INTIMATE DINNER FOR TWO.

Valentine's Day 2011 is looming just around the corner. 

Would you like me to come to your casa and cook an intimate dinner for you?

A lovely sight to see in your own home. The table is set with candles, flowers,

and your best china. The dinner is served. Or, perhaps, you would prefer tea 

for two, lunch, or breakfast in bed? Get in touch: 845-365-0042

No broken hearts here.

INDIVIDUAL MEATLOAVES FOR THE LAZY

I really am getting lazy. I had some ground beef in the fridge that needed to be cooked. What to do? Too lazy to even grate an onion. Turned the oven to 350 degrees F..

Mix together whatever quantity you have on hand of ground meat. Toss in some eggs, a few dollops of salsa, a sufficient amount of breadcrumbs, a good sprinkle of onion and garlic powder and a heaping teaspoonful of parsley paste from the jar….something old, something new. Meatloaf for a bride.

Form into 3, 4, however many, little meatloaves. Put some parchment paper on a sheet pan and place the meatloaves on it, well separated. Put about a tablespoon of the salsa on top of each loaf and sprinkle with some whole cumin seeds.

Bake until done. I really don’t know how long - maybe 30 minutes. I got busy on the computer and I started to smell something so I checked and the loaves looked very done and browned. A lot of oil oozed out of them. I took them out to cool for a bit then turned off the oven.

About 5 to 10 minutes later they were ready to eat. Except I was going out to eat so I wrapped them up in aluminum foil but not before tasting one of the loaves. Tasted great. The salsa got milder and the spiciness was just right.

This is not a gourmet recipe but good to do quickly. You could substitute the garlic and onion powders with real garlic and onion. Just think Cajun. They cook everything with these powders, even Emeril. What do you think his ‘Essence’ is? It’s garlic powder and all sorts of other dried ingredients mixed together. You think Rick Bayless would approve of this use of his salsa? 

Ground Beef (or Turkey or Chicken)

Frontera HOT Chipotle Salsa with Tomatillo and Garlic

3 eggs

Parsley paste, see previous recipe

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Breadcrumbs

Cumin seeds

Here is what it looked like. Like a hamburger. You can shape it anyway you like.

A motto on the workbench in the kitchen at el Bulli workshop in Barcelona translates as:

"The lover of Cap Norfeo says:

"Pea, feather, boat.'

The voice answers:

"Tongue, tongue, tongue."

The lover responds:

"Turnip, raspberry, truffle."

At last, the taste buds open!

 Interview, photos and recipes about me:


http://newcity.patch.com/articles/meet-the-chef-phyllis-segura#c

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES AND EVENTS 2010

COOKING ON THE RIVER WITH PHYLLIS SEGURA

SEPTEMBER 28-OCTOBER, 12, TUESDAYS

COOKING LIGHT CLASS BEGINS AT BOCES W.NYACK

THERE IS STILL ROOM LEFT IN THIS CLASS.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED ACT QUICKLY.

CALL BOCES: 845-348-3500

OCTOBER 14, THURSDAY

COOKING DEMO AT NANUET LIBRARY-FREE

HAZELNUT TROUT AND FLOATING ISLAND

OCTOBER 21- NOVEMBER 4, THURSDAYS

SOUPS CLASS AT BOCES W. NYACK

THIS CLASS IS FULL.

NOVEMBER 3 - NOVEMBER 17, WEDNESDAYS

COOKIES, PIES, AND SWEET BREADS CLASS AT W.NYACK BOCES

THERE IS STILL ROOM IN THIS CLASS.

NOVEMBER 11, THURSDAY

COOKING DEMO AT NANUET LIBRARY-FREE

SAUCES AND DIPS

DECEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 15, WEDNESDAYS

GREAT HORS D’OEUVRE, APPETIZERS AND CANAPES

THERE IS STILL ROOM IN THIS CLASS.

DECEMBER 9, THURSDAY

COOKING DEMO AT NANUET LIBRARY-FREE

STUFFED CHICKEN, SPICY COUSCOUS, AND MORE

MORE DEMOS AND CLASSES COMING IN 2011!!

TRY A PRIVATE CLASSES IN YOUR OWN HOME.

GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR PRIVATE CLASSES MAKE GREAT GIFTS.

PASTE & PESTO

See this stuff? It's jars of herbs that have been washed, dried and pulsed in a food processor with some oil. The one with Basil is called PESTO but this one has no nuts or cheese added. Those can be added later. You can use any of these to add to dishes as you like. Putting the herbs in oil also preserves them. I keep them in the fridge and use until they get moldy. The slightest sign of mold and I toss them out. Here we have Cilantro, Parsley and Basil that have been treated in this manner. I also grow Shiso leaves, or what is called Perilla. They are most commonly used with Sushi but they can also be added to salad or smeared on cooked fish, or whatever imaginative use you may imagine.

Next is a dish I made from whatever was around. I had some eggplant, a strange cheese called Provolone-Mozzarella, left-over lamb balls, a jar of Lidia's Marinara sauce (it's really good and not very salty like a lot of jarred tomato sauces...hurrah Lidia!), the pastes as above, Parmigiano cheese, and olive oil. By the time I thought of posting this dish I had already eaten most of it. So excuse a rather messy photo with poor lighting, etc. Pretty bad, huh?

The big issue with eggplant is how do you cook it without 'so much oil'....Okay, you can slice and bake, slice and steam. When you bake you do need a bit of oil. You can do the usual slice and salt, let sweat for about 30 minutes, rinse and dry with paper towels or with a kitchen towel. What I did was to do the slice and sweat routine, then I sprinkled the eggplant with Wondra flour and grilled them in a cast iron frying pan. I stuck some holes through the slices with a fork to make sure they cooked through. Eggplant does not need a lot of cooking. Just get it slightly grilled and toasty on the outside.

Then I poured some of Lidia's Marinara on the bottom of a small rectangular dish, made a layer of the grilled eggplant, added some grated Provolone/Mozzarella, a layer of the sliced lamb balls, some grated parmigiano, a dab here and there of parsley paste and basil paste, more Marinara, another layer of eggplant, and so on...top with the Marinara, and both cheeses. I think I put a  layer of breadcrumbs on top too...yes, I did. And sprinkled the top with one teaspoon of extra-virgin oo. Put into a  350 degree oven on top of a sheet pan, and bake until bubbly and a little bit browned on the top.

Take out. Cool a little. Gobble up. Your dish isn't going to look any nicer than mine but with any luck it will taste just a good. Instead of the lamb balls, use whatever you have....mushrooms sauteed, grilled artichokes,  leftover potatoes, Bob's your uncle.....

YUM, BLOWFISH!
The other day I browsed the fish counter at my local supermarket and there, much to my surprise, was Blowfish for sale. It is one of my favorites from childhood. I remember my grandmother preparing this fish and how delicious it was. Just like chicken. Of course I thought everything she made was delicious and I don't doubt at all that it was. Searching my memory bank for how she prepared it, I zoned right in. Flour and egg was all she used. And then the fish were fried. I don't eat much fish but I couldn't resist these even at $14.99 per pound. They tasted just as good cold the next day. These were undoubtedly an inexpensive fish when my grandmother purchased them. Everything that was once cheap is now expensive. So when you are told to eat like your grandparents, remember that. But today I did and I had enough to give to a friend. These are not in the market often but when they are there you might want to give them a try. I friend them with an egg batter but you could just saute them with a little bit of oil, salt and pepper.


A bit about Blowfish. It is also called Fugu in Japan. People might remember that as the 'poisonous fish.' But there are 25 species worldwide and the one in my supermarket was probably the kind that can be found off the coastline of New Jersey, yes NJ, and the Carolina's seawater. They are probably Northern Puffers or Sea Squab and they are not poisonous.

 Here are photos of their preparation:

The raw Blowfish in water.

Cut off the whatever it's called on the top and bottom...

Cut off the fins on both sides.

The cleaned fish.

Dip the fish in all-purpose flour that has some salt and pepper added.

Dip in beaten egg.

Dip a second time in flour. And a second time in the egg.

Have a frying pan ready with a thin layer of oil, preferably Grapeseed oil. Don't crowd the frying pan. You can make several batches. Place the double-dipped fish into the hot oil and fry until golden, turn over and fry on the other side until golden. Remove to a plate with some paper toweling. Sprinkle the fish with salt. EAT. or refrigerate to eat cold. There is a center bone but sometimes a few side bones. 

HOT SUMMER DINNER PARTY

HOT SUMMER DINNER PARTY

2010 and what a hot summer we are having. Everyone is in meltdown, especially chefs in their hot kitchens.  I did a dinner party buffet this weekend and had to change my clothes three times as they were soaked. I was so hot that my skin tingled.  Everyone on my clients guest list showed up - maybe 25 people. Here is the menu and details to follow:

CRABCAKES  

HOME-MADE MAYONNAISE WITH CHOPPED CAPERS & CORNICHONS

FREGOLA, WHITE BEAN AND SHRIMP SALAD

MEXICAN CHICKEN SALAD

THAI BEEF SALAD

GRILLED VEGETABLES: Eggplant, Zucchini, Patty Pan Squash, Corn

BBQ'D RIBS

SUMMER BERRY PUDDING

PEACH PIES

I don't know if that sounds like a lot to you but for one person to make, with no sous chef, it took a few days. Every dish had details, details. Recipes follow. Oh, photos? Once again, too much to do to think about the photos. All the salads were served in very large oval white bowls. The grilled vegetables and ribs were served in platters that were long with both sides coming to a sharp point. If I can think of what that shape is called, I'll let you know.

FREGOLA, WHITE BEAN AND SHRIMP SALAD

1 package dried cannellini beans
1/2 lb. fregola*
2 lbs. shrimp, heads on
1 lb. large shrimp, with shells
2-3 florentine fennel bulbs
1 jar pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon red peppercorns, toasted
1 cup chopped parsley
1 lemon
Old Bay Seasoning

Dressing:
1/4 cup, sherry vinegar and balsamic vinegar combined
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Make the dressing in a jar. Add the vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper and shake or whisk well, then add the oil. Shake or whisk well. Set aside.

*Fregola is a Sardinian pasta with saffron and cooks into small, about 1/4-inch, balls. They are a little bit expensive and will run you about $7-9 per pound. I cook them in a tasty shrimp broth. They add an interesting texture and taste.

For the beans there are some additional ingredients, follow along. Wash the beans in cold water, removing any bad ones or stones. Cover with water by about 3 inches and bring to a boil. Once the beans boil, turn off the heat and let them sit for about one hour. Drain and add more water plus some aromatic ingredients like: rosemary, onion, carrots, bay leaves, garlic, all roughly cut. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 45 minutes or until done. Don't let them cook to the point that the skins are breaking. Taste occasionally for doneness. Drain and cool. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Peel the shrimp and slice them down the back, removing any black matter, until almost cut through. Cutting them this way will make the shrimp curl up nicely.  Put the shells into a separate saucepan. You are going to poach the shrimp in one pot and make a shrimp broth in another pot. You will use the shrimp broth to cook the fregola.  To about a gallon of water, add a slice or two of lemon and about two dashes of Old Bay seasoning. Bring to a boil and add the raw shrimp. Cook for about 5 minutes. Place into an ice bath to immediately stop the cooking. Refrigerate.

To the shrimp shells in the other saucepan add some cut up onion, 2 carrots, 1 tomato, and some parsley or parsley stems, a few peppercorn, about 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer about 25 minutes. Drain the broth through a colander; squeeze to get the juices out. Discard the ingredients and keep the broth. Add the fregola to the simmering broth. If there is not about one gallon of broth, add some more water. The fregola absorb a lot of liquid when they cook. They will take longer than you think to cook - maybe 30 minutes - just keep tasting them until they are al dente. Then drain and cool.

Clean the fronds and outer tough leaves off the fennel. I purchased the fennel at the farmers' market and those are different than the round ones you can get in a supermarket. You can use either but if you can find the Florentine fennels that are more flat, definitely get some. I only used about 2 or 3. If purchasing a large fennel or anise from the supermarket just get one. After cleaning, slice from the top to the core in very thin slices. Then saute them in a bit of olive oil until they get some color. Remove and cut into small pieces.

Everything in this recipe is cut about the size of the beans. Cut the shrimp into about 3 or 4 pieces. To assemble: combine the fregola, beans, shrimp, fennel, parsley and olives. Toss with your clean hands.  Toss in the fennel seeds and red peppercorns, if using. Then add some dressing. Add the dressing in small increments because you don't want to drown the ingredients, though the beans will absorb a lot of the liquid.  Keep adding dressing and tasting until it tastes close to what you like. Add more salt or pepper, to taste. Then chill and let the flavors combine. Put all into a serving bowl and sprinkle some chopped parsley on top. Chopping some of the fennel fronds would be nice too. Up to you. This is a very nice salad. You can eliminate the shrimp altogether for a vegetarian version. Then you would cook the fregola in a tasty vegetable broth.

MEXICAN-STYLE CHOPPED SALAD [WITH CHICKEN OR NOT]

3 bell peppers of any color, red, green, yellow, orange, roasted, peeled, deseeded & diced
2-3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded & diced - or just diced - up to you
2 avocados, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 small jicama, peeled & diced
3 tomatillos, flame roasted, paper removed, diced
2 corn cobs, roasted & kernels removed
1 iceberg and/or romaine lettuce, chopped
4 skinless chicken breasts
6 corn tortillas
1 cup cilantro, plus more for garnish
5-6 limes, juiced
canola oil
1-2 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno, with or without seeds, minced
cider vinegar
orange juice
sugar
Mexican oregano, if available, or other kind
Smoky paprika
salt and pepper

Clean and marinate the chicken breasts.Butterfly some of the thick pieces so that there is an overall equal thickness in all the breasts. You can also cut them in half to make same-sized pieces.

Marinade: lime juice, canola oil, minced garlic, minced jalapeno, oregano, salt.
Place all the ingredients in a blender and buzz.

Place the chicken into a plastic bag and pour the marinade over. Squish around until the chicken is covered. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 4 hours. When ready to cook, remove from refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Then light up your grill and grill the chicken over a low heat until done. Place into a container to rest about 10 minutes. I made the chicken the day before and refrigerated it. I diced the chicken first. The marinade, after being in the blender, gets thick and looks like a pale green yogurt. It coats the chicken nicely and I didn't bother scraping it off before grilling.

Take the corn tortillas and cut them into 1/4 inch strips about 2 inches long. Pour some canola oil into a frying pan - about 2 inches - and fry the tortilla strips until lightly colored. Sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt and some smoky paprika, if you have any. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

All the other ingredients should be diced and ready to assemble. Into a large salad bowl add the peppers, tomatoes, avocados, red onion, jicama , tomatillos, corn kernels. Add the chopped  lettuces, and the chicken. Now here is the dressing:

Into a blender put: 1 cup chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1/4 cup lime juice or lime/orange juice mixed, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 3/4 cup canola oil or a combination of canola and olive oil, salt and pepper. Buzz until combined.

Just before ready to serve, mix some of the dressing into the salad. Don't pour the entire amount of dressing over the salad. Pour some dressing, then mix it in and taste it. Add more to taste. Add some more salt and pepper, perhaps. You can also marinate the salad ingredients in the dressing (before adding the lettuce) for about 15 minutes which gives the flavors a chance to blend. Just don't drown them in dressing; a light coating is best. Then add the lettuces and toss well. Be careful with the avocado as it tends to mush, so toss lightly with your hands.

Garnish the top with the fried tortilla strips and some cilantro leaves.

I know that I have not put quantities for some of the ingredients. It's not like you have never made a salad before, just use your previous knowledge and judgment. This is a really good salad but it doesn't like to sit around too long.

THAI BEEF SALAD

Skirt steak, or flank steak
Salad Greens
1 bunch Mint, torn leaves, or to taste
1 cup Cilantro torn leaves, or to taste
1/2 cup Basil, or Thai Basil, leaves torn, or to taste
1/4 -1/2 cup minced red onion or scallions
2 Cucumbers, preferably Persian or Kirby, peeled, seeded, diced
3 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, diced
1/2 pound, Snow peas, blanched, sliced in half diagonally, optional
1/2 can hearts of palm, rinsed and sliced thin, optional

Dressing:
1 Thai chili or long red chili, minced
1 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons sugar, or less
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Whisk all the ingredients together, then taste. It should taste a little bit strong but not a lot. Once you pour some on the salad the taste will mellow. This makes a lot of dressing and you will not use it all. Put the remainder into a glass jar and refrigerate.

Rub a little bit of oil on the the skirt steak and grill it in the usual way, preferably with a charcoal grill. You can also use an indoor grill pan. It's all good. Grill to the degree you like, preferably a bit pink. Remove and let sit on a plate about 10 minutes. When ready to serve, slice the steak in thin slices on an angle. Toss with some of the dressing, adding the juices that have accumulated in the plate..

Into a large salad bowl put the salad greens, mint, cilantro, basil, red onion, cucumber, tomato, hearts of palm, snow peas, and toss with some of the dressing. Do not drown in dressing. Toss with your hands. This takes quite a bit of salad greens. Place the steak on top of the salad and serve.

So that is three salads to play around with this summer! If you want the recipe for the Summer Berry Pudding, and who wouldn't? You can ask.

Hash it Out.

Depending upon the quality of what most call “leftovers,” you can most certainly make a terrific Hash. By quality I mean, not too old and not too mixed in with other ingredients already. For instance, if you happen to have some previously cooked corn, potatoes, steamed vegetables of any sort, some meat tidbits (though not necessary) like a few shrimp, a piece of a duck breast, a cold hamburger, you can make a great Hash just by combining those ingredients with some fresh, new ingredients, some seasonings, water, and a bit of oil.

No quantities are offered here and quantity doesn’t really matter; you cut up and put in whatever you have. Put a small quantity of oil in a pre-heated pan…any pan will do…a cast-iron pan is usually what I use but if I have lots of ingredients I’ll choose something larger. If you have a piece or two of an onion, cut it up and put it in. Take that corn cob and remove the kernels and put them in. Some scallions floating around in the vegetable drawer? Remove some of their ‘old’ sections, cut them up and add. Got a red, green, yellow, any color pepper? Cut it up in small pieces. Leftover shrimp? Cut them about the same size as everything else.

Whatever you have - a little bit of this and a little bit of that. It will all go together in the end. Here is your chance to experiment and be creative. Nothing cooks for very long since it has already been cooked, for the most part. Got some frozen artichokes, peas, etc.? Put some in. All those little bits go in. Do a “strip search” of your refrigerator. Nothing too wrinkled or, forbid, moldy.

After you have cut up and put into the pan all the lost morsels of the cold kind, find some fresh uncooked vegetables, like a carrot, wash it and cut it up too. It should  all be simmering together gently. Now for the seasonings. What have you got? If you’re very chef-y you might have some Vadouvan. If not, you like curry? Toss some in. You like cumin? Put in a pinch or two. Let the spices warm up some. Hot sauce? You get the idea? Something old, and something new. Nothing borrowed, and nothing blue.

Don’t forget the liquid. If you don’t have anything else, and even if you do, add some water. All the ingredients will make a nice sauce. If the liquid boils off, add some more. You don’t want to have a dry Hash.  Top the entire Hash off with some fresh herbs, like parsley, if you have some, if not, don’t.

You can call this “Review of the Week.” Sit back and enjoy. Contemplate that you will never have that exact combination again. If you are sharing it and the other person asks for the recipe….another chance to be creative.

 COOKING DEMONSTRATION

On Tuesday, July 13th, I will be performing a cooking demonstration from 1 to 3 PM at the Suffern Library...in Suffern, NY. On the menu will be Cold Gazpacho Soup, Corn Fritters and a Berry Sorbet. They request that you register.
www.suffernfreelibrary.org

 Here is a link to a great article about cookbook author Mollie Katzen about connecting with food and people:

https://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/lifestyle/article/mollie-katzen-connecting-and-reconnecting-with-food-and-people-ed-levine?sorttype=newest&sourcepage=1&pagenumber=1

APPLE ROSEMARY GALETTE

Serves 8

NOTE: PHOTOS TO FOLLOW

This recipe calls for a bit of rosemary sugar that is made by simply grinding fresh rosemary and sugar together to get a fragrant blend. Use a clean coffee grinder that is used for spices only or your food processor. Although only about a tablespoon or so is needed, to get a good blend you’ll need to do a slightly larger batch. The remainder can be used on toast or mixed into hot oatmeal or a good pound cake recipe.

 This dough recipe makes enough for two galettes. You can freeze half the dough for later use if you’d like. I used Fuji apples but choose your favorite baking variety. Keep in mind that sugar levels vary greatly in fruit, so always taste the fruit to gauge the desired level of sweetness. You’ll often see that my recipes include the phrase “to taste” to accommodate personal preferences. So taste, taste, taste.

Galette Dough

2 cup All-Purpose flour

1 tablespoon organic sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 oz. unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces

1/2 cup cold water

Filling

4 apples

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoon sugar

1-1/2 tablespoons rosemary sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

sugar to sprinkle

To prepare galette dough, whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl to combine. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until you have mostly small pieces the size of tiny peas and some just a bit larger. You can use a food processor to do this.  Be sure each piece of butter is coated with flour. Add the cold water and pulse gently  until the dough just starts to come together. Gather the dough on a work surface. Use a pastry scraper or metal spatula to fold the dough back onto itself and gently pat down with your hands into a loose disc. Repeat this process again once or twice until the dough looks like it’s coming together. Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap. Gather tightly and chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.

When you are ready to roll out the dough, remove from the refrigerator and rest it on a lightly floured board for a few minutes so it can soften just a bit to prevent cracking. Then roll the dough out to a 14” circle about 1/8”thick, moving the dough after each roll and keeping the board lightly floured as needed. When you have the desired shape, lift the pastry onto a parchment covered pizza pan or baking sheet. Chill for about a half hour.

Prepare rosemary sugar by grinding about 15 coarsely chopped rosemary leaves and about 3 T granulated sugar together in a clean spice grinder or a food processor. The rosemary should be as finely ground as possible. Set aside.

Squeeze juice of half a lemon into a large bowl. Peel, core and slice apples into thin wedges. Toss in lemon juice and sprinkle with 2  tablespoons of plain sugar. Toss thoroughly to coat all the apple slices.

Remove prepared galette dough from the refrigerator and sprinkle about 1-1/2 tablespoons rosemary sugar evenly across the bottom, leaving about a 1 1/2” border all the way around. Arrange or scatter sliced apples on top of rosemary sugar as you wish. Now start to lift and gather the dough up and on top of the fruit, being careful not to create any cracks. Work with both hands, pressing gently to keep the dough in place. If any crack occur fill them by wetting your fingers with a bit of water and pulling the dough together. Chill for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the border of dough and the fruit with melted butter and dust the dough and the fruit with a generous sprinkle of rosemary sugar. Bake for about 40 – 50 minutes, until the dough is crisp and browned. Cool on a wire rack to keep the bottom of the galette crisp.

Please send me photographs of the inside of your refrigerator.

I love you blog and I'm sorry I forget about you so often.

Check me out this Saturday, June 5th,  when I will be doing an improvisational cooking demonstration at the Palisades Farmers Market at 11AM.  The local Rockland Health Department said I (and others) need to pay them $45 for a permit in order for people to be allowed to sample the food. Hey, do you really think $45 keeps people from getting sick. This is especially odd since everyone will see exactly what is being prepared right before their eyes. The rules on these things get stranger all the time. I've been cooking for over ten years and have approval and a permit, no charge, from the Department of Agriculture to make baked goods in my very own kitchen. Oh well, such is such.  I'll be there cooking anyway and about the tasting I just can't say...... There is a great article in the Dining Section of the NY Times about people making food to sell. You gotta read it.

ANTIPASTO AT MOMA

This past week I went to MOMA to see the various exhibits (Marina Abramovich, William Kentridge, and Cartier-Bresson) and stopped into Cafe 2 for a snack.  Here is a picture of the three appetizers chosen from the Antipasto List: Fregola Salad which had a nice creamy lemony mayonnaise with olives, zucchini and baby tomatoes; Grilled Artichoke on sauteed spinach (the artichoke was not grilled as far as I could tell) and there is some baby arugula on top; Calamari salad with black chickpeas and a tomato sauce. Everything tasted very good. Only cost $10.

GREAT HORS D'OEUVRES AND APPETIZERS CLASS

This spring I taught a Continuing Ed class at a West Nyack venue called BOCES. We had twelve participants and made a lot of food. It was a great bunch of people and hopefully they got to take away some useful tips and techniques. Here are some photos (I've tried to add captions but there is something about this system that has me unable to do so. I'll try again another day.):

The Class

Coconut Shrimp with Apricot-Dijon Sauce

ARTICHOKES

Around mid-April I did a cooking demonstration using Artichokes. On the menu was an Artichoke Tapenade; a steamed artichoke with an aioli sauce; braised baby artichokes  with bacon, baby yukon gold potatoes and rosemary; crispy fried baby artichokes with fried capers, parsley and lemon; and a raw artichoke salad with balsamic and extra-virgin olive oil, over baby arugula with shaved parmesan.  Of course I never managed to take any photos....sorry. There are so many delicious artichoke recipes.

The most daunting aspect of artichokes, for most people, is their preparation and grooming. Since the artichoke is a thistle it has thorns at the tips of its leaves. Cut off the tips with scissors creating a graduated appearance or use a sharp knife and cut straight across. Always rub the cut parts with lemon to prevent discoloration. Snap off two or three layers of the large outer leaves. Then, using a paring knife, cut away the dark green parts at the bottom stem end. Either scape out the center choke before or after cooking.

For baby artichokes, pull off the leaves until the yellow leaves are visible. Then trim the tips. Don't worry about the chokes as they haven't been formed yet. If you slice them paper thin and toss with a bit of a balsamic vinaigrette, you can easily eat them raw as part of a salad.

Use the baby artichokes, sliced in quarters, to fry until crispy. Add some drained and dried capers, and parsley leaves. They will all crisp up nicely. Drain on some paper and toss with salt and squeezes of fresh lemon. Eat immediately.

The tapenade or pesto can be made with steamed artichokes or use them from a jar that has the artichokes in water. Drain well. Into a processor add the artichokes, some chopped garlic, a nut - either toasted almonds or pine nuts, chopped parsley,  parmesan cheese, lemon juice and olive oil.  Use your imagination and taste here. A good one is also made with artichokes, kalamata olives, roasted tomatoes, garlic, lemon and olive oil. Salt and pepper.

If you like steamed artichokes, trim and groom them well, and put into a steamer stem side up and steam until soft. This takes from 25-35 minutes. But check before because you don't want the artichoke mushy.

Most people, when you say the word artichoke, immediately think: stuffed artichoke. They are very good that way but it's not the only way to eat them.  You can make a nice breadcrumb or potato based stuffing, remove the choke, and stuff the center and sneak some stuffing between the leaves. Place in a saucepan tightly bunched, pour in a little white wine and and some extra-virgin, cover and let cook until soft. If you like you can partially steam the artichoke before adding the stuffing.

Here is a list of other ways to prepare to artichokes:
braised with black-eyed peas and spinach
stuff lamb with a honey tomato sauce
fritttata
gratin
with chicken, mushrooms and fennel
jewish style
with lamb shanks
and mushroom bread pudding
sauteed with garlic, onion and parsley
roasted with potatoes
braised a la Barigoule
Bruschetta
Marinated
a la Grecque
Hearts with pureed peas
filled with artichoke souffle
bacon wrapped
soup
Caponata
stuff ravioli

There is even a way to prepare a stuff artichoke using a microwave. Check with a Barbara Kafka recipe and be brave. I tried it, and as usual I have no luck or knowledge of cooking with a microwave. But if you are one of the people who cooks everything in a microwave give it a try. I only got a burnt thistle with melted plastic.

Artichokes are cleansing and are packed with iron. Oh, and don't forget a simple steamed artichoke with a garlic-y vinaigrette. The first time I ever tasted an Artichoke was at Elaine's Restaurant in New York City. I've got to get back there soon because I hear that they now serve it with the heart cut out for you and the leaves separated in a circle around the heart. Sounds too good to be true.

An article from today's NY Times about photographing the food you eat.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/dining/07camera.html?hp

CLASS AND DEMO UPDATES

My class GREAT HORS D'OEUVRE AND APPETIZERS begins tonight April 7th, at BOCES Nyack for 3 sessions. The class is full with 12 people and some on the waiting list. Tonight, time-permitting, we will be preparing:  Pissaladiere, Tuna Tartare on Wonton Crisps, Mushroom Cigars, Asparagus in Puff Pastry, and Shrimp stuffed Piquillo Peppers. If I'm not too crazed I will try and take some photos...but you know I get too busy and often forget to do so.

Next Thursday, April 15th, I will be doing a cooking demonstration at the Nanuet Public Library from 7 to 9 PM in the Main Conference Room. This is the first in a three-part series. I will be demonstrating ARTICHOKES, prepared three different ways. These demonstrations are always free to the public and anyone can attend. You get to taste the food at the end!

COOKING FOR GLADYS

Recently I got a phone call from a past client who had hired me to cook for her mother, Gladys. At that time I made about 20 meals for her to put in her freezer, and then I came back about a month later for a new menu. I think we did this about three times. This time her three children wanted to have about a week's worth of food since Gladys was eating even less than before. She had recent knee surgery and they wanted to help her out. I hadn't seen Gladys since then, about four years ago, and we had a nice reunion. Here is a picture of Gladys for which she kindly submitted just to oblige me:

Hi Gladys, You're looking great!

Here are a few of the things I cooked for her. One or two recipes will follow.

These are some lamb meatballs that have been baked in the oven.

They are made with ground lamb, grated onion, breadcrumbs, oregano, parsley,  lemon zest, chopped garlic, and egg. You can also add some chopped mint and ground allspice. 

Salt and pepper, too.

Next three pictures are the vegetables that have been stir-fried, then with the lamb balls added, and then the Avgolemono (egg-lemon) sauce used to combine everything together.

Zucchini, carrots, green beans, fresh artichokes.

Gladys also requested some Stuffed Peppers, Oven-fried Sweet Potatoes, Crabcakes, Creamed Spinach, Yukon mashed potatoes, Roasted Artichokes, Grilled Asparagus, Carrots and Potatoes, Chicken Piccata, Roasted Vegetable Soup with Barley,  Roasted Lamb and Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce.

The stuffed peppers before roasting. They had a tomato sauce poured over them.

Crabcakes with Roasted Vegetables

BON APPETIT, GLADYS!!