Countdown To T-day

My husband Tony suggested that I begin a daily post as a countdown to Thanksgiving.  Good idea!  Although I am in total denial of the holidays raging toward my unprepared soul, I agree that somebody needs to get started! 

Chefing for a wine tasting last night gave me lots of ideas for similar parties and am now considering a pre-Thanksgiving wine pairing.  Just getting in the mood for getting out all the glasses, setting a table and entertaining in general gets me thinking about the efficiency of having several gatherings while my house is still clean and everything that has a place is actually in that place.  So when I tell Tony that we should have several parties and not just one Thanksgiving dinner, I can tell him it was his idea that sparked this concept and that he deserves all the praise.  Let’s see…, my neighbors, favorites clients, best friends, other entrepreneurs…  This could take a while.

Tomorrow’s ‘Uncorking the Perfect Wine and Cheese Party” class will serve as a base for the countdown.  Other classes this week will help pull the concept together and give me the fodder I need for my daily posts.  See the entire schedule online at www.cookwithmary.com

I’ll be writing tomorrow!  Have a great day.

 

Smoked Salmon Croquettes w/Tomato Coulis

We experimented with cooking salmon in three healthy ways tonight.  Poached Salmon with a dill, tarragon and walnut pesto, grilled salmon with a vegetable salsa and smoked salmon croquettes with a tomato coulis.  I’ll focus on the croquettes because I loved the way the tomato coulis played off the crispy croquette; the colors were beautiful and I just love to take something simple and underrated and make it fresh and very now.

I didn’t have salmon croquettes very often growning up.  I seem to remember neighbors or other parental units making them, but not mine.  In fact, other than fish sticks, tuna salad sandwiches and the occasional block of frozen haddock fried up in a pan, we didn’t eat much fish.  McDonald’s fish sandwiches – I ate plenty of those.  But there are lots of horror stories, as well as fond memories of salmon croquettes.  Usually served with either macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes and white gravy with peas.

I began making croquettes with the wonderful smoked salmon at the Seafood Connection about a year ago, mirroring my favorite crab cake recipe.  Be sure to use a dry smoked salmon, not the type that is used as lox. 

Full of fresh vegetables and herbs, these are a more sophisticated version of an old fashioned favorite.  And they are baked, not fried.  Do all your chopping first and the recipe will come together quickly.

Smoked Salmon Croquettes with Tomato Coulis

Coulis:

4 medium tomatoes

To make the coulis, heat the oven or a gas grill to 425 or very hot.  Make a cradle out of heavy duty aluminum foil, wrapping the tomatoes in the foil, but leaving the top open.  Roast the tomatoes until charred and very hot, about 35-45 minutes.  Remove from the heat and cool.  Core and peel the tomatoes and place them in the work bowl of a food processor.  Add 1 oz tequila, salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar and the juice of a lemon or lime.  Process until smooth.  Set aside.

Croquettes:

8 oz dry smoked salmon, flaked

1/2 cup (total) minced red, yellow and orange peppers

3 scallions, sliced thinly and separated by white part and green

2 Tbls olive oil

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 Tbls finely minced herbs – a blend of chives, tarragon and dill

1 Tbls Dijon mustard

2 Tbls mayonnaise

1 tsp tabasco

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

additional bread crumbs for coating

In a saute pan, heat the oil and saute the white part of the onion until just softened.  Add the peppers and stir for a minute or two.  Turn off the heat and add the herbs.  Cool.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix together with your finger tips to break up the salmon and evenly distribute the ingredients.  Form into 6-8 small discs.  Dredge in additional bread crumbs. 

Oil a baking sheet with olive oil.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place the croquettes on the oiled sheet and when the oven in up to temperature, bake until brown and crispy, about 15 -20 minutes, turning once. 

Ladle about 1/3 cup of the coulis into a shallow bowl.  Place a croquette in the center of the coulis and garnish with finely sliced chives and a sprig of fresh dill.

Enjoy!

Cheesecake and a pair of used shoes

Not just any cheesecake, and not just any pair of shoes. 

My house smells like heaven.  Cheesecake heaven.  I just took two lovely cheesecakes from the oven and moved them to my auxillary refrigerator downstairs.  But the house will be fragrant for hours.    The cheesecake that I made tonight is on the menu for the All Wrapped Up event scheduled for Thursday night at the Butchertown Market (tickets are still available via this link: www.cookwithmary.com).  But, as I said, it’s not just any cheesecake, it is a savory concoction of Parmigiano Regiano cheese, cream cheese, eggs and subtle hints of crushed black pepper and fresh chives. 

I have never served this appetizer to any group without rave reviews, requests for the recipe, and even a marriage proposal or two.  Really that good.  Paired with fresh apple and pear slices and crackers, it is very creamy, very rich and very addictive.  It’s on the menu at many parties that I help to coordinate or cook for; rarely do I get tired of it.

My Parmigiano Cheesecake is just one of the many festive and delicious goodies coming at you this week.  We’re pulling out all the stops for Thursday’s event to raise funds for a great local organization – Dress for Success, Louisville.  DFSL is a chapter of a national organization to help women entering the work force.  Women that otherwise might not have an opportunity to find appropriate attire to pull off the positive first impression necessary for a successful interview. 

DFSL has periodic suit drives, but for our event we are  hosting a shoe and handbag drive.  When you purchase a ticket to this event, you have the option of bringing a gently used pair of office appropriate shoes and/or handbag.  With that donation, attendees will receive a voucher to shop the event and receive a 20% discount off one of their purchases. 

Food and drink are a part of the event and we’ll have plenty of both on hand.  Clements Catering and Cook with Mary will prepare party foods and we’ll offer a holiday punch and wine to pair up with the foods. 

Comfortably wedged between networking, shopping and eating, participants will get the opportunity to experience a program that is part style show, part organizational seminar and part cooking show.  Andre Wilson, Melanie Stokes and I will be on hand to help everyone in attendance get their wardrobe updated, get their houses and shopping lists organized and take the fear out of menu planning and recipe selection.

Also on hand will be a jewelry designer, a chocolatier, a gift wrapping expert, a wine expert, cruise planner, home fashions fabricator, caterer, interior designer and lots more.  Don’t miss this great event.  With the resources and information at this event, your holiday season will be organized, elegant and relaxed!

Join us, won’t you?  Click here for more information: www.cookwithmary.com

Leftover Mashed Potatoes…

…become a really good chowder.

I was hungry today around 12:30 and began the opening and closing of the refrigerator in the fairly routine process of making a decision on whether to eat leftovers, start something new, etc…  I had a number of options, none of which really appealed to me at the time.  Black bean chili, leftover mashed potatoes, salad, cold grilled salmon and on it went.  I took the potatoes out of the fridge, then put them back.  I took the salmon and greens out, then put them back.  Had I remembered that there was a relatively new package of Graeter’s vanilla in the freezer, I may not have had the breakthrough.

OK, maybe turning leftover mashed potatoes and corn into a chowder wouldn’t be considered a breakthrough.  I mean, I have blogged about corn chowder before, but from scratch.  A big pot.  Not this time. 

I grabbed a saucepan, an onion and some celery and began putting things together.  I had a two cup container of potatoes left from the other night’s dinner.   I searched the fridge for the lima beans from the same night, but they were claimed by my husband for his lunch.  So much for the succotash soup I had envisioned.

I chopped up one half of a small onion and diced some celery and celery leaves and threw them in  the pan with a bit of olive oil and butter.  I went to the computer to try and register my son for his ACT while the veggies were softening up.  I came back to a near catastrophy with some of the onions bordering on too dark.  A quick stir got them back in order.  The expletives I threw at my carelessness helped to cool things off too, I’m sure.

I dumped in the lumpy mashed potatoes, added a bit of vegetable broth and some salt and pepper and stirred things up.  I cleaned the kernels off 1 1/2 ears of leftover corn and dumped those in too.  Adding enough half and half to loosen the mixture up, I turned the heat to low and let the pot simmer down a bit.

The result, only about 15 minutes later, tasted so good I thought the soup worthy of a sprinkling of some hot bacon crumbles and some fresh herbs.  I chose thyme, parsley and chives.  I moaned my way through a bowl of the soup and went back for just a few more bites, just to be sure it tasted as good I as thought. 

My leftover potatoes produced one of the best chowders I had tasted.  Yum.

Tortilla Soup

I found a recipe for Tortilla Soup that I thought might be close to what I was looking for.  At J. Alexanders, our family’s favorite go-to place, my son Logan and I tried their version a few weeks ago.  Since then, the thought never really left us.  It was  chicken broth based, thickened with tortillas (so said the waiter), with a velvety texture and a hint of heat. 

The recipe that I picked from several options available at www.epicurious.com was ‘Tortilla Soup With Crisp Tortillas and Avocado Relish’.  I knew from the various other recipes that I rejected as a starting point, that I wanted fast and simple.  The directions for this particular soup seemed easy enough, but I did streamline the chili seasoning process so that I could fry up fresh tortilla strips for the garnish.  I also simplified the avocado relish. 

Now, having said that I basically butchered the recipe, I’ll let you know that the hair on the back of my neck starts to bristle when people tell me that they took one of my recipes and changed this and left that out, and it just didn’t taste like it did when I made it.  I saw an episode of Sara Moulton’s cooking show years ago where she advised making  a new recipe the way that it was written the first time, then make changes gradually to get exactly what you want.  I agree with that thought process for the most part.  But yesterday I strayed from that profound idea and went my own way.

The class for which this soup was made also included a roasted acorn squash soup and a vegetarian black bean chili.  I decided to keep this one vegetarian too, but later added some poached chicken to the soup.  The results were so good that I have included that addition here. 

 

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

1 white or yellow onion

10-12 tomatoes (a mixture of plum and garden tomatoes), cored

several garlic cloves, peeled

8 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1 large chipotle chili, minced

2-4 Tbls masa harina

2 cups (or more) shredded poached chicken (leftover grilled or roasted chicken would work well)

 a few corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4″ strips

oil for frying

diced avocado or guacamole or sour cream for garnish

minced cilantro

minced fresh jalapeno or other hot chili

lime wedges

Chop or slice the onion and place on a rimmed baking sheet with the garlic and the tomatoes.  Drizzle with olive oil and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the tomato skins have charred and the onion and garlic are softened.  Allow to cool enough to handle and peel the tomatoes.

In a large soup pot, heat the chicken stock.  Add the roasted vegetables, the oregano, the chili, pepper and salt.  Using an immersion blender, puree the soup.  Whisk in the masa and cook until slightly thickened.  Add the poached chicken and heat thoroughly. 

Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a saucepan or skillet until a strip of the tortilla sizzles when dipped into the oil (about 350 degrees).  Fry the tortilla strips in batches.  Transfer the tortillas to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Salt while hot. 

Ladle the hot soup into bowls.  Top with tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro, hot chilis and lime. 

Enjoy!

Warm and Sticky Cinnamon Rolls

I have a meeting in a few hours and plan to take some warm from the oven cinnamon rolls with me.  I think it was Deepok Chopra who said to  give a gift to everyone you see each day.  Whether it is a smile or a flower, a kind thought or deed, give them some sort of gift.  I try to smile alot.  I also give food gifts.  Today it is cinnamon rolls.

I’ve been making cinnamon rolls for years.  Back in the day when bread machines were all the rage, I’d let the machine make the dough and finish the process by hand.  As my bread baking confidence rose (s0rry), I donated the bread machine and took the entire process to the bread board.  Bread baking is a technique not unlike sauteing or mixing a cake or grilling a burger.  Once you get the hang of it, it is simple.  You learn the signs and adjust your technique based on the peculiarities of the batch.

Learn to bake bread in a Whole Grain Bread class this week.  Visit www.cookwithmary.com for the class schedule.

Cinnamon Rolls

3 cups all purpose or bread flour or a mixture of whole wheat and all purpose

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup warm water

1 packet (or 1 scant Tbls) instant dry yeast

2 Tbls unsalted butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbls unsalted butter

Mix together the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Stir together the warm water and yeast and allow to proof.  Add the first 2 Tbls softened butter to the water and stir the wet mixture into the flour.  Mix until the flour is moistened.  Turn out onto a lightly floured counter top or bread board and knead for 6-8 minutes, or until the dough is cohesive and smooth.  Lightly oil the bowl and return the dough to it, turning the dough to lightly grease on all sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise until double. 

At this point, you can place the dough in the refrigerator overnight (unrisen) if you are going to make the cinnamon rolls in the morning.

Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes.  This will help the dough relax and make it easier to roll out.  Mix the 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon together and set aside.  The 2 Tbls of butter should be softened at this point.

Knead the dough a few turns to deflate and roll into a large rectangle, perhaps about 10 x 14″. Using your fingers, spread the butter over the dough, then sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough.  Roll up jelly-roll fashion, keeping the dough tightly wound.  Slice into 10 or 12 rolls.  Place the rolls on a large, parchment lined baking sheet or in a 10 x 13″ pan.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to rise again until nearly double in size. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

The closer you place the rolls to each other, the higher the rolls will rise.  If they are spread out, they will rise ’sideways’, and rather than tall, they will be wide.  Either is fine. 

Bake the rolls at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned.  The rolls should spring back slightly when fully baked and not leave a depression when touched.  Allow to cool slightly prior to glazing and eating.

Confectioner’s Sugar Glaze

1 Tbls unsalted butter

2 Tbls milk or cream

dash vanilla

Confectioner’s sugar

 Heat  the butter and milk together until the butter is melted.  Add a dash of vanilla and stir in enough sugar to make a thick, but pourable icing.  Drizzle on the cooled cinnamon rolls.

Enjoy!

Blu Boy Chocolate

Just a quick note to say that I’m in love again.  In love with Blu Boy Chocolate out of Bloomington, IN.  A recent trip to Bloomington led us to a few spots for foodies:  FarmBloomington – Daniel Orr’s restaurant, Bloomingfoods and best of all Blu Boy Chocolates.  Check out their yummy delights such as an Ancho Chile and Cinnamon chocolate, their Dark Chocolate Truffle and my personal favorite – Fleur de Sel Caramel. 

The Caramel was beautifully dark and sprinkled with a bit of freshly ground Fleur de Sel.  The combination of chocolate, salt and caramel was indulgent and addictive.  Can’t wait to get back.  Probably won’t wait to get back.  In fact am thinking of placing an order on line. 

Eat um up!

www.bluboychocolate.com

Italian Walnut Torta – thanks to Camille Glenn

In 1982 a local chef and culinary writer, Camille Glenn, wrote a volume of exquisite desserts for the benefit of the Louisville Fund for the Arts Endowment.  Barry Bingham Sr., at that time the Chairman of the Board for the Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times Company wrote the Preface of the book.  His words  were to thank Camille for her ongoing efforts of writing a column for the paper, but more so to proclaim her as a local catalyst for teaching cooking, especially French cooking right here in Louisville. 

Thank you, Ms. Glenn for this wonderful book.  I was fortunate enough to find it at an estate sale and grabbed it up.  I met Camille Glenn several years ago at a Womens Chef’s event,  and was lucky enough to have her autograph my copy.  She was as charming as a southern woman should be, and incredibly gracious and patient as many around her fawned and gushed.  A few tables away sat Julia Childs, but that’s a story for another day.

Many of the recipes in this book I have made and each has been lovely.  Pears in Caramel Cream and the ever popular Cordon Bleu Chocolate Roll.  It strikes me as I write this that my favorite 3 recipes are gluten free!  Not sure what that means, exactly.  Today, I wanted to share the Italian Walnut Torta.

Last night in an Italian Seafood Class, this was dessert after a 7 course tapas meal containing gorgonzola cheese with honey and toasted walnuts, Mousse di Tonna, flatbread pizza, Shrimp Scampi, Salad, Swordfish braised in tomatoes and green olives over polenta, and this Torta for dessert.  With 6 people in the class and 5 bottles of wine to go around, I must admit that I tend to stop and wonder if it’s the food or the mood that evokes such strong emotion and zeal.

None the less, the Torta was remarkable, as it always is.  Incredibly light with no butter and really not much sugar.  The fact that it is flourless makes it satisfying, but not overfilling.  Great after two hours and six other courses.   

Camille Glenn's Italian Walnut Torta

Camille Glenn’s Italian Walnut Torta

2 cups walnuts

5 eggs, separated

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Chop 1/2 cup of the walnuts coarsely in the food processor.  Set aside.  Grind the remaining walnuts until fine.  Beat the egg yolks in a mixer bowl until they are lightened up.  Add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is lighter in color and falls from the beaters in ribbons.  Gently fold in the walnuts.  Add the vanilla and mix in well.  

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold a stiff peak but are not dry or grainy.  Gently fold about 1/3 of the whites into the first mixture to lighten it.  Then fold the remaining egg whites in.  The volume of air incorporated into the eggs is the only leavener in this cake, so you want to be sure not to deflate the batter.

Butter an 8″ springform pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper.  Spoon the batter in the pan and smooth the top.  Bake in the center of the preheated oven until the cake springs back, about 50-60 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes, then loosen the sides of the pan.  Cool completely and serve with Chocolate Ganache.

Ganache

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbls unsalted butter

1 Tbls sugar

1/2 # chopped semi sweet chocolate (or 1 1/3 cups of chocolate chips)

Bring the cream, butter and sugar to a boil.  Turn off heat and add the chopped chocolate.  Shake the pan to submerge the chocolate and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.  Gently stir with a whisk to smooth out the mixture.  Allow to cool to almost room temperature before pouring over the cake. 

Did I mention this recipe was easy?  EASY!

Enjoy!

French Toast – YUM!

I used to watch as my siblings made French Toast as kids.  I was next to last in a line of 5 kids.  Everyone was pretty self reliant in the kitchen; I especially remember my brother David cooking as a kid.  He still remarks about my grossing him out with some of my kitchen antics.  I ask you, what is so wrong with fried bologna sandwiches heaped onto white bread with yellow mustard and dill pickles? It was at least colorful.

But that recollection bears little resemblance to French Toast.  In our house, French toast was made by mixing an egg with some milk and splashing around a few squares of white sandwich bread until gloppy, then frying it in some butter.  No thanks.  I could never go that way.  After all my tastes were defined by fried bologna sandwiches.  Honestly, I don’t remember ever having French toast as a kid.

Years later, while working at a local hospital, Linda Hagerman introduced me to her version of French toast.  I was a convert.  This was the real deal.  I mean really, really good.  Linda offered up a number of options when it came to this delicacy.  Orange zest, cinnamon, allowing the soaked bread to rest overnight or frying it up right away.  I’ve tried them all and passed along the recipe to more people than I can remember.  Everyone loves this French Toast.

The other day, I had scheduled two back to back meetings at my house, and I was starving!  Before my first friend arrived, I put some bacon in the oven and prepped the toast.  Before she left and when my second friend arrived (I only meet with friends), I asked if everyone was hungry.  Who would say no?  I mixed some berries with a bit of sugar and lemon juice and let them marinate while I sauteed up the French toast.  Brunch came together fairly quickly and my appetite was quelled until dinner time.

French Toast with Berries and Crisp Bacon

French Toast

8-12 1″ slices day old or older baguette

1 egg

1/2 cup milk or 1/2 & 1/2

2 Tbls granulated sugar

Generous dash vanilla

Butter

Berries, whipped cream, maple syrup or honey

Whisk together the milk, egg, vanilla and sugar in a shallow bowl or pie pan.  Dip the bread slices into the milk mixture, turning them to coat well.  Leave them to sit in the mixture for 20 minutes or longer, moving them around so that they absorb the liquid fairly evenly.  If you’d like to do this at night and finish cooking them the next day, remove the soaked bread slices to a plate and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Some reviewers say that this overnight rest results in a custard-like French toast.

When you are ready to cook the toasts, place 2 or more Tbls of butter in a large saute pan and heat until hot, but not brown.  Saute the slices of bread for 2-4 minutes per side or until nicely browned.  Remove to a plate and keep warm, if necessary, while the remaining bread is being cooked.  Serve with your choice of enhancements. 

Enjoy!

Roasted Yellow Tomato Soup

Sometimes, all you need to cook a delicious new dish is a gift and some forgetfulness.  In this case, the gift was a plastic shopping bag full of brightly colored yellow tomatoes.  These tomatoes were so bright, in fact I mistook them for oranges. 

Of course I knew who had dropped them off in my booth.  My most generous of neighbors at the market this year has been Faye of Innis Farms.  Nearly each week, Faye presented me with bags and boxes and buckets of produce to use in my work at the market.  Enough most weeks to use throughout the week at classes and at home.   Faye is one of the reasons I hate to see the Farmers’  Market end this year.  It’s exhausting work, but when you get to know people like Faye, it’s all worth it.

I never gave more than one thought to the tomatoes’ destiny.  Roasted Tomato Soup.  For weeks now, I have been conjuring up ideas for roasted tomatoes.  Idea meets opportunity!  We washed the tomatoes, drizzled them with a bit of olive oil and put them in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.  Out of the oven, their skins – slightly charred after their stint in the heat – slipped off.  Juices were sizzling on the pan and the kitchen smelled lovely.

Options are plentiful when dealing with a fresh, delicious product like these tomatoes.  Cream soup would have been wonderful – no cream.  Potatoes would have thickened the soup – a delicious option, but I didn’t want to cloud up the juices with potato.  I decided that I needed to add a bit of vegetable broth, but I needed a roux to get the velvety texture that I wanted. Alas, my flour was at home.  I knew exactly where I had left it. 

I searched the kitchen and the church had no flour that I could pilfer.  Not even a few tablespoons.  I looked around at my neighboring vendors and asked my husband, “Who would have flour?”  No one.  I stuck my neck out.  At the risk of perhaps ruining this lovely pot of roasted tomato jus, we decided to use the corn meal we had purchased to make fresh corn bread.  Traditional tortilla soup is thickened with masa or tortillas, so I reasoned.  What could go wrong?  But I was still a bit worried. 

Read on the get the full detail of the soup we put together.  The votes were in and the soup was delicious.  I promised to blog about it, and here it is. 

Roasted Yellow Tomato Soup

12 large yellow tomatoes, washed

olive oil

3 cups chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

2-3 cups of vegetable broth

2 cups chopped mixed yellow or red peppers – pimento, banana and bell

3 Tbls butter

1/4 cup white corn meal

Roast the washed tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet at 350 for about 45 minutes.  Let cool until you can handle them.  Peel and chop the tomatoes, discarding the peels, but collecting the juices along with the meat of the tomatoes.

Meanwhile, saute the onion in 2 Tbls of olive oil in a medium soup pot until they are softened.  Add the minced garlic, stirring for about a minute.  Add the chopped peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly softened.  Add the butter, stirring to melt.  Sprinkle over the corn meal and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Add 2 cups of  the vegetable broth and the collected tomatoes and juice to the pot and bring to a simmer.  Add more broth to get the soup the consistency you like.  Season with a bit more salt and pepper if needed.  I would have added a pinch of cayenne, but that was left at home too. 

Enjoy!