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Our Team | Our Guest | Chef Cynthia | Chef June
Chef June Jacobs, CCP
Chef June's Bio
Spring means herbs to many... and here's a terrific quiche to wow your family or guests.
June has always been my favorite month.
I wonder why!
Enjoy,
Chef June
Spring Herb and Ramp Quiche
Makes one 9-inch quiche
proportions fit one Whole Foods frozen whole wheat crust
1 tablespooon Dijon mustard
2 extra large eggs
1 cups whole milk or heavy cream
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mixed green herbs
3 tablespoons chopped ramps (you could substitute spring onions or scallions)
1 1/3 cups shredded Comte cheese (or other Swiss-type cheese)
Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove pie shell from freezer and set it on a baking sheet. Put the shredded cheese in the bottom of the pie shell.
Whisk together the eggs and mustard in a large bowl. Add the milk and seasonings. Blend well. Add the herbs and ramps and stir to blend. Pour the egg mixture into the pie shell, until the mixture comes to 1/8-inch below the top.
Bake in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is puffed and browned. Remove from oven and let on the baking sheet. This quiche is delicious served warm or at room temperature.
Wine Tip
A white Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio is my favorite wine with egg dishes.
previously
ANNA TERESA CALLEN'S PIZZA
and CALZONE DOUGH
one 11 x 15 inch rectangle
or 2 12-inch pizzas
2 packages active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Let stand for 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the oil and the yeast mixture. With your hand, stir the flour into the liquid and gather the mixture into a ball. Turn dough out onto a floured board, or proceed to knead it in the bowl. Knead and slap the dough until it is smooth and elastic (like a baby's bottom). While kneading, add a little more flour, if necessary. Dough must be smooth, elastic, and not sticky. Gather dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Set the bowl in a warm place, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
Punch dough down, and knead a little. Shape into a ball, and let rise again (for about 1 hour). At this point, dough is ready to use.
NOTE: After the first rising, dough can be punched down and refrigerated or frozen. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator overnight.
CLASSIC NEAPOLITAN PIZZA
1 batch Pizza Dough, ready to use.
3 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of oregano
4 or 5 ripe pear shaped tomatoes, peeled and seeded (or 1 28-oz can Italian plum tomatoes, well drained and crushed)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil 2 12-inch pizza pans. Halve and flatten the dough and place it in the prepared pans. With oiled fingers, stretch the dough toward the rim of each pan, pushing to form a 1/2-inch rim all around. In a small bowl, combine the oil, tomatoes, oregano, salt to taste, and garlic. Spread this mixture on top of the prepared dough. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until rim gets crusty and brown.
Cut into wedges and serve.
Drink a village Chianti or Banfis tasty and almost sinfully affordable Col di Sasso.
Spinach Balls with Mustard Sauce
makes 70 pieces
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups herb stuffing mix, crushed (not Stove-Top)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (5 ounces) firmly packed freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 small green onions, finely chopped
3 large eggs
Dash of freshly ground nutmeg
Mustard Sauce
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except mustard sauce, and mix well.
2. Shape into 1-inch balls.
3. Bake on ungreased baking sheet in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Mustard Sauce
1/2 cup dry mustard
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1. Combine mustard and vinegar. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 4 hours.
2. Mix sugar and egg yolk in a small saucepan. Add mustard-vinegar mixture and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Cover and chill.
3. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Teachers Tip:
The Mustard Sauce recipe can be doubled, keeps well in the fridge, and can be borrowed and used to sauce a chicken breast or fish fillet.
Wine Tip:
Because the sauce is quite nippy, the choice of a complementary wine is somewhat limited. Sparkling wine is always in order. Spanish Cavas are festive and affordable. I especially like those from Segura Viudas. Their Aria costs about $12!
Copyright 2000, Feastivals Cooks At Home.
Baked Mussels filled with Spinach and Mushrooms
(Moules aux Epinards)
This is a robust first course -- or a great addition to a cocktail party -- that costs very little to prepare. It makes a great "balancer" for a dinner party when you're splurging on a main dish like tenderloin of beef. Just don't follow it with anything too delicate!
makes 6 servings
2 pounds (about 24) mussels
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
12 mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
10 ounces fresh spinach, stemmed, washed, cooked, drained, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 lemons cut into wedges, for garnish
1. Scrub mussels and remove any beards*. Soak them in cold water for 10 minutes, then discard all those that are opened or too heavy. Put mussels in a large pan with the wine and thyme. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently to move the top mussels to the bottom, until all the mussels have opened. Set aside to cool.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Discard half the shell of each mussel. Heat 1 TBS. of oil in a large saute pan. Add onion and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, add nutmeg, parsley, salt and pepper, and cook for 5 more minutes. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as needed. Add the spinach, blend well and remove from heat.
3. Put a mussel in each shell and spoon the spinach stuffing over it, then smooth the top with your fingers. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and a little olive oil on each. Arrange stuffed shells on a large baking dish with 1/2 cup water at the bottom (to prevent sticking,) and bake for 15 minutes. Serve with wedges of lemon.
Teacher's Tip
Don't clean the mussels in advance or they may die. Farmed mussels, the most widely available variety, are frequently beardless.
Wine Choice
Of course, Champagne would be wonderful with this, but I also like an oakless white with the mussels, as well. Vision Cellars' California White Wine is a unique blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris sets this appy off perfectly. (www.visioncellars.com)
Season VI (2006-2007)
Shrimp de Jonghe
4 to 6 servings
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 to 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped (or to taste)
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup very finely chopped parsley
½ cup Fino sherry
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of paprika
2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1. Cream together butter, salt and garlic. Mix in bread crumbs, parsley, sherry, pepper and paprika.
2. Toss the shrimp into boiling water. Cover and remove from heat to remain only until they turn pink. Rinse with cold water and drain.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter 4 to 6 individual ovenproof dishes, or one large casserole dish.
4. Divide shrimp among casserole dishes. Mound crumb mixture on top.
Bake 20 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown and sizzling.
Teacher's Tip
Because it is so unbelievably rich, Shrimp de Jonghe doesn't want much in the way of side dishes. A simple salad or a minimally dressed green vegetable along with enough crusty bread to sop up ALL the sauce; it will be PERFECT!
Wine Tip This dish is so rich that it really benefits from a Blanc de Blanc Champagne to cut through the butter. A French-style Sauvignon Blanc works well, too.
Spinach Lasagna with 4 Cheeses and Pesto served with Marinara Sauce
There are quite a few steps to this dish, but they do not have to be done all at once. Additionally, you can substitute purchased Marinara Sauce and Pesto in the interests of time. I'm sorry to say that I don't consider Cream of Celery Soup an acceptable substitute for the Balsamella (in French it's called Bechamel), but if you do, you could sub that, too.
There are two ways to go with WINE for this dish. On the one hand, you could choose a crisp Tocai Friulano to contrast with the creamy sauce and cheese, OR you might enjoy a white Lacryma Christi from the Campania region of Italy.
8-10 servings
Balsamella Sauce:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 cup unbleached flour
6 cups milk
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp freshly grated black pepper
3/4 cup Pesto
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Rapidly whisk in the flour. This is called a roux. Cook the roux for about 30 seconds (to cook the flour, but be careful not to brown!) whisking all the while.
Continue to whisk while pouring all 6 cups of milk into the saucepan in a steady stream. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk the sauce vigorously to mix all the ingredients, and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. [Do NOT walk away from the stove while the sauce is simmering. It is much too easy to burn it!!]
Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the pesto. Put a sheet of oiled plastic wrap on top the sauce to prevent a skin from forming until you are ready to assemble the lasagna.
Pesto:
2 cups tightly packed basil leaves thoroughly washed & dried
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup pine nuts (pignoli)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
With the motor running in your food processor fitted with the metal blade, drop the garlic cloves through the feed tube, and process until chopped very fine. Add basil and pine nuts, and chop fine.
Leaving the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream.
Shut off the motor, add the cheese, a big pinch of salt and a liberal grinding of pepper. Pulse three or four times to mix well. Scrape into a glass jar and cover until ready to use.
Makes 2+ cups of pesto.
Lasagna:
1 pound spinach lasagna noodles (fresh, if you can find them)
All the Balsamella Sauce
3/4 pound Mozzarella, shredded
3/4 [ound Italian Fontina, sliced with a cheese plane
5 or 6 fresh ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup coarsely grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano cheese
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon each dried oregano and basil
Cook the lasagna according to the package directions. (You can make your own noodles if you wish, but packaged lasagna is handier and works just as well here.) Rinse, drain well and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
In a lightly oiled 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking pan, spread about a cup of the balsamella evenly. Arrange 4 lasagna sheets on top the sauce, making sure they overlap slightly. Spread another cup of balsamella over the lasagna. Arrange a layer of tomatoes over the sauce, and a layer of mozzarella over the tomatoes.
Repeat each layer in the same order, alternating Mozzarella with Fontina, three more times. End with a layer of balsamella, and top the lasagna with a mixture of breadcrumbs, Romano, Parmesan and the dried herbs.
Bake the lasagna in the preheated 400 F oven for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the breadcrumb/cheese topping is melted and golden. Serve with Marinara Sauce on the side.
Marinara Sauce:
Saute in large pan: 1 large onion, finely chopped (in olive oil until clear)
Add: 2 large (35 oz) cans Italian plum tomatoes, with all their juice
Season with: 3 mashed garlic cloves
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp Fennel seed
1 tsp each dried basil and oregano
1 dash cayenne pepper
Simmer at least 1 hour. Add 1/2-cup water or red wine after about 1/2 hour. Add 1 Tbsp capers after the hour, and let it cook 20 minutes more. Keeps 2 weeks refrigerated, or you can freeze it!
Sticky Orange Chicken Wings
Serve something uncomplicated and fruity such as Red Truck or Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red.
3 pounds chicken wings
salt and pepper to taste
1 small can (6 ounces) orange juice concentrate
½ juice can water
¼ cup clover honey
2 teaspoons Louisiana Hot Sauce (or more, if you insist!)
1. Trim the gristly section off each chicken wing and reserve for stock. Rinse the chicken wings under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat broiler to 450 degrees F. Arrange chicken wings on broiler pans and broil for about 4 minutes on each side until browned and crispy. Remove from broiler and drain on paper towels. Put the cooked wings into a roaster or hotel pan.
3. Meanwhile, combine orange juice concentrate, water, honey and hot sauce in a small saucepan. Stir to blend, and allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil. Don't let the mixture continue cooking turn it off right away. Pour the hot mixture over the wings and toss to coat all of them.
4. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Creole Roast Turkey
Wine Tip
Usually there are a wide variety of wine choices to accompany the holiday bird. However, the Creole "glow" on this one leads me to prefer the great American Zinfandel above the rest. I especially prefer a big one from Peachy Canyon.
Creole Roast Turkey
for a 16- 25-pound turkey
1 fresh, free-range turkey
Sea salt
Handful of celery tops
2 cups coarsely chopped carrots and onions
handful of parsley sprigs
Fresh herbs of choice
Creole butter
6 reserved whole sage leaves
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove any loose fat from inside the cavity. Cut off the wing tips and add to the ingredients for stock.
2. Rinse and thoroughly dry the turkey with paper towels. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt in the cavity. Put celery, parsley, sage and cooked vegetables from the stock preparation inside. Carefully run your fingers under the breast skin to loosen it. Rub under the skin with Creole butter, then insert 6 whole perfect sage leaves in a pattern under the skin. Rub skin all over with Creole butter. Skewer the neck skin and vent. Tie with kitchen twine to hold legs and wings in place. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in roaster. Tent with heavy-duty foil, shiny side in.
3. Roast in the preheated oven, lifting the tent to baste, first with cooking oil, then with the accumulated pan drippings. About 1 1/2 hours before it is done, add the 2 cups of carrots and onions to the pan to flavor the pan juices.
Teacher's Tips
1. The most reliable way to tell if your turkey is nearly done is to insert an instant read thermometer (see Pantry). It should register 165 degrees F. The turkey will continue to cook as it rests.
2. After you remove the turkey from the oven, put an upside-down salad plate on a large sheet pan. Rest the turkey (breast side down) against the plate with its tail in the air. Cover the whole thing with a foil tent and place in the still-warm oven (with the heat turned off) while you finish the gravy.
Pounds-----Hours at 325-----Rest Period-----Safe Total Time
8-12-------------3-1/4 - 4--------------20--------------4-1/2-4-3/4
12-16-----------3-1/2 - 4-1/2---------20--------------5-1/2
16-20-----------4 - 6 -------------------30--------------5-1/2 - 7
20-25-----------5-1/2 - 7-1/2---------30--------------7 - 8-1/2
Turkey Stock and Gravy
Giblets (except the liver) and wing tips
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2/3 cups dry white wine or vermouth
2 cups chicken stock or water
Sea salt
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons potato starch mixed with 1/4 cup cold chicken stock
2 tablespoons Armagnac
1. Chop neck into 2-inch pieces, quarter the gizzard, halve the heart. Rinse and dry with paper towels.
2. Heat oil in a heavy 2 1/2 - 3-quart saucepan. Stir in giblets and brown rapidly on all sides. Don't let the oil burn. Remove giblets and stir the vegetables into the pan; cover and cook 5 to 8 minutes, until tender. Then uncover, raise heat and brown lightly, for several minutes. Remove half the vegetables and put into the turkey cavity. Return the giblets to the pan. Add vermouth, stock and water to cover ingredients by 1 inch. Add salt and herbs, and simmer partially covered for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Strain, degrease, return to pan. Beat in starch mixture, simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Chill.
Finishing
3. Spoon excess fat out of roasting pan. Pour in turkey stock and stir over moderately high heat for several minutes, scraping bottom of the pan to get all the coagulated juices incorporated into the sauce. Strain into a saucepan, pressing all the juices out of the vegetables. Degrease the gravy again, and correct seasonings. To reheat just before serving, add 2 tablespoons Armagnac and ignite. When the flames have all gone out, pour into a warm bowl or gravy boat.
Creole Butter
This is almost as essential to my Thanksgiving turkey as the bird itself. Try it! You'll also find MANY other uses for this incendiary butter. The secret is that when you use it with meats, fish or vegetables, it doesn't make them spicy. Rather, it imparts a warm glow to everything it meets. As with all butter, it freezes well.
makes about 2/3 cup
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3 medium garlic cloves, mashed
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon each white, black, red peppers
1. Blend all in the food processor until smooth. Transfer to bowl.
Teacher's Tip: To freeze, wrap securely in plastic wrap and then in a zip lock freezer bag. Be sure to label it with the date!
Early Autumn 2006
Brisket for a Cold, Rainy Day
makes 6 to 8 generous servings
Wine Tip: My grape of choice for this slurpy brisket is Mourvedre (favorites are from Domaine Tempier in Provence, where they call them "Bandol Rouge", and Rosenblum Cellars in California makes a tasty one.)
5 pounds boneless brisket of beef
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 red onions, sliced
4 whole stalks celery (including leaves) coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 cup bottled chili sauce
12 ounces hearty red wine
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the brisket fat side up in an oiled roasting pan large enough to hold it comfortably. Season with salt and pepper. Place the onions and celery over the beef. Mix the brown sugar with the chili sauce and spread on top the vegetables. Add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pan.
2. Put the pan in the preheated oven. Allow 1 hour per pound of meat for roasting. Roast uncovered for about the first 30 minutes, basting frequently with the pan drippings, until the meat is well browned.
3. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees F. and cover the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, shiny side in. After 3 1/2 hours total cooking time, pour the red wine over the meat and re-cover the pan. Cook 1 1/2 hours longer, or until very tender.
4. Remove the meat from the pan and let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Strain the gravy into a bowl and refrigerate overnight to solidify the fat that will rise to the top.
5. The next day, slice the meat and reheat it in the de-fatted gravy. Add 1/2 cup more red wine if gravy is too thick.
Mashed potatoes or soft polenta are the perfect starches to soak up all the yummy sauce.
Season V Recipes (2005-2006)
Hard Cooked Eggs Topped with Tapenade 8 servings
1 extra large egg per person
water for cooking the eggs
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Aïoli (recipe follows)
Tapenade (recipe follows)
1. Have the eggs at room temperature. Put eggs in a saucepan just large enough to hold all the eggs in one layer, with enough cold water to cover. Salt the water and set over medium low heat. Bring the water to a boil slowly. Allow the eggs to simmer, with the water bubbling, but not violently, for 5 minutes.
2. When the eggs have finished cooking, bring the pot to the sink and turn the cold water on, running rapidly into the hot water. Allow cold water to replace the hot in the pan. Then drain, dry and peel the eggs.
3. Allow the eggs to cool completely before slicing them in half lengthwise. Put the yolks in a small mixing bowl and mash with the mustard and Aïoli. Taste and correct seasoning if necessary.
4. Line the egg-white boats with the yolk mixture, then mound a spoonful of the Tapenade atop each egg.
TAPENADE
(Olive, Anchovy and Caper Condiment)
Makes about 1 cup:
1/2 pound large plump ripe olives (they should be slightly wrinkled, cured in oil rather than brine)
1/2 of a 2-oz tin (8) of anchovies preserved in olive oil
1 large clove garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
1-1/2 TBS. capers preserved in vinegar, well drained
1-1/2 tsp. Cognac
1-1/2 TBS. extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Pit the olives, either with an olive pitter, or by crushing the olive meat (but not the pit) with the flat side of a large knife or cleaver, and extract the seed. Put the olive meat into a food processor.
2. Add the tin of anchovies with oil, and the garlic, capers, Cognac and olive oil and a few good turns of the pepper mill. Blend the ingredients together all at once. Keep this preparation brief so that the puree retains a coarse texture.
To store the Tapenade for future use, pack it in small jars (preferably glass). Cover jars tightly and refrigerate. [I've known it to keep as long as 2 months.]
Tapenade is a very versatile condiment. In addition to using as a stuffing for hard cooked eggs, you can: spread it on toasted slices of French bread and serve it with apéritifs; serve it as an hors d'oeuvre with raw vegetables and hard boiled eggs; use it as the basis for a sandwich. Spread it on a long thin loaf of French bread, split in half and toasted, then layer the sandwich with slices of tomato, hard boiled eggs, sweet new onions and a few anchovy fillets (or chunks of well drained, canned tuna).
AÏOLI
pronounced eye-oh-LEE
Makes about 2 cups of yummy, garlicky mayo!
14 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 tsp. of sea salt
2 egg yolks (at room temperature)
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup vegetable oil
1. Peel the garlic and split the cloves lengthwise to make sure there are no sprouts inside. Turn on a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Drop the garlic cloves through the feed tube and chop as fine as possible.
2. Stop the machine and push the chopped garlic from the sides of the bowl to the bottom. Add the salt and process briefly to make a paste of the two. Add egg yolks, pepper, about 2 TBS. of lemon juice and 3 TBS. olive oil to the work bowl, and process until thick and pale. Now, with the motor running constantly, dribble the rest of the olive oil and all of the vegetable oil through the open feed tube in a slow, steady stream. When all the oil has been absorbed, you should have a thick, stiff mayonnaise. Taste and adjust seasonings (salt, lemon juice).
The traditional way to make this is by hand in a mortar with a pestle. That will take much longer. Please don't use an electric blender. It makes the aïoli too fluffy. The "quickie" way to make aioli is to crush the garlic and chop it extra-fine, then stir into 2 cups of Hellman's mayonnaise.
June's Wine Pairing
This is a great summer appetizer, and the wine I think goes best is a beautiful pink, dry Rosé. I'm partial to those from the South of France. My favorite is made by Domaine Tempier, and is a Rosé of Bandol, from the Mediterranean coast. E. Guigal makes a less expensive Côtes du Rhone Rosé that is also refreshing. Right in the middle, pricewise, is Napa Valley's Chimney Rock's delicious Rosé of Cabernet Franc. Santé!
Almond-Raspberry Coffee Cake May 2006
Makes 1 large braid
[Once you have mastered this recipe, you will think of other fillings for the coffee cake, but none will top this combo of homemade Almond Paste (so easy in your Cuisinart food processor) and the very best Raspberry Preserves you can find.]
4 cups unbleached flour
1 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons pure cane granulated sugar
3 extra large eggs, beaten
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
All ingredients are used cold.
1. In your food processor fitted with the metal blade, mix flour and butter together until the mixture resembles coarse gravel.
2. Use a cup measure to dissolve yeast in a small amount of the milk, then add remainder of milk and the other ingredients. With the food processor running, pour this mixture gradually into the flour and butter mixture. Remove dough to a bowl, cover tightly with oiled plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in refrigerator overnight.
For the Raspberry-Almond Filling
1/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds
2 tablespoons superfine sugar (see Pantry)
1/2 cup homemade Almond Paste
8 tablespoons top quality raspberry preserves, seeded (preferably homemade)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1. Toss the slivered almonds and superfine sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Blend the seeded preserves with the room temperature Almond Paste. Set aside.
3. Divide pastry into 3 equal parts and roll each piece into an 18 x 3 1/2-inch rectangle. Put a strip of the almond-raspberry mixture down the length of each piece of dough. Bring the edges of each piece together and pinch tightly to seal.
4. Place the strips of pastry side by side (with the seams down) on an oiled 18 x 14-inch piece of parchment. Braid the 3 strips, taking care not to stretch them, and keeping the seam sides down. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under.
5. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in bulk (about 2 hours).
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the egg with the cream, and use a pastry brush to spread the mixture evenly over the top of the braid. Sprinkle with the slivered almonds and sugar. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Teacher's Tips:
1. Both the dough and the Almond paste can be made ahead and refrigerated. Baking the day before you wish to serve will make your "day-of" prep all the easier.
2. *Feel free to email me for an amazingly easy savory egg casserole you assemble the night before and refrigerate to bake just before service!
Homemade Almond Paste
Makes 1 1/4 cups
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract
1. In a small (1 quart) saucepan, bring the water quickly to a boil. Add the almonds. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 8 minutes. Drain and cool for 15 minutes.
2. In your food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the almonds and sugar until smooth (about 1 1/2 minutes) stopping frequently to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the egg white and butter and process for one more minute. Refrigerate until needed.
Teacher's Tip
Well wrapped, this Almond Paste will keep in your refrigerator for up to a month.
Yes, already prepared almond paste is available, but for this recipe, I think it's too sweet, and besides, your own will be much fresher.
June's Wine Tip A Demi-sec Champagne will have enough residual sugar to taste wonderful with the coffee cake. An alternative choice could be the increasingly delicious Asti Spumante from Italy.
Butterflied Leg of Lamb à la Provençal April 2006
8 servings
1 Leg of Lamb, trimmed and boned (approximately 5 pounds trimmed weight -- Be sure to ask your butcher to remove the fell.)
Marinade:
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves
3 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juice and zest
1. Coarsely chop leaves and garlic. Add lemon zest and mix with oil and juice of the lemon. Rub lamb well, all over. Wrap in plastic, and marinate at least 1 hour. (You can let it sit up to three hours in the refrigerator.)
2. Grill over rosy red coals, or an electric range top grill, for 45 minutes (to 130 degrees F. internal). Or, you may roast it in the oven--375 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes, then slide under the broiler 2 minutes (to 125 degrees F. internal) to achieve that crusty grilled look.
3. Let sit at least 10 minutes before carving.
June's Wine Tip:
Although Bordeaux-style wines traditionally pair with lamb, and are suggested on many food-and-wine pairing charts, I think the garlic and the grilling indicate a more robust wine. A Provençal-style syrah-based red like a Gigondas, or a chewy Zinfandel (such as Shenandoah) from California are more worthy companions to this flavorful roast.
Halibut in Champagne Sauce Mar 2006
6 servings
2 pounds halibut fillets
1 cup Champagne
1 pound bay scallops
1 cup creme fraiche
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
sea salt and cayenne pepper
1/2 cup peanut oil
freshly ground white pepper
2 ounces salmon roe
1. Rinse the halibut fillets under cool water and pat them dry with paper towels. In a large non-aluminum saucepan, bring the Champagne to a boil. Add the scallops and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the scallops from the liquid with a slotted spoon and set aside. Boil the cooking liquid for about 15 minutes, or until reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Whisk in the creme fraiche, then remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Set aside.
2. Preheat the broiler or charcoal grill. Sprinkle salt and cayenne pepper on both sides of the fish fillets and brush with the peanut oil. Broil for 4 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm.
3. Reheat the sauce gently and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ladle sauce onto 4 plates. Place the grilled fish in the center, dividing it evenly. Arrange the scallops in a large circle around the fish. Top the fish with a dab of salmon roe.
Teacher's Tip:
I generally use a Spanish Cava in recipes calling for Champagne.
Pairing Wine Tip:
You could serve the Cava, too, if you're watching your budget, or a blanc de blanc Champagne (100% Chardonnay grapes) would be excellent. A Premier Cru Chablis, such as my favorite, Les Fourchaumes from Domaine Laroche, is my favorite with this type of dish.
Coeur à la Crème with Raspberry Sauce Feb 2006
4 servings
The following is a very romantic and unexpected dessert. The white heart with the raspberry sauce makes such a beautiful presentation. If you can find Fromage Blanc, it will give you the lightest texture mold. It won't upstage a glass of Inniskillin's fabulous Ice Wine, or a glass of Framboise from Domaine Lucien Jacob (of Echevronne, France).
1 cup Fromage Blanc or cream cheese, or 1 cup cottage cheese that has been rubbed through a sieve or pureed in a food processor
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten with the above sugar, but not dry
Raspberry Sauce (recipe follows)
Blend the cheese with 1 cup of the heavy cream until smooth. Fold in the sugar and egg whites. Line a heart shaped basket or mold with holes in it, using several layers of cheesecloth. Spoon the mixture into the mold, place it in a shallow bowl, and allow to drain overnight in the refrigerator. Unmold, pour on the remaining 1/2 cup cream. To serve, surround heart with raspberry sauce, and pass the rest in a sauceboat.
Teacher's Tip: Prepare cheesecloth by rinsing to remove the sizing and lint. Cut several pieces large enough to line the mold and overlap the sides. This will make unmolding much easier.
Raspberry Sauce
1 quart raspberries or two 10-oz pkgs frozen berries
1 cup sugar, or 1/2 cup if using frozen sweetened berries
2 tablespoons Framboise (the liqueur, not the eau de vie)
MASH the berries. COOK over low flame with sugar until soft. PRESS through a fine sieve to remove the seeds, Add Framboise, and chill.
Copyright 2006 Feastivals
Spicy Mexican Cheesecake Jan 2006
12 servings
Crust:
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
¾ cups finely crushed Triscuit crackers
Mix together and press into bottom of an 8” springform pan.
Filling:
6 oz shredded Muenster cheese
3 oz shredded Edam or Gouda cheese
½ cup finely chopped green pepper
¼ cup finely chopped scallions
2 finely chopped Jalapeño peppers, seeded (or 2 tablespoons bottled Jalapeño Salsa)
¼ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
2 cups sour cream
MIX cheeses, peppers, scallions and herbs.
FOLD in sour cream, and
SPREAD mixture carefully over crust.
FROST with hot pepper jelly, and decorate with strips of whole pimiento.
CHILL thoroughly overnight in refrigerator.
To serve, remove side of pan. Serve with more triscuits and corn chips.
Pairing Wine Tip:
"Perfection" is Vision Cellars' 2004 Blanc-Gris ($18 at www.visioncellars.com). Also yummy would be Willm's "Gentil," an Alsatian blend, or the sparkling wine of your choice. (Beer is good, too!)
Chicken in Red Wine Vinegar Sauce Dec 2005
6 servings
I include this divine Lyonnaise dish in a class I have taught many times featuring four (and sometimes five!) chicken dishes from different parts of France. Many of my students are put off by the title of the recipe, but when the class is over, they almost unanimously declare this dish to be their favorite!
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds) cut into 10 pieces -- you could use all breasts or all leg portions if you prefer)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup top quality red wine vinegar
1 cup crème fraîche, or heavy cream, preferably not ultrapasteurized
Finely chopped fresh (flat-leaf) parsley for garnish
1. Mix salt and pepper together in a small bowl. If you are using chicken parts, separate the legs from the thighs, or split each breast half in two with the wing on the top half.
2. Heat the oil and melt the butter in a deep-sided 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. (If your pan isn't large enough to hold all the chicken in a single layer, use 2 smaller pans, and put half the chicken, oil, and butter in each one.) Rub the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper mixture. When the oil is hot but not smoking, use tongs to add the chicken, skin side down. Brown on both sides until the skin becomes beautifully golden brown, and the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 12 minutes on each side.
3. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Pour off about one-half the fat in the pan. Add the shallots to the remaining oil and brown over medium high heat. Slowly add the vinegar to the skillet and boil until reduced by half. (The fumes will definitely clear your sinuses -- great for a cold!!) Add the crème fraîche and cook until the mixture is well blended and has turned a nutty brown color, about 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan to coat thoroughly and heat briefly in the sauce.
4. Return to the platter, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately. If there is extra sauce, pass it in a small bowl.
Teacher's Tips:
1. Be sure the vinegar has boiled down enough before you add the crème fraîche or you'll end up with a beige, watery sauce.
2. Brown Chinese vinegar makes a tasty substitution for the red wine vinegar as well. Pork Chops in Red Wine Vinegar Sauce can be made by following the above steps. Unless your chops are very thick, they will not take quite as long to cook as the chicken!
Pairing Wine Tip:
Most restaurants in France feature the wines that are local to their area, and Lyon is no exception. Beaujolais wines are on all the menus. For this dish, I especially like the Morgon (a cru Beaujolais from the hamlet of that name) of Dominique Piron. It's now available in the US, and well worth looking for. Georges Duboeuf's Flower Label Morgon is also delicious!
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