24.Jan.2010 TARTE TATIN

Butter, sugar and apples might possibly be the best combination of simple ingredients. After learning from Chef Berty Seigels at Bill’s birthday luncheon how to make Tarte Tatin, I finally give it a try using my new All Clad 12″ stainless steel fry pan (a gift from mom). Not nearly as intimidating as it seemed, the tarte came out beautifully and was simply delicious. The two things I would do differently next time is buy more apples. I only used 11 and I needed 15. My solution was to lay three apples in the center cut side up so they filled out the center and still fanned the rest around the edge, which worked out well. The main problem was the center apples cooked more quickly so I had to swap them out for edge apples as they cooked. I also should have let the sugar and butter cook more before adding the apples. I let the sugar dissolve, but did not wait until it turned color before adding the apples. This caused the apples to get slightly over cooked as I had to keep cooking them until the sugar and butter turned a nice dark carmel color. Regardless, it was good enough to eat a few healthy slices over the next few days. The recipe below is Bery Seigels’, but halved as I only cooked one tarte.

• 15 small apples give or take (however many can fit in the pan)
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 puff pastry sheet

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wash, peel, halve and core the apples.

Over medium heat, melt butter in a 12″ oven safe skillet and add the sugar. Once syrupy, add the apples in a fan pattern around the edge of the pan and then the middle. Cook until browned then rotate each apple using a pairing knife or fork to turn them until all sides are browned. Adjust the heat if the syrup starts to get too brown. The apples are done when soft and browned. This step can be prepared ahead of time.

Defrost the puff pastry sheet. If the apples are prepared ahead of time, reheat the apples while the pastry defrosts.

Once defrosted, carefully unfold the pastry. Press your fingers along the fold lines to smooth. Lay over the top of each apple pan one pastry sheet and fold in the corners so the pastry just fits in the pan. You may need to roll out the pastry if it’s too small to spread across the pan, which I did. Use a little flour to keep it from sticking to the counter. Slice several holes in each pastry with a small pairing knife for steam.

Place in the oven until the pastry is nicely browned. Once removed from oven, let sit for 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, find a dish that is just larger than the skillet.

With the dish placed over the skillet, turn the Tarte Tatin over onto the serving plate. Using a spatula smooth over the tops of the tart moving the spatula in a circular motion in the direction the apples are laying on each other around the top of the tart. Let sit until cool before serving.

21.Jan.2010 THANKSGIVING AT THE HANSONS

I celebrated Thanksgiving with Kevin’s family this year (well technically last year, since I’m very late in posting this entry). Surprisingly, Kevin and I have celebrated 3 Thanksgivings together, and this was my first year to taste a Thanksgiving feast prepared with the Glikbarg and Hanson family recipes.

Every family has their own Thanksgiving feast with their own special recipes. I look forward to my Auntie Norma’s Corn Flake potatoes, my mom’s homemade stuffing and my grandma’s sweet yams every year. While I missed celebrating the holiday with my family, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of trying an array of new recipes with the Glikbargs and Hansons. We feasted, drank wine and shared a weekend together hiking, playing games, reading cookbooks (I looked through a cookbook by the Barefoot Contessa on entertaining, which was full of wonderful ideas), sharing recipes and playing in the Hanson’s infamous backyard that has rope swings, rope ladders and a zip line. We especially enjoyed sharing the occasion with our close friends, Adam and Yumi, who recently moved to Northern California near where Kevin’s parents live. Kevin’s mom Susan kindly shared the recipes with me to add to my post. For the record, Susan was very prompt in getting these recipes to me.

CARROT RING (double for a medium mold)

• ½ c butter
• ½ c brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbs. water
• 1 ¼ c flour
• 2 c shredded carrots
• ½ tsp soda
• 1 tsp powder
• ½ tsp salt (or less)
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and water. Combine dry ingredients and add. Grease mold and place in water. Pour into greased ring mold (may dust with breadcrumbs or flour) Cook one hour in pan with hot water.

Bake 370 for 1 hour (or a little less).

Optional:  Serve steamed frozen peas with pearl onions in the middle of the ring.

SWEET DRESSING (triple for large turkey)
From Bertha Glikbarg (Kevin’s great grandmother)

• 1 cup mashed russet potatoes  (about 1 cup per medium potato)
• ½ cup sugar, a little cinnamon
• 2 cups bread cubes (6-8 slices without crust)  — Buy a few days before to dry out.
• scant cup raisins  (use fewer for triple recipe)
• ½ cup melted butter
• 2 well-beaten eggs worked in last

Combine everything.  Bake covered 350 for 45min to 1 hour or stuff in turkey.

UNCOOKED CRANBERRY RELISH (from the Joy of Cooking)

• 1 12-oz package of fresh cranberries (3 cups)
• 1 navel orange, unpeeled
• 1 cup of sugar, or to taste

Cut the orange into eighths and remove any seeds.

Place half the orange and half the cranberries into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until the mixture is evenly chopped, but not pureed. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Repeat with the remaining orange slices and cranberries.

Mix together with the sugar.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days and up to 2 weeks.

According to Susan, this relish is a very typical Thanksgiving dish, but it was the first time I’ve ever tried it. The relish has a wonderful bite and stunning color. For Thanksgivings from here on out, I’ll have to see to it that this dish isn’t overlooked.

Don, Kevin’s father cooked the turkey over the BBQ. He basted and buttered it frequently resulting in a very crispy and golden skin.

Charlene, Kevin’s grandmother made the most heavenly gravy I’ve ever tasted. It was very rich. I don’t have this recipe yet, but I will track it down one of these days.

Kevin’s uncle, Steve made roasted sweet potatoes. He used the white meat variety. Skinned and chopped them into 1-inch cubes, tossed them with oil, salt and herbs and baked them until spotted brown.

I made my famous sauteed brussels sprouts (recipe can be found on the Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pesto Goat Cheese blog).

For dessert, Don prepared pumpkin pie, which we later continued to eat for breakfast, snack, dessert and breakfast again. His secret is rolling the crust extra thin and doubling the spice ingredients.

Yumi brought homemade pecan pie, which Adam stole a slice from before bringing it over to “make sure it was good,” which it was.

19.Jan.2010 CHICKEN KATSU

One of my favorite dishes growing up, Chicken Katsu is basically the Japanese version of fried chicken. It is commonly found at Japanese supermarkets in the prepared food section as part of a bento (lunch box), but tastes so much better homemade. I was inspired to make this dish after reading Japanese food and cooking by Emi Kazuko. Being half Japanese growing up with a mother who preserved her grandmother’s traditional recipes (my great grandma Toshi) I was surprised to learn so many new facts and philosophies about Japanese cooking in the cookbook, although many of the dishes were comfortingly familiar. I paired this dish with spinach prepared with a sweet sauce and toasted sesame seeds and served the chicken katsu over a bed of shredded brussels sprouts sautéed with thinly sliced bell peppers.

CHICKEN KATSU

• 4 T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T ketchup
• 1 t soy sauce (shoyu)
• 4 chicken fillets
• 1 cup of flour
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 cup of Japanese breadcrumbs (Panko)
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

In a small bowl, mix the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and shoyu together. This mixture is a dipping sauce traditionally served with chicken katsu. Put it to the side until the rest of the meal is prepared.

Pound the chicken individually between plastic wrap with a meat tenderizer (or frying pan if you don’t have one) until the meat is 1/4-inch thick. Pat dry with paper towels and season with salt.

Set up a breading station with the flour, beaten eggs and Panko (all in separate dishes placed side by side). Working one by one, dust the chicken with the flour, dip it in the eggs to coat and lay it on the Panko coating both sides and pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken with your hand if necessary to get it to coat completely. Lay finished pieces in a baking dish.

Heat oil a 1/2-inch high in a frying pan over medium high heat. It is ready for the chicken when a little flour tossed in sizzles immediately upon hitting the oil. Fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. They should be very crispy and brown. If they aren’t after turning the first side, increase the heat.

Place the finished pieces on a plate or cooling rack lined with paper towels. After it rests a few minutes, slice into 1-inch thick pieces cutting against the grain on a bias.

Lay the entire chicken in slices over a bed of thinly sliced raw cabbage or as I served it over sauteed brussels sprouts. Serve with sesame spinach and the katsu sauce you prepared earlier.

The spinach recipe follows. The brussels sprouts recipe can be found in the Chicken Stuffed with Pesto Goat Cheese recipe, just add 1 large or two small thinly sliced red, yellow or orange bell peppers or a combination when you add the brussels sprouts.

BOILED SPINACH WITH TOASTED SESAME SEEDS

• 1/2 bag of fresh baby spinach
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 3 T soy sauce (shoyu)
• 1/2 t Hon Dashi (optional – found in Asian markets)
• 1 T sugar
• 1 T sesame seeds (if the label says their toasted, you should still toast them as noted below)

If the spinach is not already pre-washed, wash the spinach.

In a sauce pan stir together the water, shoyu, Hon Dashi and sugar and bring the water to a boil. Watch out to make sure it does not boil over. The Hon Dashi encourages boil overs.

Add the spinach to the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes until the spinach is sufficiently wilted but not falling apart.

Drain the spinach squeezing out as much liquid as possible.

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over the stovetop on high heat shaking the pan regularly until the seeds are nicely brown and give off a toasted aroma.

Gather a couple tablespoons amount of spinach with your fingers (it should now be cool enough to touch), shape it into a cylinder or roundish shape and dip the top in the toasted sesames to make a little sesame cap. As you create your spinach servings, place each sesame cap side up on the serving dishes.

PICCATA AL LIMONE

I’ve made this dish with chicken in the past, and more recently made it with veal, one of Kevin’s favorite meats that happens to be prepared as escalopes at our local Costco, so Kevin picked up a package for him and salmon for me as I don’t eat veal. It’s a quick simple dish with a lovely strong lemon flavor. The recipe called for caperberries, which I left out because we don’t have them and Kevin doesn’t like them. if you like capers, add a couple tablespoons when you add the lemon. For a special evening, sprinkle the finished dish with chopped parsley for a little color and fresh bite.

• 8 veal escalopes
• 3/4 cup of flour seasoned with salt
• 1 T olive oil
• 3 T butter
• 2 cups chicken stock divided
• 3 T lemon juice

Placed between plastic wrap, pound the escalopes individually with a meat tenderizer (or frying pan if you don’t have a tenderizer) to about 1/8-1/4″ thick.

Dust each with the flour by laying the escalopes in the flour and shaking off the excess.

Heat the oil and butter in a 12″ fry pan over a medium high fire and fry the escalopes for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the finished pieces to a plate.

Add 1 cup of chicken stock to the pan (an equal portion of white wine is commonly used in lieu of chicken stock for this step), scrap the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and boil down to about a 1/4 cup or a little less.

Pour in the remaining stock and boil down for 4-5 minutes until the liquid in the pan is slightly thickened.

Add the lemon juice and heat through for a minute.

Pour the sauce over the escalopes and serve. I paired the Piccata al Limone with an arugula salad with cucumbers, shredded carrot and bell pepper. Try also passing a baguette for sopping up the sauce.

04.Jan.2010 PAPPA AL POMODORO

This is hands down my favorite weeknight dinner. Super simple and super delicious, I first experienced this Italian soup on Kevin and my engagement trip in Portland at a lovely, casually elegant restaurant, Caffe Allora. It was such a wonderful meal, I asked the waiter if the chef would share his recipe. To my surprise, not only did I get the recipe, but the chef came out of the kitchen to share it with me in person. In all honesty, I only remembered the recipe vaguely, so before trying it out this evening I looked up the dish on the Internet. A recipe by Mario Batali sounded very similar aside from a few variations, so I adapted Mario’s recipe with the portions I remembered from Caffe Allora. The end product tasted very similar to what I recall tasting that romantic evening in Portland. I hope you try it an enjoy it just as much.

• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion (I used sweet Visalia) chopped
• 2-3 sprigs of thyme, stems removed and discarded (you can also use a handful of torn basil, which is the herb traditionally used for this dish, but I didn’t have any on hand so I substituted the thyme)
• 4 cloves of garlic minced and divided
• 1 28-oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marsano (can be purchased at Whole Foods, Bristol Farms or Gelson’s), squished by hand into small bits
• 2/3 stale sourdough baguette chopped into 3/4″ cubes
• 2 cups of chicken stock (vegetable stock can be substituted to make this dish vegetarian)
• 1 t salt
• grated parmesan passed

In saucepan with a 12″ base add the oil and heat over a medium high flame. Before the oil begins to smoke, but after it is hot add the onion, thyme and 3 of the minced garlic cloves. Continue stirring for about 10 minutes until the onion is translucent.

Add the can of tomato, juices and all. Cook down until almost no liquid is left, about 10 minutes.

Add the stale bread, the last minced garlic clove and salt. Mix until combined.

Add the stock. Stir until combined then occasionally until almost all of the stock is absorbed by the bread, about 5 minutes.

Turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the bread doesn’t stick to the bottom. If it does, scrap up the bits with your cooking utensil.

Serve and pass the parmesan.

06.Dec.2009 CHINESE BARBECUED PORK (CHAR SIU)

I found a recipe for one my childhood favorites, Char Siu commonly known as Chinese Barbecued Pork. Unfortunately, I lost the taste for pork years ago, but it is one of Kevin’s favorite meats so he was able to enjoy it. I even took a couple bites myself and as a non-pork eater, it was pretty good. The recipe I found on CooksIllustrated.com calls for pork butt, but offers cooking variations for leaner cuts, which worked perfectly for the pork loin I ultimately used. The loin ended up very tender and moist and full of flavor. This dish paired well with rice and sesame green beans. We used leftover pork in a simple udon soup with bok choy, green onion and carrot and in fried rice a different day (which Kevin tells me his mom used to make when he was growing up). Below is the recipe I copied from CooksIllustrated.com. My variations are included.

Opening Notes: To facilitate cleanup, spray the rack and pan with vegetable oil spray. The pork will release liquid and fat during the cooking process, so be careful when removing the pan from the oven. If you don’t have a wire rack that fits in a rimmed baking sheet, substitute a broiler pan, although the meat may not darken as much. Pay close attention to the meat when broiling-you are looking for it to darken and caramelize, not blacken. Do not use a drawer broiler–the heat source will be too close to the meat.

• 2 1-lb pork tenderloins
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons hoisin sauce (I combined equal parts Ginger Stir Fry Sauce, ketchup, soy sauce and brown sugar because we didn’t have hoisin sauce)
• ¼ cup dry sherry
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (from 4- to 6-inch piece)
• 2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup honey

Using fork, prick pork 10 to 12 times on each side. Place pork in large plastic zipper-lock bag.

Combine sugar, soy, hoisin, sherry, pepper, five-spice powder, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic in medium bowl. Measure out 1/2 cup marinade and set aside. Pour remaining marinade into bag with pork. Press out as much air as possible; seal bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. (I marinated the pork overnight.)

While meat marinates (I did this step later while the pork was cooking), combine ketchup and honey with reserved marinade in small saucepan. Cook glaze over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1 cup, 4 to 6 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set wire rack on sheet.

Remove pork from marinade, letting any excess drip off, and place on wire rack. Pour 1/4 cup water into bottom of pan. Cover pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil (I doubled regular aluminum foil), crimping edges tightly to seal. Cook pork for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook until edges of pork begin to brown, 20 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. Turn on broiler and increase the heat to 500.

Brush the pork with half of glaze; broil until deep mahogany color, 3 to 5 minutes (no need to wait until the oven temperature reaches 500 – continue with this step as soon as the glaze is applied).

Using tongs, flip meat and broil until other side caramelizes, 3-5 minutes. (If the drippings start to burn, either turn on your fan or pour a little water in the bottom of the pan or do both if your fire alarm is particularly sensitive.)

Brush meat with remaining glaze and continue to broil until second side is deep mahogany, 3 to 5 minutes.

Cool for at least 10 minutes, then cut into thin strips and serve.

18.Nov.2009 CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH PESTO GOAT CHEESE OVER BRUSSELS SPROUTS

I’ve made this dish twice now. In fact, the first time around I was so pleased with the result I started my blog the very next time I cooked. So I can attribute this dish to the inspiration for Lauren’s Recipes – With Love. A simple dish to prepare, these stuffed chicken breasts can be served with vegetables alone, or also accompanied by soup. I served the chicken over a bed of sautéed brussels sprouts (recipe included in this blog post) and a blended vegetable soup. The brussels sprouts paired perfectly with the chicken because the chicken was so full of flavor and the brussels sprouts so mild. The soup was ok. I was inspired by how Berty used wine for his beurre blanc sauce, and thought I’d try a similar technique for the soup with leftover wine, but the wine flavor was much too strong for a soup (or at least in the quantity I used) so I will not include the soup recipe this time around. The chicken recipe is a variation from The Bon Appetit Cookbook and the brussels sprout treatment is similar to one the NY Times Minimalist shared in a podcast.

CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH PESTO GOAT CHEESE

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup soft goat cheese
• 2 T basil pesto
• salt to taste
• 1 large egg beaten
• 3/4 cup fine bread crumbs (I used Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs)
• 2-3 T butter melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the cheese and pesto together until well incorporated and the cheese is smooth and spreadable.

Dry then remove tough pieces and fat scraps from the chicken breasts.

Cut off the tenderloin from each breast and set aside. Then slice each breast in half or thirds if the breasts are large. The pieces should be about the same size as the reserved tenderloins.

Pound the chicken one piece at a time placed in the middle of a folded piece of plastic wrap using a meat tenderizer. I have used a frying pan before when cooking in a kitchen without a meat tenderizer. It’s a little messier, but does the job. The chicken pieces once properly pounded should be 1/4″ thick.

Salt the smooth side (what would be the skin side if the skin were not removed) and spread the goat cheese mixture on the other side of each piece.

Roll each chicken piece and use a toothpick (or two or three) or string to hold the chicken in the roll. I also like to tuck in the ends if possible, but it’s not completely necessary as it is tricky and doesn’t always work depending on the shape and thickness of the pounded chicken.

One by one, dip the chicken in the egg, then roll in the bread crumbs until sufficiently covered. (According to The Bon Appetit Cookbook, the chicken can be prepared through this step up to 4 hours in advance making it a perfect dinner party pleaser. Admittedly, I have not tried this.)

Place finished pieces in a baking dish. Drizzle the chicken with the melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until it is cooked through and golden brown. Serve over a bed of the sautéed brussels sprouts in the following recipe.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

• 1 lb brussels sprouts
• 2 T butter
• salt to taste

I use frozen chicken breasts, so while the chicken breasts thaw, I prepare the brussels sprouts then cook the sprouts after I put the chicken in the oven.

Clean the brussels sprouts. If on the older side, trim off the bottoms and peel away the first couple layers of leaves.

Slice the sprouts into thin slivers cutting across the core, or use the quick method and place handfuls at a time in the food processor using the slicing blade that sits elevated towards the top of the container (not the chopping blade set in the bottom of the container).

Melt the butter in a frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add the sliced sprouts and coat with the melted butter. Add salt to taste and stir occasionally until the sprouts begin to soften.

Turn the heat to low and cover the pan for 4-5 minutes or until the sprouts are fairly soft with a very slight crispness left.

Place the sprouts on a plate and top with the chicken. Serve and eat up!

12.Nov.2009 BILL GLIKBARG’S BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON

Sunday night we celebrated Kevin’s grandfather’s 85th birthday. It was a celebration perfectly suited for the occasion. The kids, grandkids and significant others were all there. It was a full house. The treat of the day for all was Berty Seigels, a local chef from Belgium and good friend of Bill and Charlene’s. He prepared a delightfully rich French meal for 15 hungry bellies and I was thrilled to be able to watch it all come together. The meal included the centerpiece dish (in my opinion) – Potatoes Au Gratin, then Chicken with Capers and Brown Sauce, Fish with Beurre Blanc served over Leeks along side Vegetable Confetti, Asparagus, Butter Noodles, Salad and bread for soaking up sauce left on the plate. For birthday cake, Berty cooked his signature dessert, Apple Tarte Tatin. While I had no part in cooking, Berty gave me permission to share his recipes and promised to correct any major errors in my notes. Note: the measurements I am providing are very loose as Berty did not measure anything and I guessed measurements on sight. I plan to try my hand at these at some point soon and will certainly report how they come out.

POTATOES AU GRATIN

• 10 russet potatoes plus or minus
• 1/2-1 t nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste (approx 2 t salt and 1 teaspoon pepper)
• 1 and 1/3 quart heavy whipping cream divided
• 4-5 cloves garlic minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash, peel and slice the potatoes into thin discs. I would probably use a mandolin but Berty’s trained hand very quickly sliced the potatoes in even slices. Season the potatoes with the nutmeg, salt and pepper and add the quart of cream. Give the mixture a stir and heat over a stove set to low.

Add mined garlic after the first 5-10 minutes. Do not let the cream boil. Stir occasionally.

Butter an oven safe serving dish large enough to hold the potatoes with a little room on the top for bubbling. Berty used a round coated heavy dish that must have been about 4-5 inches deep and 12 inches in diameter.

When the cream is thickened and the potatoes are soft, remove the potatoes from the heat and poor the mixture into the prepared dish. Berty let the potatoes sit for about a half hour before pouring the remaining 1/3 quart of cream over the top and baking in the oven.

The potatoes au gratin are ready when the top is nicely browned and cream very bubbly. The potatoes sat for about 20 minutes before we all dove in.

CHICKEN WITH CAPERS AND BROWN SAUCE

• 10 boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
• Chefwise Thicken to Brown Sauce with Veal Flavoring (quantity for 15 servings per Chefwise instructions)
• Water (per Chefwise instructions for 15 servings)
• 2 cups of flour
• salt and pepper to taste (approx 1 T salt and 1 t pepper)
• 1/2 cup canola oil (divided)
• 1 stick of butter (divided)
• small jar of capers drained
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• juice of 3 lemons
• 2 T butter

Remove the fat and slice the chicken into 1/4″ thick slices by making 1-2 horizontal slices through each chicken breast depending on the thickness of each breast. Berty pressed the palm of his hand on top of the breast as he cut through it to guide the knife. It looked quite dangerous, but I tried the technique a couple days later and found it to be only slightly difficult. Place the chicken in a dish and set aside.

Mix together the flour salt and pepper in a large flat dish (a 9 x 17 baking dish would work perfectly). Set aside.

Whisk together the Chefwise bouillon and water in a sauce pan and heat over low heat on the stovetop. It will start to thicken. Stir occasionally. Berty let the brown sauce cook for 20-30 minutes before he started the next step – cooking the chicken.

To cook the chicken, divide the oil and butter between 12″ frying pans preheated over medium heat. Create a “flouring station” next to the stove so you can easily flour each chicken breast and place it immediately in the frying pan, then do just that — coat each fillet with the flour mixture, dust of excess flour and place in one of the hot pans, preferably, the pan closest to the the flouring station. Once the first pan is full, swap with the second pan so the now empty pan is next to the flouring station and repeat. Heat the chicken about 3-4 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Place finished chicken pieces in a serving dish.

Sprinkle the drained capers over the cooked chicken. You may not need the whole jar. Use just enough so the chicken looks lightly sprinkled with the capers.

Pour out the excess oil from one of the chicken cooking pans (wash or move the other pan out of the way). Over medium heat, add the wine to the pan. Let it bubble for 5 minutes or so. Then add the lemon juice. Let it bubble for 5 minutes or so. Then add the butter and off the heat. Stir in the butter until incorporated and add the mixture to the brown sauce.

Berty heated the chicken in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes then strained the brown sauce over just before serving.

FISH WITH BEURRE BLANC, LEEKS AND VEGETABLE CONFETTI

• 1 large shallot
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 T white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups cold butter (3 sticks)
• 9-10 leeks, washed with dark green leaves removed
• salt and pepper to taste (approx 1 T salt and 1 t pepper)
• 6 T butter (divided)
• 1/4 cup of water
• 3 red bell peppers chopped
• 1 bag of frozen corn
• 1 bag of frozen peas
• 15 serving size fillets of striped bass with skin
• 2 cups of flour
• salt and pepper to taste (approx 1 T salt and 1 t pepper)
• 1/2 cup canola oil (divided)
• 1 stick of butter (divided)

To start the beurre blanc, mince the shallot and combine with the wine and vinegar in a small sauce pan. Place over low heat and cook until almost no liquid is left in the pan. While the wine and vinegar reduced, Berty completed the rest of the steps in this recipe.

Remove the root end from each leek and slice each lengthwise in half then across making 1″ cuts at a diagonal. Add to a sauce pan with 3 tablespoons of the butter, water, salt and pepper. Stir, cover and place over low heat. Stir occasionally until soft – about 45 minutes.

Add the remaining butter and bell peppers to a frying pan. Saute for 10 minutes. Add corn and saute another 10 minutes. Add peas and saute 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

To cook the fish, divide the oil and one stick of butter between 12″ frying pans preheated over medium heat. Create a “flouring station” next to the stove so you can easily flour each fillet and place it immediately in the frying pan, then do just that — coat each fillet with the flour mixture, dust of excess flour and place in one of the hot pans skin side up, preferably, the pan closest to the the flouring station. Once the first pan is full, swap with the second pan so the now empty pan is next to the flouring station and repeat. Heat the fillet about 3-4 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Place finished fish pieces skin side up in a paper towel lined large cookie sheet with sides.

Now, finish the beurre blanc. By now the wine and vinegar should be almost dry. Add the cream until it boils. Slice each of the three sticks of butter into quarters and quickly add to the sauce pan. Stir over low heat. Do not let the butter boil. When the butter is completely incorporated, the sauce is ready. Add a little bit of salt and pepper to taste.

Place the cooked leeks in a serving dish creating a line of leeks on opposite sides leaving a line down the middle for the vegetable confetti (peppers, corn and peas). Add the confetti to form the middle row. Pile the fish on top of the leeks (if you can’t fit all of the fish in the serving dish, leave on the side and add more later after guests exhaust the first round). Berty heated the fish, leeks and vegetables at 400 degrees for 10 minutes before serving.

Drizzle the fish with a little bit of the beurre blanc (not too much or it will make the fish soggy) and serve with the rest of the beurre blanc in a gravy boat.

BUTTER NOODLES

• 1 lb penne
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup of parmesan

Boil water with 3 tablespoons of salt. Add the penne about 20 minutes before serving time. Cook al dente per the instructions on the package. Drain the penne and add back to the hot pot. Add the butter. Let the butter melt and toss in the pan. Move into a serving dish and serve the parmesan on the side.

BLANCHED ASPARAGUS

• 4 bunches of thick stem asparagus

Wash the asparagus and cut off the tough ends. Using a peeler, remove the skin from the bottom of each asparagus shoot leaving 2 inches of stem below the flower-like tip not peeled. This step can be prepared ahead of time.

Boil a large pot of water with a few tablespoons of salt. After all of the other dishes for this meal are prepared and set up to serve, add the asparagus to the boiling water, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes. The asparagus will be done when a knife can easily pierce the asparagus stem but the color is still bright green.

Remove from the water into a serving dish.

SALAD

• 3 bunches of green leaf lettuce
• 1 bag of spinach
• 2 bags of iceberg and radicchio mix
• 1/2 cup dijon
• 1 T salt
• 1 t pepper
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups olive oil (or to taste)

Tear up the green leaf lettuce, discarding the tough ends. Fill a sink with cold water and soak the torn lettuce. Strain and dry using a salad spinner. Place dry lettuce in a clean paper grocery bag. Add the bag lettuce and spinach and mix together with your hands. This step can be prepared ahead of time.

In the bottom of a large salad bowl, whisk together the dijon, salt, pepper and vinegar. While whisking, slowly add the oil.

Add the lettuce mixture (while the asparagus is boiling), toss and serve.

BREAD

• 2 crusty french baguettes

This is the last thing to prepare. Slice and serve in a bread basket.

APPLE TARTE TATIN

• 30 small apples give or take (however many can fit in the pans)
• 1 cup of butter (2 sticks divided)
• 2 cups of sugar (divided)
• 1 package of puff pastry with 2-3 sheets

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wash, peel, halve and core the apples.

Over medium heat, melt butter in two 12″ oven safe skillets and add the sugar. Once syrupy, add the apples in a fan pattern around the edge of each pan and then the middle. Cook until browned then turn each apple. Brown the other side. Adjust the heat if the syrup starts to get too brown. The apples are done when soft and browned. This step can be prepared ahead of time, which Berty did before arriving at Bill and Charlene’s so I was not able to watch this part, although he talked me through the process.

Defrost 2 puff pastry sheets. If the apples are prepared ahead of time, reheat the apples while the pastry defrosts.

Once defrosted, carefully unfold the pastry. Press your fingers along the fold lines to smooth. Lay over the top of each apple pan one pastry sheet and fold in the corners so the pastry just fits in the pan. Slice several holes in each pastry with a small pairing knife for steam.

Place in the oven until the pastry is nicely browned. Once removed from oven, let sit for 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, find two dishes that are just larger than the skillet.

Place each dish over each skillet and turn the Tart Tatin over onto the serving plates. Using a spatula smooth over the tops of each tart moving the spatula in a circular motion in one direction around the top of the tart. Let sit until cool before serving.

Sorry there is not photo. We were so into eating, we forgot to photograph it. Cheers to Berty for and amazing meal and to Bill for being the reason for this special celebration!

31.Oct.2009 FOCACCIA

In search of an appetizer/finger food style dish to take to a halloween party, I wanted something that could be served room temperature so that I would not have to do any prep work at the host’s house. After scouring the appetizer section of several cookbooks, I found that most recipes with common ingredients ended with “serve immediately.” The problem with those words is they imply the dish is best served hot. Finally, I stumbled upon a focaccia recipe in Fresh From the Farmer’s Market by, Janet Fletcher. The recipe called for ingredients I already had in the house, which was ideal. The only problems were it required separating the dough into 10 pieces for individual servings (not conducive for a large group) and a sponge that needed to be made a day ahead (and I needed to make the dish the same day). Instead, I used a different focaccia dough recipe from The Complete Book of Italian Cooking by Carla Capalbo that could be made in a matter of hours and was cooked in one large sheet pan. I used the same toppings in the original recipe that served as the inspiration for this dish.

• 2 1/2 T fast acting yeast
• 1 cup of luke warm water
• pinch of sugar
• 1 t salt plus more for sprinkling over the focaccia once assembled
• 3 cups of flour
• 3 bell peppers preferably different colors – I used a couple handfuls of mini bell peppers
• 1 onion
• a handful of olives (optional)
• a few T olive oil for brushing

Mix the yeast, warm water and sugar in a bowl. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. The yeast should be dissolved and the mixture foamy.

Mix one cup of flour in another cup. Add another cup of flour to a stand mixer with a dough hook and then the dough. Mix a low speed for 10+ minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. This step can also be done by hand.

Brush the inside of a large bowl with oil. Shape the dough to a ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with a moist towel and place the bowl in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour. I place the bowl in the oven and turn on the light. The dough is finished rising when it has doubled in size  and an indentation made with your finger remains.

While the dough is rising, slice the onion into thin slices and saute until translucent (about 10 minutes on medium low heat) with a little olive oil. Place in a bowl.

Slice the bell pepper into thin rings and saute for about 5 minutes with olive oil and place in a separate bowl to cool, or just leave it in the pan.

If using olives, cut them in half. Kevin doesn’t eat olives, so I made half with and half without.

Punch down the dough and kneed it for 3-4 minutes.

Brush olive oil inside a large cookie sheet with short rim sides. Use a rolling pin to get a start on flattening and stretching the dough to fill the pan. Use your fingers to work the dough further until it fills the pan. Lay a moist towel over the dough and let it sit for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees while you wait for the dough to rise.

Press your fingers to make indentations in the doug. The indentations should be about an inch apart so it looks like a grid when finished.

Brush the dough with olive oil.

If you are using olives, place one in each hole. It looks very nice if the olive has a pimiento and the olive is placed cut side up.

Carefully arrange the onions around the olives so they are evenly distributed.

Arrange the bell peppers on top of the onions, and again evenly distribute.

Sprinkle salt over. I like to use sea salt for this step.

Bake the focaccia for 25-35 minutes. The bell peppers and onions will get spots of dark color. Don’t worry, it will taste caramelized.

Cut the focaccia into bite size pieces. If you are using olives, cut pieces such that the olives are somewhat centered on each piece. As I only used olives on half of the focaccia I moved the pieces to a large square serving dish and alternated olive and plain pieces. It presented beautifully. The party has not yet started, but they are sure to disappear quickly. Happy Halloween!

DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

I am on a hunt for the very best dark chocolate brownie recipe. My requirements – lots of dark chocolate flavor, not too sweet, and a dense and moist crumb. Many recipes are far too sweet, which hides the rich chocolate taste I am seeking. After much research, I found a recipe on www.reluctantgourmet.com that meets nearly all of my requirements. It is ever so slightly too caky and too sweet, but comes close. I did try and adjust a couple ingredients – reduced the sugar by a 1/2 cup and reduced the eggs to 3, but it then came out too oily. While this is a work in process, I wanted to share the “close-to-perfect” recipe for now. Keep an eye out for more successful variations.

• 8 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup butter
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups of sugar
• 1 T vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.

Melt the chocolate and butter either in the microwave at 1/2 power or over a double boiler. Cool.

Whisk in the sugar. I whisk it in by hand, but it becomes a lot of work. A stand mixer or hand mixer works just fine.

Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing each egg in completely before adding the next.

Add the vanilla. I switch to a wooden spoon from this step forward.

Then I add the flour and salt. Many recipes suggest you mix the salt and flour together first. I don’t. I just toss it all in the bowl. Mix just until you don’t see any streaks of flour.

Pour the mixture of chocolaty goodness into the prepared baking dish, smooth the top with a spatula to create an even layer and pop it in the oven. 30 minutes later give or take a few, your brownies should be done.

Let them cool for about 10 minutes before serving to prevent from burning your tongue. I highly recommend serving these brownies with a glass of milk or a scoop of ice cream. Chocolate ice cream along side this brownie is quite decadent and only for true chocolate lovers.