Dayrecipe Food Community

“I have just returned from London, where I stayed at the beautiful Lanesborough hotel across from Hyde Park,” writes Marjorie Wordingham of Mequon, Wisconsin. “I had the most delicious salmon with Thai-style vegetables and rice at its restaurant, The Conservatory.”

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• salmon
• 1teaspoon chili powder
• 1teaspoon curry powder
• 1teaspoon ground coriander
• 1teaspoon ground cumin
• 1teaspoon mustard powder
• 1teaspoon salt
• 1teaspoon sugar
• 46- to 7-ounce salmon fillets with skin
• dressing
• 6tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3tablespoons soy sauce
• 2tablespoons oriental sesame oil
• 2tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1teaspoon sugar
• rice
• 1tablespoon butter
• 1cup basmati rice
• 1cup water
• 2/3cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
• 2tablespoons vegetable oil
• thai vegetables

DIRECTIONS For salmon: Mix first 7 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Place salmon fillets, skin side down, on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture over each fillet. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.For dressing: Whisk vinegar and next 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend.for rice: Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and sauté until rice begins to turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water and coconut milk and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low; cook until rice is cooked through and liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon fillets, flesh side down, to skillet. Sear until brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn fillets over and sear skin side until salmon is just cooked through, about 3 minutes.Spoon rice onto plates, dividing equally. Top each serving with seared salmon fillet, then Thai Vegetables. Drizzle dressing around and serve immediately, passing extra dressing separately.

“My grandmother, who emigrated from Sweden to the United States when she was a little girl, passed on to our family a taste for cardamom,” writes Lisa Tracy of Marion, Iowa.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Makes about 5 dozen.

INGREDIENTS

• 3cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon baking soda
• 2sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1cup sugar
• 1teaspoon almond extract
• 2large eggs
• 3/4cup slivered almonds (3 oz)

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sift together flour, cardamom, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Beat together butter, sugar, and extract with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in flour mixture at low speed just until combined, then stir in almonds.

Form dough into 4 (11- by 2-inch) logs and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased large baking sheet.

Bake logs in middle of oven until pale golden, about 20 minutes. Cool logson sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and cut logs diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife using a sawing motion.

Reduce temperature to 300°F.

Arrange rusks, cut sides down,on baking sheets and bake in batchesin middle of oven until golden, about18 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

For a double-crust pie, double the ingredients, divide the dough in half, and form two disks.

Makes one 9-inch crust.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4cups all purpose flour
• 1/2tablespoon sugar
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 1/2cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3tablespoons (or more) ice water

DIRECTIONS Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until coarse meal forms. Add 3 tablespoons water. Using on/off turns, blend just until moist clumps form, adding more water by 1/2 tablespoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.)

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 35 min

Serves 6 (first course).

INGREDIENTS

Though reminiscent of the warm soft pretzels you may have had at baseball games or on the street, these are even better because they’re fresh. Serve with yellow mustard.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Makes 8 large pretzels.

INGREDIENTS

• 1tablespoon sugar
• 1(1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
• 3 3/4to 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1large egg, lightly beaten
• 2teaspoons pretzel salt*special equipment:parchment paper

DIRECTIONS Stir together sugar, yeast, and 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (105 to 110°F) in a glass measuring cup, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

Whisk together 31/2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon table salt in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough. Dust work surface with 1 tablespoon flour, then turn out dough and knead, gradually dusting with just enough additional flour to make a smooth sticky dough, about 8 minutes. (Dough needs to be somewhat sticky to facilitate rolling and forming into pretzels).

Return dough to bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and cut into 8 equal pieces. Using your palms, roll 1 piece back and forth on a clean dry work surface into a rope about 24 inches long. If dough sticks to your hands, lightly dust them with flour. Twist dough into a pretzel shape. (Dough will retract as you form the pretzel.)

Transfer pretzel with your hands to an oiled baking sheet and form 7 more pretzels in same manner with remaining dough, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart.

Let pretzels stand, uncovered, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Bring a wide 6-quart pot of water to a boil.

Using both hands, carefully add 3 pretzels, 1 at a time, to boiling water and cook, turning over once with tongs, until pretzels are puffed and shape is set, about 3 minutes. Transfer parboiled pretzels to a rack to cool. Repeat with remaining 5 pretzels in 2 batches.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and oil paper, then arrangepretzels on sheet. Brush pretzels lightly with some of egg and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Bake until golden brown and lightly crusted, about 35 minutes. Cool 15 minutes, then serve warm.

Cooks’ notes:
• Dough can be mixed and kneaded in a standing electric mixer fitted with dough hook.
• Pretzels are best the day they are made. (When they are kept overnight, salt may dissolve.)

*Available at King Arthur Flour (800-827-6836).