Makes 3 tablespoons (2 servings).
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook, whisking, over moderately low heat until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to warm before serving.
Cooks’ note:
• Sauce may be made 2 days ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature. Reheat before serving.
If you make the components of this hors d’oeuvre ahead, stir together the filling ingredients just before serving the first batch. Keep the remaining filling chilled, covered, and spoon it into the remaining cucumber cups as platters need replenishing.
Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr
Makes about 60 hors d’oeuvres.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Prepare cucumber cups:
Cut cucumbers crosswise into generous 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut a fluted round from each slice with cookie cutter, then scoop out some flesh from center of each round with melon-ball cutter or a small spoon, creating an indentation but leaving bottom intact.
Prepare filling:
Whisk together mayonnaise and wasabi, then whisk in lime juice and salt.
Cut radishes into very thin slices with slicer. Halve slices, then cut crosswise into very thin strips. Trim radish sprouts to 1-inch lengths, measuring from top of sprout, and discard remaining stems. (If using pea shoots, cut sections with leaves into 1-inch pieces.)
Stir together crab, wasabi mayonnaise, radish strips, and radish sprouts, then put a small spoonful of filling into each cucumber cup.
Cooks’ notes:
• Cucumber cups can be formed (but not filled) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered with plastic wrap.
• Wasabi mayonnaise can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Radishes can be cut and sprouts trimmed 1 day ahead and chilled separately in sealed plastic bags lined with dampened paper towels.
• Crabmeat can be picked over 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
Makes 6 first-course or 4 main-course servings.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Combine first 6 ingredients in 6- to 8-quart pressure cooker. Remove skin from chicken; add chicken to cooker. Lock lid in place. Bring to high pressure over high heat. Cook 8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain high pressure. Remove from heat. Let pressure come down naturally 8 minutes. Quick-release any remaining pressure.
Slowly release lid, standing back and allowing steam to escape. Transfer chicken to work surface; cool briefly. Remove bones. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch cubes. Return chicken to soup; add spinach. Simmer until spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Add lime juice. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with cilantro. Serve, passing lime wedges separately.
*Available at Asian markets and in the produce section of some supermarkets.
What to drink: Prinz von Hessen 2001 Riesling Kabinett Winkeler Hasensprung.
Makes 4 servings.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Using long slender knife, carve out 3/4-inch-diameter horizontal tunnel through center of pork. Chop carved-out meat and reserve. Using handle of wooden spoon, firmly pack apricots and prunes into tunnel of roast. Place roast on rack in roasting pan; rub with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle roast with 1/2 teaspoon marjoram, salt, and pepper. Scatter onion, carrots, garlic cloves, and chopped meat around rack in pan. Drizzle vegetables with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon marjoram. Roast pork until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat (not stuffing) registers 150°F, stirring vegetables occasionally, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Transfer pork to cutting board; tent with foil to keep warm.
Whisk butter, flour, and both mustards in small bowl to blend. Add broth and wine to roasting pan; place on 2 burners and simmer juices over medium heat until mixture is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, scraping up browned bits, about 3 minutes. Strain liquid into small saucepan; skim fat from surface. Bring liquid to boil. Whisk in mustard mixture; simmer until sauce thickens slightly, whisking frequently, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut pork between ribs into chops. Serve with sauce.
These ultra-rich and chocolaty sandwich cookies have creamy, coffee-spiked centers.
Makes 20 sandwich cookies.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS For filling:
Stir chocolate chips, cream, and coffee granules in heavy saucepan over medium heat until chocolate melts and coffee dissolves. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and vanilla in bowl until blended. Beat in chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until beginning to firm, about 8 minutes. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated. To use, let stand at room temperature until just soft enough to spread, about 2 hours.)
For cookies:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in bowl until well blended. Add egg, 2 teaspoons water, vanilla, and instant coffee; blend well. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until tops are just firm to touch and no longer shiny, about 13 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool.
Place half of cookies, flat side up, on work surface. Spread each with 1 tablespoon filling, leaving 1/4-inch border. Top each with second cookie, pressing to adhere. Arrange on platter; cover and chill at least 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.) Serve cookies cold.
Serves 2.
Whisk together milk, cornstarch, coffee granules, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a small saucepan until smooth. Cook, whisking, over moderate heat until pudding boils and is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes, and transfer to a bowl. Stir in vanilla and put a sheet of wax paper on surface of pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Cool pudding to warm.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil 2 (6-oz.) ramekins and sprinkle each with 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar.
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and a pinch salt in a large bowl until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, beating until whites hold stiff peaks. Stir 1/4 of whites into pudding to lighten and fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
Mound mixture into ramekins and bake on a baking sheet in lower third of oven until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Lightly dust soufflés with confectioners sugar and serve immediately with mocha sauce.
Cooks’ note:
• Pudding may be made 1 dayahead and chilled, covered. Bringto room temperature beforefolding in whites and proceedwith recipe.
Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min
Makes 4 servings.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke, then cook chicken, skin sides down, until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook 2 minutes more, then transfer to a plate.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet and cook bell peppers, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes (to taste), and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add wine and boil 1 minute. Nestle chicken, skin sides up, into pepper mixture and cook, covered, over moderate heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Turn on broiler. Remove lid from skillet and broil chicken 4 to 6 inches from heat until skin is crisp, about 1 1/2 minutes.
Judith W. Harris of San Mateo, California, writes: “I recently made these chocolate almond bars for a tea. They were all consumed with requests for more.”
Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr
Makes 16 (2-inch) squares.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Make crust and topping:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat together butter and brown sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes with a standing mixer or 3 minutes with a handheld. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour and salt just until a dough forms. Pat two thirds of dough evenly over bottom of a buttered 8- by 2-inch square metal baking pan. Bake crust in middle of oven until edge is golden, about 12 minutes. While crust is baking, work almonds into remaining dough with your hands until crumbs form, then reserve for topping. Cool crust in pan on a rack.
Make filling while crust cools:
Dissolve espresso powder in vanilla in a small cup. Beat together cream cheese and sugar with cleaned beaters atmedium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes, then add egg and espresso mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour filling onto cooled crust and crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake in middle of oven until edges are golden, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cut into 16 bars.
Serves 2.
Halve filet crosswise and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil over moderate heat in a small heavy skillet until hot but not smoking, then cook filets 2 to 3 minutes on each side for rare. Let stand on a cutting board, tented loosely with foil, 5 minutes.
While filets are standing, deglaze skillet with Cognac over moderate heat, scraping up brown bits. Add broth and water and boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard, butter, any meat juices from cutting board, and salt and pepper to taste.Thinly slice filets and serve with sauce.
Begin marinating the beef at least eight hours before roasting. Serve this with corn bread.
Makes 12 servings.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Whisk first 5 ingredients in bowl. Pierce tenderloins all over with fork. Place tenderloins in large resealable plastic bag; add marinade and seal. Turn bag to distribute marinade evenly. Chill at least 8 hours and up to 1 day, turning bag occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove beef from marinade; pat dry. Place on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast until thermometer inserted into each tenderloin registers 125°F for medium-rare, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Cut beef crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Powered by WordPress
