6 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tablespoons thinly sliced sage
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 pounds assorted tomatoes—small tomatoes halved, larger tomatoes cut into wedges
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 6-ounce wild striped bass fillets with skin, skin scored
1 Preheat the oven to 350°. Wrap the garlic in foil and bake for 30 minutes, until soft. Let cool, then squeeze the garlic into a bowl. Stir in the sage; season with salt and pepper.
2 In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and cook over low heat until softened, 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, butter and garlic-sage paste and cook over moderate heat until the tomatoes release their liquid, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3 In a nonstick skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Season the bass with salt and pepper and add to the skillet, skin side down. Cook over moderately high heat until the skin is browned, 4 minutes. Turn the fillets and cook until just white throughout, 2 minutes. Serve the fish with the tomato fondue.
A special wish for an old and very dear friend,
With you I never need to hold back or pretend.
You always know and see clearly, everything on my mind.
You are genuine and wise and unfailingly kind.
In good times or sorrowful, our bond will endure.
Through tears and through laughter,
It remains timeless and pure.
Though our friendship spans countries, all-embracing and vast,
You'll be in my thoughts and my heart to the last.
Enjoy your special day from beginning to end,
And know you are loved,
Sincerely, your friend.
PS:
3 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds, crushed
4 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 In a shallow dish, combine the wheat germ and mustard seeds. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. In a bowl, blend the Dijon mustard with the dry mustard and spread it over the skinned side of the fillets. Dip the mustard side of the fillets in the wheat germ mixture until thickly coated.
2 In a nonstick skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the fillets, crust side down, and cook over moderately high heat until browned and crisp, 3 minutes. Turn the fillets and cook over moderate heat until barely cooked in the center, 3 minutes longer. Transfer the salmon to plates and serve crust side up.
Suggested Pairing
Fragrant Vermentino.
Serves : 6
DAVID PAGE and BARBARA SHINN October 2008
Champagne vinegar, made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, gets its rich, mellow flavor from being aged in oak barrels, like wine. David Page uses J. LeBlanc Champagne vinegar (available from lobels.com) to braise this luscious bone-in pork shoulder that's also flavored with cumin, coriander and mustard seed. More Pork Recipes
1 3-1/2-pound fresh picnic pork shoulder with skin
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced shallots
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
3/4 cup Champagne vinegar
2 cups dry sparkling wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 large sage sprigs
1 pound red grapes, stemmed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons snipped chives
1 Preheat the oven to 300°. Using a sharp knife, score the pork skin in a crosshatch pattern. Make deep slits all over the pork and insert a slice of garlic into each slit. Season the pork with salt and pepper.
2 In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil. Add the pork and cook over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 12 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate.
Step Add the shallots to the casserole and cook over low heat, stirring, until lightly browned, 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander and mustard. Add the vinegar and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the casserole. Add the wine, stock and sage and bring to a boil. Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the casserole. Cover and braise in the oven for 3 hours, or until the pork is very tender.
4 Carefully transf er the pork to a platter and cover with foil. Set the casserole over high heat and boil the braising liquid until it is slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the grapes and boil until they just begin to soften, 8 minutes. Remove the casserole from the heat and whisk in the butter, parsley and chives. Slice the pork and serve with the vinegar sauce.
TIP:
The pork can be refrigerated in its braising liquid, sliced or unsliced, for up to 2 days. Reheat gently before serving.
Suggested Pairing
To drink with this dish, consider a good rosé Champagne.
Serves : 4
l add scallions, fresh ginger, garlic and sesame oil to ground pork for a juicy Cajun-flavored burger.
1-1/2 pounds ground pork
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 hamburger buns, split
2 cups coleslaw mix
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a large bowl, mix the pork with the scallions, ginger, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Form the meat into four 3/4-inch thick patties.
2 Grill the burgers, turning once, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Lightly toast the buns on the grill.
3 Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the coleslaw mix with the rice vinegar, soy sauce and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set the burgers on the buns, top with the slaw and serve.
Serve With
Sriracha and mayonnaise.
This is a favorite at the Carano house , we have to triple it add fries .
from Nanook's Knights
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes Serves : 8
1/4 cup canola oil
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
5 garlic cloves, smashed
2 large ancho chiles, seeded and torn into large pieces
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup dry white wine
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup 2-percent milk
2 dozen cherrystone clams, scrubbed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small red onion, finely chopped 1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 10-ounce package frozen corn kernels, thawed
1-1/2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
1 pound skinless halibut fillet, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
1 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
Oyster crackers or crusty bread, for serving
1 In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the yellow onion, garlic, ancho chiles and fennel seeds and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cook over moderate heat until the vegetables and anchos are very tender and the broth is slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Stir in the milk.
2 Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Strain the soup into a heatproof bowl and rinse out the pot.
3 Add 1 cup of water to the pot along with the clams. Cover and cook over high heat until the clams open, about 8 minutes. Transfer the clams to a bowl and remove them from their shells; rinse to remove any grit. Chop the clams. Pour the clam cooking broth into a bowl and let the grit settle, then add the broth to the soup, stopping before you reach the grit at the bottom. Season the soup lightly with salt and pepper.
4 Rinse out the pot and wipe dry. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot and heat until shimmering. Add the potatoes and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Stir in the red onion, celery, chopped fennel and corn. Add the paprika and cook over moderate heat, stirring until the celery is crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Add the soup and bring to a boil.
5 Add the halibut, shrimp and chopped clams to the soup and simmer until the halibut is white and the shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the soup in shallow bowls with oyster crackers or crusty bread.
TIP:
This dish can be prepared through Step 4 and refrigerated overnight.
Suggested Pairing
Round, full-bodied Viognier.
This is a real old-fashioned American chocolate layer cake. It's very moist, very chocolatey, a snap to make and best baked the day before serving. I acquired the recipe from my sister-in-law (Mamie L.) who got it from her mother.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Chocolate Frosting (recipe below)
1 Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 8-by-1 1/2-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with wax paper. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2 In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves; then pour into a large bowl. Add the chocolate and butter and let sit, stirring occasionally, until melted and slightly cooled. Stir in the vanilla.
3 Beat the eggs into the chocolate mixture at medium speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients all at once and beat at medium speed until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top springs back when pressed lightly and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans for about 25 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
4 Set one cake, right-side up, on a serving platter. Using a metal spatula, spread one-third of the Chocolate Frosting evenly over the cake. Top with the second cake and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
Chocolate Frosting :
1-1/3 cups heavy cream
1-1/2 cups sugar
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 stick (4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract Pinch of salt
1 In a medium saucepan, bring the cream and sugar to a boil over moderately high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces slightly, about 6 minutes. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and add the chocolate, butter, vanilla and salt. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are melted.
2 Set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water. Using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the frosting on medium speed, scraping the sides occasionally with a rubber spatula, until thick and glossy, about 5 minutes. Use at once.
