Broccoli Slaw

Tonight's menu features burgers on the grill and I'm bored with all my usual burger side dishes.
You know the summer stand-bys: macaroni salad, potato salad, corn on the cob, green salad.....
Blechhh.
So tonight, I'm trying an old Cincinnati standby (my sister-in-law's recipe):

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound broccoli slaw (sold in a bag in the produce department)
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 packages beef Ramen noodles
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• cayenne pepper (a few shakes)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine broccoli slaw, sunflower seeds, and chopped onions. Make dressing from the seasoning packets from the 2 packages beef Ramen noodles and pour dressing over salad; crumble the Ramen noodles and serve on top of each serving.

Another Summer Cocktail

White Sangria

3 bottles of pinot grigio
1 bottle American chardonnay
1 bunch white grapes (seedless)
1 bunch Chilean red grapes (seedless)
4 scoops passion fruit or mango sorbet
2 oranges cubed
1 Granny Smith apple, cubed
1 Macintosh apple
1 plum
20-30 mint leaves.
Sugar to taste (no more than half a cup)

Mix all ingredients together in a large punch bowl and chill overnight. Serve in wine glasses.

The recipe makes a party sized serving, but it will go fast, I promise

Ginger Martini

Last night we had a really nice dinner at Geoffrey's, overlooking the Pacific and some enormous kelp beds. Pelicans dive-bombed for fish and we saw one whale spout and sound.

The food was quite good--I started with the beet and herbed goat cheese salad and enjoyed the ahi tuna entree-- but the highlight of the evening was the Ginger Martini that our server recommended. It was light and refreshing and not overly sweet.

I googled for the recipe and found a few variations. This one at the Food Network comes the closest--I think. What I had last night is good enough to make the effort of the ginger syrup worthwhile.

Ginger Martini

Ice
3 ounces vodka, any flavor
1/2 to 1 ounce ginger syrup, recipe follows
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Twist of lemon or lime
Fill a cocktail shaker or small pitcher with ice. Add the vodka, ginger syrup, and lime juice. Cover and shake vigorously, or stir, until combined and chilled, about 30 seconds. (In general, by the time the shaker mists up the drink is ready.) Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add twist and serve.

Ginger Syrup:
1 lemon
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh ginger with peel, about 8 ounces
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
Remove the outer peel of the lemon with a vegetable peeler, taking care not to include too much of the bitter white pith. Finely chop the lemon peel and ginger in a food processor.

Transfer the lemon-ginger mixture to a medium saucepan, add the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Strain the mixture and cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Now, doesn't that seem like a wonderful summer afternoon libation? I think it would go well with a straw hat and sundress.

I'm heading home on the red-eye and looking foward to an afternoon on our beach to recover from the flight.

Shrimp in a Bag

Marginal Way, Ogunquit (taken on a summer day last summer)

This recipe is originally from the March 2000 issue of Cooking Light. My good friend Joan shared it with me a couple of years ago and it's become a favorite recipe, anytime of the year.

I've tried "cheating" a bit and using frozen shrimp and I've also tried pre-cooked and cleaned shrimp to save time. They'll both do in a pinch, but it's best with fresh shrimp and the fresh basil is a must. Shrimp in a Bag is what I call it but the official name is below. On a cold and blustery day like today, it's perfect to warm body and soul, but it's also light enough to serve on a warm summer night with a chilled bottle chardonnay (Oh, and my husband HATES feta, but I've never told him there's feta in the recipe and he loves this dish)

BASIL SHRIMP WITH FETA AND ORZO

INGREDIENTS:

• cooking spray
• 1/2 cup uncooked orzo
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup diced fresh tomato
• 3/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
  
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  
• One large foil oven bag
  

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 450°.

Coat inside of a regular size oven bag with cooking spray. Place the bag on a large shallow baking pan.

Cook the pasta in boiling water 5 minutes, omitting salt and fat; drain. Place the pasta in a large bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon oil and next 7 ingredients (1 teaspoon oil through pepper). Place the orzo mixture in prepared oven bag. Combine shrimp and basil. Arrange shrimp mixture on orzo mixture. Fold edge of bag over to seal (or cover baking dish). Bake at 450º for 25 minutes or until shrimp are done. Cut open bag with sharp knife, and peel back the foil. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil.

Gray Morning

Cold enough for mittens and fleece at the beach, so we took our walk along the river this morning. The rain has stopped and the sun is scheduled to make an appearance later this morning.

Last night, the wind was pounding and the rain was coming in buckets and we needed a dinner to warm the bones and the soul. It's spargal time in Germany (the country practically comees to a screeching halt) and the asparagus at our market is tender and fresh, so why not?

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Ingredients
2 lb green asparagus
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 to 6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste (I use just a dash)


Directions
Cut tips from 12 asparagus stalks, 1.5 inches from top. Reserve these for a garnish.

Cut stalks (I prefer to snap the stalks, as they separate easily at the point where it's too woody to be good eating) and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.

Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. Stir in crème fraîche, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.

Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.

(adapted from a recipe found at Epicurious)

Celebrity Spotting of the Week (or Probably the Year--Who are We Kidding?)

So if you ran into this guy in Frisbee's Market in Kittery Point, Maine, would you recognize him?
What if we gave you a hint and told you that he was the mystery buyer who paid almost $2.0 million for the Historic Bray House?
Anyway, he and his dad stopped into Frisbee's (they purchased a couple of post cards featuring the house that he just bought).
We just happened to be in Frisbee's to pick up some pickles and hamburger buns to go along with our delicious burgers and we got a little extra excitement added to our day.
Of course, after he left, I had to tell Retired Guy who it was. Then I had to play Maneater for him on the way home.......

Oh, and non sequitur of the day: I had a meeting down in Boston. When I went through the Hampton tolls on the way down, not so EZ pass did not register the car passing through. No red, yellow or green lights. No trouble on the Tobin, though. ....On the way home, not so EZ pass Hampton station, asked me to please call them.....

Brie and Burgundy Burgers

2 pounds ground sirloin
4 tablespoons red wine
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup Brie cheese

Handling the meat as little as possible, mix the sirloin with the red wine, salt and pepper. Gently form it into eight 1 inch thick patties.

Using your thumb, or the end of a wooden spoon, make a small pocket in the center of the burger.

Add a tablespoon of the Brie to each hamburger and then pinch the meat around the top to seal the burger. No cheese should be showing.

Grill over medium high heat for 4-6 minutes per side, or to the desired doneness. Serve hot.

White Trash Margaritas and Cowboy Caviar

Que Pasa, Mis Amigas!

The first two recipes from the Cinco de Mayo party planning are now ready for prime time:

Cowboy Caviar

* 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained
* 1 (15.5 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
* 2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
* 1/2 medium onion, chopped
* 1/4 green bell pepper, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1 cup Italian salad dressing
* 3/4 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix beans, peas, tomatoes, corn, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno peppers in a large bowl. Season with garlic salt. Add dressing and cilantro; toss to coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until ready to serve

White Trash Margaritas

2 bottles Corona
2 containers frozen limeade concentrate
Use empty Corona bottle to fill twice with tequilla
Pour all this in a huge pitcher, then fill the rest of the way with Diet 7-Up.
Stir until the concentrate is all mixed in.... Gets frothy.....

Enjoy!

Grandma's Best Flu Fighter

First, I have to admit, this is not my grandma's recipe, but it's certainly someone's grandma's so the title isn't a complete lie. It's just good marketing.....

Flu season is upon us and I'm one of the early victims. I still can't quite shake the icky stomach, headachey, general achey, I'm so tired I sleep 15 hours a day feeling. Hubby thinks it's time for the doctor (no way, hosey, I don't like doctors), so before he insists, I'm making a batch of this specific recipe for chicken noodle soup.
It's not failed me yet. The friend who gave it to me called it her Jewish Penicillin. It's a perfect title. Leaving the skins on the root vegetables just packs it with vitamins and the ginger helps fight nausea.

Flu Fighting Chicken Noodle Soup

1 whole fryer chicken (kosher, if possible)
2 large parsnips
2 small onions
4 large carrots
2 large turnips (when you can't find turnips, rutabegas work well)
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ginger
half pound wide egg noodles
2 Tbs fresh dill
2 Tbs fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Place the chicken in a pot, cover with cold water
Chop 1 onion, 1 parsnip, 1 turnip, 2 carrots and add to the pot;Do not peel root vegetables
Add the garlic, ginger, salt and pepper
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cooking for at least two hours.
Skim fat as necessary
Remove the vegetables and discard
Remove the chicken and debone, then strain the stock and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chop parsnip, turnip, onion and carrots into small chunks and add to the simmering stock Add the chicken and egg noodles
Cook until noodles and veggies are tender, then add the parsley and dill just before serving.

Our Favorite Christmas Present

We got any number of very wonderful and exciting Christmas presents (some from readers of this blog) and while we appreciate all of them so much, there's one that we love just a little bit more than the others. It's the Red Whirley Popcorn Popper. It pops 8 natural servings of popcorn in less time than the microwave can pop a mini-bag full of chemical-laden fake corn (about a minute and a half on our stove. We use 1 tbs of regular old Wesson oil to make a full pot, reducing the fat and calories but not the taste.

Our red whirley came with a recipe book. We haven't tried any of them yet. But our whirley also came with my mom from Ohio and she makes this delicious caramel corn recipe:

Ingredients
2 cups butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Karo Syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (mom uses a quick pour more)
lots of popped corn (6-7 quarts)

Place popped corn in a large shallow roasting pan (the aluminum foil turkey pans work well. We wash it and reuse it.) Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Mix the first four ingredients together in a saucepan and cook for about five minutes. Add the baking soda and vanilla and stir until fully mixed. Pour the mixture over the pop corn and bake for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
Much better than Cracker Jacks.

Old Farmhouse Chutney Cheeseball

Jim Stott, co-founder of Stonewall Kitchens, appeared on 207, last week with easy to make recipes for holiday gatherings. They all looked delicious and most of them were 10 minutes of no-fuss preparation.

I just happened to have a jar of the wonderful Farmhouse Chutney leftover from last week's dinner party and the cheeseball looked so wonderful (and more importantly, so easy) that I just had to make it. If you can't find Stonewall Kitchen's Old Farmhouse Chutney, any chutney will work as a substitute.

We served it with the spicy nuts and Roquefort Pinwheels for our Christmas Eve appetizer.

Old Farmhouse Chutney Cheese Ball

Ingredients:
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup STONEWALL KITCHEN Old Farmhouse Chutney
1/4 cup scallion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Colby cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:
1. Mix together cream cheese, Old Farmhouse Chutney, onion, garlic, salt and pepper (I used my hands--well washed, of course).
2. Fold in Colby and Monterey jack cheeses.
3. Form the mixture into a ball and roll in chopped pecans.

Macaroni and Cheese with Lobster

Still testing recipes for New Year's Eve....we'll have a houseful of Ohioans, young and old, so I'm looking for foods that kids will eat and adults will find sophisticated enough for a gala celebration (a celebration that will include UNO and Scrabble--how's that for a gala?). This recipe combines an Ohio favorite (that's anything with cheese) with a Maine delicacy.
Yum.





8 oz elbow macaroni
16 oz heavy cream or whole milk
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 oz cream cheese
6 oz fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
4 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded

1 lb lobster meat, chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Bring salted water to a boil and add macaroni. Cook 8 to 10 minutes (do not overcook). In a double boiler, combine cheddar cheese, 4 oz Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, and Gruyere cheeses and heat until blended.

Gradually add cream or milk, stirring until smooth.

In large pan, heat olive oil and add shallots and garlic. Sauté. Add lobster meat and cook until opaque. Remove from heat.

Doozy of A Dinner Party

Thanks to (or is it because of?) my good friend, K. we threw a doozy of a holiday dinner party last night......K. brought her entire recipe file up from Manhattan and we cooked whatever sounded good to us. Luckily (and it really was blind luck) it all worked together well and it was all pretty easy to make.

Appetizers
Spicy Mixed Nuts
Roquefort Pinwheels
Little Sesame Dabs

Salad
Strawberry Romaine w/Poppy Seed Dressing

Maine Course
Roast Pork with Mustard Herb Coating
Green Beans with Crimini Mushroom Sauce
Cheesey Potato Bake

Dessert
Assorted Christmas Cookies

Recipes

Spicy Mixed Nuts
2 Cups Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts
1.5 Cups Planters Pecan Halves
1/4 Cup Planters Dry Roasted Sunflower Kernels
3 Tbsp Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix nuts in medium bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and toss to coat nuts.
Spread into a single layer on foil coated baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly toasted. Stir at 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roquefort Pinwheels
1 Sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
4 oz. Roquefort blue cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon cold water.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter a 9 inch baking dish.
Open the sheet of puff pastry and flatten with a rolling pin. Crumble the blue cheese on the sheet, leaving a good inch-wide border all around. Roll up the pastry the long way. Cut into 12 -14 1/2 inch thick slices with a sharp knife. Place the rounds in the prepared dish and brush with the egg wash. Bake until puffed up and golden brown.

Little Sesame Dabs
Sesame Crackers
Cream Cheese
Stonewall Kitchen Farmhouse Chutney

Arrange sesame crackers on plate. Spread cream cheese on the crackers and add a dollop of the chutney on top.

Strawberry Romaine Salad

1 head romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried, and chopped
2 bunches fresh spinach - chopped, washed and dried
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 Bermuda onion, sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, spinach, strawberries and sliced onion.
In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, milk and poppy seeds. Shake well and pour the dressing over salad. Toss until evenly coated.

Roast Pork

6 tablespoons coarse-grained Dijon mustard
6 large garlic cloves, minced
4 small bay leaves, finely crumbled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 2 1/2-pound boneless pork rib roast

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine Dijon mustard, minced garlic, bay leaves, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and rosemary in small bowl; whisk to blend. Dry pork with paper towels. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Spread mustard mixture all over pork. Place pork on rack in baking dish. Roast pork until thermometer inserted into center registers 150°F, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes. Transfer pork to platter. Slice pork thinly and serve.

Green Beans

1 pound shallots, thinly sliced
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
Salt
2 1/2 pounds green beans
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound cremini mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced
2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1/2 cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

directions

1. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the shallots with 1/3 cup of the flour; shake off any excess flour. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of oil until shimmering. Add the shallots in 2 batches and fry over moderate heat until very crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels, then sprinkle with salt.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the beans until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water; drain and pat dry.
3. Melt the butter in a large, enameled cast-iron casserole. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, cayenne and a large pinch of pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the mushrooms, cover and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour and gradually stir in the stock until smooth.
4. Simmer the mushroom sauce over low heat, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche, lemon juice and beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large glass or ceramic baking dish.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°. Cover the casserole with foil and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Uncover, scatter the shallots on top and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The assembled casserole can be refrigerated overnight. Let return to room temperature before baking. The fried shallots can be kept overnight in an airtight container. Recrisp in a 350° oven and let cool.

Potato Bake

Ingredients:
2 pounds frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

Combine thawed hash browns with 1/2 cup margarine, onion, soup, sour cream and grated cheese. Place in buttered oblong glass dish. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Potato Cakes For Brunch or Lunch or Dinner

I've been experimenting/foolproofing/testing recipes for Christmas Eve, Christmas morning and and I found this recipe is extremely tasty and versatile enough to be served as a breakfast or dinner side dish. My 10 year old niece was my sous chef last night and she decided that the results deserved a "quadruple gold star."

Potato & Onion Cakes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more
to grease the tin
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon packed dark-brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 6
sprigs for tin
1 small red onion, sliced into six 1/4-inch-thick
rounds
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, coarsely grated
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Generously butter a
large (six 1-cup) muffin tin. Sprinkle each cup with
salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar; drizzle each
cup with 1/2 teaspoon of each vinegar. Put a
rosemary sprig in each cup, and cover with an onion
round; set aside.

2. Toss potatoes with chopped rosemary and egg
yolk in a medium bowl; season with pepper and 2
teaspoons salt. Divide among cups; dot with butter.

3. Bake until potatoes are tender and well
browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Let
Cool 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of each
cup to loosen; invert, and serve.

The Trials of Turkey

My sister and I have shared a feeling of dread for about five years now--it's not pervasive mind you, and it's not always with us (we tend to repress it entirely from sometime in June until early November), but beginning in early November it's there, front and center, unable to be shaken or lost.

Here's the thing: Neither one of us has had to cook a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, evah, and our family holiday dinners come with a very high expectation for culinary perfection.

Because my mother, God love her 70-year-old self, can whip up a holiday meal like nobody's business. And my sister and I know that this cannot last forever. One fall in the future, my mother will announce that she's just too old and tired to do this anymore and one of us can just take over. Oh. Crap. This thought is so scary that my sister and I can only usually summon the courage to discuss it after a glass of wine and then only about once a year.

The menu isn't fancy , but it never changes and it is always delicious. The turkey is never dry. The gravy is homemade and lump-free. Same with the mashed potatoes--not one lump in about 20 pounds of spuds. The stuffing is moist but not wet. It's perfectly seasoned.

And the corn. Well, that's to die for. For as long as I can remember, my mom and her closest friend have been freezing corn. It's an all weekend affair, starting on a Friday morning in late August. All available kids (now grandkids) from both families are rounded up and hauled out to the corn fields to pick as much sweet corn as possible. The kids also have to shuck it. All of it.

Then comes the boiling on the cob, waiting for the corn to be cool enough to handle, then the cutting off the cob, the stuffing into freezer baggies and finally, the hauling the baggies down to the jumbo sized freezer, to be stored next to the side of beef (given to us by one of the nice dairy farmers in my dad's congregation). This process was repeated until late in the night on Friday, started again very early Saturday morning, took a break for church on Sunday morning, then ended sometime mid-afternoon on the Lord's Day.

At first first my mom froze corn because it was cheaper than buying the frozen corn in the grocery store and then later it was because we kids refused to eat the stuff from the store. It just didn't taste nearly as good as that creamy, smashed kernel, wonderfully fresh sweet corn from our freezer.

But back to this turkey thing. I've perfected the lump free mashed potatoes and the gravy and I'm pretty close to getting the stuffing right. I can bake a mean pumpkin pie and there's not a thing I can do about the corn, so I'm not going to sweat that. I'm planning to substitute and nice whipped butternut squash instead.

However, my turkey is always horrible, horrible, horrible--try, tasteless, disappointing. Something has to be done. I've tried kosher turkeys, fresh turkeys, Butterball self-basters, it doesn't matter. It's not the turkey, it's me.

Lately, I've been experimenting with different turkey cooking methods and yesterday, I finally made a turkey that was juicy, delicious and edible.

I found it over at my favorite site for recipes (Simply Recipes) and you can find the turkey recipe here. There are two things that seem to make the difference: 1) instead of cooking the stuffing in the turkey, this recipe calls for stuffing the body cavity with an onion, parsley, carrots and celery; and 2) cooking the turkey breast side down.

Recipe For A Festive Evening

Cosmopolitan Champagne Cocktail

1 1/4 c. Cointreau or Grand Marnier
1 1/4 c. cranberry juice (I'm substituting pomegranite juice this year per Michele's recipe. Yum.)
1/2 c. plus 2 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
4 c. chilled Champagne

Stir together Cointreau, juices, sugar. Cover and chill for 2-6 hours. Fill champagne flutes 1/4 to 1/2 with mixture (depending on desired sweetness) and top off with Champagne. Makes 10 servings.

Warm Me Up Recipe for a Cold Day

Chorizo-Crusted Cod

Ingredients

1 ½ ounces Spanish Chorizo, peeled and thinly sliced

½ cup coarse dry bread crumbs

Salt and fresh pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

4- 6 oz. cod or halibut fillets about 1 ½ in thick

Preparation

• Preheat over to 400 degrees
• In a food processor combine chorizo and bread crumbs
• Season with salt and pepper and transfer crumbs to a plate
• Lightly oil a glass or ceramic baking dish
• Dip flesh side of fish in crumbs, pressing to adhere
• Arrange crumb side up
• Pack the remaining crumbs on top
• Roast in oven for 20 minutes uncovered
• Broil 6 in front heat for 30 seconds to brown top of crumbs
• Serve right away

This is a very easy preparation and is always delicious. On a cold day like today, it's wonderful served with a side of pasta tossed in olive oil or sauteed spinach and a hearty bread.

Lobster Stew Recipe

We first had this version of lobster stew on a blustery November Saturday night four years ago. Served with a fresh green salad and good friends, it warmed us physically and mentally.

This comes from a real Mainah.
She says:

My family went to the Pemaquid--New Harbor area every summer for years and this is one of the recipes that I have continued to make as a result of those memorable summers on the coast of Maine. We were always able to get lobsters right off the boats. All amounts are estimates and as long as there is a lot of lobster, then it will be a success. I am sure that my mother never really measured any of the ingredients, but just made sure that there was ample lobster meat in every bowl.

We know that we love it, and more complicated recipes don't taste any better . In honor of Trap Day, we present

Joan's Easy Lobster Stew

5 or 6 cooked lobsters (anywhere from 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. each)

6 cups of milk

2=1/2 cups of light cream (can use heavy if not on a diet--or sometimes my mother even used evaporated milk)

2 sticks of butter

salt and pepper to taste

Steam the lobsters and pick out the lobster meat. Cut the lobster meat into large chunks and saute in butter over low to medium heat until it turns a bright red.

While the lobster is sauteing, put the milk into a large pot and heat on low heat making sure it does not boil. When the milk is hot, add the lobster and slowly add the cream. Continue to heat over low to medium heat until hot...being careful not to boil. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with oyster crackers.

This lobster stew is even better when left to cool and then reheated.

maine
Cooking

Clam Chowder Recipe

In Maine, lobster and clams go together like beer and buffalo wings or Oreos and milk.
It's hard for us to have one without the other. In the summer, we love a mess of steamers (steamed clams) followed by a nice boiled lobster (we can have the steamed vs. boiled debate later).

We've had lobster on the brain all this week (tomorrow being Trap Day ), but we don't have a hankering for an actual lobster tonight. Then there's the fact that we're stuck in a soup rut and the only logical conclusion is that it's a great night for Clam Chowder.

We'll serve it with a Sour Dough Bread (Flying Pig being a wonderful local bakery), a salad and the lovely Red Truck wine.

The recipe I'm making tonight is from one of my new favorite cookbooks Recipes From a Very Small Island, written by Linda and Martha Greenlaw.

Being from away, I initially shied away from making clam chowder at home--the thought of shucking a clam intimidated me. It's very easy and if you follow the method in the first paragraph of the recipe, it's extremely easy.

Lastly the question of whether a thick chowder is better than a milky chowder is another debate that happens between Mainahs, but we like both kinds.

Tonight, we're opting for thinner, and this recipe is divine.

Barter Creek Clam Chowder

1.5 lbs soft-shelled clams, well cleaned (scrubbed and rinsed off)
3 strips bacon, coursely chopped
1 large sweet onion (Vidalia if available)
4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups milk
12 oz can evaporated milk
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Steam the clams in half a cup of water until they begin to open (5-8 minutes). Shuck the clams, discard the neck skin (the icky black stuff on the neck--it will just peel off) and if necessary, cut the clams into smaller pieces.

In a large stock pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp (about 10 minutes). Remove bacon with slotted spoon, leaving fat in the bottom of the pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until the onion begins to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).

Add the milk, evaporated milk, butter and clams with any juices that you've reserved. Simmer over low heat until the butter melts and the clams are fully cooked (about 5 minutes). Add the bacon and parsley and season with the salt and pepper.

You can serve it immediately or cool and refrigerate overnight. If you are going to reheat, slow warming on the stove top works much better than the microwave.

recipes
cooking

Flu Weather (and a cure for it--the flu not the weather)

It's gray and 38 here today, with a light mist and general dampness in the air. The sky is gray, the water is gray, our mood is trying to turn to gray, but we're gamely avoiding that.
Tomorrow it will be back in the 60's, Thursday in the 40's, Friday in the 50's and Saturday in the low 40's. Flu weather. "An ounce of prevention" being what it is, it seems the time to make a batch of chicken soup. This is rich in vitamins and whatever other magic is found in chicken soup, but on top of that, it tastes wonderful even when you're not sick.

Chicken Soup

1 whole fryer chicken-organic or even better kosher if you can find it (those are a bit hard to come by in Maine)
2 large parsnips
2 small onions
4 large carrots
2 large turnips (when you can't find turnips, rutabegas work well)
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ginger
half pound wide egg noodles
2 Tbs fresh dill
2 Tbs fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Place the chicken in a pot, cover with cold water
Chop 1 onion, 1 parsnip, 1 turnip, 2 carrots and add to the pot
Do not peel the root vegetables (just make sure they're well washed)
Add the garlic, ginger, salt and pepper
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cooking for at least two hours
Skim fat as necessary
Remove the vegetables and discard
Remove the chicken and debone, then strain the stock and season with salt and pepper to taste
Chop parsnip, turnip, onion and carrots into small chunks and add to the simmering stock
Add the chicken and egg noodles
Cook until noodles and veggies are tender, then add the parsley and dill just before serving.

My husband doesn't love the dill, so I usually use half what's called for.

Cooking

Easy Vegetable Beef Soup

Today, I'm using the left over beef from the roast to make a quick and easy beef vegetable soup. I've yet to meet a kid that doesn't love this soup and that includes my husband (who still doesn't like to eat his veggies).
I generally don't work from a recipe and I always use whatever fresh or frozen veggies that I have on hand at the time so it never tastes exactly the same. I did carefully measure before posting this but you should feel free to add or take away to suit your tastes. It will still be scrumptious.

If you don't have a lot of time, this can be made in about 35 minutes (just allow enough time for the potatoes to cook thoroughly) but if you can let it simmer for 2-3 hours, the flavor gets better and better. I put the extra soup in individual sized containers and freeze it. It's just as good (maybe better) warmed up.

Beef Veggie Soup

Left over beef roast, shredded into bite sized pieces
1.5 large cans of tomato or V-8 juice (my mom uses V-8 for the extra vitamins, I prefer tomato juice)
3 potatoes cut into bite size pieces
8 oz frozen corn
8 oz frozen lima beans or frozen peas
8 oz frozen cut green beans
6 oz frozen cut carrots
salt to taste (the potatoes will absorb a bit of salt, so you'll most likely need more than you think)
pepper to taste
16 oz Beef stock or to taste ( you can omit the beef stock, but I like it because it thins the tomato just a bit)

Pour tomato juice and beef stock into stock pot or large sauce pan and add the potatoes. Simmer until potatoes just start to become soft. Add the beef, the veggies and salt and pepper and continue to simmer....

Tonight I'm pairing the soup with a blt tossed salad. I also serve it with hot bavarian ham and cheese sandwiches or tuna melts.