Category Archives: Appetizers

A Trio of Mushroom Dishes for a Trio of Mushrooms

If you’re ever in the Lake Winnipesaukee area, as we were last month visiting family, stop in at the New Hampshire Mushroom Company in Tamworth. If you’re lucky, the mushroom-growing rooms will be open to the public when you visit. Unfortunately, most of the crew was out giving a mushroom foraging tour the day we visited, so no back room tour for us. Nonetheless, we still managed to score a HUGE box of gorgeous shrooms – Lion’s Mane, Chestnut and Blue Oyster. I was a bit worried we’d never manage to use them all, but my fears were ungrounded, as we had several occasions the following week to share our bounty with family.

First, I made the most wonderful Mushroom Lasagna for dinner at Irene’s with Mr TBTAM’s family, based on a recipe from Martha Rose Shulman. We left the leftovers for Irene, and were pleased to hear it was just as delicious the next day when reheated.

Two days later, Mr TBTAM and I made a pasta using the leftover cooked lasagna noodles (If you cook the whole pound box instead of the half pound called for in the recipe you have a LOT of leftover noodles) that I sliced into long tagliatelle-like shapes and tossed with the same mushroom mixture as in the lasagna, substituting heavy cream for the bechamel. OMG, perfection!

Finally, again using that very same recipe as a base, Rachel and I made mushroom toasts to serve my family, who came over for dinner while she and brother Joe were staying with us. This time, we served that cooked mushroom mixture atop toasted slices of a baguette from Metropolitan Bakery in Reading Terminal Market. The only thing better than those toasts was having my sibs and their spouses around our dining room table, probably the thing I had missed most when moving to NYC 30 years go, and the thing that makes me happiest about our move back home to Philly.

Here are the three recipes. Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Mushroom Lasagna

Based on a recipe from Martha Rose Shulman in the NY Times. The bechamel is made with olive oil instead of butter, and is just lovely.

Ingredients

Mushrooms

  • 1 ounce mixed dried mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used Lions Mane, Chestnut and Blue Oysters, but you can use crimini if that's what is available)
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup fruity red wine
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Freshly ground pepper

Béchamel

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • Salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Lasagna

  • ½ pound dried lasagna noodles
  • I cup grated mixed Parmesan/Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions

  • Soak the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup with 2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain in a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl, squeezing to extract all the juices. If using shiitakes, cut away and discard the stems. Measure out 1½ cups of the soaking liquid and set aside. Rinse the mushrooms until they are free of sand, squeeze dry and chop coarsely. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil a 2-quart rectangular baking dish.
  • Cook the Mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add shallots. Cook, stirring often, until tender. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, then add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and sweat. Add the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down. Add thyme and stir in the mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer, add salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth has reduced by a little more than half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in some freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt.
  • Make the béchamel. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. Add the minced shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until smooth and bubbling, but not browned. Whisk in the milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and has lost its raw-flour taste. Season with salt and pepper. Pour while hot into the pan with the mushrooms.
  • Meanwhile, boil the water with a little olive oil for the lasagna and cook the noodles according to directions, till al dente. Drain. Spoon a thin layer of béchamel and mushrooms over the bottom of the dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread a ladleful of the mushroom/béchamel mixture over the noodles and top with a layer of Parmesan. Continue to repeat the layers, ending with a layer of the mushroom/béchamel mixture topped with Parmesan. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes till edges are slightly crispy and top is browned. Serve.
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Tagliatelle with Mushrooms

Dried and fresh mushrooms combine with a light, olive oil bechamel and Parmesan or mixed aged cheeses to make a delicious pasta. Serve with a tossed green salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce mixed dried mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used Lions Mane, Chestnut and Blue Oysters, but you can use crimini)
  • ½ cup fruity red wine
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 pound dried tagliatelle
  • grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions

  • Soak the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup with 2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain in a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl, squeezing to extract all the juices. If using shiitakes, cut away and discard the stems. Measure out 1½ cups of the soaking liquid and set aside. Rinse the mushrooms until they are free of sand, squeeze dry and chop coarsely. Set aside.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add shallots. Cook, stirring often, until tender. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, then add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and sweat. Add the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down. Add thyme and stir in the mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer, add salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth has reduced by a little more than half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.
  • While the mushrooms are cooking, boil salted water for the pasta and cook the pasta in the water till al dente, then drain and toss in with the mushroom-cream mixture. Sprinkle generously with grated cheese and serve.
Print Recipe

Mushroom Toasts

Serve cooked mixed mushrooms atop toasted baguette slices, topped with grated Parmesan.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce mixed dried mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms sliced (I used Lions Mane, Chestnut and Blue Oysters, but you can use crimini if that’s what is available)
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup fruity red wine
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • extra virgin Olive oil
  • 1 long baguette
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions

  • Soak the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup with 2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain in a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl, squeezing to extract all the juices. If using shiitakes, cut away and discard the stems. Measure out 1½ cups of the soaking liquid and set aside. Rinse the mushrooms until they are free of sand, squeeze dry and chop coarsely. Set aside.
  • Cook the Mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add shallots. Cook, stirring often, until tender. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, then add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and sweat. Add the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down. Add thyme and stir in the mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer, add salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth has reduced by a little more than half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in some freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt. Keep warm while toasting the baguette slices.
  • Toast the Baguette Slices. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice baguette, arrange slices on a baking sheet and generously brush with olive oil. Bake until lightly toasted, 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Assemble Toasts. Spoon warm mushroom mixture atop the baguette slices. Sprinkle generously with grated cheese and serve.

Gougères

Gougères. The perfect appetizer for the holidays.

So impressive, so fancy, so French. And yet, they are so easy to make. Even better, they can be made ahead and frozen, then simply reheated in the oven when your guests arrive, as they are best served warm.

Gougere are simply a savory cream puff. I first learned to make cream puffs in college, when I spent my summers in the dessert kitchen of a sleep away camp in New Hampshire. My boss, whose late husband had been a French-trained chef, brought his recipes into the camp kitchen and ran the place like it was the French Laundry. She taught me how NOT to put the knives in the sink (after she cut her hand on a knife I had left there, I still feel terrible about that), how to bleach and scrub a wooden counter, how to ice a cake (a first thin layer tamps down the crumbs…) , and most importantly, how to make cream puffs. I still remember boiling the water and butter in the big pot on the stove, then mixing in the flour till it held together and formed a skin on the bottom of the pan. Next we dumped the dough into the big standing mixer, let it cool and added the eggs one at a time. Finally, we piped them onto industrial sized cookie sheets and popped them into the oven. The most fun part was filling the cooled puffs with cream using this industrial sized metal bucket with a pump handle and nozzle – I have no idea what that thing was called, but it was so much fun!

Anyway, gougère are not cream puffs per se, but a cheese puff made without sugar and filling.

Don’t be intimidated by the gougère’s fancy shape, which I messily accomplished using a pastry tube and star tip. You can make something equally impressive (and with much less of a mess) using a small scoop. Which, by the way, is also a great size scoop to use for making chocolate chip cookies.

Pastry bag/Tube vs scoop

Before learning to make gougères, however, you must learn to pronounce their name. Fortunately, I have guy who can help you with this…

Now you’re all set. Happy gougères making!

Print Recipe

Gougères

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
  • 1 large pinch kosher salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 1/2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated, plus more for dusting
  • 1 pinch freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Add the flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon till smooth dough forms; stir over low heat until it dries out and pulls away from the pan and a film develops on the bottom of the pan, or when temp reaches 175 Farenheit on an instant read thermometer – about 2 minutes.
  • Transfer dough to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until dough is 145°F (63°C) on instant-read thermometer (you don;t want the dough to cook the eggs when adding them). Beat the eggs into the dough, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the cheese and the pepper and nutmeg
  • Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip . At this point, the gougères batter can be held in the sealed pastry bag at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Pipe tablespoon-size mounds onto the lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. (Alternatively drop mounds using a small scoop onto the lined baking sheets.) Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve hot, or let cool and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat in a 350° oven until piping hot.

Gougères media links

Blistered Shishito Peppers

Thanks to my daughter for turning us on to Blistered Shishito Peppers – a simple, fast, delicious and fun appetizer.

The Shishito is mild pepper brought to the US from Japan and now widely available here in the United States. We got ours from Trader Joes, but you can easily grow them in your home garden.

The Shishito pepper likely came to Japan from Spain, where it is called a Padron pepper and is much hotter. It is believed to have mellowed after generations of selective breeding in Japanese soil.

The fastest and most fun way to get to know Shishito is to toss them in a little olive oil,

blister them in a cast iron skillet on the stove top

toss with lime and salt and eat ’em while they’re hot !

Despite its mild Scoville score of 50-200, it’s said that every batch of Shishitos will have at least one really hot pepper. Ours had more than a few hotties. Not that we complained. We like it hot!

Once you’ve mastered the blistered Shishito, don’t stop there. There are many ways to serve these bites of delight beyond just scarfing them down as they come out of the skillet. You can make a Shishito Salsa and serve it with steak. Or serve the blistered peppers atop a Corn and Japanese Curry or with charred cauliflower in a picada sauce. Or simply serve them with a dipping sauce.

As for me, next time I make blistered Shishito peppers I plan to double down on the Japanese – I’ll cook them in sesame oil and toss them with furikake and lime.

Print Recipe

Blistered Shishito Peppers

An easy, fast, fun and delicious appetizer.

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces Shishito Peppers
  • 1 scant tbsp olive oil
  • Sea salt Or finishing salt such as Maldon
  • 1/2 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

  • Rinse peppers then dry them well. Toss with just enough olive oil to coat, without any excess.
  • Heat cast iron skillet on med high heat till hot enough that a drop of water tossed into the pan bounces, sizzles and evaporates. Add peppers, distributing them evenly on the pan. Allow them to sit a few minutes to start to char, then begin turning them one by one so they char evenly on all sides. As they heat up, the peppers will expand and pop. This can be a little scary and cause burns, so avoid the popping by piercing the peppers with a tooth pick or tip of a sharp paring knife as they expand. As they become charred, they will loosen and shrivel down a bit, but should still retain their bright green color in non-charred spots. Remove them one by one as they become perfectly charred and place in serving bowl. The smaller peppers will cook and blister faster than the larger ones.
  • Toss with salt to taste. Serve warm with lime wedges.

Ottolenghi Hummus

This hummus recipe from Yoman Ottolenghi and Sami Tamini’s Jerusalem cookbook is hands down the best, creamiest hummus I’ve ever made or eaten.

The recipe uses dried chickpeas – which require an overnight soak – so you’ll need to plan ahead, probably the only downside to this amazing recipe. Lest you try to shortcut it, know that I’ve made this recipe with both canned and cooked chickpeas, and can attest that starting with dried chickpeas makes a superior hummus. It’s a lighter color and flavor, much softer and just plain better.

You can tweak the recipe to your taste by making it more or less garlicky or lemony – the recipe as I’ve written it has a bit more lemon and a tad less garlic than Ottolenghi’s original. If you want, you can also add a scant 1/4 tsp cumin, as I have done. Or not. It’s up to you.

Ottolenghi has strong feelings about hummus, which he most adamantly believes should not be made with olive oil. Rather, one reserves the olive oil for drizzling on the hummus when serving. He also recommends only Al Arz or Al Yaman tahini, which I did not use, but intend to order for future hummus making. And thankfully, gives a nod to my added cumin.

In the Guardian’s version of this basic hummus, Ottolenghi adds bicarbonate of soda during soaking as well as while cooking the chickpeas. For some reason, the Jerusalem Cookbook version (which is what I used) only adds the baking soda during cooking. It’s unclear to me what difference these two approaches would make in the final product, but it is clear that adding baking soda at some point in the cooking process is crucial to getting a soft cooked chickpea.

Deb Perlman argues that peeling the skin from the cooked chickpea makes for an even creamier hummus, so I tried that. She’s right. And it’s not hard – if you truly cook your chickpeas to softness, the skins literally float off into the water. Now you just need to pick them out, and peel an occasional errant unshed skin. If this still seems like to much work, as Deb tells us, you can buy pre-peeled Indian split chickpeas (called Dal), so that’s now on my list to try.

This hummus is so much more than just a place to dip your carrot sticks and pita chips. For instance, you can use it as a bed for lamb and zucchini meatballs. (Recipe modified from this.)

You can find various iterations of this recipe on Food52, Epicurious , the NY Times or the Guardian, but do yourself a favor and just get Jerusalem, the cookbook in which it originally appeared. You’ll get so much more than just an amazing hummus recipe.

JERUSALEM HUMMUS

This makes a rather large batch of hummus (about 3 cups). Feel free to reduce amounts by half if you don’t need so much. I’ve modified the original recipe by adding 1/4 tsp ground cumin, increasing the lemon juice from 4 to 6 tbsp, and cutting back on a clove of garlic. I served it with a scattering of toasted pine nuts, a sprinkle of sumac and a drizzle of olive oil.

Ingredients
1 ¼ cups dried chickpeas (250 grams)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light tahini paste (270 grams)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 1/2 tbsp ice water
1/4 tsp ground cumin
For garnish
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 tsp dried sumac

Instructions
Put chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water at least twice their volume. Leave to soak overnight.

The next day, drain the chickpeas. In a saucepan, combine drained chickpeas and 1 tsp baking soda over high heat. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 6 1/2 cups (1.5 liters) water and bring to a boil. Cook at a simmer, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface, till soft. (For me this took almost an hour.) Once done, they should be very tender, breaking easily when pressed between your thumb and finger, almost but not quite mushy.

Drain chickpeas. If you want, pick out and discard the skins, peeling the occasional chickpea as needed (or not). You should have roughly 3 cups of chickpeas. Place chickpeas in a food processor and process until you get a stiff paste. Then, with the machine still running, add the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the ice water and allow it to mix for about 5 minutes, until you get a very smooth and creamy paste. The hummus may seem thin, but don’t worry – it will thicken as it rests.

Transfer hummus to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If not using immediately, refrigerate until needed, up to two days. Remove from fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with pine nuts, olive oil and a bit of dried sumac.

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More on Hummus

Healthy, Low Calorie Cauliflower Breadsticks

Do you think whoever named the cauliflower plant knew that one day we would evolve into overweight, carbohydrate-overloaded, gluten-intolerant creatures, who, in searching for a suitable lo-carb substitute would find their holy grail in that crucifer whose name is homonymous with the ground product of the very thing we both crave and shun?

Think cauliFLOUR.

Then go grind up a head of cauliflower in the food processor (or be lazy like me and buy Trader Joes riced cauliflower), steam or microwave it for 10 minutes, strain out the liquid in a tea towel, pour into a large bowl and add two egg whites, 1/4 cup hemp or flax seeds, 1/2 low fat grated cheese (Trader Jose’s Lite Mexican Blend works perfectly) and a tbsp of minced fresh herbs (I used thyme, rosemary, basil and oregano). Spread out onto an 8 x12 inch rectangle on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake it in a 450 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, toss a little more cheese atop and bake 5-10 mins more and Voila! You’ve got a delicious, healthy, low calorie, if somewhat floppy breadstick. I cut mine using a pizza cutter while still warm, and got 32 cracker size pieces at 25 calories apiece. (If you want yours crisper, after cutting them, turn the oven off and put them right back in for 1-2 hours to crisp up as the oven cools down.)

I served these tonight to accompany Cream of Mushroom Soup. The flavors complemented each other well.

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

stufffed mushrooms

Tired of serving the same old cheese plate and cracker appetizer? Looking for something just as satisfying and crowd pleasing but without the calories or carbs?

Look no further than these delicious, easy to make, healthy spinach stuffed mushrooms.

Eat them with a knife and fork, cut into quarters and you have four incredible mouthfuls. Serve with a bowl of spicy olives – there’s nothing that tastes better than a bite of each in your mouth at the same time.

These mushrooms are so satiating that I’ve served them as a main dish. Add a side salad following a small bowl of soup and you’ve got a light but highly satisfying supper.

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

Look for large mushrooms with nice long stems, since you’ll be chopping those stems to make the stuffing. Adjust the amount of bread crumbs and cheese to your liking. Try not to eat any leftover stuffing – you’ll want to use it in an omelet tomorrow morning.

Ingredients

  • 12 extra-large white or crimini mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 large shallot or 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 6 oz bag washed organic baby spinach leaves, chopped coarsely
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • a pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
  • 1/4 cup finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus another tbsp or so for sprinkling atop (latter optional)
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees centigrade. Find a small sheet pan or baking dish large enough to hold the mushrooms in a single layer and lightly brush or spray the base with olive oil.

Clean mushrooms. Remove mushroom stems and chop them finely. Arrange the mushroom caps in the baking dish, being sure they are not too snug.

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and butter. Saute shallot till soft, the add the mushrooms, garlic and thyme and saute till mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes or so. Add spinach leaves and cook till wilted – about 3-5 minutes. Turn off heat. Add breadcrumbs and season. Toss in the cheese and parsley. Stuff the mushrooms with the stuffing, being sure to press it in well with your finger to use all available space. Sprinkle a little cheese atop if you want (optional).

Bake for 30-40 minutes, till the mushrooms are well-cooked and the stuffing browned and crusty. (If pressed for time, turn up the heat to 375 degrees fahrenheit and cook for 15 minutes, but watch our that the mushrooms don’t shrivel.)  Serve warm.

Can be made ahead and reheated just before serving.

Appetizers for Summer Book Club

Book Club appetizers

As much as I love book club, I love hosting it even more. Because hosting means I get to leave work early and do my favorite thing in the whole world – spend the late afternoon in my kitchen. I’m rarely at home at that time of day, when something wonderful happens to the light in our apartment as the sun begins to peek out from behind the tall apartment towers just south of us, and pours into my kitchen.  Add in NPR or a good book on tape and I’m in heaven.

The evening promised good weather, so we planned to meet on the roof.  I took my cue for the menu from the book we were discussing – “My Brilliant Friend”, set in Naples – and went for a Mediterranean theme. (Plus I had a whole mess of amazing, pitted Castelvetanos olives and a jar of fig preserves.)

In an amazing feat of pre-planning, something highly unusual for me, I actually decided on the menu and bought all my ingredients the day before, so I was able to head straight home and got to work around 4 pm. Luckily, Mr TBTAM was home early as well, and I put him to work weeding the rooftop garden, which we had ignored for most of the summer.  Somehow I managed to pull it all together by the time the group arrived at 6:30, with a little help from my friends who arrived first.

The discussion was as always, interesting and spirited, and we went till dark. This is one great bunch of women, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the group.

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Book Club Appetizer Menu

  • Fig & Blue Cheese Savories
  • Olive all’Ascolana
  • Manchego cheese with Firehook Za’Atar flatbreads
  • Nectarine segments and dried apricots
  • Wine; Mint lemonade
  • Cappucino almonds (Thanks, Amy!)
  • Sunflowers for the table (Thanks Stacy!)

Fig and Blue Cheese Savories

FIG AND BLUE CHEESE SAVORIES

These delicious babies come from The Runaway Spoon, found via Food 52.  I used a wonderfully pungent Roquefort style sheep cheese (Ewe’s Blue) from Nancy & Tom Clark’s Old Chatham Sheepherding Company.  I did not have a one inch round cookie cutter, so I used a floured 1 inch soda bottle cap. You may be tempted to make these bigger, but do not. The small size is perfect. They can be made ahead and kept in layers separated by waxed paper. They freeze beautifully.

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature, cut into four pieces
  • 4 ounces blue cheese, cut into several chunks
  • Ground black pepper
  • Fig preserves (about 1/4 cup total)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Process the butter, blue cheese, flour and a few grinds of black pepper in the food processor until the dough starts to form a ball. Dump onto a lightly floured surface, knead a few times to pull the dough together and roll out to 1/8 inch thick with a floured rolling pin. Cut rounds out of the dough with a floured 1-inch cutter and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Using the back of a round half-teaspoon measure or your knuckle, make an indentation in the top of each dough round. Spoon about ¼ teaspoon of fig preserves into each indentation. Bake the savories for 10 – 14 minutes, until the preserves are bubbling and the pastry is light golden on the bottom. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes, the remove to a wire rack to cool.

Can be made ahead or frozen in an airtight container in layers separated by waxed paper.

Olive all'Ascolana

OLIVE ALL’ASCOLANA  – Vegetarian Version

This recipe comes from Arielle Clementine via Food 52. It’s inspired by the classic Italian stuffed olives, which have a spicy meat stuffing and use olives from the Ascoli region of Italy. (Here’s a wonderful video on how to make the real thing, which I must try one of these days.)  I made some fresh breadcrumbs for this recipe, but did not toast the crumbs as I usually do, since they would get crisped as they fried. I had no mustard seeds, so used a pinch of dried mustard instead.  I fried them in my electric fryer, a kitchen appliance I only use otherwise for latkes, and it worked beautifully.

  • 24 large green olives, pitted
  • 1/2 cup goat cheese
  • 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs (fresh or panko)
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
  • parmigiano reggiano, for sprinkling
  • zest and juice from one lemon, for sprinkling

Mix the goat cheese, mustard seed, rosemary, chile flakes, and garlic in a small bowl. Stuff the olives with the cheese mixture (I used my fingers, rolling the filling like a small cigar and sliding it into the pitted olive.) Put the stuffed olives on a plate and refrigerate for 20 minutes. While the olives are chilling, heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan to 375 degrees. Set up three plates for your breading station (Flour, beaten egg, breadcrumbs+grated Parmesan) When the olives have chilled, roll half of them in the flour, then in the egg, then in the bread crumb/Parmesan and carefully drop them into the heated oil. Fry until golden brown, about one minute per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain, and repeat with the remaining olives. Pile on a plate and finish with a shower of freshly grated cheese and lemon zest and a spritz of lemon.

Baba Ganoush, Lebanese Style

Babaganoush, Lebanese Style

My friend Paula and I threw a Middle Eastern dinner party on my rooftop last Saturday evening.

It was really all Paula’s idea. You see,  her dad once ran a Lebanese market in Worcester, Mass. Paula inherited not only her father’s butcher block kitchen table and meat grinder, but a real love for the foods of her ancestors. I can tell you that enthusiasm is highly infectious, having caught it from her last year while sitting at the table at our cottage rolling grape leaves under her tutelage. So when Paula proposed a joint party – she’d provide the food and I, the venue and sous chef duty – I jumped at the idea.

The menu was perfect for the warm summer evening – Appetizers of fresh feta, olives, baba ganoush and pita served with red Lebanese wine, followed by a dinner of grilled lamb kabobs, rice pilaf, stuffed grapes leaves and green salad.

The lamb for the grape leaves? Paula ground it herself that morning.The mint? Dried on her dining room table just a few weeks ago.  And the recipes? Handed down from her father’s generation to her – via the parish cookbook of the St George’s in Worcester. With a few gems culled from May Bsisu’s wonderful cookbook The Arab Table.

We culled the guest list from the ranks of our friends we knew would appreciate the lemony pepper bite of the baba, the saltiness of the feta and the earthy flavors of the lamb, but would also be open to sampling my first attempt at homemade pita bread (a valiant but mistimed effort), and most importantly, open to getting to know one another. We also asked the guests to bring a reading to share that would be appropriate for the gathering.

And so it was that we dozen found ourselves at a picnic table drinking wine under the waxing moon and twinkling lights on one of the most beautiful nights of the year, eating a most delicious meal and afterwards, listening to the words of Kahil Gebran, EB White and Maya Angelou, along with readings about Lebanese and Irish immigrants to America,  capped off with the words of a modern young Jew and the intimate details of the days before the music died.

Our only regret was that the late hour at that point limited our chance to discuss the readings we had shared – a  lesson we will keep in mind as we plan our next Mediterranean salon.

Oh yes, there will be another. Because we’ve barely sampled the mezze or ventured into the kibbe.

And I’ve got pita to perfect.

BABAGANOUSH

Baba Ganoush (Eggplant bi Tahini), Lebanese Style

This recipe is originally from the famed El Morocco Restaurant in Worcester, where Paula’s aunt once worked in the kitchen.  This is a much more lemony baba ganoush than you may have tasted before, and is the first baba I’ve ever really loved. The trick is getting the texture just right – too much smoothness and its just a other puree. Not enough and the odd texture of the eggplant dominates the flavors. When Paula told me she makes hers by cutting it over and over again between two knives, I took that as my cue to bring out the wooden bowl and chopper, and the result was a perfectly textured baba.  You can use less lemon if you like – start with one and only add more if you think you’d like it that lemony. (I have a feeling lemons may have been smaller when this recipe was first written.)  Don’t skimp on the pepper and use a coarsely ground sea salt or large grind kosher salt for flavor. Serve with homemade pita chips.

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant, skin on, cut in half lengthwise
  • 3 tbsp sesame tahini
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 2 tbsp water
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Brush the eggplant with a little olive oil and broil, turning it frequently, until the meat softens, about 15 minutes total.  (f you want to grill it, that would be even better…)

Scoop out the softened eggplant meat into a large wooden bowl, discarding the skins. Add the tahini, lemon, garlic and chop until the eggplant is blended, but still recognizable as eggplant. (Alternatively you can use a pastry blender or two knives. If you must use a blender or food processor, be very careful not to pulverize it into an unrecognizable puree.) Avoid long stringy pieces – its a relatively fine chop.  Add water and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley, lemon or a scallion.  If you want to drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil on top, go ahead. No one will complain.

My Wooden bowl and chopper

 

Grape, Garlic and Goat Cheese Tartlets for a Summer Book Club Meeting

Grape, onion and goat cheese tartlets 3

Thanks so much to the great women in my book group for giving me the opportunity to do what I love doing more than almost anything else – cook for my friends. I only had the latter part of the afternoon to prepare, having seen patients that day, but it was so much fun spending even those few stolen hours during the work week in my kitchen with the afternoon sun coming in and the radio going.

Here’s the menu I prepared for our little rooftop gathering:

  • Goat Cheese, Garlic & Grape Tartlets
  • Cucumber slices topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon & dill
  • Assorted cheeses and crackers
  • Grapes
  • Castelvetrano Olives
  • Steamed edamame sprinkled with sea salt and fresh ground pepper
  • Pimm’s Cup Pitcher

Fueled by food and drink, we had a spirited discussion on the Middlesteins – a book I didn’t love, but that much of the group did.  Thanks to my fellow members for all the evenings they so generously hosted throughout this past year, and here’s to many more wonderful reads!

grape, garlic and goat chees tartelts 2

Goat Cheese, Garlic & Grape Tartlets

This recipe is modified from a crostini recipe in a lovely little cookbook entitle Small Gatherings – Seasonal Menus for Cozy Dinners by Jessica Strand. It’s a small book of gems for entertaining, complete with prep and timing instructions for stress free entertaining. 

The day was warm and crostini felt too heavy, so I opted to use puff pastry as the base. (If you use crostini, simply slice a baguette crosswise into 1/2 inch slices, brush with olive oil and toast lightly in the oven on 5-7 minutes.) I admit I increased the balsamic vinegar from 1 1/2 tbsp to 3 tbsp – I loved the idea of drizzling a little of that grape infused juice on the tarts.  And I added fresh thyme. 

Makes 24 tarts.

  • 1 box puff pastry (2 sheets)
  • Olive oil for brushing
  • 2 garlic bulbs
  • 4 cups mixed green and red small grapes
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 6 ounces goat cheese
  • Fresh thyme for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit

Thaw the puff pastry at room temp for 45 minutes. Unfold it onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 rectangles, Repeat with second pastry. Place rectangles onto a cookie sheet, brush with olive oil, prick with a fork and bake for 10-15 minutes, pressing the pastries down with a spatula if they puff up too much. (If you want to get really fancy, you can brush the edges with a little water, the roll them in to create mini crusts that you then press down with the tines of a fork., but who has time?) Remove to a rack to cool. Keep the oven on.

Using a serrated knife, cut off the tops of the garlic bulbs to expose the cloves. Place in a pie tin, cut side up. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the grapes, walnuts and vinegar and toss to mix well and coat the grapes fully with the vinegar. Transfer the mixture to a small baking dish.

Put the garlic and the grape mixture in the oven side by side. Bake the garlic until it is very, very soft. Bake the grape mixture until the grapes have collapsed and the juices are thick and bubbling. Both the garlic and the grapes should take 35-40 mins.

To assemble, squeeze a roasted garlic clove from its skin onto each puff pastry tart. Using a small knife, spread it as well as you can and then spread a generous teaspoon or two of the cheese on top of each.  (It will be like putting the first layer of icing on a cake – lots of crumbs – and this is where you will think that making this as crostini would have been a much better idea, but don’t worry it will be delicious…) Place a spoonful of the grape mizture on top of the cheese and drizzle a little of the juices atop and garish with a few thyme leaves. Arrange on a decorative platter, sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper and serve.

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Making Charoset

Although I was not born Jewish, I did marry into a Jewish family. Now, over 20 years later, the culinary traditions of that religion feel as much like my own as those I share with my own family. One of my favorite of the Jewish traditions is making Charoset for Passover dinner, a task to which I have been assigned for some years now.

Charoset is a pasty mixture of fruit, nuts and wine that symbolizes both the mortar used by the Israelites to build the pyramids of the Egyptians and the sweetness of the freedom they would one day live to see. Charoset is eaten during the Passover ceremony, and later, spread between two motsah halves with a bit of horseradish, it makes Hillel’s sandwich. The Charoset we serve is a traditional Eastern European recipe. Sephardic versions may use dates or figs, mixed nuts and even fruit juice.

The Charoset recipe I use never varies, but every batch is unique. That’s because I’ve never actually written the recipe for Charoset down. It’s impossible really since the flavors evolve as you make it, and vary depending on the size and variety of apple you use in a given year. Thus, every year’s Charoset making is a bit of an adventure to see if I can get it as close to perfect as I can, or at least as good as it was last year.

I begin each year by assembling the tools of the task – an old wooden bowl (did Irene give it to me? Did I get it at a house sale? I don’t remember) and the old rocker-bottom metal cleaver I bought at an antique market. Although the bowl is very occasionally used for salad during the year, the chopper is never used for anything else but this one task, and never unless it is used with this bowl.

I then gather the ingredients – Apples (Fuji or gala with a granny smith or two), pecans (How many? I have no idea – at least a cup but not more than two cups), a bottle of Manichevitz wine (I used about 3/4 of the bottle) and some ground cinnamon (2 tbsp? 3 tbsp?…). maybe some brown sugar or honey if your apples aren’t sweet enough…

There is always one, and sometimes more than one phone call to my mother-in-law. How many apples? (5-6 seems about right ) Which wine again – elderberry or blackberry? (Blackberry) Do I peel the apples? (Yes)

I peel the apples, cut them into eights and toss them into the bowl, working quickly because I don’t want them to brown. Next, I toss the pecans on top, sprinkle some cinnamon and pour some wine over the lot. And then the fun really begins.

There is nothing, I tell you, more satisfying than the Fwick! Clunk! sound the cleaver makes as it slides through the apples and pecans and then bounces against the wooden bottom of the bowl, only to repeat itself again, again and again, interrupted only long enough to sweep across the bottom to gather up more apples into the center so the symphony of chopping can begin anew. Here – just listen to it and see what I mean –


How long to chop? Until the mixture is evenly chopped, almost but not quite mushy, but not chunky either. As the wine is absorbed, you keep adding more. You stop to taste, and add more cinnamon. Then more wine. Maybe some brown sugar or honey, but not too much, just a teaspoon or so. Then more chopping. Until it is perfect. Or as perfect as you can make it until tomorrow, when you bring it to your mother-in-law’s kitchen for the final taste test. There, you won’t mind at all if she tells you that you added too little cinnamon. Or didn’t chop long enough. Or need a little more wine.  She will help you adjust it and she will always be right.

Each time you make Charoset, you remind yourself to stop and write down exactly what you are doing so that you get the quantities right once and for all. But then the Fwick! Clunck! begins, and you are lost in the sounds and a tradition that reminds you to savor this moment, and this task, and to just let what you are making be whatever it will be. And in that moment, you know that, perfect or not, it will be wonderful.
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If you want a recipe for Charoset, here a few –

Flatbread with Eggplant, Peppers & Olives (Coca de Recapte)

This traditional Catalan flatbread is based on yet another recipe from Williams Sonoma Barcelona cookbook. Coca recapte are savory pastries made with meat or fish and vegetables, the combination of which depends, apparently, on what is in the larder. Or, as Catalan food blogger Anna at the Good Food Room describes it :

Recapte” is Catalan for “Alright, after a hard work’s day, let’s see what we have left and how we can turn it into a meal”…

Well, this coca recapte was made after a hard day’s play following an early evening swim and a day spent antiquing, playing scrabble, biking and hanging on the front porch. In true Barcelonan style, we did not eat till well after 9 pm. Not quite the same as a visit to Spain, but just as nice.

Flatbread with Eggplant, Peppers & olives (Coca de Recapte)

I love the technique for cooking eggplant in this recipe – roasted the same way you roast peppers. This coca recipe uses baking powder, but other coca recipes I’ve seen used yeast. In the future, I think I’ll make this using Mark Bittman’s pizza dough recipe.

For the dough

  • 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 3/4 cup water

Topping

  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 1 large sweet onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced fine
  • 12 black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 5 tbsp olive oil, plus a tad more to grease the pan

Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. Place peppers and eggplant on baking sheet and roast, turning them so they char evenly on all 4 sides, about 45 minutes.

While veggies are roasting, slice and caramelize the onions. In a cast iron skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter in 1 tbsp olive oil over moderately high heat. Add sliced onions, turn down the heat to medium and saute, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Cool.

Remove roasted vegetables to a brown paper bag to cool about 15 minutes.

While the roasted veggies are cooling in the bag, make the flatbread dough. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the center, and add olive oil and egg yolk. Gradually add water, mixing into the flour with a wooden spoon. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about a minute until soft, smooth and elastic. Form into a ball and place into a large lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes until dough puffs slightly.

Peel cooled roasted veggies, discarding the stems, seeds and skins. Slice into thin strips, then toss gently with onions, garlic and olives. Season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to fit a lightly oiled 12 by 9 inch baking pan.  Press dough into pan and trim edges if need be.

Cover the base of the dough with the tomato slices. Brush with 2 tbsp olive oil. Arrange the veggies evenly over the tomato slices and drizzle with remaining oil. Bake until edges are starting to brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, slice into squares and serve warm.

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Coca Recapte around the web

Having a Party? Invite Mr Pimm’s!

Mr TBTAM and I been hosting my chorus’s annual Rooftop Bash for the past 3 years, using the summer sky as an excuse to gather my fellow Collegiate Singers for an evening of food, friendship and song. We’ve been blessed every year till now with good weather, so I guess that sooner or later, it was bound to rain.

On the day of the party, after it became clear that the thunderstorms would not be gone by evening, more than one person called to see if the party was still on (it was).And as evening approached, I found myself becoming increasingly nervous. Could we pull this off without the rooftop? Would everyone be disappointed? Would we all fit inside the apartment? Would the party last more than an hour without the siren call of the evening sky over Manhattan? Would anyone have fun?

I should have known better. It was a wonderful party, possibly the best ever. After all, what makes a great party is the people – and these folks are the best!

Especially our newest guest – Mr Pimm’s. Most of us had never met him before, and let’s just say he fit right in. Andrew brought him along in a bag, along with lemonade, an apple and a cucumber. I supplied the mint and some ice and Mr Pimm’s made friends in no time. From now on, he’s No. 1 on my guest list!

Pimm’s and Lemonade

It’s called a Pimm’s Cup, and it’s what the Brits drink to get them through Wimbleton, or on a warm afternoon watching cricket or punting on the Thames. Think of it as a British version of sangria – a perfect cocktail for a summer party, and mild enough that one can sip all afternoon without losing one’s dignity. There are about as many ways to make a Pimm’s cup as there are British dialects (see below for just a few). This is the version Andrew taught me to make, and now it’s mine.

1/2 bottle Pimm’s
1 quart lemonade
1 apple, cut into small slices or wedges
1 medium cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch slices
Ice
fresh mint leaves

Fill a 2 quart pitcher half way with ice, then add the apple and cucumber. Pour in Pimms and lemonade, give a stir and serve. If you refrigerate it a bit before serving, the fruit has a chance to flavor the drink (and vice versa).
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Mr Pimms is a very popular!

  • The Guardian holds forth on the history of the Pimm’s Cup
  • Slashfood makes their Pimm’s Cup with ginger ale, lemonade, orange and strawberry
  • Don’t have Pimm’s? Michelle Leon makes her own using vermouth, sherry and Triple Sec
  • Science of Drink makes an American version using Sprite or 7-up
  • Domestic Daddy does his version of the Zin cup, created in NYC
  • Mr Pimms is well loved by NYC restaurant bartenders.
  • Looks as though Mr Pimm’s was at Ed Bruske‘s party just a few days before mine. He certainly gets around!
  • The Unexperts show you how it’s done – great photos!
  • The Kitchn.com makes a Pimm’s cup for one – perfect way to end a day of gardening.
  • Coconut and Lime makes Pimm’s Cup Jelly and serves it with a spoon
  • Well-fed takes the Pimm’s cup down to it’s basic ingredients by making it using homemade ginger beer and lemonade – impressive!
  • The Saucy Sisters do a Cajun Pimm’s – with tabasco of course!

Frugal Fig Flatbread

Say that five times fast. Then take a bite of the most delicious appetizer I think I have ever served.

The recipe is adapted from The Frugal Foodie Cookbook, written by Alanna Kaufman and Alex Small, aka the bloggers Two Fat Als. I met Alex and Alanna at the Union Square Farmer Farmer’s Market a few weeks ago, where they were selling their book and cooking up Eggplant Pasta. Once I learned that Alex is a med student at Mt Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, I knew I had to buy his book. (Even though I passed up the pasta – Y’all know my feelings on eggplant…) I was so excited – another medical food blogger! And with a book deal!

Alex and Alanna, a law student at Columbia University, met while undergrads at the University of Pennsylvania, and created all their recipes in their book while living on a student budget. Each recipe in the book has a little story attached and a cost breakdown per serving. Most of the recipes appear to be originals. The book’s introductory chapter (much too short, in my opinion) reveals the Als’ secrets for saving money while eating well – like making their own stock and breadcrumbs, using leftovers wisely, freezing herbs and making their own bread.

Of course, frugality (and regular bread making) is best accomplished by those with little financial resources but lots of free time. Students fall nicely into that category. It’s much harder being frugal while working 10-12 hour days, and even harder once you start taking night call. So it will be interesting to see how Alex and Alanna adapt their frugal lifestyles once the demands of residency and the law firm begin to take their toll. Hopefully by then, they will have the resources they need to enjoy being foodies without the luxury of free time.

Fig and Fontina Flatbread with Rosemary

The Fat Als use this Mark Bittman pizza dough recipe for their wonderful appetizer. That particular dough recipe calls for instant yeast. Since I only had active dry yeast, my recipe calls for proofing the yeast first. I’ve also adapted the original recipe by adding fresh rosemary and a generous sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Although The Als’ recipe calls for half figs, I’ve found that it is better to use fig slices, so that the juices find their way onto the bread while it is cooking. Next time I’ll use even more rosemary.

The recipe below makes two large cookie sheet size breads with a slightly puffy crust. If you like your crusts thin, as we do, you can split the dough into thirds and roll it out thinner, making three smaller breads from the same batch of dough. You’ll need to watch it more closely as the ends will cook quickly.

This bread goes great with a cold beer.

For the dough –

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup hot water (100 degrees – very hot tap water will do)
A pinch of sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur’s bread flour); more as needed
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little more
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
3/4 cup water

For the topping-
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb. black mission figs
Fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper

Pour 1/4 cup hot water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top along with a pinch of sugar. Give a quick stir and let sit till bubbles rise. Combine flour, salt, olive oil and activated yeast in a food processor. Begin processing and add 3/4 cup water through feed tube. Process, adding a little more water if necessary, until mixture forms a slightly sticky ball.

Turn dough onto a floured work surface, and knead to form a smooth, round ball. Put dough ball in a bowl, and cover with a clean damp towel. Let rise until dough doubles in size, 1-2 hours.

Just before the dough is done rising, preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Slice the figs by cutting them in half lengthwise (de-stem the ends with the knife if needed), then trimming the backsides flat, so you end up with nice thick slices with skins just around the edges. Divide dough in half and roll it onto lightly oil-greased baking sheets. Rub a little olive oil over the doughs, and divide cheese and figs among them. Sprinkle generously with fresh rosemary, salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake in the oven on the top shelf for 8-10 minutes, until golden. Cut into squares using a pizza cutter and serve.

Irene’s Mushroom Strudel

Of all my mother in law Irene’s recipes, this is my favorite. It’s a family standard she created in the 1960’s that has withstood the test of time and pleased hundreds of guests at parties, dinners and various gatherings over the years.

This started out as a recipe from the New York Times in the 60’s. Irene modified it by replacing the original filo dough with her mothers sour cream pastry, then added vermouth to the filling along with an increased amount of sour cream. And she’s still tweaking it – tonight she told me that of late she has increased the mushroom amounts.

I’ve made this myself at least 6 times, and it’s never failed me. It’s easy to make ahead a freeze, making it prefect for parties.

If you do use this recipe, please be sure to credit Irene. It’s a one of a kind, and it’s pure gold.

MUSHROOM STRUDEL

Pastry

½ lb. Sweet butter
½ pint sour cream
2 cups flour
¼ tsp. salt

Place flour and salt in food processor. Pulse for a second. Cut in butter and pulse ‘til crumbly, then add sour cream and pulse ‘til mixed but ready to hold together. Place on floured pastry board and knead briefly and roll into a ball. Divide in ¼’s. Refrigerate overnight.

Filling

2 tbsps. Sweet butter
1 ¼ lb. Mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tbsps. Finely chopped shallots or scallions
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsps. Dry vermouth
½ tsp. thyme
1/3 cup sour cream
Breadcrumbs (optional)
Egg wash ( 1 egg, 1 tbsp water)

Remove pastry from refrigerator to warm a bit while preparing the mushroom filling.

Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the mushrooms, shallots, salt, pepper, vermouth and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is mushy. Let cool slightly. Stir in the sour cream. Cool until ready to fill pastry.

Roll out ¼ pastry on floured board as thin as possible into a 9 or 10 inch round. Sprinkle dry bread crumbs over pastry. Then, using ¼ of the cooled mushroom mixture make a sausage shape roll at the end of the pastry closest to you, about an inch in from the edge. Roll pastry like a jelly roll, closing in the ends and stretching the pastry roll gently length-wise. Place on flat cookie sheet, seam side down and proceed with the remaining pastry and filling and placing them on the same cookie sheet when each is rolled. Make an egg wash of 1 egg with 1 tsp. water and brush on the rolls. With a fork pierce top of pastry roll 3 or 4 times.

Place in freezer a few hours or overnight until frozen. Then wrap in aluminum foil for freezer storage.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap frozen strudel rolls and place on ungreased jelly roll pans about 3 inches apart. Bake about 1 hour until nicely browned on top.

Cool for 10 or 15 minutes before slicing them diagonally into serving pieces about an inch and a half wide.

Makes 4 rolls.
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A few tricks for working with the cooked strudel. Get youself a long spatula and use it to remove the strudels from the pan. Here, I’ll let Irene show you how…

Cut them on a diagonal using a very sharp knife.

Then transfer to your serving platter using the long spatula again.

Meditteranean Appetizers

Here’s a little plate of some of the appetizers leftover from last night’s dinner party.

Here’s what to do – take a shaving of the Capricho de Cabre (mild pepper crusted goat cheese). Lay it on a pita triangle that you’ve toasted yourself, then top it with a little slice of that Spanish fig cake in the back. Pop it in your mouth, and wash it down with a few sips of a nice white pinot. Then, have a bite of the feta apricot triangle you made yourself.

A few more sips of Pinot, and you’re in heaven.
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Pita Toasts (Sorry, no photo – we ate them all.)

1 bag of fresh Pita (or make some yourself)
a little olive oil in a tiny bowl
Kosher salt
Pepper

Cut the pita into small triangles (about 12 per piece). Lay out on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degress fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Serve with hummus and cheeses.

Feta in Phyllo

You can put almost anything in phyllo, and it is so easy to work with. Keep a box in your freezer for last minute inspiration. I was inspired to make this by a nice box of gorgeous apricots and some delicious honey I found at Fairway yesterday.

3 sheets frozen phyllo dough
6 oz (or so) Feta cheese
12 Dried apricots
Honey
Coarsely ground pepper

Thaw phyllo dough. Cut 6 sheets lengthwise into 4 equal columns.

Take a strip of phyllo and brush with olive oil. Lay a second sheet on top of the first and brush with oil. Place a bit of feta cheese at the end of the strip. Top with an apricot and top with a tiny drizzle of honey and a quick grate of pepper. Fold phyllo like a flag (photos here)

Lay out onto baking sheet seam side down and bake at 350 degrees for about 12 -15 minutes till golden. Serve warm.