Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 4 hr
Makes about 10 cups.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (3 1/2-to 4 1/2-lb) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
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2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch lengths
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2 carrots, quartered
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2 medium onions, left unpeeled, trimmed, and halved
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6 fresh parsley stems (without leaves)
1 turkish or 1/2 california bay leaf
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8 whole black peppercorns
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4 qt cold water
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1 1/2 teaspoons salt
DIRECTIONS Bring all ingredients to a boil in an 8- to 10-quart pot and skim froth. Reduce heat and gently simmer, uncovered, skimming froth occasionally, 3 hours.
Remove chicken, then pour stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and discard solids. If using stock right away, skim off and discard any fat. If not, cook stock completely, then chill, covered, and discard any solidified fat.
Cooks’ note:
Stock can be chilled 3 days or frozen 1 month.
Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min
Makes 4 generous servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 3/4lb dried angel-hair pasta (capelli d’angelo)
- 1 1/2lb bay scallops or quartered sea scallops, tough muscle removed from side of each if necessary
- 3/4stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 3tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
- 2tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon, or to taste
DIRECTIONS Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.
While pasta is cooking, pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté half of scallops, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Cook remaining scallops in remaining 3 tablespoons butter in same manner. Return first batch of scallops to skillet and stir in lime juice and tarragon.
Toss pasta in a bowl with half of scallops and 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Top pasta with remaining scallops and sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Makes 6 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 3large eggs
- 2/3cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2cup extra-light olive oil
- 1/3cup whole milk
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2cups plus 1 tablespoon self-rising flour
- 2large pears, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/3cups dried tart or bing cherries17-ounce tube almond paste
- 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
- powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line pan bottom with parchment paper; spray parchment. Using electric mixer, beat 2 eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups flour; beat just until combined. Stir in pears and cherries. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth top.
Crumble almond paste into medium bowl; add cinnamon, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon flour. Using electric mixer, beat mixture just until blended. Spoon atop cake batter. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with small moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Run knife around pan to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Peel off paper. Transfer cake to plate; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Cover; let stand at room temperature.)
Yukon Gold potatoes cut into one-inch pieces can be substituted.
Makes 10 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 4pounds 1-inch-diameter dutch yellow potatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1pound green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1cup purchased pesto
- 1/4cup chopped green onions
- 4tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
DIRECTIONS Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add beans; cook 4 minutes longer. Drain well. Transfer vegetables to large bowl and cool 10 minutes. Mix in pesto and green onions, tossing to coat. Cool completely. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.) Just before serving, mix in vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Piping the filling into the potato shells with a pastry bag makes an attractive presentation. You can also just spoon in the filling and crosshatch the top with the tines of a fork.
Makes 8 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2teaspoons vegetable oil
- 86-ounce russet potatoes, scrubbed
- 5 1/2ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as montrachet), crumbled
- 3/4cup half and half
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3tablespoons chopped fresh chives
DIRECTIONS Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Rub oil over potatoes. Pierce in several spots with fork. Place directly on oven rack; bake until very tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool 10 minutes. Using oven mitts, grasp 1 potato in hand. Using serrated knife, cut off top 1/4 of potato. Using spoon, scoop out potato, leaving 1/2-inch-thick shell; transfer potato flesh to large bowl. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Mash potatoes until smooth. Mix in cheese, then half and half, butter, and chives. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon about 3/4 of potato mixture into shells, dividing evenly. Transfer remaining potato filling to pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe filling atop potatoes. Place potatoes on baking sheet. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake potatoes until filling is heated through and tops brown, about 20 minutes.
This pesto, from Trapani, in Sicily, is made with almonds and tomato and far less basil than traditional pesto — don’t expect it to be green.
Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 35 min
Makes 4 main-course servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 2garlic cloves
- 3/4cup slivered blanched almonds (3 oz)
- 1cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
- 1 1/2teaspoons salt
- 1/4teaspoon black pepper
- 2tomatoes (1/2 lb total), peeled (see cooks’ note, below), quartered, and seeded
- 1oz finely grated pecorino romano or parmigiano-reggiano (1/2 cup)
- 1/3cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2cups grape or cherry tomatoes (6 oz), halved
- 1lb dried fettuccine (not egg)garnish:fresh basil leaves
DIRECTIONS Purée garlic, almonds, basil, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almonds are coarsely ground. Add quartered tomatoes and cheese to purée and process until mixture is fairly smooth. With motor running, add oil in a stream and blend until incorporated. Transfer pesto to a large bowl and stir in grape tomatoes.
Cook fettuccine in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until just al dente. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Serve immediately.
Cooks’ note:
• To peel tomatoes, first cut an X in the end opposite the stem, then immerse in boiling water 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water, then peel.
Any size mini-muffin pan can be used to bake the tartlets, but the nonstick variety works best.
Makes about 30.
INGREDIENTS
- easy tart crust1/2cup raisins
- 1/4cup medium-dry sherry (such as amontillado)
- 2tablespoons water
- pinch of salt
- 1/2cup whipping cream
- 2large eggs
- 1/2cup sugar
- 1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4teaspoon vanilla extract30whole almonds, toasted
- coarse sea salt
DIRECTIONS Lightly butter 30 mini-muffin cups. Roll out crust on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using floured 2 3/4- to 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Gather dough scraps and reroll, cutting out additional rounds for total of 30. Press each dough round firmly over bottom and up sides of prepared mini-muffin cups. Freeze 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crusts until golden, occasionally pressing on bottom and sides of crusts with spoon if crusts bubble and slide down sides of cups, about 25 minutes. Transfer pans to rack and cool crusts in pans while making filling. Maintain oven temperature.
Combine raisins, Sherry, 2 tablespoons water, and pinch of salt in heavy small saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat; let stand uncovered until liquid is almost absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir cream into raisin mixture; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs, sugar, 1 tablespoon oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot raisin-cream mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until mixture thickens slightly to sauce consistency, about 6 minutes (do not boil).Spoon raisin custard into tartlet crusts, dividing equally. Bake tartlets until filling is just barely set but still moves slightly in center when pans are shaken gently, about 10 minutes. Cool completely in pans on rack. Run small sharp knife around crust edges to loosen; gently remove from pans. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
Toss almonds with remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in small bowl. Top each tartlet with 1 almond and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Place tartlets on plates and serve.
Fresh mint, cilantro sprigs and strips of orange peel make a nice garnish for a platter of these Asian-accented skewers.
Makes 6 appetizer servings.
INGREDIENTS
- sauce
- 1/4cup honey
- 1/4cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
- 2teaspoons soy sauce
- 2teaspoons chili-garlic sauce*
- 1teaspoon oriental sesame oil
- 1teaspoon grated orange peel2tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 2tablespoons toasted sesame seedsscallops
- 2tablespoons peanut oil
- 1tablespoon oriental sesame oil
- 18medium-size sea scallops, side muscles trimmed
- 1tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 186-inch wooden skewers
DIRECTIONS For sauce:
Mix first 7 ingredients in medium bowl to blend well. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.) Mix in remaining ingredients. Season orange-sesame sauce with salt and pepper.
For scallops:
Heat peanut oil and sesame oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Add to skillet; sauté until just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to large bowl. Add mint and cilantro; toss to coat. Thread 1 scallop onto each skewer. Arrange skewers decoratively on platter. Serve with sauce.
* Chili-garlic sauce is available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets.
Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min
Makes about 20 hors d’oeuvres.
INGREDIENTS
- 2large egg whites
- 3oz parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated (1 cup)
- 6cups vegetable oil
DIRECTIONS Beat whites in a bowl with an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks. Fold in cheese. Form level teaspoons of batter into balls (about 20).
Heat oil in a 4-quart heavy pot until thermometer registers 375°F. Fry balls in 2 batches, turning them, until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer parmesan puffs with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Makes 6 to 8 first-course servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 1medium carrot, peeled4tablespoons olive oil
- 8ounces slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into1-inch pieces
- 1medium zucchini, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, seeded, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
- 1medium-size yellow crookneck squash, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, seeded, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces4 1/2cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
- 1large white onion, finely chopped
- 1 3/4cups (11 1/2 ounces) arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
- 3/4cup dry white wine
- 8baby carrots, peeled, tops trimmed to 1/2 inch
- 1 1/3cups freshly grated parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
- 1cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1/4cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves1/4cup pine nuts, toasted
- additional freshly grated parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS Cut 1/4-inch slice off 1 long side of carrot to stabilize. Cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Stack half of slices and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick strips. Cut strips crosswise into 1/8-inch cubes. Repeat with remaining slices.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, zucchini, and crookneck squash; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Set vegetables aside.
Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan over low heat. Cover and keep warm. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cubed carrot. Sauté until onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add rice; stir until rice is translucent at edges but still opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Add wine and simmer until absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup warm broth and baby carrots. Simmer until broth is almost absorbed, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add 2 cups more broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Mix in sautéed vegetables and 1 cup broth. Simmer until broth is just absorbed, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add 1 1/3 cups cheese, peas, butter, and 1/2 cup broth. Simmer until butter melts, rice and vegetables are just tender, and risotto is creamy, stirring often and adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if risotto is dry, about 3 minutes longer. Mix in basil; season with salt and pepper.
Transfer risotto to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve, passing additional cheese separately.
