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Showing posts from March, 2012

Short Pasta with Cauliflower

Another of the recipes that Rose tried out when she was our nightly cook. (Oh, those were the days!). This was really tasty and comes in handy for meatless Fridays. SHORT PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER Adapted from Italian Cookbook (page 92) 1 medium cauliflower 3 cups milk 1 bay leaf 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup flour salt and pepper to taste 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 1-1/4 lb short pasta Bring large pan of water to a boil. Wash the cauliflower well, and separate it into florets. Boil the florets until they are just tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove them from the pan with a strainer or slotted spoon. Chop the cauliflower into bite-size pieces and set aside. Do not discard the cooking water. Make a béchamel sauce by gently heating the milk with the bay leaf in a small saucepan. Do not let it boil. Melt the butter in a medium heavy saucepan. Add the flour, and mix it in well with a wire whisk ensuring there are no lumps. Cook for 2-3 minutes, but do not let the

Montmartre: A Favorite Part of Paris and a Favorite Cocktail

This weekend, flipping through our Mr. Boston book, I atypically chose a cocktail the way our daughters tend to ... just because I liked the name. We usually gravitate to sours but there was something to this drink that we both loved, like a sweet vermouth Martini but with an orange note added. We're not Martini drinkers, sweet or dry, but the Montmartre ... that's a drink we could probably trust a bartender to get right because it has just three, basic ingredients that every bar has. Montmartre Cocktail 1-1/4 ounce dry gin 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth 1/2 ounce triple sec (we used Cointreau, as always) Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Palaver Chicken

Here is another of those recipes that Rose tried out when she was home and cooking dinner every night. (Yes, I miss those days and I am positive that Tom does...) The name supposedly came from all the talking that is done about the right way to make the dish. Evidently it is found all over Africa and can be made with beef, lamb, or fish and different sorts of greens. This was absolutely delicious and probably one of the best ways to feed your family spinach that I have ever had. Even Hannah ate it, which is saying something! PALAVER CHICKEN The African and Middle Eastern Cookbook (page 136) 1-1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, finely chopped 4 tomatoes, chopped 2 tbsp peanut butter 2-1/2 cups chicken stock 1 fresh thyme sprig or 1 tsp dried thyme 8 oz spinach, chopped 1 fresh chili, seeded and chopped salt and pepper Cut chicken into thin slices, place in bowl and stir in garlic and a

Garlicky, Oven-Roasted Chicken

This recipe continues to haunt my palate. I absolutely loved it. It is from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen which I can recommend, based solely on this recipe. It's an easy read in which the author does a lovely job of introducing her beloved Vietnamese favorites to a Western audience, both in describing flavor / context and in placing them in her memories of growing up. Not every recipe is this simple, but many are, and if they all have this depth of flavor then cooks will be well rewarded for their efforts. Garlicky, Oven-Roasted Chicken Marinade 4 cloves garlic, minded 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon pepper 3-1/2 tablespoons Maggi Seasoning or soy sauce 2-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 pounds chicken drumsticks, thighs and/or wings Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with foil and put chicken, skin-side down, on baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes and then turn chicken skin-side up. Bake 40-