| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: Last Braise
of the Season
> Wine Appreciation:
R Wines Darby and Joan Chardonnay 2008
> Food Funnies: Signs
You Aren’t Particularly Handy in the Kitchen
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* TGI
Friday's Lemon Chicken Scaloppini
* Asian
Barbecued Spareribs
* Bourbon
Beef Tenderloin
* Stuffed
Bacon Cheeseburgers
* Seared
Scallops with Tarragon-Butter Sauce
* Homestyle
Potato Salad
* Falafel
with Cilantro Yogurt
* Toasted
Almond Parfait
Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Belgian
Waffles
Diabetic: Chocolate
Cheesecake
Low Fat: Pasta
with Blue Cheese Sauce
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This Week's Cooking Tips
========================
With summer approaching, please
be reminded of food safety, and
preventing foodborne illness.
* Wash ALL fresh produce thoroughly.
When preparing
lettuce, break into
pieces - then wash.
* Cook foods to the required minimum
cooking temperatures:
- 165 F > Poultry,
poultry stuffing, and stuffed meat.
- 158 F > Ground
Beef, fish, and seafood.
- 150 F > Pork
and food containing pork.
- 145 F > shell
eggs and foods containing shell eggs.
* Separate raw animal foods from
other raw or ready-to-eat
foods during storage
and preparation.
* Cool leftovers as quickly as possible.
Reheat to
165F before serving
again.
* BY ALL MEANS, REMEMBER THIS:
Bacteria on food
will rapidly multiply when left at a
temperature between
45 F and 140 F. Avoid this danger
zone as much
as possible. More Cooking
Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz (Answer
at the bottom of page)
Bologna
was invented in the US - is that baloney?
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Quote of the Week:
"Grilling, broiling,
barbecuing - whatever you want to
call it
- is an art, not just a matter of building a
pyre and
throwing on a piece of meat as a sacrifice to
the gods
of the stomach."
- James
Beard, "Beard on Food" (1974)
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to the VJJE Recipe Weekly - It's fun and it's free!
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
May is: National Strawberry Month
National Salad Month
National Barbecue Month
National Chocolate Custard Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
National Asparagus Month
National Salsa Month
April 25 - National Zucchini Bread Day
April 26 - National Pretzel Day
April 27 - National Prime Rib Day
April 28 - National Blueberry Pie Day
April 29 - National Shrimp Scampi Day
April 30 - National Oatmeal Cookie Day
May 1 - National Chocolate Parfait Day
May 2 - National Truffles Day
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Personalized
Chef Coats!
Kick it up a notch with
a touch of class! Create a
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Last
Braise of the Season
By MARK BITTMAN
Just when I was ready to fire up
the grill, it seemed there was both
time and weather for one more braised
dish. It seemed appropriate to
honor the season's ambivalence by
cooking something I had been
messing around with throughout the
winter: brisket simmered with
sweet white wine.
The combination is counterintuitive,
but this specialty of southwest
France - where some of the world's
best sweet wines are made - has
the kind of balance that can come
only from combining unlike flavors
that have an unusual affinity.
In this case, the underlying unity
is provided by slow-simmered
onions, which yield their own form
of sweetness. (Paradoxically, if
you begin with "sweet" onions, like
Vidalias, the sugars dissipate
rather than intensify; you must
use normal yellow onions.) A squeeze
of lemon at the end is essential
to tie the whole thing together.
The dish couldn't be more straightforward:
brown the brisket (it is
as easy to brown as a steak because
it is flat), then slowly
caramelize the onions in the same
pan; add the wine and cook until
tender. This takes time but requires
little attention.
The only decision to make, really,
is which wine to buy. Though I
love drinking sweet wines from Germany,
the riesling grape does not
pack the same punch in cooking as
the French blend of semillon and
sauvignon blanc used in Sauternes
and Barsacs.
Those wines, however, tend to be
a little expensive for cooking, so
I settled for a Monbazillac, another
sweet wine of southwest France.
It is not only perfect in this dish
but also good enough to drink and
costs around $10 a bottle. (O.K.,
since you need only about a cup of
wine, it probably wouldn't do that
much harm to use a good Sauternes
or Barsac.)
The resulting dish is nutty and
sweet, but not cloyingly so, and is
wonderful over buttered noodles.
You can make this recipe a day in
advance (it might even be better
that way), or easily double it to
serve a crowd.
Beef Braised With Sweet White Wine
==================================
3 tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil
1 2- to 3-pound beef
brisket
Salt and pepper to
taste
3 large or 4 medium
onions, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon minced
garlic
1 cup sweet white wine
Juice of 1/2
lemon, or to taste
1. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large
skillet or a casserole with a
lid. Turn heat to medium-high.
When oil is hot, add beef, and
brown it well on both
sides, about 10 minutes total. Sprinkle meat
with salt and pepper.
2. Remove meat to a plate and turn
heat to medium. Add remaining oil,
onion and garlic to
pan; stir once, then cover. Cook 10 to 15
minutes, stirring once
or twice, until onions are lightly browned,
nearly dry, and almost
sticking to pan. Uncover, add wine and
stir. Add meat, and
cover again. Adjust heat so mixture simmers
steadily but not violently;
cook until meat is tender (1 1/2 to
3 hours).
3. Remove meat to a cutting board,
and let rest a couple of minutes.
Taste sauce, and adjust
seasoning; you should be able to taste
pepper. If mixture
is very thin (unlikely), boil it down for a few
minutes, as necessary.
Add lemon juice to taste. Carve meat, and
serve with sauce spooned
over it. Yield: 4 servings.
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This Week's Wine Selection
==========================
R Wines Darby and Joan Chardonnay
2008 Price: $10
Pale yellow hue. Complex scents
of pineapple, mineral and lemon.
Clean flavors of white peach and
grapefruit. Hints of acacia in the
crisp, mineral-driven close.
Serve With:
Cedar Plank Salmon
==================
2 tablespoons oil
2 jalapenos, cut into
rings
1 tablespoon garlic,
minced
1/2 cup white wine
3 tablespoons whole-grain
mustard
1 cup apricot preserves
4 (4 by 4-inch) pieces
parchment paper
4 cedar plank pieces,
food service quality
4 (6-ounce) salmon
fillets, skinned and boned
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
4 (3-inch) fresh rosemary
sprigs
1 lemon, zested
Preheat oven to 400F. In a small
saute pan over medium heat, heat
oil. When hot, add jalapenos and
saute until caramelized. Add garlic,
and before it begins to brown, deglaze
with white wine. Next add
mustard and apricot preserves and
bring to a simmer. Simmer over low
heat for 20 minutes and let completely
cool.
Place parchment paper on planks,
add salmon, lightly salt and pepper,
place a rosemary sprig on each fillet,
and liberally apply cooled
apricot mixture. Place cedar plank
on gas burner. When plank has
begun to smoke, place into preheated
oven. Cook salmon until medium-
rare; remove from oven and let sit
for 2 to 3 minutes until serving.
Garnish with lemon zest.
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FOOD FUNNIES: Signs You Aren’t Particularly
Handy in the Kitchen
================================================================
8. You’re the only person you know
who has ever managed to
microwave your hand.
7. You put the head of lettuce in
the highchair and your toddler
in the refrigerator.
Again.
6. Your dog begs at the table ...
to get away.
5. The cable company has blocked
delivery of the Food Network channel
to your house; their
lawyers were muttering about "creating a
public nuisance" and
"contributory liability".
4. Your dinner guests routinely ask
how late Burger King stays open.
3. Top Chef has put out a restraining
order on you.
2. For your birthday, the wife gets
you a set of steak chainsaws.
... and the #1 Sign You Aren’t Particularly
Handy in the Kitchen ...
1. Standard dinner attire at your
house: Hazmat suit and hardhat.
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TGI Friday's Lemon Chicken Scaloppini
=====================================
Chicken:
2 1/2 pounds chicken
breast (pounded thin)
2 ounces olive oil
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 lemons (halved)
4 ounces heavy whipping
cream
4 artichoke hearts
4 teaspoons parsley
12 ounces lemon sauce
20 ounces angel hair
pasta, cooked
8 tablespoons fried
pancetta
4 tablespoons fried
capers
Lemon Sauce:
1 tablespoon fresh
lemon juice
1 quart Chablis
3 teaspoons butter
1 quart whipping cream
1 tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Sauce: Boil Chablis to reduce to
2 cups. Add lemon juice, butter
and melt slowly. Add whipping cream
and simmer on low heat until
thickened. Add spices and cool to
room temperature.
Chicken: Heat saute pan over medium
heat. Add oil and heat. Add
chicken pieces to saute pan and
saute on each side for one minute
(or until no longer pink). Add sliced
mushrooms to saute pan and
saute with chicken for an additional
minute. When mushrooms are
cooked, squeeze juice from lemons
into saute pan and coat the
chicken with juice (ensure there
are no seeds). Add cream to pan
and stir to incorporate. Bring to
a boil. Cut artichoke halves in
half again lengthwise, add to pan
and cook for 15 seconds. Remove
pan from heat. Add parsley and stir
to incorporate. Add lemon sauce
and stir to incorporate. DO NOT
RETURN PAN TO HEAT/FLAME.
In large bowl, twirl pasta into
a nest. Sprinkle chicken pieces
around pasta and pour remaining
contents of pan on and around the
chicken. Sprinkle pancetta and capers
over the entire dish. Garnish
with chopped parsley.
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Asian Barbecued Spareribs
=========================
2 banks of spareribs,
uncut, about 2 pounds each
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sweet bean
sauce (hoi sin deung) or hoi sin sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry
Trim off excess fat from the thick
edges of spareribs. Place ribs
in a shallow pan or platter. Mix
remaining ingredients for a
marinade and spread over both sides
of the spareribs. Let stand
for at least two hours.
Place one oven rack at the top of
the oven and one at the bottom.
Preheat to 375F. Hook each bank
of spareribs with 3 or 4 S-hooks
across its width, on the thick edges,
and suspend under top rack.
Place a large pan with 1/2" water
on bottom rack. This pan will
catch the drippings and keep the
meat from drying out. Cook
spareribs for about 45 minutes.
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Bourbon Beef Tenderloin
=======================
1 cup bourbon
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 bunch cilantro, leaves
chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
sauce
2 cups water
3 to 4 sprigs fresh
thyme, leaves chopped
1 (5 lb.) beef tenderloin
Oil, to brush grill
Prepare marinade by combining the
bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce,
cilantro, lemon juice, Worcestershire
sauce, water, and thyme in a
bowl. Make sure the tenderloin has
been cleaned and the tissues has
been removed. Fold the tail end
of the beef back underneath itself
so that it is of uniform thickness
and secure with butcher's string.
Place meat in a dish and pour marinade
over meat, cover, and
refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, or
up to overnight, turning meat over
several times.
Preheat grill or oven to 350F. When
grill is ready, place meat on
oiled surface and reserve the liquid
from the marinade. Cook over
high heat with lid closed, turning
meat often and occasionally
basting with the marinade. Cook
for approximately 25 minutes for
medium rare. Serve with horseradish
cream on the side.
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Stuffed Bacon Cheeseburgers
===========================
1/2 cup shredded Monterey
jack
4 slices cooked bacon,
chopped
1 pound ground chuck
Kosher salt and freshly
ground black pepper
4 large hamburger buns,
split
Ketchup, mayonnaise,
mustard, lettuce, sliced tomato, onion,
and avocado,
for serving
Combine the jack cheese and chopped
bacon in a bowl. Put the beef
in another bowl and season with
salt and pepper; use a rubber spatula
to mix it in. Flatten 1/4 of the
meat mixture in the palm of your
hand. Squeeze together about a tablespoon
of the cheese and bacon
mixture to make a little nugget;
put it in the center of the ground
beef. Bring up the sides of the
patty over the filling, making sure
the cheese is completely covered
by the meat. Flatten slightly for
a nice patty shape. Set them side
by side on a platter in the
refrigerator while preparing the
grill.
Place a large grill pan on 2 burners
over medium-high heat or
preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal
barbecue and get it very hot.
Brush the grates with oil to keep
the burgers from sticking. Grill
the burgers for 8 minutes per side
for medium. Remove the burgers
to a clean side plate while you
toast the buns.
Rub the grill rack with more oil
and place the buns cut-side down,
toast for 1 minute. Serve the burgers
with your favorite condiment
and any garnish you like, such as
lettuce, sliced tomato, onion,
and/or avocado.
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Seared Scallops with Tarragon-Butter
Sauce
==========================================
1 1/4 pounds large
sea scallops
7 tablespoons unsalted
butter, cut into tablespoons, divided
2 tablespoons finely
chopped shallot
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white-wine
vinegar
1 tablespoon finely
chopped tarragon
Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with
1/4 teaspoon each of salt and
pepper (total). Heat 1 tablespoon
butter in a 12-inch nonstick
skillet over medium-high heat until
foam subsides, then sear
scallops, turning once, until golden
brown and just cooked through,
about 5 minutes total. Transfer
to a platter.
Add shallot, wine, and vinegar to
skillet and boil, scraping up
brown bits, until reduced to 2 tablespoons.
Add juices from platter
and if necessary boil until liquid
is reduced to about 1/4 cup.
Reduce heat to low and add 3 tablespoons
butter, stirring until
almost melted, then add remaining
3 tablespoons butter and swirl
until incorporated and sauce has
a creamy consistency. Stir in
tarragon and salt to taste; pour
sauce over scallops.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Homestyle Potato Salad
======================
5 pounds Idaho potatoes
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
salt and fresh ground
black pepper (to taste)
2 teaspoons celery
seeds
3 large eggs, hard-boiled
and chopped
1 small onion, finely
chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh
parsley
2 medium carrots, peeled/shredded
2 stalks celery, finely
sliced
1 to 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Bake the potatoes off until they
are just done (you want to be able
to peel and slice or dice them -
(don't boil them - this way they
stay dry and not waterlogged); After
they cool, remove the skins and
slice or dice them as you wish
Boil 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup vinegar
and 1/2 cup sugar until the
sugar is dissolved. Let it cool
and pour it over the potatoes. Add
salt and pepper to taste and 2 tsp.
celery seeds. Mix gently. Add the
remaining ingredients starting with
1 cup of mayonnaise and adding
more if needed. Mix gently - do
not over mix.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Falafel with Cilantro Yogurt
============================
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup chopped fresh
cilantro
1 cup chopped onion
5 large garlic cloves,
chopped
1 tablespoon fresh
lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
pepper
2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo
beans (chickpeas), drained
3 tablespoons plus
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground
cumin
1 large egg
Olive oil
4 warm pita breads,
top third cut off
Sliced tomatoes
Crisp lettuce leaves
Whisk yogurt, 1/2 cup cilantro,
1/4 cup onion, 1 garlic clove,
lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
in medium bowl to blend; season
with salt and pepper. Refrigerate
until ready to serve.
Blend garbanzo beans, 3 tablespoons
flour, cumin, remaining 1/2 cup
cilantro, 4 garlic cloves and 1/4
teaspoon cayenne in processor until
almost smooth. Add egg and remaining
3/4 cup onion and blend, using
on/off turns, until onion is finely
chopped. Transfer mixture to
bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Shape mixture into four 1/2 inch
thick patties. Turn patties in remaining
1/2 cup flour to coat on
both sides.
Pour enough oil into heavy large
skillet to coat bottom; heat over
medium-high heat. Add patties and
cook until crisp and golden, about
8 minutes per side. Open pita breads;
slide 1 patty, sliced tomato
and lettuce into each. Spoon in
some yogurt mixture.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Toasted Almond Parfait
======================
1 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup light corn
syrup
3 tablespoons amaretto
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons
finely chopped toasted almonds
2 cups chilled whipping
cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
extract
2 ounces bittersweet
(not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate,
finely
chopped
Using handheld electric mixer, beat
sugar, egg yolks, corn syrup,
and amaretto in large metal bowl
to blend. Place bowl over saucepan
of simmering water (do not allow
bottom of bowl to touch water). Beat
until candy thermometer registers
160F and parfait base is thick and
billowy, about 8 minutes. Remove
bowl from over water. Continue to
beat parfait base until cool, about
7 minutes. Fold in 1/2 cup almonds.
Beat cream and vanilla in another
large bowl until soft peaks form.
Fold cream into cool parfait base
in 3 additions. Transfer parfait
to 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
Cover and freeze until firm, at
least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
Scoop parfait into goblets. Sprinkle
with chocolate and 3 tablespoons
almonds.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: No
Bologna, Italy, is considered
to be the home of mortadella,
another kind of sausage,
but bologna is an American invention,
thanks to Italian immigrants.
And yes, the term "baloney" does
come from bologna, used as
a term of derision, possibly referring
to the fact that bologna
is made from the lesser quality parts
of the animal.
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