Community Night with Ingrid Bengis-Palei

Ingrid sells the best seafood to twenty five restaurants in the US and we are so lucky to get her seafood at my favorite restaurant, The Kitchen. I have read about Ingrid for years, she takes such care with her fish! Last night I went to a community night at the Kitchen with Ingrid. The menu and food were amazing and I am still swooning!!

Smoked Bouchot Mussels-fresno chili, lemon and olive oil

Long Cove Oysters

Baguduce River Oysters

Fried Burrata with grilled ramp salsa verde

~wine pairing Domaine Pepiere Muscadet Sur Lie FR’10

Lobster Agnolotti-thistle whistle farm bordeaux spinach, tarragon and fava bean

Cure Farm Spicy Greens-sherry wine vinaigrette and parmesan

~wine pairing Lioco Chardonnay Sonoma Cty, CA ’10

Scallops (from diver Eric Hall)Pan seared -with Colorado asparagus puree, la Quercia pancetta and shaved crispy celery root-that was outrageous

~wine pairing Vercesi del Castellazzo Pinot Nero IT ’11

Pound cake with poached Colorado rhubarb and house made strawberry sorbet

~wine pairing Viietti Moscato d’Asti IT ’11

Easter Lunch Menu

It was a glorious Easter day here and we had lunch under our pergola at our new outdoor table. The menu was delicious!

Assorted Cheeses-Avalanche Goat Cheddar, Pecorino Crosta Nero, and a delicious Blue called Forme d’Ambert

Johnny’s Deviled Eggs with Crab and Curry

Smoked Salmon with Caper relish

Shrimp and Grits (posted previously)

Laurie’s Asparagus and Hollandaise

Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake

Spring Greens and Herb Salad

Angel Food cake frosted with Whipped Cream and Strawberries

Chicken Liver Pate

I buy chicken livers by the pound so after using 4 oz. for the Bolognese Sauce recipe, I decided to make pate. Pate freezes beautifully and I made this recipe into three ramekins. It is a great thing to have on hand for a spontaneous hors d’oeuvres!

3/4-1# chicken livers (or duck, turkey or goose)

6 T+ Butter

2 T. Brandy

2 T. Port or Madeira

1/2 clove garlic

salt and pepper

thyme

garam masala

Clean the livers and pare off any parts that look greenish. Melt 2 T. butter in a frying pan and put in the livers, cook gently for 5 minutes. They must remain pink inside. Take them from the pan and into the food processor, and process. To the butter in the pan, add the brandy and let it bubble, add the port or madeira and cook one minute. Add a half clove of garlic, salt and pepper and a small pinch of thyme to the livers. Add the butter mixture and puree with 4 T. fresh butter. When smooth, taste for seasonings. You can add more butter to lighten the liver taste. Pour into earthenware crock or dish and refrigerate or freeze.

Shrimp and Grits

This is a great simple recipe that I am going to serve for Easter Brunch. The recipe was in an old Saveur magazine that I received from my friend Laurie Smith, cookbook photographer extraordinaire! We get wonderful grits from Callaway Gardens called Speckled Heart grits. The recipe says it serves 4 but I think there are enough grits to serve at least 6-8 and then I would double the shrimp to serve 8. We ate grits for two to three meals after we ate it with the shrimp.

Serves 4

Grits

1 T. salt

2 cups coarse ground grits

3 cups (you may only need 2  1/2 cups) milk

Shrimp

4 slices of bacon, cut crosswise into 1″ pieces

1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled

1 small clove garlic, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup white wine or sherry (I used sherry and loved the flavor)

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 T. minced fresh parsley leaves

For the grits: Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil in the top part of a double boiler over high heat(FYI-I never knew you could put the top part of a double boiler on the burner but my all clad double boiler was perfect-I have an old Farberware double boiler and the top part is too thin to stick on a burner). Meanwhile, fill the bottom pot of the double boiler about halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to medium. Gradually pour the grits into the salted water in the top part of the double boiler, stirring constantly. Fit the top onto the bottom pot of the double boiler. As the grits absorb the liquid and thicken, about 2+ minutes, add 2 cups of milk and cook, stirring frequently until grits are tender and creamy, about 45 minutes. (Thin with some of the remaining milk if grits become too thick) Cover pot and reduce heat to low while preparing the shrimp.

Fry the bacon in a medium skillet until browned and crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel to drain. Discard all of the bacon fat except for a thin film to cover the bottom of the pan.

Increase the heat to high and add the shrimp, garlic, and 3/4 of the bacon, sauté and stir until the shrimp are pink, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and scrape any of the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and cook until the alcohol has evaporated and reduced slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and cook, stirring constantly until sauce has thickened about 2 minutes more.

Divide the grits between 4 bowls and spoon shrimp and sauce over grits. Garnish with reserved bacon and chopped parsley.

You must love to wash dishes to be a good cook

I have been cooking a lot lately and one of my favorite memories is when my niece, Rachael, had her first dinner party. She and her husband live in an apartment in Boston with a tiny kitchen. That did not stop them from making a very ambitious meal- butternut squash soup,no knead bread, sauteed mushrooms, spinach salad (?) and more.  I love this picture of the kitchen-there were stacks of dishes and food piled everywhere!

You have to clean up as you go along when you cook or things can get out of hand. I remember my first cooking job in a restaurant kitchen and the chef kept asking me if “my mother was going to show up”? I couldn’t figure out what he was asking but he was teasing me that my area was a mess and was I waiting for my mother to come clean it up!

It takes a lot of work to cook as there are zillions of pots and pans that are involved. Cleaning up after a dinner party can be a disaster but it seems people are always willing to help. I organize my thanksgiving menu by how much I can handle to cook and clean up in one day or one morning and then pace my prepping and cooking accordingly. No matter what, there is always a ton of dishes at the end of that meal! Speaking of which, I just noticed I haven’t cleaned up from my previous post on Custard!

Short Ribs for a cold night

I made these short ribs last weekend and we ate some version of them all week. It is a little time consuming but worth the effort in the end. This recipe comes from Bon Appetit!

5# bone in beef short ribs, about 2-3″ pieces

good salt and fresh black pepper

3 T. vegetable oil

3 medium onions, chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chpped

3 T. flour

1 T. tomato paste

1 750 ml bottle of dry red wine, preferable Cab Sauvignon

10 sprigs flat leaf parsley

8 sprigs fresh thyme

4 sprigs oregano, if available

2 sprigs rosemary

2 dried or fresh bay leaves

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise

4 cups low salt beef stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season short ribs with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat and sear the ribs in 2 or 3 batches, browning on all sides. Remove to a plate . Pour all but 3 T. drippings off from pan.

In the same pot, brown the onions, carrots and celery over medium high heat , stirring often until the onions are browned. Add flour and tomato paste and stir for 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs and any juices. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs and garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to the oven.

Cook 2 -2 1/2 hours until tender. Transfer ribs to a platter. Strain the sauce and degrease it. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes with the sauce spooned over.

Solstice Party Champagne and hors d’oeuvres

Tomorrow I am celebrating Winter Solstice party with my girlfriends. We will toast with champagne and here is my menu:

Ina’s Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Gougeres from Tartine

Ranch Dip with Crudites

Stilton and Isle of Mull
Scottish Cheddar with Rainforest Crisps

Endive stuffed with Lobster Salad

Assorted Sushi Rolls-vegetable and California

Chicken Liver Pate with Fig Jam

Assorted Cookies and Caramel Truffles

Mediterranean Fish Soup with Rouille croutons

 This is a wonderful recipe from Jacques Pepin for a      party as you can make the base the day of the party and finish it by cooking the fish at the last minute. I steam the mussels separately in white wine to make sure they all open and would do the same with clams if I used them. I used halibut that I skinned and cut into 3/4′ pieces and bay scallops. Yield about 3 quarts-serves 6

1 1/2# fish fillets, a mixture of 2 or 3 kinds of fish or all one kind-halibut, cod, haddock,monkfish,seabass or snapper, any firm white fish, skinned, cut into pieces

1 1/2# clams or mussels, scrubbed and  cleaned

1/2# scallops

3 T olive oil

1 1/2 cups onions,chopped

5 scallions, thinly sliced, about 1 cup

1 T. garlic, chopped

2 cups fresh or canned tomatoes, with skin, juice and sees

1 cup white wine like Chardonnay

4 cups fish stock (you can make, buy or substitute clam juice,diluted with water)

1 t. fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. black pepper

1 t. saffron threads, or less if you wish

1 1/2 T fresh tarragon, if available

Rouille

1 slice firm white bread, crusts removed

6 cloves garlic, peeled

1/3 cup potato (helps for a great consistency but not absolutely necessary)

1/4 cup canned pimiento pieces (essential to recipe)

1/4 cup broth from the soup pot

1 egg yolk

fresh salt and pepper to taste

1/8 t. cayenne

3/4 cup olive oil

Croutons

24 slices of baguette, about 1/4″ cut on the diagonal

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and toast croutons on a baking sheet until crisp and beginning to color on both sides, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

In a large soup pan, heat up the olive oil and saute the onions, scallions and garlic. Cook over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, and fish stock and stir in thyme and s&p. Bring to a boil and cook gently for 10-15 minutes, partially covered. You can hold this base for a day or two and finish at the last minute!

For the rouille, tear the bread into pieces and put into processor with the garlic cloves. Process until finely chopped. Add the cooked potato, pimiento, and 1/4 cup broth from the soup pot and process until smooth. Add egg yolk, s&p, and cayenne and process. Add olive oil slowly with machine running. Taste and adjust. Put into a bowl.

To finish-

I cook mussels or clams separately in white wine until opened to make sure there is no grit and all shellfish opens.

With soup base at a boil, add saffron and cook 2 minutes. Add fish and scallops and return to a gentle boil for 2-3 minutes. Add mussels or clams and stir in chopped tarragon.

Spoon rouille over half of the croutons and ladle portions of the seafood and broth into large soup bowls. Garnish with rouille croutons. Serve hot with extra croutons and rouille on the side.

Pasta Puttanesca

Pasta Puttanesca

Another great recipe from La Dolce Vita by David Rocco-his grandmother’s recipe

Serves4

3/4 lb. spaghetti

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

dried red chili flakes to taste

4 anchovies, roughly chopped

2-4 T. capers, drained

16 black olives, pitted

1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1 14 oz. can of plum tomatoes or diced tomatoes, with juices

salt to taste

fresh finely  chopped parsley

Begin by cooking the pasta. The sauce will be done before the pasta is ready (I did not believe this but it is true!).

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat and add the garlic, red chile flakes, anchovies, capers, olives and walnuts. Cook gently until the anchovies begin to dissolve and the garlic is light brown.

If using plum tomatoes, pour into a pour and crush with your hands. Add tomatoes to the saucepan and cook.

Once the pasta is done, drain it, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Add pasta to the saucepan and add a bit of the cooking water to get the the consistency you like. Cook a minute or two. Finish with some chopped parsley.

The recipe did not call for cheese and it was delicious without it-there are so many flavors going on in this sauce that I think the cheese would interfere.

Lasagna with Bechamel and Bolognese sauces

I made the bolognese sauce a day before I assembled the lasagna. First I had to make the bechamel. David Rocco’s bechamel was very thin and I am not sure I took the time to make it correctly. Here is the recipe for the bechamel and then the assembly of the lasagna follows:

Salsa Besciamella From David Rocco’s La Dolce Vita

4T. Butter

4 cups Milk

4T. all purpose flour.

Get out two pots and place them over medium heat. In one pot melt the butter, in the other, warm up the milk. Be careful not to brown the butter. Once it’s melted, remove it from the heat and start whisking in your flour a little at a time. Keep going until it’s all incorporated. Just before the milk reaches a boiling point, remove it from the heat. Add a few ladlefuls of milk to the pot with the flour and butter. Put the flour mixture back on the burner and start whisking. When the milk is absorbed, add some more, a little at a time and stir, stir until you have used up the milk. Keep whisking until you get a creamy, velvety consistency.

Lasagna Assembly

6 cups of bolognese

1 # dry lasagna noodles

3 cups bechamel sauce

3 cups shredded mozzarella

fresh parmesan for sprinkling

Spread a bit of the bolognese in the bottom of your lasagna pan. Cover that with a layer of uncooked lasagna sheets, then a good amount of bolognese. Drizzle some bechamel sauce on top and sprinkle with some mozzarella. You are going to make 3 or 4 layers in the same order-pasta, bolognese, bechamel and mozzarella. Use a generous amount of bolognese as the liquid is going to cook the raw pasta. Your final layer should be pasta with bolognese sauce and then sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for 40 or until golden on top. Let it rest for 10 minutes-it tastes better when it cools down a bit.