JUNE DINNER PARTY

A recent bachelorette dinner party at a mountain location.

"It was a delicious and relaxing meal. Appreciated Phyllis checking the kitchen out beforehand and planning a menu that fit the tastes of my sister and 11 friends for a wonderful bachelorette weekend!"

Here is the menu:

Olive Tapenade Crostini

Caprese Skewers

Fresh & Smoked Salmon Cake

on Composed Salad

Chorizo

Vegetarian: Potato & Chive Cake

Pickled Red Onion

Lemon vinaigrette

Creamy mustard sauce

Braised Cornish Hen

White Wine, Olives, Tomato, Rosemary

Vegetarian: Stuffed Zucchini & Tomato

with Couscous & Pistachio Oil

Mushroom Risotto

Asparagus with Noisette Butter

Yellow Butter Cake

with Strawberry Coulis

Whipped Cream

Chocolate dipped Strawberry

Toasted Almonds

Mint

For those of you interested, here is my grocery list:

Photographs to follow.

FRESH SALMON CAKES

This is a tasty salmon cake with a fresh flavor and good for awakening taste buds. All ingredients used should be fresh. You can also make it a bit spicier with the addition of cayenne pepper or Old Bay seasoning. Once you gather the ingredients you’re almost done. For lunch serve with a green salad and a frittata.

SALMON CAKES

makes 5-6

¼ lb. fresh salmon

1-2 slices smoked salmon/lox, in small pieces

2 medium potato, boiled in their skins and cooled (used Yukon Gold)

1 tablespoon finely grated onion (I used Vidalia)

1 teaspoon or a dash smoked paprika

½ teaspoon or a dash sumac, optional

1 teaspoon mayonnaise, optional (I used Just Mayo)

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon chives, snipped in 1/4–inch pieces

1 tablespoon or to taste, fresh lemon juice

pinch sea salt (careful, the lox is salty)

couple of grinds white pepper, if you have, or black

1 whole egg

panko

Olive oil and/or grapeseed oil

Poach the salmon in water with some lemon pieces. Remove from the poaching liquid and cool. Remove the salmon skin and mash in a bowl. Peel the potato and mash with a little bit of olive oil. Add the smoked salmon, 1 mashed potato, capers, chives, lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Combine everything using your hands. You don’t want a very moist mixture but just enough to hold together. If it’s too moist add a bit more mashed potato. This is why you are boiling 2 but only using 1. It’s a safety measure.

UNCOOKED SALMON CAKES

Shape the mixture into flat patties about 2 inches in diameter. [If you like, make a 6^th patty very small so you can fry it and test for flavor.] Place on a plate and refrigerate, covered, for about an hour and up to overnight. This will help the flavors and firm them up.

When you are ready to cook the patties remove them from the fridge. Heat the oil in a pan large enough to hold them. Add enough oil to coat the pan. Put the egg in one bowl and beat it, and the panko in another. Dip each patty in the egg then coat with the panko. Place in the hot oil and cook until browned on one side then flip over. It should take about 4 minutes altogether. Take out and place on a paper towel to drain. Remove the paper towel after about 3 minutes.

FRYING THE CAKES

FRITTATA

SALAD, FRITTATA, SALMON CAKE, SAUCE

Let cool to room temperature or eat hot with some sauce.

Creamy Mustard Sauce

2 tablespoons plain yogurt ( I used Cabot Greek style)

1 teaspoon mayonnaise, optional

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

White wine, I had some Sauvignon Blanc

Mix the yogurt, mayonnaise and mustard together. Thin with a little white wine until the consistency you like. Taste and adjust flavors.

THAT'S LUNCH! (Gorgonzola cheese, red seedless grapes, rye crisp)

Cannabis Cocktails and Other Buzz-Worthy Libations presented by Warren B...

NEXT CLASS APRIL 23RD

KNOW ANYONE WHO IS DIABETIC?

YOU MIGHT WANT TO TELL THEM ABOUT THIS CLASS.

We'll explore the options of a diabetic-friendly pantry and an unprocessed food diet with many plant-based options. The recipes are geared to spring ingredients with new potatoes, asparagus, chicken tostadas, a couple of fish recipes and the use of fresh herbs and spices. All quick and delicious. For the second session you'll pick ingredients you want to use and we'll create some personal favorites.

Bring an apron, your favorite knife, a container or two and a kitchen towel.
Class fee $69 plus $20 food fee payable to instructor

Two sessions April 23rd & 30th

Maximum students: 10

Where: Ulster Boces, 319 Broadway (9W), Port Ewen, NY
Call to register: 845-331-5050
www.ulsterboces.org

COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP (Tom Kha Gai)

This is a classic found in Thai restaurants. Once you have the ingredients it’s fairly simple to combine. I put it into the category of an infusion as it’s almost like making tea. You add all the ingredients together and add the chicken and mushrooms. I like to keep the lemongrass pieces in when serving. People unfamiliar with them might need to be told not to chew and swallow. The same for the ginger though you can chew and swallow. You can make this soup as spicy as you like or not at all.

 

CHICKEN COCONUT SOUP (Tom Kha Gai)

1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk

13.5 oz chicken broth or water

1 lemongrass stalk, cut in 1-inch pieces

6 thin slices fresh ginger or galangal

¼-1/2 pound boneless/skinless chicken, breast or thigh, bite-sized pieces

1 cup white or shiitake mushrooms, thin sliced

1 zest of one lime or 4-5 kaffir lime leaves

1 tablespoon lime juice, or more to taste

1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (nam pla), or more to taste

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon red Thai chili paste, or more to taste

seasalt

1 small red or green Thai chilies or 1 jalapeno, thin sliced diagonally, seeds removed

1 green onion, thin sliced

fresh cilantro leaves

Lemongrass: bottom one is peeled of the outer stalk.

Array of ingredients: Cut lemongrass, cut mushrooms, fish sauce,
Thai red chili paste, sugar, cilantro

Don't forget the ginger!

Two Thai red chilis sliced diagonally, seeds removed.

lime and lime zest

Add a can of Coconut Milk and water to a saucepan.

Whisk the Coconut Milk and water together while gently heating.

Combine and stir the coconut milk and broth or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add the lemongrass and ginger. Infuse for about a minute.

Add the lime zest, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, chili paste and mix well. Let infuse for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and chicken. Poach for about 5 minutes or until cooked through. Add the Thai chilis. Add a pinch of salt. Taste to see if it needs more salt or chili!

Serve garnished with the green onion and fresh cilantro leaves.

To make a heartier soup add vegetables like zucchini or carrots that are thinly sliced. Or add cellophane rice noodles that have been soaked in warm water for about 15 minutes. Or, serve with a side of brown or jasmine rice.

Soup with lemongrass and ginger added.

Stir the soup.

Add the lime zest, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and chili paste.
Then add the mushrooms.

Add the chicken meat (or turkey) to poach.

Finished soup, garnished with cilantro leaves and lemongrass.

ULSTER COUNTY CLASSES MARCH, APRIL, MAY

I'm offering a few classes soon at Ulster BOCES in Port Ewen, each for a very reasonable fee. Chances are you would take some food home. You have to register for these classes in advance. www.ulsterboces.org, 845-331-5050. The classes only run if there are a sufficient number of people to take them - at least 6 but no more than 10.

(I'd like to find other available places as well for teaching cooking around the Saugerties/Woodstock/Kingston area. Private classes in your home are available.)

Meanwhile see if any of these are of interest:

SOUPS – 1 session

March 19

Saturday 11AM to 2PM

Everyone loves soup. Here is a chance to learn hot to make some international favorites from scratch. Class will be mixed hands-on and demonstration. We will make Corn Chowder, Carrot Ginger, Cream of Tomato, Chicken Coconut, and a Quick Onion Soup.

Bring an apron, your favorite knife, a container and kitchen towel.

Class fee: $35 plus $15 food fee payable to instructor.

DIABETIC BASICS  ( BASICS FOR DIABETES)– 2 sessions

April 23 & 30

Saturday 11AM to 2PM

We’ll explore the options of a diabetic-friendly pantry and an unprocessed food diet with many plant-based options. Recipes geared to spring ingredients with new potatoes, asparagus, chicken tostadas, a couple of fish recipes, the use of fresh herbs and spices, all quick and delicious. For the second session you’ll pick ingredients you want to use and we’ll create some personal favorites.

Bring an apron, your favorite knife, a container and kitchen towel.

Class fee: $69, plus $20 food fee payable to instructor.

MOSTLY SAVORY PANCAKES – 2 sessions

May 14 & 21

Saturday 11AM to 2PM

The world of pancakes is very varied. We’ll take an international journey using pancakes as our theme. We’ll make Chinese Scallion or Wild Ramp Pancakes, Florentine Crespelle with spinach and ricotta in a tomato sauce, Lime Pancakes, Matzo Brei, German Apple Pancake, and Buckwheat Blini. If time allows we’ll also make some Potato Pancakes, Moroccan Beghrir, and Lentil cakes.

Bring an apron, your favorite knife, a container and kitchen towel.

Class fee: $69, plus $20 food fee payable to instructor.

FLAVORFUL BROIL ROASTED CHICKEN

Broasted Chicken

A special technique for cooking a chicken quickly. Marinate then broil placing the chicken low in the oven, not right under the broiler. 

Use a whole chicken it’s more economical and you’ll be eating just one chicken. If you purchase chicken already cut up it’s usually from different chickens. (Some people ask if they can use all breast meat and boneless. I would not recommend that for this recipe.) 

Cut it up into about 6-8 pieces depending on the size. First remove the backbone using shears or a cleaver. Then cut in half down the soft breastbone. Next, cut off the egg/thigh. Next, the breast with the wing attached and cut the breast in half. 

It’s okay to cut off the wing separately.

The raw chicken cut up.

Create a marinade. I like to use about ¼-1/2 cups soy sauce, depending upon the size of the chicken, add about 6 cloves of garlic roughly cut or grated – your choice. 

Add about 2 inches of chopped fresh ginger. 

Optional additions are about 1tablespoon roasted sesame oil, a few star anise, and a couple of whole chili peppers.

The chicken pieces with marinade in plastic bag. Refrigerate 3 hours to 2 days.

Place it all, chicken and marinade, into a plastic bag then seal the bag and move the chicken pieces around so they are all coated. Refrigerate from 3 hours to 2 days. The longer the better. I usually take it out at least once to move the pieces around.

Chicken pieces ready to cook. Marinade removed.

When ready to cook prepare a sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place an oven rack way down at the bottom of the oven and preheat the broiler. 

Shake off the marinade from the chicken and place the pieces skin side up on the pan. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil. 

Place the pan with the chicken on the low rack. Close the oven door.

Add caption

Chicken in the oven.

Let it broast until you see it browning and bubbling, between 10 and 15 minutes should do it. 

Then take the pan out and turn the chicken pieces over. Return to the oven and broast about another 10 minutes. 

Turn the oven off. You can leave the chicken in the oven for about another 10 minutes if you like. Then remove the chicken.

Chicken after about 15 minutes. Take out and turn over.

Chicken cooked after turning over.

Serve it hot or room temperature. Top with cut green onion pieces and a sprinkle of lightly toasted sesame seeds. I like the unhulled seeds mixed white and black together.

The chicken remains very juicy using this method and cooks very quickly. I think you’ll like it.

SERVING SUGGESTION.