Makes about 1 1/3 cups.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut top 1/4 inch off heads of garlic to expose cloves. Place garlic in small baking dish. Add oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Turn garlic cut side up. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until garlic skins are golden brown and cloves are tender, about 55 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic cloves from skins.
What to drink: Hagafen 2002 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley (kosher) or Brancott Vineyards 2002 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand.
Makes 8 servings.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Add zucchini and potato; stir to coat. Add 4 cups broth and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potato is soft, about 15 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth, adding some spinach and cilantro to each batch. Return puree to same pot. Thin with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if desired. Season soup with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm soup before serving.)
No-boil noodles cut down on the prep time.
Makes 8 servings.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, egg and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and fennel seeds; sauté 5 minutes. Add beef; sauté 10 minutes, breaking up meat with fork. Mix in seasoning, then tomatoes, broth and wine. Cover and simmer 8 minutes. Season sauce to taste with pepper.
Spoon 1 1/3 cups sauce over bottom of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Place 3 noodles over sauce. Drop half of ricotta cheese mixture by tablespoonfuls evenly over. Top with half of basil leaves, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Continue layering with 3 noodles, 2 cups sauce, remaining ricotta cheese mixture, remaining basil, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Finish with 3 noodles, 2 cups sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese (reserve remaining sauce for another use). Cover with foil; place on baking sheet.
Bake lasagna until heated through, about 1 hour. Uncover; let stand 15 minutes. Cut lasagna into squares.
Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr
Makes 1 (15- by 10- by 1-inch) focaccia loaf.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Stir together 1 2/3 cups lukewarm (105 to 115°F) water and yeast in bowl of mixer and let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups flour, 1/4 cup oil, and 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt and beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until a dough forms. Replace paddle with dough hook and knead dough at high speed until soft, smooth, and sticky, 3 to 4 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour. Knead dough 1 minute (it will still be slightly sticky), then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil. Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, at warm room temperature, until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Press dough evenly into a generously oiled 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan. Let dough rise, covered completely with a kitchen towel, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Stir together rosemary and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Make shallow indentations all over dough with your fingertips, then brush with rosemary oil, letting it pool in indentations. Sprinkle sea salt evenly over focaccia and bake in middle of oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
Immediately invert a rack over pan and flip focaccia onto rack, then turn right side up. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cooks’ note:
• If grains of coarse sea salt are very large, you may want to crush them slightly before sprinkling over focaccia.
Kari and Brian Chase of St. Paul, Minnesota say that their neighborhood has a great restaurant: 128 Cafe. The last time they were there they tried a delicious appetizer of crisp bread with roasted garlic, goat cheese and apple chutney.
Makes 8 Servings.
Stir sugar and vinegar in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add next 4 ingredients and simmer until mixture is syrupy and reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Mix in apples and raisins. Increase heat to high and boil until apples are tender, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. (Chutney can be made 3 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.) Mix in tomatoes and mint.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Spread each toast with roasted garlic; top with goat cheese and chutney.
Make garlic-rubbed baguette toasts for mopping up the sauce. What to drink: Brut Champagne or a dry, aromatic white wine, like Viognier.
Makes 4 servings.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Combine mussels and wine in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover and cook until mussels begin to open, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mussels to large bowl (discard any mussels that do not open). Pour liquid from saucepan into 2-cup measuring cup. Stir in saffron. Let cooking liquid stand 15 minutes.
Add enough cream to cooking liquid to measure 1 1/3 cups. Transfer to large saucepan. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf, and cayenne. Simmer over medium heat until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill mussels and sauce separately.)
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add salmon, rounded side down. Cook until bottom is golden, about 3 minutes. Turn salmon over. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until salmon is opaque in center, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Leave covered to keep warm.
Bring sauce in large saucepan to simmer over low heat. Add mussels in shells; stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice.
Place 1 salmon fillet on each of 4 plates. Divide mussels among plates. Spoon sauce over salmon and mussels.
Makes 15.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 15 standard muffin cups (2/3-cup capacity) with nonstick spray. Whisk both flours, both sugars, baking powder, spices, and salt in large bowl to blend. Mix in half of pumpkin seeds and half of walnuts. Whisk pumpkin, milk, eggs, melted butter, and ginger in medium bowl to blend. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until incorporated (do not overmix).
Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each cup. Sprinkle remaining pumpkin seeds and walnuts over. Bake until muffins are golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Turn muffins out onto rack and cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store muffins airtight at room temperature.)
This dish is said to have first been prepared in the imperial kitchens for Sultan Murad IV in the early 1600s.
Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr
Makes 4 servings.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Braise lamb:
Pat one third of lamb dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown seasoned lamb, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and brown remaining lamb in same manner in 2 batches, adding more butter if necessary.
When third batch of lamb is browned, return rest of lamb with any juices to pot and add tomato, water, and salt. Cook at a bare simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until meat isvery tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Seasonwith salt and pepper.
Make eggplant purée while lambis cooking:
Prepare grill for cooking.
Fill a large bowl with cold waterand add lemon juice.
Prick eggplant in several places with a skewer or toothpick (to prevent bursting). Grill eggplant, turning occasionally, until charred all overand tender inside, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly (eggplant will collapse), then peelwith a sharp small knife while still warm, leaving stem intact. (This makes the eggplant easier to handle—it may fall apart otherwise.)
Soak eggplant in lemon water15 minutes, then transfer to a colander. Discard stem and drain eggplant flesh 45 minutes.
Melt butter in a 9- to 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until roux just begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thick, about 3 minutes.
Add drained eggplant and stir, mashing with a fork, until incorporated. Stir in cheese and salt and season with pepper.
Serve eggplant topped withbraised lamb.
Cooks’ note:
• Eggplant can be broiled—on a baking sheet about 4 inches from heat—but itwill not have the same distinctivesmoky flavor.
Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr
Makes about 50 cookies.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat together butter, peanut butter, and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in egg, then remaining ingredients until a dough forms.
Arrange level tablespoons of dough 1 1/2 inches apart on 2 buttered baking sheets, then flatten in a crosshatch pattern to a 2 1/2-inch round with fork tines.
Bake in middle of oven until slightly puffed, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 1 minute, then transfer cookies to a rack.
The fish steams directly atop the gently simmering vegetables in this flavorful and very easy dish. Serve with steamed rice tossed with lots of chopped fresh cilantro.
Market tip: Choose Pacific or Alaskan halibut rather than Atlantic halibut. Or substitute another firm white fish, such as Alaskan cod, mahimahi, or striped bass.
Makes 6 servings.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS Cut off peel and white pith from oranges. Cut oranges between membranes to release segments.
Heat oil in heavy very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and wine. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 3 minutes. Gently stir in orange segments and olives. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle halibut fillets with salt and pepper. Arrange halibut in single layer atop vegetable mixture in skillet. Cover and simmer gently until halibut is just opaque in center, about 12 minutes.
Spoon vegetable mixture onto plates. Top with halibut. Place feta cheese atop vegetable mixture and alongside halibut. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
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