Dave Stiles

My Favorite Recipes

Former Seattle Chef

2nd Edition

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About the Author

From 1975 to 1984 Dave Stiles cooked professionally both in St. Louis MO and in Seattle. He opened the 13

Coins at SeaTac and became their Sous Chef, eventually becoming Head Chef. While Head Chef of the Seattle

Trade Center Dave catered to the rich and famous throughout the Seattle area, including former Governor Dixie

Lee Ray, Senator Scoop Jackson, Senator Walter Mondale, former President Richard Nixon, Congressman Jack

Kemp, The Seattle Sonics, Seahawks, Mariners and many others. Dave finished his cooking career as Head

Chef of the now defunct Broadway Restaurant. In 1984 Dave began working for Kraft Foods selling to Seattle

area restaurants before going to work for Microsoft.

Dave Stiles is now a Digital Mobility Specialist with over 15 years experience working in Business

Development, marketing, and wireless consulting. Mr. Stiles managed the Consultant Relations Program for

Microsoft during the early 90‘s then operated his own software training company. In 1996 he joined ASIX, a

specialized consulting firm in Bellevue WA. In 1999 David joined DMR/Fujitsu Consulting where he managed

the telecommunications practice for the NW. While at Fujitsu Dave managed the design, implementation, and

maintenance of a complete, enterprise-wide, wireless Field Service Automation solution for Fluor

Telecommunications. Since that time Mr. Stiles has spoken and written about the Mobile Wireless revolution in

North America and Europe. He continues to cook and write about food and cooking from his home in Shoreline

WA.

Note: most of these recipes were written in isolation, not intended to be part of a larger book. Some of the

recipes contain some sub recipes that are repeated in more than one entry and differ slightly. Chose the ones you

like best. An overall book editing would benefit the flow of the recipes but no time for that these days. I hope

you enjoy the entries and eating the results. Send me email at newcordia@comcast.net if you have questions.

Dave Stiles

The Front cover picture: circa 1977 while chef at 13 Coins

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Forward

I have known Dave for almost 30 years. He came to the 13 Coins as an energetic student of the culinary arts,

with little real world restaurant experience. I was the executive chef at Ward Enterprises. Somehow Dave

managed to impress me with his intelligence and passion for cooking. In a matter of a few months he was

holding down a position as a line cook, making all the soups and sauces for both 13 Coins and the El Gaucho.

He joined the Washington State Chef‘s Association, making him one of the youngest members of the

association at the time. Gradually he rose up through the ranks, as a working chef in several restaurants around

town. I remember him most from his days as chef of the Trade Center in downtown Seattle. The Trade Center

was in the old American Can factory and had been converted to a large atrium, the clothing mart, and a major

banquet and catering facility. Dave took this small operation and turned it into one of the largest catering

operations in the city. It seemed like every week he would be telling me about some big shot dignitary he had

cooked for.

Dave always had great stories to tell about cooking here in Seattle or in St. Louis, before he arrived in Seattle.

One of the funniest stories he related was when then Governor Dixie Lee Ray visited the original 13 Coins in

downtown. Some of the waiters and cooks thought it would be a great gag to place a Band-Aid into half-eaten

manicotti which had been served the governor. They made a bid deal about how horrified she supposedly was

after finding the old Band-Aid in her lunch. Dave, being a very excitable guy anyway nearly went nuts. He

jumped and fidgeted in fear, trying to figure out what to do to make it up to the sickened Governor. Finally

when they had played it out as long as they could they all busted out laughing; the jig was up and Dave had

been completely taken in.

Another time at the 13 Coins SeaTac, when Dave was the Sous Chef, the cooks were busy on New Year‘s

evening waiting for the strike of midnight. It has always been a tradition to put oil in the pans on the burners,

get them smoking hot, then throw in a handful of ice. The resulting flames reached high into the air creating

their own little fireworks celebrating the New Year. I had instructed everyone not to participate because it was a

new kitchen and no one knew what would happen with the new fire retardant system.

Needless to say, my warnings were ignored. At the stroke of midnight the pans were sufficiently heated and the

ice cubes were tossed into the pans. The flames reached up five feet or more. Then, absolute silence; the hood

system, sensing the high heat, shut down and the fire retardant system kicked in. While most of the jets were

pointed towards the cook tops and fan, several were pointed out towards the counter, packed with guests. A

thick layer of blue powered foam covered everything in sight, including some of the customers. The restaurant

had to shut down for the evening and refund everyone‘s money.

For some reason, I didn‘t fire anyone, although threats were numerous.

The cooks spent the entire night until late in the morning cleaning blue powder from everything. Tiny remnants

of the foam remained tucked away in nooks and crannies for month – a reminder of the disastrous New Year‘s

debacle.

There were so many other stories that Dave could relate, if you ask him. He relishes in telling those old

restaurant stories. The 70‘s were the hay days in Seattle restaurant growth. Many of Seattle‘s great chefs got

their start at the 13 Coins.

I have always enjoyed Dave‘s cooking and notes about food. It seemed like he would come into the kitchen

with a new recipe every day. He‘d try it out and we would serve it up as a daily special. Most were big hits. He

is a true culinary pioneer, always ahead of his time, always trying something different, and thrilled when the

customer is satisfied. You will enjoy cooking these recipes and sharing them with your friends.

Earl Owens – retired Seattle Executive Chef

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*Earl Owens died on February 7

th, 2006 at the age of 69. He was a culinary giant and did more to influence my

cooking than anyone else. I will always remember him as tough but fair.

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Introduction

I come from a cooking family. My Grandmother Gratto and my Grandmother Stiles both were excellent

cooks. My mom learned the art of entertainment from the wife of my Dad‘s boss. I grew up watching the lavish

dinner parties, the fine crystal, and multi-course meals that my Mom served on Friday and Saturday nights.

Entertainment was her gift and she acquired superior skills from a variety of people who wanted to play the

socialite in central Massachusetts.

When my parents went off each evening to work on the new house they were building I was expected to

prepare dinner. At first I followed directions and made what I was told. After a while I began to experiment on

my own and those late night dinners were enjoyed by all. During college I helped pay the bills by working in

kitchens at school. When my new wife and I went to St. Louis for graduate work I ended up running the food

service at a Catholic girls school, cooking for the nuns. Finally I convinced Phil Karos, who owned Boucair‘s

Restaurant, to let me work at his kitchen. Boucair‘s was a fancy French restaurant in a St. Louis suburb.

That year constituted an incredible transformation from simply liking to cook to understanding the

entire process of preparing food for hundreds. I had to un-learn almost everything I knew about cooking. I was

fortunate to be able to work under that tutelage of an excellent chef who understood fine soups and sauces.

Cooking got into my blood so we decided to return to Seattle. I started working at the 13 Coins Restaurant,

which had just opened up near the Airport. I quickly rose up through the ranks to become chef.

Cooking is both and art and a craft. You have to love the process of combining various ingredients into

something that is both delicious and appealing. Once you begin to understand spices, proportions, and

combining ingredients you can make just about anything. Experimentation is critical to becoming a successful

cook. You must be willing to fail in order to eventually succeed. You must always be willing to veer from the

standard recipe. No offense but I don‘t think accountants make good chefs – cooking is not for the anal-

retentive.

Eating is for everyone. The most enjoyable aspect of cooking is watching friends and family enjoy your

creations. Seeing the smiles on the faces of people you cook for is very rewarding. I invite you all to cook more

often cook with gusto and delight. To do otherwise would be a disservice to the art and craft.

I want to thank some of the giants in this profession that have greatly influenced me.

Julia Child – as a kid, watching her cooking shows on that old black & white TV fascinated me.

Lorraine Stiles – my mom, she taught me how to entertain and got a kick out of seeing me progress. I don‘t

think she could believe it when I actually became a chef.

Earl Owens – This irascible and cantankerous culinary master was my mentor while at the 13 Coins. He saw

something in me and pushed me to the limit.

Chris Sarvis – Chris had more fun cooking and entertaining customers than anybody I ever met. He was raised

in the business and everything he did seemed automatic. He never missed a beat, never broke a sweat, always

enjoying cooking his way through life.

Tony Duffy – for the past 4 years Tony and I have carpooled to Microsoft and back, sharing great recipes and

eating our way to high cholesterol. Tony reviews the document and he always get‘s the first copy.

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Table of Contents ABOUT THE AUTHOR 2 FORWARD 3 INTRODUCTION 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS 6 COOKING TIPS AND TRICKS 8 POTS, PANS, AND OTHER COOKING INSTRUMENTS 9 SAUCES – A BRIEF COURSE 12 GUIDE TO PERFECT PAN SAUCES 14 BASIC BREAD RECIPE 17 FRENCH BREAD 18 REGARDING YEASTS 19 COOKING MEATS IN BRINE 21 MEAT INJECTOR NEEDLE AND GOOD GRAVY 22 SEAFOOD 23 ARGENTINE RED SHRIMP 24 CRAB BOIL 25 CLAM CHOWDER 26 COQUILLES ST. JACQUES 28 BRANDY OR COGNAC 28 CRAB BISQUE 30 CRAWFISH ETOUFFEÉ 31 GRAVAD LOX 33 SALMON SPREAD 34 MUSSELS IN SAFFRON SAUCE 35 OYSTER STUFFING 36 QUICK NORTHWEST BOUILLABAISSE 37 FISH STOCK – COURT BOUILLON (PRONOUNCED QUAH – BOO YAWN) 39 GARLIC AIOLI 39 ROUILLE 39 PAELLA 40 SALMON EN PAPILLOTE 42 MORNAY SAUCE 42 SAUTÉED LOBSTER – GREAT VALENTINES DAY DINNER 43 SEAFOOD LASAGNA 47 WHITEFISH – CAJUN STYLE 48 BEEF 49 STEAK DIANE 50 BEEF BURGUNDY 51 BEEF GRILLIADES 53 BEEF STEW 55 QUICK BEEF GRAVY 56 SOUTHWEST POT ROAST 58 BEEF STOCK – THE REAL THING 60 SUMMERTIME MEANS BURGERS ON THE GRILL 61 PASTRAMI 64 SAUERBRATEN 65 POTATO PANCAKES 66 SWEET & SOUR CABBAGE 66 SWEETBREADS 13 COINS STYLE 68 JERKED PORK 69 RICE AND PIGEON PEAS 69 BRAISED LAMB SHANKS 71 SAUCE FOR GYROS – TZATSIKI 72 POULTRY & GAME 73 COQ AU VIN 74 ROAST CHICKEN WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES 75

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DAVE‘S SPECIAL SPICE MIX 76 CHICKEN TIKA 77 HOMEMADE CURRY SPICE MIX – GARAM MASALA 78 DAVE‘S POULTRY SEASONING MIXTURE 79 WILD TURKEY 81 STUFFED BREAST OF CHICKEN (OR ANY GAME BIRD) 83 HOMEMADE ROASTED TOMATOES. 84 PERFECT RICE 84 CHICKEN PARMESAN 85 MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE 86 PRESERVED LEMONS 87 SOUPS 88 CRAB BISQUE 89 GUMBO 90 CINCINNATI CHILI 92 TEXAS STYLE HOT CHILI – LOWER CALORIE VERSION 93 QUICK PEPPER TABLE 94 CHICKEN CHILI 95 CREAM OF CHICKEN BARLEY SOUP 96 PEANUT SOUP 97 CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP 98 TURKEY RICE SOUP 99 MINESTRONE SOUP 100 BEEF BARLEY SOUP 101 POTATO LEEK SOUP 102 CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP 103 SPÉCIALITÉ DE LA MAISON 104 PASTA AND WILD MUSHROOMS 105 MUSHROOM STEAK SAUCE 107 LOW FAT RANCH DRESSING 108 GUACAMOLE 109 NORTH COUNTRY BOILED DINNER 110 CLASSIC BLUE CHEESE DRESSING 111 MAYONNAISE 111 PIZZA – DAVE‘S FAMOUS 113 PEPPER SAUCE 116 SAUCE BOLOGNESE 117 SPAGHETTI WITH CLAM SAUCE 119 CREAMY PASTA WITH BASIL, SAUSAGE, MUSHROOMS, AND SALAMI 120 FETTUCCINI ALFREDO 121 QUICK & EASY PASTA SAUCE 122 MEATBALLS 124 MARINARA 124 MANICOTTI 125 DINNER CREPES 126 THE $.10 CENT COOK. 127 BASIC ASIAN INGREDIENTS EVERY KITCHEN NEEDS 129 BAKED BEANS 131 MAKING BEER AND SPIRITS 132 DESERTS 133 CRÈME BRULEE 134 HOMEMADE ICE CREAM 136 DAVE‘S FAMOUS HOT FUDGE SAUCE 137 PATÉ CHOUX (CREAM PUFFS) 138 BAKED ALASKA 140 WHAT‘S IN MY COOKING LIBRARY? 141 GLOSSARY OF COOKING TERMS 143

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Cooking Tips and Tricks

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Pots, Pans, and other Cooking instruments

People are always asking me, ―What‘s the best type of pan to cook with?‖ It depends on what you are cooking

and what type of cooking you are doing. There are

basically six types of cooking; sautéing (pan frying),

deep fat frying, roasting, grilling, boiling, and

steaming.

Sautéing: For sautéing you want a pan that will

transfer the heat to your food quickly, ideally non-

stick, and light enough to handle easily. In addition,

you want a handle that will allow you to put the

sauté pan into a hot oven without burning or

melting.

Coated, Aluminum: For this I prefer either an aluminum pan with a non-stick lining, such as Teflon or

a CalphalonTM

anodized coating.

Cast Iron: cast iron pots and pans are great to sauté in once they become seasoned. Cast iron pans are

inexpensive, conduct heat well, and last a lifetime. The seasoning process is involved and essential.

Heat the pan in a hot oven for about ½ hour. Add vegetable oil to the pan and rub it into the pan. Then

add coarse salt to the pan and rub the salt into the pan – this acts like an abrasive. Wipe the pan clean

and store it covered until you are ready to use it. Repeat the process as necessary. Soon the pan will

blacken and become very shiny.

Cold Rolled Steel: The cold rolled steel pan transfers heat extremely well, is light enough to be moved

easily, can be seasoned to become virtually non-stick, and is inexpensive. These pans take a beating and

never show their wear. Eventually they will take on a copper-brown patina and are great for eggs,

making quick sauces, braising, and sautéing.

Copper: Copper sauté pans with a tin or steel lining are great as well. They transfer heat better than any

other material but are very expensive, tarnish quickly, and when lined with tin, wear out quickly and

eventually need to be re-tinned – a very expensive process.

Boiling: Boiling food is one of the oldest cooking methods, probably second only to roasting. At Sea Level

water boils at 212o Fahrenheit. Placing a lid on the pot will raise the temperature a few degrees and shortens the

cooking time.

Aluminum: large aluminum boiling pots are inexpensive, conduct heat well, and are great for boiling

most foods. The only exception is foods that are high-acid, such as tomato sauce. You can still cook

high acid sauces in aluminum pots but the foods should be removed from the pot as soon as you are

finished cooking it. If the aluminum pot is coated with either Teflon or CalphalonTM you need not

worry about the acid content.

Enameled cast iron: Cast iron pots are great to cook with but they should be enameled. The only

drawback is that enameled pots can chip over time. With hard use the enamel will eventually wear out

and will rust if not kept oiled. While enameled cast iron pots are beautiful they are expensive.

Steel (stainless): large stainless steel pots are great for boiling. They will not react to any foods and last

a lifetime. However they can be expensive. Be sure to buy a stainless boiling pan that has a heavy

bottom, which will not warp and holds the heat.

Copper: Copper pots are wonderful to boil in because they conduct heat so evenly. However, copper

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pots are extremely expensive and once again, must be lined with steel or tin or they will react with

many foods.

Roasting: A good roasting pan is a thing of beauty. Many good roasting pans also come with an adjustable

rack that keeps the food above the bottom of the pan.

Roasting pans can be put directly on the burner to begin

the braising process then transferred to the oven. Most

roasting pans do not come with a lid or cover, however

some cheaper older aluminum ones do. I don‘t recommend

these – they are flimsy and dent easily.

The best roasting pans are anodized aluminum, such as

CalpahlonTM

. They are light enough to handle well and

conduct heat well, although they can be expensive. Some

stainless steel roasting pans are great as well but stainless

doesn‘t conduct heat as well as aluminum.

Steaming: virtually any pot can be turned into a steaming pan but simply inserting one of these collapsible fold-

up steamer inserts. They have little feat that allow them to rest above the water and a handle to pull the food up

when finished. However, the best steamers are the Asian bamboo steamers. They can be placed over any pot or

wok and usually have several layers for steaming different types of food at once. They are cheap and clean up

easily.

Grilling: Grilling over an open fire is the oldest cooking method known. Our ancestors would take a piece of

meat, skewer it with a stick, and hold it over the fire to cook the meat.

Grills today have become high-tech, stainless, gas-fired wonders.

Some have auxiliary burners, ovens and side tables. However, the

simplest charcoal fired grills are the best in my opinion. They are

cheap, cook the hottest, and clean up fairly easily. There are

essentially three grilling sources of heat.

Gas: Gas grills are great because they fire up easily, simply turn on

the gas and you are cooking. They also clean up quickly. The

drawback to gas is that they simply don‘t get hot enough to really grill

with greatest efficiency. Gas grills can be supplemented with wood

chips to impart a smoky wood flavor.

Charcoal Briquettes: the modern charcoal briquettes will

heat up to 700o F, plenty hot enough to grill effectively. They

burn hot, last long, and leave nothing but ash behind. In

addition, charcoal briquettes are cheap. They are best for

grilling chicken because they don‘t get as hot as real

charcoal.

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Lump Charcoal (Mesquite): real mesquite charcoal is the best for grilling steaks, meats, and fish. It

burns to 1,000o F. Real charcoal

doesn‘t burn as long as briquettes

and are a bit more uneven due to

the random size of the pieces.

However, there is nothing better

for cooking the perfect steak.

Lump Charcoal is also a little

more expensive than briquettes.

It can be ordered online or

obtained at the Warehouse Stores

for much less, sometimes in 50

lb. bags.

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Sauces – a brief course

Most of the great cooks in the world learn to make a few classic sauces

and vary them according to what they are cooking. If you can learn to

make a good beef stock, chicken stock, and fish stock you can learn to

make hundreds of other sauces based on those three basic sauce starters.

Raymond Sokolof‘s book – The Saucier‘s Apprentice is the best single

source for all the great classic sauces. Buy it, master a few simple

sauces and you will be a good cook. I want to highlight a few simple

sauces – called Mother sauces and a few of their daughters.

Beef Sauces: Beef sauces begin with a good beef stock; the real thing.

The recipe is on page 61. Once you complete the beef stock you can

reduce it to make a thickened sauce called Demi Glace or half sauce. It

is half as thick as a full reduction called a Glace de Viande. Glace de

Viande reduced to such an extent it will hardly pour out. Once you have

made your beef stock, strain it carefully through a fine strainer or

through cheese cloth. I recommend the latter. Begin reducing this stock

until it forms a dark, thick syrupy sauce, about the consistency of a thick

soup. It should be clear but rich dark in color, about the color of a

chestnut. Now you are ready to make other sauces from this basic Mother sauce. Below is a chart of the primary

Mother Sauces, beef, fish, and chicken. There are hundreds more but this is a starter.

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Other basic French sauces

Check out the article on pan sauces, which was printed in the Seattle Times a few years ago – it is an excellent

primer. The sauces listed below are crucial elements of all cuisines especially French cuisine. The French cook

can recreate the canon of sauces from a limited set of techniques and ingredients. Here's a quick rundown of

some very basic sauce-stuff:

Béarnaise:

A relative of hollandaise, béarnaise is a reduction of vinegar, tarragon and shallots that is finished with egg

yolks and butter.

Béchamel:

Add milk or cream to a white roux and voila! it becomes a béchamel.

Hollandaise:

A hollandaise uses butter and egg-yolk as its liaisons. It is served hot with vegetables, fish and eggs -- like on

eggs Benedict.

Liaison:

A liaison, or binding agent, is the base of any French sauce. Sometimes called a binder, egg yolks, butter, flour,

and puréed vegetables, are all liaisons.

Reduction:

A reduction is the mixture that results from rapidly boiling a liquid (like stock, wine, or a sauce)and causing

evaporation -- "reducing" the sauce. The reduction is thicker and has a more intense flavor than the original

liquid.

Rémoulade:

This classic sauce mixes mayonnaise, mustard, capers, chopped gherkins, herbs, and anchovies.

Roux:

Roux, a combination of flour and a fat, often butter, is perhaps the best known liaison. A roux can be white,

blond, or brown, depending on ingredients and cooking time. It is used to thicken soups and sauces.

Velouté:

Mix a white roux with white stock (light chicken or veal stock) and it becomes a Velouté.

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Guide to perfect pan sauces

By CeCe Sullivan Seattle Times home economist

(note, these are great instructions found in the Food section of the Seattle Times a few months ago. I couldn’t have said it

better myself. The Italics are mine)

Pan sauces, unlike the emulsified branch of the sauce family, have a

forgiving nature. If the sauce is too thin, it can either be reduced further or

thickened with a starch. Or maybe the sauce has been reduced so much, it

needs loosening up. Just correct the consistency with a tablespoon or two

of water or other liquid.

The foundation of pan sauces are the crusty juices that form on the bottom

of the pan when food is browned, sautéed or roasted (called Fonds). Here's

how to construct an elegant sauce, step by step.

1) Sauté: Meats should first be patted with paper towels to absorb excess

moisture. Choose a heavy-bottomed sauté or frying pan. In "Sauces:

Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making," author James Peterson

advises paying attention to the size of the pan: "When meats are sautéed,"

he writes, "they should fit neatly into the sauté pan with no extra room. If

the pan is too large, so that part of its surface is exposed during sautéing,

the meat juices, which are essential to pan-deglazed sauces, will burn. An

overcrowded pan, on the other hand, will prevent the meat from browning

evenly and may even cause it to release its juices too quickly, so that it

simmers in its own juices, rather than browns." (make sure when browning

meats not to overcrowd the pan or the meat will only boil in juices, not

brown at all. Separate the meat in batches and brown a little at a time)

Heat the pan over medium to medium-high heat. (Some burners are hotter than others, so adjust the heat

accordingly.) Add the oil or other fat called for in the recipe. When hot, add food and cook without moving

until a crust is formed, which should release easily from the pan. Then turn and finish cooking. The food should

be a rich brown, but should not blacken.

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2) Degrease: After sautéing and removing meat from pan, pour off the fat.

(If aromatics are going to be added, a thin glaze of fat can be left on the

bottom of the pan.)

3) Deglaze: After degreasing pan, put it back on the heat. Now add

aromatics such as minced garlic and shallot, or a mirepoix — a tiny dice of

carrot, celery and onion. Sauté about 30 seconds. Pour liquid into the pan; it

should come to a boil quickly. Use a spatula to loosen the browned juices,

which become the bridge between the meat and sauce, adding lots of flavor

and rich color.

Deglazing liquids can be wine, broth or stock, or even water, which can be

used in combination or alone. For instance, add a small amount of wine to

deglaze the pan, then add stock or another liquid.

Use a good stock or broth, preferably homemade. But even canned broth

can be made richer and more flavorful by simmering for 30 to 45 minutes

with aromatics such as onion, garlic, carrot and celery.

4) Reduce: The deglazing liquid is cooked down by at least half, which

concentrates the flavor and thickens the sauce. As the liquid cooks down, it

will become saltier, so season the sauce after it has reduced.

Get a jump on the process by preparing reductions in advance — a time-

saver for quick-to-fix dishes. Reduce stock or wine by half, or cream by

about a third, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

5) Bind or thicken: Pan sauces are thickened most often by reduction. But

when a lot of liquid is added, as for the gravy made from the drippings of

turkey, one of the following binders may help:

Beurre manié: With a fork, blend until smooth 1 tablespoon each of

softened, unsalted butter and flour for each cup liquid. Add slowly to the

simmering sauce, whisking until smooth, and simmer about 5 minutes.

Slurries, made with a starch and cold water, are sauce savers that have

differing qualities and cooking times.

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Flour paste: Whisk together about 3 times the amount of cold water to

flour until smooth. Then pour a little at a time into the sauce, whisking

constantly. Add just enough to thicken the liquid. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes.

Cornstarch: Transparent sauces, much like those used in Chinese cooking,

are the result when cornstarch is used. For every cup of sauce, dissolve

about 1 to 2 teaspoons in twice the amount of cold water. Add to the hot,

simmering liquid in pan, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook about 2

minutes.

Arrowroot: Dissolve 1 to 2 teaspoons in twice the amount of cold water to

thicken a cup of liquid. Arrowroot does not need to be cooked to remove its

raw flavor and will begin to thicken immediately. Simmer about 1 minute.

You may be taking a chance with arrowroot, or any starch, that's been

pushed to the back of your cupboard for several years, as its thickening

ability will weaken with age. It's a good idea to date the packaging when

purchased so you'll have a fresh batch on hand when needed.

Sauces can be strained after reducing and thickening for smooth, elegant

preparations. But many benefit from the texture given by aromatics, vegetables and herbs. In fact, vegetable or

even fruit purées can also be used to thicken sauces. These purees "also contribute flavor, whereas plain starch

does not," writes Peterson. "Some purees, such as those made with tomato or green vegetables, contain so little

starch that they thicken a sauce simply by adding a large bulk of fine solid particles to a liquid medium," he

continues. When left to sit, the sauces may separate, but can be pulled back

together by whisking.

6) Finishes: Some wonderful demi-glaces, which are stocks that have been

reduced to a concentrated gel-like paste, are available in many

supermarkets. A teaspoon added to the finished sauce can add color, flavor

and richness. The juices that have gathered around the cooked meat can

also be put into the sauce and simmered briefly to thicken.

For a glossy sheen and velvety finish, about 1 tablespoon cold, unsalted

butter can be swirled into 1 cup sauce. On medium-low heat, whisk in

small pieces at a time, swirling the pan in a circular motion. When melted,

add another bit of butter. Remove pan from heat before the last piece of

butter has melted completely.

Sources: "Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making," by James

Peterson; "A Fresh Look at Saucing Foods" by Deirdre Davis; "Joy of

Cooking" by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker.

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Basic Bread Recipe

This bread recipe is standard bread, not

French or Italian bread. It can be made into an

artisan dough simply by leaving out the wheat

flour, using standard dry yeast or starter,

extending the rise time, and baking on a bread

stone in a hot oven, misting the inside of the

oven with water a few times before and

during the baking process. This is bread your

kids will love to eat. It‘s soft, hearty, and

flavorful. It is similar to what would have

been found baking in country kitchens in

America 100 years ago.

Ingredients

5 cups of Bread flour (high gluten flour – found in all supermarkets)

2 cups of whole wheat flour

1 cup of 7 grain blend. Usually found in health food sections of the market

(optional)

3 TBS. brown sugar

1 TBS salt

2 pkg. quick rise yeast

3 to 4 cups warm water (90 to 100 degrees F)

Mixing phase – 5 to 8 minutes

Blend all dry ingredients together, including yeast, in a large mixing bowl or

Kitchen Aid mixing bowl. Add the warm water and mix well with a large spoon

until blended. If you have a Kitchen Aid, mix at low speed for about 5 minutes

using the dough hook. If you are blending by hand, work with the spoon for a

few minutes then transfer to a well floured board and work by hand for about 10

minutes. The texture of the dough should be smooth and elastic. It should not

cling to the side of the bowl. It should form a ball but not be too dry. This will

take some practice. It it‘s too wet, add more flour – too dry, add a little warm

water.

Rising phase – one hour

Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap. You may want to spray a little Pam

on the plastic so that the rising bread won‘t stick to the plastic. Let rise for at

least 1 hour or until the dough is pushing the plastic wrap up. This is where most

people make mistakes – they don‘t let the bread rise long enough. Make sure the

rising place is slightly warm, draft free, but not too hot. On top of the fridge is a

good place because the air near the ceiling is warmer.

Proofing phase – 35 minutes

Roll the dough out onto a floured breadboard. Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Knead each piece for a few

minutes removing the air out of the loaf. Form into a bread pan sized loaf and place into a loaf pan. I use glass

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bread pans because they won‘t impart any metallic taste to the loaf (I also spray the inside of the pans with Pam

spray). Once both loaves have been kneaded and put into the loaf pans and let rise again for 30 minutes.

Baking phase – 25 minutes

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. The rack should be in the middle of the oven. Just before you place the

loaves in the oven, use a razor blade to make a slice down the length of the bread. This lets the steam escape

and ensures you won‘t have a blowout hole on the side of the bread, which is not pretty. Once the loaves are

done, invert the pans onto a cooling rack and let the loaves cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Analysis phase – 3 minutes

The first time you make bread using this recipe will tell you a lot. Was the dough too dry, too wet, was the oven

too hot or cool, was it baked all the way through. If there is a doughy spot in the center of the loaf you need to

either use a little less water or bake a little longer. The color should be a nice brown, a little darker than the

typical golden color.

Eating phase – as long as you like You can use all white flour if you want and vary the recipe as you like. Sometimes I add a cup or two of

shredded cheddar for great cheese bread. Sometimes I add some herbs for delicious herb bread. It‘s also great

with Parmesan cheese and Calamata olives. The sky‘s the limit. Have fun, especially with the eating part.

French Bread The wonderful long airy loves, called baguettes, are the envy of every bread baker. How do you achieve this

quality bread in your home kitchen? It‘s not easy and

requires attention to detail. However, by taking some

simple steps you can produce remarkably good French

bread in your home kitchen

First, use high quality high gluten bread flour. This can

be found in most supermarkets. Power Flour is the

brand I like and it can be found in bakery supply

houses. Additionally, the rise time is significantly

increased. Here is my recipe.

Mixing Phase

On the evening before baking, Combine 7 cups of high

gluten flour with 1 cup of rye flour. Add 2 pkg. of

standard dry yeast and 1 TBS of salt. Mix together

with a spoon. Add 3 to 4 cup of warm water and begin

mixing. Use a Kitchen Aid mixer with a dough hook or

knead by hand until the dough forms a ball and leaves

the side of the bowl. Continue kneading for about 8 to

10 minutes. The dough should be moist and elastic,

hold its shape and not stick to your hands. If you are

going to make bread every day or every other day, reserve a fist sized portion of the dough to use as a starter for

the next batch. This will insure consistency in the bread.

Rising phase Place the dough in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until the dough begins to rise. Transfer the dough to a

refrigerator and let it rise slowly overnight. In the morning, remove the dough from the Fridge and let rise for

another hour. When the dough has doubled in size, place it on a floured board.

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Forming phase

Separate the dough into two balls and knead each one separately. Roll out the dough into two long bread loaves.

Place a floured towel over the loaves and let rise again for about 1 hour.

Baking phase

Just prior to placing the loaves into the oven, make 5 angled slices along the length of the loaf. Use a razor for a

very fine deep cut. When the oven is at 450, spray the inside of the oven with a water mist and immediately

slide the loaves onto an unglazed baking tile. After a minute or so, when the oven has returned to 450, open the

door a little and spray-mist again. The oven interior should be steamy. This will give you a nice crusty crust.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until you achieve the color you like. Classic French bread is usually a golden

color.

Evaluation Phase

Let the loaves cool on a rack before cutting into. There should be some fine holes and possibly some larger

ones. The bread should have a crusty exterior but soft and somewhat chewy, with an extremely fine crumb.

There may be small blisters on the bottom crust which contribute to the overall texture. Once again, if the bread

is a little doughy, use a little less water, too dry, add a little more water. Keep in mind, it‘s unlikely you will

over knead the bread and remember to let it rise fully. The slow rise will have the greatest impact on the texture

and flavor.

One Last Item – For the Purist

The best breads in the world are made in wood fired brick ovens. These ovens can be purchased, in home

versions, for under $2,000. The ovens usually come in several large pieces and needs to be mounted on a brick

platform to raise the oven entrance to waist level. Most ovens are then covered over with brick and mortar to

make them look pretty. While they can be installed in an inside kitchen, many are designed to be installed

outside on a patio. A hardwood fire is started in the baking cavity and allowed to burn down to a few coals, with

the oven door closed. The inside of the oven reaches temperatures over 600 degrees Fahrenheit. The oven door

is opened, the coals and ash are swept away and the oven is ready to receive its first dough. Several loaves of

bread can be placed in the oven at the same time. Within 20 minutes they are ready to remove, using a wooden

peel. The large ovens can accommodate several batches of bread before cooling off below 400 degrees

Fahrenheit. You can also bake great pizza in brick ovens. The thin crust and the hot bricks cause the dough to

blister and bake almost immediately.

Some ovens also have a lower chamber where a fire can be started and a Grate can be added to accommodate

the baking of roasts, chickens, or just about anything. While the brick oven is expensive, requires lots of work,

requires considerable maintenance, wood purchasing and care, it is an amazing way to cook foods and the fire

imparts a flavor and heat that cannot be duplicated in the home oven.

Regarding Yeasts

Yeast comes in several varieties. Dry packaged yeast comes in two types, quick rise and standard. The

difference is that the quick rise yeast has been milled into much finer pieces, almost a powder. This allows the

yeast to react and begin rising very quickly. The quality and type of yeast in both packaged versions is the same.

Yeast can also be purchased in a moist yeast cake. This yeast also begins rising almost immediately but has a

shorter shelf-life than dry yeast. Some contend that cake yeast is more foolproof. This has not been proven and I

have not proven it. Natural yeasts are those yeasts which are found in the world around us. Grapes have a

natural yeast coating on their skins, which is why crushed grapes begins turning into wine immediately. Many

bread experts suggest trying to capture natural yeasts and using them in breads. You can do this by placing your

dough outside on a warm sunny day covered with a layer of cheese cloth. After a few hours, you should see

some leavening activity. Once the yeasts have been captured and mixed with flour and water they form a starter

which can be kept for years if properly cared for. Natural bread starters, sometimes referred to as sourdough,

have a strong aroma and produce bread that is chewy in texture. If you are going to bake bread every day or

every other day, a natural starter may be your best bet. If you keep everything equal, your bread made with a

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natural starter will acquire a flavor profile unlike anyone else‘s in the world. Your unique kitchen bacteria,

fungus, yeasts, and oven characteristics will give your starter based bread individual character.

21

Cooking meats in Brine

Brine cooking has been used for hundreds of years, primarily because it helped preserve meats where

refrigeration was at a premium. I have been brining

meats for a few years now and regard it as a rustic but

flavorful method of preparing meats, especially fowl.

This is a two step process, soaking in brine, then

discarding the brine and roasting, grilling or smoking.

While the method is usually reserved for whole birds

or pork roasts, you can use cut up pieces of fowl as

well. Just leave them in the brine for less time. You

will notice that the resulting meat is very plump, well

flavored, and juicier than any meat you have ever

cooked. The chemistry involved allows the meat to

hold more moisture and retain its juiciness. Moisture

loss can be reduced from the typical 30% loss to

around 15% moisture loss. Here is a classic chicken

dish, prepared using a brine as a first step.

Brine recipe

2 quarts of water

1/3 rd cup salt

3 TBS. brown sugar

2 TBS. apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

2 bay leaves

2 whole cloves garlic

1 TBS. fresh ground pepper

1 whole fryer or roasting chicken

Procedure

Prepare your brine in a large stainless steel or ceramic bowl. Plunge the chicken, game hen, duck, goose, or

pork roast into the brine. You may also brine a turkey but make considerably more brine and use a large plastic

bucket to brine the bird. Make sure the meat is covered completely. Add a little more water to cover if

necessary. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight. Next

morning, take the bird out and discard the brine.

Roast the bird in the normal way, with any herbs or seasonings you like. You won‘t need any additional salt. If

using cut up pieces, you can flour them, sauté first, then finish off in an oven.

I served the whole roast chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and glazed carrots. Rather than making traditional

gravy, I simply poured off the excess fat, then use the pan juices. I deglaze that pan with white wine and a little

chicken stock, reduced it down, and poured it over the mashed potatoes. It was already well seasoned

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Meat Injector Needle and Good Gravy

One cooking tool that has really made a big hit recently is the

large cooking hypodermic needle, used for injecting

everything from meats to watermelons with a flavorful

solution. Here‘s what I use the injector for

Chickens/Fowl/Turkeys – great with game birds. The meat of

the injected turkey or chicken will very moist and juicy. It‘s

my favorite new technique.

Make some chicken broth. If you have any chicken bones in

the freezer you can make your own stock. If you have to use

prepared chicken stock it‘s OK but a bit salty. I make a

chicken broth tea by adding a few fresh sage leaves, fresh

garlic, pepper, and bay leaf to the broth and steeping it for

about 20 minutes. Strain the stock and add about 3 TBS of

butter to 2 cups of stock or stock and wine. Mix it well with a

wire whip, suck it up into the syringe and inject into the

thickest parts of the chicken, turkey, or game bird – legs,

breast, etc. You will see the bird visibly swell at the point of injection, when the juice begins to leak out the

entry whole move to another spot. Use up all 2 cups for a turkey, a little less on a chicken, etc. I usually make 3

cups of injector broth for my turkey and put the rest in the pan after removing the foil from the bird. Roast the

bird in the normal way.

For turkeys, I cover with foil for the first couple of hours, then remove the foil to really brown the bird. I baste

the skin every 20 minutes using a bulb baster, after removing the foil. Some suggest placing the bird on a rack,

above the juices. I don‘t do that. I like the bird right on the pan to really super flavor the bird and add to the

leave behind skin bits and pan drippings. I also add a quart of water, or a little more, to the pan once I take the

foil off. I also place the neck and other giblets to the pan from the very beginning of the roasting process. The

liver and neck meat can be chopped fine and added to the gravy. Once the turkey is done (and I mean really

done) remove from the pan and place on the platter. Remove most of the turkey fat. Deglaze the pan with a little

extra water or stock over high heat. When it comes to a boil and most of the residue has been scraped off the

ban bottom, strain into a 4 quart pan.

To thicken the gravy I like to make a roux. Roux is a mixture of equal parts of fat and flour (by weight), cooked

for several minutes to get the starchy flavor out of the flour. I like to use the skimmed turkey fat off the stock

you just made when you deglazed the pan. The general rule to avoid lumps is to use ―cold roux-hot stock or

cold stock-hot roux.‖ I like to pour the cool stock over the hot roux (you can quick cool by adding a few ice

cubes to the stock), a little at a time until the desired thickness has been achieved. Some people like a really

thick gravy but I prefer one a little lighter, it should just coat the bottom of a spoon.

You may want to enrich the stock with a little of high quality paste-style chicken base. I also add a little

Worcestershire sauce, dry sherry, and kitchen bouquet caramel color to achieve the desired gravy color. Finally,

adjust the salt and pepper at the very end. This is also where I add the finely chopped giblets. This same gravy

making process works well with beef dishes as well, especially those with meat with bones in it, such as pork

roasts, rib roasts, or lamb roasts. For Turkey, I try to make as much gravy as possible so that you can have some

on Friday after Thanksgiving for turkey sandwiches, etc.

I like to carve the turkey completely and let people come through the buffet line and select their own meat. I

carve the meat right to the bone, taking the meat from every conceivable location, top and bottom. I divide the

meat into light and dark on the serving platter. I always reserve all bones for turkey soup, which I make on

Saturday after Thanksgiving. I also like to put a little of the turkey gravy in the soup. Enjoy.

23

Seafood

24

Argentine Red Shrimp

We went to Trader Joe‘s because they were advertising these Argentine Red Shrimp (Pleoticus), also called a

Langoustine, that taste like Lobster. They are a little sweeter than regular shrimp, don‘t taste quite like lobster,

but are very good. They come already

peeled and de-veined. Occasionally you

can get them whole, head-on, at the fish

market. You can also get the small

Slipper Lobsters (Scyllarides), which

are a true species of lobster, but smaller

than their northern Maine cousins

(homarus) and have a greenish, bumpy

shell. Here‘s how I prepared them.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs. of large shrimp (if you are using

shell-on shrimp peel and deveined)

3 TBS butter

2 TBS vegetable oil

½ cup flour for dusting the shrimp

1 tsp. Dijon Mustard

3 cloves garlic – smashed to a paste

1 cup white wine

1 pint of heavy cream

Directions

Make sure the shrimp are very dry. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly flour the shrimp and dust off excess.

Melt about 1 TBS. butter in the oil. When the butter/oil is hot, gently drop in the sauté pan to cook. Add a little

of the fresh garlic to the pan. Turn the shrimp when golden brown on one side. Don‘t overcook or they will be

rubbery. Remove from the pan when done and place on a warm plate with a paper towel on it to absorb excess

oil.

Beurre Blanc (white wine butter sauce)

Pour the remaining oil from the pan. Return to high heat and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the

remaining garlic. Reduce the wine to a syrup and add the cream. Continue cooking until the cream reduces by

½. It will take on a pale yellow color and will coat a spoon. Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter

whisking in until fully incorporated. Add the Dijon Mustard. Place the shrimp on the plate and drizzle the sauce

over the shrimp. Serve with a nice rice pilaf or fresh pasta and colorful vegetables.

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Crab Boil

The Crab Boil is a great American feast, often

prepared right on the seashore. However you can

fix a great crab boil in your backyard with the right

tools and ingredients. Here‘s what you need. One

large free standing gas burner. A big pot to hold

the cooking liquid. A big strainer that fits into the

pot. Add plenty of good ingredients. OK, here's

how I would do the clam/crab boil thing.

Ingredients

5 lbs clams

5 lbs mussels

3 lbs. shrimp, shells on (you may substitute

Lobsters or crawfish)

7 or 8 large crabs

5 lbs. smoked Louisiana sausage

2 pkg. Old bay seasoning

4 oz. liquid crab boil

Two lemons, cut in half

2 TBS salt

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

5 bay leaves

15 large yellow skinned potatoes

10 ears of corn, husked

2 medium whole onions

5 cloves garlic

1 qt. cocktail sauce - for dipping - 3 dollars

2 cups melted butter - for dipping - 4 dollars

Procedure

In a large kettle, over a free standing gas burner, bring water to a boil.

Add all seasonings and let simmer for 5 minutes. In the large strainer that comes with the kettle place the

potatoes, corn, crabs, clams, shrimp, and mussels in that order. Carefully drop the strainer into the kettle being

careful not to splash the boiling water over the edge of the kettle or on yourself. Cover the kettle and cook for

about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender.

Strain all the liquid back into the kettle. When most of the dripping has subsided, throw the ingredients onto a

red checkered plastic table cloth, being careful not to spill any of the goodies over the side. Give everyone paper

plates and something to crush or crack the crabs. Serve with melted butter for the clams, mussels, crab, and

corn, along with cocktail sauce for the crabs. You may also serve lots of crusty bread to sop up all the juices.

Dive in; make sure you have bibs for everyone – it‘s a mess but yummy.

This could get pretty expensive so distribute the costs among your guests. This should serve about 10 to 12

people.

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Clam Chowder

Go to this site to view the various Washington State Clams that are found on our sandy and rocky beaches

during a low tide. http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/waterres/beaches/clam/clamid.htm

Always check for Red Tide warnings. Clams are affected by Red Tide and are poisonous. Red Tide will make

you deathly ill. The large horse clams are

great for Chowder. They should be washed

several times in cold water from the tap.

You may put a little corn meal into the

water to get the clams to purge themselves

of any sand. Virtually any clam can be used

in chowder, cockles, horse clams, sand

clams, and butter clams. This picture

features them all. The horse clam is in the

center, sand clam on the lower rt. Corner,

butter clam on the upper left corner, cockle

is at the bottom center.

My Favorite Clam Chowder recipe - makes

about five

1 cup servings I have made 100's of gallons of Clam Chowder over

the years. But recently, I have been making, a fresher, less thick chowder

that I like real well. I usually make it in small batches, fresh, from scratch, and it is well received. Recently we

went to Edmonds beach when the tide was -2.1 or something and dug a bunch of fresh clams. They are big, a

little chewy, and very flavorful - definitely the best.

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh clams shelled (about 3 lbs. in shell

2 to 3 cups of fresh clam liquor (made from scratch,

see below)

1 medium carrot cut very fine julienne (long thin

strips)

2 stalks celery cut fine julienne

1 medium onion, diced fine

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch

cubes

1 bay leaf

1 small sprig of fresh thyme

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 clove of fresh garlic, chopped fine

fresh ground pepper

salt

1/4 cup, fresh chopped parsley

1 cup 1/2 and 1/2 (you can use heavy cream if you want -

extra rich)

2 TBS unsalted butter

2 TBS flour

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Directions

Wash and soak the clams in the sink for at least 1 hour, so that they pump out most of their sand; less time if

you buy them fresh at the store. Steam clams in a large sauce pan in either a cup of water or white wine. When

the clams are fully open, remove from the liquid to cool. Remove from the shells. Save the steaming liquor (it‘s

called it liquor for some reason). Sauté the chopped vegetables in 2 TBS of butter until the onions are just

tender. Add the flour and work it into the vegetables. Cook the starchy taste out of the flour for about 3 minutes.

Add the clam liquor. You might want to strain it through a clean towel just to remove any sand. The chowder

will thicken slightly. Add the seasonings except for the parsley. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender.

Add the cream and parsley and the clams. You may chop the clams if you want. If they are small leave them

whole. If they are the ones you dig yourself, they are likely to be very large and a bit tough so you will want to

chop them into more manageable chunks. Allow the chowder to simmer for a couple of minutes more.* Adjust

seasoning. Serve with good oyster crackers and crusty French bread and either a good cold beer or good

chardonnay.

*The larger muscle pieces of the horse clam can be pounded a bit to make tender. Don‘t pound the stomach, it

will mash all over the place. To eat the stomach or not, is often asked. I have no problem with the large

stomachs. The contents tend to be a greenish-gray. The stomach is more flavorful than other parts of the clam

but great in chowder. Some people don‘t like the soft texture. It‘s a matter of personal taste.

28

Coquilles St. Jacques

Sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) are a favorite of just about everyone. This recipe was a hit in French

restaurants during the 60‘s and 70‘s. Large sea scallops

have gotten expensive but it remains a special treat. If you

can find the whole scallops in the shell you can also add

the pink roe to the recipe, which makes it extra rich. I have

added the mushrooms which gives the recipe a smoother

character. I can usually find the large sea scallops at

Costco at a reasonable price. This recipe serves four.

Ingredients

20 large sea scallops (5 per person)

2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped fine

1 lb. sliced mushrooms (any kind, but portabella‘s are too strong)

1 shallot, chopped fine (green onions can also be used)

1 and ½ pint of heavy cream

5TBS unsalted butter

¼ cup good brandy*

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and white pepper to taste.

Directions

Soak the scallops in the cream for 3 hours. Strain the scallops well and reserve the cream. Melt 3 TBS of the

butter in a sauté pan, being careful not to not burn. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until the shallots begin

to get translucent. Dry the scallops on paper towels. Season the drained scallops, with salt and pepper. Add the

scallops to the pan, one or two at a time. You don‘t want the scallops to steam, but brown slightly. Cook for

about a minute on each side, removing each one as they are browned, to a warm plate. Add the mushrooms and

cook thoroughly. Season them with a little salt. Remove the mushrooms from the pan. Add the brandy and

flame. Then add the cream to the pan. Reduce the cream by ½. It should take on a pale yellow color, thicken

slightly and coat a spoon. Add the nutmeg and cayenne. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Finish the

sauce with 2 TBS of the unsalted butter, whisking it in off the heat. Return the scallops and mushrooms to the

sauce. Coquille St. Jacques should be presented in a small round baking dish or gratin dish. Ideally, you should

sprinkle a little ground French bread crumbs on top of the scallops and mushrooms, and brown slightly under a

broiler. Garnish with fresh chives.

Brandy or Cognac Cognac is made exclusively from grapes. It comes from a clearly defined region of France, around the town of

Cognac. Its outstanding environment is unique in the world. With its chalky, stony soil and sunny temperate

climate the region is perfect for vine growing.

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The traditional vineyard of the Cognac region is divided into six growing areas (crus in French), each with its

different characteristics. To ensure the exceptional quality of its cognacs, The best varieties of cognac uses only

eaux-de-vie from the first four crus, those which have the best topsoil and very chalky subsoil. The grape

variety covering most of the vineyard for the production of cognac is called Ugni Blanc which produces a

fruity, light white wine ideal for distillation.

Cognac is not just a spirit but an eau-de-vie which keeps the essence of the initial wine, losing none of its

pleasant, much sought-after aromas.

Distillers in the Cognac region have been using the double distillation method since the sixteenth century.

Throughout the winter, until the end of March, the copper alambics (pot-stills) work continuously to turn the

wine into eau-de-vie.

The first distillation yields a distillate called brouillis, which concentrates the richest floral aromas. The

brouillis is then distilled. This second distillation gives a more refined and stronger alcohol named the coeur or

heart. It takes nine liters of wine to produce one liter of eau-de-vie de coeur. This coeur .

is a crystal clear eau-de-vie, which will become cognac after a long and natural maturing process. The slow and

natural ageing in oak casks develops the aromas, flavors and colors of Hennessy cognacs.

While ageing, the eaux-de-vie lose some of their strength and volume. Each year, about 2 % evaporates from

the barrels. In Cognac this is dubbed 'the Angels‘ Share'. Evaporation eliminates the very volatile substances,

leaving those that give the eaux-de-vie their bouquet. A great cognac is the result of many eaux-de-vie of

different origins and ages, and with various characteristics, that are assembled over time by our master blender.

30

Crab Bisque

Bisque is a chowder that has all the chunky vegetable pieces strained out. It is a rich, thick, smooth soup that is

very flavorful with the primary ingredient standing out

from the flavors.

Ingredients

1 to 2 lbs. fresh crab meat, depending on the number of

people you are serving. I suggest using whole crabs and

remove the meat from every nook and cranny – save the

shells for stock. If you can find fresh live Dungeness

crabs, all the better. Then you can steam yourself, cool,

remove the crab meat, and save the cooking liquid for the

stock. This basic recipe can be used for lobster bisque,

shrimp, crawfish, etc.

½ medium onion, rough chopped

2 stalks celery, rough chopped

1 medium carrot, rough chopped

1 quart fish stock, shrimp stock, or shrimp stock enriched

with crab shells

1 pint whipping cream

6 TBS unsalted butter

1 TBS tomato paste

½ tsp thyme

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

½ tsp. cayenne pepper (or more if you like)

2 cloves garlic, smashed fine

¼ cup sherry

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Procedure

In a quart of shrimp or fish stock, add the shells from two or three crabs, preferably from the crabs you just

removed the crab meat from. Simmer for 20 minutes and strain into a sauce pan.

Sauté the chopped the vegetables in 3 TBS butter until just clear. Add flour to the sautéing vegetables to form a

roux. Pour the stock over the vegetable/flour mix and cook until the soup thickens. Add the tomato paste,

thyme, and garlic to the soup. Add the cream and simmer until the sauce reduces a little and the sauce thickens

again slightly. Add the sherry and Worcestershire sauce. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Finally add

the crabmeat and simmer for a few minutes more.

Serve with oyster crackers or toast points. Garnish the bisque with a teaspoon of fresh crab meat right in the

center of the soup. Some also garnish with a dollop of sour cream, or both. Bisque can be served with either a

rich oaken chardonnay or even a full bodied red, such as a Cabernet or Syrah. Enjoy.

31

Crawfish Etouffeé

Etouffeé means ―smothered,‖ which refers to the sauce and seafood smothering the rice below, although in this

picture, the scoop of rice sits on top of the etouffeé. Etouffeé is another one of those peasant dishes, made

popular by restaurants in New Orleans, although it is

certainly popular among the Cajuns in all of South

Louisiana. Like its cousin Gumbo, etouffeé is a poor-

man‘s dish. Whatever was hanging around the house

was thrown into the gumbo or etouffeé to make it taste

good while the farmers were out in the fields. The wet

swampy areas they worked in were full of mud-bugs

or crawfish. Crawfish taste a little like lobster but are a

bit more earthy, since they are a fresh water

crustacean. Here is one recipe that I especially like.

Today they are mostly farm raised and cooked by the

hundreds for their tail meat. It takes a lot of crawdads

to make one pound of tail meat.

Ingredients

Shrimp, Crawfish, crab, - about 1.5 lbs of

shrimp or crawfish tails, shells removed (use

the shells to make the stock)

Celery – two stalks, - chopped fine

Green peppers – 1 medium, chopped fine

Onions – 1 medium, chopped fine

Green onions – 3 green onions (scallions)

chopped fine

Garlic – 8 cloves, chopped fine

Bay leaves – 1 bay leaf

Cumin – 1 tsp

Filé powder – 1 tsp

Chili powder – ½ tsp.

Salt – to taste

Cayenne pepper – ¼ tsp or more if you like

HOT!

Worcestershire sauce – 1 tbs.

Tabasco sauce – several good splashes

Brown roux – about 3 oz. of each, oil and flour, perhaps a little more

Chicken or shrimp stock (crawfish if you are using crayfish instead of shrimp) – 2 cups

Dark beer – 1 bottle

Parsley – ¼ cup, chopped fine

Tasso, Andoullie, - 8 oz. chopped fine (Tasso is a delicious, heavily smoked ham with a peppery rind, found in

Louisiana; Andoullie is a smoked garlic sausage from the same. Either can be used, Andoullie is easier to find

than Tasso. You can substitute a good dry cured ham for Tasso)

Make a brown roux by mixing equal parts, by weight, of flour and peanut oil. Cook over medium high heat,

watching carefully, and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or wire whisk. Gradually the roux will begin to

turn golden brown, light brown, and eventually get the color of dark peanut butter. That is the color you want.

Immediately add the vegetables and continue sautéing for about 5 more minutes. Add the chopped Tasso or

Andoullie. Add the stock, seasonings, and chopped parsley. When the sauce begins to thicken, add the beer and

Worcestershire. Continue cooking for 10 minutes more. Finally add the fish and simmer for about 10 more

minutes. Adjust the seasoning. This is a spicy dish so don‘t be afraid to use plenty of Tabasco or cayenne. A

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good shrimp or crawfish stock makes the dish. Serve over white rice with plenty of crusty French bread, cold

beer, or a nice red wine.

Shrimp stock

Shrimp shells

½ lemon

Celery

Onion

Carrot

Bay leaf

Whole pepper corns

Old Bay Crab Boil

In 2 quarts of cold water, add shrimp shells, fish bones, crawfish shells, lobster shells, whatever you have. Add

all the seasonings including the Crab Boil. Bring to a boil, skim the scum which will rise to the top. Continue

simmering for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Strain the stock in a fine sieve or even

through two layers of cheese cloth. Return the stock to a boil and reduce by ½. You can freeze the stock or use

it right away.

33

Gravad Lox

The question has come up, ―Can you eat raw Salmon?‖

Many cultures do, especially with Native Americans

from Alaska and the Arctic Circle. Also Hawaiian‘s

have a recipe for raw salmon that is pickled. The reality

is that the flavor and fat content of most salmon makes it

less of a candidate for eating raw, as in a sushi recipe.

However, whenever you eat Lox, you are essentially

eating cured (but not cooked with heat) salmon. This

Scandinavian recipe for cured salmon (lox) is

surprisingly simple to make. Don‘t be intimidated by the

idea of making your own Lox. It is easy and delicious. I

made some over the weekend and had it on Sunday. The

dish takes 48 hours to cure so if you are planning on

having it on Saturday you should start on a Thursday

afternoon. The curing process pulls the moisture out of

the fish, increases the density, and darkens the flesh slightly. The combined flavor of salt, sugar, dill, and pepper

is great.

Ingredients

1 whole salmon, separated into two fillets with skin and pin bones removed.

½ cup sugar

½ cup salt

½ cup fresh dill, chopped fine with stems removed. Just use the fine leafy tops.

1 TBS fresh ground pepper

Procedure

In a large stainless steel, enameled, or glass baking dish (9‖ by 12‖ Pyrex works fine) sprinkle ½ the cure mix

on the bottom of the pan. Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on the mixture (remember, the skin should be

removed). Then sprinkle the remainder of the cure mix on the top sides. Grind the pepper on the fish. Cover

with plastic wrap as tightly as possible, directly over the fish. Find a weighted object that is just smaller than the

inside dimensions of the pan. I used a ½ case of soda, where the full box was just the right size to fit into my

glass Pyrex baking dish. After 24 hours, turn the salmon fillets over. Re-cover with the plastic wrap and weight

again. You will notice quite a bit of liquid (brine) has leached out. This is

good. Don‘t get rid of the brine until the 48 hours are up.

After the 48 hours is up, remove the fillets from the pan and place on a

cutting board. Rub the peppery, cure mix off the salmon fillets. Then

carefully slice the salmon fillets with a sharp slicing knife. Try to make

the slices as thin as possible, ideally around 1/8th inch. Slice at an angle

so that the slices are as broad as possible. Practice the thin slice on the

first fillet and by the time you are on the second you should be an expert.

Serving Suggestions

Use the Lox as you would any Lox. Top bagels with cream cheese and Lox. You may also garnish with capers,

thin sliced red onions, and tomato slices. Or you may want to use the traditional Scandinavian mustard sauce.

This is a mixture of ¼ cup Dijon Mustard, red wine 2 TBS. vinegar, 3 TBS. sugar, 1 tsp. dry mustard, 2 TBS

salad oil, and 3 TBS. finely chopped fresh dill. The Scandinavian method is to serve with their thin dry

crackers, the Lox and the mustard-dill sauce.

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You can make an entire meal featuring the Lox. Serve with dill pickles, an assortment of olives, pickled herring,

an assortment of breads and crackers, as well as cheeses. The Gravad Lox will keep for a week or so in the

fridge, tightly wrapped. Another tradition is to serve the Lox with icy cold shots of good Vodka. It is also great

with champagne.

Salmon Spread

Smoked Salmon Spread (sort of )

10 oz of cooked salmon

4 oz cream cheese or Neufchatel

1 TBS mayonnaise

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce (more if you like it hotter)

1 clove chopped garlic

3 or 4 drops Wrights Liquid Smoke

Salt and pepper to taste.

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or mixer. It should be fairly smooth. Serve with toasted bagels, toast,

crackers, or as a filling in hollowed out cherry tomatoes, on celery sticks, or in mushroom caps. Its also great

garnished with finely chopped red onions and capers.

35

Mussels in Saffron Sauce

The Pacific Mussel (mytilus edulis) is the queen of

the anchored shellfish. The small blue bivalves can

be found tightly clustered on rocks and pilings all

over the Pacific Northwest in the intertidal

regions. Do not eat mussels taken from creosote

coated pilings as they will be toxic. Cut the

mussels from their base and scrape the beard off

just prior to cooking. Mussels are free from sand

as they do not grow in sandy areas. This recipe

should serve 4 adults as an appetizer

Ingredients

4 lbs of fresh Pacific Mussels, cleaned and scraped

of their beard.

1 shallot finely chopped (sweet onions or green onions can be substituted for shallots)

1 cup of white wine

¼ cup brandy

1 pint of whipping cream

1 pinch (10 to 15 strands) of saffron

Fresh ground pepper to taste

2 TBS chopped parsley

3 TBS unsalted butter (room temp)

Directions

Steam the mussels in the white wine. When the mussels are opened (discard any that don‘t open) place on a

heated platter and cover with a piece of foil. Save the cooking

liquor. In a sauté pan, brown the chopped shallots in a little

butter. Add the brandy and flame. Add the cooking liquor,

about 3 cups, and reduce to about a cup. Add the cream and

reduce by ½, whisking often. Add the saffron and the ground

pepper. Remove from the heat and finish (whisk in) the sauce

with the remaining 2 TBS of butter. Pour the sauce over the

mussels and garnish with a little chopped parsley. Serve with

toasted, buttered French bread rounds and a good Chardonnay.

36

Oyster Stuffing

Oyster stuffing is a great Thanksgiving tradition that I serve every

year. Most people don‘t like Oyster stuffing but it has a devoted

following. Here‘s my recipe:

Ingredients

1 jar of large oysters

½ cup finely chopped onions, or green onions

¼ cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup finely chopped carrot.

1 cup chicken stock

3 cups dried bread, chopped fine

Pepper

Pinch Sage

Directions

Sauté oysters in a little butter, white wine and the chopped vegs.

Chop them up coarsely. Mix with all other ingredients until

stuffing is moist but not gummy. Adjust seasoning. Stuff the neck

cavity of a large turkey immediately prior to placing in oven to

roast. Cook turkey until timer pops or until thickest part of bird

reaches 160 F. Remove stuffing immediately and reserve in a warm serving bowl. Simple but delicious.

37

Quick Northwest Bouillabaisse

I enjoy a good fish stew, especially on cold winter evenings. So, last night I went to the fish counter at my local

Fred Meyer and got just enough fish for our

family of four. I bought a pound of steamer

clams, a pound of mussels, a pound of prawns –

shell on, some white fish, cod and snapper and I

had some scallops in the freezer. You can make

this dish in about 25 minutes, not including the

fish stock, and be eating fresh Northwest Fish

Stew with the family on those cold winter

evenings. It‘s not quite like the Bouillabaisse

from Marseilles France, but pretty good. The

whole meal was less than $20 dollars, not

including the wine.

Ingredients

Two bunches of green onions, chopped or two

leeks, washed well and chopped fine

4 Italian plum tomatoes chopped rough

1 medium red pepper, chopped rough

6 small red or white Finnish potatoes. Feel free

to leave them out if you want to be more

authentic; I kind of like them.

¼ cup of Extra Virgin olive oil

2 TBS. Pernod (a licorice flavored liqueur)

1 ½ quart of fish stock

1 whole bay leaf

½ tsp saffron (if you don‘t have saffron or don‘t like it use a TBS. of paprika and a pinch of sugar – I like to add

some paprika anyway)

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 to 2 lbs. steamer clams

1 or 2 lbs. of white fish, cut into 4 pieces

1 lb. of large prawns (save shells)

1 lb. scallops

Any other fish you want to add to the stew.

4 cloves of garlic, chopped fine

1 cup white wine

Directions

In a large pot heat up some very good olive oil. Add the chopped onions or leeks, chopped red pepper, Italian

tomatoes, and any other vegetables you want. When the onions begin to get clear, add your fish stock. Season

the stock with the chopped garlic, bay leaf, saffron, and fresh ground pepper. Add the whitefish at this point and

sauté the pieces a bit. At this point you may also want to add the small red potatoes to cook. Or, you can cook

them separately and add them later, or not serve with potatoes at all.

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When the soup has begun to boil and the vegetables are cooked, add the rest of the fish and the clams. Cover the

dish for a few minutes or until the clams have opened up and the prawns are pink. Adjust the seasoning with salt

and pepper (you won‘t need much salt).

Serve in a big broad soup bowl with crusty French bread, Garlic Aioli*, or Rouille* and either a sturdy red wine

or flavorful beer. Make sure everyone gets equal portions of the clams, mussels, scallops, and prawns, but save

a few extra mussels for yourself – you are the cook after all.

39

Fish Stock – Court Bouillon (pronounced quah – boo yawn)

Boil the prawn shells and any fish bones you have in about a three quarts of water. Add 1 stalk of rough

chopped celery, an onion – rough chopped, a rough chopped carrot, a couple of bay leaves, a whole lemon, cut

in half, some whole peppercorns, 1 cup white wine, and any other fish scraps you happen to have stored in the

freezer or your fishmonger will part with. Unless you go to a real Fishmonger it‘s unlikely that you will find

any fish bones. You can also add about 2 cups of chicken stock if you don‘t have enough fish bones. Bring the

stock to a boil and skim off the scum. If you have any good clam juice, add it in at this point. I always save the

clam juice from the last time we had steamed clams and put it into a plastic bag and freeze. Then I can use it

whenever I am making a fish sauce. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for another 30 minutes. Strain the

stock into another saucepan and reduce to about 2 quarts.

Garlic aioli

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large egg

1 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 TBS chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp. salt

2 turns freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Combine the garlic, egg, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper in

a food processor or blender and puree. Add the oil in a slow

stream and continue to process until the mixture has formed a

thick emulsion. Some recipes also call for bread crumbs added at

the end to thicken the paste.

Serve with toasted French bread slices. I like to spread the aioli

on my bread slice and then dip in the bouillabaisse juices – umm!

Rouille 1 red pepper, roasted and peeled

2 cloves garlic

1 pieces of white bread torn into pieces

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Juice of one lemon

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, except for the oil. Puree until smooth. With the machine

running, slowly add the olive oil. Season the emulsion with salt and pepper.

Garlic Painting by Tami Oyler

40

Paella

Paella is one of those amazing indigenous, traditional

rice dishes, that in many ways, helps define the culture

itself. These dishes are peasant dishes and grew out of

a need to use up what they had on hand, or could find

quickly, mostly inexpensive ingredients, and rice,

which would extend almost any meal. For the most

part, they were costal dishes, hence the prodigious use

of seafood.

Virtually every culture has a traditional rice dish of

some sort. In Louisiana it‘s Jambalaya. In Italy, it‘s

risotto. In China, it‘s fried rice. In Morocco, it‘s

chicken Tagine. AND, in Spain, it‘s Paella. All the

dishes work basically the same way, except for

Risotto. You sauté vegetables and meat in hot oil, add

seasonings and rice, some richly flavored stock, and

seafood at the very end. The difference between the

various examples is in the spices and the types of

seafood. Traditionally, Paella used chorizo, the hot

sausage of Spain and the Basque region, Jamon Sorrano – the dry cured mountain ham that Spain is famous for,

Shrimp, heads and all, whitefish of some sort, clams, mussels, and squid. The spices for Paella rely on paprika,

saffron, pepper, bay leaves, and a richly flavored stock, usually made from seafood shells and bones, chicken or

turkey bones, and some tomato flavoring. This is probably not a recipe you want to try at home for you and

your husband. It is best made in a party situation, outside over a burner, in a large Paella pan, for 10 or more.

Each person can bring ingredients and can toss them in the pan at the precise moment. All this contributes to the

event and it just taste‘s better that way.

Now that you know what makes up a good Paella here‘s the recipe:

Ingredients

Rice – enough for 8 people, 1 cup will do. I like long grain because it holds its shape better

Stock – must be homemade, a recipe follows, about 6 cups

Red pepper – chopped fine

Onion – one medium, yellow sweet, chopped fine

Garlic – about 10 cloves, chopped fine

Green onions – on bunch, sliced fine

Chorizo – about 1/2 lb, sliced into ¼ inch thick slices

Linguisa – same or leave out especially if the Chorizo is very fine.

Jamon – about ½ lb. You probably can‘t find any in Seattle so you can use prosciutto instead.

Chicken – use thighs or chicken breasts. Cut boneless chicken breasts into 2 oz. pieces

Olive oil – about ¼ cup of very good, extra virgin

Cayenne pepper – ¼ tsp.

Saffron – a good size pinch, between the thumb and forefingers. It‘s expensive but essential, there is no

substitute

Salt - to taste

Black pepper – fresh ground to taste

Bay leaf – two whole leaves, remove when done.

Clams – 1/2 lb in shell

Mussels – 1/2 lb in shell

Squid – about ½ lb

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Any other seafood you like, shrimp, crab legs, white fish, small lobsters, etc

Directions

Place paella pan (or any large sauté pan, 12 inches wide or wider) on a very hot gas burner, or paella cooker.

When the pan is smoking hot, add the olive oil. When the oil starts to smoke add the chicken and brown on both

sides. Keep the heat on high. Add the sausage and vegetables. Cook for a few minutes more, add the seasoning,

including the garlic, Cook for a few minutes more then add the rice. Make sure each grain of rice is nicely

coated with the oil and seasonings. Add the stock. Begin cooking the rice uncovered for a few minutes or until

the stock comes to the boil. Add all the seafood, work it in, and cover the entire pan with aluminum foil, the

heavy duty kind. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Finally turn off the heat and allow to set

for another 15 minutes. Bring the pan to the counter, remove the foil and serve. Best served with a good red

wine, Sangria, or hearty beer and plenty of crusty French bread.

Stock:

Chicken bones

Any fish bones, shrimp shells, lobster shells, etc

Turkey bones

Bay leaves – 2 leaves

1 stalk of Celery

1 Carrot

1/ medium Onion, cut up

2 cloves of Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Ketchup – 3 tbs.

Sherry – 2 tbs.

1 TBS. Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Place the bones in a large stock pot and cover with water, about 8 quarts. Add the seasonings and rough

chopped vegetables, about a pound of vegs. total. Bring to a boil, skim the scum, and allow to gently boil for 30

to 50 minutes. Take off the heat and strain off the stock, throw out the left over vegs. and bones. Return the

stock to the freshly cleaned stock pot and bring to a slow boil again. Once again skim of any scum, foam, and

fat. When the stock reduces by half, take off the heat and allow to cool. Add the ketchup and sherry. Adjust the

seasoning with salt and pepper. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hrs. or until the fat solidifies on top.

Scrape it off with a spoon. You can freeze the stock at this point for use later.

42

Salmon en Papillote

A great way to prepare salmon is to cook it in a parchment wrapper, in the oven. Any salmon will work with

King being my favorite due to its intense flavor. For that

matter, any cold water finned fish will work. I have made the

dish with swordfish, halibut, and sturgeon. The little

parchment bag traps in all the flavors and steams the salmon

along with anything else sealed in the parchment bag. I start

out with a fairly large circle of cooking parchment, about 12 to

14 inches in diameter. Here‘s the rest of the recipe. It should

serve 4.

Ingredients

4 14‖ circle of parchment paper

1 fresh salmon fillet, pin bones removed, cut into 8 oz.

portions.

2 cups Mornay sauce

6 to 8 oz. of Julienne vegetables, carrots, celery, onions (Julienne means cut in long thin strips, like little match

sticks, the thinner the better)

2 TBS. unsalted butter

Procedure

Butter the parchment pieces on one side. Butter side up, form a bed of Julienne vegetables just below the widest

(diameter) of the parchment. Gently place the salmon piece on top of the vegetables. Lightly season the salmon

with salt and fresh ground pepper. Top with a rounded tablespoon of Mornay sauce. Fold over the buttered

parchment making a half moon shape. Crimp both edges all along the edge of the parchment, forming a sealed

half moon bag with the salmon et all inside. Carefully place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 15

minutes at 360 degrees Fahrenheit. The parchment sac will expand – balloon if you will and be brown around

the edges. Be careful when you open the parchment up as the steam can burn you. The salmon can be eaten

right out of its little baking sac or carefully removed onto a plate. Serve with a rice pilaf or pasta, French bread,

and the wine of your choice.

Mornay sauce

1 cup chicken stock

2 cup ½ & ½ or whole milk

3 to 4 TBS roux (butter & flour)

2 cups shredded gruyere cheese

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Salt to taste

Make a roux, slowly add the chicken stock and milk or cream. When the sauce has thickened add the shredded

gruyere cheese and blend in evenly. Adjust the seasoning.

43

Sautéed Lobster – Great Valentines Day dinner

Lobster has traditionally been associated with Romance, don‘t ask me why. Perhaps because it‘s expensive, and

red. Here is a great Lobster recipe that is guaranteed to please both the heart and the stomach. Recipe serves 4 to

6.

Ingredients

2 1lb. - 1b ½ lobsters fresh and kicking (pound, pound ana quata, as they say in Maine)

celery – 1 stalk, coarse chopped

onion - ½ medium, coarse chopped

carrot – 1 medium, coarse chopped

brandy – ½ cup

tomato paste – 1 rounded tbs.

garlic – 3 cloves, chopped

fish stock (chicken stock will do if you don‘t have any fish stock) – 2 to 3 cups

cream – 1 pint, use heavy cream

butter – 4 tbs.

cayenne pepper – pinch or to taste

paprika – 1 tsp.

nutmeg - pinch

salt – to taste

pepper – to taste (white pepper is best if you have it)

Directions

Here‘s the hard part. You have to cut the lobster into pieces, while still alive. You can quickly dispatch the

lobster if you pierce the carapace, right behind the head, between the head and thorax. Place the lobster on a

cutting board, underside down. Grab the crustacean by the body, flatten the tail, and quickly pierce the lobster

as described above, Turn the lobster over and cut lengthwise, beginning at the head and down through the tail.

You will need a sharp, heavy knife. Once the lobster is divided into two lengthwise pieces remove the intestine

and digestive tract, as well as the brain sac. Cut the lobster in half at the tail. Remove the large claws and feeler

legs. You now have 6 pieces plus feeler legs.

In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tbs. of the butter, do not burn. Add the lobster pieces and begin sautéing until the

shells begin to turn pink. Add the vegetables and continue sautéing for another 5 minutes. Now add the brandy.

Be careful because the brandy will ignite and could burn you. If it doesn‘t ignite, use a match to ignite. You

44

want to burn off the alcohol. Simmer for a couple of minutes more, add the stock and seasonings, and tomato

paste. When the stock has reduced somewhat remove the cooked lobster pieces from the pan and place on a

platter. You can go two ways here. Serve the sauce over the lobster pieces on the platter, lobster carefully

arranged, OR, remove the meat from the lobster shells and add to the finished sauce. I prefer the latter.

If you chose the latter, put the empty lobster shells

back into the sauce and cook for a few more minutes.

To finish: Add the cream to the sauce, reduce the

sauce over high heat, until the cream begins to form

small bubbles and the sauce is somewhat reduced.

Strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Whisk in the

remaining butter, and adjust the seasoning. Add the

lobster pieces, which were removed from the shells

(remember that there is a great deal of lobster in the

legs, feelers (little legs), and in the body cavity – get it

all since the lobsters likely cost a fortune). The best

way to get the claw and knuckle pieces out is to use an

extra heavy pair of kitchen shears and cut the knuckles

lengthwise. Use a rolling pin to roll out the tiny feeler

leg pieces. They are sweet and tender. Don‘t waste a

single speck.

The sauce with the lobster pieces can now be served over pasta, rice, toast points, puffed pastry (very nice

touch), or as a soup, garnished with parsley and chives. Serve with an nice buttery, oaken Chardonnay, a Pouilly

Fuisse, or even a medium bodied red, and crusty French bread.

45

Baked Stuffed Lobster Lobster is great served almost any way

you can imagine. One of my favorite

recipes is Baked Stuffed. Split the

Lobster in half, lengthwise, then top

with a lobster/crumb topping, and

bake. In this way you can get two

complete servings out of one lobster.

The presentation is also beautiful and

the flavor is delicious. Here‘s the

process. This recipe serves 4 people

Ingredients

2 Live Maine Lobsters, approximately

2 lb each. One lobster serves two

3 TBS softened Butter

Bread crumbs

¼ cup chopped Leafy or curly Parsley

1 clove, smashed Garlic

1 small onion – chopped fine

1 stalk celery – chopped fine

1 medium carrot – chopped fine

¼ tsp. ground thyme

1 to 2 cups cooked chopped lobster meat (from the claws, knuckles, and pincers of the above lobsters

Salt & pepper to taste.

Directions:

Split the lobsters in half, lengthwise. If you are squeamish about dispatching a live lobster this way, here‘s a

trick. Put the lobster in the freezer for a few minutes. This puts them into a state of suspended animation – they

won‘t feel a thing.

Cutting the lobster lengthwise is a fairly difficult process requiring good hand strength and a very sharp, hefty

knife. Don‘t try this with one of the cheap knives from Ron Popeil.

With the lobster on its back, head pointing towards your belt, insert the tip of the knife into the end of the tail

and begin cutting down straight through the lobster, finishing with the head. Remove the leg pincers and the

claws, with knuckles attached. Remove any innards from the body cavity, saving the tamale if possible. This

can be added to the stuffing.

Steam or boil the claws, knuckles, and pincer/legs for about 8 minutes or until they are bright red and begin to

ooze the telltale white foam from the joints. Allow them to cool. Crack them open with a nutcracker and remove

all the meat. Use a rolling pin to extract the meat from the little leg/pincers. It takes a while but is worth it. Chop

the meat into small pieces.

Sauté the chopped vegetables in a bit of butter until the onions are clear. Mix the breadcrumbs, parsley,

seasonings, vegetables, and lobster meat in a bowl. Add the butter and mix well.

Lightly butter the exposed lobster meat. Pack the stuffing into the body cavity and along the tail, covering the

lobster from head to tail. Place on a sheet pan or cookie sheet and bake in a 400 degree F oven for 15 to 20

minutes or until the tail meat is cooked – it will have a white, opaque look. Serve with drawn butter, a crisp

46

green salad, and crusty French bread. Lobster stands up to both white and red wines. Less dry white wines are

especially good.

47

Seafood Lasagna

This is not a traditional Italian dish because Italians don‘t combine seafood and cheese. It is an American

version of an Italian idea. However, it is

delicious and I have made it many times.

It‘s great as a starter or as a main course.

This is a very rich dish so I recommend

you try it first as an appetizer.

Ingredients

One box of wide Lasagna noodles, par-

cooked and drained

4 cups béchamel sauce

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 lb. sliced mozzarella cheese

½ lb. fresh spinach, lightly cooked and

drained

20 – 30 fresh Basil leaves

½ cup bread crumbs

3 cloves fresh garlic, sliced

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

8 large scallops – sliced into 12‖ slices

10 large prawns, peeled and deveined

1 large lobster tail, pulled from shell, cut into chunks.

Directions

Prepare a classic béchamel sauce (white sauce). Melt 2 TBS. unsalted butter in a sauce pan, add 4 TBS flour

and blend, This is called a roux (pronounced roo). The exact proportions are equal amounts of butter and flour

by weight. So, four oz. of butter and 4 oz. of flour by weight. Cook the roux for a few minutes, whisking

constantly with a wire whisk. Add 2 cups chicken stock and blend in thoroughly until the sauce thickens. Add a

quart of cream or ½ & ½ and blend in until the sauce re-thickens. Add ½ cup of finely shredded parmesan

cheese, whisking constantly or it will clump. Add 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of cayenne pepper

and a pinch of nutmeg. Adjust the seasoning with pepper and salt. Set off to the side, but keep warm.

Cook the lasagna noodles to 75% done, not too floppy. The noodles will cook the rest of the way during baking.

Butter a 9‖ by 9‖ glass baking dish. Layer the noodles on the bottom of the dish. Add little spoonfuls of ricotta

cheese, topped with a little spinach and some basil leaves. Drop in a few pieces of the seafood and then pour 1/3

rd of the white sauce over the fish. Top with some mozzarella slices and repeat the process. The final layer

should be topped with the lasagna noodles. Drizzle a little olive oil over the noodles and drizzle the remaining

white sauce on top of that. Top with the bread crumbs. Place the dish in the refrigerator to set for1 to 2 hours. If

you like, you can also make this the night before and take it out about 1 hour before cooking. Bake in a 350

degree Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes. You should see the sides bubbling and the edges of the noodles should

crisp a little. Allow the lasagna to sit for at least 20 minutes. Cut into small squares if you are using as an

appetizer or large rectangles for dinner size portion. Serve with a Caesar salad and a good white wine.

Feel free to experiment with this dish, using many different seafood types. I‘ve even seen it prepared using

oysters. You can also use sun dried tomatoes instead of the spinach. You can leave the spinach out altogether if

you like and other leafy herbs can be used instead of basil. This will get you started and you can experiment as

you wish. Enjoy.

48

Whitefish – Cajun style

The people of South Louisiana; the

various bayou town, festivals and in local

eateries cook seafood more than any other

type of food. There are plentiful supplies

of oysters, shrimp (pronounced ‗srimp‘)

crabs, catfish, crawfish, trout, and redfish.

Redfish, snapper, pompano, and trout are

often prepared in this saucy manner with

tomatoes, trinity (celery, onions, peppers –

sautéed), and fish stock. This dish is

technically an etouffeé, because the fish is

―smothered‖ with the sauce. The dish can

be made with a brown roux or without a

roux. It was originally a peasant dish, relying on the plentiful and inexpensive bounty of seafood in the waters

all around the fisherman and farmers of the bayou country. It is simple, quick, and very delicious. This dish

feeds 2 hungry people or 4 in need of a snack.

Ingredients

Four large fish fillets (such as from the Red Snapper above)

1 ½ cup trinity (equal parts celery, onions, peppers – chopped medium fine)

½ cup good quality canned plum tomatoes in juice – rough chopped

1 TBS butter or peanut oil

½ tsp. ground bay leaves

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Dash or Tabasco

1 sprig fresh thyme

½ to 1 cup fish stock

½ lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

Lightly season and flour a few fish fillets or a whole trout. Sauté in a bit of butter or peanut oil until just brown

on each side. Remove the fish from the pan and add the vegetables and a ½ cup of whole tomatoes in juice,

rough chopped. Add the shrimp and cook just until pink. Season the fish with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, a

pinch of ground bay leaves, a sprig of thyme, and a ½ to one cup of fish stock or shrimp stock. You can quickly

make some shrimp stock from the shrimp shells, a little onion, 1 TBS tomato paste, a TBS of Old Bay

seasoning, and water or white wine. Cook it for about 10 minutes and strain it out. If you don‘t have any fish

stock you can use some canned or homemade chicken stock. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes and return

the fish to the sauce for a minute or two more. Place the fish fillets on a warm plate and top with the sauce and

the shrimp. Serve with fluffy white rice, and crusty French bread. The dish should be flavorful, a bit spicy, and

aromatic.

49

Beef

50

Steak Diane

Steak Diane is a real crowd pleaser. It

was a favorite of my wife and I and was

the dish served on our first anniversary,

many years ago in St. Louis. The dish is

often prepared at your table by a

competent waiter. It is difficult to

prepare for more than four people since

it takes a very large sauté pan.

Ingredients

4 thin (1 inch) thick New York steaks,

pounded flat

3 TBS shallots chopped fine

1 clove garlic chopped fine

1 TBS olive oil

2 TBS butter

1 TBS fresh squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup whipping cream (or heavy cream)

2 oz of good brandy or cognac

2 TBS green peppercorns, drained

2 TBS chopped parsley, broadleaf works best

2 tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Pinch of coarse Kosher salt

A few grinds of black pepper

Procedure

Flatten your steaks slightly, to just under ½ inch

thick. Season the steaks with salt and black pepper. If

you can find a sauté burner like the one to the right it

really makes a great presentation to prepare the dish

tableside.

Add the olive oil and 1 TBS butter to a hot sauté pan. When the butter begins to bubble add the steaks and sauté

them for one minute on each side. Add the shallots, garlic, lemon juice, pepper corns, and Dijon mustard and

simmer for another minute. Add the brandy and flambé until the flames subside. Add the heavy cream and

reduce slightly. Remove the steaks and place one steak on each warmed plate. Reduce the sauce for one more

minute and finish with the butter, whisking it in quickly. Turn off the heat and spoon the sauce over each steak.

Garnish with the chopped parsley. Server with a good red wine, crusty French bread, and rice pilaf or sautéed

noodles.

51

Beef Burgundy

Of all the great French Bistro food, Beef Burgundy is perhaps the most comforting. Lying somewhere between

a stew and a pot roast, it has a level of sophistication and appeal

beyond either. First of all, Beef Burgundy is traditionally made with

tenderloin so it‘s tender beyond compare. Secondly, the combination

of flavors give it a uniqueness that is a hit with just about everyone.

Here‘s my favorite way to prepare it.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs beef tenderloin, cut into 1‖ cubes

½ cup flour

3 cups beef stock

1 cup good red wine, preferably a highly drinkable Cabernet

Sauvignon

½ lb. baby carrots

½ lb. baby onions or small boiling onions

1 lbs. button mushrooms

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 sprig fresh thyme

4 TBS. unsalted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Egg noodles for 4 people

Procedure

Brown the onions in butter over medium heat. When the onions are about 50% done, add the carrots and

mushrooms. Continue browning until the onions are about 75% done. Remove from the pan and add the

remaining butter to the pan. Dredge the cubed tenderloin in the flour, coating completely, and knocking off the

excess. Sauté in 2 TBS. of the butter, until just browned. Return the vegetables to the pan and add the red wine.

Allow the wine to burn off its alcohol. Add the beef stock. The sauce should thicken a little due to the flour in

the pan. Season with the bay leaves, garlic, and thyme. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the whole onions

are tender all the way through. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serving suggestions

Serve the beef burgundy over the cooked egg noodles and garnish with chopped parsley. You may also serve

with little potatoes or even rice. I have also seen the dish served with garlic mashed potatoes on the side. A

sturdy red wine and French bread is the perfect accompaniment.

52

What about Beef Stroganoff?

Beef stroganoff is basically the same dish, but prepared in a German style. White wine is substituted for red

wine. The carrots are left out and just before serving sour cream is added and blended into the dish. Serve the

carrots on the side if you like. The seasonings remain the same. It is also served over egg noodles, garnished

with chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream.

What about Hungarian Goulash?

Goulash is very similar to Beef Stroganoff and Beef Burgundy. Everything remains the same except you leave

out the carrots. The dish starts out the same way, with red wine being used instead of white, as in stroganoff.

Sauté the onions and mushrooms in butter or olive oil until the onions are almost tender.

Remove from the pan and add the floured meat, browning thoroughly.

When browned add the stock and seasonings.

At the point you add the wine and beef stock, add 3 generous tablespoons of good Hungarian or Spanish

paprika. This gives the sauce its characteristic dark red color.

Finally, add the vegetables back into the pan when the beef is tender. Continue to simmer until the onions are

tender.

Serve over egg noodles. Once again, garnish with chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream. Goulash is

traditionally not made with tenderloin. It is a peasant dish so less tender cuts of meat are used. I have

successfully used top round and sliced it thin. It needs to cook a little longer in its sauce, so add the onions and

mushrooms back into the dish once the meat is almost tender. You may also use what‘s called, Mock Tender.

That‘s the center cut large round piece which is included in a Chuck roast. If you have a large Chuck roast and

you can feed everyone in your family with the remaining pieces of the chuck, hold out the Mock Tender and

pop it in the freezer. When you get a couple of them, thaw and use for Goulash. Both goulash and stroganoff are

great served with cold beer or a good red wine.

53

Beef Grilliades

A great way to stretch your budget is to use

cheaper cuts of meats, slice the beef into thin

pieces and pound them thin between plastic. The

pounding with a beef mallet is a good way to

tenderize the meat. It also allows the meat to

absorb any flavors and to hold on to sauces well. I

usually start out with a top round roast, eye of

round, or even chuck roast. I remove the fat and

sinew with a sharp knife, leaving the large lean

beef pieces behind.

Ingredients

2 to 3 lbs of beef roast – trimmed of fat and

sinew.

2 stalks of celery, diced medium fine

1 carrot, diced medium fine

1 medium onion, diced medium fine

1 green pepper, diced medium fine

3 Roma tomatoes, diced medium fine

2 lbs. mushrooms, quartered

8 cloves of garlic, chopped fine

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

3 bay leaves

4 fresh sage leaves

1 tsp. thyme leaves

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 TBS. paprika

2 cups good red wine

8 cups of beef stock

4 TBS. butter

4 TBS. vegetable oil

Directions

Slice the beef, against the grain into thin slices, often called escallops in French. Pound the beef thin with a

meat mallet, in between sheets of clear plastic bag material (take a thick freezer bag and cut the sides out so you

can open it up like a book to receive the meat)

Set the pounded meat slices aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a large casserole pot or large soup pot. Season the meat on both sides with salt and

pepper. Dredge the beef escallops in flour, dust off lightly and brown the meat in the pan over high heat. Put

only a few slices in the pan at a time so the meat doesn‘t steam. The meat needs to brown up nicely before

removing from the pan. Use more oil if needed. Set the slices on a platter.

Add the chopped vegetables and seasonings to the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions become

somewhat clear. Add the mushrooms to that pan at this point and cook for a few more minutes. The mushrooms

will absorb any remaining oil so you might want to add a little bit of butter to the sautéing vegetables before

you add the mushrooms.

Add the red wine and cook for a minute or so to cook off some of the alcohol. Add the beef stock and return the

meat to the pan. Push the meat down into the stock. Cover the large pot and place into an oven at 360 degrees F.

Cook for 1 hour.

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Remove the meat from the pot and place a few pieces on each dinner plate. Adjust the seasoning of the sauce

with salt and pepper Cover each serving of meat with the cooked vegetables and sauce. It should be slightly

thick, aromatic, and very delicious.

Serve over cooked rice, pasta, grits, or with little red potatoes and plenty of good crusty bread and red wine.

This is a hearty dish, great for cold winter nights.

Note: painting, ―Grillades‖ by Jorg Hermle

55

Beef Stew

I make beef stew every time we have pot

roast. I take the left over pot roast, cut it

into cubes and mix it with the left over

potatoes and vegetables from the pot roast

and the left over gravy. I usually add

some extra vegetables to give it a little

variety. However you don‘t need to have

left over pot roast to have beef stew.

Here‘s my recipe for Beef Stew from

scratch. I use stew meat, chuck, or top

round, which makes a great stew. The

best way if you are using a nice thick cut

of top round is to grill the steak first to

get a nice caramelization, then cut it into

cubes. Or, you can cut it into cubes and

brown the meat nicely on all sides. Be

sure to brown the meat in the pan you are

going to cook the stew in.

Ingredients

2 lbs. of stew meat or top round cut into 1‖ cubes.

2 quarts of beef stock (homemade or canned)

2 TBS. olive oil

Carrots – cut into 1 and ½ inch by ½ inch pieces

Celery – 1 and ½ inch by 2 inch pieces

Whole boiling onions

1 lb. whole button mushrooms

Green beans – whole or cut in half

Turnip – cut into 1 and ½ inch by ½ inch pieces

Potatoes – use small boiling potatoes

2 bay leaves

1 sprig fresh thyme

5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped fine

1 TBS. paprika

1 TBS. tomato paste

Salt to taste

Procedure

Brown the meat. Don‘t try to brown it all in the same pan or it will just steam and not brown. Brown a little in

hot oil, remove it from the pan and brown some more making sure to thoroughly brown each piece on all sides.

Once browned add the beef stock and a roughly chopped onion, carrot, one stalk of celery, and the seasonings.

Simmer the stew until the meat is almost tender. Add the remaining vegetables, including the potatoes and cook

until they are just tender. Adjust the seasonings. Thicken the stock with a cornstarch-water mixture to the

desired thickness. You may also want to remove the potatoes and mash them. You may want to darken the

gravy with a little caramel color (Kitchen Bouquet).

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Quick Beef Gravy

How to make beef gravy when you don‘t have any beef stock and you

don‘t want to use any of those foul tasting packaged gravy mixes. The

best sauces are made from homemade stocks, which can take hours,

sometimes even a day to make. Those classic stocks require the

browning of bones and vegetables, then boiling the bones in a large stock

pot overnight, skimming the residue which rises to the top, straining,

reducing, clarifying, and finally reducing again to a naturally thick sauce

called a demi glace. These days, who has time for that? There are plenty

of packaged gravy mixes on the market but they don‘t taste like

homemade gravy, the kind that grandma used to make.

However, there are some things you can do to cheat, and get a gravy

or sauce that approximates the real thing. Here are a couple of recipes for

making acceptable gravy in minutes. It doesn‘t taste quite like the real stuff, but works well enough for most

folks, all except those with the most discriminating pallets.

1. If you are roasting a piece of beef, you will undoubtedly have some stock to work with. Remove the

roast from the roasting pan and deglaze the pan. This means adding some liquid to the pan, while on

high heat, to dislodge those browned bits of crisp and caramelized juices accumulated. To make a better

stock, start out with placing some celery, onions, and carrots into the roasting pan from the very

beginning. As the vegetables brown they will impart great flavor to the sauce as the pan is deglazed.

You can use plain water to deglaze but I recommend a little red wine. Once the bottom and sides of the

roasting pan are cleaned of particles, add some water that has been enriched with some prepared beef

paste. You can buy jars of beef paste at Costco or other good food markets. Stir the water and beef paste

into the deglazing liquid. In a separate pan, make a brown roux. A roux is a mixture of equal parts by

weight of oil and flour that is cooked for a time to make the flour particles most receptive to thicken a

liquid. When the roux is further browned to the color of peanut butter by slowly cooking the mixture,

stirring constantly, over medium high heat until the correct color is reached. The roux is extremely hot

at its final state and will burn you badly if you are not careful. When the correct color is achieved,

remove from the heat and gradually stir the roux into the simmering liquid in the roasting pan. When

the gravy has achieved the right thickness (your choice) don‘t add any more. You can final season the

gravy by adjusting the salt and pepper, and adding a little fresh chopped garlic. Then add a tsp. of

Worcestershire sauce. You can further darken the gravy by adding a little Kitchen Bouquet, which is

nothing more than caramel color. Whisk in a Tbs. of butter just before serving. This gravy will have a

nice flavor and will compliment any beef or veal dish. This also works for chicken, but no need to

brown the roux when making chicken gravy As I mentioned earlier, it‘s not quite as good as the real

stuff, but works well in a pinch.. But, there is an even quicker method.

2. If you don‘t have any roast with its juices to rely on, you can make a quick gravy that works OK. Start

out by sautéing rough chopped onions, celery, 1 TBS tomato paste, and carrots in a pan with a bit of

butter or margarine. When the veg‘s. have browned, deglaze the pan with a little red wine or just water.

Stir for a minute or two, then add some prepared stock. Once again I use some beef paste and 1 can of

beef consommé. Season the mixture with a bay leaf, pepper, and fresh chopped garlic. Let the mixture

simmer for 3 or 4 minutes. In the meantime, make a brown roux, just as we did in the earlier recipe.

Thicken the gravy with the brown roux to the desired thickness. Adjust the seasoning and darken with a

little Kitchen Bouquet. You may also add a Tbs. of ketchup at this point. It will give the gravy a little

extra zip, sheen, and better color. Finish the sauce with a Tbs. of butter, whisking it in just before

serving.

Both of these gravy recipes will never substitute for the real thing, but are fine if you are in a hurry. Go

ahead and experiment with them to your heart‘s content. The cost of the ingredients is low so if you make a

mistake and have to throw it away you have not lost much. You can do the same thing with chicken just

57

substitute chicken paste. There are some very good prepared chicken pastes on the market made with real

chicken bones, etc. If you are cooking a pork roast, use chicken paste, since you probably won‘t find any

pork base. Nearly every professional kitchen in the world uses some kind of prepared beef or chicken paste

at some point, regardless of what the chef will try to tell you. There are some very good ones on the market,

with Minor‘s and Schreiber‘s being two of the better brands. Knorr also makes a good professional stock

enhancer. I also frequently use Swanson‘s Chicken stock and Campbell‘s Beef Consommé, which is quite

good.

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Southwest Pot Roast

Recently I had the Southwest style Post Roast from Desert

Fire restaurant. It was delicious. I think I have duplicated the

rich, southwest flavors in both their pot roast and in their

tasty mashed potatoes. Warning - THIS IS NOT A LOW-

CAL DISH, AND NOT FOR THE TIMID. Make sure you

use real butter, if you don't have it, go get it.

Ingredients

1 3 to 5 LB thick chuck blade roast (or any good piece of beef suitable for two stage or braising, moist cooking

method will work)

8 - 10 cups of beef stock or enough to cover the

beef (natural is best, but canned or paste will work)

6 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped fine

1 medium onion, coarse chopped

2 medium carrots, coarse chopped

2 small zucchini, cut in thick rounds

2 stalks celery, coarse chopped

1 bay leaf

4 to 6 sprigs of fresh oregano

2 TBS. of tomato paste

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, chopped fine

1 large red mild pepper (or any other combination of mild southwest

peppers)

3 or 4 dark dried poblano peppers. You see them hanging in

specialty food shops all the time) peppers, re-hydrated and

pureed.

1 small hot pepper, of your choice, remove seeds, chopped

fine - add as

much as you want, don't overdo it. (don't get it in your eyes)

1/2 fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Soak the poblano peppers in boiling water. Remove peppers,

puree in a blender, add peppers and soaking water to pot

roast cooking liquid. In a large cast iron Dutch oven (you

may also use a roasting pan), over high heat, with a 1/4 cup

of olive oil, thoroughly brown (almost

black to get good caramelizing) the roast on all sides, add

the vegetables and the liquid to just cover the roast. Add

liquid as necessary. Season with the salt and black pepper.

Cook the roast in a 325 degree oven, covered or cook on the

59

top of the stove. After a couple of hours, check for tenderness.

When the meat is almost tender, add the garlic and other seasonings. At this point, add fresh carrots, small baby

onions, zucchini, potatoes (as many as you need for 6 to 8 people) and any other vegetable you want to

accompany the pot roast. Cook the meat until it shreds easily. When the vegetables are done, remove them to a

warm platter. Put the drained potatoes and some of the drained vegetable bits from the sauce into a mixing

bowl, crush with a potato masher, add 2 cloves garlic, a bit of the chopped pepper, 3 TBS real butter, ¼ cup

heavy cream, and 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Whip the potatoes to a mash and season to taste. They

should have a distinct garlic/peppery flavor.

The sauce should be made from the cooking liquid. Whatever vegetable bits remain in the stock, puree using a

blender or electric mixing wand. Make a brown roux by cooking equal parts (by weight) of peanut oil and flour

in a thick bottomed pan over med-high heat. Stir constantly until the roux attains a peanut butter color. Do not

blacken or burn the flour, if you do, throw it away and start over. Thicken the sauce with the roux to your

desired consistency. Finish the sauce with a TBS or 2 of real butter, and adjust seasoning. Serve the pot roast on

a large plate with the mashed potatoes, cooked vegetables, a healthy serving of the sauce, good thick crusty

Italian bread, and a heady red wine. It should be spicy, but not fiery HOT! The sauce should be redolent of

peppers and have a rich smooth character.

Hot bread spread:

combine 1/4 stick of butter, 1 clove of smashed, finely chopped garlic, a tsp. of Dijon mustard, a TBS of extra

virgin olive oil, and a dash or two or three of cayenne pepper. Blend in a bowl with a fork until it is a smooth

mixture. This is great on the bread with the pot roast, or anytime. It's also good on vegetables.

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Beef Stock – The Real Thing

You will need about 10 to 15 lbs. of

beef bones, preferably knuckle bones

and shin bones. The meatier the better.

Additionally, the more bone marrow in

the bones the deeper the flavor.

Directions

Place the bones in a large roasting pan

along with rough cut carrots, celery,

onions, and garlic. Place the pan in a hot

oven, 450 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

After about 1 hour of cooking the bones and vegs. will take on a dark roasted color, almost blackened. Some of

the vegs. will actually burn a bit but that doesn‘t matter.

Place all the bones and vegs. into a large 20 or 40 qt. stock pot. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan and

deglaze the pan with a few cups of red wine or water. Be sure to scrape the pan and dislodge all the browned

bits. Pour into the stock pot.

Season the stock with a few bay leaves and some whole peppercorns. Allow the stock to come to a boil and

immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer. Skim any scum or foam that rises to the top. Simmer the stock for

several hours or even overnight on a very low heat. When the stock has reduced by ½ and has achieved a darker

color, strain the stock into another pot. Discard the bones and vegs. You may want to strain the stock at this

point through cheesecloth to get a real clear stock.

Bring the stock to a boil again and reduce to about 2 quarts. This reduced stock is called a demi-glace. The

stock should be fairly dark, rich, and have a wonderful aroma. You can use the stock at this point to make

gravies or whatever. However if you want the ultimate, further reduce the stock to about 2 cups of a rich, syrupy

sauce called glace de viande. You only need a small amount of this sauce on your dishes as it is so strong and

flavorful. When you refrigerate either the demi glace or glace de viande it will become a very solid gelatin. This

freezes well for several months.

Feel free to add any number of scrap vegetables to the roasting pan and any other bits or pieces of beef or veal.

Once they roast up to a very dark color they will impart a great flavor to the stock.

This beef stock or demi glace is a classic mother sauce and becomes the basis for many other beef based sauces.

61

Copyright 2002, Dave Stiles

Summertime means Burgers on the Grill

The other day someone asked me, ―Dave, do you ever

eat regular food and not all that gourmet stuff all the

time?‖ So I thought I would give you my thoughts on

Hamburgers. I believe that a good hamburger is one of

the best foods ever created. Burgers are a religious thing

for some people, so these are my preferences. Obviously

its not ham - it‘s beef. So treat it like beef. Here‘s some

thoughts.

1. Don‘t use extra lean beef, it‘s too dry and

doesn‘t hold together well. Use at least 20% fat

content, most of it will drip away in the cooking

process anyway, but during the cooking, the fat

transfers flavors to the meat and makes for a

better hamburger. It‘s the same principle in

Prime steak vs. Choice. The more fat marbling

the better the flavor. If you are worried about

calories, cholesterol and all, grill some fish.

2. Don‘t fry burgers on a griddle or in a frying pan.

First of all, the burger doesn‘t taste as good (although there are some grilled burger aficionados that

disagree, I think they are wrong). Secondly, the burger sits in its own fat and the meat absorbs more fat

than necessary for good taste. Burgers are best when broiled, over a real flame, charcoal is even better.

The heat of charcoal is hotter than any other type of broiling. If you have any apple, cherry, or hickory

wood chips available, throw them on the hot coals just before placing the burgers on the grate. The taste

is even better. Just remember how good the burgers tasted when you went camping as a kid, cooked

over an open flame. I cooked burgers this winter on the grill outside. It was cold and actually snowing

once. I had a thick coat on and my son held an umbrella. They were great. Don‘t be a wimp – go

outside and cook.

3. The Grate. The broiling grate should be as thick and sturdy as you can find. There are some thick cast

iron grills that work best. They hold the heat, make good markings on the burger, and cook the burger

quickly. The thin wire ones just don‘t make the grade. You will spend a little more for a thick, heavy

cast iron grate but it‘s worth it. Make sure you pre-heat the grate. If you are using a gas grill allow the

grate to heat up to smoking temperature. Many grills can be retrofitted with good cast iron grates. Home

Depot and other hardware stores sell them.

4. On cleaning the grill. Yah, whatever. If you use a heavy cast iron grate, don‘t use soap and water, it will

destroy the ―seasoning‖ that will take place over time. Let the high heat sterilize the grate, then simply

brush off the charred bits with a fine wire brush and then oil the grate for use the next time. If you are

using a porcelain or chromed grate you will need to clean it more thoroughly, using soap and water.

This is another good reason for using cast iron – I hate to clean the grill, but even I can brush it down

while it‘s still hot and rub it with a little vegetable oil.

5. Burgers should be well seasoned. Most cuts of beef that make up burgers are inferior cuts. As Emeril

says, ―I don‘t know where you get your meet, but where I come from the meat does not come pre-

seasoned.‖ Beef will take a good deal of seasoning without adversely affecting the flavor. Season well

with salt, pepper, and garlic just prior to placing on the broiling grate. You may even want to mix the

seasonings into the meat in a mixing bowl. This really can enhance the flavor. I like to add

Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix the burger well before

forming into patties.

62

6. Burgers should be fairly thin. I see people making burgers that are so thick they can‘t possibly be

cooked evenly. They look more like a meatball than a burger. Nothing is worse than a crusty black

burger on the outside and red on the inside. If the burger patty is formed thin, about ½ inch thick or

even less, it cooks evenly and quickly. More of the burger absorbs the smoky flavor from the charcoals.

If you want more meat, use two patties.

7. Use a good quality bun, but even better, use French bread, hollowed out a bit to remove some of the

excess bread, buttered lightly, and toasted on the grill. The taste is great. If it‘s fresh, it‘s a little crusty

on the outside, soft and chewy below the crust. Besides the inner curved, carved out area of the French

bread holds the burger better. You should make the thin meat patty a little longer than wide when using

French bread. Hoagie bread works well also. If you do use a standard bun, make sure you toast it. That

way the bread doesn‘t get too soggy and it adds to the texture of the entire burger eating experience.

8. I‘m not a big fan of too much on the burger besides dressing, tomato, and lettuce. However bacon and

avocado is great. I have also put Blue Cheese on my burgers, which is a great taste combination. Some

of the other things I see people put on burgers, well I have to ask myself, ―what are they thinking.‖

9. Cheese. I‘m an American Cheese fan. Cheddar is good, but high quality American cheese is the best

because it melts so quickly and permeates the burger for a great flavor combination. Swiss will not

stand up to broiled meat and doesn‘t melt well. The best American cheese is ―Old English‖ from Kraft.

It‘s a little hard to find but has a great cheddar flavor and all the texture of American cheese.

10. Special sauce. I like a combination sauce, much like the McDonalds special sauce. I slather it on

generously. Here‘s the recipe

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup ketchup

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fine ground black pepper

1 tsp granulated garlic (not garlic salt)

1 tsp granulated onion

2 TBS yellow table mustard

2 TBS dill pickle relish, or chopped dill pickles

3 dashes of Tabasco sauce

Mix well. Some like more ketchup, some more mustard, you decide. I like it a bit spicy so I use more

Tabasco. Use liberally on both top and bottom of bread. Makes enough for about 10 burgers.

11. Doneness – burgers should be cooked medium to medium well. Even though the likelihood of getting

food poison from ground beef is remote, it‘s best to be careful. Don‘t overcook to well done, the burger

is dry and the flavor is gone.

12. Burgers should be a little sloppy, that‘s part of the fun of eating a burger. They should definitely not be

dry. What fun is that, and besides, you want a good combination of texture, flavor, moistness, and color.

All these things contribute to the perfect burger.

13. Shredded lettuce vs. lettuce pieces. I am a fan of whole lettuce pieces. The shredded lettuce can turn

very quickly and bleeds water into the bun. The whole lettuce piece has good flavor, texture, and better

color. The best lettuce for burgers is bib lettuce. It‘s soft, flavorful and fits on the bun well. Green leaf

works well too. Don‘t bother with head lettuce, it has zero flavor and no nutrients (what a joke,

discussing nutrition and burgers in the same paragraph).

14. Tomatoes from the supermarket are usually lousy. Go to a fruit market and buy local if you can. Or

better yet, grow you own. If you have to use store bought tomatoes use the Italian plum tomato. They

have more flavor. Slice the tomato thin. A thick tomato refuses to stay on the bun.

15. Onions. I like sliced onions on my burger but many people don‘t because onions have a pretty strong

flavor and it sometimes overpowers the burger. Use a sweet onion like the Walla Walla Sweet or the

Vidalia. I prefer the thin sliced vs. thick sliced. However, a nice touch is to thin slice a medium onion

and sauté it in a bit of butter or olive oil until the onion is caramelized. Then just top the burger with a

dollop of caramelized onion – great taste.

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16. What to serve with burgers. I like French fries, but they are sometimes a hassle to make at home, unless

you have one of those cool new fangled frying machines with the shortening stored in the fryer and the

filter and all. The oil can go rancid pretty quickly so be careful. Baked frozen fries are OK but not as

good as the deep fried ones. Chips are good, so is potato salad (cooking good French fries is a whole

nother lesson).

17. What to drink with burgers. I‘ve tried all combinations. Beer is a little too overpowering. I usually say,

―Beer before, Beer after, Beer between burgers, just don‘t wash down your burger with Beer.‖ Coke is

good, with 7-UP a close second. Red wine is a little too overpowering, and white wine can not stand up

to burgers. Iced tea is an excellent choice and the flavor compliments the burger well. It‘s not heavy,

not too strong. Lemonade is too tart and is not a good combination with Burgers

Well, that‘s my burger story and I‘m sticking to it. Any thoughts drop me an email. Summer‘s almost here, now

go out there and broil that burger.

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Pastrami

You can easily make your own

pastrami and it‘s delicious. The

recipe is so simple you won‘t

believe it. I start out with a

brisket of beef, corned if you

like.

Ingredients

1 large corned beef brisket,

spices removed and dried

2 cups soy sauce

1 TBS Wrights Liquid Smoke

½ cup cracked black pepper

Directions

Find a nice corned beef brisket

and wash away the pickling

spices, etc. Dry it off and roll it

in rough cracked black pepper. Place it in a pan and carefully pour in a marinade made from it a mixture of soy

sauce and Wrights Liquid Smoke. Once the meat is covered leave it for at least 12 hours and carefully turn it for

another 12 hours. Remove from the marinade and roast on a rack in a slow oven – 275o F for about 3 hours,

covered with aluminum foil. Allow to cool and slice very thin, across the grain.

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Sauerbraten

Every October for many years our family has celebrated the

Oktoberfest by cooking Sauerbraten, potato pancakes, and

sweet & sour cabbage. The recipe is one that I served many

times as a special at the 13 Coins. It was always quite

popular. Since my wife is German there is an added reason to

prepare the dish. Her Father really enjoyed the Sauerbraten

and felt as though I was catering to his German heritage by

preparing it for him. Here‘s the recipe.

Ingredients

3 to 5 lb. Beef roast, bottom round, eye of round, or even a

chuck roast

Marinade

1 bottle good red wine

½ cup red wine vinegar

1 TBS. juniper berries

6 cloves garlic

3 bay leaves

1 large sprig of fresh thyme or 1 tsp. of dried thyme

1 TBS. whole peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick, crushed

3 or 4 whole cloves

1 small onion, rough cut

Directions

Place the beef in a large plastic, glass, or stainless bowl. Pour the marinade over the beef to cover it. If you

don‘t have enough, add more wine. Reserve the marinade because it will be your cooking liquid and the base

for the sauce.

After 3 or 4 days of marinating (turn the beef each day) drain the beef but save the strained marinade. Season

with salt and pepper and brown on all sides in a roasting pan or in a sauté pan. Since this is a braised dish it

requires two steps in cooking – browning then finishing the cooking in liquid. Place the browned roast in a

roasting pan and add about two quarts of the strained marinating liquid. Cook the beef until tender. Reserve on a

platter and make the sauce.

Sauce

1 TBS. Worcestershire sauce

2 quarts of the cooking liquid

3 TBS brown sugar

8 to 10 oz. brown roux

Make a brown roux by mixing equal parts of flour and butter (or oil) in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Cook the

roux over medium high heat stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or wire whip until it achieves the color

of dark peanut butter. Gradually add spoonfuls of the roux to the boiling stock that the beef has just cooked in.

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When you achieve the desired thickness adjust the seasoning with the Worcestershire sauce and some prepared

beef paste if necessary. Adjust for salt and pepper. You may also want to add a little brown sugar at this point to

make the sauce slightly sweet.

Serve the sliced meat with the sauce covering it. Serve with potato pancakes and sweet & sour cabbage.

Potato pancakes

Ingredients

3 medium Russet potatoes, peeled

1 green onion, chopped fine

1 egg

1 TBS. salad oil or melted butter

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

¼ cup flour

Directions

Shred the potatoes using a rotary shredder, food processor, or box grater. Place the shredded potatoes into a

bowl and add the other ingredients. Mix well. Spread the pancake batter onto a pancake griddle, making about 3

inch irregular pancakes. Top with homemade apple sauce. The pancakes should be crisp, more like a thin hash-

brown than a traditional pancake.

Sweet & Sour Cabbage

Ingredients

1 small head of white cabbage, trimmed, cored, and shredded

½ head of red cabbage, trimmed, cored, and shredded

One medium onion, sliced fine

Two apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

2 heads garlic, smashed fine

½ lb chopped bacon

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

Directions

Sauté the chopped bacon until it just begins to brown, not crisp. Save most of the bacon fat in the pan. Add the

onions, garlic, apples, and cabbage to the bacon. Begin cooking slowly in a large covered pot until the cabbage

begins to cook down. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes before adding the sugar and vinegar. Cook for

another 25 minutes over low heat until the cabbage is very tender and caramelized. Adjust the seasoning with

salt and pepper. If too sweet add a little more vinegar. If not sour enough add a little more vinegar. Taste several

times in the cooking process to check and adjust the flavors. It should be mellow with a tang and round

sweetness.

Variations

You may substitute a good dark German beer for the wine if you like, although I don‘t think it is as good. You

may also use beer in the cabbage recipe. If you use a chuck roast you may want to skim off the fat from the

sauce after the cooking process. You can garnish the Sauerbraten with a dollop or two of sour cream. The sauce

should be pungent, slightly sweet, rich. This is not a dish for the faint of heart; it‘s caloric, rich, and robust.

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Server with big hearty red wines or cold German beer. Sauerbraten is also served with baked apples, dumplings,

or egg noodles instead of the pancakes.

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Sweetbreads 13 Coins Style

Prized by gourmets throughout the world, sweetbreads are the thymus

glands of veal, young beef, lamb and pork. There are two glands — an

elongated lobe in the throat and a larger, rounder gland near the heart.

These glands are connected by a tube, which is often removed before

sweetbreads are marketed. The heart sweetbread is considered the

more delectable (and is therefore more expensive) of the two because

of its delicate flavor and firmer, creamy-smooth texture. Sweetbreads

from milk-fed veal or young calves are considered the best.

Sweetbreads are highly perishable and must be prepared within 24

hours after purchasing.

The first step in preparing sweetbreads is to gently simmer them in

acidulated water (water with a little salt and vinegar added) for about

10 minutes to firm them. Then shock-cool in ice water to stop the

cooking. Remove the outer membranes leaving only the gray-white nodules for eating. This particular recipe is

an improvement on the Creamed sweetbreads recipe I used to serve at the 13 Coins back in the late 70‘s.

Ingredients

1 to 2 lbs fresh sweetbreads, blanched and cleaned

½ cup chopped onions

½ lb. sliced mushrooms, any combination of button, shitake, porcini, but not portabella.

¼ cup good brandy

1 clove fresh garlic, chopped fine

¼ cup fresh chicken stock

4 TBS. unsalted butter

½ pint of whipping cream

2 TBS sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped parsley for garnish

Procedure

Melt 2 TBS. butter in a large sauté pan. Add the onions and sauté for about 1 minute over high heat. Add the

mushrooms and continue cooking for 2 minutes more. Add the sweet breads and cook for about 2 minutes. Add

the brandy and flame. Then add the garlic (always add fresh garlic after flaming so as to not burn). Add the

chicken stocks and reduce for a minute, then add the cream and allow the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly.

Season with salt and pepper. Pour out onto a heated platter and garnish with the sour cream and chopped

parsley. Serve with egg noodles or in a puff pastry shell.

Warning: Organ meats are extremely high in cholesterol. This is a high fat, high cholesterol dish and should not

be eaten by those on a cholesterol restricted diet or under medical treatment for high cholesterol.

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Jerked pork

Jerk spices are a Jamaican specialty. The jerk spices were originally used with wild boar and had a preserving

quality. Jerk is a mixture of spices. It is the Indian curry of

the Caribbean Islands. You can buy prepared jerk spice

mixes but it is better if you make your own. Jerk spice is

good over pork, chicken, fish, and beef. It is best served

with the traditional rice dish of Jamaica. Jerked meats are

served with a good Jamaican rice and cabbage slaw.

Jerk Spices

All spice - 1 TBS, whole and ground fresh (called pimento

berries in Jamaica)

½ cinnamon stick -

2 cloves sliced Garlic

Salt

2 TBS oil

1 tsp. Sage – fresh if you have it, otherwise dried.

1 Habanera pepper (other hot peppers can be substituted)

½ cup dark raisins

3 TBS Brown sugar

2 TBS Vinegar (I like using malt vinegar, but apple cider

works well, as does rice wine vinegar)

Procedure

Chop or puree the peppers until quite finely minced. Grind

the fresh spices and the raisins. Mix the spices, oil, vinegar and peppers together to form a paste. Be careful

when handling the bright yellow or orange habanera pepper as they are extremely hot and dangerous if you get

some in your eye. I recommend using rubber gloves, remove the seeds and veins, which is where the highest

concentrations of capsicum is located. You may use the green jalapeño if you like or a combination of several

peppers, both mild and hot. I like using three or 4 different peppers, including the scotch bonnet (habanera).

Rub the jerk spices all over the pork roast (you may also use on chicken or fish). Allow the meat to marinate for

at least 12 hours or overnight. Grill the meat over hot charcoal, or on a gas grill on high. The hotter the better.

You want to sear the meat and have it tender and juicy on the inside. You can finish it off in a slow oven once

the Pork roast has been seared. Don‘t be afraid to cook pork a slight pink, for all same reasons you cook beef on

the pink side – its more tender and juicer. Pork is now farm raised and can no longer be served garbage. There

has not been a single case of Trichinosis in this country since the early 1940‘s and that was from bear meat.

Rice and Pigeon peas

1 cup long grain white rice

½ cup pigeon peas or black beans

4 cups chicken stock

1 TSB paprika

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1 red bell pepper, chopped fine

1 stalk celery, chopped fine

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2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 TBS olive oil

yellow food coloring (optional)

Procedure

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. I like to use a tall sided cast iron pan. Add the vegetables and

sauté for a few minutes. Add the rice and seasonings. Coat the rice in the oil. Add the chicken stock and cover

the rice by 1 inch. Place a cover on the rice and allow to come to a boil, tightly covered. Reduce heat to low and

cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to set for an additional 15 minutes. Take the cover off and fluff

with a fork. Serve immediately.

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Braised Lamb Shanks

There is perhaps no earthier, aromatic, and flavorful Fall and Winter

dish than braised lamb shanks. The meat is tough and stringy but when

browned and cooked in a flavorful liquid for 2 hours or more all sinew

disappears and the meat becomes tender and juicy. Lamb shanks, like

Ox tails require this long cooking process but give up incredible

flavors in the process, especially when married with garden herbs, and

aromatic vegetables. I first began cooking Lamb Shanks at the 13

Coins; it was the Sunday special there. After 3 hours of cooking the

cooking stock with strained, the fat skimmed and made into a roux,

and the final sauce was finished with a little mint jelly – typical of the

1970‘s. Here‘s the recipe. Allow two shanks per person, since they

tend to be small these days and contain little meat.

Ingredients

6 lamb shanks

8 or more garlic cloves, peeled and rough chopped

1 large yellow onion, rough chopped

2 carrots, rough chopped

2 stalks celery, rough chopped

2 tomatoes, rough chopped

1 cup red wine

3 bay leaves

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

4 cups of chicken stock

Water to just barely cover the shanks.

Directions

Season the shanks and brown them in a heavy bottomed roasting pan. Allow the shanks to brown completely,

even blackening a bit towards the edges. Remove from the pan, drain most of the fat, and brown the vegetables.

When the aromatic vegetables are also well browned, return the shanks to the roasting pan. Add the garlic and

the herbs. Add some additional coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover the pan and cook in a 350o F oven.

After one hour turn the shanks and continue covering for 1.5 hours longer or until the shanks are very tender,

falling off the bone.

Remove from the pot and place on a warmed platter. Using a submersible blender (boat-motor) puree the stock

and thicken slightly with a little cornstarch slurry. Adjust the seasoning and add the Worcestershire sauce and

Tabasco.

Serve with steamed turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, carrots, or a combination of all. Wide egg noodles are a good

accompaniment. This dish will stand up to the sturdiest red wine such as a Barbara.

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Greek Gyros (pronounced year-ro)

I‘m sure everyone has had the delicious Greek

lamb dish, wrapped in those soft pita bread like

rolls. Here‘s how you make them at home. Most

recently I was advised of the most authentic way

to make Gyros. My son and his buddies spent a

week in Greece and had these delicious Gyros

several times a day! I asked the proprietor of a

Greek grocery store how he would prepare

gyros if he was using a whole leg of lamb. Here

are his instructions.

Ingredients

Boneless leg of lamb

2 bottles of beer, not light beer

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 TBS fresh oregano, chopped fine

2 tsp black pepper

6 cloves garlic, 4 of them chopped fine

1 cup white wine

1 lb Feta cheese crumbles

3 TBS coarse kosher salt

Procedure

Marinate the lamb in the beer for 2 or 3 hours.

Remove from the marinade and reserve. Dry the

lamb off and rub with olive oil and the spices.

Stab the meat in several places and insert cloves

of garlic deep in the lamb. Place in a roasting

pan and roast slowly at 325 F for 2 hours. Remove from the roasting pan and slice the lamb very thinly. Add the

beer and white wine to the lamb cooking liquid and reduce slightly. Thicken the sauce slightly with a little

cornstarch slurry. Place the sliced lamb back into the cooking liquid.

Sauce for Gyros – Tzatsiki

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, patted dry in paper towels, chopped very fine

1 cup low fat plain yogurt

2 cloves garlic, chopped and crushed into paste

salt and pepper to taste

1 TBS. fresh mint

2 tbs. good extra virgin olive oil

1 tbs. fresh lemon juice

allow the sauce to sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour, preferably overnight.

Cook up some home-made shoe string French fries or buy some from your local hamburger joint. Place the

grilled gyros lamb on a large, fresh soft pita bread, If you have a Greek market nearby you can find the specially

made Gyros bread, which is softer and larger than pita bread. Top the lamb with chopped tomatoes, Tzatsiki

sauce, Feta cheese, and the French Fries. Place a little ketchup and yellow mustard on the fries (believe me, this

is the way they are served in Greece). Wrap tightly in parchment paper so nothing fall out. Eat vigorously with

plenty of Greek olives, more Feta, and cold beer or white wine.

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Poultry & Game

74

Coq au Vin

This is the famous French bistro food, chicken in red wine sauce. It was very popular in French restaurants

during the 70‘s when French food was all the rage. When thin French cuisine became the rage, it fell from

grace. Now that comfort food is in again,

it has experienced resurgence in

popularity. I have made it many times and

still enjoy it on a fall or winter evening. It

can also be made with game birds. This

recipe serves 8 people.

Ingredients

2 whole fryer chickens, cut up into 4

wings, 4 breasts, 4 thighs, 4 drumsticks.

To keep the fat content down you can

remove the skin from the thighs, breasts,

and drumsticks.

10 small boiling onions, peeled

2 cups flour

3 tsp butter

8 whole cloves of garlic

2 cups of baby carrots

2 lbs small button mushrooms, whole

4 cups (or enough to cover the chicken pieces in the pan) of beef stock or a mixture of beef and chicken stock (I

prefer beef stock. If you can‘t get homemade stock, canned beef stock works fine).

1 cup good brandy

2 cups good red wine

½ cup rough chopped pancetta bacon. If you use American bacon, simmer it for a few minutes to take out some

of the smoky flavor

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. caramel coloring (kitchen Bouquet works fine)

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Sauté the bacon until almost crisp. Add the onions and begin browning until they are well caramelized. Remove

the onions from the pan. Add two TBS butter to the pan. Flour the chicken pieces and brown them well on all

sides. When they are browned add the carrots, mushrooms, and onions back into the pan. Add the brandy and

flame. Be careful not to burn yourself. Sometimes the flames will reach up a foot or two. Add the red wine and

seasonings and continue cooking for two minutes. Add the beef stock and cook the dish for another 35 minutes

or until the chicken is tender. The sauce will have thickened a little and darkened some.

Remove the chicken pieces and vegetables from the pan using a slotted spoon. Bring the sauce to a boil and add

the Worcestershire sauce and caramel color. Strain through a wire mesh strainer. Finish the sauce with a TBS of

butter, whisking it in. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

Arrange the chicken pieces and vegetables on a dinner plate and ladle the dark brown sauce over the chicken

and vegetables. Serve with a quality, sturdy red wine and crusty French bread.

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Roast Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

I love simple meals and comfort food. The roasted whole

chicken is one of my all time favorites, but it must be seasoned

correctly or it will be bland. I like to serve the roasted chicken

with a mélange of pan roasted vegetables as the perfect

accompaniment but garlic mashed potatoes are great as well.

There are several seasoning combinations but here‘s my

favorite. This recipe easily serves 4 adults with plenty of great

leftovers for the next day. You can also vary the seasoning by

using a more Italian blend of fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage.

The roast chicken is infinitely variable. Another trick is to use a

kitchen injector needle to inject a broth into the meaty parts of

the chicken to make it extra juicy and tender. A previous recipe

explained that process.

Ingredients

2 whole fryer chickens, washed and dried, giblets removed

2 TBS. extra virgin olive oil

1 stalk of celery, rough chopped

½ small onion, rough chopped

1 carrot, rough chopped

1 cup of white wine

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

6 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped and smashed

3 TBS Dave‘s special spice mix*

Procedure

Rub the chickens all over with the olive oil. Rub the chickens with the smashed garlic, including some inside.

Now rub the chickens with the spice mix, getting it into all the nooks and crannies. Place the chickens on a

broiler pan, not on a rack. Arrange the chopped vegetables around the chicken and place into a 400 degree oven.

Cook for 1.5 hrs or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the wings and legs wobble freely. After about 1

hour, add 2 cups of water to the pan. Remove the chickens from the pan and pour off most of the fat saving all

the liquid that remains.

After the chickens have rested a bit, cut the chicken up into its most prominent parts, two breasts, two legs, two

wings, two thighs, and two sets of wings. I like to remove all the chicken from the bones, being careful to get

every little piece of chicken and arrange on a serving platter.

The Sauce

Deglaze the pan with water or white wine or a mixture of both. As the pan sits on the burner, set on high,

dislodge any bits that remain stuck to the pan. The secret of deglazing is to get all he browned bits to give up

their flavor. Then strain the juices into a sauce pan. Bring to a rolling boil. Mix two TBS. of cornstarch with

about ¼ cup of water. Make sure all the cornstarch lumps are well blended. When the stock has come to a boil

slowly add the cornstarch slurry and whisk it in. The sauce will thicken almost immediately. Remove from the

heat or turn it down very low. Adjust the seasoning with salt, and add a tsp. of Worcestershire sauce.

Roasted Vegetables

4 medium baking or yellow potatoes, cut lengthwise into quarters or eights

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1 large whole onion, cut into large pieces

4 whole carrots, cut into large long pieces

2 sweet potatoes, cut lengthwise and into quarters

1 lb. of whole mushrooms

¼ cup good extra virgin olive oil

1 TBS. Worcestershire sauce

1 TBS fresh ground pepper

2 tsp. coarse kosher salt

One or two fresh thyme sprigs

One fresh rosemary sprig

1 tsp. oregano

Procedure

Place all the vegetables into a large mixing bowl. Pour the olive oil and Worcestershire sauce over the

vegetables and mix well. Spread out onto a large baking dish. Do not crowd the vegetables or pile them up upon

each other. They need room to brown all over. Try to get the potatoes to rest, skin side down. Sprinkle with the

pepper and salt, liberally all over. Add the herbs. Roast in a hot 400 degree F oven until the potatoes are tender.

Serve arranged around the chicken in the middle of the plate and drizzle the sauce over both the chicken and

vegetables. Serve with good crusty French or Italian bread and plenty of good white wine or cold beer.

Dave’s Special Spice Mix In a bowl mix the following seasonings. Store in a jar with a lid and use liberally on chicken, fish, and whatever

you like

½ cup of salt

¼ cup ground pepper

¼ cup garlic powder

¼ cup onion powder

1 TBS chili powder

3 TBS paprika

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. ground thyme

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Chicken Tika

Chicken Tika is a classic Indian chicken

dish is one of my favorites. It is a tomato

based, creamy sauce strongly flavored with

real curry or Indian Garam Masala. The

recipe of Garam Masala on the next page.

Ingredients

4 boneless chicken breasts

4 TBS Garam Masala paste

4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

2 TBS vegetable oil or clarified butter (ghee)

1 large can tomato sauce

3 TBS plain yogurt

½ pint heavy cream

1 cup chicken stock

1 TBS red chili paste

1 TBS sugar

Salt and pepper to taste.

Procedure

Grill the chicken breasts over very hot coals until they are browned but not thoroughly cooked. Reserve until

the sauce is ready.

Heat the butter or ghee in a large saucepan. Add the Garam Masala paste and the chopped garlic. Simmer for a

minute or so. Add the tomato sauce and begin reducing for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the cream

and yogurt and continue to reduce until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the chili

paste, sugar, and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and sugar. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and

allow the dish to simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve over or with Jasmine rice with Indian Naan flat bread.

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Homemade Curry Spice Mix – Garam Masala

Curry powders of India and other parts

of Asia are not a single spice but a blend

of many spices. If you have never made

your own curry spices you should try it;

it‘s so much better than store-bought

curry powders. Here‘s a standard recipe

for classis Indian Curry. This recipe

goes well with any mean, chicken, or

lamb. I like to marinate chicken in the

spices and then braise them. Or, mix the

spices with plain yogurt and marinate

the chicken, beef, shrimp, or pork. Then

braise. The Indian name for this curry is

Garam Masala.

Ingredients

20 Whole Cumin seed

40 Cardamom seed – break them out of the little pods

1 Whole cinnamon bark stick

4 Whole Cloves

20 Whole peppercorns

20 Whole coriander leaves

2 whole Red chili peppers

1 tsp. Turmeric powder

3 to 4 TBS. Ghee (clarified butter)

Directions

Toast the seeds in a heavy bottom sauté pan until the seeds start to pop and give off a great aroma. Grind the

warm seeds and cinnamon bark pieces in a clean electric grinder or mash into a powder using a mortar and

pestle. Mix with chopped coriander, finely chopped red chili peppers and a little ghee to make into a paste. The

turmeric will give it a golden yellow color. It will keep for weeks in the refrigerator stored in a sealed jar. The

taste and aroma is fantastic.

Marinate chicken, beef, lamb, or fish in the spice mixture. Broil, or braise. The flavors are great. There are other

spice combinations that can be added or deleted but this is the basic curry mix. I like to marinate lamb chunks

for a few hours or even overnight, brown the lamb, then slow cook with a stock over the lamb. Sauté celery,

onions, carrots, tomatoes in the pot with the lamb, cover with the stock and cook for about 2 hours until the

lamb is very tender and the vegetables are cooked to a puree. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. It

should be spicy. Serve the mixture over Basmati rice. Server with homemade Nan bread and steamed

vegetables. A good chardonnay is great with Indian food, or a hearth red wine like a syrah.

79

Wild Grouse with Wild Mushrooms Grouse is one of the most popular game birds in America.

It can be found almost everywhere. Its habitat is usually in

heavily wooded areas. Grouse nest on the ground and their

camouflage is extremely effective – they are nearly

impossible to see when sitting on their nest. Grouse live on

seeds and small insects. Grouse tastes very similar to

chicken and its size is similar to a small frying chicken.

The only difference is that Grouse is a bit tougher. It is

best to use a two step cooking process, called braising.

This will insure a tender and delicious bird. I also

recommend soaking the Grouse breasts in brine for about

three hours prior to cooking (see procedure for brining

meats). This recipe and process works well for pheasant

and partridge (chucker) as well. Happy hunting.

Ingredients

4 whole Grouse breasts, split into two and deboned

1 cup flour

1 cups white wine

2 cups chicken stock

1 ½ ounce of brandy

1 medium onion chopped fine

1 small carrot chopped fine

1 lb. wild mushrooms, shitake will work fine.

2 tsp. chopped garlic

3 TBS butter

3 TBS olive oil

Dave‘s Seasoning Mix

Directions:

Remove the Grouse breasts from the brine and pat dry. Split the Grouse breasts and remove the bones and rib

cage. Season the breasts with the seasoning mixture. Lightly flour the breasts and sauté in a mixture of olive oil

and butter. Reserve 2 TBS. of the butter. When the breasts are lightly browned, remove from the pan and

reserve on a warm plate. Add the vegetables and sauté until the onions are clear. Add the mushrooms and cook

for 1 minute. Return the Grouse to the pan and, over high heat, add the brandy and flame. Add the white wine

and the chicken stock. Cook, covered in a 375 degree F oven for about 15 minutes. Add the garlic

Remove the pan from the oven and remove the breasts. Reduce the sauce over high heat. Adjust the seasoning.

You may thicken the sauce slightly with corn starch-water slurry.

Serve the breasts with the sauce covering. I recommend accompanying the Grouse with garlic mashed potatoes,

egg noodles, or wild rice. Serve with a sturdy white wine and crusty French bread.

Dave’s Poultry Seasoning Mixture

5 parts coarse salt

1 part coarse ground black pepper

1 part granulated garlic

1 part granulated onion

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1 part ground paprika

¼ part ground thyme

81

Wild Turkey Recently I hunted wild Turkey in Eastern

Washington (that‘s me on the right). It

was great fun; the hunt took almost 3

hours before I finally had a decent shot at

a young Tom. Wild turkeys have

incredible eyesight and are much smarter

than given credit for.

As soon as the turkey was cleaned I

popped it in the freezer for cooking the

next week. Wild turkey is extremely lean

meat, as are most game birds.

They are flavorful but can be a bit dry if

not prepared correctly. The most

important step is brining the turkey. Refer

to my recipe for brining chickens. A large

wild turkey should sit in the brine

overnight.

When the turkey is initially prepped it

should be skinned. This makes the cleaning process much easier but removes the skin. As a result you need to

provide some fat or the bird will be too dry.

Ingredients Wild turkey, skin on or skinned

1 stick of butter

½ lb salt pork

Meat injector

2 cups chicken stock

½ onion, rough chopped

1 carrot, rough chopped

1 stalk celery, rough chopped

Large roasting pan

Heavy duty aluminum foil

¼ cup Seasoning mix

Preparation

After thawing the bird slowly in the refrigerator wash it off in cold water and plunge it into a brine solution of

salt, vinegar, sugar, and water to completely cover the bird. Brine overnight. Remove the bird from the brine

and wash in cold water again. Check carefully for any shot entry spots and feel around for shot. Carefully pry

out any shot if you find it.

Place the bird in a roasting pan, directly on the pan, not in a rack. Add the cut vegetables. Melt the butter. Begin

injecting the bird in various locations using up all the butter. Pour any remaining butter all over the cold bird.

The butter should solidify almost immediately. Season the bird with the seasoning mix inside and out,

especially on the bottom of the bird. Slice the salt pork into very thin slices and drape them over the bird,

including over the legs. You can substitute bacon for the salt pork but blanch the bacon first to remove some of

the smoke flavor.

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Tightly cover the bird and roasting pan with aluminum foil. Roast in a 335 degree F oven. Roast for about 4

hours. Check occasionally and add some chicken stock about ½ way through the cooking process. Remove the

foil for the last few minutes.

Turkey gravy

Make a blond roux (equal parts of flour and fat by weight, cooked over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.

Do not burn)

Add the strained stock form the roasting pan whisking continuously. Remember the rule for no lumps, cold

stock to hot roux – hot stock to cold roux. Thicken the gravy. Add 1 TBS sherry. Season to taste. Darken with a

little kitchen bouquet if you like.

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Stuffed Breast of Chicken (or any game bird)

This is a great stuffed poultry dish with rich

Northern Italian flavors that lends itself to

Upland Game Birds as well as domestic

fowl. Serves 4 adults.

Chicken Breasts

4 large boneless chicken breasts or ½ game

birds, bone in. Slit the chicken breasts to

form a pocket that can easily be resealed.

You may also use the hanging chicken

tender to keep the stuffing from falling out.

Stuffing

1 ½ cup ricotta cheese

8 to 10 sun dried tomatoes – chopped fine.

If you want to make your own, see

directions below. I often use the ones that

come in the jars because they are packed in olive oil, which can be reserved for cooking the chicken breasts.

1 or 2 whole red peppers, roasted with blackened skin and seeds removed – chopped fine (roast the peppers over

direct flame until all the skin is blackened, finish in a hot oven for about 10 minutes, place into a paper bag,

which is closed tightly. Allow to rest for about 20 minutes or until cool. Remove the skin and seeds)

¼ cup parmesan cheese

2 TBS of softened butter

2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped fine

1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped in chiffonnade style (Stack the leaves one on top of the other and roll tightly

into a cylinder, like a cigar. Slice the cylinders of leaves crosswise into thin strips)

Salt and pepper (stuffing should be well seasoned)

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Mix well with a spoon, making sure the chopped vegetables are well blended into the cheese mixture. Adjust

seasoning

Process

Using a tablespoon, place a large dollop of stuffing into the slit in the chicken breasts or into the cavity of the

halved Cornish game hens or game birds (remove rib bones for easier eating).

Place the stuffed birds into the freezer for about 10 minutes or until they hold their shape. You don‘t want any

of the stuffing to ooze out while cooking. Brush with the oil from the sun dried tomatoes (if you don‘t have

enough, add a little good Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and season with salt and pepper. I use coarse Kosher salt

because it will keep some of its texture while cooking. When it hits the tongue it gives a mini blast of saltiness,

which really accentuates the flavor of the food. Bake in a hot oven, 420 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until

done. Don‘t over cook the chicken – nothing worse than a dry chicken breast.

Sauce

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, make a roux of equal parts of flour and butter (about ¼ cup total). Cook the

roux for about 3 minutes over high heat to remove the floury flavor. Add 1 cup of cold chicken stock and white

wine (homemade stock is best but canned works well also) and begin whisking in rapidly to work out any

lumps. When the sauce is very thick, add milk or cream to complete the béchamel (fancy word for white sauce).

The sauce should just coat a spoon (not too thick). Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper (white pepper is

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nice because it doesn‘t leave black specs in the sauce). Add 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of

nutmeg. I also whisk in a ½ cup of parmesan cheese, whisking all the while to avoid any lumps or strings of

cheese.

Serving

Place the stuffed chicken breasts on a plate, top with a nap of the white sauce and accompany with wild rice or

fresh pasta, and a nice green vegetable. Fresh asparagus is excellent, steamed and seasoned with salt, pepper, a

drizzle of olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Serve with crusty French bread and a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.

Enjoy.

Homemade roasted tomatoes.

To mimic a good sun dried tomato use Italian plum tomatoes and slice them lengthwise and place on a baking

pan. Season the tomatoes with salt, pepper, and good Ex Virgin Olive Oil. Bake in the oven slowly at 250

degrees F for about 4 to 5 hours, or until the tomatoes shrink, wrinkle, and appear somewhat dry and leathery.

Allow the tomatoes to cool and loosely pack in a mason jar. Cover the tomatoes with olive oil and store in the

fridge. The oil will become cloudy and thick. To use, let the tomatoes come to room temperature and use just

like a sun dried tomatoes. They are great in sauces, pizza, and for stuffing‘s.

Perfect Rice

More people have trouble cooking rice to perfection than any other common food item. There is a simple

formula to remember when cooking rice and it applies to any rice dish except Risotto - one part rice to two parts

liquid. I never rinse my rice, unless I am making a pilaf and I want to make sure the rice grains are separate.

Procedure Place 1 cup white rice in a two quart sauce pan. Add two parts of liquid, it can be either stock, or a mixture of

stock, water, wine, etc. Season with 1 TBS of butter and a tsp. of salt. Cover the pan. Bring to a boil and

immediately reduce the heat to a simmer or lowest setting for your burner. Leave the pan alone for 20 minutes.

When you are ready to serve remove the cover and fluff the rice with a fork. You are ready to serve.

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Chicken Parmesan

Over the years people have asked me what is my favorite chicken

recipe. It changes from week to week but a consistent favorite is

Chicken Parmesan with a white sauce instead of a traditional red

sauce. This was served at the 13 Coins but with some

modifications. I have prepared this dish with many variations

over the years and my guests are always pleased.

Ingredients

4 split chicken breasts – pounded thin

4 thin slices of mozzarella cheese

Spaghetti or another pasta for 4 people – fresh if possible

½ cup flour

2 TBS fresh chopped parsley

1 cup cracker crumbs

2 whole eggs - beaten

3 cups Mornay sauce

¼ cup white wine

½ cup good quality Parmesan cheese - grated

3 TBS EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Directions:

Gently pound the chicken breasts out between

sheets of plastic film or a plastic bag split open on

three sides. Reserve in the refrigerator, covered

with plastic wrap. Prepare a Mornay sauce.

Bread the chicken breasts, first in flour, egg wash,

then in bread crumbs. Sauté the chicken breasts for

one minute each side or until golden. Place on a

baking sheet and top each breasts with the

mozzarella cheese. Place in a 475 degree F oven.

Deglaze the pan with a bit of white wine and

reduce to a syrup. Add your Mornay sauce to the

sauté pan, which was just used to cook the breasts.

Cook for one minute more. If you are using fresh

pasta cook it right before serving. Place some

sauce on the plate, a couple of ounces under both

the chicken and the noodles. Place the cooked

breasts on the sauce and then place the cooked pasta on its bit of sauce. Top the chicken with the grated

Parmesan cheese. Top the pasta with some Parmesan and chopped parsley. Serve with a sturdy white wine and

crusty French bread.

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Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Moroccan recipes are intensely flavorful, bright, and exotic. The

Tagine clay cooking pot (also spelled Tajine) is unique to North

African cooking and to the south border of the Mediterranean

Sea. The Tagine is usually placed right on the hot coals and the

dish is cooked slowly for about 1 hour or more. The most unique

flavor of tagine chicken comes from the preserved lemons. You

can buy preserved lemons over the internet but you can also make

your own. There is a recipe for them at the bottom of the page. If

you don‘t want to go out and buy a tagine, simply use a large cast

iron Dutch oven or some other type of pottery cookware with a

large cover. Some crock pots allow you to remove the crockery

from the metal heating element that that will work well also. Do

not put the pottery directly on the flame or electric burner; it will

crack the pottery. If using a gas range, use a flame spreader to

disperse the heat, or cook in the oven. There is usually no

problem when using hot coals and the direct heat method.

Ingredients

8 chicken parts; legs, thighs, and breasts, or any combination

1 onion, chopped fine

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup chopped Italian broadleaf parsley

2 cups high quality Greek green olives, pitted if possible

4 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped fine

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped fine

1 or two whole preserved lemon, cut into quarters

3 TBS. juice from the preserved lemon jar

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Arrange the chicken pieces on the tagine pot or in a Dutch oven. Spread the onions, garlic, and chopped greens

and spices over the vegetables and chicken. Arrange the preserved lemons and olives around the chicken. Add

two or three cups of water to the pan. Season with pepper and a little salt and cover the dish with the tagine

cover. Either place directly on hot coals or in a hot over for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. The

idea is not to open the lid of the Dutch oven or tagine until serving time. When the lid comes off, the aroma hits

you like a Moroccan night, taking you on a evening with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Serve with

warmed pita bread, couscous, and a light white wine.

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Preserved Lemons

Wash several whole lemons and cut them about half the way through in quarters. Sprinkle about 1 TBS of

coarse salt onto each lemon. Put about 1 TBS. of coarse salt into the bottom of a large mason jar. Stuff the

lemons into the jar. If they are large you can usually get three in there. Add a little more salt and about ½ cup of

lemon juice. Seal the jar tightly and store in the freezer for about 1 hour, then move to the refrigerator. Marinate

the lemons in the salt/lemon juice mixture for about 8 days. The

lemons will darken in color and produce a intensely flavored

lemony brine. When you open the jar the aroma will tantalize and

amaze you. When ready to use, remove a lemon from the jar and

wash off any excess salt, if it has not already turned into a brine.

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Soups

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Crab Bisque

Bisque is a chowder that has all the chunky vegetable pieces

strained out. It is a rich, thick, smooth soup that is very

flavorful with the primary ingredient standing out from the

flavors.

Ingredients

1 to 2 lbs. fresh crab meat, depending on the number of

people you are serving. I suggest using whole crabs and

remove the meat from every nook and cranny – save the

shells for stock. If you can find fresh live Dungeness crabs,

all the better. Then you can steam yourself, cool, remove the

crab meat, and save the cooking liquid for the stock. This

basic recipe can be used for lobster bisque, shrimp, crawfish,

etc.

Ingredients

½ medium onion, rough chopped

2 stalks celery, rough chopped

1 medium carrot, rough chopped

1 quart fish stock, shrimp stock, or shrimp stock enriched

with crab shells

1 pint whipping cream

6 TBS unsalted butter

1 TBS tomato paste

¼ tsp thyme

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (or more if you like)

2 cloves garlic, smashed fine

¼ cup sherry

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Procedure

In a quart of shrimp or fish stock, add the shells from two or three crabs, preferably from the crabs you just

removed the crab meat from. Simmer for 20 minutes and strain into a sauce pan.

Sauté the chopped the vegetables in 3 TBS butter until just clear. Add flour to the sautéing vegetables to form a

roux. Pour the stock over the vegetable/flour mix and cook until the soup thickens. Add the tomato paste,

thyme, and garlic to the soup. Add the cream and simmer until the sauce reduces a little and the sauce thickens

again slightly. Add the sherry and Worcestershire sauce. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Finally add

the crabmeat and simmer for a few minutes more.

Serve with oyster crackers or toast points. Garnish the bisque with a teaspoon of fresh crab meat right in the

center of the soup. Some also garnish with a dollop of sour cream, or both. Bisque can be served with either a

rich oaken chardonnay or even a full bodied red, such as a Cabernet or Syrah. Enjoy

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Gumbo

The word gumbo (combo) is an African word for soup. This highlights the many influences that make up South

Louisiana food. The influences are from black plantation

workers, Native Americans, Spanish settlers, and the

French speaking Acadian settlers who became the Cajuns.

The Cajuns were unique farmers and fishermen of the

Louisiana bayous. Cajun food is one of the very few truly

indigenous forms of American cooking. Gumbo is usually

flavored with filé powder (fee-lay), which comes from

ground sassafras leaves. It was used by the Native

Americans to thicken their soups and was picked up by the

African Americans who settled in the bayous. Gumbo, like

so many other Cajun dishes, was a poor man‘s dish. It was

set on the stove early in the day and whatever was caught

was thrown into the pot. Okra was also used frequently, as

it was a common vegetable and gave the soup a slightly

slimy texture. If you want to make chicken gumbo only,

leave out the seafood and use only chicken stock.

Ingredients

1 to 2 cups brown roux

2 stalks of Celery – chopped fine

1 medium onion – chopped fine

1 bunch of green onions – chopped fine

1 green pepper – chopped fine

1 red pepper – chopped fine

¼ cup chopped parsley

3 Italian plum tomatoes, chopped fine

8 cups chicken or fish stock, depending on the kind of gumbo you are making (see recipe below)

3 whole bay leaves

½ tsp. chili powder

2 TBS. filé powder

½ tsp. cumin

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more if you want it really hot)

1 to 2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 TBS. of Worcestershire sauce

10 to 20 cloves of garlic, chopped fine, or more if you want it really garlicky

1 lb. Louisiana Andouille sausage, sliced (a good Italian or polish Kielbasa sausage will work fine if you can‘t

find Andouille)

1 lb. chicken thighs or breasts, cut in half. You can use boneless chicken breasts for ease of eating but it‘s not

authentic.

Any combination of shucked oysters, clams, shrimp, redfish (red snapper), turtle meat, crab, crayfish

(crawdads) or any other seafood you like.

Procedure

In a large pot, make a brown roux by combining equal parts by weight of peanut oil and flour. 1 to 2 cups

should be enough. Cook the roux over medium-high heat stirring constantly until the roux reaches the color of

peanut butter. Don‘t let it burn or its useless and will give a burned flavor to the gumbo.

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When the roux is done, add the vegetables and cook them in the roux for about 5 minutes.

Brown the sausage and chicken in a separate sauté pan until the chicken is about 1/3 done. Add to the roux and

vegetables.

Add the stock to the pot and stir until it thickens a bit

add the seasonings except for the garlic

Cook the gumbo for about 20 minutes over medium heat to meld the flavors

add the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes more

begin adding the fish, the white fish first, shell fish, peeled and deveined shrimp last. When the shrimp are

tender the soup is ready to serve. It should be only slightly thick and have a greenish-brown color. The aroma is

fantastic.

Serve Gumbo over steamed white rice with plenty of crusty French bread and cold beer.

Stock for Gumbo While you may use canned chicken stock if you want, I like to take chicken bones, cover with about 10 cups of

water and bring to a boil. Add a bay leaf, a rough cut onion, carrot and stalk of celery to the stock. Add the peels

from the shrimp and any other fish bones you have around. When it comes to a boil skim the brown foam that

rises to the top and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain the stock and adjust the seasonings. Bring the

strained stock to a boil again and reduce to about 8 cups. For chicken gumbo, leave out the fish parts.

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Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati chili is rarely found in

recipe books these days. It is

essentially a meat sauce served in the

style of the great Cincinnati chili

houses and diners in the mid-west. It‘s

usually not found anywhere else in the

US. It‘s characteristic flavor is

cinnamon. It‘s not hot chili but very

flavorful. It‘s served one way, two

way, three way, etc. One way is just

the sauce. Two way is over spaghetti

noodles. Three way is with a mountain

of shredded cheddar on top. You get

the idea.

Ingredients

1 large onion chopped

1.5 pound extra-lean ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper, more if you like it hotter.

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 TBS unsweetened cocoa or 1/2 ounce grated unsweetened chocolate

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

Directions

Sauté the hamburger and onions until the burger is completely browned. Add all other ingredients except the

garlic. Simmer for 1 hour. Add the garlic and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning for salt

and pepper. The amount of cayenne is up to your individual tastes.

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Texas Style Hot Chili – Lower Calorie Version Southwest chili is an American institution. It is the subject of all the Chili cook-off‘s held in the US and around

the world. This chili has no beans, it is purely a meat chili in a rich,

fiery sauce. Generally it is served with condiments on the side, such

as beans, cheese, onions, cottage cheese, crackers, even pasta. It is

made like the famous Cincinnati Chili, but without the cocoa powder

and much hotter. My current version is made with lean meat and no

added fat, so it has all the flavors but much less fat. It is made from

chipotle peppers, which come canned in adobo sauce. The chipotle is

nothing but a ripe jalapeno pepper which has been smoked and

packed in the rich reddish brown adobo sauce. They are very hot so

use cautiously, starting out with one or two first. I generally use three

but some in the family can‘t eat the chili because its too hot.

Ingredients

1 lbs. pork shoulder or butt, trimmed of all fat and sinew, chopped into small ¼ inch cubes

1 lb. ground turkey breast

1 lb. ground beef – extra lean

1 red bell pepper

1 jalapeño pepper, green or ripe

3 banana peppers – ripe

1 jar whole roasted red peppers and juice

2 - 3 chipotle peppers – canned in adobo sauce.

1 large whole onion – chopped fine

8 cloves fresh garlic – chopped fine

1 medium can whole Italian plum tomatoes, chopped

1 small can tomato paste

1.5 quarts of water or canned beef stock

2 tsp. prepared beef base (paste type)

1 TBS. peanut oil or canola oil

1 TBS. Worcestershire sauce

2 TBS. maze or white corn flower

1 TBS. brown sugar or dark molasses

6 or 75 drops Wrights Liquid Smoke

2 TBS. cumin

2 TBS mild chili powder

2 TBS Mexican oregano

Salt to taste

Directions:

Roast the fresh peppers in a hot (450 degree F) oven for about 15 minutes or until the skins begin to blacken.

You may also achieve a similar effect by scorching them with propane torch or over the gas burner. Make sure

to blister and blacken every nook and cranny of the pepper. Place the scorched or baked peppers in a paper bag

for about ½ hour. When cool, remove from the bag and peel most of the skins. Don‘t worry if you can‘t get it

all. Chop the peppers coarsely.

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan. Add the chopped onions and brown to a rich caramelized state. Remove from

the pan.

Add the meat to the pan, a little at a time to brown. If you put it all in you will simply steam the meat and it

won‘t get browned. Once it is all browned, return the onions and all other vegetables to the pan. Cook for about

5 more minutes. Add the tomato products and about 1.5 quarts of water. Add the seasonings except for the

garlic. Cook the chili for one or two hours. It will cook down, darken in color and thicken slightly. Add the

94

garlic and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the corn flour by sprinkling it in and stirring at the same time so it

doesn‘t form lumps. Adjust the seasoning with salt. Feel free to adjust any of the ingredients to your personal

tastes.

This is a dark, richly flavored chili with the intense heat and smoke of the chipotle and roasted peppers. The

more roasted peppers you use the richer the flavor. If it‘s summer time and you want to actually smoke these

peppers yourself over mesquite wood on a BBQ grill, all the better. Serve with grated cheddar or monetary jack

cheese, chopped red onions, crackers, thick slices of homemade bread, grilled flour tortillas, cooked pinto

beans, or corn chips – and plenty of cold Corona beer. If you are watching calories skip the condiments and

drink light beer. This chili can easily stand on its own.

Quick Pepper Table Pepper Heat index Use

Arbol Extremely hot – always seen ripe

and red

Used in Mexican dishes and

Asian cuisine

Anaheim Mild – green or yellow when ripe Great roasted, sweet and mild,

used in Chiles Rellanos,

Poblano Mild – dark red Sweet and mild, used in soups

and chilies. Very flavorful.

Ancho Mild This is the poblano which has

been dried, flavorful and mild,

great in sauces

Chipotle Hot Smoked jalapeño peppers, usually

served in abodo sauce. Great in

chilies and sauces

Habanero (scotch bonnet) Extremely Hot Small red pepper 10 times hotter

than the Jalapeno. Be careful!

Serrano Hot Hotter than jalapeno, used in

pickling, and in many Mexican or

SW dishes

Pasilla Mild Long and dark red. Dried used in

Mexican moles and sauces

Jalapeño Hot Used green or ripe. Used in all

kinds of dips, deep fried, etc.

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Chicken Chili

Occasionally I like to make a healthier chili, one that

everyone in the household will eat. You can use

either chicken or turkey. Don‘t use ground meat, it

doesn‘t have the right texture. Here is a great recipe

for chicken chili that has plenty of flavor and heat.

Ingredients

2 whole boneless chicken breasts

2 TBS. olive oil

2 medium onions – chopped fine

1 large can of diced tomatoes in juice

1 can beef consume

1 small can of diced green chilies

2 cans of white beans

2 cups water

2 TBS chili powder

1 TBS ground cumin

2 TBS corn meal

2 tsp. sugar

4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. red pepper flakes – more if you like

½ tsp. cinnamon

Salt to taste

Directions:

Dice the chicken breasts, chop the onions to a fine dice. Sauté the onions in the olive oil until translucent and

add the diced chicken breasts. Cook covered for about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock, water, chilies,

beans, and all seasonings except garlic for about 1 hour over medium heat. Add the garlic and continue cooking

for 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and stir in the corn meal. Continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes.

I like to serve the chili in small bread bowls, with grated cheddar and cottage cheese.

96

Cream of Chicken Barley soup

On these colder rainy days, a bowl of soup and a slice of bread for dinner is

just the ticket. For years at the 13 Coins, on Wednesdays I would make

Creamy Chicken Barley soup. It was by far our most popular, next to the

minestrone. Barley takes a while to cook since it is a tough rubbery grain so

it requires patience.

Ingredients

1 one lb. bag of pearl barley

3 quarts chicken stock, either homemade or canned (you may want to enrich your homemade stock with a little

paste type chicken base)

½ cup each of finely diced - carrot, celery, onion, and white turnip

1 pint ½ & ½ or whole milk if you think the cream is too heavy

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 to 2 lbs. of cooked boneless chicken breast meat, cooked ahead, cooled and diced fine

1 bay leaf

2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

½ tsp. Tabasco sauce

2 TBS. unsalted butter

¼ cup flour

White pepper

1 TBS. Worcestershire sauce

Salt to taste

Directions

Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the barley. Cover the pot. Cook the barley until tender. You may need

to add a little more stock about half way through the process. The barley should soften in about 35 to 40

minutes. When the barley is cooked, add the vegetables, reserving the parsley until last. Allow the vegetables to

cook for about 5 minutes. Make a roux out of the butter and flour. Cook the roux for a few minutes to cook out

the flour taste. Whisk it into the soup a little at a time until the soup thickens to gravy consistency. Allow the

soup to cook for about 3 minutes more. Add the chicken, cream, seasonings, and blend well. Adjust the

seasoning for salt and pepper. Add the parsley at the last minute.

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Peanut Soup

Peanut soup is one of those dishes that you either like or don‘t. It‘s

rich and creamy with a down-south taste that reminds you of

Georgia at Thanksgiving time. I like to serve it as a starter before

meat dishes. It‘s filling so it could also be a meal by itself. One note

of caution – do not use the bland Skippy or Jiff types as they are full

of saturated fat (shortening) used to stabilize them on the shelf. Use

an extra premium natural brand, such as Adams

Ingredients

1 cup natural creamy peanut butter

4 cups of chicken stock

¼ cup chopped celery

¼ cup chopped carrot

¼ cup chopped onion

3 TBS unsalted butter

1 TBS dark brown sugar

½ pint of heavy cream

¼ cup finely chopped peanuts

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Sauté the Mirepoix in 1 TBS. butter (chopped celery, onion, carrot) until tender. Add the chicken stock and

simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain the vegetables out of the stock and return the stock to the sauce pan. Add

the peanut butter, cream, and seasonings to the soup. Simmer for another 5 minutes and adjust the seasonings

with salt & pepper. Garnish each bowl with the chopped peanuts and a little chopped parsley.

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Cream of Tomato Soup

On a cold fall day there is nothing like homemade cream of

tomato soup, redolent with the subtle flavor of sherry and

fresh basil. I like to make mine by using homemade chicken

stock that I keep in the freezer for just such times. However

if you don‘t have any in the freezer make some. I‘ve

included the recipe. You can use canned chicken stock,

enriched with a little quality chicken paste, but it isn‘t nearly

as good. Don‘t scrimp on the cream, it is what makes the

soup so rich and flavorful. The mouth-feel of a real cream

soup is part of the overall experience. You will never buy

Campbell‘s again.

Ingredients

2 Quarts of homemade chicken stock

1 pint of whipping cream

1 large or two regular size cans of diced plum tomatoes in juice

3 TBS tomato paste

¼ cup each of finely diced carrots, celery, onion

2 tsp. paprika

1 TBS. Worcestershire Sauce

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

4 TBS dry sherry

2 TBS butter

Two cloves garlic, smashed and chopped fine

½ cup finely chopped fresh Basil (chiffonnade style of cut)

Salt to taste

Directions

Prepare a quality chicken stock starting with about a gallon of cold water, 2 lbs. of chicken bones, a rough cut

onion, stalk of celery, and rough cut carrot. Add a bay leaf and a few whole peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and

skim off any scum which will rise to the surface. Simmer for about 40 minutes and allow to cool slightly. Strain

the stock through a strainer or double layer of cheesecloth. Reduce the stock further to 2 quarts and strain again

if needed. Place the stock in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to use skim the solidified chicken fat from

the surface. I save the chicken fat to sauté fresh vegetables or to make a roux for chicken based cream soups.

There is nothing better.

Bring the stock to a boil and add the finely diced vegetables. After about 5 minutes of simmering add the

tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for another 5 minutes and add the cream, sherry, and seasonings. Adjust the

seasonings and finish by whisking in the butter. Top with homemade croutons, a dollop of sour cream, or a

some more shredded fresh basil. Serve with a crusty French bread and a big chardonnay.

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Turkey Rice Soup

Every Thanksgiving, after we have had our fill of

Thanksgiving day leftovers I make Turkey Rice soup.

I make sure that the day after Thanksgiving I remove

all the meat from the turkey carcass and save all the

turkey bones, skin, and gelatin that forms on the

bottom of the turkey platter. All these bones go into a

stock pot and will make a delicious turkey soup.

There are so many variations to this soup. Use

noodles instead of rice. Add any variety of aromatic

vegetables you like. Make it a turkey cream soup if

you wish - the possibilities are endless.

Ingredients

4 to 6 quarts of rich turkey stock

1 cup white rice

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups chopped white cabbage

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 lb. coarse chipped leftover Thanksgiving turkey

1 cups leftover turkey gravy

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. oregano

Directions

Place all your turkey bones into a stock pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and

carefully skim off any scum that rises to the tip. After about 2 hours of simmering, turn the heat off. Allow the

stock to cool and strain through a fine strainer into a large bowl. Place in the refrigerator overnight (or at least

12 hours). Carefully scrape off the fat which has risen to the top of the bowl. Place the gelatinized stock, bay

leaves, and oregano in to a large soup pot and bring the stock to a rapid boil. Reduce by ¼th. Add the rice and

simmer for 10 minutes more. Add the chopped vegetables, except the parsley. Simmer until the rice is cooked.

Add the parsley, turkey gravy, and turkey meat. Adjust the seasoning with salt and ground black pepper.

Serve with tossed salad, dinner rolls or crusty French bread, and a good turkey wine; such as Riesling,

Gewürztraminer, or champagne.

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Minestrone Soup One of the most popular traditional Italian

soups is Minestrone. There are dozens of

recipes but here is the one that I have used

for years. I vary the ingredients all the time

using up what I have leftover in the fridge.

Feel free to add whatever you like

remembering to keep it in the Italian vein.

Use fresh basil if you like or any fresh

Italian spice. Use fresh whole tomatoes and

chop them yourself. You get the idea.

Ingredients

Chicken stock – 4 cups

Beef consume – 1 can

2 stalks Celery – diced

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 medium Onion - diced

1 large Carrot - diced

4 oz. Chopped spinach – thoroughly drained

1 medium, sliced Zucchini

¼ cup Orzo, Tubetini, stars, or some other small soup pasta

1 TBS Italian Seasoning

3 cloves, crushed Garlic

Crushed Red pepper

1 can Garbanzo beans - drained

1 can white beans - drained

1 can diced tomato in juice

Olive oil

Cooked Italian sausage, sliced (optional)

Shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

In a soup pot heat the olive oil. Sauté the vegetables until just tender. Add the stock, tomatoes in juice,

and seasonings. Bring to a boil and add the pasta and the beans. Cook until the pasta is tender. Add the

chopped, drained, spinach and sausage. Cook for 5 minutes more. Adjust the seasoning. Serve with a

TBS of parmesan cheese and crusty Italian bread.

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Beef Barley soup This is one of the greatest barley soups, popular in the UK, Ireland, and throughout central and eastern Europe.

Barley has long been the grain of choice in

ancient soups. Often the barley is cooked and

the barley water is used for making beer. Early

recipes for beer didn‘t use hops as it is a more

recent beer making phenomenon. Barley soup is

a peasant soup, using what bits and scraps of

beef you could find. It‘s a great way to use up

leftover pot roast.

Ingredients

1 one lb. bag of pearl barley

2 quarts beef stock, either homemade or canned (you may want to enrich your homemade stock with

Campbell‘s Beef Consommé

½ cup each of finely diced - carrot, celery, onion, and red bell pepper

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 to 2 lbs. of cooked beef, cooked ahead, cooled and diced fine

1 bay leaf

2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

½ tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 TBS. unsalted butter

Pepper

1 TBS. Worcestershire sauce

Salt to taste

Procedure

Bring the beef stock to a boil and add the barley. Cover the pot. Cook the barley until tender. You may need to

add a little more stock about half way through the process. The barley should soften in about 35 to 40 minutes.

When the barley is cooked, sauté the vegetables and add them to the soup, reserving the parsley until last. Allow

the vegetables to cook for about 5 minutes. The barley will thicken the soup to the proper consistency. Allow

the soup to cook for about 3 minutes more. Add the beef, seasonings, and blend well – cook for an additional 5

minutes. Adjust the seasoning for salt and pepper. Add the parsley at the last minute.

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Potato Leek Soup

Every great cookbook has a recipe

for potato leek soup. This is a

simple one to make and very

delicious, especially on cold winter

days. If no leeks are available use

good white onions and green

onions. Since I usually make this

soup the day after I serve a roast,

which has been accompanied by

mashed potatoes, I usually make a

little more mashed potatoes than

necessary. If you don‘t have

leftover mashed potatoes don‘t

worry about it.

Ingredients

3 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

1 cup of leftover mashed potatoes if you have them.

4 cups chicken stock (homemade, canned, or use a good quality chicken paste)

1 cup heavy cream

1 or two leeks, trimmed, sliced into thin strips, and washed

¼ lb butter

¼ cup flour

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp. thyme

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. Cracked black pepper

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt to taste

Procedure

Cut the potatoes into ½ inch cubes. Melt half the butter in a soup pot. Add the leeks and sauté for 5 minutes or

until the leeks become somewhat translucent. Add the flour and make a little roux. Add the chicken stock. Bring

to a boil and add the potatoes and mashed potatoes. Simmer until the cubed potatoes are tender. Add the cream

and seasonings. Adjust to your desired level of seasoning. Creamy potato leek soup is hearty but sophisticated.

It can be served with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped chives. If accompanies by a crusty bread and a

good white wine it is a meal in itself.

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Cream of Asparagus Soup Several restaurants in Seattle have offered Asparagus soup from time to time. I made it a couple of

weeks ago and it was delicious.

It‘s not something you want all the

time because it‘s rich but it makes

a great starter for a special dinner.

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion, rough

chopped

1 stalk celery, rough chopped

1 bunch fresh asparagus, rough

chopped.

3 cups chicken stock

3 TBS unsalted butter

1 pint heavy cream

3 oz. high quality blue cheese

Sprig of fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic, smashed

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Sauté the vegetables in 1 TBS

butter for a few minutes until the

onions are sweated. Add the

chicken stock and thyme; simmer until the vegetables are tender. Pour the stock and vegetables into a

blender and blend until completely pureed. You may need to do this in three batches so you don‘t blow

the lid off the blender and scald yourself with hot stock. Return the soup to the sauce pan and bring to

a boil. Add the cream and reduce slightly. Add the blue cheese and finish the soup with the remaining

butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

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Spécialité de la Maison

105

Pasta and Wild Mushrooms

In the fall as the wild mushrooms begin appearing in specialty markets it‘s a great time to make homemade

pasta with a variety of mushrooms in a Marsala cream sauce. Here‘s a recipe I‘ve prepared many times and

enjoy serving to friends and family. Marsala wine is characterized by its fairly intense amber color, and its

complex aroma that shows hints of strong alcohol flavor, perhaps due to Marsala's relatively high alcohol

content of 16% to 20%

Ingredients

1 to 2 lbs fresh made pasta

1 shallot

1 lb fresh wild mushrooms

½ cup Marsala wine

½ pint heavy cream

¼ lb unsalted butter

6 to 8 oz freshly grated, high quality Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Make fresh pasta by combining 1 lb all purpose flour (semolina can be used if you have it) and 4 egg yolks.

Place the flour on a cutting board and make a little well or depression in the center. Drop the yolks into the

indentation and beginning mixing the flour and egg yolk with a fork or with your hands. You may need to add a

little water if it is too dry. Once the pasta dough is completely mixed cut in half, wrap in plastic wrap and

refrigerate for one hour.

Unwrap the pasta dough. Divide each piece into two smaller pieces and begin running each piece through the

past machine at the widest setting. Fold the past in 3rds

and run it through the machine at each successively

thinner setting. You may need to sprinkle a little flour between runs to keep it from sticking to the rollers. Allow

the long sheets to dry for 10 minutes on a clean broom handle between two chair backs.

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You may use any pasta variety you wish although I prefer to lay the long sheets out and cut them into random

pieces, generally 1‖ by 2‖ in size.

Drop the pasta into boiling salted water. Use a good handful of salt to a large pot of water. The pasta will float

to the top after a minute or so. Take it out and drop it right into the sauté pan with the rest of the ingredients.

Chop a shallot fine and sauté in 3 TBS butter. Slice the wild mushrooms into thick slices and drop into the pan;

sauté until just soft. Add the Marsala wine and reduce for a minute or two over high heat. Add the cream and

allow to reduce until the buttery sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining

butter. Add ½ of the grated Parmesan cheese and carefully blend in. Add the cooked pasta and stir carefully.

Adjust the seasoning.

Place in large pasta bowls and top with a generous portion of the grated parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty

Italian bread and a crisp white wine.

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Mushroom Steak Sauce A classic Champignon Sauce is a wonderful

combination of mushrooms, brown stock, red wine,

and aromatics. A quicker but very delicious version

can easily be made using a good canned beef

consommé. This sauce is great on meats, chicken,

and on hearty vegetables. You can either leave the

mushrooms in the sauce or strain the sauce. I like

the strained version over large grilled mushrooms or

with game. Recently I grilled a thick rib eye and

large mushrooms over a very hot mesquite coals.

The sauce was great on both. I added the meat

juices as the beef rested and the juice from the

grilled mushroom caps.

Ingredients

1 lb mushrooms, either button, shitake, portabella, wild varieties, or a combination of all – chopped

1 tsp flour

1 shallot, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine and smashed

1 small carrot, chopped fine

1 can beef consommé

1 cup red wine

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp raspberry, blackberry, or grape jam

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 TBS canola oil

3 TBS unsalted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Sauté the onions and finely chopped carrot in canola oil, in a medium sized sauté pan until just barely clear.

Add the mushrooms and garlic. Sauté for 3 or 4 minutes over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the

mushrooms until completely absorbed. Add the beef consommé (use real beef stock if you wish) and the red

wine.

Reduce the sauce by half and strain through a fine sieve. Add the Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and jam.

Return to the pan and whisk in the butter, in chunks, over low heat a little at a time. When the butter is fully

incorporated keep the sauce in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over very low heat until ready to use.

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Low fat Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

1 container (8 oz) non-fat sour cream

2 heaping TBS low-fat mayo

1 pkg. fat free ranch dressing seasoning mix (Good Seasons, Original

Ranch)

1 tsp. Garlic powder

1 tsp. Onion powder

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

2 tsp. Lemon juice or balsamic vinegar

Salt – to taste

Pepper – to taste

Directions

Mix well, allow to sit for a few hours or overnight. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks. You can also

add blue cheese crumbles for a great Blue Cheese dressing. Last night I had this salad and dressing with baby

shrimp. It was great.

For a more traditional Ranch Dressing use regular mayonnaise, and sour cream.

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Guacamole Guacamole is a great summertime dip or any other time for that matter. Most Guacamole recipes are too

complex and use ingredients that no self respecting

Mexican cook would ever think of using. Guacamole

should be chunky not homogenized. Here‘s my favorite

recipe.

Ingredients

Wooden salad bowl

3 ripe avocados

2 cloves garlic

3 TBS highest quality Salsa, without corn (make your own if you can)

Juice from 1 lime

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Kosher salt

Mexican hot sauce or Tabasco sauce

Procedure

Cut the avocados in half, running a sharp French knife all around the avocado deep to the pit. Twist the two

halves in opposite directions. The avocado will split into two parts – one half holding the large pit. Carefully

slam the knife into the pit and twist. The pit should easily come out. Using one of your garlic cloves, thoroughly

rub the inside of a wooden bowl until you have nearly saturated the bowl with garlic. There should be little left

of the garlic clove after this process. Using a large spoon scoop the avocado into the garlic rubbed bowl. Chop

the avocado coarsely with a fork. Add all the other ingredients, including the other garlic clove, which has been

smashed to a paste, and gently mix, being careful not to make avocado mush. Adjust the flavor for salt and hot

sauce. I like a fairly zippy guacamole.

Cover the guacamole with plastic wrap, pushing the wrap right down on the surface of the dip to prevent any air

from oxidizing the dip. Air is the enemy of the avocado – it will turn it brown in a matter of minutes. Placing

the pit into the dip to keep it from turning brown is a myth; it doesn‘t work.

Serve the guacamole either in the wooden bowl or in one of those cool Mexican stone bowls. Serve with good

quality corn chips that have been deep fried in corn oil. It‘s easy to make your own. Also serve with plenty of

cold beer.

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North Country Boiled Dinner Recently, during a visit to the North Country

(Plattsburg, Dannemora New York area), I had a

great family ham dinner. The next day my Uncle

made a Boiled Dinner from the left over ham. I‘m

sure that most places in America have reasonable

facsimiles to the Boiled Dinner. This is simply a

variation on Corned Beef & Cabbage. However,

it is usually made with the ham dinner left over

from Easter or some other special occasion.

Upper New York state, just east of Lake

Champlain has some of the best ham in the

country – not sure why. The North Country folks

save the ham stock from the original cooking and

of course, the left over ham and ham bone. It‘s

country comfort food at its best.

Ingredients

Left over ham with bone in

1 to 2 quarts of ham stock from the original cooking process

1 quart of chicken stock

6 to 8 small boiling onions

4 to 5 medium sized carrots

1 medium turnip – cut in quarters

6 to 8 small red or yellow potatoes

1 stalk of celery

½ head of white cabbage

1 bay leaf

Freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

Trim the remaining meat from the ham, leaving the bone with little meat on it. You should have about 1 to 2 lbs

of sliced ham pieces. Bring the ham stock and chicken stock to a boil. Add the bay leaf, carrots, celery, peeled

turnips, peeled boiling onions, and thick slices of cabbage to the stock. Add the potatoes – the little fingerlings

work well in this dish. Other vegetables such as turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips can also be added. Continue

cooking until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

The remaining ham stock can be strained and thickened slightly with a little roux to make delicious, reddish-

brown gravy. There is no need to salt this dish as the ham stock and ham have plenty of salt already. Serve in a

large bowl with a little of each vegetable, some good crusty bread, and cold beer.

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Classic Blue Cheese Dressing

This is similar to the Blue Cheese salad dressing I used to make at the 13 Coins. It is thick, rich, redolent of

Blue cheese, and delicious. The secret is in the mayonnaise and in the quality of the Blue cheese. It‘s even

better if you can use real Roquefort

Cheese. The difference is that

Roquefort is only made from sheep‘s

milk in caves in Roquefort France,

nowhere else. The identifying mark is

the little red sheep in the oval circle

found only on true Roquefort cheese.

Ingredients

1 cup of high quality Blue cheese – more if you like

2 cups Mayonnaise – either Best Foods, Kraft, or make your own. If you make your own use salad oil

1 cup Sour cream

3 TBS. Finely chopped onion – must be extremely fine dice

2 TBS. Finely chopped celery – must be extremely fine dice

2 cloves Finely chopped garlic

1 TBS. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Chop the vegetables. Add the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add all other ingredients and blend well but be

careful not to break up the chunks of Blue Cheese. There should be lots of Blue Cheese. Make sure your lettuce

and salad vegetables are very dry when you toss with the dressing.

Mayonnaise

3 Egg yolks

2 cups of good Salad oil (for mayonnaise only you may use olive oil, otherwise use salad oil)

1 TBS. Rice Wine Vinegar

Salt to taste (remember, you need enough salt to act as a preservative)

Pepper (for a mayonnaise without specks use finely ground white pepper)

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

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Directions

Using either a blender or a food processor blend the egg yolks and very gradually pour the oil into the eggs, in a

fine stream. It will take a while for all the oil to form the emulsion which is mayonnaise. Don‘t try to rush this

process, you don‘t want the emulsion to break or separate.

Add all the other ingredients and blend well. Store in a bowl or large mouthed jar in the refrigerator. I like to

use canola oil although cottonseed oil is fine also. For a mayonnaise to be used as a topping, not as a salad

dressing you may also use olive oil. However, EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) is too strong for plain

mayonnaise.

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Pizza – Dave’s Famous

What‘s the best pizza in the world? Well, I‘ll tell you

one thing, it isn‘t found in Italy or Chicago. It‘s found

in New York City at Lombardi‘s in Little Italy, in

Manhattan. The reason is simple. The pizza is baked in

old brick ovens fired by coal. The temperature is

unbelievably hot and the gases given off by the coal

fire flavors the pizza in a way which simply can‘t be

duplicated anywhere else in the world.

I have making pizza for many years. I started out in St.

Louis, where I learned to toss the dough in the air as is

done in the pizzerias of my youth in Massachusetts. I

have perfected my pizza dough and sauce in the years

since. While you can‘t exactly duplicate the

Lombardi‘s experience you can com pretty close. The

key to great homemade pizza is a very hot oven and a

pizza stone. If you don‘t have a pizza stone or a large unglazed quarry tile, forget about it. It‘s not worth the

effort. Pizza must be cooked in a very hot oven, the highest setting you have, or about 550 degrees Fahrenheit.

The best way to cook pizza is in a wood or coal fired brick oven. The pizza is cooked directly on the floor of the

oven with the burning coals or wood just inches away. The pizza blisters immediately and cooks extremely

quickly. The resulting texture and taste is amazing. The crust is crusty on the outside and elastic in the middle.

The other key is to use high gluten bread flower for your dough. This will allow you to achieve the elastic

texture you desire. One of the most important things to remember in making good pizza dough is to allow it to

rise very slowly in the refrigerator, overnight at least. It won‘t hurt the dough to let it rise a couple of days in the

refrigerator. This vastly improves the texture of the dough.

The sauce is less important to the overall

pizza experience. I use a very simple

tomato sauce right from the can. I try to

use imported Italian plum tomato sauce

with nothing else added to the can. If

you want to peel, seed, and core your

own plum tomatoes be my guest.

However the added effort is really not

worth the effort.

Finally, we must discuss the cheese. It is

quite fashionable these days to use fresh

mozzarella cheese, cut into thin slices.

While fresh mozzarella is very flavorful

it doesn‘t melt very well. Consequently,

I recommend the aged mozzarella found

in your super markets. Whole milk

mozzarella is best as it is creamier and

very delicious. I also use some grated

parmesan cheese. I use a blend of 4 parts mozzarella to 1 part parmesan.

Ingredients

6 cups Bread Flower

2 cups Water

1 package dry Yeast

1 TBS. Salt

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Directions

Blend the flour, salt, yeast and water in a Kitchen Aid mixer using the dough hook. If you don‘t have a Kitchen

Aid then mix by hand. It will wear you out but it‘s better than any other mixer. I have used a Cuisenart Food

processor before but the texture just isn‘t the same and you can only make it in small batches. Add the water

slowly allowing the dough to form a ball. The dough mixture should be neither too moist or dry. This may take

some experience and practice. Knead in the mixer for about 5 minutes. Allow to rise in the mixing bowl,

covered with plastic wrap, for about 1 hour. Remove from the bowl, punch down, divide into two pieces and

place into zip lock plastic bags. Store in the refrigerator overnight or until ready to use (no more than two days).

When ready to use, take out of the bag and place on a floured board. Cover with a T-towel and let rise for at

least one hour. Divide the dough into two pieces (so that‘s 4 pieces for the entire batch).

Flatten each round pizza dough ball into a 5 inch round. Gradually use your fingers to increase the size of the

pie. If you want to ―throw‖ the pizza dough be my guest. Toss it in the air on the backs of your hands, spinning

it to allow centrifugal force to flatten it and catch it the same way. If you can‘t bring yourself to do this, just

stretch it by hand but don‘t roll it out. That will destroy the elastic nature of the dough. Once the dough is about

8 or 10 inches in diameter and about ¼ inch thick or even thinner, you are ready to top it.

The Sauce

1 large can of Italian plum tomato sauce

1 bunch of fresh basil chopped fine

4 cloves of fresh garlic, crushed and chopped fine

¼ cup finely chopped Calamata olives

1 tsp. Crushed Red pepper flakes

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the sauce in a saucepan almost to a boil. Add all the other ingredients and simmer for a few more minutes

and allow to cool. Place a ladle of sauce in the center of the dough and move the ladle around in circles ever

expanding the sauce on the dough. You should not over sauce the pizza, a thin layer of sauce is sufficient.

Baking your pizza pie

Don‘t over top your pizza. A simple pie of cheese and salami or pepperoni is the best. Place your toppings on

the pizza, sliced mozzarella first, vegetables, meats with parmesan cheese on top. Drizzle a little EVOO on top

of the pizza just before sliding it onto the pizza stone.

Make the pizza directly on a pizza peel. A peel

is a large, thin wooden spatula. I usually sprinkle

a little fine ground white corn meal on the peel

so the pizza will slide off easily. Once it‘s

positioned above the back end of the pizza stone,

give it a little jerk towards you to ease the pizza

off the peel and onto the stone. Bake for about 8

minutes in a HOT oven.

On thick crust pizza – Chicago Style

Don‘t get me started. I‘m sure it‘s great stuff.

I‘ve eaten it many times while in Chicago. I‘ve

even made it a couple of times. It‘s not pizza, at

least not authentic Italian or Sicilian style. It just

doesn‘t have the right texture, flavor

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combination to qualify as pizza. Call it what you like but don‘t call it pizza because that‘s not what authentic

pizza is.

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Pepper Sauce

This is a great pepper sauce that can be served as a condiment to

many dishes. It is bright, spicy, and flavorful and can be served hot

or room temp.

Ingredients

2 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

2 mild banana peppers

1 jalapeño or other hot red chili

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 TBS Extra Virgin olive oil

1 TBS balsamic vinegar

salt

black pepper

Directions

Roast the peppers over high heat or on the grill. You may also use a blow torch to blacken the skins. I prefer to

bake them at 500 degrees F. When the skin is well scorched remove from the heat and place into a large paper

bag to cool for 20 minutes. Then carefully remove the paper like skin and seeds. Rough chop the peppers.

In a Cuisenart or other food processor, puree the peppers and add the oil, vinegar, and seasonings. Scrape the

pepper mixture into a sauce pan with a rubber spatula. Cook the mixture over medium heat for about 20 minutes

or until it begins to darken in color and thicken slightly. Much of the water will evaporate and both the color

and flavor will intensify. Allow to cool to room temp and adjust the seasoning. Spread on grilled bread, on

cooked chicken, grilled meats including fish, or use in pizza.

Variations

You may want to blend parmesan cheese into the warm pepper sauce, after it has cooked. Add anchovies to the

cooked sauce for added zip. This is especially good on salads and pizza or baked into focacia bread.

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Sauce Bolognese

While Mick Batali (yes, cousin of the famous Mario Batali on Food TV), my Italian friend probably knows this

recipe by heart, many of you may not. It is the

most wonderful of all Italian sauces, rich,

flavorful, filling, great over meat, pasta, and

chicken. Obviously it is from the region of

Bologna where pork sausages, salami, and

prosciutto is famous. This sauce will give your

kitchen a wonderful aroma all day. Our bland,

ubiquitous version of Baloney originated in

Bologna along with many other cured meats.

The true Italian version of Bologna is actually

very good.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground Italian pork sausage

1 lb ground veal (chicken or turkey may be substituted if you

can't bring yourself to use veal)

3 small cans of tomato sauce, you may use fresh peeled, seeded plum tomatoes if you want, but the recipe will

take much longer

1 can diced tomatoes in juice

1/4 c olive oil

15 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs of fresh sage

1 small sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped fine

8 leaves of fresh basil, chopped fine fresh ground pepper

pinch nutmeg

2 to 4 cups good chicken stock

1 pt whole milk or 1/2 and 1/2

1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (the higher quality the better - don't use Kraft saw dust stuff)

3 TBS butter

Directions

Sauté the ground meats in olive oil for 1/2 hour or more, until browned. Add the tomato products and the stock

(add the stock a little at a time over the course of cooking so it does not get

too thick) and simmer for about 40 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add all the seasonings and continue

simmering for 30 minutes more. Finally, when the sauce is thick and has taken a dark red color, add the milk or

cream. Simmer for 20 minutes more. Don't be afraid to cook the sauce a long time, the flavors only intensify.

Add the butter and quickly stir in the parmesan cheese so it does not clump up. Adjust the seasoning. This sauce

should be very flavorful and highly seasoned. You may add crushed red pepper if you like, but the sauce

traditionally is not spicy hot. Serve the sauce over fresh cooked pasta. Cook the pasta - tortellini, fresh made

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ravioli, or rigatoni in chicken stock. When the pasta is cooked, spoon it into a sauté pan with a spoon of the

cooking stock and a tablespoon of butter in it. The pasta will absorb the stock, this adds greatly to the overall

flavor. Add the

Bolognese sauce, as much as you like. Serve in a platter, heavily garnished with parmesan cheese. A good

sturdy red wine is best and crusty Italian bread. It is also good over sautéed mushrooms, as a

lasagna sauce, or even as a pizza sauce. I usually make a large batch, put some in freezer bags and freeze for

those times when I don't have time to cook. Thaw it out in a pan of boiling water or in the microwave, serve

over quick cooked pasta with a nice salad. I made Bolognese this weekend served over homemade ravioli -

stuffed with sausage, spinach, and ricotta cheese. Homemade bread, and a bottle of Valpolicella - there is

nothing better.

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Spaghetti with Clam Sauce Simple and Delicious Spaghetti with clam sauce

This dish can be made in about 12 minutes, including the time to cook the pasta.

Ingredients

2 or 3 cans of minced clams and juice (use frozen or fresh if you have them but canned works great)

3 TBS olive oil

¼ cup chopped parsley

¼ cup fresh basil, shred the leaves

2 cloves, fresh garlic, sliced thin

fresh ground pepper

salt to taste

1 box spaghetti or linguini

½ pint cream (optional)

Directions

In a large sauté pan heat the oil. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. add the clams and juice, and simmer

for 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta and season with pepper, parsley, basil and salt. Toss together until the sauce

and pasta is well blended. If you want a creamy sauce, add the cream and allow to thicken slightly before

adding the pasta. Place on a platter, serve with a salad, French bread, and a good white wine. Traditionally, the

Italians do not top seafood dishes with parmesan cheese, you may if you like.

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Creamy Pasta with Basil, Sausage, Mushrooms, and Salami

I have prepared this dish many times for my family, making

changes along the way, accommodating it to what was in my

refrigerator or what was fresh in my herb garden. However,

it usually takes on the same basic form and taste pattern.

You may find it works great with your family. It can be

prepared in about 30 minutes, unless you make the pasta

fresh. I have a little chrome pasta machine, which has been

hanging around for about 25 years. It will probably last for

another 30. Fresh pasta is so simple to make and with a food

processor and pasta machine it is very simple. I usually dry

the pasta for about 15 minutes on a broom handle across two

dining room chairs. Then drop the fresh pasta into boiling

salted water for a few minutes. I use a large Chinese strainer

with a bamboo handle to remove the pasta from the water in

one big scoop, along with a bit of the pasta water itself. It

goes right into the sauce; a handful of Parmesan cheese, a

little French bread, and a glass of good white wine – life is

good.

Ingredients

3 TBS. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

4 cloves fresh garlic, sliced or chopped fine

1 medium onion, sliced fine

1 lb. fresh mushrooms, quartered

1 medium or two small canned whole Italian tomatoes

1/3 lb. sliced hard salami – cut into one inch pieces

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage – cut into small cubes

1 bunch of basil leaves, rough chopped

½ tsp. red pepper flakes, more or less depending on how hot you like it

1 TBS. tomato paste

½ pt. heavy cream

2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, one in the sauce, one for garnishing

Procedure

Sauté the sausage cubes until browned but not completely cooked. Drain the excess fat. Heat the EVOO in a

large sauté pan. Sauté the salami for a minute or two. Add the sliced onions and ½ of the chopped garlic. Sauté

for a few minutes and add the mushrooms. Add the sausage. Sauté for a couple of minutes more and add the

canned tomatoes (you can use fresh Italian plum tomatoes if you want to go through the process of peeling and

seeding). Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes or until the sauce begins to reduce. Add the seasonings

including the fresh basil and the heavy cream. Simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes more. The creamy sauce

will reduce somewhat. Add the cheese and mix in well. Simmer the sauce for a minute more.

Roll out the fresh pasta into long sheets and randomly cut into wide pasta rectangles of no particular shape. Toss

into boiling salted water and cook for about two minutes or until the pasta floats on the surface. Remove the

pasta and place directly into the sauce. Toss the entire pasta/sauce mixture and serve in large pasta bowls. You

may also use dried pasta; any kind that will hold sauce. Garnish with parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil.

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Fettuccini Alfredo

There is probably more discussion about

what Fettuccini Alfredo is than any other

dish I know. There are multiple versions of

the famous creamy pasta dish and many

theories as to its origin.

Alfredo di Lelio, was an inspired Italian cook

who proposed this new exciting dish in the

restaurant he opened in Rome in 1914. It was

a high gourmet preparation in the Roman

tradition of simplicity. Apparently he created

his Fettuccine all‘Alfredo when his wife lost

her appetite during her pregnancy. To bring

back her appetite he prepared for her a

nutritious dish of egg fettuccine with

Parmigianino cheese and butter. That

probably gave him the idea for his ―triple butter‖ fettuccine. Triple butter is a much richer, denser butter than

we can usually get in the States.

The quality and taste of the ingredients is the key to success with fettuccine Alfredo. The fettuccine should

either be freshly made and as thin as possible, or, if store bought, the best fresh (not dry), thinnest pasta you can

buy. The reason is because fresh pasta holds more starch and is softer than dried pasta. As a result, it holds the

melted butter/cheese mixture much better than dried pasta.

So, forget the heavy cream, the parsley, the garlic, and all the other stuff suggested in the hundreds of Alfredo

recipes that circulate around. Take down from the shelf that pasta machine, prepare your fresh fettuccine, and

enjoy the simple Fettuccine al Triplo Burro the way Alfredo himself would do them.

The key to good Fettuccini Alfredo is in the technique and in the butter. It takes a bit of practice so don‘t be

alarmed if the first time you try it the dish isn‘t quite right.

Ingredients

12 oz of fresh pasta (if you can make yourself all the better)

½ lb of premium quality unsalted butter (if you can find real Italian Double Butter get it)

½ lb of freshly grated Parmigianino

Several TBS. of the pasta water your pasta was cooked in

Procedure

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water – do not overcook it, the noodles have to be sturdy enough to withstand

the tossing. Do not add oil to the pasta water – this will prevent the pasta from absorbing the butter/cheese

mixture. Cut the softened butter into chunks and place in a warm but not hot sauté pan (you really don‘t need a

pan at all, just a warm serving bowl). Place the pasta over the top of the butter along with a few TBS. of the

steaming, salted pasta water. Begin to gently work the pasta and butter together for 30 seconds or so. Add the

freshly grated Parmigianino cheese and continue gently (don‘t break the pasta) working it together with two

forks until it comes together in one creamy mixture. If it appears to be a little dry add more pasta water. Garnish

with additional Parmigianino cheese and serve immediately. The only thing you need to accompany this dish is

some fresh crusty Italian bread and a glass of good white wine.

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Quick & Easy Pasta Sauce

There are those times when you can‘t do the real thing, you don‘t have the more expensive ingredients or you

just don‘t want to focus on the technique needed to make genuine Alfredo. Here‘s a foolproof creamy pasta

sauce that tastes great and is easy to make and store on a warm burner for hours or make ahead and put in the

fridge and serve the next day.

Ingredients

2 TBS. butter

2 TBS flour

1 cup chicken stock

½ pint heavy cream

2 cups good grated Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, smashed into a paste

Freshly grated black pepper

Salt to taste

Procedure

Make a roux in a saucepan out of the butter and the flour. Stir it for a minute to cook the flour taste out. Add the

chicken stock and whisk until it thickens. Add the cream and work it in. gradually add the grated Parmesan

cheese whisking all the while. Add the garlic and seasonings. Keep the sauce warm for use at any time or

refrigerate for later use. Simply heat the sauce up and pour it over freshly cooked pasta. Once again, reserve a

little of the pasta water to help the pasta/sauce mixture cohere.

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Sunday Gravy – Italian Tomato Sauce Italian Americans have been adapting

American ingredients to their culture for

nearly 200 years. Italians brought with them

old world recipes that were hard to duplicate

in the New World because the basic

ingredients simply didn‘t exist. Over time

Italian Americans developed those

ingredients in America or found suitable

substitutes.

Basic marinara sauce, which is a simple

tomato sauce with no meat in it is fine for

most pasta, fish, and chicken dishes.

However, on Sunday afternoons, after Mass,

the whole family would gather at

Grandma‘s house for Sunday dinner. This

richer, meat based sauce is called Sunday

Gravy instead of simply meat sauce. While

many dishes would be served at dinner time,

Sunday Gravy is the mainstay and is served

over pasta and other meat dishes. Here‘s my

recipe for Sunday Gravy, even though I‘m not Italian.

Ingredients

1 lb meaty pork bones or spareribs

1 lb veal stew meat or breast of veal

1 lb Italian sausages

1 medium onion, chopped fine

One whole carrot - peeled

3 TBS olive oil

3 large cans of diced tomatoes in juice

1 small can of tomato puree

8 garlic cloves, chopped and mashed

2 cups water

One bunch basil leaves, chopped chiffonade style

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tsp. dried oregano flakes

2 cups red wine

Procedure

In a large sauce pan or stock pot, sauté the finely chopped onion in

the olive oil until clear. Add the meat and brown in batches; the

pork, veal, and sausages until well browned. Transfer the meat to a plate. Pour off most of the fat. Return the

meat to the saucepan. Add the red wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Add all the tomato products, carrot, half the

garlic, and water. Simmer for one hour over medium heat. Add the rest of the seasonings and continue to

simmer for 30 minutes more. Adjust the seasonings with salt, ground pepper, and red pepper flakes.

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Meatballs

Even though the Sunday Gravy sauce is quite meaty you still need meatballs or the spaghetti. Here‘s my recipe

for good Italian/American meatballs. If the sauce is mild make the meatballs more spicy; if the sauce is spicy

make the meatballs more mild.

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork

1 lb ground beef

½ cup parmesan cheese

½ cup ground cracker mean or bread crumbs

1 8oz. ladle of Sunday Gravy sauce

1 egg

2 tsp. fresh chopped garlic

2 TBS chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Procedure

Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl or in a Kitchen Aid mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until

well blended. Using your hands form into medium sized, 1 inch diameter meatballs. Place on a greased cookie

sheet. When the sheet is covered, bake in a 360o F. oven for 25 minutes. Drain the fat and liquid off from the

meatballs and put the meatballs into the Sunday Gravy sauce to cook for a few minutes more. Serve over pasta

and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, garlic bread, and plenty of fruity red wine.

This sauce is also good on pizza, with pot roast, roast veal, and ribs.

Marinara

We‘re almost at the end of the book so you should have a feel for

amounts of ingredients now. I‘ll let you decide on the amounts

for this one.

Tomatoes, peeled and seeded, processed in a food processor.

Heat good olive oil in a sauce pan, sauté thinly sliced garlic until

just golden. Add the pureed tomatoes and cook for 30 minutes or

until the sauce begins to darken in color and thicken slightly.

Season with salt, fresh chopped basil, and red pepper flakes.

Simmer for a few more minutes. That is as simple as it gets.

Marinara sauce is bright, fresh, spicy, and ubiquitous. Use it on pizza, broiled chicken and fish, roasts

of beef, vegetables, pasta, or as a base for other sauces.

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Manicotti

For many years I assumed that

manicotti was served in the large

manicotti noodles store. One of

my first jobs at the 13 Coins was

to make crepes for the Manicotti;

probably the most popular

special we served. Standing in

front of a large Montague, six

burner range, with six shiny

black crepe pans, making one

crepe after another was an

exhausting task. Three hundred

crepes later the job was done.

Every restaurant needs a dish

like Manicotti, one that can use

up all the left over scraps of

meats and vegetables; one that

generates huge profits. The 13

Coins version of Manicotti was

just such a dish. I have made

this dish many times at home

over the years; everyone loves it. This recipe will serve six easily.

Ingredients

½ LB. ground pork

1 LB ground beef

1 large carrot

1 large stalk of celery

1 medium onion, rough chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small box frozen spinach, thawed and drained

3 eggs

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBS. chopped broadleaf parsley

1 tsp. ground oregano

1 tsp. fresh basil (dried works fine)

6 oz. canned tomato sauce or prepared spaghetti sauce (homemade if you have it)

1 ½ tsp. sale

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

½ tsp. ground black pepper

12 dinner crepes

1 quart of Mornay sauce

1 ½ quart of good tomato sauce (homemade marinara or meat sauce (spaghetti) is preferred)

Procedure

Cook the ground pork and ground beef until browned – drain the fat. Combine the meat, all seasonings, ½ cup

of the Parmesan cheese, parsley, tomato sauce, and spinach in a mixing bowl. Process the vegetables in a food

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processor until finely chopped. Mix the vegetables and other ingredients well. I recommend using a Kitchen Aid

mixer and the paddle for this job. Refrigerate or three hours or until well chilled.

Make the dinner crepes and allow to cool. Form the stuffing mixture into small logs, six inches long and one

and ½ inch diameter. Roll the crepes around the stuffing mixture and place the filled crepes into a well greased

9 x 12 Pyrex baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in 350o F oven or 20 minutes.

When the manicotti is hot place one or two filled crepes on each plate. First dress with a ladle of the Mornay

sauce, then top with a ladle of the spaghetti sauce. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Dinner Crepes

1 cup Flour

3 TBS. vegetable oil (other than Extra Virgin may be used for this dish)

4 whole large Eggs

1 cup Water

Pinch Salt

Procedure Mix the eggs in a mixing bowl. Add the oil, flour, and salt. Gradually blend in the water until a smooth, runny

crepe batter results. Strain the batter through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Allow the batter to sit in the

refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Heat your crepe pan. I recommend using a non-stick egg pan or specially designed crepe pan. For the first

couple of crepes you will need to spray the pan with PAM spray. Pour about 2 oz. of batter into the pan and

move the pan in a circular fashion to coat the entire pan extending ½ inch up on all sides. Place the pan back on

the medium heat. When the crepe begins to bubble slightly and dry a bit on the sides it‘s time to turn the crepe.

If you feel comfortable you may flip it manually. Otherwise you will need to insert a heat resistant rubber

spatula and flip it with the spatula. Let it cook for 20 seconds more then transfer each crepe to a cookie sheet

covered with wax paper. Dinner crepes should not be browned. Layer a sheet of wax paper or parchment

between each crepe. Crepes may be refrigerated for up to one day but no longer.

For desert crepes, substitute melted butter for the oil, milk for the water, and reduce the salt. You also may add

a tsp. of sugar. The procedure is the same although you may want the desert crepe to be a bit browner around

the edges.

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The $.10 cent cook.

You all know that you can cook a simple lunch for about ten cents. My boys eat two or three $.10 cent meals

each day. Of course, I‘m referring to the quick and cheap

Asian noodle packaged dinners – Top Ramen. In its

unaltered state a Top Ramen lunch is pretty bland, unless

you get their hot pepper one, which is still mild by my

standards.

Having said this, I regularly eat Top Ramen for lunch at

work because it‘s cheap and easy, hot and filling. As you

can probably guess I doctor up the Top Ramen and make

it quite tasty. This quick lunch is also a great way to use

up leftovers. Here are three examples of the ways I

doctor up Top Ramen and make a delicious lunch. If you

have the basic Asian ingredients on hand you can

prepare these meals in a few minutes and for about a

dollar each. Remember, use what you have on hand and

be creative.

Phad Thai Ramen Sauté

The only difference between this version and the authentic Phad Thai is the wider rice noodles used by the Thai

cooks in Thai restaurants. Ramen noodles work quite well and the dish is delicious. I especially like it with

shrimp. The other ingredient missing from this list is Tamarind paste. Tamarind is a tart, fruity, sticky dried

fruit, which looks like giant bean pods. It is used widely in Asian cooking. If you have some, go ahead and use

it, as it gives Phad Thai that authentic flavor but if you don‘t, not to worry. If using fresh chicken or pork, sauté

in very hot oil for a minute to pre-cook. Remove from the pan and add just before adding the spicy blended

sauce.

2 packages of Ramen noodles; save the seasonings packets for a later time.

½ cup of left over sliced pork, chicken, shrimp, beef, or any combination.

3 green onions, chopped fine

½ cup bean sprouts

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 TBS. peanut oil

1 egg, stirred with a fork

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

2 tsp. Thai fish sauce

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 red chili chopped fine, red chili paste, or red pepper flakes

Juice from 1 lime

2 TBS. ketchup

1 TBS. brown sugar

3 TBS. chopped peanuts

Procedure

Boil the noodles until tender, drain and reserve.

Sauté the onions, garlic, and bean sprouts in the hot oil for a minute or so. In a small bowl blend the fish sauce,

ketchup, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, chili paste, and egg. Add the pre-cooked meat or fresh shrimp to

the sautéing vegetables and sauté for a few seconds more. Add the noodles and blend well. Add the blended

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spicy liquid to the sauté pan and stir around for a minute until the egg cooks. The noodles will absorb some of

the liquid so serve almost immediately after the egg cooks. Garnish with finely chopped green onion tops and

the chopped peanuts.

Chinese Ramen Soup

One package of chicken or pork or shrimp Ramen Noodles, depending on the meat you use in the soup

2 green onions chopped fine

1 clove garlic, chopped

Other chopped vegetables – zucchini, Napa Cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts, whatever you want or have hanging

around

1 tsp. garlic black bean paste – bought commercially at any Asian market

1 tsp. red chili paste, more if you like it hot

1 tsp. sesame oil.

1 tsp. soy sauce

Procedure

Put all the ingredients into the sauce pan including the noodles. Cook the noodles according to directions, using

the seasoning packet. When the noodles are tender pour into a bowl and enjoy.

Thai Curry Noodle soup

Two packages of Ramen noodles and one seasoning package

3 green onions, rough chopped

5 fresh basil leaves

1 TBS. Thai fish sauce

2 tsp. Thai curry paste, green or red (red is usually more mild than green)

1 TBS. brown sugar

1/2 cup of coconut milk – canned is fine. What you don‘t use, save in a glass bowl and have it the next day in

another dish.

½ cup chicken, pork, beef, or shrimp, depending on what you want.

Procedure

Mix all ingredients together but use ½ cup less water than usual. Bring to a boil, including the noodles and 1

packet of Ramen seasoning. Adjust the seasoning and serve. Garnish with finely chopped green onion tops.

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Basic Asian Ingredients Every Kitchen Needs

Fresh Garlic

Fresh Ginger

Fish Sauce – bottled liquid, usually from Thailand or Vietnam

Hoisin Sauce – sweet plum sauce used in Peking Duck and

Oyster Sauce – thick, salty sauce used in Chinese cooking dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken and Oyster Sauce

Beef

Black Bean Paste – comes in jars, can be found in most supermarkets or at Asian grocery stores

Red Chili Paste – more than just hot, it has a slightly sweet, vinegary taste. It‘s easier to control the heat with

the paste than with cayenne or ground chili pepper. Some chili sauces also have garlic in them.

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Quiche

I‘m not a big quiche guy, ―real men don‘t eat

quiche,‖ but I enjoy making quiche and most of the

people I cook for love eating good quiche. Most of

the effort in making quiche is in the crust. I solve

that problem by purchasing pre-made crusts; the

Marie Calendar brand is the best I have found.

However, any pie crust recipe will work fine for

quiche. Quiche is great at brunch buffets, along with

fruit platters, sliced ham or prosciutto, various

breads and rolls, and cheeses. Here‘s my very

simple quiche recipe.

Ingredients

Two large pre-formed pie crusts

8 large eggs

1 and ½ cups ½ & ½

½ lb. shredded Swiss cheese

½ cup chopped spinach, drained

½ onion, chopped fine

4 strips of bacon, chopped

Pinch nutmeg

Salt & pepper to taste

Procedure

Thaw the pie crusts and coat them with an egg wash, sides and bottom. Place into a 400o F oven for about 10

minutes or just until the crust begins to crisp and loose its waxy consistency. Let the crusts cool. In a large

mixing bowl, mix the eggs, cream, and nutmeg. Sauté the bacon, draining the fat. Add the onions, chopped

spinach, and any other vegetables you like. I like to add sliced mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, sun dried

tomatoes, etc. or any combination of all. It‘s really up to you so be creative.

Grate the Swiss cheese. Place the cooked vegetable and bacon mixture in the bottom of the crust. Top with the

Swiss cheese. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle the egg-cream mixture into the crusts

until the mixture comes just below the top edge of the crust, about ¼ inch from the top. Place the two quiches

on a cookie sheet with an edge, to catch any mixture that might ooze over. Bake the quiches in a 350o F oven for

30 minutes or until the mixture barely jiggles in the middle, turns light golden brown, and puffs up a little.

Don‘t overcook the quiche, the mixture should still be a little wet in the middle.

Allow the quiche to warm but not cool. Quiche should be served warm not hot. Quiche is great with melon

slices, grapes, or any variety of fruit, or other vegetables. Champagne is a great accompaniment with Quiche as

is medium dry white wines.

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Baked Beans Growing up near Boston Massachusetts the family would often have baked beans, hot-dogs, and brown bread.

Brown bread is a quick bread, rich

in molasses, baked in an old baked

bean can. If you were lucky you

could invert the can and knock it out

onto a plate. Otherwise you had to

spoon it out. My grandmother made

great baked beans so my Mom

learned the recipe from her. I

learned it from my Mom. On

Saturday nights we would have a

dinner of Baked Beans, hot dogs,

black olives, cottage cheese,

coleslaw, and brown bread. I always

looked forward to those dinners.

Ingredients

1 bag Great Northern dry beans

(three to four cups)

3 slices of smoky bacon

1 cup dark brown sugar

4 TBS dark molasses

1/3 cup ketchup

3 TBS real maple syrup

3 TBS yellow mustard

Salt – to taste

Black pepper to taste

Procedure

Scan the beans for any little rocks. Soak the beans in cold water in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Drain

off the soaking water and cover the beans with cold water about 1‖ above the beans. Chop the bacon. Add half

of the sugar, molasses, mustard, bacon, and salt. Simmer the beans on top of the stove on medium heat, just so

they gently bubble. Boil from 45 minutes to one hour or until the beans are just getting soft. Place the beans in a

350 degree Fahrenheit oven and bake for about 3 hours. After 1.5 hours stir in ¼ lb butter; the beans will form

a dark skin on the top. Occasionally stir this skin into the beans and resume baking until the beans form another

skin. The beans should be bubbling and ready to serve. Baked beans are traditionally served with BBQ, baked

ham, as well as hot dogs that have been baked into the beans for the last hour of cooking.

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Making beer and spirits The earliest and simplest recipes for beer are found in

Mesopotamia first made by the Sumerians as far back as

10,000 BC – at the dawn of history. They would harvest

grain and soak it in water. Then they would scrape off

some yeast-rich foam from the previous day‘s beer or add

a little diluted bread dough and the barley or grain soup

would begin to bubble up.

After a simple straining the beer was ready to drink. If

you were lucky the alcohol content was near 3%, just

enough to make it last a few days. Since there were no

refrigeration systems it was kept cool by plunging the

earthen container in a river or dropping it down into a

pool. This little picture is of Egyptians making beer over 3,000 years ago.

Some of the early beer makers figured out that if you let the grains begin to sprout and then stop the sprouting

by heating or roasting the grains a beneficial enzyme is created. This enzyme converts the starches in grains to

sugars giving something for the yeast to eat and grow – giving off two substances: alcohol and carbon dioxide.

This process is called malting. Beer can be made without malting the grain but it is a much more difficult and

hit-or-miss process.

Early brewers had no idea what made the liquid become alcoholic. All they knew was that when they added the

beer foam or partially baked bread chunks to the barley water alcohol resulted. They called this magical

ingredient they added to the beer ―God‘s stuff‖ because it worked in a mysterious way.

Eventually the next step was taken. The fermented beer was put into an iron pot and the steam was captured

with a long wooden or clay tube. The tube would cool the steam and the condensed semi-clear liquid would drip

down into a collecting pot. Now the alcohol content had risen to about 20%.

The process of aging the liquor in wooden casks wouldn‘t happen for hundreds of years. However, the liquid

would take on the flavor of whatever container it was stored in. Somewhere along the line a piece of partially

charred wood probably fell into the container and after a few months the liquor had taken on a slightly amber

and smoky taste – similar to today‘s scotch.

Next step for the ancients was the discovery that you could also distil wine. Using the same process of bringing

the wine to a boil and capturing the vapors, a highly alcoholic grape flavored liquor was produced. The resulting

spirit was similar to our brandy and of course, would keep for months.

Anyone can make this simple distilled beverage in their own home. Allow a large kettle of water, cracked corn,

and sugar to form a mash. Bring it to a boil and allow it to cool. Add some brewer‘s yeast and let it bubble

away. Within a day or two the mash (actually beer) will have become alcoholic – about 3.2%. Cap the mixture

tightly and connect it to a coiled copper tube, which empties into a collecting pan. The clear alcohol is called

moonshine or white lightning. It can be as high as 50% alcohol. If you have access to a genuine oak barrel you

can char the inside of the barrel over a wooden fire (hickory works best). The barrel should only take about a

1/16‖ char. Pour your clear moonshine into the barrel. Cap it tightly and let it age for three to five years. Roll it

over once and a while. Your moonshine will have turned into corn whisky.

There are plenty of great books you can order on making beer and spirits. Making beer is much more complex

than making wine. I encourage everyone to try their hand at beer making at least once in their life. Beer making

is allowed by law hence the explosion of micro breweries. Regarding spirits, obviously, the whole process is

illegal. Federal taxes are supposed to be collected on any distilled spirits. But a few gallons of corn whisky for

―medicinal‖ purposes will never be noticed by the Feds. Just don‘t try to sell it or you‘re sure to be caught.

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Deserts

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Crème Brulee

Crème Brulee is the French term for what Americans call burnt cream. These cooked cream/egg dishes that fall

into the custard family. Mexico has one called that flan. The

two French deserts in this family are Crème Brulee and

Crème Caramel. Both involve cream, eggs, sugar, and

vanilla as a flavoring. One uses caramelized sugar on the top

of the custard and is served in its shallow baking dish. The

other makes use of a caramel bottom. It is baked in the oven

in a water bath, cooled, and inverted on a plate. Here is a

recipe for both.

Ingredients 2 1/2 cups heavy cream or 1 1/4 cups heavy cream and 1 1/4

cups light cream

4 large egg yolks, well beaten

1/4 to 1/3 cup superfine sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, split and inner paste

removed.

Whipped cream and fresh mint leaves for garnish

Directions Allow the vanilla paste and skin to steep in the cream. Strain out the vanilla bean pod Bring cream to a boil, and

boil about 30 seconds. Pour it immediately into the egg yolks and whisk them together. You may want to

temper the egg yolks first by pouring a little of the heated cream into the eggs, mixing, then pouring the

tempered eggs/cream back into the cream. This helps prevent the eggs from scrambling. Return the mixture to

the pan and continue cooking without allowing it to boil. Stir the mixture until it thickens and coats the spoon.

Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish. Refrigerate overnight.

Two hours before the meal, sprinkle the chilled cream with the sugar in an even layer and place it under a

broiler preheated to the maximum temperature. The sugar will

caramelize to a sheet of brown smoothness. You may need to

turn the dish in the grill to achieve an even effect. It is important

that this step be done very quickly in order to keep the custard

cold and firm and the top crisp and brown. Garnish with a sprig

of mint and a dollop of whipped cream.

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Crème Caramel.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups heavy cream or 1 ¼ cup heavy cream

and 1 ¼ cups light cream.

4 large egg yolks, well beaten

1/3 cup sugar for the custard

1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, split and

the inner paste removed

2 cups sugar for the caramel

Whipped cream for topping

Procedure

Use the same cream, egg, sugar, vanilla mixture but don‘t cook the cream mixture. Make a caramel by placing

the sugar in a heavy bottomed stainless steel or copper pan. Heat the sugar over high heat. It will gradually take

on a caramel color. Stir it occasionally so it caramelizes evenly. Remove it from the heat. Be careful, it is very

hot and if it gets on your skin you can‘t shake it off. It will cause a very painful burn. Quickly pour about a ¼‖

layer into small custard cups that have been lightly buttered. Allow the caramel to cool. Pour your custard

cream into the custard cups, about ½‖ from the top. Place in a cake pan with a water bath, which extends about

1/4th of the way up. Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 40 minutes. Wrap the custard cups with plastic wrap

and chill in the refrigerator. Invert on a desert plate. Some of the runny caramel sauce will ooze onto the plate.

The effect is a nice layering of the custard with the caramel on the top. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream.

This particular example in the picture above also has a very nice spun caramel nest. Using the same caramel you

made for the bottom of the custard bowls can be made into a beautiful decoration. It‘s not hard. Take an old fine

wire whip and cut the wire loops off, just leaving the wires sticking out of the handle, about 4 to 5 inches long,

depending on the size of the wire whip. Take a stainless steel bowl and set down on a flattened paper bag,

upside down – bottom of the bowl facing up. Spray the outside of the bowl with some pan release (Pam). Dip

the wires from the wire whisk into the hot caramel and fling it over the bowl. This will require a little practice

but will create lacy thin caramel sugar strings that will form into a pattern after several flings. Give it a minute

to cool and carefully pry the nest off the bowl. Carefully rest it over the serving plate that you have inverted the

cream caramel on. The size of the stainless steel bowl should be about the same size as the outside diameter of

the serving plate.

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Homemade Ice Cream

No, there is no better desert than homemade ice cream. When you

have a good ice cream freezer it‘s even better. Recently I purchased

one of those Krupp‘s freezers; the kind where you put the freezing

container in the freezer overnight and then pour the mixture into it

and it freezes up in about 20 minutes. It only makes about one

quart but you can use it over and over so you can freeze a few

quarts in one 24 hour period. It‘s important to heat the cream

mixture up to almost a boil then chill completely, at least 12 hours.

If you skip this step, your ice cream will be grainy. Here‘s my basic

and special recipe.

Ingredients

My recipe: Vanilla

2 cups heavy cream (whipping)

1 cup whole milk

1 cup sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you want it)

2 tsp. (or a little more – you can also use the vanilla bean as well)

Pinch salt

Procedure

Heat cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt in a heavy bottomed pan until almost to the boil, do not let boil. Pour into

a bowl, cover, and let set in the fridge overnight. This is an important step and greatly improves the texture of

the ice cream. Pour into the freezer container of your Krupp‘s ice cream freezer and freeze according to

directions. I let that freezer component stay in the freezer for a full day before trying to freeze ice cream. Keep

it in a plastic bag.

When the ice cream gets thick, about 20 minutes or a little more, turn it off and get all the ice cream out of the

container. Place the ice cream in a sealed plastic container and cure in the freezer for at least 2 hours before

serving. More curing time is even better.

For strawberry, puree 2 cups of fresh ripe strawberries and pour into the mixture, just before the freezing step.

The same holds true for raspberry (strain out the seeds), and with peaches. You will need a little more sugar and

a little less milk for the fresh fruit varieties.

Top the vanilla with my homemade Hot Fudge topping. It‘s an unbelievable combination.

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Dave’s Famous Hot Fudge Sauce

This is the best hot fudge sauce I have ever made. It is thick,

rich, and chocolaty. It‘s simple to make and keeps for

weeks in the refrigerator. You can also very the ingredients

to make it more milk-chocolate or thicker.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

¼ lb. butter

½ tsp. salt

4 heaping TBS. of cocoa powder

1 small can of evaporated milk (or cream if you like)

1 tsp. quality vanilla

Directions

Melt the butter, salt, sugar, and cocoa powder in a heavy

bottomed sauce pan. Do not burn the chocolate, mix

continuously. When thoroughly melted and smooth, add the

milk in a stream, stirring constantly. Bring to a slight boil

and remove from heat. Add the vanilla. Allow to cool

slightly and pour over ice cream or anything you want.

For a more chocolate style sauce use bitter sweet chocolate

squares or chips. For a harder sauce use ½ cane syrup and ½

granulated sugar.

138

Paté Choux (Cream Puffs)

This is the classic choux paste used to make

profiteroles, cream puffs, éclairs, and any number

of appetizers. This is a large batch, which will

make a couple dozen silver dollar size puffs. For

desert puffs use the vanilla; for dinner appetizer

puffs, leave it out. Remember to leave the puffs in

the oven with the oven turned off for a few

minutes to dry out the puffs. Otherwise they will

quickly fall and you won‘t achieve the desired

effect. You may easily halve this recipe for a

smaller batch. However, they freeze very well in a

plastic freezer bag.

Ingredients

1 lb. butter

25 oz. water

1 tsp. vanilla

16 oz of flour (by weight)

12 to 14 whole eggs

Directions

Melt the butter in the water. When melted add the

flour and salt and whisk constantly over medium high

heat. As soon as the mixture begins to leave the side of

the pan, place into a Kitchen Aid mixer. Add one egg

at a time until the mixture becomes somewhat glassy

in texture. This may be at 12 eggs or at 14.

Immediately place the mixture into a large pastry bag

with a straight tip. Pipe the paste onto a sheet pan

lined with parchment paper or a Silpad. For large

cream puffs, start in the center and spiral out. For little

puffs just make a tight swirl. For éclairs, start in a

straight line then quickly flip the tip back to break off

the piping. You may also use choux paste as a topping

for seafood, such as Salmon en Crouté.

Cream Filling

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk or ½ and ½

1 cup sugar

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

139

4 egg yolks

3 TBS corn starch

2 TBS butter

Directions

Bring the milk, egg yolks, sugar, and corn starch to a boil over medium high heat until it begins to thicken.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and butter. Transfer to a bowl and place a piece of wax paper or

plastic wrap directly on the cream so that a skin does not form. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until

completely cool. Pipe into cream puffs or éclairs. Make sure you pipe into the puff from the bottom so the entry

hole does not show. Top with hot fudge sauce. For a thinner cream eliminate the corn starch. This will be more

like an English Cream.

140

Baked Alaska

I have been making Baked Alaska for years in various

restaurants and catering events. It is a glamorous

desert, popular in the 1950‘ and 60‘s. Although it‘s a

bit dated today it is still a crowd pleaser if presented

correctly. Presentation is the key to its success.

Ingredients

1 quart high-quality ice cream (Chocolate, Neapolitan, coffee, vanilla, strawberry, or any ice cream you like)

1 loaf pound cake (store bought works fine)

8 egg whites

½ tsp. cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

¼ cup Grand Mariner or good quality brandy

2 cups Dave‘s Famous Hot Fudge Sauce.

Directions

Slice the pound cake lengthwise into three equal long slices

Soften the ice cream so that it will spread but not too soft so it melts all over

Whip the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar into a meringue that forms soft peaks. Fill a large pastry bag

with the meringue. Layer the pound cake with the ice cream between each layer – pound cake, ice cream, pound

cake, ice cream, and finally pound cake. Some recipes also call for raspberry jam spread on the pound cake but I

have never gravitated to this – it‘s up to you.

Using a metal offset spatula spread ½ of the meringue on the cake, completely sealing it to about ½ inch thick.

Lavishly decorate the meringue covered cake with the rest of the meringue using the pastry bag. Be creative!

Place the baked Alaska back in the freezer for 15 minutes to re-freeze the ice cream.

141

What’s in my cooking library?

There are several classic cooking books that are essentials in any good cookbook library. Some are out of print

and hard to find but well worth the effort to hunt for them.

1. Batali, Mario – Simple Italian Food: One of my favorites on Italian cooking. Not complete but very

good recipes. Amazon for $22.75

2. Beard, James – The James Beard Cookbook: Essential techniques of cooking, a cooking class in one

book from a great Oregon chef. $12 from Amazon.

3. Bocuse, Paul – My Classic Cuisine: one of the great modern cookbooks by the greatest modern chef.

Not essential but certainly a great book to have. Out of print but available from Amazon for $45.

4. Child, Julia – Mastering the Art of French Cooking: The first book from Julia and the best. Still

great in many respects although somewhat dated. Available from Amazon for $28.

5. Collins, Richard & Rima – The New Orleans Cookbook: My favorite Cajun cookbook. Many great

authentic recipes from New Orleans plus great pictures and stories from early Cajun times. Available

from Amazon for $12.

6. Escoffier, August – Ma Cuisine: Also, The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery. Escoffier

was the greatest chef ever to live. He worked for Cesar Ritz at the Ritz Carlton in London. There he

created many famous dishes including Peach Melba (after singer Neli Melba), Bananas Foster, Melba

Toast, etc. There was no one who could compete with his culinary brilliance. Available from Amazon

for $49.

7. Fisher, M.F.K. – The Art of Eating: essays on eating in America. Great historical anecdotal musings

on food preparation. Collaborated with Julia Child on many books. One of the greatest American chefs.

Out of print but Available on Amazon for $28.

8. Garde Manger: The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen: Food decoration to the extreme. Beautiful

color plates. From the Culinary Institute of America. $42 at Amazon

9. Jacobs, Jay – Gastronomy: Out of print but now available at Amazon.com. The best short history of

cuisine by one of the greatest food writers ever. If you can‘t find it buy Food in History, later on the list.

10. Larousse – Gastronomique: The greatest collection of classical cooking terms and recipes ever

assembled. Recently updated with many new color pictures and modern techniques, measurements, and

terms. Absolutely essential. $52 dollars at Amazon

11. Lenotre, Gaston – Deserts and Pastries: Out of print but the best you will ever find. A bit complex

but beautiful. Available from Amazon for around $13, if they have one.

12. Pepin, Jacques – The Art of Cooking: classis great work by this master French chef. Rich in

illustrations and techniques. Available from Amazon for $78 dollars

13. Reinhart, Peter – The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Great classic bread baking recipes, ovens, tips and

tricks, etc. $25 from Amazon

142

14. Rombauer, Erma - Joy of Cooking: If I could only buy one cookbook this would be the one. How to

cook everything. Not very inventive but a good recipe for just about everything. No library should be

without it. Available at Amazon for $24.

15. Saulnier,Louis - La Repetoire De La Cuisine: A small collection of classical recipes in their simplest

form with no measurements, temps. or time of cooking (you‘re supposed to know that). Essential

classic text of the greatest French recipes ever. Available again after many years out of print from

Amazon for $13.95

16. Sokolov, Raymond - The Saucier’s Apprentice: This is the best one source on how to make the great

French sauces, from scratch and, their resulting daughter sauces that can be used with everything. $18

from Amazon. Well written and easy to follow.

17. Stephen, Wendy – The Essential Seafood Cookbook: A great seafood cookbook with lots of color

plates, wonderful historical settings and history of the dishes. Available from Amazon for $20.

18. Tannahill, Reay – Food in History: Not as lively as The History of Gastronomy but more complete.

Reay goes back to the most ancient times and traces the history and interdependentcies of food. Food in

History: Available from Amazon for $12.

143

Glossary of Cooking terms

Andouille (ahn-do-ee) Plump and spicy country sausages used in Red Beans & Rice and other Creole delicacies.

Bain Marie

A double boiler, used for carefully cooking egg based sauces or keeping sauces warm before serving

Beignet (bin-yay) A delicious sweet doughnut, but square-shaped and minus the hole, lavishly sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Boudin (boo-dan) Hot, spicy, ground pork mixed with onions, cooked rice, herbs, and stuffed in sausage casing.

Bouquet Garni

A combination of fresh herbs, tied together into a small bundle with string, left to flavor a stock or stew. Once

the bouquet garni has yielded up its flavor it is easily discarded.

Braise

Braising is a two step cooking process. The first step is to brown the meat or vegetables in a pan in a small

amount of oil then add a cooking liquid to partially cover the meat. The dish is cooked, covered, slowly until its

flavors concentrate and the meat is tender and flavorful.

Cafe brulot (caf-ay broo-loh) This dramatic after-dinner brew is a blend of hot coffee, spices, orange peel, and liqueuers. It is blended in a

chafing dish, ignited and served in special cups.

Cajun (cay-jun) Slang for Acadian, the term for the French speaking people who migrated to South Louisiana from Nova Scotia

in the 18th Century. The term now applies to the people, culture and the cooking.

Chiffonnade

Leafy herbs or vegetables rolled up tightly and sliced very thin for use in soups, sauces, or as a garnish

Courtbouillon (coo-boo-yon) A rich, spicy soup, or stew, made with fish fillets, tomatoes, onions, and sometimes mixed vegetables. The

French call this Fume de Poisson.

Crawfish Resembling toy lobsters, these little critters are known as "mudbugs" because they live in the mud of freshwater

streams. They are served in a variety of different ways, including simply boiled. (And how do you address a

boiled crawfish which is placed before you, whole, head and legs still attached? Grasp the head between the

thumb and forefinger of one hand, and the tail between thumb and forefinger of the other hand. Slightly twist

and pull firmly until head and tail are separated. Discard the head. Squeeze tail between thumb and forefinger

until the shell cracks. Lift and loosen the three shell segments and pull around the meat. Now take the tail fin

and last shell segment between thumb and forefinger of one hand, and the meat with the other. Gently separate

the meat from the shell and pull the vein free. Discard shell and vein and pop the meat into your mouth!)

144

Creole (cree-ole) The word originally described those people of mixed French and Spanish blood who were born in South

Louisiana, and now embraces a cuisine and style of architecture.

De Glace

Once the meat or fish has been sautéed and removed from the pan a small amount of wine or cooking liquid is

added to the pan, over high heat, to dislodge and dissolve any crusty or caramelized bits that stick to the bottom

of the pan. There are intense flavors in those bits and de glazing removes them and adds the flavors to the sauce.

Dirty Rice Pan fried leftover cooked rice sautéed with green peppers, celery, stock and giblets.

Duxelles

Finely chopped onions and mushrooms, sautéed until dry.

Escalloper

To cut meat or fish in thin slices before cooking, such as Veal scaloppini.

Etouffeé (ay-too-fay) A succulent tangy tomato-based sauce. Crawfish etouffeé and shrimp etouffeé are delicious New Orleans

specialties.

File (fee-lay) Ground sassafras leaves used to season, among other things, gumbo.

Fricassee

This is also a two step process involving browning the meat first then cooking completely covered in a flavorful

cooking liquid until the meat is tender. Often the meat is floured so that the sauce thickens by itself during the

cooking process.

Grilliades (gree-yads) Squares of broiled beef or veal. Grilliades and grits is a popular local breakfast.

Grits Coursely ground hominy grain. Somewhat similar in appearance to mashed potatoes, but the taste is closer to

corn.

Gumbo A thick, robust soup with thousands of variations, only a few of which are Shrimp Gumbo, Okra Gumbo and

File Gumbo.

Jambalaya (jum-bo-lie-yah) Another many splendored thing. Louisiana chefs "sweep up the kitchen" and toss just about everything into the

pot. Tomatoes and cooked rice, plus ham, shrimp, chicken, celery, onions, and a whole shelf full of seasonings.

Julienne

Vegetables cut into match stick shaped pieces, usually 1 to 4 inches long

Liquid Volume

To measure the liquid volume of a container or pot simply multiply 3.14 x the radius x height, divided by 57.75.

This will equal the liquid volume in quarts

Mirepoix

145

Finely chopped vegetables consisting of celery, carrots, and onions. The Cajun version is celery, onions, and

peppers – sometimes called the Trinity.

Mirliton A hard-shelled, pear-shaped vegetable with edible innards, it is cooked like squash and stuffed with either ham

or shrimp and spicy dressing.

Muffuletta To say that this is a "sandwich" is like saying Buckingham Palace is a house. Yes, it is a sandwich, a fat and

sassy concoction of Italian meats, cheeses, and olive salad, all stuffed inside plate-sized loaves of tasty Italian

bread.

Plantain Think of it as sort of a vegetable/banana side dish. It may be prepared like candied yams, or simmered in sherry,

and it is a delicious meat accompaniment.

Po-boy Another sandwich extravaganza; this one some folks say began as a five cent lunch for, what else, poor boys.

There are fried oyster po-boys, roast beef and gravy po-boys, fried shrimp po-boys, softshell crab po-boys (even

fried potato po-boys!) all served up on crispy-crusted French bread.

Praline (praw-leen) The sweetest of sweets, this New Orleans tradition is a candy patty, the essential ingredients of which are sugar,

butter, water and pecans. There are many variations on that theme in French Quarter candy and gift shops.

Red beans & rice Kidney beans mixed with rice, seasonings, spices and big, fat chunks of sausage. This is one of the staples of

New Orleans cooking, and is traditionally eaten on Monday (and any other day you get a hankering for it).

Reduce

Boiling away a cooking liquid, such as wine or cream, to concentrate its flavors is called reduction. This is a

basic step in making burre blanc or other wine based sauces. Once the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly,

usually to the point in which a spoon is coated, the sauce is finished with butter to enrich it.

Again, quoting Joe Cahn, "In South Louisiana, food is not looked upon as nourishment, but as a wonderful way

of life. We want to say "wow" with every bite; to clap and cheer and make noises. With food, nobody is ever

wrong, for it is the only thing in the world which everybody is allowed to have a personal taste. To us, food is

not only on the plate; it is also in the heart."

146

Index

Alaska, 34, 141

alcohol, 30, 45, 52, 54

Aluminum, 10

American Cheese, 63

Andoullie, 32

Argentine Red Shrimp, 25

Arrowroot, 17

bacon, 63, 67, 75

barley, 97

basil, 48, 84, 99, 115, 118, 120, 121, 129

Bay leaf, 33, 41

bay leaves, 22, 40, 41, 52, 54, 56, 61, 66, 75,

91

Béarnaise, 14

Béchamel, 14

beef stock, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 59, 61, 75, 94

beer, 28, 32, 39, 42, 53, 67, 73, 77, 92, 95

Beer, 64

bisque, 31

blisters, 20, 114

Blue Cheese, 63, 109, 112

Boiling, 10, 146

Bouillabaisse, 38

brandy, 29, 36, 44, 69, 75

bread, 18, 19, 20, 26, 37, 40, 47, 48, 49, 51, 55,

60, 63, 73, 77, 78, 79, 80, 86, 87, 95, 97,

100, 103, 114, 117, 119, 121, 142, 146

brick ovens, 20

brine, 22, 34, 88

Brine, 22

brown sugar, 98

Burgers, 62, 63, 64

Burgundy, 52, 53

Burre Blanc, 25

butter, 16, 17, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 36, 43,

44, 45, 48, 52, 53, 54, 57, 59, 60, 63, 66, 67,

69, 75, 79, 84, 91, 97, 99, 118

Cabernet Sauvignon, 52

Cajuns, 32, 91 Calpahlon

, 11

Caramel, 135, 136

Carrot, 33, 42

cayenne, 29, 31, 32, 43, 44, 48, 54, 60, 77, 91,

93, 99, 130

cheese, 19, 20, 33, 34, 35, 43, 48, 60, 63, 84,

85, 94, 95, 109, 112, 114, 115, 117, 118,

119, 120

chicken, 11, 13, 14, 22, 23, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43,

44, 48, 49, 57, 69, 70, 71, 72, 75, 76, 77, 78,

79, 80, 84, 85, 86, 87, 91, 92, 97, 98, 99,

103, 117, 118, 119, 128, 129, 145

chiffonade, 84, 99

chili, 77, 78, 79, 91, 93, 94, 95, 117, 128, 129,

130

Chorizo, 41

chowder, 27, 28, 31

Chowder, 27

Cincinnati, 93, 94

cinnamon, 66, 70, 79, 93

clams, 26, 27, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 91, 120

Clams, 27, 41

Cognac, 29, 30

Copper, 10

corned beef, 65

Cornstarch, 17

Court Bouillon, 40

Crab, 26, 31, 33, 90

cream, 14, 16, 25, 27, 28, 29, 31, 34, 35, 36,

43, 44, 45, 48, 51, 53, 60, 67, 69, 78, 84, 90,

97, 98, 99, 100, 103, 109, 112, 118, 120,

121, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 146

crustacean, 32, 44

Cumin, 32, 79

curry, 70, 79, 129

deglaze, 16, 25, 57, 61

Deglaze, 16, 23, 76

Degrease, 16

demi glace, 57, 61

demi-glace, 61

de-veined, 25

Diane, 51

Dijon, 25, 34, 40, 51, 60, 112

dill, 34, 35, 63

Dredge, 52, 54

Dungeness, 31, 90

Egg noodles, 52

etouffeé, 32

Etouffeé, 32, 145

EVOO, 113, 115

filé, 91

fish stock, 13, 31, 38, 44, 49, 90, 91

flour, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28,

31, 32, 43, 48, 49, 52, 54, 57, 60, 66, 67, 75,

80, 84, 86, 90, 91, 95, 97, 103, 115, 139

France, 29, 38, 112

147

French, 5, 14, 18, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30, 33, 36, 39,

40, 42, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 52, 54, 63, 64, 75,

77, 80, 85, 86, 91, 92, 99, 100, 120, 121,

135, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146

French bread, 19, 20, 28, 29, 33, 36, 39, 40, 42,

43, 45, 52, 63, 75, 85, 92, 99, 120

French fries, 64

Garam Masala, 78, 79

garlic, 16, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 32, 35, 38, 40,

42, 44, 48, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63,

66, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 76, 77, 84, 87, 91, 92,

93, 94, 97, 99, 112, 115, 117, 118, 120, 128,

129, 130

Garlic, 32, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 70, 109, 130

Garlic aioli, 40

Ghee, 79

glace de viande, 61

Goulash, 53

Green beans, 56

grill, 56, 62, 63, 70, 95, 117, 135

Grillades, 55, 145

Grilling, 11

Grouse, 80

Gumbo, 32, 91, 92

habanera, 70

hamburger, 62

Hollandaise, 14

homarus, 25

Indian, 70, 79

jalapeño, 59, 70, 94, 95, 117

Jamon, 41

Jerk, 70

julienne, 27

Kitchen Aid, 18, 19, 115

Knead, 18, 115

lamb, 23, 69, 73, 79

Lamb, 72

Langostino, 25

Lasagna, 48

leeks, 38, 103

lemons, 87, 88

Linguisa, 41

lobster, 25, 31, 32, 33, 42, 44, 45, 46, 48, 90

Lobster, 25, 44, 46, 47

Louisiana, 26, 32, 41, 49, 91, 144, 145, 146

Lox, 34, 35

mesquite, 12

mushrooms, 29, 52, 53, 54, 56, 69, 75, 77, 80,

119, 121, 145

mussels, 26, 36, 38, 39, 41

Mussels, 36, 41

mustard, 34, 40, 60, 63, 112

New York, 51, 114

noodles, 48, 51, 52, 53, 68, 69, 72, 80, 86, 93,

100, 128, 129

Okra, 91, 145

Old bay seasoning, 26

olive oil, 38, 40, 42, 48, 53, 56, 59, 60, 63, 71,

73, 76, 77, 84, 85, 112, 113, 117, 118, 120

Olive oil, 41

olives, 19, 35, 73, 87, 115

onion, 16, 27, 31, 40, 44, 54, 56, 59, 62, 63, 66,

67, 70, 76, 77, 87, 91, 92, 93, 94, 97, 99,

112, 129

onions, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41,

43, 46, 49, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 60, 61, 63, 67,

69, 75, 79, 80, 87, 91, 94, 95, 103, 121, 128,

129, 144, 145, 146

oregano, 59, 73, 77, 94

Oyster, 37, 130

oysters, 37, 48, 49, 91

Paella, 41

pancakes, 66, 67, 68

paprika, 31, 38, 41, 44, 53, 54, 56, 70, 77, 87,

99

Parmesan, 19, 86, 121

parsley, 27, 28, 32, 36, 40, 45, 52, 53, 69, 87,

91, 97, 120

pastrami, 65

peanut butter, 66, 98

pepper, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35,

36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 48, 52, 54, 55,

57, 59, 60, 62, 63, 66, 67, 69, 70, 73, 75, 77,

79, 84, 85, 87, 91, 93, 94, 95, 97, 99, 112,

115, 117, 118, 120, 128, 130

peppercorns, 40, 51, 61, 66, 79, 99

Pernod, 38

Phad Thai, 128

pizza, 20, 85, 114, 115, 117, 119

pork, 22, 23, 58, 69, 70, 79, 94, 118, 128, 129

potatoes, 22, 26, 27, 28, 38, 52, 55, 56, 59, 60,

67, 76, 77, 80, 103, 145

Power Flour, 19

puree, 40, 59, 60, 70, 72, 79, 117, 137

Ranch, 109

Red Snapper, 49

red wine, 33, 34, 39, 42, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 60,

61, 66, 75, 79, 119

148

Reduce, 16, 25, 29, 40, 71, 99

Rémoulade, 14

rice, 25, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 45, 49, 51, 52, 55,

70, 71, 78, 79, 80, 85, 92, 100, 128, 144,

145, 146

Rouille, 39, 40

roux, 23, 31, 32, 43, 48, 57, 60, 66, 84, 91, 92,

97, 99

Roux, 14, 23

rye flour, 19

saffron, 36, 38, 41

salmon, 34, 35, 43

Sauerbraten, 66, 67

sausage, 26, 32, 41, 42, 91, 92, 118, 119, 121,

144, 146

Sauté, 15, 16, 28, 31, 37, 46, 49, 52, 53, 67,

75, 79, 86, 90, 98, 118, 121, 128

Sautéing, 10

scallops, 29, 38, 39, 48

sherry, 23, 31, 42, 99

shrimp, 25, 26, 31, 32, 33, 42, 49, 79, 90, 91,

92, 109, 128, 129, 145, 146

Slipper Lobsters, 25

soup, 23, 31, 39, 45, 54, 91, 92, 97, 99, 129

Spaghetti, 86, 120

Steak, 51

stew, 38, 52, 56

Stroganoff, 53

sugar, 18, 22, 34, 38, 66, 67, 70, 94, 128, 129,

135, 136

sweetbreads, 69

Tabasco sauce, 63, 91, 97, 112

tagine, 87

Tagine, 41, 87

Tasso, 32

tenderloin, 52, 53

thyme, 27, 31, 52, 54, 56, 66, 75, 76, 77, 91

Tika, 78

tomato paste, 31, 44, 45, 56, 59, 94, 99

tomatoes, 35, 38, 48, 49, 54, 63, 72, 73, 79, 84,

85, 91, 94, 99, 114, 118, 121, 144

turkey, 16, 22, 23, 37, 41, 94, 100, 118

Turkey, 23, 42, 100

Turnip, 56

vanilla, 135, 136

Velouté, 14

vinegar, 22, 34, 66, 67, 69, 70, 85, 93, 109, 117

Worcestershire, 23, 27, 31, 32, 35, 42, 43, 48,

54, 57, 62, 63, 66, 67, 75, 76, 77, 85, 91, 93,

94, 97, 99, 109, 112

yeast, 18, 19, 20, 115