Showing posts with label Condiments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Condiments. Show all posts
4.22.2012
Rhubarb Kumquat Compote
Roasting vegetables or fruit always results in intense flavors, so when I ran across this rhubarb compote recipe in David Tanis's Platter of Figs , I knew I found a winner. The kumquats add a lovely orange punch to the rhubarb and I love the many ways to serve this dish: as a side like applesauce, with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream for dessert, or layered to make a trifle.
Can anything be simpler?
Rhubarb Kumquat Compote
From Platter of Figs by David Tanis
Ingredients:
2 pounds rhubarb
12 kumquats, sliced
1 cup sugar
Method:
Preheat oven to 350.
Trim and destring the rhubarb and cut into 2 inch pieces. Add the sliced kumquats, toss them with the sugar and place everything in a shallow baking dish.
Trim and destring the rhubarb and cut into 2 inch pieces. Add the sliced kumquats, toss them with the sugar and place everything in a shallow baking dish.
Bake for about 45 minutes until the rhubarb is soft. Let cool and serve at room temperature.
Happy Earth Day!
6.20.2010
Tzatziki
Do you have a favorite recipe for Tzatziki? Every time I make it I am amazed at how good it is and wonder why I don't make it more often. It's so simple. And with our grills in full swing, we couldn't have a more flavorful accompaniment. Tzatziki (pronounced tsah-ZEE-kee) is a traditional Greek dish, which can be part of a mezze platter (a selection of Greek and middle-eastern small dishes served in "mezze" portions like tapas. ), served as a condiment or used as an appetizer. I most often serve it with toasted whole wheat pita chips as an appetizer, but it's a great sauce for grilled lamb or chicken, also divine on all kinds of meat and fish burgers.
Basically, the mixture combines yogurt and cucumbers with plenty of garlic and some chopped fresh herbs. English cucumbers (the kind that are shrink-wrapped at the grocery store) work best because they have few seeds, but you can use other cukes. Just be sure to slice them in half and seed them. Everyone has a different way to prepare the cucumber; I grate mine on a box grater and then twist them in a dish towel to get a little more juice out. I use Fage brand yogurt and place it in a sieve lined with gauze, over a glass bowl, covered, overnight. Please use Greek yogurt because regular yogurt will be too runny. I use both mint and dill in my Tzatziki and instead of lemon juice, I use champagne vinegar. But lemon juice is fine and what is used in most recipes.
My recipe comes from my dear friend Nancy, who passed away a number of years ago. I think of her every time I make it. She loved the Greek Islands, which is where she said she got the recipe. The only change I have made over the years was adding champagne vinegar. Nancy used lemon juice. But I saw Ina Garten make it with champagne vinegar once and I tried it. I liked it even better...it was tangier.
Nancy's Tzatziki
Ingredients:
1 17oz. container Greek yogurt (I used Fage)
1 English cucumber (I don't bother to seed this kind)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon minced dill
1 heaping tablespoon minced mint
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Place the yogurt in a gauze or paper towel-lined sieve. Let stand, covered, overnight in the fridge. The next morning, grate the cucumber on a box grater. Dump it in a tea towel and twist to get some of the juice out. Add to the yogurt and then add the remaining ingredients.
Keep chilled until ready to serve. I serve it with pita chips.
Toasted Pita Chips
Preheat oven to 400°.Use 4 or 5 rounds of whole wheat pita, cut with scissors into triangles. Lightly brush both sides with olive oil and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Watch carefully as all ovens are different.
Basically, the mixture combines yogurt and cucumbers with plenty of garlic and some chopped fresh herbs. English cucumbers (the kind that are shrink-wrapped at the grocery store) work best because they have few seeds, but you can use other cukes. Just be sure to slice them in half and seed them. Everyone has a different way to prepare the cucumber; I grate mine on a box grater and then twist them in a dish towel to get a little more juice out. I use Fage brand yogurt and place it in a sieve lined with gauze, over a glass bowl, covered, overnight. Please use Greek yogurt because regular yogurt will be too runny. I use both mint and dill in my Tzatziki and instead of lemon juice, I use champagne vinegar. But lemon juice is fine and what is used in most recipes.
My recipe comes from my dear friend Nancy, who passed away a number of years ago. I think of her every time I make it. She loved the Greek Islands, which is where she said she got the recipe. The only change I have made over the years was adding champagne vinegar. Nancy used lemon juice. But I saw Ina Garten make it with champagne vinegar once and I tried it. I liked it even better...it was tangier.
Nancy's Tzatziki
Ingredients:
1 17oz. container Greek yogurt (I used Fage)
1 English cucumber (I don't bother to seed this kind)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon minced dill
1 heaping tablespoon minced mint
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Place the yogurt in a gauze or paper towel-lined sieve. Let stand, covered, overnight in the fridge. The next morning, grate the cucumber on a box grater. Dump it in a tea towel and twist to get some of the juice out. Add to the yogurt and then add the remaining ingredients.
Keep chilled until ready to serve. I serve it with pita chips.
Toasted Pita Chips
Preheat oven to 400°.Use 4 or 5 rounds of whole wheat pita, cut with scissors into triangles. Lightly brush both sides with olive oil and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Watch carefully as all ovens are different.
4.05.2010
Rhubarb Redux
Don't say I didn't warn you...I've got lots more rhubarb recipes to share with you! And last week I discovered still one more I might just have to make: a rhubarb fool. By the time I've posted them all, summer will be upon us and rhubarb will be ripening in your own garden! Don't worry, I'm not going bore you to death by posting one after the other; there's a limit to how much rhubarb even I can eat! Please accept my apologies to those of you who mentioned you can't find rhubarb in your area. And yes, Mother's rhubarb pie recipe is coming soon, I promise.
You've got to admit this rhubarb recipe is really unusual. I love savory/sweet recipes, don't you? And this is a knockout served with roasted or grilled chicken. Kind of like a Thanksgiving stuffing with a spring twist. I'd never made it before, but I proceeded with confidence because I've never doubted anything coming from Sarah Leah Chase, whose recipe this is. Ina Garten does a scalloped tomato dish for which she gives full credit to Sarah and this is not the first time I've heard Ina credit Sarah with ideas and recipes.
Let me tell you a little bit about Sarah.
In the early 80's we spent some summers on Nantucket and it was there I was introduced to Sarah's specialty food shop and catering business called Que Sera Sarah.
The food was amazing. I could never make a decision about what to take home, so we always ended up with enough containers to feed the entire island. She ran this labor-intensive business through the 1980s before selling it, then she spent another 10 years catering, writing cookbooks, teaching cooking classes and traveling. (Including biking through Europe, about which she wrote two more books, Pedaling Through Provence Cookbook and Pedaling Through Burgundy Cookbook). Now married with a son, Sarah and her husband Nigel live on Cape Cod and are building a new business called Coastal Goods, which sells specialty salts from Provence, spices, herbs, and sauces. They do business with Crate and Barrel, Williams Sonoma, and Whole Foods. I read someplace she is working on a new cookbook as well.
I have two of Sarah's cookbooks (plus The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook on which she collaborated.) and the pages are getting dangerously food-stained! You'll find her food eclectic, with a European influence and very innovative; I love her Moroccan-inspired recipes especially, but she doesn't neglect the old recipes (although usually with her own creative spin) and she always includes seasonal favorites.
Sarah has several rhubarb recipes which of course attracted me immediately, although I think her Bluefish Paté was one of the first recipes I ever tried in her first book. I still serve it. A lot. I posted her rhubarb muffins a while back and today I'm going to introduce you to this fabulous spring dish: Sarah's Scalloped Rhubarb.
Scalloped Rhubarb
From Cold-Weather Cooking by Sarah Leah Chase
Ingredients:
5 cups fresh rhubarb (cut into 3/4 inch chunks)
3/4 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups Pepperidge Farm corn-bread stuffing crumbs (I was unable to find this brand and used another similar product)
1/2 cup walnut or pecan pieces, roughly cut in largish pieces
1/4 cup cassis liqueur
Method:
Preheat oven to 325° F. Butter a 10 or 12 inch gratin dish or shallow casserole. In a mixing bowl toss together the rhubarb and sugar.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until quite soft, about 10-15 minutes.
Remove the onion from the skillet and combine with the rhubarb. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and add to it the rhubarb and the corn bread crumbs and nuts. Stir to combine well.
Spread the mixture in the prepared dish.
Drizzle the cassis evenly over the top and bake until the rhubarb juices are bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve immediately.
Serves 6-8.
You've got to admit this rhubarb recipe is really unusual. I love savory/sweet recipes, don't you? And this is a knockout served with roasted or grilled chicken. Kind of like a Thanksgiving stuffing with a spring twist. I'd never made it before, but I proceeded with confidence because I've never doubted anything coming from Sarah Leah Chase, whose recipe this is. Ina Garten does a scalloped tomato dish for which she gives full credit to Sarah and this is not the first time I've heard Ina credit Sarah with ideas and recipes.
Let me tell you a little bit about Sarah.
In the early 80's we spent some summers on Nantucket and it was there I was introduced to Sarah's specialty food shop and catering business called Que Sera Sarah.
The food was amazing. I could never make a decision about what to take home, so we always ended up with enough containers to feed the entire island. She ran this labor-intensive business through the 1980s before selling it, then she spent another 10 years catering, writing cookbooks, teaching cooking classes and traveling. (Including biking through Europe, about which she wrote two more books, Pedaling Through Provence Cookbook and Pedaling Through Burgundy Cookbook). Now married with a son, Sarah and her husband Nigel live on Cape Cod and are building a new business called Coastal Goods, which sells specialty salts from Provence, spices, herbs, and sauces. They do business with Crate and Barrel, Williams Sonoma, and Whole Foods. I read someplace she is working on a new cookbook as well.
I have two of Sarah's cookbooks (plus The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook on which she collaborated.) and the pages are getting dangerously food-stained! You'll find her food eclectic, with a European influence and very innovative; I love her Moroccan-inspired recipes especially, but she doesn't neglect the old recipes (although usually with her own creative spin) and she always includes seasonal favorites.
Sarah has several rhubarb recipes which of course attracted me immediately, although I think her Bluefish Paté was one of the first recipes I ever tried in her first book. I still serve it. A lot. I posted her rhubarb muffins a while back and today I'm going to introduce you to this fabulous spring dish: Sarah's Scalloped Rhubarb.
Scalloped Rhubarb
From Cold-Weather Cooking by Sarah Leah Chase
Ingredients:
5 cups fresh rhubarb (cut into 3/4 inch chunks)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups Pepperidge Farm corn-bread stuffing crumbs (I was unable to find this brand and used another similar product)
1/2 cup walnut or pecan pieces, roughly cut in largish pieces
1/4 cup cassis liqueur
Method:
Preheat oven to 325° F. Butter a 10 or 12 inch gratin dish or shallow casserole. In a mixing bowl toss together the rhubarb and sugar.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until quite soft, about 10-15 minutes.
Remove the onion from the skillet and combine with the rhubarb. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and add to it the rhubarb and the corn bread crumbs and nuts. Stir to combine well.
Spread the mixture in the prepared dish.
Drizzle the cassis evenly over the top and bake until the rhubarb juices are bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve immediately.
Serves 6-8.
3.18.2010
Spring Delights
We've always had ham for Easter. This is not necessarily a favorite with the women in the family so once in a blue moon I sneak in a leg of lamb, which I've always considered the only acceptable alternative to ham on Easter Sunday. But the guys always want ham. And in the same breath they ask: are you making the mustard ring? Which, as near as I can figure, is a necessity or don't bother having ham. It's tricky to get anyone outside the family to try this recipe. I even posted it when I first started blogging but sincerely doubt anyone made it. You probably thought I was nuts.
Back in the 60's this mustard ring won best of show in a big, albeit local, cooking competition. My friend Grace was the winner and she told me it was an old family recipe. Only I never got the chance to taste it that day and when all the recipes were finally published in a cookbook, I just stared at it dubiously, wondering how on earth it ever won over all the fierce competition. So this mustard ring had to be beyond great, right? It even beat out some scrumptious desserts! Well, well. Best in Show. Good for you, Grace!
But it still took me a couple years before I finally made it. It's not rocket science but it does take a little time. The color is such a delicate yellow, making it very Easter-like. I spoon-tasted it as it was cooling and it was sweet with a tangy bite; pretty tasty actually. Then you fold in some cold whipped cream and the color turns an even softer yellow and while the bite is still there, it's not as sweet. And served with ham? Spectacular. Unusual. The first question invariably is: what is this?? Some kind of lemon dessert? Definitely not. In the end, everyone is asking if it will keep in the fridge for leftovers. And they've been asking for it ever since.
You don't need to make it in a ring mold (although it puts to good use the old molds we used to make those ghastly jello salads in) but I do because it's fun to fill the center with something. If I have it at Christmas, I use holly. Other times I've used black olives, crabapples, flowers, fruit...just about anything. But my favorite is a Rhubarb (quelle surprise) Ginger Compote. I love the colors together. And spring is always when I first get my hands on some rhubarb.
Here's a prediction: you're going to read this post, comment politely that it looks good and then not try it. I know, because that's what I did. But just this once, when ham is next on your menu, please remember Grace's prize-winning Mustard Ring. You have to make it a day ahead anyway (I've made it as much as 3 days ahead) so you're not adding one more thing to think about for dinner that day.
And because I'm mad for the Rhubarb-Ginger Compote, I'm posting that recipe too. Don't wait for the mustard ring to make the compote, because it's a killer recipe. I keep sneaking spoonfuls!
Grace's Mustard Ring
Ingredients:
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dry mustard ( I use Colman's)
1 envelope gelatin
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whipping cream
Method:
Whisk the sugar and dry mustard together in the top of a double boiler to make certain there are no lumps. Add the vinegar and water and then the well beaten eggs.
Soak the gelatin in 1 T. cold water then melt over hot water.
Cook the egg/mustard mixture slowly in double boiler stirring constantly, adding gelatin when it becomes hot. Cook until creamy and thickened. Remove from heat, cool over ice cubes.
When cool, beat the whipping cream until peaks form. Slowly fold in the cooled mustard mixture. Pour into a mold and chill.
Rhubarb-Ginger Compote
From an article entitled Rhubarb Bites by Molly O'Neill, New York Times Magazine, May 15th, 1994
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
4 cups rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons rice-wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Method:
Heat the olive oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger and cook, stirring, for 45 seconds. Add the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the liquid barely simmers. Add the rhubarb and cook without simmering until the rhubarb is tender but still whole, about 12 minutes.
Remove rhubarb from the liquid with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Bring liquid to a boil. Cook, adding juices that accumulate from the rhubarb, until reduced to 1 cup, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir in the rhubarb. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.
Makes 2-1/2 cups
Back in the 60's this mustard ring won best of show in a big, albeit local, cooking competition. My friend Grace was the winner and she told me it was an old family recipe. Only I never got the chance to taste it that day and when all the recipes were finally published in a cookbook, I just stared at it dubiously, wondering how on earth it ever won over all the fierce competition. So this mustard ring had to be beyond great, right? It even beat out some scrumptious desserts! Well, well. Best in Show. Good for you, Grace!
But it still took me a couple years before I finally made it. It's not rocket science but it does take a little time. The color is such a delicate yellow, making it very Easter-like. I spoon-tasted it as it was cooling and it was sweet with a tangy bite; pretty tasty actually. Then you fold in some cold whipped cream and the color turns an even softer yellow and while the bite is still there, it's not as sweet. And served with ham? Spectacular. Unusual. The first question invariably is: what is this?? Some kind of lemon dessert? Definitely not. In the end, everyone is asking if it will keep in the fridge for leftovers. And they've been asking for it ever since.
You don't need to make it in a ring mold (although it puts to good use the old molds we used to make those ghastly jello salads in) but I do because it's fun to fill the center with something. If I have it at Christmas, I use holly. Other times I've used black olives, crabapples, flowers, fruit...just about anything. But my favorite is a Rhubarb (quelle surprise) Ginger Compote. I love the colors together. And spring is always when I first get my hands on some rhubarb.
Here's a prediction: you're going to read this post, comment politely that it looks good and then not try it. I know, because that's what I did. But just this once, when ham is next on your menu, please remember Grace's prize-winning Mustard Ring. You have to make it a day ahead anyway (I've made it as much as 3 days ahead) so you're not adding one more thing to think about for dinner that day.
And because I'm mad for the Rhubarb-Ginger Compote, I'm posting that recipe too. Don't wait for the mustard ring to make the compote, because it's a killer recipe. I keep sneaking spoonfuls!
Grace's Mustard Ring
Ingredients:
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dry mustard ( I use Colman's)
1 envelope gelatin
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whipping cream
Method:
Whisk the sugar and dry mustard together in the top of a double boiler to make certain there are no lumps. Add the vinegar and water and then the well beaten eggs.
Soak the gelatin in 1 T. cold water then melt over hot water.
Cook the egg/mustard mixture slowly in double boiler stirring constantly, adding gelatin when it becomes hot. Cook until creamy and thickened. Remove from heat, cool over ice cubes.
When cool, beat the whipping cream until peaks form. Slowly fold in the cooled mustard mixture. Pour into a mold and chill.
Rhubarb-Ginger Compote
From an article entitled Rhubarb Bites by Molly O'Neill, New York Times Magazine, May 15th, 1994
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
4 cups rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons rice-wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Method:
Heat the olive oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger and cook, stirring, for 45 seconds. Add the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the liquid barely simmers. Add the rhubarb and cook without simmering until the rhubarb is tender but still whole, about 12 minutes.
Remove rhubarb from the liquid with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Bring liquid to a boil. Cook, adding juices that accumulate from the rhubarb, until reduced to 1 cup, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir in the rhubarb. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.
Makes 2-1/2 cups
3.09.2010
Onion Jam
Marie Speed and I have been friends for ages; we met while working on a museum committee together and a comfortable friendship evolved even though we're a generation apart. I don't see her as much as I used to, but we have lunch every now and then to catch up and there's always email. She's funny, talented, interesting and a very busy young woman. And why am I telling you all this? Because Marie is the editor of a marvelous quarterly foodie magazine entitled Florida Table.
About two years old now, it's filled with great food porn, tantalizing recipes, tips on entertaining, illuminating articles on food and chefs, wine advice, cutting edge kitchen ideas and of course, everything you ever wanted to know about Florida's restaurants. I posted something from this magazine last year: Peekytoe-Crab Salad.
Don't get me wrong, Florida Table is not a replacement for Gourmet and frankly, I doubt it wants to be, but it is the kind of magazine you sit down and read cover to cover. And I always come away inspired. My old issues have post-it colors sticking out all over the place. It may say Florida in the title, but it's definitely not just for Floridians; recipes are recipes and this magazine has them in spades.
The most recent issue has arrived and it included a recipe that caught my eye right away because I've never made anything like it and can't imagine why. Onion Jam. The minute I saw it I thought: if this tastes as good as it sounds, it's going to become a favorite condiment.
So this week, I made onion jam. Unfortunately I am an onion weeper....I had to walk out of the kitchen a couple times to clear my eyes. And yes, I had a sharp knife and cold onions. Nothing works for me. However, it's a simple enough jam to make and I must admit, well worth the tears. It's made with my favorite red onion but don't let the word jam fool you. It does not end up too sweet and thick like a real jam. It's got a delicate slightly sweet buttery taste with a little bite, not hot or bitter. The onions are still there; they aren't cooked down to mush. This will keep, refrigerated and covered, for several weeks. All I can say is: on a hot dog, a burger, a steak sandwich, grilled cheese or even with some sharp cheddar on a cracker as an appetizer....Wow. Fabulous.
Onion Jam
From Florida Table, Spring Issue
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large red onions, chopped fine
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
3 tablespoons honey
1 bay leaf
Method:
Melt the butter and olive oil in a heavy saute pan and add the onion, thyme and salt. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft.
Deglaze with the wine and vinegar and allow to reduce briefly. Add the honey and bay leaf and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf.
Makes about 2 cups. Keep chilled, but serve at room temperature.
Does anyone have a sure-fire way to prevent onion tears?
Don't get me wrong, Florida Table is not a replacement for Gourmet and frankly, I doubt it wants to be, but it is the kind of magazine you sit down and read cover to cover. And I always come away inspired. My old issues have post-it colors sticking out all over the place. It may say Florida in the title, but it's definitely not just for Floridians; recipes are recipes and this magazine has them in spades.
The most recent issue has arrived and it included a recipe that caught my eye right away because I've never made anything like it and can't imagine why. Onion Jam. The minute I saw it I thought: if this tastes as good as it sounds, it's going to become a favorite condiment.
So this week, I made onion jam. Unfortunately I am an onion weeper....I had to walk out of the kitchen a couple times to clear my eyes. And yes, I had a sharp knife and cold onions. Nothing works for me. However, it's a simple enough jam to make and I must admit, well worth the tears. It's made with my favorite red onion but don't let the word jam fool you. It does not end up too sweet and thick like a real jam. It's got a delicate slightly sweet buttery taste with a little bite, not hot or bitter. The onions are still there; they aren't cooked down to mush. This will keep, refrigerated and covered, for several weeks. All I can say is: on a hot dog, a burger, a steak sandwich, grilled cheese or even with some sharp cheddar on a cracker as an appetizer....Wow. Fabulous.
Onion Jam
From Florida Table, Spring Issue
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large red onions, chopped fine
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
3 tablespoons honey
1 bay leaf
Method:
Melt the butter and olive oil in a heavy saute pan and add the onion, thyme and salt. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft.
Deglaze with the wine and vinegar and allow to reduce briefly. Add the honey and bay leaf and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf.
Makes about 2 cups. Keep chilled, but serve at room temperature.
Does anyone have a sure-fire way to prevent onion tears?
9.21.2009
Autumn = Applesauce
Once upon a time in Michigan, we had a backyard full of apple trees. I have no idea what variety but they were small, tart and delicious and everyone looked forward to fall so we could make applesauce. My mother made it often when I was a child- this is her recipe. It was hard to come by because she never wrote it down- I had to watch her make it. It's a classic, basic, simple, do it with a hand tied behind your back sort of recipe. And because
apples are available all year round, you can make it any time of the year. But still, I always associate applesauce with autumn. And not an October has gone by, apple trees or no, that I have skipped making it.
Can anything compare with autumn in Michigan? It's the one season I really miss since I moved to Florida and I try very hard to arrange visits to Michigan family and friends in October. The smell of pine trees, beautiful red and gold leaves making the trees vivid and bright in the sunlight, pumpkins growing in fields, cider and donuts, chilly mornings, U of M football games (Go Blue!), tailgate parties, falling leaves swirling in the wind, my kids jumping in enormous piles of raked leaves. A new season. A new start. A new school year. Yup, I sure do remember that school part. ;)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon ( or to taste)
1/2 fresh lemon
Method:
Combine apples and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Cook until mushy, stirring often to prevent apples from sticking to bottom of the pan. It should take 20 to 30 min.
Cool and then refrigerate. Makes 6-8 cups.
apples are available all year round, you can make it any time of the year. But still, I always associate applesauce with autumn. And not an October has gone by, apple trees or no, that I have skipped making it.
Can anything compare with autumn in Michigan? It's the one season I really miss since I moved to Florida and I try very hard to arrange visits to Michigan family and friends in October. The smell of pine trees, beautiful red and gold leaves making the trees vivid and bright in the sunlight, pumpkins growing in fields, cider and donuts, chilly mornings, U of M football games (Go Blue!), tailgate parties, falling leaves swirling in the wind, my kids jumping in enormous piles of raked leaves. A new season. A new start. A new school year. Yup, I sure do remember that school part. ;)
The kids always asked for applesauce- the fragrance of apples and spices cooking on the stove made everyone think of upcoming holidays. And I can still create that ambiance, even though I live in the south. Maybe we don't have apple trees, but we DO have apples.
Only those of you living in the south understand we have seasons too- they don't scream out quite like yours, but seasons just the same. Huh? Fall in Florida you ask? Well yes. It's more a state of mind than anything else but there are a few things we notice. The winds shift, the light changes as the days shorten- our temperatures stay in the 80's rather than the humid 90's. Last week I noticed our grocery store decked out its entrance with pumpkins and fake spider webs.
(Pumpkins and palms, side by side.)
We get into fall just like the rest of you with fall wreaths on our doors, scarecrows and corn cobs on our porches and pumpkins on our doorsteps. I know, it's only a mind set. But thank you September for finally arriving. And move on in, October! That's what I say. Bring on the fall....
Applesauce
Ingredients:
8 large apples, peeled, cored, sliced- leave the skins on- the redder the skin, the pinker the applesauce. (If you aren't lucky enough to have access to freshly picked apples, use 2 Gala, 2 Rome, 2 Red Delicious and 2 Fugi)
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup granulated sugar1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon ( or to taste)
1/2 fresh lemon
Method:
Combine apples and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Cook until mushy, stirring often to prevent apples from sticking to bottom of the pan. It should take 20 to 30 min.
We like our applesauce smooth so I put my cooked apples through a food mill. ( If you don't have a mill, KitchenAid makes a sieve/grinder attachment which you may already have.) Press the apples through a food mill.
While still hot, add 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and the juice from 1/2 lemon. Sweeten to your own taste: I start with somewhat less than the 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar called for- much depends on the sweetness of the apples.
Cool and then refrigerate. Makes 6-8 cups.
You may store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The rest I put in Ziploc freezer bags to store for the long-term. Homemade applesauce freezes great and when thawed, you’d never know it was frozen. I've kept some in the freezer for nearly a year. One little trick to save space: put some applesauce in freezer bags, lay them flat on a pan and freeze them. Once frozen, you can stack them up.
3.15.2009
Mustard Ring
Well, it’s spring break month in South Florida. We are under siege- which is sweet for Florida’s economy but the driving is hell. A1A is barely a road this time of year- it’s solid people- on bikes, walking, running, going to the beach; you can’t make a turn at an intersection without practically getting out of your car to look both ways- bikes come out of nowhere, runners with headphones don’t even glance around- some even pushing babies along in strollers. Doesn’t matter if you have a green light. It’s all about defensive driving. OK. No more complaining; after all, this might just keep South Florida’s head above water until the long, hot summer. Then all bets are off.
Ingredients:
Another sure sign Easter is nearly here: my darling granddaughter is coming down on HER break. She returns home on Easter Sunday so rather than making Easter dinner, we will be at the Ft. Lauderdale airport where we will practice patience.
As far back as I can remember my standard Easter dinner meant a Honey Baked ham. Trite, I know. But there are times when you’ve got to take the easy way out. Ham just plain goes with Easter, doesn't it? I even serve it on Christmas day because I want to spend time with my family rather than in the kitchen. Besides, Honey Baked hams are really good.
Christmas Eve with my parents used to be oyster stew and a filet of beef; then when my brother took over, it was turkey. So it was only natural I started serving ham on Christmas day- which everyone still requests with the lone exception of my daughter- who merely tolerates it. But whether Christmas or Easter, I do have an unusual side dish I serve that's a killer recipe- Grace’s Mustard Ring. Sounds really odd, doesn’t it? I thought so too… until the first time I tried it.
As far back as I can remember my standard Easter dinner meant a Honey Baked ham. Trite, I know. But there are times when you’ve got to take the easy way out. Ham just plain goes with Easter, doesn't it? I even serve it on Christmas day because I want to spend time with my family rather than in the kitchen. Besides, Honey Baked hams are really good.
Christmas Eve with my parents used to be oyster stew and a filet of beef; then when my brother took over, it was turkey. So it was only natural I started serving ham on Christmas day- which everyone still requests with the lone exception of my daughter- who merely tolerates it. But whether Christmas or Easter, I do have an unusual side dish I serve that's a killer recipe- Grace’s Mustard Ring. Sounds really odd, doesn’t it? I thought so too… until the first time I tried it.
Years ago in Michigan I entered three recipes in a local cooking contest. I am embarrassed to confess my efforts did not even warrant an honorable mention. Oh well- life's little disappointments. Anyway…the grand prize winner of that particular contest was my friend Grace. Her winning entry was such a change of pace I couldn’t wait to try it. It was to be served with ham so I made it the following Christmas. Delicious! A pale yellow concoction that is so luscious in appearance nobody has a clue what they’re looking at. At first glance you’d guess it was dessert- a lemon chiffon something or other and then- surprise! It’s plated next to the ham on the dining room table. Describing it just meets with skepticism; you really need to taste it. It’s a sweet/sour mustard chiffon delight. I take it frequently to gatherings when I know ham is being served, but it needs a placard: “This is a mustard ring for the ham”. I’ve found it looks more like a savory if you garnish it with olives or parsley but at Christmas I can’t resist- I garnish it with holly.
So if you’re having ham this Easter, take leap of faith and give this a try- it’s such fun to watch everyone’s face as they taste this; I promise ham will never be the same without it. You can make it days ahead too. And if you detest ring molds, use any shape you wish.
Mustard Ring
Mustard Ring
Ingredients:
4 eggs (room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dry mustard (like Coleman's)
1 envelope gelatin
1 cup weak vinegar (2/3 cup vinegar, 1/3 cup water)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whipping cream
Method:
Mix the sugar, salt and dry mustard in the top of a double boiler. Make certain there are no large pieces of dry mustard left. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the vinegar. Whisk this mixture into the dry ingredients in the top of the double boiler. Soak the gelatin in 1 tablespoon of cold water then melt it over hot water. Cook egg mixture slowly in double boiler, adding the gelatin when it becomes hot. Cook until creamy and thickened. Remove from heat, cool over ice cubes.
Beat the whipping cream and add to the cooled mustard mixture. Pour into mold of your choice and chill. When ready to serve, unmold on a platter and fill the center with black olives, parsley or small crab apples.
Beat the whipping cream and add to the cooled mustard mixture. Pour into mold of your choice and chill. When ready to serve, unmold on a platter and fill the center with black olives, parsley or small crab apples.
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