Risotto alla Milanese (Saffron Rice Milan Style)

 

 

A nice bowl of rice and crusty Tuscan bread – heaven on a cold winter or raining day.
Arborio rice has a very high starch content. As the rice is cooked, this starch is released
in the cooking liquid to create a rich, creamy dish that is absolutely delicious. Saffron
added to the rice turns it a deep yellow while adding a wonderful aromatic flavor. Bone
marrow is essential for a good risotto. Have the butcher saw the bone lengthwise to
facilitate access to the marrow. Bone marrow freezes well. Arborio rice is pearly white
plump fat grained rice named after the town of Arborio along the Po River of northern
Italy.

2 Arborio Rice (Carnaroli Rice1)
2 cup pinot grigio or another dry white wine
3 tablespoons of butter
2 cups of low salt veal, chicken, vegetable or beef stock
1inch of beef marrow
1 pinch saffron
1 medium-size white onion, diced
2 cloves chopped crushed garlic
Optional
Finely chopped slices of Prosciutto ham
¼ cup freshly shelled spring sautéed peas
¼ cup sliced sautéed mushrooms
1 tablespoon sweet butter
Finish with
3 tablespoons of butter or unfiltered extra virgin fruity olive oil
8 tablespoons of graded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Salt
White pepper
truffle oil.

In a separate pot, heat wine and chicken broth to a boil.
Wipe the bone of any saw chips. Dip the marrow briefly in boiling water for minute.
Chop the marrow. Brown the marrow in heavy sauce pan with in 3 tablespoons of butter,
and then add the onion. When the onion begins to clear but not brown, add the rice and
garlic. Stir until the rice is coated and shiny and has absorbed the fat. If using Prosciutto,
add it now. Add saffron, a pinch of salt and carefully pour in ½ cup of the boiling wine
mixture over rice. Stir the rice occasionally and cook on medium for 15 minutes adding
liquid judiciously as liquid is absorbed and as is needed. The finished rice should only be
slightly moist.

In the meantime, if adding mushrooms and peas, sauté them in some extra butter now.
They will be added last. Stop cooking when the peas are still a bit crunchy.
The rice is done when “al dente” – cooked through but still somewhat firm at the center.
Keep in mind the rice will continue to cook even when removed from heat so remove it
from the heat sooner than later. Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter and 6 tablespoons of
graded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and adjust the seasonings. The balance of the cheese
is for topping each bowl of rice. Drizzle with truffle oil.

Note:
1. Carnaroli rice comes from Novara and Vercelli Italy in the Piedmont region.
Carnaroli is considered one of the best Italian rices as it can absorb liquid for a
long time while remaining 'al dente'. Although less well known in the U.S. than
Arborio rice, Carnaroli is actually more highly valued by Italian chefs.

As Argentina has a lot of Italians the rice now is also grown in the Andes
mountains in the fertile valleys of central Argentina. See
 

Rice Suppli al Telefono (Fried Rice balls)

 

 

Suppli al Telefono are Roman fritters, rice balls with a cheese filling that strings out like
telephone wires when eaten. Practically every pizzeria, every osteria or trattoria either are
serving suppli or arancini. Arancini are the same thing except these are made with Risotto
alla Milanese (see recipe risotto_alla_milanese). In my youth, in Rome on cold
winter days, I would buy a few of these from street vendors hot from the oil and warm
my hands and have a great breakfast. The moisture level of the rice has to be such that the
balls form when pressed together. If you having trouble add a beated egg yolk to rice.
Mix well, refrigerate for a half an hour.

Preheat oven to 250 F for holding batches of the suppli to keep them warm.

Use a fry or a candy thermometer to insure you get the temperature right. The ingredients
should be allowed to reach room temperature.

Bunch of finely diced parsley
Bunch finely diced chives
3 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
3 cups leftover Risotto alla Romano (al dente) (see recipe)
4 ounces of mozzarella cheese cut into 3/8 inch cubes
2 cups dry bread crumbs made entirely from the crust of crusty Italian bread.
3 - 4 cups of canola oil

Preheat oil to 360F – 365F

 

Combine rice with parsley and chives. Beat eggs plus egg yolks in a separate bowl. Put

bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Make a few suppli at a time and then place them on a

plate until you have four or five ready to cook. Using your hands, form a small ball of

about 1 ½ tablespoon of the rice mixture with a cube of mozzarella cheese at the center.

The ball size is important because if these are too big, the outside is done before the

cheese in the center has time to melt. Roll the rice ball into a round ball. Dip ball into egg

mixture then into bread crumbs. When have made four or five, then fry them. The oil

should not cool too much when these are cooked hence the limit on how many can be

cooked at a time. 

If the suppli are not completely immersed in oil, then turn them with a slotted spoon as they cook. When suppli are dark golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel covered platter in the oven to keep warm. Serve as soon as possible.

Fresh Baby Peas

 

 

 

Fresh Baby Peas

One of the vegetables that is of a very high grade when purchased frozen is petite peas
which are hard to find in the super market and have a limited availability in the fall.
C&W vegetables, Birds Eye or other fine vendors (not a generic brand) produce good
versions and this preparation, if careful, can duplicate the finest freshly shelled peas as if
from your own garden.

1 ½ pounds baby petite frozen peas
½ cup of sugar for water soak
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter melted butter
Pepper
Salt to correct the seasoning
2 teaspoons fine white sugar

Soak the frozen peas completely covered in a large quantity of cold water to which ½ cup
of sugar has been added for an hour. Do not stir. This allows the peas to come to room
temperature slowly and absorb a little of the sugar. It also insures a shorter more even
cooking period. Gently strain of all water and place peas in a glass microwave safe bowl.
Cover the bowl with a microwave safe plate and place in the center of the microwave.
Microwave the peas on high for two minutes. Stir very carefully and gently moving the
peas off the bottom of the bowl to the top. The key word is gently. Turn the microwave
on high for another two minutes. Let the peas rest one minute. Drain off any residual
water. Add melted butter, pepper, 2 teaspoons fine white sugar, and correct the seasoning
while carefully tossing the peas to coat them evenly. 

 

If the peas are done right, they pop with some resistance to the teeth when you bite into them else they may be over done. Delightful

Terra Brava’s Sautéed Portobello Mushroom on Corn

 

This was so good when we visited this Napa Valley resturants just above St Helena that it would be worth a trip just to have it again but, alas, the resturant and chef that created this is long gone. It is now known as Brava Terrace but it is not the same chef.

1 clove crushed chopped garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
two squeezes of fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon cream sherry
4 large Portobello mushroom caps, stems removed
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Ground red pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons Tarragon vinegar
1 ear baby sweet white corn
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
3 tablespoon butter
1 bunch of spinach
Pinch of nutmeg

Garnish
A few basil leaves, chopped
A few nasturtiums flowers

Rub Portobello caps with olive oil, salt and pepper, red pepper and sauté on both sides
until tender. Deglaze pan with a tablespoon of sherry.
Remove caps from pan and set aside. Add 2 tablespoon butter to pan and wilt spinach
with vinegar and a squeeze lemon juice using a lid to keep the initial stem in. Remove
spinach and chopped coarsely. Add corn and pinch of nutmeg to pan and just warm until
hot.
Assemble presentation plates. Put a little of the corn and spinach on each plate and top
with Portobello cap. Sprinkle some kernels on corn on each cap. Deglaze pan a squeeze
of fresh lemon juice, and tablespoon cream sherry. Turn of heat and swirl in a table spoon
of butter. Pour over mushroom caps.
Garnish with nasturtiums and chopped basil

Sun Dried Tomato and Garlic Pesto

By Leslie Beribeault, 1996

This is simply the very best of its class- rated five stars!

3 heads of roasted Garlic
1 cup of Sun Dried Tomato, softened for 20 mins in very hot water.
1/2 cup on pine nuts
1/4 cup Grated Asiago Cheese
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Combine and process into a paste in the food processor.
 

Maybe used on pasta, bread, pizza. Most excellent.
 

Roasting the garlic

Slice the tops off of 2 whole heads of garlic. Brush liberally with olive oil. Place in oven at 350 F. Roast for one hour. After the garlic has cooled, remove cloves by squeezing the head inverted over a dish. The cloves pop out.

Glen's Red Beans and Rice

 

 Glen is an agriculture area right on the Sacramento River in Northern California. Every
year the local Glenn Pheasant Association ((530) 934-3606) raise some 500 birds for
local release a few weeks before the pheasant hunting season begins. Hunters have a
limited season and perhaps cull less that 10% of these birds; hence California now has
more pheasants than in their original indigenous range of Nepal through Tibet, Northern
Burma including northwest China. To hunt pheasant, you must possess a valid California
hunting license, an upland game bird stamp, enjoy sloshing around in soaking wet attire,
be good at lifting your feet cover with five or six pounds of muddy clay while negotiating
precariously uneven fields caused by the wake of the harvesters way back in September.
The area grows millet, sorghum, rice and beans all of which these birds love.
Local farmers eat simply, many, the food they grow themselves. This is one of those
dishes, probably traditionally from the Old South. My son and I ate it many cold winter
afternoons while consoling ourselves to the fact that in 8 years pheasant hunting, the only
bird we ever shot was with a camera equipped with a telephoto lens.

1 pound (or so) of dried red beans
4 Smoked Ham Hocks (have butcher saw this in quarters)
Parsley or green onions as garnish
10 bay leaves
1 tablespoon crushed black pepper
Instant beef stock granules is used as salt to correct the seasoning

Add ingredients in a kettle cover with cold water. Cook on low 4-5 hours
until meat falls apart and beans are tender. Add water as necessary, but allow
stock to reduce down the last hour. Correct seasoning.
Cook rice the last hour the beans are cooking in an oven-proof pot equipped
with a lid.

2 cups premium long grain jasmine white rice
3 3/4 cup of unsalted boiling water
Add rice, cover, and bring to a boil on high. Put the covered rice pot
in 350 F oven for 45 minutes.

Ladle beans over a serving of rice. Butter two slices of rustic country bread.
Serve atop rice plate on presentation.

Catalogna Puntarelle Chicory Salad

Puntarelle are the inner hearts of cicoria catalogna, a kind of chicory and one of the greatest treats in Rome. The shoots have the crisp, satisfying crunch similar to celery with a flavor which is a cross of chicory and endive. The hearts are trimmed out of the large heads and cut into thin shreds that curl up when immersed in ice water. In Italy, Puntarelle is available most of the year except early spring when the stalks are not yet developed. The stalks of the puntarelle make a crisp refreshing salad. This variety of chicory has a slightly bitter undertone but when served with this potent dressing seem quite sweet. The seeds may be purchased on line. The salt in anchovies suppress any bitterness. There are several varieties all good for salads:
Catalogna Puntarelle (Puntarelle a Foglia Stretta)
Catalogna Chicory A Foglie Frastagliate
Catalogna Chicory Brindinsina
Catalogna Chicory Veneto

1 untrimmed head Catalogna Puntarelle
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (or 1 anchovy, minced)
1 teaspoon mustard, preferably Dijon
1/4 cup fruity olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Trim off any outer green leaves. Slice the hollow stalks lengthwise into narrow strips
(about 1/4"); cut the strips into pieces 2 to 3 inches long. Soak the pieces in ice water for
an hour. Most will curl up. Whisk remaining ingredients together to make the dressing.
To serve, drain puntarelle pieces and pat dry. Toss with dressing.
Trattoria Otello (06 878-1178) alla Concordia on Via Della Croce 81, Rome serves this
salad.

Mountains of Salzburg

Mountains of Salzburg (aka Salzburg Nockerl) are the most famous and legendary dessert of Austria. The dessert has been served in fancy Austrian resturants for centuries. Two things that strike me about this dessert are that it is delightfully easy to make and, at the same time, very elegant and impressive in its presentation. It has a luxurious mouth-feel and the sauce formed on the bottom is scant but wonderful. This recipe was shown in the early 80’s on Public Television on a series “Great Chef’s of New York” by a jovial large Blond Austrian chef whose name escapes me. I wrote this down and tried it right after the show ended.  Had I known I was going to write a cook book, I certainly would have made sure I got his name right which now I regret as most likely he has passed on by now. The chef said the meringue is stacked in three distinct mountain-shaped globs to resemble the Mountains of Salzburg, his home, and the powdered sugarserves as the snow. The chef mentioned that any jelly or jam works so use your favorite. You may want to give blueberry, boysenberry, or red currant a try too.

1 tablespoon per dish of heavy cream
1 level tablespoon per dish of seedless raspberry preserves
1 tablespoon per dish of sweet butter
6 large egg whites
small pinch of salt
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
3 large beatened egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Garnish

Powdered sugar for dusting
4 sprigs of mint
For more elegance, Paper doilies.

Place oven rack in the middle rung and preheat to 425°F.

Place a patty of butter, 1 tablespoon of cream, 1 tablespoon of preserves in each of the 4
individual small shallow gratin dishes. I recommend a small oval 8 ounce Au Gratin dish
in stoneware or porcelain. Allow eggs to warm up to room temperature. Beat egg yolks and vanilla until pale yellow. Set aside in another small bowl. Wash mixer bowl and beaters with hot water and dry thoroughly.

Beat 6 egg whites and a small pinch of salt at high speed to soft peaks, and then add the
fine granulated sugar a little at a time on medium. Increase speed back to high and beat to
stiff peaks. Remove bowl from mixer, shift in flour and fold it in gently with a spatula,
along with the egg yolks until the flour and eggs are just mixed.

Stack three sections whipped meringue over the preserves-cream-butter in each Gratin
dish. The chef used a flexible plastic bowl scoop to scope the whipped eggs. I cut out a
section of clean manila folder in a six inch square rectangle, and then cut a curved halfcircle
end on one side to more match-up the contour of the mixer bowl. It worked well as
a scoop. Try to make sure you get equal portions in each dish. Bake until the peaks are
golden brown- 12 to 15 minutes. Dust lightly with confectioner’s sugar. Place each hot
Gratin dish on another plate so they won’t burn the table. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
A later show on KQED and Golden Gate productions featured Vienna Chef Andy Kistler
from the now defunct Peter Grunauer’s Vienna ‘79 New York Restaurant preparing a
course of entries culminated with a lemony 9-egg version entitled Salzburg Nockerl that
looked equally enticing which was similar but bigger portions. It is my experience, that
given at a good Restaurant, come time for dessert, a patron is no longer hungry and
smaller desserts are very appropriate. The picture on this page comes from the web site:
http://www.austria-trips.com/Provinces/Salzburg_county.htm

Linguine Malafemmena

(Malafemmena means “lowly woman” style which is amusing as another very popular
spaghetti style is also named after women of the night –see Spaghetti_alla_Puttanesca.) The magical flavors of the Mediterranean are captured when olives, anchovies, and capers come together in this quick and simple Italian dish.

½ cup coarsely chopped black olives

2 Tablespoons drained Italian capers

4 Cloves finely diced garlic

4 chopped anchovy fillets

Crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

16 ounces linguine

Quickly sauté black olives, crushed red pepper flakes, capers, garlic and chopped
anchovy fillets in a little good olive oil.
In a kettle of boiling salted water cook, the linguine until it is “al dente”; drain it reserving
a few tablespoons of the pasta water. In a bowl, toss the pasta for at least a minute with
the sautéed sauce and some of the pasta water. Garnish with a bit of chopped basil. Serve
extra crushed red pepper flakes on the table.

Leslie Baribeault’s Quick Tomato Tart

 

1 pre-baked tart crust

2-3 oz Chevre cheese

Pesto of garlic, pinenuts, basil, Asiago, and olive oil

Mozzarella cheese, grated

Olive oil

Parmesan Cheese

Sliced tomatoes

Pesto the tart crust generously, crumble Chevre cheese over pesto. Layer thin slices of tomato and fresh Mozzarella cheese alternatively in slightly overlapping circles. Drizzle with fruity olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan. Place tart in a hot oven or under broiler until cheese is bubbly and golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Judy Cestra’s Spinach Dip

 

 

Judy was our good neighbor and when she had a party, no one strayed far from the
spinach dip.

One round of sourdough bread, hollowed as a bowl
Baguette of sour dough bread, cut into dipping bytes
1 package (10 oz) spinach, thawed uncooked, chopped and drained
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained, chopped fine
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon Salad Supreme Seasoning1
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Place spinach in a towel, wring towel to extract excess water from spinach. Mix all
ingredients and place in a sealed container. Refrigerate overnight. Serve in Sour dough
“Bowl” with cut bread pieces around.
 

Note:
1. McCormick’s Salad Supreme Seasoning
Contains: Grated Romano Cheese made from cow's milk (Part-skim milk, Cheese
Culture, Salt, Enzymes), Salt, Sesame Seed, Poppy Seed, Paprika, Celery Seed,
Garlic, Black Pepper, Silicon Dioxide (added to make free flowing), and Red
Pepper.

Japapanese Dipping Sauces

These sauces may be used for lettuce wraps, tempura, and spring rolls.
 

Japapanese Dipping Sauce I

3 tablespoons Marin
1 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon seasame chili oil
1 ½ tablespoons Muschroom soy sauce
Cayene pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped green scallions
 

Japapanese Dipping Sauce II

2 tablespoons Dashi
2 tablespoons Marin
1 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced gingerC
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons Shrimp soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped green scallions
 

Notes:
1. Add a half teaspoon of Hon Dashi, Bonito
Fish Soup Stock to a half cup of boiling water
to make a half cup of Dashi.

Hog's Breath Barber Shop Christmas Tamale Sauce

 

 

This is Joe Chavez’s recipe and it is made for the Hog's Breath Barber Shop Christmas party to accompany some of the best tamales I have ever tasted. The slightly sweet slightly sour spicy sauce is a knock out. By the way, they give a great haircut too. So if
you’re visiting Dublin, California, stop by and say hello.

1 heaping teaspoon of corn starch

1 teaspoon red raspberry vinegar

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ cup water to start with

1 tablespoon of sugar

Pinch of white pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 small clove on finely chopped garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet red onion

1/8 teaspoon Chili powder (If homemade chili powder is used then add a scant

pinch of Cumin)

½ teaspoon of chicken extract powder (more flavorful than salt.)

When properly cooked, the sauce will clarify. The consistency we are looking for is that
of maple syrup. The cooking will be done over medium low heat and the sauce is quick
to prepare so it may be done 15 minutes just before it is needed or prepared earlier and
reheated. (Add water to adjust consistency.)

In a small sauce pan, add corn starch. Then add water, and stir until dissolved. Heat over
low heat. Add all other ingredients. If too thick, add more water as this cooks. Stir often.
After 3 minutes, remove sauce from heat and let the sauce stand for 3 minutes. Taste
and correct the sweet-sour-salt relationship by adding more sugar, vinegar, water and or
salt. If not spicy enough, add more cayenne pepper. If adding more cayenne pepper,
reheat for a minute and let stand an additional 3 minutes. The consistency we are looking
for is that of maple syrup. The sauce, when sampled alone, should be quite hot, as when
served with the mass of the tamales, will seem just right.

Giada’s Onion Marmellata

Serve over chops, pork roast or roast chicken. 

 

1/4 cup olive oil 4 large onions, thinly sliced (about 3 pounds) 

1/4 cup orange marmalade 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 

1 teaspoon kosher salt

 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

1 tablespoon sugar (or more to taste)

 

 Use a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the onions. Stir to combine and cook until starting to sizzle, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to scrape up any brown bits. The onions should be a soft, jam-like consistency and a deep mahogany color. To serve, spoon the onion marmellata over pork chops, chicken, or pork roast. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately. 

Note: 1. Giada was born Giada Pamela De Laurentiis in Rome, Italy, the eldest child of actress Veronica De Laurentiis. De Laurentiis, a self-proclaimed chocoholic, studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France with aspirations of becoming a pastry chef.

After returning to the United States, she became a professional chef working in several Los Angeles restaurants, notably the Wolfgang Puck-owned Spago. She later worked as a food stylist, and was contacted by Food Network after styling a piece in Food & Wine Magazine in 2002. Her cooking program, Everyday Italian, has been broadcast on Food Network since 2003. On her Chefography (a Food Network biography program), she admitted that she never wanted to be in her "family business" of show business. She felt very uncomfortable in front of the camera when she first began hosting Everyday Italian, but has since become more relaxed and open on air. When the program first aired, Food Network received emails accusing the network of hiring a model or actress pretending to cook instead of a real chef.

Fandango’s Basques Scampi

In 1983, Walter Georis converted a charming old house in Pacific Grove, California into the restaurant Fandango. It has a warm atmosphere and good food. This recipe is from Chef Pedro De La Cruz: This is their most popular dish. The recipe of their sauce has been in Pedro’s family for generations. The Basques crisscross the Pyrennees, moving between the French and Spanish cultures with ease as they cling to their own traditions. 

20 Large prawns shelled, 

deveined ½ cup chopped shallots 

1/2 cup chopped scallions 

A large tomato diced 

1 teaspoon chopped garlic 

1 bunch wilted spinach leaves 

¼ cup white wine 

Squeeze of lemon, 

Dash of raspberry vinegar

5 tablespoons butter 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

Salt, pepper and cayenne to taste 

¾ pounds of vermicelli pasta 

 

Cut off roots off a bunch of spinach, rinse spinach in several changes of water. Drain well and wilt damp spinach in a large frying pan. Turn leaves as you go with thongs until all spinach is wilted. Turn off heat, sprinkle with a dash of raspberry vinegar and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Cover spinach with a lid. Bring a lightly salted pot with 2 quarts of water to a boil for the pasta. Sauté shallots in butter. When clear add tomato, cayenne, and garlic and allow this to cook while stirring and eventually scraping the pan as this reduces to a soffritto. Put pasta into the boiling water; stir a few times, as it cooks, so the pasta does not stick. Turn up heat under spinach to low, allow it to gentle heat back up. Turn up heat under soffritto, add shrimp, wine, stir a bit and when it begins to bubble reduce heat, cover with lid, and cook five minutes. When pasta is “al-dente”, drain well, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, using thongs, squeeze out any liquid in spinach, and add to pasta. Add half of the scallions and toss pasta well. Use thongs to remove prawns from the pan to a plate. Add sauce from pan to the pasta. Toss pasta well. Serve a portion of pasta topped with five of the prawns. Garnish plates with the rest of the scallions and a wedge of lemon.

Eight Pepper Salad

 

 

Another original recipe developed for visually appeal and to tempt my mother who gets a
big bang out of something she had never had before. In the recipe, all the ingredients are
cut to the same width and length which helps contribute to its visual appeal. Start to
prepare the salad two hours ahead as the soaked peppers can pickup a bit of the extra
sweetness from their soaking bath.

1 each: red, yellow, green, purple and orange bell peppers

1 sweet red onion

2 cups cold water

1 cup of sugar

salt

Vinaigrette dressing made with:

white, red and black pepper

2 tablespoons very finely chopped chives

2 tablespoon very finely chopped parley

1 teaspoon very finely chopped garlic

Cut the curved end off the tops and bottoms of the bell peppers and discard them.

Remove any white ribs or seeds from the bell peppers. Slice the top and bottom off of the

onion so it is the same length as the peppers. Slice the peppers length wise into strips

approximately 1/8 of an inch wide. Place all the bell pepper slices in cold water. Add a

cup of sugar and a bit of salt to taste in water.  Should be sweet and only enough salt to make they marination slightly salted.

Place bowl in refrigerator until ready to assemble the salad. Slice the onion’s outer layers and discard the curved or too small inner ribs. Place onion in a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator. Finely chop the garlic, parley, and garlic. Place in a small cup, cover with wrap or a lid. Place in the

refrigerator.

 

Assembly

Remove all ingredients from the refrigerator. Drain and pat dry the peppers. Add the

peppers and all the other ingredients to a bowl. Toss with vinaigrette dressing, let stand. Top with parmesan cheese or cojt.i

10 minutes then serve.

 

 

Crème Brule

 

Ramekin are available specifically for this dessert and the best are characterized

by being shallow and about three to three and a half inches in diameter which

allows for the right portion per person while providing an ample surface for a

generous topping of caramelized crisp sugar.

2 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 large egg yolks, well beaten
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Bourbon vanilla
Topping Brown sugar

Bring cream to a boil, and boil about 30 seconds. Pour it immediately into the
well beaten egg yolks, sugar and whisk them together. Return the mixture to the
pan. (If you pay attention, you do not need to use a double boiler. (See note)
Continue cooking on medium without allowing the mixture to boil. Wisk the
mixture until it thickens and coats a spoon. Immediately remove from heat. Pour
the mixture into ramekins. Cover ramekins and refrigerate overnight.
Prior to dessert, top each ramekin with a thin layer of brown sugar (teaspoon)
and caramelize each ramekin sugar topping with a torch very quickly in order to
keep the custard cold and firm. Garnish with a few fresh raspberries and a sprig
on mint.

Note:
1. Improvise a double boiler, if you don't already have one, with a saucepan and
bowl large enough to sit atop the sauce pan

Guadalajara Market Special Chiles Rellenos Burritos

 

  This burrito is based on the Guadalajara Market Special burrito that is renown in San Jose

for an extraordinarily good burrito. The perfect chili is the Poblano. It is a shiny dark

green triangular shaped chile 3” to 4” long that varies in their hotness from mild to

somewhat hot. These are always roasted and stuffed with their seeds and stems intact.

The stem is only pulled off when assembling the burrito. The seeds and what cling to

them have most of the heat and some more of the flavor. Pre-roasting the chilies insures a

deep toasty flavor. This recipe also relies on Mexican rice, and refried pinto beans.

Rellenos

2 Poblano green chilies per person, roasted, peeled
A brick of Monterey jack (a 3/8 slice cross the brick per relleno1)
1 cup flour
Pinch salt
Pinch garlic powder
Pinch ground red pepper
Canola oil, to coat skillet
1 room temperature egg per relleno, beaten until super frothy
Turn broiler on high.
Line a shallow roasting pan with tin foil. Place Poblano chilies on their flattest side to
broil and, later, turn once to cook the other side. This usually takes 5~10 minutes per side
depending on:
• The height from the pan to the broiler head
• The BTU output of the broiler
 

After roasting Poblano chilies until they are black on both sides, remove from broiler and
cover the chilies with newspaper or place thes in a brown paper bag to retain the heat.
After 20 to 30 minutes you can start peeling away the black heavy paper like skin. Try to
remove most of it. If needed, use a small paring knife to lift the edge of the skins. Don’t
worry about the blacken surface; it’s fine. This chile is naturally dark to begin with and it
will darken when roasted.

Turn on oven to bake at 300 F. The oven is used to keep batches of cooked rellenos warm
as they are batch fried 3 or 4 at a time.

Using some tin foil and cover a dinner plate to make cleanup easy. Put a cup of flour
spread out on the tin-foiled-plate for dredging the chilies. Make a small slit in each chili
and fill the chilies with a slug of cheese. Don’t worry if the cheese is a hump in the
middle – it’s going to melt and fill the chilie’s cavity. Dredge each chili in the flour on
both sides until well covered. Add room temperature eggs to a mixer with a pinch each of
salt, red pepper, and garlic powder and beat eggs until super frothy and very pale.
Place a large frying pan on high heat. When the pan is hot (350 F) add a few tablespoons
of oil.

Using your hand, dip each floured chili into the egg batter to cover it well then carefully
lower it to the hot pan surface. Use a spatula to move some of the egg mixture back over
the edges of the chilies. When rellenos are well browned on one side, turn gently over to
brown the other side. Rellenos should be golden brown when done with the cheese well
melted. Place rellenos on a platter and put them in the oven while finishing the next batch
of chilies. When done, assemble the burritos with 2 rellenos per burrito. Pull off
rellenos’s stems when assembling burritos.

Burrito ingredients per person

2 rellenos, while still warm
2 tablespoons refried beans per burrito, hot
2 tablespoons Mexican rice, hot
1 tablespoon finely grated Monterey jack cheese
1 tablespoon fresh tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 tablespoons Guacamole
1 tablespoons hot sauce
1 large flour super burritos-size (13~14 inch) hot tortilla
The beans and rice are hot when you assemble the burritos. The flour tortillas may be
heated in a direct flame on the stove top turning frequently until very warm on both sides.
Alternatively, heat each tortilla in the microwave on high for 25~30 seconds one at a time
as they are needed.
 

Note:
1. Equivalent 2 Tablespoon Monterey jack per person (slice a 3/8 thick chunk across
the brick of cheese)

Kae"s Hunan Eggplant

 

Hunan Province is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River and is renowned for its
spicy food. One needs a skillet or wok with a lid for this dish.

2 teaspoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil
4 cloves of chopped garlic
4 Japanese eggplants, trimmed but not peeled (less bitter than Italian)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons Shao Hsing wine
Chili sauce or crushed red pepper to degree of hot needed
White pepper

Garnish
Green portion of scallions chopped finely and chopped cilantro.

Cut the eggplant into bite sized chunks on the bias in alternating directions. Pre-measure
all other ingredient in small cups so their ready to go when needed.
Heat wok or large skillet until very hot. Add oil, sesame seed oil then eggplants. Cook on
very high, When eggplant has taken on color on all sides, add minced ginger, and garlic
and cook 1 minute. Add chili sauce cook for a minute. Add the soy sauce, Shao Hsing
wine, white pepper. Cover and cook until eggplant are just tender. Correct the seasoning
adding pepper, sugar and or crushed pepper as needed. Garnish with green onions and
cilantro

Kaes_Apricot_Upside_Down_Cake

 

 

Kae’s Apricot Upside Down Cake
By Kathern Ottesen circa 1952. Although simple, this was always crowd pleaser at
dinner parties. Preparation time for the cake is about 20 minutes making this a simple
quick dessert.

Pre-Heat oven to 375o F.
 

Allow all ingredients time to come up to room temperature.
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated. Beat egg whites to thick peaks.
Large can of drained apricot halves in heavy syrup, reserve liquid
1 Cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

In an 11 by 7 rectangular cake pan, pour melted butter. Cover the bottom on pan evenly
with brown sugar. Line bottom evenly with apricot halves, round-side down, placed on
top of the brown sugar.
Combine and mix flour and baking powder. Separate eggs. Beat egg yolks lightly. Into
the beaten yellows, add 1 cup sugar then start with 5 tablespoons of reserved apricot
syrup. (Add another tablespoon of the reserved apricot syrup if the mixture is too thick.)
(You may add some Cream Sherry instead, if you run out of apricot syrup.) Add this to
flour mixture, beat, and then finally fold in the egg whites. Don’t over work the batter.
It’s okay if the eggs whites are not 100% mixed in. Pour batter over apricot halves.
(Don’t over fill the pan.) Bake for 45-55 min. or until deep golden brown. Serve portions
slightly warm, inverted, apricot side up, with dollops of whipped cream or sweetened
French clotted cream.

Humboldt Fog and Cambozola Cheese and Italian Crostini Crackers

1 wedge each of Humboldt Fog and Cambozola1 Cheese
1 package of Italian Crostini Crackers

Allow cheeses to come to room temperature and serve crackers in a decorative bowl with
a doily2 topped pedestal for the cheeses
 

Notes:
1. Cambozola is a cow's milk cheese that is made like a combination of a French soft-ripened triple
cream cheese such as soft ripened Camembert and the Italian blue cheese Gorgonzola. The
Cambozola combination produces a milder flavor than Gorgonzola that is moist, rich, and creamy.
2. Doilies - Paper doilies convey a quality image, which allows you to more effectively present appetizers,
desserts, and other menu specialties. Many paper/party shops offer an extensive selection of paper
and decorative foil doilies in different shapes, sizes, and textures. 

Fava Beans, Potatoes, Onions, and Tomatoes

1 pound new potatoes, roasted
Olive oil
2 cloves crushed Garlic
2 Tomatoes cut into wedges
1 medium Visalia onion, sliced in wedges or cippolini
Pepper
Salt
4 fresh Thai chili peppers
2 sprigs fresh chopped rosemary
2 sprigs fresh chopped or torn basil

Fava beans

 

 Fava beans need to be shelled (removed
from their pods). To open the pods just pull on the stem at the top to unzip the
string down either side of the pod, then gently push the pod open between your
thumb and forefingers and force the beans out. Drop shelled beans in boiling
water for a minute. Plunge beans into ice water to stop the cooking. Nick each
bean end with your finger nail and squeeze tough outer shell and the inner edible
tender bean pops out. Discard outer shells.

Use the peeled fava beans as appetizers, in salads or in recipes such as this
one. Fava beans are less grainy than lima beans and better tasting than soy
beans. It Italy these are eaten salted as a snack (not unlike the Japanese
edamame (soy beans). 

Sauté onions until browned on edges with olive oil, rosemary, salt, pepper,
a few whole fresh hot chilies. Set aside. Roast lightly salted potatoes
in toaster oven with olive oil and some of the rosemary for an hour at
325 F or until al dente. Set aside. Cut tomatoes into equal sized wedges,
salt, pepper, cover with 2 cloves chopped garlic and some olive oil and set aside

 until ready to assemble.
In this example, this dish will be used to serve as bedding under roast chicken.
The chicken is just out of the oven and cooling before we can carve it. Now we
finish the vegetable dish.
 

Heat a large frying pan until very hot, add some of the juice from the roast
chicken (or olive oil) and add the tomatoes, onions, the near raw fava beans, and
the roasted potatoes, and the remainder of the rosemary, and add the basil. Toss
and turn on high until the tomatoes have “begun to melt” and everything is very
hot. Take your serving platter and wet the outside bottom of it with a little water.
Place the platter in the microwave of high for a minute or until the platter is very
hot. Turn out the vegetables to the heated platter. Strategically assemble cut
pieces of the roasted chicken on top and serve. Everyone helps themselves.
 

Notes:

1. Fava beans are especially popular in Rome and in Southern Italy and are an
important spring crop. Fava beans have a mouth feel similar to edamame (soy
beans) which are wonderfully crunchy making both of these great in salads. The
Persians serve fava beans with mint or dill while the Italians may grind these to a
course paste as a topping for toasted bread or eat raw with the early seasons
first batch of pecorino2 cheese. Fava bean stew is important in Portugal where it
is prepared with tomatoes, sausage, dried favas and plenty of garlic.

2. Pecorino is the name of a variety of hard Italian cheeses made from sheep's milk
since the Romans days. Pecorino is a delicate cheese that's mild when young.
Pecorino Romano, which is saltier and firmer and an excellent grating cheese not
unlike Parmigiano Reggiano. One might think it is made in Rome because of the
name but most of it comes from island of Sardinia.

Dynasty Chinese Crispy Fish

 

 

Along Castro street in Mountain View California where many Chinese immigrant settled in the 60’s, the Dynasty was one of those Asian restaurants with the daily fare written vertically in large scrolls hanging from the walls. All the restaurants‘s patrons where Chinese. As the city grew up, the process of discovery showed the “round eye” where the
authentic food was to be found. One of Dynasty’s finest dishes was a whole crispy cod fish. If you have dined with the Chinese, you have learned that the cheeks of the fish are the very best part. This fish is so crisp you eat the fins like potato chips. The fish is best served standing up lengthwise in a scant but delectable sauce garnished with fresh cut
scallions. Regrettably, the fine restaurant is no longer so when I want this dish, I have to
prepare it myself.

1 whole rock cod (2 pounds)
1 cup cornstarch
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 quart of peanut oil
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 cups chicken stock
Sugar (optional)
¼ cup Marin1
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of soy sauce

Preheat the oil in an oval Dutch oven to 370 F.

Scale, gut and remove gills from the fish but leave the fins, tail and head intact. Rinse well and pat-dry the whole fish.
Prepare the sauce first. Sauté the minced shallots in a little olive oil. When the shallots begin to clear, add garlic and ginger, and stir 1 minute. Now add the Marin, chicken stock, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Now taste for balance. If additional sweetness is needed, add some sugar. If you need more sour add more rice wine vinegar, saltier add
more soy. Boil for a minute. The pour into an oval serving plate that has some depth to it and is big enough for the whole fish.
Season the cornstarch with pepper. Dredge the fish in the seasoned cornstarch, all over, including inside. Shake off any excess. Put four criss-cross toothpicks to hold open thefish’s cavity to promote cooking
Carefully lower the fish with tongs very gently into the very hot oil. It may splatter. Fry until dark golden brown and crisp all over. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Season immediately with a little salt and pepper.

To assemble, place the fried fish on top the oval serving plate. Garnish with chopped scallion greens. May be accompanied by steamed white rice. Serve immediately.
Notes:
1. Marin is Japanese sweet cooking wine.

Kae’s Baked Pears

 

This is a very rich but easy to prepare dish. They key is to cook the pears util the
sugar browns.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

4 firm Bosc pears
¾ cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoon cold butter, cut up to small pieces
½ cup hot heavy cream

Peel, core and quarter pears. Place in buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with
powdered sugar, dot with butter. Bake in 400F oven for 40 minutes or until soft
and sugar is dark brown. Baste often as the pears cook. Add hot cream and cook
another 10 minutes.

Apple Shrimp Jambalaya

Apple Shrimp Jambalaya Jambalaya is regional fare of Louisiana and is a catch all dish and could have been made with smoked pork, chicken, crawfish, polish or andouille sausage, and more green bell pepper than in this recipe. I feel the green bell pepper was a bit too much and stole the whole show, hence it is cut back. The apples in the recipe is also non traditional put perk up the dish with some sweetness. 

1 cup course chopped 

yellow onion 

4 garlic cloves chopped 

1/4 cup chopped sweet green pepper 

1/4 cup finely diced celery

 3 tablespoons minced parsley 

2 Louisiana Hot Link Sausage, chopped 

5 tablespoons butter 

4 apples peeled and cored, chopped 

1/2 teaspoons crumbled leaf thyme 

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 

1 teaspoon of file (optional –see note 1.)

 Sea Salt to taste 2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce 

2 pounds large shrimp, raw, shelled, deveined 

 

Sauté the onion, green pepper, apples and celery in butter until the onions are transparent. Add the garlic, parsley, file, thyme, red pepper, tomatoes, and sausage. Sauté, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the tomato sauce. Simmer uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook 5 minutes until the shrimp are done. Taste the jambalaya and correct the seasonings. Serves over rice. Garnish with diced scallions. Note: 1. File powder is the powdered leaves of the sassafras tree.

Unseasoned Jasmine Rice

 

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Bring to a boil 3 1/2 cup of unsalted water in an oven safe pot equipped with a tight fitting lid. (If lid does not fit tightly enough, use tin foil as a gasket.)

 Add rice, cover with a lid. Bring back up to a boil on high heat on the stove top. When the pot boils, place covered pot of rice in a 350F oven for 30 minutes. Don’t peek the first 30 minutes. (Could be left 10-15 minutes longer if needed.)

Chinese Pork with Mushrooms, Onion, Bok Chou, Water Chestnuts and Bell Peppers

This an amalgamation of Chinese Spices and Flavors, and some of my favorite vegetables. It is really delicious, but uses many ingredients, any one of which may be omitted.

It is served with  unseasoned-jasmine rice,  steamed.

2 1/2 lb. pork shoulder, sliced 3/16” then pounded with a mallet until 1/8th thick

1/3 cup Shaoxing rice wine + extra for marinating meat, and splash for mushrooms 

2 tablespoons Chinese Oyster Sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese hoisin sauced

1 tablespoon dark soy

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small thumb of ginger, smashed, then chopped 

2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar

3 tablespoons peanut oil, + more for marinating pork + some for vegetables and mushrooms 

1 large onion, chopped to 1 inch squares.

1 small can water chestnuts, drained

1 tablespoon of honey

1 lb. Sliced Cremini Button Mushrooms 

1 lb. Asst. small bell peppers, chopped and seeded

1 green bell pepper chopped the same as other peppers

6 scallions - green and white section cut to one inch long, green sliced diagonally and held sperately.

2 tablespoons corn starch to which you add equal amount of chicken stock as thickener

1 tablespoon corn starch for marinade

1 teaspoon sugar for cooking mushrooms 

1/2 teaspoon salt for cooking mushrooms 

4 bok choy (optional) if need more green color

In a small bowl, crease a slurry by adding two tablespoons corn starch, adding a  equal amount of chicken stock. Side aside.

In a measuring cup, add soy, hosin sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, black vinegar, and honey. Set aside

Cut up peppers. Use as many colored peppers as you have. Cut the onion to 1 inch squares. Add water chestnuts and then whites of the scallions. Cut the root end of baby boy chou, cut them in half lengthwise. Put these vegetables in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, add sliced mushrooms.

In a small bowl, add ginger and garlic

In a medium bowl, add the cut up pork shoulder. Sprinkle pork with corn starch. Add a small amount of oil and two splashes of Shaoxing wine. Allow to marinate at least 20 minutes.

In a large Teflon skillet, pre heat the pan to when a drop of water dances on the surface. Add 3 tablespoons peanut oil, wait a minute, add over high heat, cook the pork with the garlic and ginger, turning as you go until the meat is cooked. Turn out the contents of the drained pan, retaining just the pork and herbs into a very large bowl.

Drain out the oil. Drop in salt, sugar and the mushrooms. Cook on medium until the mushrooms have taken on color and wet. Pour out over bowl with the meat and mushrooms.

Heat a large wok, until it begins to smoke. Add retained oil from the drained pork. Make sure wok is well coated with oil by swirling or use the wok spoon. Add all the vegetables from their bowl. Stir fry vegetables until onions are done, stir fry contents of wok with wok spoon.

Add the pork and mushrooms. Stir in the liquid contents of measuring cup, coating everything well. Cook another two minutes, the add cornstarch slurry. Cook until thicken. Add sliced scallion-greens and optional chopped cilantro.

Serve over Rice.