A is for artichoke

Last week's really warm day - way too warm for February day - was a big tease.  However, it affected my desire to eat the food of springtime.  First and foremost, artichokes.  So, I made a a trip to my local supermarket and purchased a few artichokes. 
It just so happens that it's spring in California where most of this country's artichokes are grown - so, I no trouble tracking down some very nice, plump specimens.
Unless you just steam the glorious thistle buds - which is what artichokes are -, then dip their leaves in melted butter or oil and vinegar you're going to have to do a bit of work to get to the delicious, fleshy center.
I don't mind that chore because I know what lies ahead.  Once the artichoke is whittled down to just naked heart and peeled stem, it can be used for so many preparations.
You'll want to eat artichokes not just for their luxurious flavor but also with the knowledge that of all  the vegetables on earth, these contain the highest amount of anti-oxidant - cynarin - capacity, helping to make them a supreme aid to digestion.  In fact, artichokes are the main ingredient in one of my favorite digestivi  - the Italian liqueur, Cynar.

Here's how you pare an artichoke down to its heart and make it ready for 100s of preparations:  thinly sliced, raw, tossed in a salad  with Parmesan cheese shards and an aged balsamic vinegar dressing; thinly sliced, sauteed in butter and used a topping for risotto;  crispy, crunchy carciofi alla giudia fried open to resemble a golden chrysanthemum; stuffed between the leaves with a savory mixture of breadcrumbs, cheese and herbs - and as I prepared them the other day, as a component of the sauce that I made for potato gnocchi.

It 's important to search out artichokes with their stem in tact.   Cut a few lemons in half.   Squeeze the lemons into a large bowl filled with water.   Working with 1 artichoke at a time, and conserving its stem, remove the outside leaves by  bending them backward and pulling them down; they'll snap at the meaty point of the leaf.  Pull away the leaves until you see only pale green ones, at about the halfway point of the artichoke.  Use a very sharp paring knife to trim away the tough green parts of the leaves that have remained, so that all you see is pale green.  Carefully peel the stem.  Trim the prickly pointed tops. Dig out the fizzy "choke" - a melonballer is an ideal tool.  Immediately add to the acidulated water.  Then proceed to further cut - or not - the artichokes as needed for your chosen recipe.
I made thinly sliced carciofi alla romana.  I specify "thinly" sliced because "artichokes, Roman style" are usually cooked whole (after trimmed) or just cut in half.  I used 6 globe artichokes for this recipe.   As luck would have it - the globe artichokes from California are very similar to the mamelle artichokes that are used in Italy for this preparation.

Working with one trimmed artichoke at a time - cut in half, then in quarters.  Thinly slice each quarter and add back into the water until all are cut.

In a large saute pan add 1/2 cup olive oil with  3 or 4 cloves garlic that have been cut into 2 or 3 pieces each and 1 smashed, dry hot pepper such as cayenne and cook until the garlic is pale gold, about 1 minute.    Drain the artichokes, lower the heat and add them to the pan.  Be careful as the oil will splash when the  wet artichokes hit the pan.  Add 2 cups of the lemon water (strained) and 1 teaspoon salt.   Simmer, uncovered, until the artichokes are tender and a tester easily passes through them - about 20 minutes.  Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley.  Stir to combine.    The artichokes can
 be served immediately as a side dish, rice or pasta topper - or, as I did, with gnocchi.

I packed up the artichokes in an airtight container, and then made a very simple tomato sauce by simmering 2 pounds of  crushed-by-hand tinned San Marzano tomatoes in a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, some chopped garlic and a minced hot pepper for about 45 minutes (until somewhat reduced) - also packed in an airtight container.  The next day I left the City for the idyllic home of some friends, way upstate New York.  These friends are avid gardeners and had some delicious potatoes just waiting to be made into gnocchi.  I used the recipe from "Pasta Sfoglia" (John Wiley & Son, 2009), a book that I co-authored.
While the recipe calls for Idaho potatoes, I used an assortment of my hosts' grainiest potatoes - most of them 2nd and 3rd generation samples from their patch -   that included Burbank Russets, Carollas, All Blues (which gave the gnocchi  the most subtle lavender tinge), Kennebecs, and Katahdines.

POTATO GNOCCHI
makes 2 pounds gnocchi, serves 6 - 8

3 pounds unpeeled Idaho potatoes
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 egg
rice flour for dusting

1.   Gently boil the potatoes in their jackets in a large pot of water over medium heat until a tester easily passes through the thickest part.   Remove the potatoes from the pot and let cool to the touch; they shouldn't get completely cold.
2.   Wrap the potatoes in a kitchen towel or cotton napkin and rub to remove the skins.  Pass the potatoes through a ricer, into a large mixing bowl.
3.   Spread the all-propose flour on a clean, dry work surface.  Place the potatoes on top of the flour.  Add the egg and salt.  Use your hands to gather the ingredients together and gently knead the dough  into a 10 by 8-inch log.  Let rest for 2 minutes.
4.   Lightly dust a clean dry work surface  with rice flour.   Cut the log into 4 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a 1-inch thick rope.  Cut each rope into 1/2-inch-wide gnocchi.  Store the gnocchi on a rice flour-covered baking sheet until ready to use.  Dust with rice flour.
5.   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
6.   Meanwhile, add the tomato sauce to a sauce pan and thoroughly heat.  In a separate saucepan, do the same with the artichokes.
7.   Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook until they float to the top.  Cook for 1 minute more.  (I cook the gnocchi in 2 batches) Use a wire-mesh strainer to remove the gnocchi from the pot and place them them on a large, warm serving platter.  Pour the tomato sauce over the top of the gnocchi and top everything with the artichokes.  Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

STEAMING HOT!!!

SUSANSIMONSAYS:  All that good-for-you acid in the artichokes not only makes them oxidize rapidly but also tends to stain your hands as you work with them. Scrub your hands clean with lemon juice.  Believe me, ever-so-briefly, slightly stained hands  are a tiny sacrifice for BIG flavor.

Cocktail Party Prolonge' # 2

In a previous post I talked about how a cocktail prolonge' is my new favorite way to entertain.  The more I invite friends over to graze on a  table full of finger food, and then serve them an entree type dish about an hour and a half or two hours into the party  - the more convinced I am that the cocktail prolonge' is the only way to entertain.  I'm pleased to see how people mix with each other - more than they would at, say, a sit-down dinner (they still get a chance to sit down - just on a more comfortable chair!) - as they go back and forth to the table try another  sample of the selection.  So, when a friend, from Paris, came to visit, (he hadn't been in the City for 4 or 5 or 6 years - he claimed he couldn't remember) I collected a group of his old friends and invited them to come over to my place for a cocktail prolonge'.
Another one of the secrets to the success of the this style of entertaining - is to make everything ahead of time (at the most  you'll just need to heat the entree) - and not to feel the least bit guilty if you buy a few things - and then customize them to make them your own.   Check the menu to see what I mean.
Here's what I served:
.  Fat, Sesame Seed Grissini Wrapped with Thinly Sliced Sorpressata, Black Olives

.  Port Wine "Poached Figs with Goat's Milk Cheese and Chopped, Salted Pistachios
Remember those figs  from the  Easy, Rosy Last Minute Cocktail Party post?   Well, two months later I  had some leftover figs that had progressed from semi-dry to rather dry.  They were added  to a saucepan and covered  with half Port wine and half water and simmered  until they were extremely soft.  I removed them from the pan then reduced the remaining liquid to a syrup.   I cut the cooled figs in half, put a rounded teaspoon of soft, plain goat's milk cheese on the cut-side, drizzled a bit of the Port syrup over the top and then sprinkled chopped salted pistachios over each piece.

.  Sweet and Salty Almonds
See last Cocktail Prolonge' for recipe.

.  Kunik with Roasted Pears
Again, see last post for the description.

.  Garlicky Baked Artichoke Hearts
I buy the artichokes from a little Italian food shop in my neighborhood.  However, if you don't have a Russo's nearby - you can easily make them.   Use canned or frozen artichoke hearts (not in oil).  Pack them into a baking dish, stem-side down.  Mix fresh garlic smashed through a press and lots of freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley with a generous amount of olive oil.  Pour the mixture over the top of the artichokes making sure it sinks down in between the leaves.  Cover with unseasoned breadcrumbs.  Bake at 350 degrees F. until the top is golden and the sides of the dish are bubbly,  25 - 30 minutes.  Let cool serve.

.  Smoked Salmon Focaccia
For years, this has been one of my catering signature dishes. It's pizza dough (I'll give you my recipe in a future post) stretched into logs, then covered with thinly sliced red onions and baked at 500 degrees F. until golden, about 10 - 12 minutes.   The cooled focaccia is covered with ersatz mascarpone which I make by blending equal amounts of unsalted butter and cream cheese.  I add freshly ground black pepper and lemon zest to the mixture which is then generously spread on the focaccia.  The cream cheese mixture is topped with a layer of smoked salmon.  The logs are then cut into  1/2 to 3/4- inch pieces.  I like to serve them, stacked, log cabin-style on a platter.

(Pre) Set a Sideboard or Top of a Chest of Drawers   with a pile of napkins, forks and a stack of plates for serving the entree'.

.  BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNE
This fool-proof recipe - from my book "The Nantucket Holiday Table" (Chronicle Books, 2000) - always satisfies.  In the book, it's called Pumpkin Lasagne - however, pumpkin season is a relatively short one - butternut squash is available  throughout the winter.  The lasagne can be put together in the morning  then cooked just before serving.   This recipe serves 8 - I made 2 for my party of 8.  I put the 2nd one in the oven when the 1st one was halfway through cooking.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon pure olive oil
1 onion coarsely chopped
1 cup dry white vermouth
3 cups 2-inch cubed pumpkin, steamed until soft
2 rounded tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 rounded teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 pound good quality precooked lasagne noodles such as Barilla, DeCecco or Dalverde (I used  fresh noodles)
1/4 cup gated Parmesan cheese
10 -12 fresh sage leaves
 1.   In a large, heavy-bottom skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil over medium heat.  Saute' the onion until transparent.  Reduce heat and add the vermouth and squash.  Smash the squash with a potato masher or the back of a fork.  Stir with a wooden spoon to combine with the other ingredients.  Keep at a low simmer.
2.   Meanwhile, make a white sauce:  In a medium nonreacitve saucepan over medium heat, melt 2
tablespoons of the butter.  Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.  Add the milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Stir continuously until the mixture is slightly thicker than buttermilk.   Add to the squash mixture.  Stir to thoroughly combine.
3.   Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.  Use 1 tablespoon butter to grease an 11-by 7 1/2-by 2-inch baking dish, then cover the bottom with sheets of precooked noodles.  Spread about 1/2-inch of squash mixture over the noodles and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the grated Parmesan cheese over it. Repeat layering until all the squash mixture is used, ending with a layer of noodles.   Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.  Scatter the sage leaves over the top.  Dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15  minutes.  Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more, or until bubbly at the sides and golden on top.   Serve immediately.

. Sliced Blood, and CaraCara Oranges

I love the way oranges finish off a meal.  I  remember when I was in Italy for the first time being pleasantly surprised when people would order a spremuta d'arancia - orange juice - for dessert.   I like to "dress" the oranges, Moroccan-Style with a splash of orange blossom water, a shower of powdered cinnamon and some shaved coconut.  Make the plate of oranges a few hours ahead of time so that all the flavors have a chance to seep into each other.
I put this platter out with a bowl of Medjool dates - and some cookies and chocolates brought to the party by some of the guests.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:

My Sputnik Moment

Every winter, right about now, I begin to yearn for light.  While the luminosity that I seek may not always come in the form of longer days or a getaway to a hot little island, I can assimilate light, and bright with food choices.  I love apples and pears - but I'm tired of them.  Local apples and pears have been in storage for more than 3 months and somehow they're starting to taste that way.  It's time to choose pineapples, and bananas.  Oh sure, since pineapples and bananas actually come from those hot little islands, they're available all year 'round.  I like them now, when it's cold outside.   Pineapple makes for the easiest dessert when you cut it into chunks and serve topped with mascarpone (or sour cream) and a shower of cinnamon - or a more complicated one when you make a Pineapple Sputnik from Anne Willan's book, "From My Chateau Kitchen" (Clarkson Potter, 2000).   When Anne claimed that the pineapple will be "fragrant with vanilla" - she was sooooooooooo right.  As my pineapple baked, and my whole apartment filled with vanilla steam complete with frosted windows, it transported me back, decades, to when I stepped off a plane for the first time in the Seychelles Islands. That introduction to the steamy heat temperature of the equator-based islands mixed with  the native vanilla pods and cinnamon bark gave me an indeliable memory to return to on demand.  You see how easy it easy to get to a hot little island?  Ha!

PINEAPPLE SPUTNIK

 Anne says, "....roasted pineapple extravaganza, speared with vanilla beans so it looks like a sputnik, must be tasted to be believed."   She's right.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Peel a whole fresh pineapple.  If you like,  use a small knife to outline and remove the eyes in a spiral pattern.  Cut out the core with an apple corer.  Cut 4 or 5 vanilla beans each into 2 or 3 shorter pieces and spear the fruit with these, pushing them as far as possible into the flesh - if necessary, use a skewer to help poke holes.  Set the pineapple standing upright in a baking dish.
Make a syrup by heating 1/2 cup sugar with 1 cup water, the grated zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon, and about 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger until the sugar is dissolved, then simmer it for 2 to 3 minutes.  Pour the syrup over the pineapple and roast it, basting often (I basted every 20 minutes), until the pineapple starts to brown and the syrup starts to caramelize, 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours .  It will be fragrant with vanilla.  Toward the end of cooking, keep a close watch as the syrup will caramelize rapidly once it is reduced to a glaze.  Slice the pineapple into thick rings for serving and serve it warm basted with the cooking syrup.  Leave the vanilla beans for decoration.  However they're not edible.

I like to serve the pineapple with rum raisin ice cream.  I think a bit of any kind cream adds to the dish.
Serves 4 - 6

BANANAS
Ubiquitous bananas can be a snack on the run, sliced into cereal, baked into a quick bread, or blended into smoothies, and  the main ingredients in one of  my favorite cold weather desserts.  Bananes Flambees.  I included a simple recipe for them in my first cookbook, "Visual Vegetables"  (Clarkson Potter, 1991).   The recipe was handwritten and surrounded by one of my illustrations - very much like the ones I'm doing now for this blog.  There was an essay on the opposite page that set the stage, through some reminiscing, for the recipe.  Again, a lot like what I'm doing with this blog.
Here's the recipe for the simple, glamourous dish.  It's just a few words. 

BANANES FLAMBEES

Slice 6 unripe bananas in half lengthwise.  Fry them in 4 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup sugar 'til they become almost caramel.  Then add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon more sugar. Pour on 1 cup warm rum.  Set aflame.   Serve immediately.  
Serves 6
Again, I think a little bit of some sort of cream - ice cream, heavy cream, creme fraiche, etc. - is nice accent for the bananas.

TESSA AND LUCY'S BROWN RAINBOW SURPRISE
Tessa and Lucy, two young ladies whose ages are still in the single digits, have put together a recipe featuring bananas that's is just my kind of dish.

Serves 2
2 bananas
Same amount of vanilla yogurt
Almost 2 handfuls of M&Ms

Mash the bananas, one in each bowl.  Put in yogurt and M&Ms and then mix it all together well.   Eat with a spoon.

I  make something similar with very ripe bananas:
Smash a couple of bananas together with a few tablespoons sour cream and brown sugar.  Stir in some raisins that have been softened in dry Marsala.  That's it.  Instant banana pudding.



SUSANSIMONSAYS:  Not to cause too much alarm  - however - there was a pretty frighteneing article in the January 10th issue of The New Yorker about a deadly fungus that is killing off thousands of acres of banana plantations around the world.   So far, the fungus hasn't reached Latin America, the source of all the bananas we eat in the US.  According to experts, it's only a matter of time.  Oy!

Dog days of winter

Right about now I long for the all too familiar sight of an umbrellaed Sabrett hot dog cart hugging a New York City street corner.  The cold, short-on-sunlight days depress my mind and body to the point that only junk food seems to satisfy.  Oh sure, talk about hearty soups and savory stews all you want - but it's a dirty-water dog that perks me up like nothing else.  Alas,  street corners are very short on hot dog carts these days -  you're more than likely to find a food truck.  The vendor can stay warm inside his metal, mini diner and has the space to offer not only hot dogs, but also cook falafel, shrimp and French fries, cheeseburgers, chicken and rice to order, and have on hand ever-popular breakfast choices; doughnuts and bagels.  It's just not the same.
So, I make my own version of a hot dog with sauerkraut and mustard - with special fries to boot!  This way I can feel a bit less guilty about downing pure junk and select high quality - organic when possible - ingredients for my oh-so gratifying meal.

QUICK SAUERKRAUT

This quick - you could even say finto or fake sauerkraut (it doesn't require pickling time) comes from my book, "Contorni: Authentic Italian Side Dishes for All Seasons".  The original recipe calls for bacon.  I left it out and added a little extra butter and some extra virgin olive oil for this particular application.

Serves 6 as a side dish - will cover at least a dozen hot dogs

1 head green cabbage, 2 to 2 1/4 pounds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1.   Eliminate the tough outer leaves of the cabbage.  Cut the head into quarters through the stem end, and then cut out the core.  Use a sharp knife or a mandoline to thinly slice crosswise.
2.    In a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil.  Add the cabbage and stir with 2 wooden spoons to ensure that all the cabbage is coated.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Add the wine and broth or water and stir to combine. Lower the heat, cover and simmer from 1 1/2  to 3 hours (much depends on how the cabbage has been sliced).  The liquid should be almost completely absorbed and the cabbage very soft.
3.   Add the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to a couple of weeks.  Reheat as needed.

ROY'S GRAINY MUSTARD

My friend, Roy Finamore, adapted this highly fragrant and nose-clearly mustard to his taste.  I love having it on hand.  It gives just the right punctuation to any dish - especially a hot dog.

Makes about 2 pints

1 12-ounce bottle stout
1 cup cider vinegar
8 ounces brown mustard seeds
2 ounces black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1.  Mix all the ingredients together. Cover the bowl with plastic film and leave at room temperature for 2 days. Add the mixture  to a food processor  and process until thick - about 3 minutes. 
2.  Store in 1/2 pint Mason jars.  The mustard will keep, refrigerated, for years.

OVEN FRIED TURNIPS

Now, here's a really good twist on fries.  I find these oven fries instantly appealing.  Turnips are definitely an acquired taste.  They almost sting at first bite  - but rapidly fill your mouth with pure earthy sweetness.   The addition of Parmesan cheese adds a kind of salty crust to the fries - a perfect antidote to the sweet interior.

Serves 4 - 6

2 - 2 1/4 pounds large turnips or rutabagas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2.   Peel the turnips. Cut into 1/4 - 1/2 -inch sticks.   Place on a baking sheet with sides or a jelly roll pan.  Add the olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  Use your hands to evenly coat the turnips with all the ingredients.
3.   Bake, turning every 20 minutes until each piece is golden brown on the outside and soft in the center, about 1 hour.
4.  Serve immediately.  Leftovers are reheated with great succcess!

SUSANSIMONSAYS:   Nothing beats the doldrums of winter like a dog loaded with homemade sauerkraut, Roy's grainy mustard on a well-toasted bun.

Let it snow

Best thing about the snow in New York City?  The light -  any part of 24 hours of the day.  Morning light shining so brightly on the crytalline heaps that you feel like you might go permanently blind if you continue to look; the afternoon light, faintly rose-gold, shows up as the low-in-the-sky sun  begins its early departure, the evening light reflecting on the the remnants of the setting sun - and grey buildings - becomes violet-blue, and the calming, navy blue night provides a canopy for a good night's sleep.  That is for about the first 8 hours or so until the general population starts walking around, littering along the way, and clanking City plows mound dirty snow up against cars.  Second best thing (really, first for me - but it seemed kind of selfish to declare it number one) - alternate side of the street parking is suspended - and suspended - and suspended, then the winter holidays begin, more suspensions. Maybe, if I really play it right I'll only have to move my car 4 times this month!  Oh joy.
Third best thing? Scraping off the top layer of snow,  making perfect, pristine snowballs  with the under-layer, and covering them with maple syrup and chopped nuts. Consuming, immediately.  Of course.

MAPLE SYRUP SNOWBALLS

A friend, who lives, part-time, in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont once suggested that I pour the syrup from his area over snow for a tasty treat.  I've refined his recipe.  Just a tiny bit.

Make 3-inch diameter snow balls and place in a bowl. Pour maple syrup over them.  Let it seep into the snow.  Pour some more syrup  to insure the the snow is thoroughly drenched with flavor. Sprinkle with chopped nuts of your choice.  Ah, granita di sciroppo d'acero.  

Allegra just loves a bite of snow - neat.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:  I recommend grade B maple syrup for this particular applcation.  It's deep, rich, mapley flavor gives the snow the boost you want.  In fact, I always use grade B maple syrup - which is something like maple caramel syrup!  I chopped up some sweet and salty roasted almonds -  leftover from last week's cocktail prolonge` - for the topping.

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.

Nantucket in the wintertime

"What's the island like in the wintertime?" is the question most asked by Nantucket summertime visitors.
First of all, and lucky for the Islanders, winter arrives on Nantucket a little later than it does on mainland New England, warmed as it is by the surrounding Gulf Stream. (the blizzard that paralyzed the northeast over Christmas weekend didn't touch the island ).  In the wintertime, Nantucket Island, world-class summer resort, sheds its fancy designer duds and is once again a New England small town inhabited with busy people.  In the almost quiet privacy of wintertime Nantucket is a beehive of activity.  Islanders finally have the time they need to socialize, share recipes, tend to their  businesses readying them for the next season, fish for world-famous Nantucket bay scallops, take long walks along the desolate moors - right out of "Wuthering Heights", beaches and ponds. It's a romantic and cozy time on island - a time that year 'rounders cherish.

The lighthouse at Brant Point welcomes visitors to the island as they round it and enter the harbor.  At Christmastime the Coast Guard, stationed on the Island, decorates it, anchoring the wreath with oars.

Every year I spend Christmas Day on Nantucket with my sister Laura, and her husband, Jimmy. And every year Jimmy treats us to the crepes that he's been cooking since he was eight years old.  They're simple, and the batter doesn't need to rest before cooking.

JIMMY GROSS'S CHRISTMAS-DAY CREPES

Serve any day, any time of the year.

Makes about 24 9-inch pancakes

4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
unsalted butter for frying

1.   Beat the eggs in a large bowl.   Alternately add the flour and the milk, mixing continuously with a fork or a whisk (you'll run out of flour before milk).  Keep mixing until the batter is completely smooth and relatively thin - about the consistency of buttermilk.
2.   Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a 9-inch omelet pan (Jimmy uses 2 at a time).   Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into the center of the pan and tip it from side to side to let the batter cover the bottom, not the sides, in a thin layer.  Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, or until the edge begins to curl and pulls away from the side of the pan.   Flip the pancake with a metal spatula and cook for 30 seconds more.  Add another 1 teaspoon butter to the pan every other batch.  Pile the cooked crepes on an oven proof serving platter and keep warm in a 200 degree F. oven until all are cooked and ready to serve. 
3.   Serve with a selection of fillings from sour cream and caviar, applesauce and heavy cream, marmalade and whipped cream, butter and maple syrup - and our favorite way with creme fraiche, just-thawed-from-Laura's-summertime garden red and white raspberries and blueberries, and maple syrup.

Steve Bender harvests oysters from his Pocomo Meadow farm in Polpis Harbor. He reminds everyone who's fortunate enough to have one that they must chew it in order to have a real oyster experience!  It's true - while the oyster's liquor is ocean-salty-briny, its meat is sweet.

Marina opens a daily catch of the world-renown Nantucket bay scallops.  The mollusks provide excellent employment opportunities for Islanders as fishermen, cullers, and openers during the commercial season which begins on November 1 and ends on March 31st.

A few unharvested cranberries frozen for posterity- or until the spring thaw - in the world's largest, naturally contiguous, bog, Windswept Cranberry Bog.  Sure, there are larger bogs in the world - but they are man-made.

CRANBERRY CRUNCH

serves 6 - 9

2 cups cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 tablespoon water
1 cup oats
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter

1.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir the cranberries, sugar, cloves, salt, dates, and water together.  When the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have popped.   Remove from the heat and let cool.
2.   In a bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, pecans, and flour.  Use a pastry cutter or 2 knives to cut the butter in to form a crumbly mixture.
3.  Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.  Put half of the oatmeal mixture in the prepared pan and evenly cover the bottom using a rubber spatula.  Spread the cooled cranberry mixture over the oatmeal layer.  Top with the remaining oatmeal mixture.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling around the sides and the top is deep gold and crisp.  Cool on a wire rack.  Cut into 6 or 9 pieces.  You may want to quarter those pieces for one-bite morsels.

Semi-frozen Polpis Harbor.  Check out  the eyelash, treetop silhouette way in the background.  It's one of my favorite island sights 

Maxcy's Pond is located on the island's north side.  It's the site of an early 17th-century settlement.  Maxcy is a variation of Macy, one of the island's original families.  The scrubby green growths near the pond's shore brighten the grey wintertime scene.


Long-time islander, Christie Cure has followed in the footsteps of  Nantucket women who opened shops in town to keep busy while their husbands were out whaling.  She's opened the parlor of her home on Orange Street, calls it #8 ,and sells an eye-catching collection of her favorite things from note pads, soap, candles, masks, re-envisioned furniture, rugs woven with rags and chewing gum wrappers- all displayed on sleigh beds, antique cribs and library ladders.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:

Coatue is a barrier beach that separates Nantucket Sound from Nantucket Harbor.  Here's Coatue as seem from Brant Point Lighthouse.   Go to Nantucket in the wintertime - you're in for a treat!