We're Back

After an inclement and messy February where we lost lights, electricity, water and sleep, we have cookbooks books (and other books) piled high. I just need to clear Clementine off the computer and we will be back to our cookbook posts. After an entire year of posting everyday, we may just ease into it, but we still have more than enough cookbooks to keep going.

InterCourses

One of the most popular “aphrodisiac” cookbooks published in recent years was Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge’s InterCourses. InterCourses has its fill of scantily clad or un-clad models lounging about holding food, it has witty banter, but most importantly, it has actual recipes. Many books in this vein, give you vague recipes for shucked oysters, chocolate, caviar and little else.

InterCourses not only provides recipes for food, but also for massage oils. It gives you ideas on when to serve foods, how they will affect the body, even which foods to try with your particular sign of the zodiac.

The recipes offer up folklore pertaining to the recipes. According to a book on love potions by Josephine Addison, rosemary holds the key to a young girl’s dreams of her husband-to-be. January 21 is St. Agnes Eve. On that day, if a girl sleeps with rosemary under her pillow, she will dream of her future husband. Once she has the husband, rosemary becomes a symbol of fidelity.

Pasta with Rosemary Cream Sauce

1/2 pound penne pasta
1/8 cup fresh rosemary, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup tomato purée
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook the penne in water until al dente. In the meantime, sauté the rosemary in the oil in a saucepan over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the tomato purée. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes. Pour in the cream and Parmesan, stirring until heated through. Drain pasta and toss with cram sauce.

Whether you want to dream of a husband or keep yours faithful, try this pasta with the lovely infusion of rosemary.

The Bordello Cookbook

Jo Foxworth has written about women who run business, in fact, she has run her own business. This kind of research led her to think about some of the first business run by women. The fact is many of the first women-owned businesses were bordellos. Foxworth combined a history of these “houses of ill repute” with a collection of recipes that they just might have cooked in The Bordello Cookbook.

Unfortunately, I don’t know of anyone who has actually found a “cookbook” used at an official bordello, so Foxworth brought in Jeanne Bauer to help with the recipes that might have been served at such bordellos.

In many cities, the bordello was indeed a house. These houses served as a type pf gentleman’s club, providing a place to socialize, smoke cigars, grab a bite to eat, shower and shave and yes, have sex. The kitchens in many of these establishments provided food as readily as the women provided sex.


What would a bordello kitchen be without oysters?

Oyster Purses

1/2 pound thinly sliced cooked turkey
1/2 pound thinly sliced cooked ham
1 tablespoon, Dijon-style mustard
6 scallions, long green tops set aside, white part finely chopped
24-shucked oysters

Top each slice of turkey with a slice of ham, brush lightly with mustard, and scatter finely chopped scallions over the top. Place an oyster in the center of each, bring the sides up to form a purse. Tie each purse with a long green strip of scallion. Place the oysters in a glass dish and microwave on High for one minute, or until heated through.

Most bordellos didn’t have microwaves in the day, so I imagine these were just popped in the oven to warm up.

While we are not condoning visits to a bordello, we do endorse these easy to make appetizers.

The Seducer’s Cookbook

Ah, it’s that Valentine’s time of year…

Every drugstore, grocery store and gas station has little heart shaped boxes of candy and some past-its-prime rose in a plastic tube. I am of the opinion that when holiday supplies can be purchased at the 7-11, the holiday spirit has gotten out of hand.

This year, instead of a heart shaped box, try a cookbook or a nice steak. Frankly, nothing says love like a slab of beef.

Famous restaurant critic and cook, Mimi Sheraton wrote The Seducer’s Cookbook. I must say, there are quite a few garlicky, spicy, bean filled recipes in this book that I wouldn’t feed someone I was trying to romance. Cassoulet, pesto, hot dog in hot sauce, anchovies stuffed olives, do not a romantic evening make.

Sheraton suggests a picnic, which I think is totally romantic. Of course if you live in – anywhere in the Uniteds States these last few weeks, a picnic may seem out of the question. Still, Sheraton says,

“any woman who is out to turn a young man’s fancy would do well to master this pastoral art. Fortunately, even the most cautious of city-bred male finds it virtually impossible to resist the charms of a pretty girl with a basketful of food…”

Especially if that basket is filled with lobster.

Boiled Lobster

Since this is virtually all you are going to eat and salt air makes for hearty appetites, I’d suggest you take four 1-pound lobsters along with you. To cook them, plunge them head fist into a big potful of rapidly boiling salted water flavored with an onion, a stalk of celery with leaves, a slice of lemon, 3 or 4 peppercorns and a sprig of parsley. Cover and let the lobsters boil for about 15 minutes; turn off the flame and cool them in their cooking water.
Refrigerate until you are ready to pack them. Wrap in foil, place in insulated hamper, and do not split them until you are ready to eat.

Nicolas Chamfort wrote: The loves of most people are but the results of good dinner.

So boil up some lobster, and fall in love.

SNOVERLOAD

We have been stuck, stranded, bored, without electricity, Direct TV, internet, and sun shine.

But we are undaunted and will return.......

Barefoot In Paris

Guess which Barefoot Contessa is my favorite? Hard wasn't it? Yes, I love Paris. So following the Ina Garten around Paris while she cooks is about as much fun an one person can have when they are snowed in. Perhaps we could be having more fun if we were snowed in in Paris. With Ina...but I digress.

I have a theory about cooking. Anything you make will be greatly enhanced if you wrap it in puff pastry. It's my theory and I am sticking with it.

So there can be little doubt that this is one of my favorite recipes. I love spinach. It's good for you. It's even better for you with garlic and cheese. Now wrap it all up in puff pastry and it is magical. I know it sounds like spanakopita with puff pastry instead of filo, but we don't care. It's yummy.

Spinach in Puff Pastry

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cups onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic, (3 cloves)
2 (10-oz) boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1/3 cup scallions, chopped, white & green parts (2 scallions)
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. bread crumbs
2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted in refrigerator overnight
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat butter in sauté pan and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Meanwhile, squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a bowl. Add the onion mixture, scallions, Gruyere, Parmesan, eggs, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and pine nuts. Mix well.

Unfold one sheet of puff pastry and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the spinach mixture in the middle of the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the border with the egg wash. Roll out the 2nd sheet of pastry on a floured board until it’s an inch larger in each direction. Place the 2nd sheet of pastry over the spinach and seal the edges, crimping them with a fork. Brush the top with egg wash but don’t let it drip down the sides of the pastry won’t rise. Make three small slits in the pastry, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned. Transfer to a cutting board and serve hot.

This can be assembled a day in advance, refrigerated, and baked before serving.

But really, waiting a day to cook this is just plain crazy. Bake it immediately. Trust me.

Barefoot Contessa -- Back To Basics

You know me. I go to the bookshelves to look for something and then I become obsessed. So I went in search of this orzo recipe, knowing it was in a Barefoot Contessa. Then I pulled a bunch of them down, and now I am sharing them with you.

I admit, I cook a lot, so I am never really enamored of those "basics" books. Somehow I ended up with a copy of Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa --Back To Basics. If you don't know how to cook or just don't like to cook, but sometimes need to put food on the table, this book is for you. Even Garten's complicated recipes seem easy. Most recipes in the book I can cook without flinching, but as you know if you read Cookbook Of The Day, I am not the best fish cooker. So I was drawn to this recipe. It seems sole easy. I am going to give it a try.

Easy Sole Meuniere

½ cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 fresh sole fillets, 3 to 4 ounces each
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Have 2 heat-proof dinner plates ready.

Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large shallow plate. Pat the sole fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle one side with salt.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium heat until it starts to brown. Dredge 2 sole fillets in the seasoned flour on both sides and place them in the hot butter. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes. Turn carefully with a metal spatula and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. While the second side cooks, add ½ teaspoon of lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the pan.

Carefully put the fish fillets on the ovenproof plates and pour the sauce over them. Keep the cooked fillets warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining 2 fillets. When they’re done, add the cooked fillets to the plates in the oven. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.

Wouldn't this be really great if we dredged it in cornmeal and fired it!

Braefoot Contessa Parties!

It think orzo is one of the most overlooked pasta out there. Out there in the universe of pastaland? Wherever.
It cooks quickly. It is a great alternative to rice. It is great in soups. There is just so much one can make with it and yet it sits on the shelf, just waiting for someone to take it home.

One person who takes it home is The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. You may not believe me but I know will trust Ina. She has a lovely recipe for orzo and veggies. It is a great dish and one can manipulate it to your hearts desire. (Add squashes in summer, maybe a diced tomato, you pick.) Just remember to add the orzo. This is a suggestion from Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa Parties!

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orzo

For the dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pignolis, toasted
3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

All we are saying is give orzo a chance.

Brownies

Sometimes you start thinking about something and it just won’t let go. Since I was writing about brownies and since I talked about the lovely publishing firm of Ryland Peters & Small, it seems natural that another of their books should come up. It’s not hard to guess which one.

Brownies by Linda Collister is another fine book by of Ryland Peters & Small. Though there are not that many recipes, the ones that are in the book are fabulous. Collister is a master baker who makes her recipe accessible to home bakers.

If you like to have a little fruit with your brownies, this is the recipe for you. Here is all the goodness of big box of chocolate covered cherries in a classic brownie formula.

Black Forest Brownies

8 oz. good bittersweet chocolate
9 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
3 extra-large eggs
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons superfine sugar
2 Tablespoons Kirsch or juice from cherries in jar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 oz. good bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped or 2/3 cup chocolate chips
1 16 oz. can black cherries (6oz. drained weight)
confectioners' sugar, for dusting
7" X 11" brownie pan, greased and bottom line


Preheat oven to 350 F.
Break up the 8oz. chocolate and put it into a heatproof bowl. Add the butter and cream and set it over a saucepan of steaming water. Melt gently, stirring frequently. Remove from the pan and let cool until needed.

Break eggs into mixing bowl with electric mixer and whisk just until frothy. Add sugar and Kirsch (if using) and whisk until thick and mousse-like. Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture.

Sift flour into mixture and stir in. When thoroughly combined stir in the chocolate pieces. Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Gently drop cherries onto the top of the brownie mixture as evenly as possible.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove pan from oven.

Leave until cool before removing from pan and cutting into 24 pieces. Dusted with confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container and eat within 4 days.

Two things:

I never dust baked goods with powdered sugar. I just don’t like that layer of sweetness sprinkled over an already sweet pastry.

My cookbooks are gathered from many locations. This post and the one before it are good examples. Both books are published by Ryland Peters & Small, however, Edible Gifts is a British edition and Brownies is the U.S. edition. As we say, the recipes come directly from the book listed, so that is why one has grams and the other ounces.

Edible Gifts

I approach books about edible gifts the same way I approach picnic books. I buy them not so much for the recipes as any food can be a gift or a picnic, or even a picnic gift; I buy them to see how they are packaged.

Edible Gifts by Kay Fairfax is one of those slim volumes beautifully produced by the British firm Ryland Peters & Small. Their niche is to produce beautifully photographed books on a very specific subjects. They produce a series of food books are beautiful and small additions to any library. The major complaint about these books is the comprehensiveness of the recipes. Most of the recipe books linger between 25 and 50 recipes. A lot of people complain that there are just too few recipes, but in a book that is looking at Edible Gifts, truly the magic is in the photos.

I have recently been talking to several people about brownies. It is one of those serendipitous events where everyone you talk to, seems to be talking about the same thing. There was the over-cooked brownies in the convection oven, the blondies conversation, the discussion as to whether those “brownie pans” on the television really work, and my question, “When are they going to make a brownie pan that has NO edge?” as I like the chewy middle.

Here are some brownies that everyone should like, edges and all.

Brownies

170g butter
3 free range eggs
325g golden caster sugar
75g cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
75g plain flour, sifted
250g dark chocolate drops, or finely chopped if using a bar
150g nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)

Chocolate Cream

100ml double cream
125g dark chocolate drops, or finely chopped if using a bar

Cake tin, 28 x 18 x 1 cm, lined with baking parchment extending 5cm beyond the long ends.

Method

1. Melt the butter gently in a small saucepan

2. Put the eggs in a bowl, whisk lightly, then whisk in the sugar. stir in the melted butter, cocoa and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the flour, stir through the chocolate and the nuts if you are using them.

3. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake in a preheated oven (160c) for 25-30 mins. until just firm in the centre and still moist at the bottom.

Do not overcook the brownies, they are not meant to have the consistency of a cake and should be moist and gooey in the middle. They will dry out as they cool.

4. Remove from the oven and let stand, still in the tin, on a wire rack, until completely cool.

5. Using the overhanging paper, carefully lift the brownies out of the tin onto a flat board and peel off the paper. Dust with cocoa powder or cover with chocolate cream. Cut into squares.

Chocolate Cream

1. Put the cream in a saucepan and heat until; just simmering. Add the chocolate and stir till smooth and glossy. Cool in the fridge for about an hour till firm enough to spread over the brownies.

I’ll eat the middle if you eat the edges.