Dinner with Old Friends

I am always on the lookout for unusual appetizers when we have company.  I like the idea of a savory cheesecake.  I also like the idea of an appetizer-size cheesecake.  Giada De Laurentiis provided just the thing.  My blogging friend Penny of The Comforts of Home and her husband came for dinner last night.  I wanted to try something a little more complicated than cheese and crackers.

The hardest part of this cheesecake was finding a 4 1/2-inch spring form pan.  I did find one at a kitchen store for $3.99 but did not measure it until I got home.  It turned out to be 4 inches and did not hold all of the ingredients in the recipe.  The cheesecake can also be made in a ramekin if you don't want to bother with finding a small spring form pan.  I put the overflow in a small ramekin.  It is a mixture of ricotta cheese, cream cheese, and goat cheese to which roasted red peppers are added.  The cheese cake is then baked.  The recommended topping is apricot jam, but I used a pepper and onion relish.

The weather was beautiful on Saturday so we were able to eat dinner on the porch.  There is something so special about dining al fresco with friends.

The menu was Zinfandel Beef Ribs, Rice Pilaf with roasted almonds and orange soaked dried cranberries, Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan, and homemade yeast rolls.

Dessert was Apple Crostata  with ice cream and coffee.  But the best part of the meal was the company,   the conversation, and the laughter.  A beautiful Spring evening on the porch was the icing on the cake.  Thanks Penny and K for traveling over the mountain to spend time with us.  Good friends just make the food taste better.

Enjoy!


RED PEPPER CHEESECAKE

1/2 cup ricotta cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup cream cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup goat cheese (2 ounces)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup thin strips or roasted red bell peppers (blotted dry)
1/4 cup apricot jam (Can substitute hot pepper jelly, other jams or onion, pepper relish)
1 to 2 teaspoons hot water

Special equipment:  1 (4 1/2-inch diameter spring form (cheesecake) pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Wrap the outside of the cheesecake pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil.  Place the ricotta, cream cheese, and goat cheese in a food processor.  Pulse to mix.  Add the sugar, egg, and salt and pulse a few times until well mixed.  Stir in the red pepper strips.

Pour the cheese mixture into the cheesecake pan.  Place the cheesecake pan in a small roasting pan.  Pour enough hot water in the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.  Bake until the cheesecake is golden at the edges and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken. about 45 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold).

Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour.  Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold.

Combine the jam and the water in a small bowl and stir until the jam is liquefied.  Remove the cheesecake from the spring form pan.  Place on a serving plate.  Drizzle the jam mixture over the top of the cheesecake.  Serve with pita chips or crackers.

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Dinner with New Friends

I don't often mention it but we have a rental cottage on our property.  When we decided to add a second story to the cottage we knew that we would need a place to live for an extended period of time.  We first had our contractor build a garage for us with an apartment above it.  David and I lived there for two years while the cottage was reconstructed.   We now rent it out on a short term basis from April to the end of October.  I have a link for it on my side bar.

Last year we had a great couple from Iowa staying there for a week while they looked for a place of their own in the Lake Lure area.  They have found a piece of property and are building a log cabin.  You can imagine that supervising a construction from Iowa is not an easy task.  They are back staying in our guest cottage this week.

We have had a dilemma.  We will be on our trip to France for three weeks in June.  I hate to board our dog Daisy for that length of time.  Plus, who would look after our rentals?  Light Bulb Moment!  Tom and Diana need to be here as much as possible and they need a place to stay.  They have agreed to stay in our cottage, manage the guest cottage rentals, take care of our dog and supervise the construction of their own cabin.  They have a dog named Lucy.  Lucy and Daisy like each other.  Perfect solution.

We invited them to dinner Tuesday night to discuss the logistics.  We enjoy their company and look forward to them moving here when their cabin is finished.  But in the meantime, our minds are at ease about being gone for such a long time.

Dinner was Beef Bourguignon, mashed potatoes, Provencal green beans, yeast rolls and this Apple Crostata from Ina Garten.  You can almost never go wrong with one of the Barefoot Contessa's recipes.  The recipe in Barefoot Contessa Parties!  calls for doubling the pastry amount so that you can tuck one in the freezer for a future crostata.  Guess you know what you are having for dessert Saturday night Penny and K.  Yes, my blogging buddy Penny of The Comforts of Home and hubby will be here for dinner then.

APPLE CROSTATA

FOR THE PASTRY  (2 Tarts)

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound very cold unsalted butter, diced
1/4 cup ice water

FOR THE FILLING ( 1 Tart )

1 1/2 pounds McIntosh, Macoun, or Empire apples
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1/2 stick), diced

For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Add the butter and toss quickly with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour.  Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas.  With the motor running, add the 1/4 cup of ice water all at once through the feed tube.  Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together.  Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board and form into 2 disks.  Wrap with plastic and refrigerate one of the disks for at least an hour.  Freeze the rest of the pastry.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.  Transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

For the filling, peel., core and quarter the apples.  Cut each quarter into 3 chunks.  Toss the chunks with the orange zest.  Cover the tart dough with the apple chunks, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly.  Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together.  Sprinkle evenly on the apples.  Gently fold the border over the apples, pleating it to make a circle.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the apples are tender.  Let the tart cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack.

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Behind The Scenes

My food photography has come a long way from the early days with my point and shoot camera in the kitchen snapping quick pictures of my dinner.  Now, more often than not, when I am photographing food you will find me in front of those sliding doors behind me with the sun shining in from the left.  But on cloudy rainy days and for night shots I have to get out my silver dome light diffusers and a white core board sheet to bounce back the light.  It has gotten complicated, but I am having fun with it.

Last week I received an invaluable book as a gift from my niece Jennie.  Thank you Jennie.  Helene Dujardin of the much admired blog Tartlette has written a book to help her fellow foodies take better pictures.

  
I recently upgraded my point and shoot camera to a Canon EOS Rebel T2i with an added 50 mm 1.8 lens.  I have been lax about learning my camera.  I have relied on the automatic settings like "close-up".  Helene's book has gotten me excited about taking control of my shots.  Here are some shots taken in low light with the diffuser in the AV (Aperture Priority) mode.

Composition is not good in this picture.  Clarity on the meatballs suffers also.

I like the way the meatballs look in this shot, but the plate is overexposed and again, composition could be better.

I like the composition in this picture.  The leafy maidenhair fern adds a softness to the shot.  I'm still not where I want to be.  Lighting is still my enemy, but I am learning to make friends with it.  And I am having fun doing it.

I am also having fun with blogger's new designs.  This is a temporary look.  My Son ( in his spare time) is working on switching me over to Word Press and my new blog look will be totally different.


SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS (Everyone has a version of this recipe)

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 12 ounce bottle chili sauce
6 ounces red currant jelly
Zest and juice of one lemon

Combine meats.  Cook onion in oil until soft.  Add to meat mixture along with breadcrumbs, eggs and seasonings.  Form into 1 inch balls and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes.  In the meantime, combine the chili sauce, red currant jelly and zest and juice of one lemon in a large skillet.  Heat and stir to combine.  Remove meatballs from oven and add them to the sauce.  Roll to coat.  Cover skillet and cook until flavors are combined, about 15 minutes.


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Choucroute Garni with a Twist

Yesterday was a cold and rainy day.  Our weather has been so unseasonably warm this Spring that I had already cleaned out my kitchen fireplace and placed a crockery bowl filled with dried hydrangeas in it.  But yesterday was a perfect day for a fire.  The flower arrangement came out and the logs were laid.

Now you are probably thinking I cooked that beautiful platter of sausages, potatoes, carrots and sauerkraut in my dutch oven over the coals.  It would have been a good idea, but I had a new cookbook and there was a recipe that I wanted to try.

My blogging buddy, the other Penny of The Comforts of Home, and I met for shopping and lunch on Tuesday in Asheville.  We met at one of our favorite stores, The Screen Door, where they sell antiques.  But they also have a dynamite book department devoted mainly to cookbooks and design and gardening books.  I always come home with at least one book.  What is not to love about this book?  My passion for all things French is well known and I have been using my slow cooker quite often lately.  A perfect fit.

What was also a perfect fit was the lunch we had at a French bistro called Fig.

We both chose the Salmon with couscous, micro greens, and lemon chive beurre.  All I can say is that if I could master this salmon dish at home I would feel that I was a chef- worthy cook.  The salmon was so crispy on the top with a coarse salt finish and so tender and flaky inside that we both were in awe of the dish.

So it was a great day with sunshine and warm temperatures.  Check out Penny's blog for a glimpse of some of the shopping we did.

When Wednesday dawned with rain and cold temperatures, I thought it is time to make some comfort food from my new French slow cooker cookbook.  The choucroute garni sounded like the perfect recipe to try.

Bratwursts, kielbasa and smoked pork chops are all cooked in a white wine infused sauerkraut with potatoes,  carrots, onions and garlic cloves tucked in.  Choucroute Garni  is a dish from the Alsace region of France.  Because of its proximity to Germany, the food has Germanic links.  Pork and Sauerkraut are prevalent in many of its dishes.

It is best served with black bread, grainy mustard, horseradish and cornichons or sweet pickles.  This was a perfect recipe for the slow cooker.  You will need a large one.


CHOUCROUTE GARNI ( SAUSAGES WITH SAUERKRAUT)

2 pounds sauerkraut
6 medium waxy potatoes
1 large onion, sliced
3 large carrots,  peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
6 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
10 juniper berries, lightly crushed (could not find)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 whole cloves
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
6 cooked bratwursts (I sauteed them in a frying pan until browned and cooked through)
1 pound kielbasa, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 smoked pork chops (I used boneless and cut them in half)
1 cup dry white wine

Rinse the sauerkraut well in a colander under cool running water.  Squeeze the sauerkraut to remove the liquid.

Place half of the sauerkraut in a large slow cooker, separating the pieces with your fingers.  Add the potatoes, onion, garlic, juniper berries, caraway seeds, cloves, thyme and bay leaves.  Arrange the remaining sauerkraut on top.

Push the sausages and pork chops down into the sauerkraut.  Add the wine.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the potatoes are tender.  Mine took only 7 hours and I added a little more liquid half way through cooking.

Arrange the meats, sauerkraut, and potatoes and carrots on a large platter.  Discard the bay leaves.  Serve with black bread, grainy mustard cornichons and horseradish.   Serves 6 to 8.

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Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

One of the most popular blog posts I have ever had was my recipe for Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken.  I am still counting, but at last count it had received 20,000 hits on Pinterest and has garnered 66 comments on my post.  That tells me that there are many people out there who love their crock pots and enjoy recipes that require very little work.

This recipe for barbecued chicken falls into that category.  Ironically I found it on Pinterest, but  changed it somewhat to suit my taste.  I had a package of three large chicken breasts in the freezer.  I put them in my crock pot frozen, mixed up the sauce ingredients and cooked them on low for 6 hours.  We liked them but the flavor seemed a little intense to me.

One of the good things about the crock pot is that it turns any meat into a shreddable consistency.  By adding a little water or chicken broth to the shredded chicken I was able to achieve a most delicious BBQ chicken to serve on hamburger buns.  We enjoyed them for lunch several times.

I will be making this again in my crock pot.


CROCK POT BBQ CHICKEN

3 large chicken breasts (can be frozen)
1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1 tablespoon grainy mustard

Place chicken breasts in crock pot.  Mix together the sauce ingredients.  Pour over chicken.  Cook on low 4 to 6 hours, checking occasionally for doneness.  Remove chicken and shred.  If sauce is too thick add a little water or chicken broth to it.  Return chicken to sauce.  Spoon onto warmed hamburger buns and serve.

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Pierogies with Cabbage, Bacon and Onions

One of the items on our brunch buffet over Easter was a pierogi dish.  One of my commenters asked what pierogies were.   Pieorgies are filled dumplings with origins in Poland.  The filling is usually potatoes and cheese, but there are many possibilities for fillings.  My Daughter-In-Law Kristen got her pierogies frozen from The Fresh Market.  My Fresh Market did not have them, but Harris Teeter did have fresh ones in the Deli department.  You could also make your own.  I remember years ago going to a party where all Polish dishes were served and the hostess had made her own.  Epicurious has a recipe here.

I grew up with pierogies.  My Father's family was from Russia and there was also a large Polish population in our small town in Michigan.  But to be honest with you, I had not had them in years until Kristen served them at Easter.  So I was anxious to get home and try a recipe using them.  My "ever-reliable" Gourmet collection yielded up a terrific recipe.  What is more compatible than cabbage, bacon, potato dumplings and dill?  We enjoyed this simple, quick dish for dinner.  I am thinking about making them from scratch one of these days.

  


PIEROGIES WITH CABBAGE, BACON, AND ONIONS (adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

12 Fresh or Frozen Potato and Cheese Pierogies
1 tablespoons olive oil
6 bacon slices, chopped
1 onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 lb Savoy cabbage, halved, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill

If Pierogies are frozen,  parboil them in a pot of boiling salted water uncovered, stirring occasionally, 1 minute less than package instructions indicated.  Transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander to drain.  Pat dry.  If they a fresh proceed with the following instructions.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute  the pierogies, turning over once, until golden, about 4 minutes.  Transfer to a platter and keep warm loosely covered with foil.

Cook bacon in same skillet over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, then transfer to paper towels to drain.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then add the sliced onion and saute over moderately high heat, stirring until golden, about 8 minutes.  Reduce heat to moderate  , then stir in garlic, cabbage, water and salt and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer to platter with pierogies and sprinkle with bacon and dill.

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Easter Happenings

Spring is in full bloom and the Easter weekend was full of fun times.  Granddaughter Rachel and the neighbor kids enjoyed an early morning Easter egg hunt.

There were so many eggs that her basket was full.

Cameron will have to wait until next year to participate because he is still a little unsteady walking on his own.

But the older kids shared with him.

DIL Kristen made the most delicious Easter brunch for us.  The menu included Crispy Smoked Mozzarella with Honey and Figs, Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Bangers and Pierogies, Leek and Herb Frittata and Mixed Fruit Salad.  She got the bangers from the local meat market where they are made in house.  They were recommended to her by British friends who claimed them to be very authentic.

The Smoked Mozzerella with Honey and Figs was a fantastic recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis.  You can find the recipe here.

After all of that wonderful food, some of us worked it off jumping rope.  I wasn't one of them.  Hope everyone had a great weekend.  We certainly did.

Skillet Beef in Wine

Sorry about this picture.  It looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  Maybe a tad too much of the Hendry wine?  But seriously, when you photograph your food, you sometimes have to do it in a hurry because there are people waiting to eat.  There was little time for me to make adjustments.

There has been little time to do any serious cooking either.  That is why this quick stew of beef, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms is so reliable.   It cooks quickly because the beef is sirloin and doesn't require the slow braise that chuck usually needs.  It is just a matter of cubing your beef and vegetables, sauteeing them in batches and simmering the mixture in beef broth for about an hour, with a last minute infusion of flour and wine.  So easy.

It is nice to be home with my collection of copper pans again.  I have a history with them.  It is just a shame that I do not have the wall space to hang them like Julia.

Hendry Wines out of Napa Valley are some of our favorites.  When we visited there years ago we stayed at a bed and breakfast outside of St. Helena and the Innkeeper was a distributor for the small winery.  What fascinated us was that the winemaker at Hendry was both a farmer and a nuclear physicist.   We are fortunate that we have a generous family member who brings us Hendry Wines regularly.  In a blind wine tasting that we conducted last year, Hendry Wines won hands down in all catagories.

Enjoy.  We are off for a few days visiting the kids for Easter.


SKILLET BEEF IN WINE

1 1/2 pounds boneless sirloin steak
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 onion chopped
1 pound red potatoes cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 can low sodium beef broth
2 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup red wine

Cut steak into 1-inch cubes.  Coat a large nonsick skillet with 1 tablespoon oil and place over medium-high heat until hot.  Add steak cubes; cook 4 minutes or until steak loses its pink color and is browned on all sides.  Remove steak cubes from skillet, and drain well.

Recoat skillet with 1 tablespoon oil; place over medium-high heat until hot.  Add carrot, mushrooms, onion and potatoes; saute 5 mintues.  Return steak to skillet.  Add thyme, salt, pepper and beef broth; stir well.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Place flour in a small bowl; gradually add wine, blending with a whisk.  Add to steak mixture, and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring occasionally.


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Scallops with Parsley, Pistachio Pasta

Fresh scallop season is now officially over.  It runs from November through March.  But that did not stop me from buying some (previously frozen) scallops from The market last week.  Our Friday night dinner was a simple one of flour dusted scallops with angel hair pasta coated with a pesto made from parsley instead of basil and pistachios instead of pine nuts.

After a week of putting the cottage back together, it was a relief to cook something simple.  It's a shame that things will not just stay put together though.  The pollen is so heavy this year that I am heading back out to the porch today to clean and vacuum again.  Sigh.

At least we had a few leftovers for lunch over the weekend.  I think you will love this dish.  The scallops are sweet and the pasta is one that I could eat all by itself.  The lemon and parley accented freshness makes it feel light and decadent at the same time.  This is perfect for an easy meal for two.


SCALLOPS WITH PARLEY, PISTACHIO PASTA ( adapted from Cooking Light )

1 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pistachios
The zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound of sea scallops
1/4 cup flour
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups hot cooked angel hair pasta (about 4 ounces uncooked pasta)
Pasta water as needed

Place first 8 ingredients in a food processor, and process until mixture is smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.

Combine scallops, flour and salt in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake to coat.

Heat butter and oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add scallops and cook 3 minutes on each side or until done.

Combine parsley mixture and pasta in a large bowl. tossing gently.  Add a little pasta water if it is dry.  Arrange pasta on a platter and top with scallops.  2 servings with enough for leftovers.


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