PEANUT-SESAME CHICKEN BALLS

Peanut-Sesame Chicken Balls © This recipe won $500 from the Peanut Advisory Board. makes 20 appetizers 

  For the balls: 

 1/ 1/2 pound ground chicken 

2/ 1/4 cup onion, roughly chopped 

3/ 1/3 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky 

4/ 1 egg 

5/ 1/4-teaspoon red pepper flakes 

6/ 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 

7/ 1 teaspoon or less of salt 

 8/ 6 whole waterchestnuts, roughly chopped 

9/ 2 Tablespoons roasted peanuts, roughly chopped 

 10/ 1/2 cup unhulled white sesame seeds 

11/ Oil for sautéing 

12/ 1 whole Boston lettuce, washed, leaves separated 

  For the Sauce: 

 1/ 1 Tablespoon smooth 100% peanut butter 

2/ 2 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce (Koon Chun brand) 

3/ 2 Tablespoons Water 

4/ dash or more of Tabasco, to taste 

5/ a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice 

To make the balls: Put the first seven ingredients into a food processor and pulse until chopped and combined. 

Take out and put into a non-reactive bowl. Fold in the chopped water chestnuts and chopped peanuts. Refrigerate one hour or up to overnight. 

 Put the sesame seed into a flat-bottomed bowl or pie plate. Wet your hands and, with the help of a teaspoon, roll the chicken mixture into spheres about the size of golf balls. Then roll them in the sesame seeds. (Optional: Place them on a parchment lined baking tray and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to cook.) 

 Heat the oil over a medium flame until hot. Fry the chicken balls about 6 at a time in hot oil, turning frequently until well-browned all around. Add more oil as necessary. Take out and drain on paper towels while you cook the rest. 

  To make the Sauce: In a small bowl mix all the ingredients together adding enough water to get the consistency you want. Don't make it runny - a little bit thick is good. Double the recipe for additional sauce. 

  Assembly: Place a chicken ball inside a lettuce leaf and coat generously with the sauce. Roll up loosely. Or, put out the balls, the sauce, and the lettuce and let your guests make their own! Serve warm or room temperature.

Penelope Casas Cooking Demonstration

Thursday night, the 26th, I went to Chef Central on Route 17 in Paramus, to see and hear Penelope Casas of Spanish food fame give a demonstration based on her new book of Spanish homecooking. She mentioned that in Spain these days it's all about experimenting scientifically with food, started by Adria at El Bulli. All sorts of experiments are taking place such as change liquids into solids. The kitchen has virtually turned into a laboratory and the restaurant into a source of entertainment. But where do the chefs themselves eat? They go home to their mothers cooking.

She demonstrated some simple tapas: Pequino chiles mixed with garlic, parsley, raisins and pine nuts - not even salt and pepper added; Chorizo sausage minced with garlic then wrapped in phyllo and deep fried; shrimp (vein left in) sauted in Spanish olive oil, garlic, and a small amount of Amontillado sherry.

Cooking Today:

I have a client who lives in a building on the western side of the Hudson River with a terrific view of practically all of Manhattan and the river. But mostly it is possible to gaze out the window and view the sky all day and night. If I lived there I could never get anything done because I would always be watching the clouds. This is what I cooked for her today:

Chicken Marbella, Greek Turkey Meatballs in an Avgolemono Sauce, Beef Carbonade made with onions and Belgian beer, Baked Chickpeas and Lamb Greek Style, Creamed Spinach,
Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Artichokes, Carrots and Potatoes.

Since she said she loved beets, I also made some beet borscht. This borscht is definitely one of my specialties. It is a sweet and sour borscht and is made just from beets with the addition of lemon juice or vinegar and sugar or honey. Sometimes in the summer I will add enough sour cream to turn it a bright shocking pink! It is fabulous cold or hot. The addition of a boiled potato or a hard-cooked egg and some cubed cucumber turns it into a meal.

I've also made her a sample of the grain 'Quinoa' (pronounced keen-wah) which is originally a South American grain that disappeared for a long while and has been reintroduced in current years. It has a high protein content and is very palatable.
I'll let you know how she likes it.

Bon Appetit!

REMINDER THAT VALENTINE DAY IS JUST THREE WEEKS AWAY.


Cooking on the River is offering a
Special Dinner for Two on February 14th
or the preceding weekend.


TIME TO RENEW AND DEEPEN YOUR ROMANCE
ROMANTIC LOVE CAN ALWAYS USE A LITTLE
ENCOURAGEMENT AND TENDING.
DON'T LET YOUR FLAME GO OUT!!

DELIGHT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONE
WITH A FABULOUS private DINNER for two
IN THE INTIMACY OF YOUR HOME.
simply irresistible!!!


PICK FROM AN ENTICING MENU FROM WHICH I WILL
PREPARE AND SERVE YOUR DINNER.

SAMPLE MENU:
OYSTERS IN CHAMPAGNE MIST
LOVER'S SALAD: AVOCADO, PRAWNS, WALNUTS, ETC.
DUCK BREAST WITH POMEGRANATE GLAZE
FIG CHUTNEY
OR
FISH POACHED IN CARROT JUICE
VIENNESE RICE PILAF
SEASONAL VEGETABLES WITH LEMON AND GINGER
BRAISED VANILLA ONIONS WITH PINE NUTS AND SAFFRON
CHOCOLATE HEART CAKE WITH EDIBLE GOLD

or any menu of your choice, for instance:

• Sea Scallops on a Salad Medley
• Venison with Red Wine-Cherry Sauce
• Rutabaga and Carrot Whip
• Fudge Whip Parfaits with Sweetened Whipped Cream

LATEST NEWS

On Thursday night I participated in Garrison Institute's Hudson River Project. This is a series of free public 'Conversations' relating to protecting the river and its environs. On January 19th the discussion was entitled: The River and The Beauty of Creation: Preserving Our Pastoral Landscapes. This translates to farms and farmlands.

We were all greeted (it was full to capacity) in the main room and then ushered into the dining room where we sat at about a dozen or more tables holding about ten people at each and shared a supper. The menu: roasted cubed winter root vegetables in a sherry-mustard-hazelnut dressing; onion and potato soup(with a porcini base) with Ouray cheese and sour rye toast; followed by apple, pear & quince tarts and a daub of creme fraiche. All the ingredients were supplied by local vendors and prepared by Garrison's Chef Shelley Boros of Fresh Company, her firm. In between the courses a different speaker presented aspects of the edible environment from meat to farm and then the diners were requested to converse.

Prior to each discussion period, and at the start of the event, a brief moment of silent contemplation was held that supplied a pause or a gap to let go of the busyness of our lives and allow the concerns of the day to abate.

The main concerns voiced were about how to raise awareness about locally-grown healthy, organic and fresh foods and how to keep farms and farmers in the Hudson region. It was stated that in moderation it is possible to eat organic foods when available.

Farmlands are being rapidly turned into residential areas as the value of the land is increasing by 30% or more. It was noted that a great obstacle was the publics habit of getting whatever food they want without thinking.

Conversations at the table I sat at, headed by Shelley, reflected the need for a clearer relationship to 'earth'. Someone mentioned that at a recent farmer's market there were patrons who were repelled that the vegetables still had 'dirt' on them.

It was a very pleasant exchange, an enjoyable evening, and the food was good. The population had more concerned beings than foodies. Everyone wanted the recipes.

Here is a recipe for a chocolate cake that will be in Rockland magazine's next issue. It is expressly for Valentine's Day.

Chocolate Heart Cake to Adore for Valentine’s Day

Certain foods are thought to have aphrodisiac or love-inducing powers. Though there is no firm scientific evidence to affirm the claims, we do know the substances that have been identified to stimulate body and mind. Leading the list is the ‘nourishment of the gods’ …Chocolate…

Following is a recipe for a chocolate cake, adapted from one of my Italian teachers, that is guaranteed to produce a swoon:

Flourless Chocolate Heart Cake with Chocolate Mousse, Gold leaf and Berries
adapted from Stefano Innocenti, Acqua al Due, Florence, Italy

1 teaspoon unsalted butter
3 eggs, separated
1/2-3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Valrhona or Droste)
1/4-1/2 cup whole milk
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter an 8-inch heart-shaped pan. Coat the pan with cocoa powder.
Separate the eggs into two bowls. To the bowl with the yolks add 1/2-3/4 cup sugar and beat well until it gets ribbon-y. Sift in the cocoa powder. Beat together until well blended. The mixture will be stiff. Add enough milk to get it smooth but not runny.
Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Take a small quantity and stir it in to the chocolate mixture. Then fold in the rest gently.
Pour into the prepared cake pan. Tap the pan gently but firmly on the counter a couple of times to release the air bubbles.
Bake 20-30 minutes until the cake pulls away from the sides. The center will be firm but soft. Take out and cool. The cake will flatten a bit as it cools.
For two cakes, as required in the following recipe, double the ingredients.
You can stop here and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar or continue for a light but intense chocolate experience….

While the cakes are cooling prepare the Chocolate Mousse:
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

In a saucepan boil ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Remove from the stove and add the chocolate. Stir well to melt.
Whip the rest of the cream into soft peaks then fold it in to the chocolate mixture.
Use the mousse to put between the two stacked flourless chocolate heart cakes and on the top. Decorate with 24K edible gold and raspberries. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Place on a red heart-shaped doily and serve. Or call me and I’ll make it for you, plus the loving dinner that precedes it.

from Phyllis Segura, Cooking on the River, personal chef, Piermont, New York
info@cookingontheriver.com 845-365-0042

Here is what I looked like at the start of 2004!


WELCOME to Cooking on the River blog.
Today I had a couple of requests for information about what I do. And especially about dinner parties, which I love to do. Later today I will post some dinner party information and menus. First up will be the special Valentine Dinner for Two which will be coming up in less than a month from today. On February 8th, in Rockland Magazine, there will be an article about a Chocolate Mousse Cake that I created especially for Valentine's Day. You can also find the recipe on this blog.