I recently read Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s book A Life in 12 Recipes. Fantastic! He makes a sauce from a quick water-based mushroom broth and then adds honey, vinegar, lemon juice and soy sauce to create this wonderfully light sweet-and sour delight. An interesting shift from heavier …
This is the finale – the last of the holiday box of Harry & David pears. Bosc or Anjou work nicely and keep their shape well. Its a make-ahead, super simple, show stopper. Perhaps you’ll make it for your cozy stay at home Valentine dinner? …
We are 3 weeks past the winter solstice. The skies are still a cold gray backdrop to the bare trees, but the days are subtly getting longer and the spring flowers are beginning to emerge from the protective blanket of crunchy damp leaves. Earlier this afternoon, the clouds broke long enough to sneak out to the grill to put on some chicken skewers. They’ll be perfect served with a spinach salad for lunch.
Combine lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, garlic, ginger and brown sugar. Place chicken pieces, rosemary, oregano and red peppers in marinade for at least 30 minutes. Skewer chicken, herbs and peppers and place on a hot grill to cook, turning every 2 minutes until cooked through.
Serve with fresh spinach, toasted almonds, grape tomatoes and cilantro.
If using wooden skewers, be sure to presoak them in water while the chicken is marinating.
Small potted plants make beautiful centerpieces. Keep a bag of Spanish moss on hand to tuck around the base after placing in your favorite container.
I first made a version of this cake for my book club, probably 10 years ago, after reading The Poisonwood Bible. I’ve modified it a bit since then and make it gluten free now. Many things I like about it: it’s not too sweet and …
Air travel in the 1970s was a far cry from what it is today. We dressed up for a flight, smoked cigarettes on the plane, drank cocktails, and a fancy chicken dinner was served! This beautiful crispy skin on the outside of a juicy boneless …
My husband and his friend catch a crazy amount of Florida spiny lobster, free diving, every year during the mini season in Key Largo. We’re always exploring ways to prepare it to highlight its freshness. Steeping makes it easy to remove the shells, then butter-poaching, slowly cooks the lobster, keeping it tender and flavorful.
*Blanch, peel, and slice the grape tomatoes. Garnish with chopped fresh basil. Set aside.
Slice the mushrooms and slowly cook in 2 tbs of butter and a finely chopped clove of garlic.
Steep the lobster tails by pouring just enough boiling water over them to cover, with 1 tsp distilled vinegar added. Take out after 2 minutes. Remove the shells by twisting the tail off and pushing the meat through the top, or use kitchen sheers to cut the shell down the back middle to remove the meat. Cut the lobster tail through the middle, lengthwise, in half, and remove the vein running through the top, and slice into large bite size pieces. Place on paper towel.
Make a beurre monté by bringing 1 tablespoon of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in, melting a tablespoon of butter at a time, to emulsify (1 stick will be plenty for the lobster). It’s important to keep the temperature around 180 degrees (I use a thermometer).
Place the room temperature lobster pieces in the beurre monté in a single layer and poach for about 5 minutes, turning, until heated through. Remove lobster from pan.
Add tomatoes and mushrooms to the pan and heat through. Return butter-poached lobster to pan, toss gently and serve over pasta. Garnish with parsley.
*I always take the time to peel tomatoes – even the small ones. This extra refining step just takes your dish up a notch. Cut a small “X” at the top of each tomato. Bring a pot of water to boil. Remove from heat and add the tomatoes. After one minute, drain, then plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and peel. Cut your tomatoes in different shapes to make your dish more interesting. Slice, dice, cut in half.
This guy is the newest resident in the neighborhood. He has a partner, but today he’s cruising solo in the neighbor’s front yard.
How many different versions of shrimp and grits have you had? Ingredients and shrimp varieties differ all throughout the South. The winning combination for me: fresh gulf shrimp, a few vegetables, cider vinegar and Alabama Conecuh sausage. The prep takes a little while, but it’s …
No doubt the star of this recipe is the crab, so keep it the highlight! Orange Beach, known as the “Redneck Riviera”, sits on the Gulf of Mexico in L. A. (Lower Alabama) and boasts the most beautiful wide soft white fine sand beaches you’ll …
I think the trick to making a good meatball is the order of operations. Start by mixing the eggs and spices together and then slowly whisking in the grated fresh parmesan cheese (no clumps), followed by gently hand blending the meats into the liquid mixture and lastly adding the heavy cream moistened bread crumbs. Use kitchen gloves to keep your hands clean and don’t overwork the meat. Use a large ice cream scoop to spoon meatballs onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Keep in mind the meatball shrink by almost half in size when cooked. Bake in a 450 degree preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then, gently place meatballs in Basic Tomato Sauce (See recipe below) to finish cooking in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour.
I’m still striving to make old world meatballs like Tito’s Trattoria in Florence, Italy…the best ever! If you have the opportunity to have them – don’t miss out, but watch out for the lemoncello, it can sneak up on you.
I learned to make pasta with Chef Samuele Scinardo at Castello Banfi in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy. This is a gluten free version. We used the same equipment in class that I have at home – an Imperia Fresh Home-Made Pasta maker.
Mix all dry ingredients. Next, on a wooden board make a “volcano” out of the flour mixture. Then add the eggs to the hole in the center and add the olive oil. Using your fingers, work the flour and eggs together. Once incorporated, begin kneading the dough, using your palms, flattening and folding as you go, finishing with a ball. Lastly, divide the ball of dough into 4 equal parts and wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove a ball of dough from the refrigerator and flatten with your fingers dusting your surface with GF flour to keep it from sticking. Start passing the dough through the largest setting on the pasta machine. Fold the dough in two, sprinkle lightly with flour, and run through 6 more times. Then, adjust the pasta machine setting one notch smaller, and run the dough through again. Continue to run dough through the rollers, making the setting smaller each time until you reach the next to smallest setting. You may need to cut the sheets in half when they start to get too long. Let the sheets rest for about 10 minutes then roll the dough like you would a cigar and cut it into 4mm widths. Separate the strands.
Repeat with another ball of dough. Finally, boil in water with a teaspoon of olive oil for about 3 minutes or until al dente.
BASIC TOMATO SAUCE
Sauté garlic and onion in olive oil. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar. Simmer to let the flavors infuse. Garnish with basil.
Meatball are also delicious served over cheese grits.
“Are you making the good potatoes tonight?” Meaning, this luxurious potato gratin. There’s a reason these are so delicious: heavy cream, butter, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Great for serving a crowd, or made in individual ramekins for one or two! Preheat oven to 350 …
