and spread it into about a 10 X 8-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the chocolate with equal parts of the candy corn and peanuts, pressing them into the chocolate. Chill in the refrigerator until set. Break up the bark into small pieces using your hands or a knife.

A is For . . .

A is for . . . Autumn. I remain hopeful that when September 22 rolls around, the temperature will dip into the chilly 80s.

A is for . . . Avoidance. We are only three weeks into the semester, and already I have three stacks of research papers to grade. For some reason, just grading the first one is the hardest part. So, of course, I look for something “more important” to do before I start—organizing my shoes, going through old magazines, and cooking new recipes. Oh yeah, and then blogging about them. 

A is for. . . Asia. Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian. Asian “flavor profiles” (I learned that from Top Chef) are among my favorites. Here is a rather simple menu of some dishes that are not truly authentic to any of those cuisines, but use the ingredients in a fun way.

A is for . . . the grade my students undoubtedly hope they all get on their papers. I guess I’ll have to start grading those any day now.

Coconut Shrimp

The recipe is for an appetizer, but I served it as a main dish. Instead of making the sauce, I used a jarred sweet and sour sauce. The curry powder here give these an Indian vibe.

Source: old clipping

Yield: 2 main dish servings

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh or frozen peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1 c. flaked coconut, toasted and chopped (I pulsed it in the food processor)
½ c. seasoned fine dry bread crumbs (I only had plain, so I added 1 tsp. Tony’s Chacere’s Creole Seasoning)
¾ tsp. curry powder
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
nonstick cooking spray

Sauce:

½ c. mango chutney
¼ c. orange juice
¼ tsp. ground ginger

Process:

Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a shallow bowl, combine coconut, bread crumbs, and curry powder. Place egg whites in another small shallow bowl. Dip shrimp into egg whites, then into coconut mixture, pressing it firmly onto shrimp. Place in prepared baking pan. Coat shrimp with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake about 10 minutes or until shrimp are opaque. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine chutney, orange juice and ginger. Serve with shrimp.

Asian Rice Pilaf with Ginger and Almonds

Source: original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

½ c. angel hair spaghetti, broken into one-inch pieces
½ c. slivered almonds
2 T. butter
1-2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 c. rice
2 ½ c. chicken broth
2 T. soy sauce
1/4 c. chopped green onion, green parts only

Process:

In a large sauce pan, sauté the spaghetti and almonds in the butter until golden. Stir in the ginger, rice, chicken broth and soy sauce. Boil 3 minutes, then stir, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes; fluff with fork and stir in green onion.

Garlic-Sesame Spinach

In the original recipe, not all the amounts were specified which I have done here. Also, I adapted this for two servings.

Source: adapted from a recipe in Food and Wine, September 2010

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

8-20 peeled garlic cloves
2 T. vegetable oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 packages baby spinach
salt to tasted
2 T. toasted sesame seeds
sesame oil

Process:

In a large frying pan, sauté the garlic cloves in the vegetable oil until golden. (I did this very slowly, for about 15 minutes). Add the red pepper flakes and sauté for a few seconds to release the flavor. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add a splash of water and salt to taste. Top with the toasted sesame seeds (I toasted these in a non-stick skillet on the stove) and drizzle with the sesame oil. Serve immediately.

The End-of-Summer Denial

When I was growing up in Wisconsin, the end of summer seemed so promising.

With autumn only a breeze or two away, we looked forward to getting out our sweaters, attending the first high school football game of the season, beholding the color riot of changing leaves, and smelling the sweet aroma of a fire in the fireplace.

Of course, celebrating autumn was our own special form of denial since in the back of our minds was always the unavoidable truth that five or more long months of winter were on their way.

Here in Baton Rouge, the end of summer is almost, well, cruel. As I write this the air conditioning is still blasting away, we probably have at least two more months of hot and humid weather, and there are several tropical storms brewing so the chance of a hurricane before the season is over is still a possibility.

So my own special form of denial here is to pretend that a seemingly endless summer is cause for celebration, and for the occasion, I prepared a meal for my husband and dear friend Laurie that incorporates lots of summer’s bounty of produce. (But I still want to wear a sweater.)

I served both the Tomato Topping and the Black Olive Tapenade with thin slices of a baguette that I crisped in the oven. I often “cheat” when I do this by spraying the bread with olive oil cooking spray instead of brushing them with olive oil before baking.

Tomato Topping for Bruschetta

Source: original recipe

Yield: about 2 cups




Ingredients:

4-5 tomatoes, pulp and seeds removed, chopped
½ tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, pressed
Red wine (or balsamic vinegar) to taste, approximately 2 T.
10 fresh basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade
Ground pepper

Process:

Place the tomatoes in a colander, sprinkle with the salt, and let drain for about 10 minutes. Place the tomatoes in a small bowl and add the remaining ingredients. (I kept this at room temperature for a few hours before serving to let the flavors meld.)

Black Olive Tapenade

This is especially easy and tasty.

Source: Susan Spicer’s Crescent City Cooking

Yield: Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:

½ pound Kalamata olives, pitted and rinsed with cold water (I used jarred)
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed
3 T. capers, rinsed
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. water
¼ c. olive oil (I think a little less would be better.)

Process:

(I put the olives, anchovy fillets and capers in a small colander and rinsed them together.) Put everything except the olive oil into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture should have a little texture, not be quite completely smooth. You shouldn’t need to add salt, as the ingredients are very salty.

Watermelon and Cucumber Gazpacho

I served this instead of a salad.

Source: Bon Appétit, August 2005 (Cat Cora)

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 3-pound seedless watermelon, diced (about 5 cups), divided
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium-size red bell pepper, seeded, diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium-size yellow bell pepper, seeded, diced (about 1 cup)
1 small jalapeño chile, seeded, minced
3 pale green inner celery stalks, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 small red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I used a little more and some balsamic.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

Process:

Puree 4 cups watermelon in blender until smooth. Transfer puree to large bowl. Add remaining 1 cup diced watermelon and next 10 ingredients; stir to combine. Cover gazpacho and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Divide gazpacho among bowls; top with dollop of crème fraîche.

Calypso Chicken

Kay Ewing teaches participation cooking classes in Baton Rouge, and although I haven’t taken one of her classes in several years, her cookbooks, especially her first, are my “go tos.”

Source: Kay Ewing’s A Second Course

Yield: 8 servings (can be halved)

Ingredients:

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ c. orange juice
¼ c. teriyaki sauce
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp cumin

Sauce:

½ c. peach preserves
2 T. maple syrup
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. champagne vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
2 fresh peaches, peeled and chopped (I added this to the recipe)

Preheat oven to 400°. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish. Mix orange juice and teriyaki sauce and pour over chicken. Marinate 15 minutes, turning frequently. Mix all seasonings together. Place chicken on a greased foil-lined baking pan, discard marinade, and sprinkle both sides with all of the seasoning mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes. Make sauce by mixing all ingredients together. (I heated the ingredients on the stove until the preserves melted and it was heated through.)

The chicken breasts I had were very thick so I sliced them in half horizontally and reduced the cooking time to 15-20 minutes.

Quinoa Risotto with Mushrooms and Thyme

I might be slow getting on the quinoa "train," but, man, am I on board.  Nutty, chewy, very satisfying--no wonder it is called the "super grain."

Source: Bon Appétit, January 2010

Yield: 4 main-course or 6 side-dish servings

1 c. quinoa, rinsed
1 T. olive oil
1 ½ c. chopped onion
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 8-oz. package sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
6 oz. fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (The recipe called for 3 divided but didn’t explain, so I just used 2)
1 c. dry white wine
Grated Parmesan cheese

Bring 2 cups salted water to boil in medium saucepan. Add quinoa, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender and water is absorbed, about 13 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until onion begins to brown, 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and thyme. Sauté until mushrooms are tender, 6 minutes. Add wine; stir until wine is reduced and liquid is syrupy, 2 minutes.

Mix quinoa into mushroom mixture; season with salt and pepper. Pass cheese separately.

Sautéed Vegetable Strips

Source: Kay Ewing’s Cooking School Cookbook

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 carrots, peeled
2 zucchini, scrubbed
2 yellow squash, scrubbed
2 T. butter
salt & pepper to taste

Process:

Cut carrots, zucchini, and squash in strips with a vegetable peeler (don’t include seeds). Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Sauté vegetable strips about1 minute, until vegetables are heated and slightly soft. Salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

This cake is good with any berry--blueberries or sliced strawberries.


Source: Gourmet, June 2009

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 c. plus 1½ T. sugar, divided
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 c. well-shaken buttermilk
1 c. fresh raspberries (about 5 ounces)

½ c. whipping cream, sweetened & whipped

Process:

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. (I cut a parchment paper liner for the bottom of the pan and buttered and floured that.) Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1½ tablespoons sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate. (I served with whipped cream and garnished with a few reserved berries.)

Herb Harvest

I think I may have already mentioned in a previous post that I gave up any attempts at vegetable gardening long ago.

Oh, for a while I’d get inspired by the balmy breezes of spring in Louisiana and plant some cucumbers, peppers, and the like. But then when about two weeks later, full-blown summer kicked in with the heat, humidity and mosquitoes, the vegetables were left to fend for themselves.

Now, I concentrate on one “crop”—herbs—and only three kinds: rosemary (Summer Jazz Brunch: Rosemary Cashews), basil, and parsley.

The rosemary can withstand my neglect, and our winters (ha!), and I have two huge bushes of it in the ground at the edge of our patio. The basil and parsley are in pots and are only a few steps from our living room French doors. Placing them so close means I am more inclined to brave the elements and actually water and “harvest” my crop.

Following are an entrée and 2 side dishes that feature my herbs.

Sautéed Chicken with Lemon-Rosemary Butter Sauce

Source: original recipe

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, sliced very thin
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded to ½ -inch thickness, halved
2 tsp. olive oil
Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning or salt and pepper
Juice of one lemon
¼ c. chicken broth
2 T. fresh rosemary, chopped
1-2 T. butter, cut in small pieces

Process:

Season the chicken breasts with the Tony’s or salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and reduce the heat to low Simmer the garlic until light golden and very tender; remove from the pan. Increase the heat of the oil in the pan until sizzling and add the chicken. Sauté the chicken until lightly browned on both sides and juices run clear. Remove and cover. To the pan, add the lemon juice and rosemary; heat to boiling. Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with the reserved garlic and serve with rice or noodles if desired.

Roasted Asparagus with Parsley and Lemon Peel

Source: adapted from Food TV Magazine, March 2010

Yield: 2 servings


Ingredients:

1 pound asparagus, trimmed
2 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
¼ c. chopped parsley
grated zest of ½ lemon

Process:

Preheat oven to 450°. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Roast until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Mix the parsley and lemon zest. Sprinkle over the asparagus and serve.

Tomato Gratin with Basil

Source: adapted from Food TV Magazine, March 2010

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
2 T. olive oil, divided
2 T. Italian breadcrumbs
2 T. grated parmesan cheese
2 T. chopped, fresh basil
salt and pepper

Process:

With a knife, mash the garlic cloves with a sprinkling of salt and continue slicing and mashing to produce a paste. Toss the tomatoes with a scant tablespoon of olive oil in an ovenproof skillet. Add the garlic paste. Cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes are soft, 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile mix 1 T. olive oil with the breadcrumbs and cheese. Sprinkle over the tomatoes and broil until the breadcrumbs are golden, about 2 minutes (but watch carefully). Sprinkle with the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cooks, Books, and Friends

Confession: I am somewhat of a groupie of female chefs.

I don’t mean I’m a follower of gimmicky Iron-Chef type female chefs prone to speed-chopping, foams, and gastriques. I mean female chefs who honor their local ingredients and local cuisines with simple, solid good cooking. Chefs who’ve carved out niches for themselves in a world long-dominated by their male counterparts.

Here’s the evidence:

Once I talked my husband into an eight-hour road trip to Atlanta to eat at Anne Quatrano’s Bacchanalia. The meal was well worth the drive, but when I saw the chef hurrying back into her kitchen, I felt like I had caught a glimpse of royalty.

When Odessa Piper, a chef in the Alice Waters tradition and then chef-owner of L’Etoile in Madison, Wisconsin, visited my table, I was so star-struck, I could barely ask for her autograph on my menu.

I recently attended a graduation ceremony at Loyola University where Leah Chase, chef and owner of Dooky Chase’s in New Orleans, received an honorary Ph.D. To me, it seemed perfectly appropriate that she was sharing the stage with Gov. Bobby Jindal and jazz legend Herbie Hancock.

And at least once a year, we make a pilgrimage to my personal Lourdes of restaurants, Susan Spicer’s Bayona on Dauphine Street in the French Quarter.

The first meal we savored there was shortly after its opening in 1990, and every meal we’ve eaten there since then has been memorable. I can still perfectly bring to my mind and taste buds a dessert that consisted of a trio of confections each flavored with lemon and a different herb.

So when Spicer’s cookbook Crescent City Cooking came out in 2007, I couldn’t wait to revisit some of those meals. There in its pages are some of the entrées we’ve enjoyed at Bayona, such as her Grilled Shrimp with Black Bean Cakes and Coriander Sauce and her Sautéed Sweetbreads with Sherry-Mustard Butter.

But there are also some dishes new to me, simple recipes that showcase the ingredients, not the chef or her dazzling technique. As crazy as it sounds, Spicer’s Slow-Scrambled Eggs are a revelation of simplicity, taste and texture.

Often when we dine at Bayona, Susan Spicer passes through the dining room greeting regular customers. And although we certainly don’t qualify as regulars, sometimes I catch her eye, and we smile and nod at each other. Then I usually make a joke to my husband about having said hello to my “old friend” Susan, but secretly I always wish it were the truth.

Happily, my friendship with Laurie Lynn Drummond is not a figment of my imagination. It is, however, rooted in many ways in food and books.

In the fall of 1989, I was newly transplanted to Baton Rouge, newly employed as a part-time English instructor at LSU, mother to a six-month-old daughter, and feverishly trying to complete my dissertation.

Most Saturdays and Sundays, my husband took care of our daughter while I worked on my dissertation which meant, in those pre-Starbucks, pre-laptop days, writing in longhand at a table at Highland Coffees, the new and first true coffee shop in Baton Rouge.

After spending several weekends at Highland Coffees, I began to recognize the regulars, in particular one woman whom I had also seen in the English Department. Emboldened by a couple of cappuccinos, I introduced myself, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Laurie, an ex-cop who was then completing her MFA in fiction at LSU, and I became fast friends. We soon found we had more in common than writing and grading student essays. We loved books, art, movies, and, of course, cooking.

How could I not be friends with a person who, shortly after we met, brought me an elegant home-made lunch of bread, salad, and the most wonderful spaghetti with vodka-tomato sauce which I reheated in the coffee shop microwave and gulped down.

On weekends, we’d work dutifully at our respective tables for hours, and then, as if on cue, join each other for a brief respite to compare our progress, or lack thereof, on our projects. Sometimes during the school week, we’d play hooky from our office hours to catch a movie or go clothes shopping at the old downtown Maison Blanche store.

And, of course, we shared many meals, some cooked by me, some cooked by Laurie.

When Laurie’s collection of short stories, Anything You Say Can and Will Be Used Against You, came out to glowing reviews in 2004, I couldn’t wait to peer into the life she had lived as a Baton Rouge police officer, and I couldn’t wait to savor in full the writing talent I had tasted when she had allowed me to read early story drafts.

And, oh, what a talent! Each of her five female police officer protagonists are deftly drawn with authenticity and complexity, and the plots of the ten stories are gritty and poignant at the same time.

When Laurie moved to Austin, Texas, and then to Eugene, Oregon, I missed her deeply. And, not being the best correspondent or phone conversationalist, I worried that our season of friendship was over. However, I’ve happily learned over the years that with true friends, time and distance really don’t take much of a toll. Not only can you can pick up where you left off, but you also bring more “to the table” in terms of ideas and experiences to share.

So when my longtime and long-gone friend Laurie sat down at my table for dinner during her visit to Baton Rouge a few weeks ago, it seemed only natural that I would ask my “friend” Susan to cook for us--at least metaphorically.

Following is the menu, “we” served Laurie. (Hey, a girl can dream!)

I like the sort of French idea of serving “nibbles” before dinner, instead of full-fledged, and often heavy, appetizers. I served the pecans and cheese wafers with some marinated olives.

Spicer Pecans

Source: It may be sacrilegious, but this recipe is an adaptation of Spicer’s Cajun-spiced Pecans. I increased the amount of pecan halves (less buttery) and added the chili powder for a bit more “kick.”

These are great on salads and make a nice Christmas gift.

Yield: 1½ cups (can be doubled)

Ingredients:

1 T. butter
1½ c. pecan halves
2 T. sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. chili powder

Process:

Preheat oven to 325°. Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Stir in the nuts to coat. Stir in the other ingredients. Spread the nuts on a large baking sheet lightly sprayed with vegetable oil spray. Bake 7-10 minutes. Cool nuts on paper towels. Store the nuts in an airtight container. (During high humidity, I store them in the refrigerator.)

Cheese Wafers

Source: There are lots of versions of this sort of recipe out there, including a parmesan and thyme version in Ina Garten’s new cookbook Back to Basics. This one I got from my mother-in-law Ruth.

Yield: approximately 2 dozen wafers (can be doubled)

Ingredients:

1 c. butter or margarine, softened
8-oz. block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 c. flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (I use the full amount)
1 c. finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Process:

Beat butter and shredded Cheddar cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended; add remaining ingredients, beating until blended. Cover dough and chill 2 hours.

Shape dough into 8-inch logs approximately 1½-inch in diameter. (I had 3 logs.) Wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 2 hours.

Cut each log into ½-inch-thick slices and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 11-13 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

(You may freeze the logs up to 1 week. Let dough stand 15 minutes before slicing into wafers; bake wafers as directed.)

Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is the salad dressing used on the Bayona House Salad. For Laurie, I served a simple salad of baby greens, chopped scallions, halved grape tomatoes, and a sprinkling of salted sunflower kernels.

Source: Susan Spicer’s Crescent City Cooking

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 T. balsamic vinegar
2T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. plus 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 T. honey
¾ c. olive oil
1 T. fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

Process:

Whisk together the vinegars, mustard, and honey in a small bowl, then gradually whisk in the olive oil. Taste the dressing and finish by adding the lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Shrimp or Crayfish Clemenceau

I first tried Shrimp Clemenceau at Feelings Café in New Orleans, and I loved it! I’m assuming Spicer uses “crayfish” instead of “crawfish,” the more common term in Louisiana, to communicate to a broader, i.e. “Yankee,” audience.

Source: Susan Spicer’s Crescent City Cooking

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup diced potatoes (about ½-inch dice)
salt
3 T. olive oil
5 T. butter
½ pound button mushrooms, quartered
1 pound shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined, or 1 pound crayfish tails
2 c. peas (frozen or fresh)
pepper
hot sauce
1 med. shallot, finely diced
¼ c. white whine
3 T. fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 scallions, finely chopped

Process:

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

Place the potatoes in a small saucepan and cover with cold water; add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are just cooked through (they will become opaque and should be tender, but not overly soft, when pierced with a paring knife.) Drain them, rinse with cold water, and cool. Pat the dice dry with paper towels. (The potatoes can be blanched in advance and held in water.)

Heat 1 T. olive oil in a medium skillet until hot but not smoking, and add the potatoes and 2 T. butter. Cook until evenly browned and crispy, and transfer to a large bowl. Keep them warm in the oven.

Return the skillet to the heat (no need to clean), pour in the remaining 2 T. olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring until they are lightly browned and crispy. Add the mushrooms to the potatoes. Add the shrimp or crayfish tails to the skillet and cook a few more minutes. Add the peas, season lightly with salt, pepper, and hot sauce, and transfer the mixture to the bowl of potatoes. Toss mixture to combine and return to oven to keep warm.

Deglaze the pan with the shallots, wine, and lemon juice and scrape up the bits. Bring to a boil and reduce to about 4 T. of liquid. Stir in the garlic, then whisk in the remaining 3 T. butter, a little a t a time, to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

Pour the sauce over the shrimp, sprinkle with stallions and serve immediately.

Chocolate Mousse

For this recipe, see "The Thais that Bind in Rhinelander." However, I didn’t have any brandy so I substituted rum and also sprinkled some crushed candy canes on the whipped cream for a seasonal touch.

A Mexi-Camp Menu

We have spent two years working on our camp--painting everything that is wood, sewing window treatments, installing a new bathroom sink, tiling a backsplash, repairing a variety of plumbing problems, having a boat slip built, resodding the lawn, and, most recently, having the place treated after a termite swarm.

Now, for my Yankee friends, I need to explain the term “camp.” It basically means a weekend place, usually on water. However, camps come in a variety of sizes, from small almost shed-like structures to palatial mansions reminiscent of Tara.

Our is in the medium range but perfect for us. And we were at last ready for our first official dinner party.

Realizing our camp would always be a “work in progress,” we decided to invite some of our nicest friends, friends who would applaud our efforts instead of noticing the “mushy” floors and the uneven kitchen counters.

I’m not sure why I always imagined our first camp dinner party would have a Mexican vibe—maybe because I wanted a “fiesta,” a celebration of a job (almost) well done.

We served sangria and beer with the empanadas and tortilla chips and salsa. After a leisurely boat ride, we served the Cheesy Jalapeño Bites with the soup, and then continued on to the enchiladas, salads, and, finally, dessert. It was a wonderful fiesta for our camp! Thank you Jan, Dennis and Sharon!

Sangria

The ingredient amounts are flexible. If possible, chill all the ingredients before mixing.

Source: original recipe

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

4 c. red wine
½ - 1 c. orange juice
½ - 1 c. lemonade (from a bottle or mixed from concentrate)
½ c. pineapple juice (optional)
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. brandy
1 c. club soda or sparkling water (optional)
Orange, lemon and/or lime slices for the pitcher and for garnishing the glasses

Process:

In a pitcher combine all the ingredients, except quarter or half-slices of the fruit to garnish the glasses. Add ice to the pitcher or glasses if desired.


Beef Empanadas

Source: original recipe

Yield: 30-36 empanadas

Ingredients:

One package (2 crusts) of refrigerated, rolled pie crusts
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 (15-oz.) can enchilada sauce
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1-2 tsp. sugar
Salsa, to taste
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
Sour cream, guacamole and/or additional salsa for serving

Process:

Preheat oven to 425.° In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef and onion, until the beef is no longer pink and the onions are tender and translucent. Drain grease, if necessary. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the ground beef mixture is quite “dry.” Stir in cheese until melted.

Meanwhile, unroll the first pie crust on a lightly floured surface and roll slightly with a rolling pin. Cut the crust with a 2½ -3-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter. Repeat with other crust. Re-roll and cut scraps.

Place a scant teaspoon of the beef filling on one side of a piecrust round. Fold in half, sealing edges with your fingers. Place the empanada on a cookie sheet (either non-stick or lightly sprayed with cooking spray). Press the edge with the tines of a fork. Repeat with remaining piecrust rounds. Bake 15-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Serve immediately or at room temperature with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole, if desired.


Cheesy Jalapeño Bites

These “look” like individually prepared appetizers but with none of the work.



Source: a very old clipping

Yield: 16-24 pieces

Ingredients:

4 to 6 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
6 to 7 fresh Jalapeño peppers seeded and chopped (I’ve used jarred)

Process:

Spray 8 X 8 in baking dish with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Stir the cheese and chopped peppers into the beaten eggs; pour into baking dish. Bake at 325° for 18-20 minutes. The mixture will firm up as it bakes. Do not brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting into 1-inch squares. The appetizers can be served warm or at room temperature.


Tomato-Orange Soup

Source: a very old clipping

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

4 c. chicken broth
1 28-oz.can whole peeled tomatoes with juices
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 bay leaves
½ tsp. sugar
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
¼ c. orange juice
Sour cream and cilantro, for garnish

Combine broth, tomatoes with juice, onion, carrot, lemon peel, bay leaves and sugar in heavy, large saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, breaking up tomatoes with spoon. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 40 minutes.

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; stir 2 minutes. Add 1 c. soup and stir until smooth. Return mixture to remaining soup in saucepan. Simmer until soup thickens, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Working in batches, puree soup in blender or puree with hand-held immersion blender. Stir in orange juice. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Serve soup cold or bring to simmer and serve hot. (I served the soup cold garnished with a teaspoon of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro.)


Chicken Enchiladas Suizas

Source: Colorado Collage Cookbook

Yield: 12-15 enchiladas, 6 servings

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 T. butter
1 c. chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
8 oz. grated cheddar cheese
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
1 c. purchase green chile salsa
½ c. chopped cilantro
4 tsp. ground cumin
2-3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (I used the whole 3-oz. can!)
12-15 7-in flour tortillas
10 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 c. whipping cream
½ chicken broth

Process:

Place chicken in pan of rapidly boiling water to cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, cool, and shred. Preheat oven to 350°. In medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion and peppers until just soft. Transfer to a large bowl. Add chicken, cheddar cheese, green chiles, salsa, cilantro, cumin, and chipotle chiles. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

Grease 10X15-inch baking pan or 2 smaller pans. Place 1 flour tortilla on a flat surface and place about 1/3 c. chicken mixture along one edge. Roll up from filling side and place, seam side down, in pan. Repeat. Sprinkle Monterey Jack over enchiladas. (May be prepared to this point up to 1 day in advance. Cover and chill.)

Combine cream and chicken broth and pour over enchiladas. Cover pan with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish with tomatoes, if desired.


Black Bean & Rice Salad

Source: a very old clipping

Yield: 12 servings (I halved this for our party)

Ingredients:

2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth (3 cups)
½ c. water
1 ½ c. rice
2 bay leaves
2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained, rinsed
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1 medium bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
½ c. olive oil
Juice of 1 lime (or more)
3 T. orange juice
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder

Process:

Bring broth and water to boil in saucepan. Add rice and bay leaves. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Transfer rice to large bowl and fluff with fork. Mix in beans, peppers, onion, chopped cilantro. Mix oil, orange juice, vinegar, cumin and chili powder. Add to salad. (Add salsa for more kick and moisture.).


Tossed Salad with Orange Slices & Red Onions

Source: my friend Jan’s “famous” salad dressing + my salad ingredients

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

½ c. olive oil
½ c. sugar
¼ c. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce

Assorted baby greens, enough for 6 people
One-half red onion, thinly sliced
2 oranges, peeled, sectioned, sections cut in half
1 8-oz. can pitted black olives, drained, cut in half
½ c. salted sunflower kernels

Process:

Combine the olive oil, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in a jar with a lid. Shake until blended. Combine the greens, onion, oranges, olives and sunflower kernels in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Serve.


Pineapple-Coconut Chess Pie

Source: a very old clipping

Yield: one pie, 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 ½ c. sugar
3 T. cornmeal
2 T. flour
¼ tsp. salt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ c. melted butter
1 (3.5-oz.) can flaked coconut
1 (15.25-oz.) can crushed pineapple, well drained
1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell.
Whipped cream and toasted coconut for garnish, if desired

Process:

Combine sugar, cornmeal flour and salt in a large bowl; add eggs and vanilla, stirring until blended. Stir in butter, coconut and pineapple; pour into unbaked pastry shell. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until set, covering with aluminum foil after 40 minutes. Cool. (I often garnish the pie with whipped cream and toasted coconut.)