Thing of beauty: Creative catering presentations

I spotted this at an event this week: Tiny - miraculously, still crunchy - rice paper cones with a gorgeous - and thankfully still cold - tuna tartar hors d'oeuvre topped with wasabi caviar and presented in a bowl heaped with white and black sesame seeds. Like a sand beach for the tartare cones it was both a nod to the sea and a brilliant touch of flavor on the outside of the cone. Both delicious and a perfectly conceived passed nibble.

Just plain weird

Yes, it is plenty pretty on the plate. And this salad certainly made use of everything coming out of the garden this week. But it is a weird salad, the object of debate around here as to whether it is decent or disgusting. I say around here, as in, in my head, where I have these discussions with myself.

Maybe, had I used a store bought balsamic glaze... I don't know. Watermelon, arugula, and feta alone are not great together. Once in a while I get carried away with a photo and I fail to realize food magazines all too often trip over themselves trying to get a lot of seasonal colors in their shots.

Watermelon, feta, and arugula salad with balsamic glaze, by Bon Appetit, pretty on a plate, not so much on your palate.

Spicy Jicama, Apple, Melon, and Tangerine Salad

Just a refreshing change from lettuce-as-salad formulas which have become tiresome in every incarnation (goat cheese or not). Perfect on a hot day, with or without spicy food to go along with its cool, crunchy bite and seemingly made to go along with sultry dinners starring tamarind cocktails. Enjoy.




Spicy Jicama Tangerine Salad
serves 6
adapted from Authentic Mexican, Rick Bayless (1987, William Morrow)

1 small (1 pound or so) jicama, peeled, and cut into 3/4" dice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 red-skinned apple, peeled, cut, and cored in 3/4" dice
1/2 small cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4" dice
3 tangerines, peeled, broken into sections, and seeds removed
About 2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro/fresh coriander
1 teaspoon dried chili powder
Romaine lettuce for garnish, optional

Marinate the jicama: Place the jicama cubes in a large, non-corrosive bowl, pour over the orange and lime juices, add salt, toss gently with two large spoons to combine, cover and let stand at room temperature for at least one hour.

Finish the salad about 15 minutes before you are ready to serve. Add the cantaloupe, apple, tangerine wedges, and cilantro. toss the mixture every few minutes until ready to serve. Season with the dried chili powder and additional fresh cilantro if you wish. Toss one final time and place on a serving dish atop the romaine leaves if you wish.

Pizza Caccia Nanza

Garlic bread: Honestly, I saw no sign of it in Italy. I am willing to believe it exists though, mostly owning to this fine recipe for a light, crispy, yeast bread into which garlic is baked, not applied later. It made a great, new, light lunch with fresh tomato sauce, a little blanched asparagus, and a Sangiovese (which I drink unapologetically with any food I care to, at any time of day).

Pizza Caccia Nanza
Beard on Bread, James Beard (1973, Alfred A. Knopf)

This is a recipe of Edward Gobbi's, from his delightful book, Italian Family Cooking. "The literal translation of caccia nanza," says Mr. Gobbi, "is 'take out before.' When bread is made in traditional Italian households a bit of dough was reserved to make pizza. the pizza was placed in the oven and obviously cooked more quickly... Caccia Nanza is a specialty of Castel di Lama in the Marches. It is the only garlic bread I have eaten in Italy," Mr. Goob concludes. It is perfectly delicious, I might add. It is good with antipasti, or pasta, and the rather flat loaf may be cut in wedges or broken off in pieces.

- James Beard

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees approximately)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the flour, salt, yeast, and warm water in a mixing bowl. Blend well, then turn the bowl on to a lightly floured board. Knead well, for about 15 minutes, and shape the dough the into a ball. Place it in a lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Turn the dough onto the board and knead once more. Put it back in the bowl and let it rise again. Then punch down the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. roll it out to 1/2 inch thickness.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rub the surface of the baking sheet with oil. Transfer the round of dough to the baking sheet. Make indentations over the surface of the dough and insert a thin sliver of garlic and a bit of rosemary into each indentation. Pour the olive oil over the pizza and rub gently with the hands. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the garlic before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

Photos and instructions:



Put the dry ingredients into a bread-kneading stand mixer, otherwise use a mixing bowl and knead the dough by hand. Add the water, mix gently with the batter blade. When mostly combined, finish the mixing my hand. change the mixer blade to a dough hook and turn the mixer on to knead gently for 15 minutes.


Line a ceramic bowl with olive oil. take the dough in your hands and shape it into a ball. Place it in the bowl and turn it once in the olive oil.


Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place it in a draft free place to rise. It is my habit to set the oven to 200, allow it to come up to temperature, shut it off and wait 15 minutes, then place the bowl in the oven, close the door, and leave it to rise 1 1/2 hours. It will double in size.


Remove the dough from the bowl, and on a lightly floured board, knead the dough once again. I did this by hand to soften it, but by all means, place it back under the dough hook if you wish.


To knead by hand, roll the dough towards you under your palm.


Then push it away under the heel of your hand. Repeat for 15 minutes. Add a little more flour as needed if the dough becomes sticky.


Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on the board per the recipe then transfer to an olive oil lined baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees, serve immediately.

Sopa de Tortilla

Rick Bayless's work maybe be the most authentically perfect Mexican cooking references to ever hit a printing press, but that has not stopped me from bastardizing a few of his recipes to suit my own tastes. Some of the finer instructional points of Authentic Mexican leave me wondering and in some cases I have honed them to something that, in my my mind, is more direct or pleasurable at a taste or texture level.

One of those adjustments occurs with regard to Sopa de Tortilla (Tortilla Soup). One is supposed to sprinkle dried chiles pasillas over the top of the finished soup: I don't want to eat them that way, they are chewy and unpleasant at best in that form. I've incorporated them into the soup here. It makes for far better depth of flavor in a soup I have often found to be a flavor lightweight when made in the eastern United States; a disappointing relative of the darkly satisfying versions served in Mexico. I have come to crave this soup in both hot and cold states and I hope you will find it just as pleasing.

I served it just the other evening with tamarind cocktails and the pair were showstoppers. Enjoy.

Toasted Tortilla Soup
adapted from Authentic Mexican by Rick Bayless (1987, HarperCollins)
4 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 dried chiles pasilla, stemmed, reconstituted in 1 cup boiling water, seeded, and deveined
1 15 ounce can organic fire roasted tomatoes
1 1/4 quarts good chicken broth (I made mine and keep it frozen, Zuni's recipe here)
Salt, to taste

Tortilla strips:
4 to 6 corn tortilla, preferably stale
1/3 cup olive oil

Garnishes:
8 ounces queso fresco (Mexican crumbling cheese)
1 large lime, cut into 4 wedges

In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and whole garlic cloves and fry until both are deep golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Scoop into a food processor and add the tomato and chilies and process until very smooth (tiny dark flecks of the chilies will remain apparent, this is fine).

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet over medium high heat. When hot, and oil is smoking, add the tomato mixture. Stir constantly until thicker and darker in color; about 5 minutes. Scrape into a large sauce pan.

Stir the chicken broth into the sauce pan, set over low heat, partially cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt to taste.

To prepare the tortilla strips:

If the tortilla are fresh or moist, let them dry out for a few minutes in a single layer. Slice them in half, then slice the halves cross-wise into strips 1/4" thick. heat the 1/3 cup vegetable oil in a smallish skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the tortilla strips and fry. When golden, remove and place on paper towels to drain. Dust with salt when just out of the oil.

To garnish and serve:

Once soup is in the bowl, toss a handful of the crisp tortilla strips over the top. Garnish the bowl with a lime slice and pass the crumbled queso fresco at the table.

The Virginia ham, and related notes by Edna Lewis

In further pursuit of the illusive but enchanting Virginia ham as perfected by Edna Lewis (famed Southern cook, cookbook author, and native Virginian), please find the recipes referred to today at Blushing Hostess.

Virginia Ham (from raw cure state)
In Pursuit of Flavor, Edna Lewis
Serves 30, give or take

One 13 to 15 pound uncooked Virginia ham

Take the ham from the protective bag. If the ham has a moldy outer covering, scrub it brusquely under cold running water. when the moldy outer covering has been removed, rinse the ham well and put it in the pot. Cover it with cold water and leave it in a cool spot for three days. You do not have to refrigerate it. Change the water every day.

On the morning of the third day, drain off the soaking liquid and cover the ham again with clear, cold water. Put a lid on the pot and bring the water to a boil. Watch the pot closely and the minute the water nears to a boil, turn down the heat low enough that the water just shows a bubble. Cook the ham for approximately five hours, watching it to make sure the water does not get any hotter or cooler than this bubbling point. After 4 1/2 hours, lift the ham up out of the water to see if the skin is bubbled and soft. If not, let the ham cook until the ham is soft and bubbled and ready to be remove the ham from the cooking water.

Cool the ham in a shallow pan. When cool enough to handle, cut the skin off with a sharp knife. AS you remove the skin, trim a bit of fat but leave a thin coating of fat to help hold in moisture. An edge of fat looks nice on pieces of sliced ham.



Mustard with Brown Sugar
8 servings, will keep for one month refrigerated

5 tablespoons dry mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
5 tablespoons corn oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 firmly packed brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix well for 4 or 5 minutes. Set the bowl in a pan of boiling water and cook over medium heat, stirring for 15 to 20 minutes, until all the graininess disappears. Spoon the mustard into a glass jar and let it cool. Screw the lid on the jar and store in the refrigerator for at least a week before using.

Country Ham with Baked Pineapple
Serves 4

Ms. Lewis served one large slice of country ham for this dish, I use many medium slices in the same preparation cooked in the over for 45 minutes.

One large slice of Virginia ham, 2" thick, cut from the center of the ham
1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon dry ginger
Four or five 1/2" thick slices fresh pineapple
1 cup water

Place the ham in a wide skillet and add enough water to cover. Bring to a near-simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Lift the ham from the water and pat dry - this is important, if you fail to do this, the end result of the dish will be ham sludge). Put the ham in a buttered baking dish and brush the top with honey. Combine the softened butter, mustard, and ginger in a bowl and paint the ham with this mixture. Lay the pineapple slices on top of the ham and add the water gently around the ham. Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours. Arrange the ham and pineapple slices on a platter and gently spoon the pan juices over.

Still searching in darkness

In response to a recent question on the Blushing Hostess website, kind reader SLE requested I post the chili recipe from the above photo.

This is a long story which I will abridge before you all un-follow and move on to a riveting food site (if you find one, let me know). I lived in Texas for a while and chili is more of a cadence for me than a recipe. Some onion, some garlic, chunks of beef, seasoning, tomato, beef stock and or beer, beans. Not that this list, nor the cadence with which I make chili is anything to write to Texans about. I know good chili: I have been in the presence of some of the greats, but I am really a lackluster example of a mediocre chili maker and I am not pretending to the chili throne. And, there was this issue of a pregnancy addiction to Frito Pie which lead me down some very bad chili path's even in Texas. Consequently, I do not really have a taster for it any longer and do not pursue the prince of chili recipes. Not when in the Southwest right now, there are some fast gun chili makers already awake with Dutch oven being readied to make a world beater of a chili and I have only been able to reach a state of assuredness that mine is, at the very least, safe to consume.

But Josh wanted chili, and knowing full well I cannot touch his Mama's, was willing to tolerate my failings in this regard to get the chili above, which was just fine but nothing more.

So, if you have a chili recipe a Texan would be proud to call their own, kindly save my Husband future disappointment by sending it to me. A native Kansan will thank you heartily.

Edna Lewis's Cheese Custard

After kicking around in the pages of one of the road maps of southern cooking for another purpose, I stumbled upon this gem of a recipe which I had missed in several previous readings. The events which preceded this custard's actual appearance on my table, admittedly, had more to do with not getting out to get another form of protein, laziness, and it having been later than I thought. Should this ever happen to you, as surely it does not, I can only hope you remember this recipe as it is unlikely cheese souffle with all of its bowls and mess and process is making a return to my home any time soon; it has been happily replaced.

I serve it with a big salad and crusty hot rolls. Julia Child surely would have suggested a French white wine as she always did for egg dishes, but I say drink what you love. I recently had this custard with a Cote de Provence and salad with fig vinaigrette. It was perfect. But sometimes you might like a touch of sweet tea in honor of Ms. Lewis.

Cheese Custard
adapted from In Pursuit of Flavor, Edna Lewis
serves 4 (easily doubled)

The recipe calls for 5 egg yolks and that would indeed be in the tradition of souffle, but honestly, I have no use for 2 whites on most days and I am not whipping up meringues in my spare time. Consequently, I often use the entire egg which does make the custard less rich but goes further. I like the Gruyere only marginally and swap in literally anything that melts and is a hard cheese. I have had success with cheddar, Colby, jack, Parmesan, although cheddar with a little extra cayenne has worked best.

One medium potato, peeled and julienned, about 2/3 cup
1 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese or comparable (see above)

Preheat the over to 350 and butter a small ovenproof casserole dish, set aside.

Drop the potato julienne in a sauce pan of boiling water for 3 minutes until just translucent. Drain well, place on a paper towel-lined plate and gently pat dry. The potatoes should still be firm to the touch, if not, begin again.

Put the cream in a mixing bowl with the egg yolks, salt, and cayenne. Mix well but do not beat too much air into this mixture; mix only until evenly combined. Spread the grated cheese over the bottom of the buttered casserole. Spread the blanched julienne potatoes over the top of the cheese. Pour the cream mixture over the top of the potatoes. I like to dust the top with paprika for color, this is up to you.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the custard is set and buttery cream color. Do not overcook or it will become rubbery and tough.

Gourmet's Pommes Anna

Accompanying Jacques Pepin's honey-coriander flank steak of earlier this week was this delightful recipe for Pommes Anna: a potato's tribute to simplicity and precision. A perfect addition to bistro-inspired fare and a breath-taking golden beauty on a platter.

Gourmet's Pommes Anna
January, 1993
serves 4

1 1/2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Peel the potatoes and, using a food processor fitted with the slicing blade or a mandoline, slice them very thin, transferring them as they are sliced to a large bowl of cold water. Drain the slices and pat them dry between paper towels. Generously brush the bottom and side of a 9-inch heavy ovenproof skillet, preferably non-stick, with some of the butter and in the skillet arrange the slices, overlapping them slightly, in layers, brushing each layer with some of the remaining butter and seasoning it with salt and pepper. Cover the layered potato slices with a buttered round foil, tamp down the assembled potato cake firmly, and bake it in the middle of a preheated 425°F. oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake the potato cake for 25 to 30 minutes more, or until the slices are tender and golden. Invert the potato cake onto a cutting board and cut it into 8 wedges.

Jacques Pepin's Pan Seared Honey Coriander Flank Steak

This is a glorious, few-ingredient steak I would wager you can prep easily out of the pantry. I have made minor adjustments to the measurements which called for an enormous amount of garlic; overwhelming in the original proportions. Easy for a weeknight, you will be able to gather the marinade in a matter of moments and have a fabulous steak with in no time of arriving home.

This was dinner for pleased audience:

Pan Seared Honey Coriander Flank Steak
Pommes Anna
Mixed Baby Greens with Ginger Dressing
Artisan dinner rolls

Jacques Pepin's Pan Seared Honey Coriander Flank Steak
serves 4

Honey-Coriander Marinade

1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 - 1 1/4 flank steak, about 3/4 inch thick and trimmed of all surrounding fat

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a dish large enough to hold the flank steak for marinading. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least an hour or up to one day.

Heat a heavy skillet over high heat for at least 5 minutes until screaming hot. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Remove the steak from the gratin dish and place in the skillet leaving the marinade in the dish and reserving. Place the steak on the hot skillet and sear for 1 1/2 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for another 1 1/2 minutes so both sides have a well-browned exterior. Place it, uncovered, in the warm oven to continue cooking for another half an hour or until it reaches the desired degree of doneness.

To serve, cut on the diagonal into very thin pieces and serve with the marinade on very hot plates.

End of The Garden Herb Bread

Before I decamped New York for a visit to Florida this past spring, my Mother's landscaper and I conspired to tame an ever-widening swath of ground cover on a ledge above her pool. This weed-come-plant pretender, of unknown variety, is the sort which could be employed in wars in difficult terrain: Given two weeks, it kills everything, decomposes the evidence, and takes over small continents. It is the most obnoxious green-black evil-doer that has ever sprung from any ground of ours and I was left no choice but to conclude that rousting that infernal slayer of all flora beautiful was the only way to return peace to the home's outliers.

But the thing had staying power. Three attempts at extrication yielded only a more determined intruder, who had arrived on the scene as a "gift" from a friend of my Mom's. One wonders what sort of friend this might be, or what my sweet Mama ever did to that plant giver. In any event, the landscaper and three other sets of hands finally held a destructive rally which involved pitchforks, chemicals, and healthy dose of angry flames and then called it a day after I suggested they were only missing an excorcist.

When the war was over and the air cleared, I planted an herb garden on the spot for Mother's Day. Now, as the season winds to frost, it seems one might need a method of employing the late season herb cuttings. Just such an idea has been lurking around here for sometime, each time it props up when I am looking over the garden, I feel guilty about not trying sooner. Then I made the recipe, and the guilt went from bad to worse.

Can you blame me? The recipe sounds like a long shot at best: yogurt, mustard, cheese. You know, ick. What can I say? When I grow up I will learn to stop making assumptions. I can only hope others around here have learned from my doubt and procrastination.




End of The Garden Herb Bread
adapted from The Provence Cookbook, Patricia Wells (2004, Harper Collins)

Perfect alone and sliced fresh at room temperature, toasted with or without butter for breakfast, and fabulous as a canape base for more benign flavors. It seems odd this combination, surely, but as always, you will have to take my word for the worthiness of this food for your table.

3 tablespoons butter softened, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons finely minced thyme
1 tablespoon finely minced sage
2 tablespoons finely minced oregano

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter a 1 quart loaf pan and set aside.

In the standing mixer bowl, cream three tablespoons, mix until butter until color lightens. Add the eggs, mix until combines. Add flour, baking powder, salt, yogurt, and mustard; blend thoroughly, stopping once to scrap down bowl. Add the cheese and herbs.

Pour batter into prepared pan. place in the center of the oven and bake until firm and golden; the center of the bread does not bounce back to the touch, about 40 minutes. remove from oven, allow to cool ten minutes, turn onto a rack and cool completely.

Serve at room temperature or toast to serve under a canape or as croutons.

Pumpkin Cake, Brown Butter Icing

I eat cake for breakfast. With tea. And only when out of coffee.

Thus, I associate eating cake for breakfast with an early morning sense of disappointment and hardship. Coffee is the latch on the day; if I cannot tug the day open with it, I endure the sensation of banging my head against a (highly polished mahogany) wall all day.

So, let's just say that it occurred to me how much I adore this cake recipe at a time when I was spent, leaning against the mental mahogany door, as it were. Likely, that is the reason why, even after Eddie Ross suggested on his beautiful site that this Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Icing was an easy-go'er, I still managed to add twice as much milk as it calls for.

Because it would be uncouth and graceless, I did not utter sixty expletives in as many seconds when I realized this. Though, let the record show: I wanted to.

Eddie has never failed me, however, and the recipe endured the happy folly that was two, rather than one, cups of milk. I added 1/2 cup additional flour and I must tell you, it was perfect. Just the way cake crumb should be; sticking to the back of your fork when pressed and without a single hint of dryness. Coffee or not, it was a sure indicator I was not meant to hit my head again that day.

Future coffee-less breakfasts may not be the grouchy pity-festivals for which I have surely become so beloved around Rancho Relaxo. Which will disappoint no one but the CEO of Starbucks, from whom I have now become one step removed... okay, who am I kidding?

Blackberry Balsamic Chop

I am not the first to say it. Though I believe it: Better Homes and Gardens gets a bad rap with the cultured Illuminati of the blogosphere. It is not particularly high-minded, nor all that cultured, that much is certainly true. But frankly, neither am I when I just have to get dinner on the table.

I turn over every rock to find recipes which are not some slopped together taco-seasoning box meal, not only because I do not believe in packaged foods, but also because that would never fly twice with the diners at my table. Their palates are advanced. Even the little beaters. Consequently, new, distinctly-flavored, deeply good food has to hit that surface every night. To arrive there, I keep an ever-vigilant eye on magazine test kitchens (to that end, the closing of Gourmet is devastating for that reason and dozens more).

BHG will fall down on food, I speculate, four out of twelve issues a year. But when they are on, they can turn out some inspired practical dishes. This remarkable recipe which is both sweet and tangy, but remarkably varied in alluring flavors, is an adaptation of BHG's pork loin creation. It took all of fifteen minutes to prepare; I did not marinade, but you could.

I hope you enjoy it. It will be served here as often as I can get away with it; with couscous, haricort vert, and whole grain dinner rolls. Oh, and a Rioja, which I can tell you, is very nice alongside.




Blackberry Balsamic Pork Chops
adapted from this BHG recipe

4 thick-cut bone in pork chops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp butter
2 tsp olive or canola oil
Cooking spray
1/2 cup seedless blackberry preserves
1/2 cup dry white wine or apple juice
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. finely shredded orange peel
1/2 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary

Preheat the over to 325 degrees.

Season the chops liberally with salt and pepper. Place a large, heavy skillet on a high flame and add the butter and oil. When the pan is smoking hot, add the chops (being careful not to burn yourself). Sear to a golden crust on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the chops to a roasting pan coated with cooking spray (holding the skillet aside for a moment), and place them in the oven, cook until a thermometer registers done for pork.

Place the skillet on medium heat. Add the blackberry preserves, wine or apple juice, balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic, and soy. Heat until the preserves melt and the mixture just comes to a boil. Taste, adjust seasoning, pour over the pork, serve.

Note: I allowed my sauce to continue boiling to reduce. When the pork came out of the oven, I added the pork juices and allowed it to reduce again another minute. Delish!

If your sauce becomes too thick, whisk in a touch of water until it loosens.

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Mushrooms Newburg: Warning lights on

Food blogs, and many others have have said every word they could on Junior League cookbooks, church cookbooks, and what have you. But what about golf tournament cookbooks: Shall I issue a treatise in defense?

Alright, I will skip it, this time.

I am aware of the vastly untrustworthy information contained in all of these volumes because, for the most part, they lack a test program of any sort. However, in concept at least, many of these books' ideas have merit. Many of them have dusty pizazz or some fabulous pedigree. I have contributed to them and I buy them, new and at book sales, and I use them for inspiration. No apologies: If you knew how tough in the tooth the left over turkey was that I needed to make use of, you would thank me for this resourcefulness. But since you've no way of being certain, you will just have to believe that this questionable golf tourney recipe helped me dispose of it and a huge drawer full of mushrooms, in an agreeable fashion.

And agreeable is definitely part of what we know of food in the home kitchen, is it not? In large part, we are not trained chefs, we are purposeful jacks of this trade and several others and I do think room should be made in an honest food blog for dishes which service economy, ease, and use of leftovers. I will not tell you it was the drop dead best thing I have made in this lifetime, I am only going to say that is was rich and satisfying and not the everyday use of remaining roast turkey here at Rancho Relaxo. So, welcome this dish, will you? It is serviceable, useful, and lovely. Not unlike the Hostess, come to think of it.

This may not light the culinary world on fire. But that is not my purview. I am here to get you through life pleasingly with a little grace and no wastefulness while transcending pre-packaged foods. In that vein, Mushrooms Newburg avec poulet, or any other worldly nonsense moniker of your choice.

Mushrooms Newburg Casserole
adapted from Tee Time at the Masters, Junior League of Augusta, Georgia

Once again, more of a concept here than truly a recipe. Use leftover chicken, turkey, or pork, all will be very nice and here you have general measurements for roughly 3/4 pound remaining meal, though more or less will be fine, as I've no idea at all what is in your fridge as I am not clairvoyant (though, you really should check the expiration on the salad dressing, eeeeew). Now then.

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 shallot, diced (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
Mushrooms (fresh), 8 ounces or more would be best, cleaned and sliced
1 or 2 tablespoons cognac
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy or light cream
3/4 pound cooked chicken, pork, or turkey, shredded into bite-sized pieces
Thyme, marjoram, or any green herb you favor

Rice or toast points to serve.

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and shallot until softened and translucent, add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent browning, only until the liquid is nearly, but not entirely, gone from the pan.

Hold the pan off the heat while you add the cognac and sherry. Place the skillet back on the burner and add the chicken stock. Cook another few minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. Now add the meat and stir to combine. Add the cream, thyme, and marjoram (or any green herb you like) and stir again. Serve over rice or toast points, think of me.

Tandoori Apricot: The Tuesday night save

Tuesday is the night I struggle with dinner. I can no more explain this to you than quantum physics but I have developed an ease of use method which has truly saved me when I also have chicken, pork, or shrimp on hand. This preparation for an exotic sweet and spicy dish always gets raves and not a soul is any the wiser that I was not in the kitchen slaving, but rather, had my nose stuck in the monitor devouring every last word of Crazy Days and Nights (guilty pleasure). Don't judge me, I am immune to it anyway. Obviously.

Alright, then. Everyone ready? You will need to get on the horn and order up a bit of Tandoori Spice from Penzey's or something to that effect. Just be sure it is a good one, as you know, this is a best-in-class blog so, do right by me, okay?



Tandoori Apricot Chicken, Pork, or Shrimp

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Put the trimmed or clean protein on your board and dust it liberally with the Tandoori Spice, and then salt and pepper. Just remember Tandoori can be mild in small amounts and fiery in large, so take it easy the first time and use more next time if you can tolerate it.

Now, add a bit of olive oil to an oven-proof skillet and over medium high heat, get the oil very hot, until it just begins to smoke. Place the seasoned meat in the pan and brown on both sides, keeping the heat up to be sure it does indeed brown/ caramelize.

Just before the meat is finished, add two heaping tablespoons of good apricot preserves to the pan and a touch of water, chicken stock, or orange juice. Move it a round a bit so that the meat is coated. Place the skillet in the oven and cook the meat until it is complete finished. Slice festively and serve over rice, topped with the pan sauce.

If you wish to concentrate/ reduce the pan sauce a bit, remove the meat from the pan to a warm plate and place the skillet on medium heat on the stove, bring to a simmer and allow it to reduce by half. Pour over the meat and rice as above.

Canyon Ranch: Chinese 7 Vegetable Salad with Lemon Miso Dressing

I am sharing with you my only gently adjusted recipe for Canyon Ranch's unbelievably tasty and filling seven vegetable salad because it is a fabulous easy-transport option for light-fare picnics. And since picnics will be the subject of the day at Blushing Hostess Entertains, I thought you should have this as another great option in the salad category: Home or away.

Chinese Seven Vegetable Salad with Lemon Miso Dressing
adapted from Canyon Ranch Cooks, Barry Corriea and Scott Uehlein (St. Martin's Press)
serves 4

The original recipe calls for snow peas, which I do not care for. In the interest of not adjusting the name of Canyon Ranch's recipe, I continue to call it "seven" although mine is six. Secondly, the original called for the romaine to be placed under the sauteed veg, rather than tossed with it. I prefer it all quickly tossed together and dressed as I have noted below.

Enjoy!

Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon grass, minced
2 tablespoons low sodium tamari sauce

Salad:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots,sliced
1 1/2 cups red onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
(1 cup snow peas, which I omit)
1 cup sliced zucchini, sliced
1 cup yellow squash, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cup bok choy, chopped
1 1/2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped in bite size pieces

Lemon Miso Dressing (16 servings):
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons water, divided
3 tablespoons white miso paste
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 12 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons garlic minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon fresh parsely

For the salad dressing:

In a small bowl, mix dry mustard with 1 tablespoon water until the mixture forms a smooth paste.

In a separate bowl mix miso paste with remaining 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.

In the blender, combine lemon and apple juices and vinegar. Add the mustard paste and rice vinegar. Add the mustard paste and ginger. Bled for 10 seconds on low. Add the garlic, lemon peel, parsley, and miso paste. Blend on high for 10 seconds or until smooth. Pour into a jar. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to one week.

For the salad:

In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat until mixture is simmering and and allow to reduce to about 1/2 cup.

Heat the canola oil in a wok over high heat. Add carrots, red onion, and broccoli, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add zucchini, squash, mushrooms (and snow peas if you are using them and stir fry 30 more seconds. Add bok choy and sauce and stir fry until until all vegetables are tender but still crisp.

Remove the skillet from the heat and very quickly, toss in the romaine lettuce. Drizzle each with 1/4 cup lemon miso dressing.

Rose Bakery's Pistachio Cake

I have mentioned this beautiful book to you several times. By now you may be tired of my mentioning the Rose Bakery Cookbook but I will never tire of flipping through those thick, lush pages. Nor will the recipes, so painstakingly cornered for a Parisian Bakery which has gone so far beyond baguettes, croissant, and macaroons ever be tiresome for me to test or repeat. It has carved a path for itself Rose Bakery, and in so doing, a niche of food and spectacular sleeper recipes. The idea is that you probably will not have considered many of these recipes the way Rose creates them: But if you are like me, you might wonder why you never thought all those quick bread recipes might come to something like this cake.

I easily make use of two pounds of nuts in a week. I hide them everywhere I can, along with fish and avocados (not necessarily together) and consequently, I thought I knew every variation on nut-sneaking there was. Not so at all. Herewith, is the most devilish and masterful nut and almond sneak of all time.

Everyone who came in contact with this cake adored it, even though, butter not withstanding, it is largely healthy. And in spite of the fact that the icing is so obviously full of pistachios, which at least one of us claimed they absolutely did not care for and would never touch. Never. Never. Never.

Good? Yes, and I wish some remained.



Pistachio Cake
adapted from Rose Bakery: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery, Rose Carrarini (Phaidon)
serves 8

Rose's recipe called for 2 sticks/ 1 cup of butter, and honestly, I could not bear the thought of it. The 3/4 is fine, the whole cup is luxurious. I also tried it with the 1/4 cup replaced by the same amount of pistachio oil: Good for you, but it did not light my world on fire.

3/4 cup butter (1 and 1/2 sticks) plus more for the pan, softened
1 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup ground pistachios
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

For the topping:
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped and dry toasted on the stove top
1/4 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter one standard loaf pan or 8" cake round, then line with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Set aside.

With a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until they are light and creamy. Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Now add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Now fold in the ground almonds, pistachios, flour, baking powder and salt.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool 10 minutes in the pan, flip it out, and allow it to cool then to room temperature.

To make the topping, gently heat the pistachios, sugar, and lemon zest together in a sauce pan over low heat, once the sugar is dissolved, pour the mixture over the cake and allow it to set while it cools.

What comforts you?

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