This past weekend I channelled my inner 1950's housewife and hosted my annual holiday cookie swap party. There were many delicious treats, including Susan's jam-filled thumbprint cookies. She graciously agreed to share the recipe (and also some thoughts on mid-century cookbooks). Her musings, and recipe, follow.
The recipe is super-easy. Embarrassingly-so. You should give the 1950 Betty Crocker cookbook the real credit. You've got to see this thing. My mother-in-law found it when she was cleaning out my husband's grandmother's house. Ugh! There is a section at the front, explaining basics of cooking.
One part is titled: "If You Are a Good Mathematician You May Safely .. ."
And then underneath, there are two columns explaining how you can REDUCE RECIPES or INCREASE RECIPES. The first line:
"To double a recipe, use exactly twice the amount of each ingredient." Yes, the italics are in the original.
Well, the men behind Betty Crocker circa 1950 may think women are idiots, but they make a mean cookie. Here you go:
Thumbprint Cookies
Cream together 2 sticks of butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites in a small bowl), 1 tsp of vanilla, and I like to add 1/2 tsp of almond extract.
Sift (they are adamant that it be sifted!) 2 cups of flour. Mix well.
Roll into balls. (My first batch were too small; they work better when they are about 1.5 inches). Dip the top in egg white, and then in some chopped nuts. (I use pecans.) The recipe says it should be an ungreased cookie sheet, but mine all had some mild sticking, requiring a bit of prodding to remove. So I defer that. . . Place nut-side-up, and bake at 375 for 5 min. Take them out at 5 min, and gently make indentations in each one. Put them back in the oven for 7-8 more min, depending on your oven.
Fill with whatever jam, jelly, or pie filling you have around. I then sprinkle with the powdered sugar for decoration, but that isn't in the original recipe.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Carbo Loading with a Side of Spinach (for strength)
I'm off to work the overnight this evening. In addition to lots (and lots) of caffeine, I need a hearty dinner to start off the night. Tonight it was a pile of whole-wheat spaghetti with some sauteed spinach on the side.
Spaghetti al Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper, a traditional Roman dish) for one
1/4 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
Salt for the pasta water
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Lots of freshly ground pepper
Salt the water and bring it to the boil. Instead of putting the lid on the pot, place your pasta bowl on top to warm the bowl. Careful when removing it; it will be hot.
Cook the pasta to al dente. Put the olive oil in the pasta bowl. Drain the pasta and place it in the bowl. Put the cheese and pepper on top of the pasta. Toss with two forks. Add sea salt to taste. Enjoy!
Spinach with Pine Nuts, Garlic, and Lemon for one
1 tbsp. pine nuts
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 c. baby spinach
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Warm a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Toast the pine nuts, shaking the pan frequently. When they begin to brown and turn fragrant, remove them from the pan. Add the olive oil to the pan and let it warm for a moment. Add the garlic and cook for about twenty seconds, until it begins to brown and turn fragrant (sound familiar?). Add the spinach to the pan, tossing it frequently with tongs, until it wilts. Add the lemon juice, and remove from the heat. Toss with the pine nuts.
Spaghetti al Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper, a traditional Roman dish) for one
1/4 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
Salt for the pasta water
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Lots of freshly ground pepper
Salt the water and bring it to the boil. Instead of putting the lid on the pot, place your pasta bowl on top to warm the bowl. Careful when removing it; it will be hot.
Cook the pasta to al dente. Put the olive oil in the pasta bowl. Drain the pasta and place it in the bowl. Put the cheese and pepper on top of the pasta. Toss with two forks. Add sea salt to taste. Enjoy!
Spinach with Pine Nuts, Garlic, and Lemon for one
1 tbsp. pine nuts
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 c. baby spinach
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Warm a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Toast the pine nuts, shaking the pan frequently. When they begin to brown and turn fragrant, remove them from the pan. Add the olive oil to the pan and let it warm for a moment. Add the garlic and cook for about twenty seconds, until it begins to brown and turn fragrant (sound familiar?). Add the spinach to the pan, tossing it frequently with tongs, until it wilts. Add the lemon juice, and remove from the heat. Toss with the pine nuts.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
No really, bacon DOES make everything better.
A huge hit at any cocktail party I have ever had, this appetizer would be a great addition to any holiday spread. Adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Small Plates cookbook. Easily doubled, and I would recommend doubling the amount of these bad boys!
Roasted Dates with Parmesan and Bacon
1/4 lb parmesan cheese
4 T. low fat cream cheese, room temp
36 pitted dates
12 slices bacon, each cut crosswise into 3 pieces
Preheat oven to 400F and place a baking sheet in the oven to heat. In a small bowl, combine the parmesan and cream cheese and mix until smooth.
Slice each date along one side to make a pocket and insert 1 tsp of the cheese filling. Wrap a piece of bacon around each stuffed date. The bacon should cover the opening in the date and overlap slightly. Secure the date with toothpicks. (Can be refrigerated overnight; return to room temp for about 15 minutes before roasting.)
Using tongs (or just being really careful), place the dates on the hot baking sheet. Roast until the bacon is crisp, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve.
Roasted Dates with Parmesan and Bacon
1/4 lb parmesan cheese
4 T. low fat cream cheese, room temp
36 pitted dates
12 slices bacon, each cut crosswise into 3 pieces
Preheat oven to 400F and place a baking sheet in the oven to heat. In a small bowl, combine the parmesan and cream cheese and mix until smooth.
Slice each date along one side to make a pocket and insert 1 tsp of the cheese filling. Wrap a piece of bacon around each stuffed date. The bacon should cover the opening in the date and overlap slightly. Secure the date with toothpicks. (Can be refrigerated overnight; return to room temp for about 15 minutes before roasting.)
Using tongs (or just being really careful), place the dates on the hot baking sheet. Roast until the bacon is crisp, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Bacon Makes Everything Better
Bacon is in that special family of foods that make everything better. (Other members include cheese and frying.) Here they dress up Brussels sprouts. I don't have the same animosity for Brussels sprouts that many do - I pretty much never met a green vegetable I didn't like, except maybe for broccoli rabe (sorry, Mark Bittman) - but I can see why some people dislike them. If cooked incorrectly, they retain a certain bitterness. Here, though, they are tender and substantial after soaking up the chicken stock. This recipe works well as a side dish for a special dinner, but also can stand on its own as a light supper, perhaps with a bit of pasta and olive oil or some crusty bread.
Brussels Sprouts Lardons
2 T. olive oil
6 oz. thick cut bacon, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 1/2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
3/4 t. coarse salt
3/4 t. freshly ground pepper
1 3/4 c. chicken stock
Heat the olive oil in a 12" skillet and add the bacon. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 5 minutes. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Add the Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper to the fat in the pan. Saute over medium heat for another 5 minutes, until the sprouts are lightly browned. Add the chicken stock. Lower to heat and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan, heat through, season to taste, and serve.
Serves 6 as a side dish, 3 as a main course.
Brussels Sprouts Lardons
2 T. olive oil
6 oz. thick cut bacon, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 1/2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
3/4 t. coarse salt
3/4 t. freshly ground pepper
1 3/4 c. chicken stock
Heat the olive oil in a 12" skillet and add the bacon. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 5 minutes. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Add the Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper to the fat in the pan. Saute over medium heat for another 5 minutes, until the sprouts are lightly browned. Add the chicken stock. Lower to heat and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan, heat through, season to taste, and serve.
Serves 6 as a side dish, 3 as a main course.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Asparagus with Shallots
Mom and I made a great dinner tonight. She cooked shrimp scampi, I made asparagus. Usually when I cook with shallots, they act as a minor player in the dish. Here they take top billing alongside the asparagus. Adding the butter at the end gives you maximum flavor with minimum fat – it’s a chef-style trick.
Asparagus with Shallots
Serves 4
1 lb. asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut on the bias into 2” pieces
4 shallots, sliced thin
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T. butter
Warm the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the asparagus and shallots and sauté until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes (exact timing will depend on thickness of asparagus stalks). Add the salt, freshly ground pepper, and butter and stir until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and serve.
Asparagus with Shallots
Serves 4
1 lb. asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut on the bias into 2” pieces
4 shallots, sliced thin
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T. butter
Warm the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the asparagus and shallots and sauté until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes (exact timing will depend on thickness of asparagus stalks). Add the salt, freshly ground pepper, and butter and stir until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and serve.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Velvety Pumpkin Soup
I cooked dinner tonight with Lisa and Amanda. We made an amazing three course meal, starting with a hearty bowl of pumpkin soup. To my surprise, the girls had never cooked soup before. This recipe was a perfect introduction into the world of soup-making! I think homemade soup is truly a necessity during these cold New England winters. Making your own soup is much easier if you have an immersion blender (also called a hand blender or a stick blender). You can buy a decent one at Target for $25 or less. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup in batches in a regular blender or a food processor. Just be very sure the lid is on tight – hot splattering soup would be a disaster.
Velvety Pumpkin Soup
Serves 4
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 c. low sodium chicken broth
¾ tsp. salt, or to taste
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
¼ c. sour cream
1 T. chopped chives
1/3 c. toasted walnut halves, optional
Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a medium to large saucepan. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes, then stir in the pumpkin puree. Mix well and bring to a boil again, and cook for another 5 minutes. Use the immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.
To serve, ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each bowl with a tablespoon of sour cream, a sprinkling of chopped chives, and toasted walnut halves, if you wish.
Note: To toast the walnut halves, sprinkle them with a dash of salt and cayenne pepper and place on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes in a 350° oven. Raw walnuts are too bitter for this recipe, so if you’re not able to toast the walnuts, don’t bother with them at all.
Velvety Pumpkin Soup
Serves 4
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 c. low sodium chicken broth
¾ tsp. salt, or to taste
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
¼ c. sour cream
1 T. chopped chives
1/3 c. toasted walnut halves, optional
Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a medium to large saucepan. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes, then stir in the pumpkin puree. Mix well and bring to a boil again, and cook for another 5 minutes. Use the immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.
To serve, ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each bowl with a tablespoon of sour cream, a sprinkling of chopped chives, and toasted walnut halves, if you wish.
Note: To toast the walnut halves, sprinkle them with a dash of salt and cayenne pepper and place on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes in a 350° oven. Raw walnuts are too bitter for this recipe, so if you’re not able to toast the walnuts, don’t bother with them at all.
Poached Salmon with Baby Spinach
I had the girls – Sara and Alison – over for Valentine’s Day. Alison brought me flowers – yes, I am a lucky lady. We had a delicious dinner, with a first course of sautéed scallops, then crusty French bread, roasted asparagus, and poached salmon with a white wine reduction sauce. Dessert was macerated sliced strawberries. Pink and red food for Valentine’s Day – cheesy, I know, but it all turned out quite well. This recipe is much more involved than my usual cooking repertoire, but it was after all a very special occasion!
Poached Salmon with Baby Spinach
Serves 4
1 lb. salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 pieces
1 small lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 1 chopped and one left whole
2 ½ tbsp. olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1 ¼ c. dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
4 scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
½ lb. baby spinach
Salt to taste
Cut 4 very thin slices from the center of the lemon; reserve. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon over the salmon pieces, and season with pepper to taste. Place a lemon slice on each piece of fish. Sprinkle with the rosemary and set aside.
Warm 1 ½ T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the garlic and shallot begin to caramelize slightly, about 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium low. Push the garlic and shallots to the side, and add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Place the salmon fillets in the middle of the pan. Add the wine and the whole sprig of rosemary. Cover the skillet and adjust the heat so that the liquid is simmering. Poach the salmon until it is opaque, 7 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Remove salmon to a platter.
Increase the heat to medium and add the spinach and scallions to the pan. Cook, covered, until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the spinach from the poaching liquid.
Increase the heat to high. Stirring constantly, cook the poaching liquid until slightly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, place each fillet on a plate. Top with poaching liquid and lemon slices. Place spinach mixture around each fillet.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Orange Balsamic Chicken
Like so much of what I cook, this meal was born out of a desire to use up what I had in my fridge. Chicken thighs were on sale at the grocery store, I had some beautiful rosemary in the crisper that was crying out to be used, and I had a tiny jar of marmalade that just wasn’t going to be eaten any other way. (Honestly, who really likes marmalade?) The results were delicious. I ate it with the leftover cauliflower from the other day, but I think it would be even better with a side of steamed broccoli florets.
Orange Balsamic Chicken
Serves 4
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast thighs (about 2 lbs), quartered
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
2 T. orange marmalade
1/3 c. chopped pecans
In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt, freshly ground pepper, and the chopped rosemary. Add to the skillet and saute for 10 minutes, until crispy and brown. Transfer to serving dish.
Whisk together the vinegar and marmalade. Add to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the pan, until reduced by about one third. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook until the chicken is warmed and coated with the sauce. Toss with the pecans and serve.
Orange Balsamic Chicken
Serves 4
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast thighs (about 2 lbs), quartered
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
2 T. orange marmalade
1/3 c. chopped pecans
In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt, freshly ground pepper, and the chopped rosemary. Add to the skillet and saute for 10 minutes, until crispy and brown. Transfer to serving dish.
Whisk together the vinegar and marmalade. Add to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the pan, until reduced by about one third. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook until the chicken is warmed and coated with the sauce. Toss with the pecans and serve.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Rosemary Portobello Mushroom Pizza
Dinner tonight was pizza made with a portobello mushroom cap in place of the crust, topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and some fresh rosemary. Delicious and surprisingly filling. I served it with a side of roasted cauliflower (cut the head of cauliflower into florets, toss with olive oil, coarse salt and fresh ground pepper, and roast at 425° for 30 minutes) and a salad of mesclun greens, pomegranate seeds, and goat cheese, tossed with a dijon-red wine vinaigrette. I'll post more on making your own salad dressing another time, but in the meantime, here's the pizza recipe.
Rosemary Portobello Mushroom Pizza
Serves 2
2 portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean with a damp cloth
Olive oil
¼ c. prepared tomato sauce
¼ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 425°.
Spray or lightly brush olive oil onto each side of the mushroom caps. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Roast for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through. Remove from oven and preheat the broiler.
Spread the tomato sauce evenly on the concave side of each mushroom. Scatter the cheese evenly over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the rosemary over the cheese. Place under the broiler for one minute, until the cheese is browned.
Rosemary Portobello Mushroom Pizza
Serves 2
2 portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean with a damp cloth
Olive oil
¼ c. prepared tomato sauce
¼ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 425°.
Spray or lightly brush olive oil onto each side of the mushroom caps. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Roast for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through. Remove from oven and preheat the broiler.
Spread the tomato sauce evenly on the concave side of each mushroom. Scatter the cheese evenly over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the rosemary over the cheese. Place under the broiler for one minute, until the cheese is browned.
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