Recipe Highlights from Melissa's Shower -- Enjoy!

I will try to post some pictures over the next few days, but in case you want to use these recipes for Easter, here are the highlights from Melissa's Shower ... enjoy! Email me with any questions...  xo c.

 

Chiffonade of Lobster Chez Denis

from Craig Claiborne's The New New York Times Cookbook

2 lbs cooked lobster meat, cubed

1 egg yolk

1 T. white wine vinegar

1 T. good (Dijon) mustard

1 T. tomato paste

1/8 t. cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce, to taste

1 c. olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 t. chopped fresh tarragon, or 1/2 t. dried tarragon

2 t. Cognac

3/4 c. halved grape tomatoes

6-12 romaine lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

1.  Place yolk in mixing bowl, and add vinegar, mustard, tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste, and cayenne.  Gradually add olive oil, beating vigorously with wire whisk.  Beat in lemon juice, tarragon and Cognac. (OR, place all these ingredients in bowl of food processor and blend until dressing has consistency of thickened creamy dressing.)

2.  Fold lobster, tomatoes (and optional 1/2 cup cubed foie gras) into dressing; if desired, this can be done 1/2 hour-1 hour ahead.

3.  Shred romaine by stacking leaves and cutting into as thin slices as reasonably possible.  6-7 romaine heads will make one bag of shredded lettuce.

4.  When ready to serve, mix lettuce thoroughly with lobster/dressing.  Serve immediately.

Ham and Cheddar Scones

Based on Ina Garten's "Cheddar Dill Scones" from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

1 lb. cooked piece of baked ham (packaged?)

1 block Seriously Smart Cabot White Cheddar Cheese

4 cups plus 1 T. all purpose flour

2 T baking powder

2 t kosher salt

3/4 lb. (3 sticks) unsalted cold butter, diced

4 extra-large eggs, beaten lightly

1 cup cold heavy cream

Dice ham into small dice, then cook in 1 t. olive oil in pan until lightly browned (to make sure all the water is completely out of it, and to deepen the taste a bit).

Cut cheese block into dice the same size as the ham pieces (a little smaller than 1/2-inch cube).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine 4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment.  Add butter and mix on low speed until butter is in pea-sized pieces.  Mix the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour/butter mixture.  Combine until JUST blended.  Toss together the ham and cheese with 1 T. flour, then add to dough.  Mix until they are almost incorporated.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead for 1 minute, until cheese and ham are well distributed.  Roll dough out to 3/4-inch thickness (as if you were making biscuits, for example....).  Cut into square, then half into triangles, OR use biscuit cutter to cut into rounds.  Place on baking sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper.  Brush tops with Either milk/cream or egg wash.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until outside is crusty and insides are fully cooked (you may have fried cheese around the edges, but no worries there; plenty is still inside the scones).  Serve Best Hot!

Spinach Cheese Quiche

For Crust (From Martha Stewart's "Pies & Tarts" Cookbook)

Pate Brisee (I Always 1.5x the recipe, and have done so below; this makes plenty for two pie crusts for 12" pies)

3 3/4 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. cold crisco shortening, cut into cubes

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/4 to 1/2 c. cold water

Place flour and salt into bowl of food processor.  Add butter and shortening and blend until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add ice water, a T. at a time, through spout in processor, until dough just sticks together.

Remove dough and dump onto countertop.  Split in half, and form each half into a disk.  Dough should stick together, not be too dry but not be too wet (really not SO difficult, but you get better at judging this the more you do it).  Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least an hour.  After at least an hour, place dough on well floured surface (or on Silpat, or plastic wrap) and roll out to a couple of inches larger all around than your pie plate.  Place in pie plate (again, gets easier with practice), and place in fridge, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to use.

Filling:

For one quiche: 

4 eggs, whisked

2 cups half and half

1 pkg. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed until as much water as possible is Removed

1/2 pkg. shredded cheese (I like monterey jack/cheddar combination)

Place spinach in pie shell.  Salt and pepper.  Then place cheese.  Combine eggs with half and half and pour over the spinach/cheese.  Place in 415-degree oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until puffed and lightly brown on top.  Let sit at least 10-15 minutes before cutting.

If you don't want to make the pie crust, use a frozen shell.  You might need a bit less liquid, though, because the crust is not as deep as regular pie plate.

Salmon with Lemon Rice -- Click HERE for Gabrielle Hamilton's recipe on House Beautiful.com

Time Management

I recently started playing a little mind game with myself. It goes like this ... I start off by asking myself the question: Do you remember when (insert event or activity)?

This is different from the phrase "Do you remember where (you put your keys/you saw that article/you met that person, e.g.)?" and is also different from the phrase "Do you remember if (you let the dogs in/let the dogs out/bought milk/switched the laundry, e.g.)?"

The phrase "Do you remember when (insert)?" is less of a burden, less inclined to lead me to believe that I am suffering from early onset Alzheimer's, and definitely more likely to lead to a successfuly memory.

Some of my favorite recent "Do you remember when (insert)?"'s are the following:

1. Do you remember when ... you stayed up all night to finish an exam that wasn't due until a week later?

2. You stayed up all night with friends in NYC before going to work the next day?

3. You rented a hotel room in high school that your parents never found out about?

4. You found out you were pregnant for the first time?

5. Bill asked you to marry him?

6. You lost your virginity (these are examples, in completely random order ....)

7. Your sister was on the telephone to tell you Dad had had a heart attack?

8. You found out you were having a girl and not a third boy?

9. You finished the marathon?

10. You started believing that you actually cook fairly well?

And so on.

Nothing earth shattering. But then everyday revelations about yourself rarely are.

I highly recommend this little exercise. It can make an otherwise boring, winter day seem downright warm and sunny. Enjoy.

Veggie Lasagna -- This Is It!

Many, Many, Many years ago (like 20 or so), I came across this recipe in the Boston Globe recipe section.  At that time, the recipes were in a very small column, with tiny print and no pictures.  If you look at the Food section now, it's amazing how far the foodies have pushed the paper along, with pictures, ratings, and contests, all to benefit their readers.  I've been asked for the recipe several times, and, due to its length, it's a bit of a chore to write out time after time.  Here it is for posterity.  And please remember, my measurements for savory food (as opposed to baked goods) are never exact, so you will have to judge the amounts you prefer as you go along.  I will post a picture next time I make it.  Enjoy.

BOSTON GLOBE'S VEGGIE LASAGNA

This recipe will fill one 9x13 baking pan.  If you have a deeper and/or larger pan, you may want to increase the veggies and the bechamel.  You will need to lightly grease the pan (I spray PAM on it), and you will need 1-2 boxes of non-cook lasagna noodles (I use Barilla noodles; you can always use the ones you have to boil, if you prefer).  I also use grated mozzarella (1 bag shredded, or 1 large chunk that I shred myself) in between the layers, though the original recipe does not call for it.

Saute in a pan the following:

1/4 pound butter
1 medium onion, chopped (I added this, as the original does not call for it)
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 bunch broccoli, coarsely chopped (a bit fine, actually)
2 medium yellow squash, diced
1 teaspoon chopped dry oregano
1/2 tsp. salt

Stir the veggies frequently until almost tender (at least 5-7 minutes).

(Optional:  (NB:  I usually do not do this, but the original recipe calls for it, go figure)  Add 2 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves to the mixture.

Let the veggie mixture cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, mix together:  1 1/2 lbs. ricotta cheese (I use 1 lb. light ricotta, and 1/2 lb. whole milk ricotta)  with 2 eggs.  Add 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and mix together (I added this, too).

In a large sauce pan, mix together your bechamel sauce (I have doubled this, as I always needed more):

1/4 pound butter
1/2 cup flour
4-5 cups milk

Melt the butter completely, whisk in the flour and continue whisking for about 2 minutes until the flour is cooked a bit.  Add the milk all at once and then stir frequently for about 5 minutes until the mixture is thickened (this is your "sauce").  Add 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese.  Let cool.

Now you are ready to assemble.   As follows:

Spread a thin layer of the bechamel sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Place one layer of lasagna noodles on that, and layer 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, then 1/3 of the veggie mixture over that.   Sprinkle one third of the shredded mozzarella over that, then REPEAT.  Sauce, noodles,  ricotta, veggies, mozzarella; Sauce, noodles, ricotta, veggies, mozzarella -- so that you end up with mozzarella on the top.

If this sounds like a lot of work ... it is!  But, it's Totally worth it (if you do it Occasionally)  and a nice surprise for guests (and great for leftovers).  Good luck!  Email me with questions. 

Where is YOUR underwear made?

The underwear currently in my top bureau drawer is made in several countries, including, among others:  Egypt, Israel (maybe we could get these two countries together for an Underwear Summit), Morocco, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Brazil and Italy.  Only two of the two dozen pairs are made in the United States.  Can you guess which ones?  And, can you guess how hard it was for me to find underwear actually made in the USA?  Which of course I did, but only after being completely shocked one afternoon last week when I looked at the label and saw that I was sporting lingerie made in El Salvador. 

The answer to the first question is:  Hanky Panky is the only underwear brand in my drawer that is made in the USA.  All the others, including those with All American branding, including Victoria's Secret, DKNY, and Calvin Klein (among others), are made all over the world.  Oh, I forgot, there are also some that originated in Vietnam and Brazil.

Now I don't mind helping out the world economy.  But, COME ON!  I don't have to have the World Economy on my ... well,  you know ... around my hips.  I have enough baggage these days around my waist that I don't need any more waste around my hips!

So, I have taken a stand.  I just got online and purchased 7 pairs of Hanky Panky underwear, in various styles and colors.  All are made in the USA with the added benefit of being relatively attractive (okay, maybe not as attractive on me as say, Gisele Bundchen, but we'll see how she is after 3 kids and nearing 50).  And, I will continue to do my little part, as small as it may be, to support American manufacturers and American companies, by at least making an effort to buy American.

It may all sound a little "pie in the sky," and I may eventually be mistaken about where the lace comes from and where the threads come from -- I have actually heard that there are no American manufacturers of thread, but need to research this one a little more ... in my spare time --  and where the sewing machines come from, etc., etc.  But at least I'm starting.  I'm starting to push more of my limited assets (the important monetary ones, not the physical ones) and purchasing power into the hands of an American company that hires workers with the expectation of paying them at least a minimum wage and (possibly) health care benefits, not to mention vacation and sick time.  And, maybe if I start with the smallest piece of clothing in my wardrobe, I'll eventually start making a larger impact by purchasing American-made for the rest of my wardrobe (I hear that Nanette Lepore, for example, makes clothing manufactured primarily in the USA). I don't know about you, but I would rather pay a little more for an American product with the belief that I'm supporting American workers during these difficult times, than pay to support economies outside of the U.S., at least for the time being.

It's a start.  Here's the link for Hanky Panky.  If all of us women tried this, imagine what a difference we could make (and how happy our significant others would be at the intangible -- so to speak -- side benefits).