Category Archives: Recipes

Essential Pantry

Posted on January 23, 2011 | 2 Comments

I notice that a lot of cooks are doing this now, telling viewers or readers one thing at a time about how to build a pantry.

Confession: I was so scared to start writing this blog I worked for weeks getting together my essential cookbook collection and then the pantry collection. I believe cookbooks spanned four episodes and the pantry, five, but no-one reads them. No-one refers to them and I wish you would.

Please let me know how I can make these integral pages a meaningful part of your life. Yes, I have to redo my home page and will do so to make it easier for you to access this information. Signing off for now, Dee

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Beef Stew

Posted on December 17, 2010 | Leave a comment

I took two onions and cut them each in six pieces. Four full-sized carrots, two stalks of celery, and a half dozen small red potatoes. All in bite-sized pieces. I blanched the carrots for five minutes, then the whole or halved potatoes for ten. I sauteed the onions in a bit of olive oil and butter for a few minutes then had all the veggies with raw celery chopped and in a huge bowl.

Two pounds of cubed beef were salted peppered and tossed with flour and thyme, then sauteed in two batches and added to the veggies. I stirred everything together, added it all back to the pot and heated it up, adding an entire bottle of good red wine, one can beef consomme and one can water plus two bay leaves.

It cooked for about 2.5 hours simmering on the stove (I can’t trust my oven) and it was rich and fantastic. I had to add a bit of buerre manie at the end (2T flour and 2T butter, combined with a fork) but it was a great stew and I just made it mostly of things I had on hand. A neighbor arrived from a trip last night and had nothing in the frig so I made enough to give us two meals and she and her husband one.

Things I would do differently: cut the potatoes smaller; add some sauteed mushrooms; and add the frozen peas I’d planned to do at the end but forgot. The sauce was heavenly, the carrots bright orange and the beef tender and succulent.

Accidents happen and good food is made on the fly. As no-one will share recipes for blog publication these days, more of these accidental hits should be tried. It helped that my husband was home with a cold for the past three days, upstairs moaning about how horrible it was to be sick. Being in the kitchen was a pleasure, not a chore! Cheers, Dee

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Pizza

Posted on December 16, 2010 | 2 Comments

I mixed things up the other night with homemade pizza. Usually I do a white pizza with sauteed peppers and mushrooms, pepperoni and mozz. The dough is 2/3 unbleached white flour, 1/3 whole wheat flour, water, yeast and a touch of olive oil.

Used to be I’d make two cookie-sheet sized pizzas but that’s too much food so I halved the dough recipe. This week I made Jim a meat-lovers pizza with the usual mozz and mushrooms, pepperoni and I bought one mild Italian sausage and sauteed it. He got half the pizza.

My half was a reminiscence of the best slice of pizza I ever had, from a shop just off the main piazza in Siena, Italy. I parboiled a few small red potatoes and sliced them thinly, grated some Gruyere cheese for the bottom, arranged the sliced potatoes and brushed them with olive oil. Seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh rosemary and a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano. It was so delicious I ate some for breakfast yesterday morning and still have a slice for lunch tomorrow.

I love trying new things, especially when Jim says his was the “best pizza ever!” Cheers, Dee
p.s more about yesterday’s stew later.

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Sallie’s Concord Grape Pie

Posted on September 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

I’ve gotten so many hits on Concord Grapes that I went to another source who has sent me a book about them and makes her own version. She is my grade school music teacher, Sallie P. We got in touch a few years ago at a reception. Definitely a musically, educationally and culinarily talented family. What was that song, I Love to To Go a’Wandering… I learned in third grade? My sister played the baby in a college opera production of Madame Butterfly where Sallie’s husband sang the lead. And I’ll never forget our class performance of Fly Me To The Moon. I have known this family all my life and it’s so good to be back in touch as we moved away when I was twelve. Thank you, Ms. Sallie, for this recipe.

Greetings Dee,

Over the years I have heard so many people cast off the idea of grape pie as unappealing only to realize that almost anyone who enjoys cherry pie will like grape also. It became a favorite in our family and served as a hospitality gesture to newcomers to Fredonia. My North Carolina sister, a caterer for many years, surprised and pleased clients often with a pie they had never heard of. Freezing the prepared filling made it possible.

My recipe is very conventional with a slight twist:

3 c. Concord grapes
1 c. sugar
3 tblspn. flour (I prefer tapioca)
Dash salt
1/2 tsp lemon zest (I add a touch of nutmeg also)
Pastry for bottom and lattice crust
Butter to dot filling

Slip skins from grapes, bring pulp and seeds to a full boil, press through sieve to remove seeds; return skins to pulp in mixing bowl. Mix sugar, flour (or tapioca),salt, zest and nutmeg, add to grapes. Makes 9 inch pie. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Enjoy!

Happy Fall, Sallie

Cheers, y’all, Dee

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Opportunity Knocks

Posted on August 15, 2010 | Leave a comment

New colleagues have an eight year-old daughter who would love to sit for our dog while we go on vacation. They came by this afternoon, toured the art fair, tried to see the red foxes at their den and actually saw the cranes (the family) this evening.

We bought sodas et al. Also ground beef, hamburger rolls and chipotle sweet potato fries. Everything else we had on hand. First I made a jicama salad with Meyer lemon and olive oil dressing with parsley and green onion slices.

The menu included cheeseburgers with hand-made patties and slices of havarti and emmenthaler cheeses. Whole wheat rolls, grilled. Grilled radicchio with olive oil s&p, iceberg lettuce wedges with yogurt Thousand Island dressing, and grilled peaches with butter, sugar and cinnamon.

Thank you, Bobby Flay for grilling this morning while my husband was asleep as those peaches were fantastic. Everything else just came naturally and easily to me and there were just a lot of dishes to wash and tea towels but that’s easy.

This lovely girl enjoys our dog enough to take good care of her for a few days when we’re away. Our dog is a very happy and excited dog, also very demanding. Both sides were seen tonight, but Zoe was showing off as she usually does for guests.

I guess I try to show off for guests too, but it’s just something I like to do, prepared things I had on hand quickly and tastily and had time to enjoy our dinner. No great French flair, all simple dishes that just require good ingredients. Now I feel guilty. They went to the art fair while I prepped and for a walk after dinner when I cleaned up. My husband went with them, as did the dog on the evening walk. I hope they don’t think I’m anti-social, as I wanted them to have a pleasant evening and have everything prepared at both ends of the meal.

In the end we are thrilled that our young potential sitter enjoys her charge. She’s a smart gal and will be able to negotiate Zoe’s mind games. Plus, she tried a few things I made tonight and disliked most, but did enjoy the grilled peaches even though she didn’t want to like them at all. Cheers! Keep trying new things for your kids, and make them taste before telling them what’s in it. It will change their world. Dee

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Three Guys For Dinner

Posted on May 15, 2010 | Leave a comment

My husband came home from work last night with two single guys. One of his fellow highly-educated colleagues has come up to the mountain and taken care of our dog twice. He’s going away for a weekend we plan to be away so has brought another highly-educated colleague to take his place.

Now, Zoe, when bathed and brushed looks gorgeous, exotic because nobody knows her breed but girls think she’s really cute and friendly so this may give these single guys an advantage. We should start renting her out!

So we set up a dinner and I spent the day cleaning up after the human tornado (my husband), planning a menu and list and making dinner.

I bought beef flap (similar to skirt steak, three pounds of it for four people. Three differently sized pieces of meat. The larger one I made Don’s maple/rosemary marinade, the others were marinated in just olive oil, salt and pepper.

The plain steaks were to be dressed with either an avocado/tomatillo/cilantro salsa or a parsley-based chimichurri. The maple-rosemary steak stood on its own. As time was of the essence, I paired canned beans with some grated cheddar cheese and a couple slices of cooked bacon, chopped, and organic fried onions on top. I drained the cans so added a bit of maple syrup and baked it.

I took corn and mixed it with diced red onion, orange bell pepper, sliced scallion with a non-vinaigrette with cider vinegar and a splash of canola oil, salt and pepper.

There was an avocado so I sliced it thinly and served it next to wedges of fresh tomato with olive oil and garlic. We enjoyed tea and watermelon for dessert. I know what my husband likes and is allergic to, know what one guest likes and the other was totally new to me, an Aussie. Put some shrimp on the barbie!

In any case, it was an interesting evening and probably the best meal these guys got all week, homemade at least. That’s something I love doing, not every day, guys. We’re hoping they learn a bit about cooking, use the dog to meet girls and then I’ll have someone to talk to about other than tech stuff at dinner. Cheers, Dee

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Mr. Potato Head

Posted on April 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

Last night I made the Swiss potato dish called rosti. It’s basically shredded potatoes cooked in a cake in a saute pan, flipped halfway through. I first had it in Zurich many years ago and it gave me one more way to love a potato!

When I told my husband I made his favorite potatoes, he said they weren’t, they were his SECOND favorite! His favorite is scalloped potatoes. And I know that these are his favorites because he doesn’t put ketchup on them! Well, he knows I’ll stop cooking for him if he does so, and he has become more accustomed to liking the flavors of the foods I cook rather than drowning them in ketchup or steak sauce as he does at a diner.

ROSTI

Yesterday I used small white creamer potatoes that I was going to boil, a small expensive bag that I just rinsed and dried. Right before I cooked them I put them through the large grater of a food processor (skins and all) and placed them on a clean kitchen towel and wrung them out then put them in a large bowl. Don’t use your favorite tea towel for this as if you don’t rinse it right away it may discolor.

Add salt and pepper. I added one thinly sliced scallion and a sprinkling of cayenne. Heat the oil (don’t use butter) or bacon fat, yes I used some for flavor on medium heat. Have your pan lid ready. Dump the potatoes into the hot saute pan, assure that they’re even and you might pull them away from the sides a bit. Right now you want to steam the potatoes so for 15 minutes on medium heat, keep the lid on and wipe the inside with a clean tea towel every couple of minutes so condensation doesn’t make the potatoes watery.

I’m doing timing for four people, so then take off the lid and flip the potatoes. Go for it if you will, or use a plate to transfer and definitely add more oil if you don’t have a non-stick pan. Finish cooking over slightly higher heat. Remove to a platter, cut in quarters and serve. Without ketchup.

SCALLOPED POTATOES

I use russets for this and slice them on the thin blade of my food processor. They’re peeled, of course. Have your baking pan rubbed with a clove of garlic, buttered and salt and pepper and cream, half and half or milk handy.

Place in your first layer of potatoes, salt and pepper, milk/cream, a second or perhaps third layer and top with dots of butter. Make sure it’s not swimming in cream. Place on a baking sheet to guard against oven spills and into a hot oven, 450 if your oven is true to temperature for 45 minutes to an hour. You want the top browned and liquid sizzling, and the potatoes to be cooked through.

Make sure everyone get a piece of the crusty top.

SLICING CUCUMBERS

One of the first recipes I posted here was my grandmother’s German recipe for cucumber salad, something my father loves to this day. Last night I saw Jacques Pepin make a salad by peeling a European cucumber, then using a sharp vegetable peeler to peel down slices until you hit the seeds, on all four sides. It makes for lovely ribbons. Yesterday I used a bit of sherry vinegar instead of the apple cider vinegar that his mother used. Delicious!

Hope you’re having a great day. It’s snowing here and will for the next few days. Enjoy Spring while you can! Dee

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O Canada, The Gold Belongs With You

Posted on March 1, 2010 | 1 Comment

Congratulations on the hockey sweep. I know my cousins must be ecstatic, as they took to the ice at an early age in Montreal and Toronto and still play. Yes, I missed the game (shame on me) but as 1/2 Canadian, this gal from the lower States is cheering with you. Bravo! Now I’ll just have to cook up some hearty Canadian food, eh?

I did fry onions for my first time. I had a large red onion left over from the torta experiment so sliced half of it thinly. Before doing so, I put together a beer batter (only needed one beer so chose Labatts from Canada instead of Corona). Beer, flour, salt and pepper and it sat the required hour. The house still smells like onions but the rings were very thin, I thinned out the batter with another 1-2 T beer and they were light and delicious. I can’t believe it took me all these years to fry something other than goujonettes of sole and parsley (hockey-playing cousin Steven cooked the parsley as a last-minute garnish to my cooking school grad dinner at the James Beard House).

The batter recipe was from epicurious, look up beer batter and fried kale. Looks like a basic recipe to me but they sue if you reprint them.

Once again, cheers to the Maple Leaf teams for winning hockey Gold and to our northern neighbors for hosting the Olympics. I also welcome home Utah’s own athletes. It’s exciting to be in a town in which many Olympians were raised and/or trained. Cheers! Dee

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“Cheater” Lasagne

Posted on October 2, 2009 | Leave a comment

It just occurred to me that I never gave you the recipe, just told you a story. I made two yesterday. It only took a few moments more to complete two as I did them together as an assembly line, using aluminum pans so I could freeze ours and give the other, as promised, to my guitar teacher.

This is a 10-15 minute lasagne for an 8×8 pan, which will very generously serve a family of four, or more with a green salad and crusty bread, even garlic bread. Yum.

For one lasagne:

8 sheets NO-BOIL lasagne noodles (Barilla makes one)
16 oz. Ricotta
8 oz Mozzarella, shredded
1 egg, beaten
handful parmesan or romano, freshly grated, more for the top
salt and pepper to taste
fresh or dried basil, marjoram and/or oregano to taste
1 25.5 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce (yesterday I used Muir Glen organic with tomato and basil)

I made a vegetarian version. I like to alternate the direction of the noodles just because I think it makes it stick together better (it’s just my way). Place enough sauce on the bottom of the pan to coat it lightly.

Add two sheets of pasta. Cover with 1/3 of cheese mixture and then tomato sauce to coat. Repeat twice. On the top layer place the pasta down, cover with remaining sauce and top with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees (place on a cookie sheet in case it boils over) for 45 minutes, uncovered, to an hour until it’s bubbly and gooey and gorgeous. Remove from the oven and let stand five minutes. Cut and serve.

* * *
Single people who are terrified to cook for a date should learn this recipe (try it once before the date). I recently ran into a new dad, with baby, at the store in the pasta section and asked him what he was trying to make. I pointed out the no-boil noodles and he was very thankful, perhaps somewhat as thankful as his wife was for having 1/2 hour to herself and getting hubby to make dinner!

Enjoy! Dee

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Fresh Fish

Posted on August 9, 2009 | 1 Comment

Coming to a location near me. A location I can walk to. Starting next month approximately 12 vendors will set up in an interior space right here in our back yard. We went to a market today, mainly hippie clothing, jewelry and other items. They also had prepared food and about eight farmers market stalls, one which had the most beautiful mushrooms I’ve ever seen since Mendocino – chanterelles. But by then I’d run out of cash. I bought yellow and red cherry tomatoes, some organic summer wheat berries to grow wheatgrass, 1# of frozen sea scallops that look gorgeous, and 1# of freshly flown-in Coho salmon, tail sections. I re-froze the scallops, cooked one salmon fillet and froze the other. I got a summer sun hat as there is no atmosphere here to keep the sun off one’s face, and Jim bought a leather one evocative of Indiana Jones.

For fresh fish here, you’ll probably get trout from the local rivers. Otherwise it’s flown in. But the Coho was gorgeous. I looked for pin bones and there were none, easily removed the skin with my fish filleting knife and cooked a marinade of 1/3 c soy sauce, 1 c water, several 1/4 inch coins of ginger, two large crushed garlic cloves, a pinch of freshly ground red pepper flakes and black pepper, and a few drops of roasted sesame oil. I used the microwave and cooked the sauce on high for about six minutes then let it cool. When Jim’s ribeye (he’s allergic to anything that swims) was ready on the grill outside, I put the salmon in the marinade and guessed cooking times but only used 50% power so it wouldn’t cook too quickly. I probably did it 6-7 minutes, flipping it carefully midway and ended up with the tail end a bit flaky and the rest just as I wanted it. I wish I had some lemon but wasn’t going to go back to the grocery store and I’ve two limes but they didn’t fit my personal flavor profile.

I served the ribeye and the salmon with an organic baked potato and 1/2 of the red and yellow cherry tomatoes, sauteed with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and dried basil from Penzey’s.

Here’s a photo of a unique welded metal “see saw” at our first try at Park Silly Market:

We had lunch at our favorite burger joint then went to see Julie and Julia across the street. It was a good weekend but now Jim’s coming down with something. Not good news. Husbands are never good patients, especially when they brought back some bug from the office, you have it worse than him and he still moans and asks for a cup of tea. Not to mention he’s on contract so every hour he doesn’t work is an hour he doesn’t get paid.

Luckily we have plenty of fresh OJ, chinese herbs, tea and chicken broth. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow. Cheers, Dee

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