Sandwiches and Happy Hour for Kids

Glimmerglass Opera - inspiration for this week's column

http://www.registerstar.com/columnists/food_for_thought/article_5b819efa-05ef-11e3-8ccb-001a4bcf887a.html

sandwich from a loyal reader of this blog

My lunch inspired by your article... Just before the idea to sprinkle chopped pistachios over the tomatoes.  A basic BLT but with the addition of some home grown avocado,  a smear  of fresh pea puree on 1 side of  toasted home made bread.  Obviously the other toasted slice had a wisp of Hellmann's. 

 It was delicious! - Mr. Guy, The Peninsula House, Las Terrenas, D.R.

 

Not just sandwiches on my mind - although they do make eating a meal a convenient exercise - but also cocktails.

I refer to the time spent with the friends mentioned in my article.  I was happy to be their guest at the same time that their daughter, and grandchildren were also in residence.   Somewhere around 5:30 - 6 pm when there's a universal desire for an apertivo - a little preprandial cocktail, something to stimulate the appetite(should you need to be coaxed - or not).

I tried to explain the concept of happy hour to the kids, ages 5 - 10 - and talked about the Shirley Temples of my childhood and started to remember the ingredients for the cheerful, non-alcoholic cocktail named for an equally cheerful child movie star (MUCH older than I).   Grenadine is the addition that gave the drink its color and faint flavor.  Grenadine is made with pomegranates I said.  And that's when Rita, my host, said that she had some pomegranate molasses.  Then Tessa, the 8-year old, middle grandchild, and I created an eponymous cocktail for the minors in the group to enjoy.

 

 

THE TESSA

Tessa thought that adding edible pea blossoms to the straw would identify the cocktail.  She was right. Her comment after her sip - "It tastes a little like Gummy Bears."  High praise, don't you think?

makes 1 drink - highball

1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
a few splashes orange juice
lots of ice
2 - 3 sprigs fresh mint
sparkling water
a straw
edible pea blossoms for garnish

Add the pomegranate molasses to a highball glass.  Add the orange juice, ice and mint.  Pour in the sparkling water to fill the glass.  Stick a sweet pea blossom into one end of a straw.  Use the straw as a mixer, and stir/muddle all the ingredients together.  Sip.

Campari, soda and mint for the adults

 

Chicken-of-the-woods mushrooms which were harvested right after this photo was snapped - grilled with garlic and olive oil, garnished with freshly chopped garlic  - eaten with dinner.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:   another thing to do with what will soon become a surfeit of vine ripened tomatoes (isn't that the  way it goes - you wait and wait for them and all of a sudden there are mounds and mounds of them and not enough time to make everything you desire?).
I call this Pan Valenciano because that's what I understood it to be called when I ate it in Barcelona years ago.  I think that it's also called Pan Tomate. It's simple: Cut a baguette in half, lengthwise (or any bread); cut a very ripe tomato in half and squeeze and smear it on the bread; drizzle extra-virgin olive oil all over the bread and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.  Bake at 350 degrees F. until the bread is golden and appears crispy.  Eat with just about anything.

Allegra either fishing for frogs or eating some grass

 

Favorite Things #1

There are things that I just keep making over and over again.  They taste THAT good, and are THAT easy, really easy to make.  Of course, like with any other piece of food that you put in your mouth - it all depends on the ingredients.    
My go-to roast chicken is based on the one that I read about in Thomas Keller's cook book, "Bouchon".   The method for roasting this chicken wasn't even in the recipe section - instead it was explained in Keller's introduction to the book as an example of how he likes to cook.  This patted dry chicken, goes into a very hot oven and roasts quickly.  The skin immediately separates from the flesh allowing it to crisp up nicely and the meat to be lubricated by the gushing fat.  Keller adds thyme, I don't.  Keller likes to serve the just-out-of-the-oven bird with butter and Dijon mustard.  It's delicious that way - but gilding the lily a bit.  I try to resist.  I always roast in the chickeen in a cast iron skillet - it holds the heat very well.  I think this method is just about the only way to roast a chicken. 

I've loved pomegranate seeds for years.  I used to eat them for desseert when I lived in Italy.  At  ristoranti and trattorie they would be served in a glass coppa  with orange juice or red wine.   I was pleased when fresh pomegranates started to have a following in the USA and they could be found during the months of November and December in certain upscale markets. By now they are ubiquitous and their season has been prolonged.  To this day I can still find fresh pomegranates at my local Shoprite supermarket.  God only knows where they come from - they're not local, that's for sure.  But every now and then exceptions must be made.    I love fresh pomegranate seeds with my morning oatmeal.  Also added to the oatmeal; top quality butter, a splash of maple syrup and ground cinnamon.  What a way to start the day.

Remember those poached pears from my last posting.  Remember how I said be sure to make extras because they can hang around the fridge for at least a week.  Oh boy - was I ever grateful to have a couple of pears still sitting in their poaching liquid last Friday when my sweet tooth was aching to be satisfied.   Poire Belle Helene may be counted among my top three favorite desserts (other will be revealed in a timely way).   This simple dessert was created by the 19th century chef, Auguste Escoffier and is named after Jacques Offenbach's opera buffa - Belle Helene.  ( there are so many desserts that have musical themes - either named for a personality, Peches Melba, Pavlova, Tournedos Rossini - or like this one, a work).   Escoffier poached  pears in a simple sugar syrup and served them with vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate sauce.   Mine are slightly more complex (partly because I like to poach the pears in wine, red or white, and spices) - but still very simple.
My  chocolate syrup - which may make some of you shudder in horror- simply involves melting, in a double boiler, top quality chocolate - milk, bittersweet, as you like (I used Callebaut milk) with some milk or heavy cream.  I used almond milk and a splash of Amaretto liqueur. Stir  1/4 pound broken pieces chocolate in the top of a double boiler until melted.  Add the milk and stir until thoroughly combined.  Add a splash of liqueur as desired.    Remove from heat and let cool - it will set up and thicken.   Split a poached pear, stem to stern, add a scoop of ice cream of your choice in between the halves (I used Jane's toasted coconut) and top with chocolate sauce.

Bloody Marys, Chocolate desserts, and Esopus Falls

On Sunday I attended, with my friends, Mark & James,  Chocolate Lovers Brunch in Saugerties, NY.  The event benefited a good  and (unfortunately) in demand organization FAMILY  which provides, as its name implies all sorts of family services.    Guests were invited to bid on a variety of items in both a silent and live auction.  We were treated to a variety of brunch offerings from chocolate chip waffles, to eggs benedict and all important chocolate desserts; pots de creme, brulee, mousse, Sacher torte, and on and on.  The geneorus brunch was offered by Diamond Mills in Saugerties


 

SUSANSIMONSAYS:

New Look, Quick Recipe, Delicious Restaurant

I've modified the blog's look a bit.  You might say that I dressed it in Spring clothes.   I had a feeling that it may  have been too dark.   So, out came the pastel hues - lighter colored banner, and a lighter background.  The type is darker too.  Is it easier to read?  Hmmm...

Springtime in the market means lots of things, not the least of which is the arrival of mountains of sole fillets.  So many that they were on sale at my local Whole Foods market for what appeared to be the very reasonable price of $6.99 a pound.   I love crispy-crusted fish whether deep-fried or sauteed 'til it crackles.  I don't love the mess that style of cooking creates on my stove top and the thin film of oil that generally settles around my kitchen.  To satisfy my craving, and need for neatness I developed a perfectly crispy, highly-flavored oven fried fillet of sole - or flounder.  You might think that sole and flounder are the same fish - easy assumption as their fillets are similar looking - but , no - they aren't even the the same species.  Both are flat fish - and sole is the more prestigious of the two ( I'm as pleased by one as the other) and is oval-shaped while flounder is a rounder, and thicker fish. 
The recipe includes some of my favorite ingredients.

Garlicky,Spicy Oven-Fried Fillets of Sole or Flounder

Serves 2 - 4, or one with plenty of leftovers for fish sandwiches with Romaine lettuce leaves and tartar on toasted any kind of bread.

1 pound sole or flounder fillets
1/2 lemon, juice only
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small hot pepper, minced or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
parchment paper

1.   Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.   Line a sheet pan with sides with parchment paper.  Place the fillets on the paper and sprinkle lemon juice over them.

2.   In a small skillet over medium heat melt the butter in the olive oil.  Add the garlic and hot pepper.  When the garlic just begins to turn gold, 60 - 90 seconds, lower the heat, add the breadcrumbs and salt.  Toss together to combine.   Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.

3.   Cover the fish fillets with he breadcrumb mixture.   Bake for 5 - for the sole - 6 or 7 minutes for the flounder.   Serve immediately.

My favorite way to eat the fish is on top of a tossed - simply with extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar - salad.  A forkful of vinegary-sweet, pungent oily leaves with a piece of  crunchy, crumbly, garlicky fish is a huge pleasure.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:

  Serendipity defined the discovery of Kebab Cafe! at 25-12 Steinway Street (718-728-9858 - no website) in Queens, New York.  I mean, duh!!!   Are my friend Roy, and I the last food-centric people on the NYC planet to find our way to Ali El Sayed's charming hole in the wall?  First of all who goes to an Arabic neighborhood on a Friday afternoon and expects to find an exceptional meal.  We did, and we did.    I had read about Mombar, an Egyptian restaurant a few doors away on Steinway Street, owned by who I now know is Ali's brother, Moustapha - but is only open  for dinner.  Moustapha happened to be near the open door of his restaurant as we walked by so I asked him - boldly - if he might like to make lunch for us.  "Sorry", he said, "I don't open 'til 5".   "Where should we eat ?", I wondered, out loud.  "Everything seems to be closed".  "Go down the street, just in front of the bus stop", he directed.  "Is it good?"   "It's my brother's place."   So, we walked into the Kebab Cafe! (yes, exclamation point). After we sat, a young man asked us what we'd like to drink and gave us a verbal list of their offerings.  We chose hibiscus tea.  He took our order and told us to wait a minute for Ali who was somewhere nearby having a coffee.    Ali arrived, changed into his chef's whites and also gave us a verbal list of food choices.  We choose, at Ali's suggestion, the cafe's signature mezze (appetizers) plate.   Now, here's where patience is truly a virtue.   The hibiscus tea arrived about 30 minutes after we ordered it. Worth every sip. Ruby red, floral fragrant served in a glass with thin apple slices floating on top, it stung our mouths with its sweet and tangy taste.   The mezze came to our table about 30 minutes after the tea.  It too was worth the wait.   We were each given a small plate that was sprinkled with ground sumac (the berry of a flowering plant) and za'atar (ground mixture of Middle Eastern herbs and spices).  Then Ali brought a large plate with his mezze, "This is hummus, this is eggplant and zucchini vinaigrette, this is smoked eggplant also called baba ganoush, this is fouls (Egyptian fava beans), these are falafel made with fouls - and try this now with your fingers, it's fried bok choy leaves.  Here's a dish of seven peppers sauce".  We served ourselves from the large plate to our smaller spice-strewn plates and we ate, we dipped, we schmeared pita bread, apple and cucumber slices - we smiled, we oohed, we aahed.  I choked a bit - too much seven pepper sauce.  We were happy.  Good thing too.  We had to wait another 30 minutes for our main course, quail with pomegranate sauce. Oy!  Such splendor, you can't imagine.  The perfectly cooked, basically before our eyes as we ate mezze, and waited, dark and rich quail was roasted with layers of spices - some recognizable - some mysterious, then covered with an olive oil- pomegranate molasses sauce and showered with the ubiquitous ground sumac to serve. The quail sat on a bed of roasted eggplant, zucchini, onions and potatoes, with a few fresh basil leaves tucked in between - all drenched in that same sweet and sour sauce.  Ali cooked this food with a kind of casual, towel, flipped-over-your-shoulder elegance, that somewhat obscured the true mastery of  his craft.  You know, something like the way Fred Astaire danced.

I recited a list of ingredients to Ali that I thought might have gone into the making of the quail.  He just smiled and said, "Oh, I think I'll try your recipe".  

After lunch we took a walk back up Steinway Street to number 25-78, Laziza Bakery.  It was difficult to choose from the bakery's offerings but we managed to treat ourselves to their celebrated kunefa - a special Egyptian (but made all over the Middle East and Turkey) dessert made in its own special flat pan, covered with rose-water flavored syrup and garnished with chopped pistachios) and an assortment of their baklava  The bite-sized (better to sample a variety) baklava are unique in the world of honey-soaked, walnut-filled, phyllo-wrapped pastries.

Cocktail party prolonge` - 12th Day of Christmas Eve

I sent out an invitation to a few friends on December 26th, 2010. It went something like this - "Do you think that Christmas was over and done with yesterday?  Oh no.   There are twelve days of Christmas and I'm not just talking a partridge in a pear tree.  The 12th day, January 6th, Epiphany, is the time that the 3 wise men brought gifts to the baby Jesus.  The 12th eve is January 5th and this Jewish girl has decided to celebrate with a cocktail prolonge`.  7pm - whatever.   A light supper will be served a 9 or so."
Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the term cocktail prolonge` (just as I was up until about a year ago) - let me explain, this style of party was at the height of its popularity in the mid-19th century in Europe. It's a cocktail buffet.  A "prolonged" cocktail party.  Guests can stand or sit, go to a table filled with bite-sized food as many times as they wish, and drink cocktails, and glasses of  wine. Somewhere around 9 - 9:30 a small plate of hot food- which I call a light supper is served.  I usually choose a simple pasta dish - or for this particular party, risotto.  I choose starchy dishes because they always satisfy any remaining hunger and sop up too many cocktails or glasses of wine. Another reason  I  chose risotto was because it let me showcase some of those freshly shucked Nantucket bay scallops that I spoke about in a previous posting. The addition of pomegranate seeds with their sugary, tart flavor and crunchy texture marry, in stunning way, with the sweet, velvety smooth bay scallops.   The dish was inspired by a  pomegranate-seed studded risotto made with Prosecco that I ate a few years ago while visiting a friend in the Veneto region of Italy.   Two years ago I made that pomegranate risotto and topped it with bay scallops, cooked Venetian-style.  It has become a signature dish.

But wait - here's what I served to graze upon - along with cocktail shaker-fulls of Pisco Sours (see  "And then I went to Patagonia" post for recipe), glasses of icy Prosecco, red wine and anything else people wanted to drink.

Sweet and Salty Roasted Almonds - Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread about a pound or a pound and a half  raw almonds onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet with sides or a jelly roll pan.  Add 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive and 1 heaping teaspoon of flaky sea salt to the pan.  Use a rubber spatula to evenly coat the almonds with the the other ingredients.  Make sure are evenly spread out.   Bake until the almonds are darker brown and the liquid ingredients are bubbling, about an hour.   Let cool on a baking rack.  Some of the almonds will clump together as they cool.  Separate before serving.  The almonds should be stored in a container with a tight-fitting lid.  They will stay fresh for weeks.

Raw vegetables; celery sticks, English cucumber slices, endive leaves and jicama slices (there was a color scheme!) with spicy peanut sauce.   1/3 cup freshly ground organic peanut butter, 1/4 cup water, zest of 1 lime and juice of 2, 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce,  and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Nantucket honey (more about it in posts to come).  Add the ingredients to a sauce pan and cook until smooth - you may want to thin with a bit more water.  Finish the sauce with a handful of chopped, roasted peanuts.

Selection of cheese; Piave ( a hard Italian cheese from the northwestern part of the country), a log of soft goat's milk cheese, Kunik - an over-the-top, dangerous (because you will become addicted),  New York State (Nettle Meadow) soft cheese made with goat's milk and Jersey cow's milk cream - it will make you deliriously happy served with roasted pears (see Apples and Pears post), medjool dates, semi-dried figs and little toasts made with raisin-pecan bread.

Large, poached shrimp with cocktail sauce.  Heinz' Chili Sauce, ketchup, and very sharp horseradish.

Bacala Mantecato (see Christmas and Codfish post) served with whole wheat baguette toasts and Kalamata olives

POMEGRANATE RISOTTO WITH NANTUCKET BAY SCALLOPS ALLA VENEZIANA

Serves 8 - 12

for the risotto:

1/3 cup grape seed oil (neutral flavor will not compete with other delicate ingredients)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
2 cups baldo or carnaroli (or any short, fat rice)
1 1/4 cups Prosecco or dry white wine
10 - 12 cups water
kosher salt
3/4  cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
seeds from one pomegranate (see Easy, Rosy Last Minute Cocktail Party post for pomegranate seed removal method)

for the scallops:

3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh red hot pepper such as Thai, cayenne or jalapeno
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup dry white vermouth
2 pounds bay scallops
1/2 cup firmly packed, finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
salt

1.  Add the grapeseed oil and the onions to a large skillet or a brazier over medium heat.   Saute the onions until they become translucent but not brown, about 6 - 8 minutes.  Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil.  Add two cupfuls of water and stir continuously until all the liquid is absorbed.   Keep adding the water 2 cupsful at a time until the rice is tender  and a bit of liquid remains in the skillet- about 18 minutes.  During the addition of the last 2 cups of water add the grated cheese.
2.  Turn down the heat to a faint simmer, add the butter and pomegranate seeds.  Stir to combine.
3.  In a skillet over medium heat, saute the garlic and hot pepper in the olive oil.   Just as the garlic starts to turn gold, add the lemon juce and vermouth.  Lower the heat a notch and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the scallops and cook until opaque, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook, or the scallops will become rubbery in an instant.  Stir in the parsley.
4.   Add the risotto to a large, warm serving platter.  Cover with the scallops.  Serve immediately.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:  If your guests ask you what they can bring to the party - the answer is easy.  "something sweet".   I asked my friend, Roy to bring some gingerbread. He obliged with a lovely, rotund cake glazed with tangy lemon icing.   Amy brought organic, hand-dipped elderflower and raspberry flavored (among others) chocolates from new Nantucket confectioner, Ambrosia - read Amy's article about them in Poetry of Food -, John brought dark chocolate "meltaways" from  Stowaway Sweets , and Mark brought colorful cupcakes in flavors like French toast, and cinnamon toast from The Little Cupcake Shop in downtown New York City.   A perfect end to a perfect evening.

easy, and rosy last minute cocktail party

A friend brought me a bottle of  Dubonnet red a few months ago.  I stuck it in the fridge and forgot about it until a week or so ago when, without much notice, some some friends stopped by for a seasonal toast.  I remembered the Dubonnet,  chilled just right, on the side of the refrigerator door.  Aha!  I took out my best Baccarat rocks glasses filled them ice and poured the aromatic Dubonnet- it's made with fortified wine, herbs, spices and quinine - on top.  I garnished it with a big, fat wedge of orange. I forgot how easily Dubonnet slides down until the three of us finished off the bottle - and how well it accompanies both savory and sweet food.   Dubonnet is a favorite ingredient in many cocktails.  Queen Elizabeth II has it mixed with gin every day at lunchtime.

Again, I went to my refrigerator to find the ingredients for a little snack to serve with the Dubonnet.  I found a smidgen of gorgonzola dolce and about a quarter container of mascarpone.  I smashed them together then plopped the mixture into halved, semi-dried figs. Each fig was garnished with as many pomegranate seeds that could fit on top. 

SUSANSIMONSAYS:  Pomegranates are in season right now.  They're juicy, sweet, tart, filled with anti-oxidents, and have the most appealing texture.  The Italians eat the seeds for dessert served doused with red wine, Marsala or orange juice.  Removing the  ruby-red seeds  from their leathery skin is a messy job.  My tried and true method is to roll the fruit on a hard surface in order to begin loosen the seeds.  Cut the fruit in half, place the halves in a baking dish or another container with sides.  Press on each side as if you were squeezing juice from a lemon.  Some seeds will automatically fall out.  The skin will break allowing you to reach all the seeds. Gently pull them away from the pith.   The seeds keep, refrigerated for up to a week  They can be frozen as well - then pulled out next summer for a surprising treat.