Culinary Fool

Smoked Salmon Appetizer

29-Dec-2005

The Spirit World blog was decommissioned some time ago but here’s a more recent post with a similar recipe: Smoked Salmon Crostini.

Head on over to The Spirit World, where I’ve published this week’s Happy Hour at Home post. You’ll find some basic information on sparkling wines and a recipe for a simple but elegant Smoked Salmon Appetizer.

2005 Holiday Party Planning

27-Dec-2005

I’ve decided that I’m going to do a couple of different posts about my annual Holiday Party, as there are a few recipes I’d like to share with you. So for this post I’m really just going to whet your appetite by talking a bit about the party planning and posting the menu! :-)

This year was a jam packed year and with my furnace being replaced and my laptop crashing the week before; and with my family in town the weekend before the party I didn’t actually start planning until Monday morning (the 19th) and the party was on Wedensday the 21st. I follow a similar menu from year to year, so it wasn’t that hard to put the menu together, although I had planned on trying a few new items this year. The way things were going I decided that I’d better scrap that idea and just do things that I was sure would turn out and that I knew how long they took to prepare.

For me the key to a larger party like this (I had about 30 guests) is supreme organization! Once I set the menu, seen both in its rough form (with lots of symbols that track certain things) and in its finished form above, the next thing I do is make lists. Lots of lists! There is a shopping list divided by subsection based on where and when I will purchase the items. Most years I try to purchase all the non-perishables well ahead of time and then get the perishables a day or two ahead. This year nearly everything was purchased on Monday with a few things like bread purchased on Wednesday morning. But, I still had things divided by where I was getting them: Costco; grocery store; specialty market.

Besides the shopping list I have lists of tasks. The first list is just a giant list of everything that needs to be accomplished – cooking, housecleaning, shopping, organization (picking out serving pieces, arranging the furniture, etc). The next list is broken out by day – which things can I do five days prior, three days prior, etc. Whenever possible I do things like rearrange the furniture and pick out all the serving pieces up to a week before party time – it’s just a couple things that I can get off the list early!

This year it was all divided between Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. For the days prior to party day the lists are arranged in sort of a chronological order but I don’t worry too much about that, other than if something needs marinating time or chilling time or something like that. The party day list is actually broken out by hour or half hour so that I can do all tasks in an orderly and sensible order and know if I am behind or ahead of schedule. You can see some list samples in the photo below.

One key to the lists is to make sure you break your tasks into small enough pieces so that you have a realistic idea of what you need to accomplish and so that you can do early preparation wherever possible. For instance, for the Turkey Tea Sandwiches I had four tasks that spanned all three days: bake break (Monday); make the cream cheese mixture (Tuesday); assemble the sandwiches and, finally, slice and plate them (Wednesday).

The final list I make is for any items that I plan to serve hot. This list may contain a start time (depending on how long the final heating/baking time is) but always has the oven temperature and the baking/cooking time. I may also indicate which of my two ovens will be used.

I know this sounds like I’m a bit anal. Well, yes I am, however the lists really help me glide through the whole thing in a much smoother, more relaxed (although I’m generally working quickly) manner. For this last party I ended up trapped in the kitchen for a little while – not because of my preparation work though. It was because I used a different layout for the beverage table which turned out to be a bad idea. Oh well, I won’t do that again next time! Other than pulling a few items out of the oven during the early part of the party I was completely ready to go by the time the first guests arrived. I love that!

Here is the menu:

2005 Holiday Party

December 21, 2005

Chinese BBQ Pork

Pecan Chicken Salad on Cucumbers

Onion Tart

Prosciutto-wrapped Roasted Asparagus

Smoked Salmon w/ Onion & Caper

Cream Cheese

Turkey Tea Sandwiches

Marinated Mozzarella

Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip

Parmesan and Poppy Gougére

Spinach Pinwheels

Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms

Warm Brie with Caramel & Toasted Walnuts

Pickled Vegetables

Pork Pate

Assorted Cookies, Fruitcake & Bread

Almond Clusters & Fudge

Mocha Panna Cotta

Bread Pudding: Round 1

26-Dec-2005

I’ve never made bread pudding before. I think because it took me awhile to like it. Or maybe it was just that I didn’t really care for the first kind I had and it took me awhile to try it again and realize that I did like it. I finally was motivated to make it on my own since I had plenty of leftover bread from my party last week. (More about that coming soon!) For a first attempt I thought it was pretty good, although I had a little too much liquid and so it was taking forever to cook through – I finally gave up waiting and ate some. :-) It tasted good – good enough that I’m ready to work on making it again. I’ll be trying again in a day or two and I should have a recipe I’m ready to share then.

Christmas Eve Lasagne

26-Dec-2005

We have a holiday tradition in my family. Actually we have several of them but the one I’m talking about has to do with our Christmas Eve dinner. For years that dinner has been lasagne. I’m not sure when we started it but I think it was about the same time as when my brother, the youngest sibling, was informed about Santa and we also moved our main gift exchange to Christmas Eve. Lasagne not only reflected my (half) Italian heritage but it was easy to prepare ahead of time, made for a fairly quick meal with easy clean-up, and allowed us to move to the "main event" in an expedient manner!

Now, I should also tell you that we actually celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on the weekend prior to Christmas so this year, "Christmas Eve" was December 17th and "Christmas" was the 18th. Why, you ask? Each year we alternate who hosts the festivities but with half of us living in Oregon and half in Washington that means someone is always traveling. As my siblings started having families we thought it was important for them to establish their own family traditions, as well as participate in the extended family gatherings which meant they should be in their own homes for the holiday. And over time it was harder and harder to coordinate with in-laws (or out-laws, if you prefer!) so that we could all be together on the same day. So several years ago we decided that we’d always get together the weekend prior to Christmas and that has worked pretty well for us overall. In fact, I recommend it as a way to reduce stress during the holidays.

But back to the dinner. This year I ended up hosting and so Saturday morning I got up and assembled lasagne so it would be ready to go that evening. I apologize for the photo – I forgot to take a specific picture of it, so the one above is actually from one of our group photos around the table – the lasagne was not the primary subject so it’s not the best photo in the world.

This makes a wonderful hearty meal and really all you need to add to it is a green salad, some nice crusty bread and (for the adults) a decent red wine. It’s really a good entertaining meal since you assemble it early and then have time to socialize while it’s baking. There are lots of variations, so check out the notes at the end of the recipe.

Lasagne

1 # of ground beef, fried

1 1/2 quarts of marinara sauce

1 – 2 cups sliced mushrooms

16 oz Ricotta cheese at room temperature

16 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

9 lasagne noodles – prepared according to package

Heat the sauce and add the ground beef and mushrooms. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes so that the mushrooms and ground beef absorb some of the sauce.

In a 9×13 inch pan, spread a little of the sauce.

Place three lasagne noodles side by side on top of the sauce. Dab 1/3 of the ricotta over the noodles and then spread it out. Sprinkle 1/3 of the Mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan over the Ricotta spreading evenly. Top with enough sauce to completely moisten the entire layer. Repeat this process two more times.

Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the last layer of sauce.

Bake at 375° F for about 45 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling all around the edges of the pan and should be bubbling slight in the center.

Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Slice into 3" squares and serve.

Notes:

Ground beef is the traditional way we make this but feel free to substitute any ground meat. This year I used turkey as we had some guests who did not eat beef. I prefer the beef but turkey or chicken both work fine. I’ve also used a good canned tuna for the meat. Or leave the meat out altogether and add some steamed spinach.

When I have time I make my sauce from scratch but when things are hectic or I’m pressed for time I use a quart of Classico Tomato and Basil Sauce mixed with a 16 oz can of chopped tomatoes. It’s a tasty and easy substitute.

In this particular recipe I prefer the "aged" Mozzarella to the fresh. By aged I mean the solid blocks of it. When it melts it adds a nice stringy, cheesy quality to the lasagne.

Use any sort of lasagne noodle you prefer. I generally use dried noodles and cook mine first, although you can use the "no-cook" variety. I’ve also used sheets of fresh lasagne (you need to cut them to fit your pan) and those are a really nice alternative.

Instead of placing the meat and mushrooms in the sauce, you can included them as layers during your assembly. I just prefer to have them absorb some of the sauce prior to baking – I think it makes the whole dish meld much better.

Although it is hard to wait, really let that lasagne cool for at least 15 minutes prior to slicing and serving. If you try to do it sooner it will be almost impossible to get the layers not to slide all over the place! It will still taste good but won’t look nearly as nice! :-)

Cheese Crackers from E

23-Dec-2005

I met my friend E for coffee this morning. Well, actually I had tea and he had coffee but that’s beside the point. Besides that fact that it’s always fun to spend time with E, I was lured with the promise of a gift – a food gift! I was so excited!

I arrived at the appointed spot a few minutes early and E showed up a minute or two later – carrying the treasure. We got our beverages and took up residence at a window table overlooking the hustle and bustle of Pike Place Market. As soon as we sat down E presented me with not one, but two, lovely gifts! The first was the promised cheese crackers, one type made with blue cheese and the other with cheddar. The other box was full of pepper cookies, which go by various names in various countries but E’s version was Norwegian which makes them Pepperkaker. He had decided to make his own version when he found that the bakery he normally buys them from had already sold out for the season.

We immediately opened the cheese crackers and the Mango Cream Cheese he’d made to accompany them. I had a crispy, flaky, lovely bite of a blue cheese star and fell in love. The only thing that kept me from gobbling them all down at that moment was a thought about how great they would be with a glass of wine or perhaps a nice martini! Although they are so great on their own, they may not last until "happy hour" this evening!

When I got home I nibbled a little Pepperkaker, too. Crispy and fragrant with winter spices and pepper, E has another winner on his hands!

Thank you, E! I love my gift!

Sneak Peak!

19-Dec-2005

Take a little peak at the new project I’m involved in. We haven’t done an official launch and we’re making sure that all of our ducks are in a row but you can find me and several others at "The Spirit World" part of the Well Fed Network.

The Spirit World will focus on cocktails, beer, cooking with alcohol, bars and lounges, mixology references – all kinds of spirits related topics. We are ramping up this week and will be in full swing by the first of the year – check it out now and be one of the first to see what we are up to!

Mace

19-Dec-2005

I have the Food Network on in the background while I’m doing my "chores" today. I’m listening to Sara’s Secrets at the moment. She has Betsy Openeer on the show today and they are making holiday breads. I just learned that mace is the outer covering – the membrane – of nutmeg! I didn’t know that but it sure explains why mace tastes so much like nutmeg! :-)

The Year of the Cocktail!

14-Dec-2005

According to Food and Wine’s January 2006 issue (should be on newsstands soon) this is "The Year of the Cocktail"! All I can say is that I have impeccable timing. For my latest project check this out.

First Look: BalMar

12-Dec-2005

M and I visited BalMar last night. They’ve only been open a couple of weeks and normally that’s not a really great time to visit a new place but we were in the neighborhood and thought we’d give it a shot.

The space is really great. Lots of banquette seating, a few booths, and a nice long bar on the first floor. I noticed stairs but didn’t go up and I’m not sure if it’s even a public area upstairs. The whole space calls you to linger for awhile, hopefully in the company of friends.

The menu is all over the place. Chinese-style ribs, risotto, a nod to Ballard’s Scandinavian history with lingonberries, lots of seafood – a bit of everything. The cocktails however, seem to be serious cocktails. I had a Capri Martini and it was a very grown-up drink! M had something with Tequila and grapefruit which was another good option.

The food however was a bit lackluster. We tried the aforementioned ribs and risotto. The ribs were covered with a beautiful sweet-sour tangy sauce – yummy! They were also accompanied by a little salad of citrus fruits and (we think) pickled rhubarb. My only complaint about this dish was that there were three ribs, which I always think is bad form for a dish meant to be shared. Please, please have an even number as most appetizers are shared by two or more people. Especially, when it’s something like ribs that the odd piece can’t be split. With something like Bruschetta you can cut it in half but not with a tiny rib! And if you must have an odd number make it five, it’s just much more democratic that way.

The risotto was another story. It was a wild mushroom risotto but there was really no flavor. Both M and I added salt and pepper and both of us are generally no/low salt people. Even with the extra seasoning the risotto was flat. I tried adding some of the sauce from the ribs but that just ruined the sauce! :-)

One other thing that bothered us, was that at one point, the chef went out for a smoke break and took it right outside the front door. That is just bad form, I don’t care how good the chef is. And it’s irritating when the food is sub-par.

Having said all this, it is just their second week and I think the quality of the drinks, as well as the attention and care taken with the space itself is a very good sign. I will definitely try the place again after the first of the year. I think they have loads of potential. They just need to work out the menu. Maybe a little practice, maybe a little fine-tuning, maybe just a bit more focus but something to refine it and bring it up to par with the rest of the operation.

Rose Levy Beranbaum Blog

11-Dec-2005

Early November saw the launch of a new blog, Real Baking With Rose Levy Beranbaum. Rose has been the queen of baking for a million years, I think! She mostly answers readers’ questions but there are some posts with recipes, too.