The selection of the proper item to bring to a pot luck is a tricky thing. The most common mistake is to make something that is best eaten warm which, if not cold when the eating starts, will be by the time the party has entered the snacking phase. This may work out if the dish can be kept warm in a crock pot and does not get mushy or crusty when sitting but that is frequently not the case. Another mistake is selection of a food that is inappropriate to the season. Unlike clothing, certain foods are seasonal for pragmatic reasons such as ingredient freshness, digestion and safety. Bringing a heavy, mayonnaise-based dish to an outdoor summer picnic is not only hard on the digestive tract of the poor souls who give it a whirl, it is unsafe.
Personally, I find a pot luck one of the best times to experiment. Rather than haul out an oldie that has been had a million times, why not take the opportunity to offer something that no-one is likely to have tried before? No matter what you bring, not everyone will like it anyway and you are likely to please at least someone with anything.
Keeping all of this in mind when I was recently invited to a summer pot luck, I decided to take the following dish from ``The Nero Wolfe Cook Book'' by Rex Stout. The copy of this out of print book that I acquired through Amazon was the second printing published in 1973 by The Viking Press (SBN 670-50599-4). I realize that I have used this reference in two of my previous three postings, but this dish really did stand out as something proper for the occasion, which is more than half the battle in food preparation.
(Yes, picture forgotten again)
The menu
• cantaloupe and celery salad
Basic Preparation
Never put celery down the garbage disposal. It will become a horrific mass which will take days to break down during which you will be without a kitchen sink. If you do make this mistake, do not rush to buy a new disposal unless you are simply unwilling to wait for the cellulose to break down on its own. The same can occur with any pulpy fruits or veggies such as potato peels. When in doubt, put excess vegetable matter in the garbage.
Cantaloupe and Celery Salad
Although I was unsure about this mixture, I thought it was very tasty and it went over well at the pot luck. The dressing was an interesting combination of tarragon wine vinegar, olive oil, currant jelly, and poppy and coriander seeds. It was fairly easy to prepare and kept well in the heat. The flavor was light and cool which was perfect for a summer party.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
A Few of My Favorite Things
When a friend admitted that she doesn't cook and hadn't had a home cooked meal since Thanksgiving, I knew that I had to remedy the situation ASAP. Of course, I realized that this was not the time to experiment so I searched my memory for things that I had cooked in the past that were sure to satisfy. The soup and desert courses were easy and they are two of my all-time favorite dishes. The main course took a little longer but once I remembered then, I was sure I had the right menu.
I intended to serve the meal with cranberry wine but it wasn't until we went to open the bottle that I realized that I didn't have a corkscrew. I did not forget pictures this time although I had no batteries for the camera and had to use the camera phone resulting in them being somewhat blurry. You might also note that presentation is still something on which I need to improve.
All of the recipes except for the soup are from ``The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors'' by Jeff Smith, first edition, 1992 by Avon Books (ISBN 0-380-71708-5). The soup came from that old staple that every cook, home or otherwise, should own, The Joy of Cooking.
The menu
• vichyssoise
• Cuban ropa vieja over Hungarian dumplings
• cheesecake, New York style
Basic Preparation
A word about working with garlic. The ropa vieja required two cloves of crushed garlic. This is not a time to simplify and use powdered or dried...get a press and crush it yourself. But, a word to the wise, unless you want your hands to smell of garlic for a couple of days, use gloves. I personally don't mind the smell and will sniff my fingers periodically as a way to remind myself of the fun of cooking and eating the meal.
Vichyssoise
This is a perfect example of how an amazing dish can be created quite easily and with very little work. I prefer the first version in The Joy of Cooking to the second. The recipe says 1-2 cups of cream and I like it best with the minimum since more covers the potato flavor. Since all you have done is to puree potatoes, leeks, and onions boiled in chicken broth, it is one of those things you can cook frequently while making changes to see how it changes your appreciation for the dish (i.e. try it with beef broth or add shallots). Finally, although usually served cold, I prefer it hot like all soups.
Cuban Ropa Vieja
This was one of my first lessons on why it is important to read a recipe fully before starting: the meat must be simmered for two hours and then allowed to cool so that it can be deboned and shredded which can take another hour. If you didn't realize this, you might be rather inconvenienced when you found that you main course had no hope of being finished on time. When I first made this stew, I accidentally doubled the tomato sauce. I corrected my mistake the second time around only to find that I liked it better with the extra and that is how I always make it now.
Hungarian Dumplings
These are similar to German spaetzle and quite easy to prepare. You will need a spaetzle press but almost any gook cooking shop should have an inexpensive one and they are easy to use. When I first made these, I learned another lesson on why you read the entire recipe making sure that it makes sense with the ingredient list given. After reading the ingredient list, I spent quite a while trying to figure out what ``mil'' was. Had I read the preparation section, I would have realized that there was a typo in the ingredient list and that all I needed to locate was ``milk'' which is readily available at most grocery stores.
Cheesecake, New York Style
I have never tasted a cheesecake as good as this recipe. In fact, this version is what made me a cheesecake purist. After eating it for the first time, I came to realize that you only put other things in them or drizzle sauces over them to cover up inferiority. The hardest part is making the graham cracker crust which seems to be intended to be spread very, very thin. I doubled it this time but it made too much and it became a little hard after baking. This is one of those items where simply following the time and temperature in the recipe is important since there is no way to tell when the cheesecake is done as it will continue to cook after being removed from the oven. If you use the knife or toothpick insertion test you will surely overcook it and although it will taste fine, it will have the texture of cottage cheese. For best results, you should purchase a good oven thermometer.
I intended to serve the meal with cranberry wine but it wasn't until we went to open the bottle that I realized that I didn't have a corkscrew. I did not forget pictures this time although I had no batteries for the camera and had to use the camera phone resulting in them being somewhat blurry. You might also note that presentation is still something on which I need to improve.
All of the recipes except for the soup are from ``The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors'' by Jeff Smith, first edition, 1992 by Avon Books (ISBN 0-380-71708-5). The soup came from that old staple that every cook, home or otherwise, should own, The Joy of Cooking.
The menu
• vichyssoise
• Cuban ropa vieja over Hungarian dumplings
• cheesecake, New York style
Basic Preparation
A word about working with garlic. The ropa vieja required two cloves of crushed garlic. This is not a time to simplify and use powdered or dried...get a press and crush it yourself. But, a word to the wise, unless you want your hands to smell of garlic for a couple of days, use gloves. I personally don't mind the smell and will sniff my fingers periodically as a way to remind myself of the fun of cooking and eating the meal.
Vichyssoise
This is a perfect example of how an amazing dish can be created quite easily and with very little work. I prefer the first version in The Joy of Cooking to the second. The recipe says 1-2 cups of cream and I like it best with the minimum since more covers the potato flavor. Since all you have done is to puree potatoes, leeks, and onions boiled in chicken broth, it is one of those things you can cook frequently while making changes to see how it changes your appreciation for the dish (i.e. try it with beef broth or add shallots). Finally, although usually served cold, I prefer it hot like all soups.
Cuban Ropa Vieja
This was one of my first lessons on why it is important to read a recipe fully before starting: the meat must be simmered for two hours and then allowed to cool so that it can be deboned and shredded which can take another hour. If you didn't realize this, you might be rather inconvenienced when you found that you main course had no hope of being finished on time. When I first made this stew, I accidentally doubled the tomato sauce. I corrected my mistake the second time around only to find that I liked it better with the extra and that is how I always make it now.
Hungarian Dumplings
These are similar to German spaetzle and quite easy to prepare. You will need a spaetzle press but almost any gook cooking shop should have an inexpensive one and they are easy to use. When I first made these, I learned another lesson on why you read the entire recipe making sure that it makes sense with the ingredient list given. After reading the ingredient list, I spent quite a while trying to figure out what ``mil'' was. Had I read the preparation section, I would have realized that there was a typo in the ingredient list and that all I needed to locate was ``milk'' which is readily available at most grocery stores.
Cheesecake, New York Style
I have never tasted a cheesecake as good as this recipe. In fact, this version is what made me a cheesecake purist. After eating it for the first time, I came to realize that you only put other things in them or drizzle sauces over them to cover up inferiority. The hardest part is making the graham cracker crust which seems to be intended to be spread very, very thin. I doubled it this time but it made too much and it became a little hard after baking. This is one of those items where simply following the time and temperature in the recipe is important since there is no way to tell when the cheesecake is done as it will continue to cook after being removed from the oven. If you use the knife or toothpick insertion test you will surely overcook it and although it will taste fine, it will have the texture of cottage cheese. For best results, you should purchase a good oven thermometer.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Still Alive
I'm currently in a play (Inherit the Wind by the Drama Workshop) and just finished directing another (Sure Thing with Tri-County Players). The brutal back-to-back rehearsal schedule has left me no time to cook. Meals have consisted of a lot of cheese and crackers or toast and cocoa.
This dry spell will end soon :-)
This dry spell will end soon :-)
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Breakfast for One for Dinner
As I am currently in two plays and fighting a cold and alone for the evening, I did not feel like taking on anything too complicated. Fortunately, the book I used from last week had some simple breakfast dishes to prepare.
The menu for the meal consisted of
• apricot omelet
• fried ham
• orange juice
Sadly, I again forgot to take pictures. I really need to get the hang of this!
Apricot Omelet
This was a standard three-egg omelet with a filling consisting of 1/2-cup of apricot preserves blended with 1 Tbl of kummel (a German liqueur flavored with caraway). Believe it or not this is not only the first time I made and omelet, but the first time I had ever eaten one. With no point of reference, I'm not sure I made it properly and found following the cooking instructions tricky. I found the result tasty although I still think I prefer my eggs scrambled to omeletted.
Fried Ham
I had leftover ham from last week so I decided to pan fry a piece and use the same sauce from last week. It really is a delicious glaze and this time around I was wishing I had gone with a thinner cut of ham as suggested by the book.
Orange Juice
Still not fresh squeezed...just call me lazy!
The menu for the meal consisted of
• apricot omelet
• fried ham
• orange juice
Sadly, I again forgot to take pictures. I really need to get the hang of this!
Apricot Omelet
This was a standard three-egg omelet with a filling consisting of 1/2-cup of apricot preserves blended with 1 Tbl of kummel (a German liqueur flavored with caraway). Believe it or not this is not only the first time I made and omelet, but the first time I had ever eaten one. With no point of reference, I'm not sure I made it properly and found following the cooking instructions tricky. I found the result tasty although I still think I prefer my eggs scrambled to omeletted.
Fried Ham
I had leftover ham from last week so I decided to pan fry a piece and use the same sauce from last week. It really is a delicious glaze and this time around I was wishing I had gone with a thinner cut of ham as suggested by the book.
Orange Juice
Still not fresh squeezed...just call me lazy!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Breakfast in the Old Brownstone
As my first effort in a couple of years at real cooking, I bought a cookbook based on a favorite mystery series featuring the detective Nero Wolfe. Fine food is a centerpiece of the detective's life and the author issued a cookbook of the foods referenced in the novels. After eating the meal, which I served as a dinner, it is quite easy to see why this detective is described as weighing a seventh of a ton. Because of the amount of butter in the meal, it should definitely be one that is left for a special treat.
Since these recipes appear in a copyrighted work, I will not reproduce them here but for anyone who cares to hunt it down the book is "The Nero Wolfe Cook Book" by Rex Stout. The copy of this out of print book that I acquired through Amazon was the second printing published in 1973 by The Viking Press (SBN 670-50599-4).
The menu for the meal consisted of
• eggs au beurre noir
• broiled Georgia ham
• hashed brown potatoes
• blueberry muffins
• orange juice
Sadly, I forgot to take pictures. I hope not to make this omission often.
Basic Preparation
As with any complicated meal, I find it helpful to read each recipe multiple times. Next I actually write out a time sheet with major milestones; the trick being to make sure that everything finishes at the same time. It is also a good idea to get out all the cookware you will need and place them on the cooking surfaces they will require. This will quickly show you if you have made the simple mistake of expecting more burners than your stove provides.
Eggs Au Buerre Noir
These are a type of shirred egg. Don't worry, I had to look it up too as it requires a special cooking dish called a shirred egg dish. I found it particularly hard to find. For such things, I suggest you buy from a restaurant supply house that sells to the public. You will wind up with more than you need but will spend the same as if you bought them individually from a specialty store. A basic shirred egg is cooked under a broiler in the dish in which it is served. They are usually cooked in butter and have a sauce of butter and vinegar or sherry lightly added after cooking. I am not convinced I did this dish justice as I am not sure I cooked the yolk to the right consistency. They were quite good all the same and reminded me of a cross between a poached and a fried egg.
Broiled Georgia Ham
This was simply quickly broiled ham served with a sauce made from vinegar, mustard, current jelly, and fresh cracked pepper. The recipe called for thinly sliced ham but I accidentally got my ham thickly sliced. I think I preferred it this way because otherwise I suspect the sauce would have overpowered the flavor of the ham. I also did not use Georgia ham as requested by the recipe but Boar's Head Deluxe which is excellent. Needless to say, care should be taken when broiling any meat to prevent drying out...unless your intent is to make jerky. I also found out that when doubling this kind of recipe it is a bad idea to double the butter as it prevented the potatoes from holding together as expected. Finally, I suggest that there is no substitute for a well seasoned cast iron skillet and will choose one over a non-stick any day.
Hashed Brown Potatoes
Forget what you know about hash browns as these are not so much fried as browned in butter. A word about butter versus margarine: in my mind there is no substitute for real butter when cooking. The flavor and moisture content of butter simply cannot be replaced. If you are concerned about the health implications then simply don't cook this kind of meal that often, eat smaller portions, or make an extra trip to the gym. Personally, I find that enjoying a fine rich meal every so often makes it easier to eat healthy the rest of the time. As this dish is made with shallots, you should remember to wear gloves unless you don't mind the persistent smell on your hands. I don't and even after a shower and multiple hand washings, my fingers still smell of shallots.
Blueberry Muffins
These were made from scratch and were surprisingly easy to prepare. I will likely never make them from a box again as these were, hands down, the best muffins I have ever eaten.
Orange Juice
With everything else to make I was too lazy to squeeze my own!
Since these recipes appear in a copyrighted work, I will not reproduce them here but for anyone who cares to hunt it down the book is "The Nero Wolfe Cook Book" by Rex Stout. The copy of this out of print book that I acquired through Amazon was the second printing published in 1973 by The Viking Press (SBN 670-50599-4).
The menu for the meal consisted of
• eggs au beurre noir
• broiled Georgia ham
• hashed brown potatoes
• blueberry muffins
• orange juice
Sadly, I forgot to take pictures. I hope not to make this omission often.
Basic Preparation
As with any complicated meal, I find it helpful to read each recipe multiple times. Next I actually write out a time sheet with major milestones; the trick being to make sure that everything finishes at the same time. It is also a good idea to get out all the cookware you will need and place them on the cooking surfaces they will require. This will quickly show you if you have made the simple mistake of expecting more burners than your stove provides.
Eggs Au Buerre Noir
These are a type of shirred egg. Don't worry, I had to look it up too as it requires a special cooking dish called a shirred egg dish. I found it particularly hard to find. For such things, I suggest you buy from a restaurant supply house that sells to the public. You will wind up with more than you need but will spend the same as if you bought them individually from a specialty store. A basic shirred egg is cooked under a broiler in the dish in which it is served. They are usually cooked in butter and have a sauce of butter and vinegar or sherry lightly added after cooking. I am not convinced I did this dish justice as I am not sure I cooked the yolk to the right consistency. They were quite good all the same and reminded me of a cross between a poached and a fried egg.
Broiled Georgia Ham
This was simply quickly broiled ham served with a sauce made from vinegar, mustard, current jelly, and fresh cracked pepper. The recipe called for thinly sliced ham but I accidentally got my ham thickly sliced. I think I preferred it this way because otherwise I suspect the sauce would have overpowered the flavor of the ham. I also did not use Georgia ham as requested by the recipe but Boar's Head Deluxe which is excellent. Needless to say, care should be taken when broiling any meat to prevent drying out...unless your intent is to make jerky. I also found out that when doubling this kind of recipe it is a bad idea to double the butter as it prevented the potatoes from holding together as expected. Finally, I suggest that there is no substitute for a well seasoned cast iron skillet and will choose one over a non-stick any day.
Hashed Brown Potatoes
Forget what you know about hash browns as these are not so much fried as browned in butter. A word about butter versus margarine: in my mind there is no substitute for real butter when cooking. The flavor and moisture content of butter simply cannot be replaced. If you are concerned about the health implications then simply don't cook this kind of meal that often, eat smaller portions, or make an extra trip to the gym. Personally, I find that enjoying a fine rich meal every so often makes it easier to eat healthy the rest of the time. As this dish is made with shallots, you should remember to wear gloves unless you don't mind the persistent smell on your hands. I don't and even after a shower and multiple hand washings, my fingers still smell of shallots.
Blueberry Muffins
These were made from scratch and were surprisingly easy to prepare. I will likely never make them from a box again as these were, hands down, the best muffins I have ever eaten.
Orange Juice
With everything else to make I was too lazy to squeeze my own!
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