Did you know…

• a teaspoon of vanilla in a gallon of paint will help dissipate the strong smell more quickly than usual after you’ve painted.
• margarine was developed in 1869 by a French chemist in response to the prize offered by Napoleon III for a substitute for butter.
• California produces more ice cream than any other state in the U. S. Americans eat more ice cream than citizens of any other country.
• roots of modern-day mustard in the Western world can be traced to an ancient Roman town called Divio, which is today’s Dijon in France.
• Arabs buy Louisiana hot sauce by the shipload. It is not unusual for one person to use a 3 oz. bottle on a single portion of beans.
• vinegar’s most popular use in America is in salad dressings, followed as a cooking ingredient and then for pickling—of course, there’s nothing better for shining patent leather shoes, cleaning windows or opening a clogged drain!
• Henry Miller, the controversial American author said the four cornerstones of good health are garlic, yogurt, honey and olive oil.Americans in the west and southeast eat more mayonnaise than those in other parts of the country.

BAKED SALMON WITH A CRANBERRY CRUST

1 Tbsp. olive oil for oiling a baking sheet
4 6-oz. salmon filets
¾ c. Panko
¼ c. dried cranberries, chopped
¼ c. scallions, white only, chopped
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp. lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil the baking sheet.

1. Sprinkle the salmon filets with salt and pepper.
2. In a bowl, combine the Panko crumbs, cranberries, scallions, 2 tablespoons melted butter, thyme and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer the Panko to a paper plate or wax paper, press onto the flesh side of the salmon, dividing the mixture evenly.
4. Place the filets, skin-side down, on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining butter.
5. Bake until the topping is golden and the salmon is just opaque in the center, about 20 minutes.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!

IT’S STRAWBERRY PICKING TIME

“Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did,” William Butler 1600.

The strawberry, without question, is the most popular but the most perishable of fruits. New technology has extended the growing season and dramatically increased crop yields. The spoilage of the fruit was an important problem to be addressed by researchers in their quest to build a better berry. Strawberries now come within everyone’s reach via refrigerated rail and truck transportation. However, success often comes with a price. The sweetness and flavor of the fruit is sometimes sacrificed in the long journey. California supplies 55% of the commercial crop but when spring arrives in North Carolina, no berry can compare with our own local farm-grown Carolina strawberry.

According to Waverly Root, the most faithful customer for strawberries in history was probably Mme. Tallien, who in Napoleonic times added strawberry juice to her bath water to keep her skin soft and satiny. Every time she took a bath, twenty-two pounds of strawberries were crushed for it. A valuable customer, indeed!

Strawberry Napoleons Serves 6

Adapted from David’s restaurant in Salisbury, Maryland

Strawberry Sauce:

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed
1 c. sugar

Simmer the strawberries in syrup until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature then puree in a blender.

Almond Lace Cookies yield: about 18 cookies

Be sure to cool the cookies before transferring to a rack.

1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 c. light corn syrup
1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease 2 large baking sheets.
In a 2-qt. saucepan, cook the sugar, butter and corn syrup together, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour and nuts.
Spoon scant tablespoons of batter 6-inches apart on baking sheets (4 cookies per sheet) and bake 1 sheet at a time in the middle of the oven until golden brown and bubbling, 6 to 8 minutes. Cookies will spread 5 to 6 inches. Cool cookies on sheet 1 to 2 minutes.
Quickly but carefully remove the cookies from the sheet with a metal spatula and transfer to a rack to cool completely. (If they become too brittle to transfer, return to the oven for about a minute to soften.)

Filling:

1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries. Trim and quarter to measure 3 cups.
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream, beaten to hold stiff peaks

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Assembly:

Put 1 cookie on a plate and spread 1/2 c. whipped cream over it. Top with 1/2 c. quartered strawberries and drizzle about 3 T. sauce over them.

Lean a second cookie at an angle over the berries and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Make 5 more Napoleons the same way.


Jaques Pepin’s Strawberry Clafoutis 4 servings - 182 calories

Clafoutis is a type of thickened custard usually reserved for cherries, but strawberries work just as well in this recipe. A conventional clafoutis is usually cooked in a double boiler, but this clafoutis is cooked in a gratin dish. It is best served at room temperature.

1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
1 1/2 t. vanilla
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 c. milk
1-pint strawberries hulled
1 t. Confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix well with a fork. Add the milk and mix thoroughly.

Quarter the berries and distribute them evenly in a 4 to 6 cup gratin dish.

Pour the egg mixture over the berries and place the gratin dish on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes or until just set.

Cool to room temperature. Sprinkle the confectioners’ sugar over the top and serve at room temperature.


Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Flaky Pie Pastry Enough dough for 1 double crust pie or 1 single

2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/2 c. cold vegetable shortening
1/4 c. ice water, more if needed

In a bowl combine the flour and salt, add the butter and blend with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal.

Add the shortening and mix to a coarse meal. Add the ice water and blend with a fork until it forms a soft dough.

Shape the dough into a ball and refrigerate until ready to use, chill up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 month.

Filling:

1 pt. hulled and sliced strawberries
1 c. sugar
2-T. cornstarch dissolved in 1-T. cold water
8-oz. rhubarb trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces to measure 2 cups
1/2 t. grated lemon rind
1 t. fresh lemon juice
2 T. unsalted butter cut into bits

Divide the dough into 2 parts, one slightly larger than the other and chill for 1 hour. Roll the larger ball to an 11-inch circle. Fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Keep the second piece in the refrigerator.
In a bowl combine the strawberries and 1 cup sugar. Let the mixture stand for 20 minutes to macerate. Stir in the cornstarch mixture. Add the rhubarb, lemon rind and lemon juice and spoon the mixture into the shell. Dot with butter.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out the reserved ball of dough into a 10-inch round and drape the top crust over the filling. Trim and crimp. Make decorative slits in the crust for steam vents.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is golden. Let the pie cool on a rack.

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar Serves 6-8

In Modena, Italy, the home of balsamic vinegar and Luciano Pavarotti, this versatile substance is used in many different dishes. Very good quality balsamic, which is sweet and acidic at the same time should be used in this recipe.

3 pints ripe strawberries, washed and hulled
2 T. aged balsamic vinegar
2 T. superfine sugar

Slice the strawberries into a bowl. Add the balsamic, mix well and marinate 15-20 minutes. Add the sugar, mix thoroughly and serve.

CHRISTMAS CASSATA

Cassata is Sicily’s gift to the world of fabulous desserts. It is an especially festive cake to serve at Christmas. I’ve taken the liberty of amending Sicily’s traditional confection because candied fruit is not high on my list of favorite things. In this recipe, I’ve substituted chocolate and raspberry jam laced with a liqueur for the banished fruit.

If you’ve run out of time, a store-bought pound cake can substitute for a homemade version. Assemble the cake at least a day ahead, cover and refrigerate.

Before serving, ice the entire cake with the chocolate frosting. Then fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, to create a baroque effect by piping swirls of chocolate icing over the top and sides.

Garnish with almonds if desired.

1 9x5-inch pound cake
2 c. good quality ricotta
4 1-oz. squares semi-sweet chocolate, chopped in very small bits
1 oz. Grand Marnier
1 ½ c. raspberry jam

Beat the ricotta until smooth. Chop the chocolate into fine bits. In a bowl, mix the chocolate bits with the Grand Marnier and the jam. Using a serrated knife, cut off the ends of the pound cake and the top part if it is rounded. Cut the cake horizontally into 1/2-inch thick slices. Put one layer on a cake plate and spread with a portion of the ricotta and the chocolate-liqueur mixture. Repeat using all the layers of the cake, all of the cheese, and all the raspberry mixture, ending with a top layer of plain cake. Press the filled cake gently. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 24 hours.

Chocolate Frosting:

8-oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup strongly brewed coffee
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter

Melt the chocolate with the coffee in a small saucepan over low heat.

Remove the pan from the heat and beat in the chilled butter a tablespoon at a time. Chill until it will spread easily.

Frost the cassata. Pipe swirls of frosting using a pastry bag and a large star-tip.

Garnish with almonds if desired.

Crabmeat Mousse

1 packet unflavored gelatin

¼ c. cold water

2 c. (16 oz.) Kraft Miracle Whip

2 c. crabmeat, canned or fresh, not frozen. Remove any cartilage or tendons.

2 hard cooked eggs, chopped into small pieces

½ c. green pimento olives, chopped. Reserve 1 olive for decoration

2 tsp. capers, chopped if large

4 scallions, bulbs only, minced

Curly parsley to decorate the mold

Sliced almonds

Pimentos

Dissolve 1 packet gelatin in ¼ cup cold water in a Pyrex measuring cup.

Set the cup in a small saucepan of water and warm over moderate heat until the gelatin dissolves.

Put the Miracle Whip, gelatin, crabmeat, eggs, olives, scallions and capers in a bowl and stir to incorporate the ingredients.

Lightly oil a 5 cup fish mold with vegetable oil and transfer the mixture to the mold.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight.

To unmold and decorate:

Add about an inch of hot water to a large pan or sink.

Set the mold in the water for about a minute. Be careful not to get any water on the filling. Invert the mold on to the serving platter. You may have to use a finger under an edge to release it.

Cut the reserved olive in half for the eyes.

Cut a sliver of pimento to create a smiley mouth or a round one.

Some curly parsley for the eyebrows.

Slivers of pimento vertically on the tail with frills of parsley separating the body from the tail.

Cover the whole body with sliced almonds, overlapped in neat rows.

Serve with toast points or crackers.

The crabmeat mousse will work well with any decorative mold, minus however, the frivolous fun of creating a whimsical fish.

Blueberry Crumble

Jacques Pepin's Blueberry Crumble Serves 4

Sweet Simplicity, Jacques Pepin's Fruit Desserts

2 c. blueberries, about 10 oz.
1/4 c. apricot preserves
2 Tbsp. orange juice
3 oz. pound cake, sponge cake or cookies, crumbled
1 c. yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix the blueberries, preserves, and orange juice together in a bowl. Transfer the mixture to a
3 -cup gratin dish.
4. Crumble the cake or cookies on top, covering the blueberries entirely, and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Serve the crumble lukewarm, topped with 2 generous tablespoons of yogurt or whipped cream.

Chewy Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: forty-six 3-inch cookies

Adapted from a recipe in Fine Cooking 2002

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
8 oz. unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 c. dried cranberries
1 c. chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir in the oats.
1. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then scrape down the sides of the bowl; add the honey and vanilla and beat until blended.

3. Add the flour mixture in two additions, beating until well combined. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts.

4. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls about 2-inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Bake until the centers are soft but no longer look wet, 9-11 minutes, rotating the sheets for even browning. Repeat with the remaining dough.

5. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
Labels: Cookies

My Mother’s Pesto Sauce, Amended

Serves 4-6

Wine Suggestion: Chardonnay

1 lb. linguine
2 c. fresh basil leaves, moderately packed
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed with the blade of a heavy knife
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. softened, unsalted butter
3 oz. cream cheese
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Put the basil, oil, garlic and salt in a food processor or blender. Mix at high speed until evenly blended.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and using a fork, beat in the butter, cream cheese and Parmesan cheese.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt. Blend in 3 tablespoons of the hot water from the pasta pot to lighten the pesto sauce. Cook the linguine in ample amounts of salted water to al dente.
4. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the pesto sauce.
5. Serve in individual bowls and pass the Parmigiano.

Biscuit Tortoni

Serves 6

Lazzaroni di Saronno cookies are imported from Italy. They come individually packed in various tissue colors in an attractive red tin. The cookies have a long shelf life.

1 c. crushed Amaretti cookies
¼ c. sugar
pinch salt
¾ c. whole milk
8 oz. heavy cream
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. almond extract

1. Using a rolling pin, pulverize the Amaretti cookies on a piece of wax paper. Reserve ¼ cup.
2. Transfer ¾ cup cookie crumbs to a medium bowl.
3. Stir in the sugar and salt.
4. Stir in the milk.
5. Allow the mixture to stand for 15 minutes.
6. Whip the cream and add the extracts.
7. Carefully fold the flavored cream into the cookie crumb mixture.
8. Spoon into ramekins or soufflé dishes.
9. Sprinkle the tops with the reserved crumbs.
10. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and freeze until firm.
11. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving