Valentines 2011

Most women want to go out to eat on Valentine’s Day. But in the past years it has become a hassle, since the restaurants generally are filled. This year Valentine’s is on a Monday, so I guess the weekend before will be the busy one. Since it is a Monday I thought a little menu with a simple soup, (albeit a valentine red one!) a beef and wine pie (it’s still cold outside and some comfort food is in order), and of course, little chocolate molten cakes would be in order. That is what I am serving. I will eat out another day!!

From Bon Appétite, February 2005.

Roasted Beet Soup with Crème Fraîche

2 first-course servings

½ pound red beets (about 3 medium)

1 ½ teaspoons butter

1 leek (white and pale green parts only), chopped

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 cups water

1 small bay leaf

1 fresh thyme sprig

1 fresh parsley sprig

¼ cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap beets in foil and roast until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Cut ¼ of one beet in ¼-inch cubes, reserve for garnish. Cut remaining beets into ½-inch pieces.

Melt butter with oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek, onion, and celery and cook until beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Stir in ginger, allspice, white pepper, and ½ -inch beet pieces. Cook until vegetables begin to stick to bottom of pot, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Add 2 cups water, bay leaf, thyme sprig, and parsley sprig. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf, thyme sprig, and parsley sprig. Cool soup slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender with cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made one day ahead. Cool slightly and refrigerate.

Gently rewarm soup (do not boil). Divide between two bowls. Garnish each with 1 tablespoon of crème fraîche or sour cream. To dress up the soup, spoon the tablespoons of sour cream or crème fraîche into a corner of a resealable plastic bag. Cut off the corner and pipe a heart shape atop each bowl of soup. This is tricky for me.

This next recipe is from my Scottish cookbook called, Scottish Cookery, which I purchased last summer in Scotland.

Beef and Wine Pie

Serves 4

1 ½ pound stewing beef, cubed (pasteurized beef if possible)

4 tablespoons seasoned plain flour

2 tablespoons sunflower oil (can use canola)

2 onions, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme

½ pint red wine

¼ pint beef stock

1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon butter

8 oz. button mushrooms

8 oz. ready-made flaky pastry, chilled (puff pastry can be used)

beaten egg or milk, to glaze

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the beef cubes in the seasoned flour.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan. Fry the beef in batches for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Return all of the beef to the pan and add the onions, garlic and thyme. Fry for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the beef begins to stick, add a little water.

Add the red wine and stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup and bay leaves. Cover and simmer on a very low heat for about 1 hour until the beef is tender.

Heat the butter and gently sauté the mushrooms until golden brown. Add to the stew. Simmer uncovered for a further 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Spoon the beef into a 2-pint pie dish and reserve.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut out the lid to ¼-inch wider than the dish. Brush the rim with the beaten egg and lay the pastry lid on top. Press to seal, then knock the edges with the back of a knife.

If you have some left over pastry, roll into sticks, sprinkle with paprika and Parmesan cheese; bake and serve with the soup.

Cut a slit in the lid and brush with the beaten egg or milk to glaze. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

What would Valentine’s Day be without some chocolate? This is one of my favorite chocolate desserts.

This recipe is from Saveur magazine, Jan./ Feb. 2011.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Serves 6

2 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tbsp. dark rum

3 tbsp. heavy cream

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

¼ cup flour, plus more for dusting

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. kosher salt

3 eggs

Confectioners’ sugar

Place semi sweet chocolate and rum in a small bowl; set aside. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer; pour over chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Slowly stir until smooth, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled. Divide chocolate mixture into 6 portions. Shape each portion into a ball; refrigerate until chilled.

Heat oven to 425°F. Grease bottom and sides of six 6-oz. ramekins with butter and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside on a baking dish. Heat butter and bittersweet chocolate in a small saucepan over medium heat until just melted; remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, vanilla, salt, and eggs with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until thick and pale, 3-4 minutes. Beat in melted chocolate mixture; add flour and mix until smooth. Divide half the batter between prepared ramekins and place a chilled ball in center of each; top with remaining batter and smooth tops. Bake until just set, 15 minutes. Let cool 2-3 minutes.

To serve, run a paring knife around edge of ramekins and invert cakes onto 6 serving plates. Dust with confectioners’ and serve immediately.

Happy Valentine’s!

Trip to Chapel Hill 2011

There is something fun about spending a Saturday in a new place and eating at some different places with old friends. We did this a few Saturday’s ago in North Carolina, by going to the Chapel Hill area and visiting a farmer’s market in Carrboro, eating at Saxapahaw (I wrote about this place last fall), and eating at a really delicious restaurant call Lantern.

We began our journey at 8:30 in the morning and picked up our friends and traveled 3 hours (I know this is not eating local) to the Carrboro Farmer’s Market, in Carrboro, North Carolina. This one has a reputation for the best in the upscale North Carolina piedmont. The market is open year round in the Triangle area, which is not often the case with farmer’s markets, since some close in the winter. Even though this was a cold morning with snow on the ground in places, the market was busy.  There is a roof but it is not in an enclosed space.  There was not as much offered as in the summer, but we were able to buy some really good local cheeses, bread, and some pastured pork sausage and pork chops.  There were also winter vegetables, crafts, jellies and even an Indian women cooking tasty Indian treats.  I also bought a pork belly.  I have more to say about it, but that is for another article.

After a little shopping along the way we drove on to Saxapahaw, about 10 miles from the market, and had our lunch. This is the place where the old Shell station got turned into a decent diner using the produce of local farmers. My husband and Alice had Cozy eggs with Succotash, now we all thought the cozy eggs sounded so nice, but actually it was the name of the farm where the eggs came from! Larry and I had a meat loaf sandwich with caramelized onions, and boy was that tasty! We waited quite awhile for the meal but it was worth it! They just need a little more help in the kitchen. While I was there I bought a pastured beef chuck roast, which I have since cooked and it was really good.

Along the way to the night entertainment, my husband found a Camellia Nursery (actually this is why he wanted the trip), where he got to purchase several plants without paying the shipping. He was a happy man!

Our dinner reservation was at 5:30 so we stopped and had a drink at 411 Franklin in Chapel Hill. We ran into old friends there and got to catch up with what had been going on with them.

Gourmet magazine ranked Lantern as one of the 50 best restaurants in the country. The owner and chef is a young woman named Andrea Reusing. She has been nominated as a James Beard best chef of the Southeast in past years. She is known for serving locally grown pastured beef and pork. The restaurant has a definite Asian flavor, but the combinations of her spices and use of local produce left a definite impression on the palate. Some of her entrees included a whole fried red snapper, tea and spice smoked local chicken, coconut braised pork shoulder, steamed Arctic char with house-pickled ginger, lemongrass and onion cucumber-mint salad, crispy slow-cooked duck soup with fresh egg noodles….you can see what I am talking about!!

If you are in the Chapel Hill area go to eat at Lantern. I don’t think you will be disappointed. To view the appetizers, entrees, and desserts go to http://www.lanternrestaurant.com/

I was flipping through the January 15^th, 2011, edition of the Wall Street Journal, and there was a section on fresh winter greens. There were recipes from top chefs and Andrea Reusing had a recipe from her new cookbook to be published in April 2011, Cooking in the Moment.  I tried it and it was quite good. The ginger added that Asian flavor, but the recipe was simple and fresh. My husband just had enough baby collards in the garden.

Wilted Collards with Ginger and Shoyu

Serves 4 and is a flavorful dish to serve with roasted pork or steamed fish.

From Andrea Reusing of Lantern, Chapel Hill, NC; author of Cooking in the Moment (April, 2011, Clarkson Potter).

Blanch 2 pounds baby collard greens—stemmed, leaves cut into ½-inch strips—for 30 seconds in a large pot of boiling salted water and shock them in ice water. Drain and squeeze as dry as possible. Transfer collards to a large bowl and toss with your fingers to separate, adding 2 tablespoons shoyu or regular soy sauce and ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil and distributing evenly. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons thinly julienned ginger, and 2 crumbled dried red chilies. Sauté for 1 minute, raise the heat to medium and add the collards. Season with salt and toss to coat. Add 2/3 cups chicken stock and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Season with additional salt, if necessary and serve.

Another recipe in the Wall Street Journal was from Deborah Madison, author of Local Flavors.  Again it features greens with an Asian flavor. I did this recipe and with the rice it makes a complete meal.

Mustard Greens with Ginger, Cilantro and Rice

Serves 4-6

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add 1 onion, diced; ¼ cup white rice; 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger; and 1 teaspoon ground cumin and paprika. Stir to coat with oil. Cook for 2 minutes, then add 1 cup chopped cilantro (leaves and stems) 1 cup chicken broth, 2 bunches mustard greens, stems removed. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until volume reduces, about 10-15 minutes. Stir, reduce heat to low, cover and cook slowly for another 15 minutes. Check occasionally and if the pan seems dry add a little water. Serve warm or at room temperature, with plain yogurt spooned on top or just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

The farmer’s market in Carrboro had some recipes one could pick up. This was their recipe of the week using greens. This recipe was provided by, Linda Leach, from Pine Knot Farms.

Linda’s Fresh Green Salad

Ingredients:

2 lbs. kale, collards, or any mixed greens

1 red onion (optional)

1 teaspoon sea salt

Procedure:

Wash, wash, and the rewash your greens

Cut greens into bite size pieces

Place in large bowl, sprinkle with salt

Allow tosit for a minimum of 30 minutes

Marinade:

1 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic

1 lime juiced (large)

¾ teaspoon of something sweet (Maple Syrup or Raw Sugar)

Mix together ingredients, pour over greens, allow to sit at least a couple of hours before serving.

Variations:

Use any type of onion, lime or lemons, and any type of pepper. Also, may use a handful of raisins for something sweet.

                                                          

Fondue

Over Christmas I mentioned to my daughter that I was writing an article for the New Year on fondue. Her comment to me was, “That is so 70’s.” She was actually right because fondue became very popular in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s in the Untied States. I decided to get out my old fondue pot from Switzerland and give fondue another try.

Though Switzerland lays claim to fondue, its origins are murky. There is no inventor, no official recipe. The word fondue comes from the French fonder (to melt). The first written record of melted cheese and wine, which appeared around 800 B.C. in Homer’s Iliad, is not so different from the formula we know today—the classic Swiss Neuchâteloise is an aromatic blend of Emmentaler and Gruyère cheeses, white wine, and kirsch, a cherry brandy.

One theory credits Swiss peasants with dreaming up this appetizing way of repurposing cheese rinds and stale bread. There was certainly plenty of cheese to be had—by the early 17^th century the Swiss were already considered among the best cheese makers in Europe.

The oldest printed recipe, which features wine, cheese, and bread was published in Zurich in 1699. The popularity of this dish really began in the 1930’s, when the Swiss Cheese Union began a marketing program with such slogans as ‘Fondue creates a good mood’, or ‘Perfect weather for a fondue.’ The dish became a part of the Swiss identity and it is estimated that 88 percent of the Swiss citizens own a fondue set.

Fondue sets have changed through the years, from a simple clay vessel to an electric pot where the temperature can be controlled. I saw an electric fondue pot over Christmas at Williams-Sonoma for $79.99. I thought about buying it but decided to use my old porcelain pot bought 30 years ago in Switzerland. A medal pot with a porcelain insert is best for chocolate as well as cheese. A copper pot is better for hot oil to cook meat. Since the early 1990’s the interest in fondue has revived and the French cookware line Le Creuset currently sells a high-end model made of porcelain-enameled cast iron, which encourages equal distribution of heat. So decide what you really want to do and buy the pot accordingly.

The building blocks of fondue are cheese, liquid, acid and starch. Since fondue is a Swiss dish, native cheeses such as Gruyère and Emmentaler are the traditional choices. But you can create fondue from a variety of cheeses, from cheddar to blue cheese as long as they melt easily. A cheese like feta is not a good choice. Adding alcohol to fondue, be it champagne, beer, or dry white wine, builds flavor and keeps the cheese from scorching or clumping. Nonalcoholic liquids serve the same purpose. Water is acceptable, but more flavor would come from chicken broths or sparkling apple cider. Some type of acid is needed to stabilize melted cheese.  A squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of white wine helps balance the richness of the fondue. The last element added to the fondue is a starch. The use of cornstarch, potato starch, or flour helps emulsify the fat in the cheese with the liquid, whether it’s wine, water, or broth, and creates a luxurious, silky, melting texture in the process. You will not taste it, but you will enjoy the appealing body that starch lends to this dish.

I secured my cheeses and wine to do my first fondue dish of 2011. There are endless variations of fondue, but the main thing is to have fun eating this dish together with friends. This is a great weekend for fondue. The Super Bowl would be a great time to share this dish.

This recipe is from Saveur Magazine, the December 2010 issue. It is the recipe I used, but I substituted Emmentaler for the Appenzeller, which I could not find. I also forgot to buy the garlic and had no cognac. What can I say? The fondue was yummy anyway.

Fondue Au Crémant

(Fondue with Sparkling Wine)

Serves 8

2 ¼ cups, sparkling white wine

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise

1 pound Gruyère, grated

1 pound Emmentaler instead of Appenzeller, grated

2 tablespoons cognac or French brandy

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt, to taste

Day-old country-style bread, cubed

Whisk together 2 tablespoons sparkling wine and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside. Rub garlic cloves over the interior or a 5-quart pot and drop garlic into pot. Add remaining sparkling wine; bring to a boil and whisk in cornstarch mixture; discard garlic. Reduce heat to low; add cheeses in batches, stirring until melted, 10 minutes. Stir together cognac and baking soda in a small bowl, add to pot, and stir until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and salt. Transfer to fondue pot, set over a lit Sterno cup, and serve with bread.

I couldn’t find my old fondue sticks so I used wooden skewers.  The same week there was a fondue demo at a specialty store and they were using toothpicks to hand out samples.  I had a sample but did not buy the prepackaged mix.