Menu 38 – Spring, At Last!!

Are we ALL singing Etta James by now, “At Last”??!?! Spring finally decided to show up and warm us from what was an endless winter season. I mean come on – opening day required beer, hot dogs, hats gloves and blankets. Enough is enough!

So…At Last.

There is a wonderful tree in front of my house that we watch bloom every year around this time. It’s like watching change in motion as the tree buds and grows leaves. The other night at dinner the kids and I watched a marvelous bird enjoying the breeze and the sun. I tried to replicate the bird here – so proud and happy.

Time to celebrate Spring with a dinner. Start with a Sparkling Paloma which is citrusy, so a nice “goodbye!” to winter when citrus is at its best and a refreshing way to ring in the new season. Next a biting bruschetta with radishes. I love radishes and these offer crisp radishes with capers all on top of crusty bread. You cannot go wrong – and they’re pretty. For the main it’s a slight hodge podge with grilled lamb chops – always so good – and a bright Lemon Spinach Orzotto. And to finish, have (almost summer) strawberries in this lovely compote, that you serve with orange almond shortbread.

Now THAT is how you ring in Spring. Enjoy it while it lasts!!

Tips and Notes
The cocktail: http://www.loveandlemons.com/sparkling-paloma/

Radishes my friend: http://frenchpressmemos.com/spring-tastes-like/

Grill some lamb chops. Very little seasoning. Salt pepper…

What is orzotto? Glad you asked: http://www.purewow.com/recipes/Lemon-and-Spinach-Orzotto

Save room for dessert…http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/orange-almond-shortbread-with-strawberry-compote

Menu 37 – It’s been a long week, and it’s only Tuesday

Sometimes you just don’t want to think about much. Sometimes what you really need is a simple meal that comes together like magic, and that warms the soul. Sometimes you want to focus on simple things like a wall of potted herbs that somehow look like a work of art. Today might be one of those days.

When I have those days, I often turn to cooking. The chopping process. The melding of ingredients. The process of creating something good for yourself. But it can’t be hard, and it shouldn’t require a lot of effort. For me, this means my mother’s spaghetti sauce. It’s mostly a pantry sauce. From the store you don’t need much – sausage, ground beef, an onion if you ran out. Everything else I tend to have around. From there it’s a memorized process, so simple and so satisfying. We should all have these types of recipes on hand – ordering out just isn’t the same. Make yourself something nice. Enjoy a simple task like chopping an onion. And then settle into your evening knowing you’ve treated yourself well that day.

Tips and Notes

Click on this Dino’s Sauce_2016 for my sauce recipe. It is really simple and, I think, delicious. It takes me back home and around our family table growing up.

On my drawn menu “garlic bread” got cut off – don’t let this happen to you. Mash garlic into butter, spread on bread. Toast until brown. Not much harder than that. Google around if you want something fancier.

Menu 36 – Host an Art Party!

SaveGourmet is an exciting project for numerous reasons. One of the most satisfying elements of this project has been working on a drawing every week. What to draw? How to represent a meal / a theme in an illustration? Once I figure out what to draw, I have to figure out how to draw it. I am (clearly) not a trained artist, so settling on drawing a crab, for example, means I actually have to figure out how one might draw a crab. For me, this process is fun, immersive and meditative.

The benefits of coloring are well documented. This week let’s take that a step further and pick up a pencil and actually draw something. Anything. A flower. Your computer. The mug on your desk. A sphere. For most of us, there comes a sad time in our lives when we eliminate drawing from our activity set, probably around 5^th or 6^th grade. My kids draw all the time. Why not adults? People say “oh I cannot draw” or “I am not an artist.” Who says! I challenge you right now to stop reading and draw whatever is sitting in front of you. Your phone, most likely (amiRIGHT?). Everyone draw an iPhone – take two minutes.

Back now? Wasn’t that fun! Is it terrible? Who CARES. You made something. The world now has you re-thinking your role in it – not just consumer, but creator.

Let’s not be defeatist. Let’s not assume crayons are just for kids. Make it easy – host a party, an art party, where you set up a still life and other random objects on a table. Lay out watercolors, crayons, pencils, erasers and markers. Send the kids out back to play (because that is what they do – play) and all of the adults sit around your table and draw for an hour. That’s right, an hour. It’s a little silly and nerve-wracking, so serve some cocktails to loosen everyone up but I guarantee people will surprise themselves.

And then, eat. Since we are making everyone think of themselves as artists, let’s make dinner a French theme (I know artists are from all over the world, but let’s give France a little shine – when I think of France, one of the top three things that comes to mind after Food and Wine is Art).

This is not a hard menu and, as is often my custom, it is best made ahead. Start with springy asparagus soup. Pretty, green, easy. Next, coq au vin over buttered noodles. Something of an old school dish – a classic and you can’t go wrong. Last, serve a wonderful raspberry tart. I have made this one several times and it’s delicious, and pretty with the green pistachios sprinkled over bright berries. Happy Spring and happy creating, friends!

(Below is an attempt at watercoloring and I have to tell you, it’s fun! I am not happy with how the bag turned out but I like the red flower, the wine bottle, the brushes and the brown frond on the right.)

Oh and if you want a quick read on art benefits, read this article http://jamesclear.com/make-more-art from James Clear. He says it better than I can and references medical studies backing this up. Then close your phone and pick up a pencil.

Tips and Notes

Take advantage of springtime asparagus: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/creamy-asparagus-soup.aspx

There are numerous coq au vin recipes online – this one is thoughtful and gives you step by step instructions. http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/02/how-to-makethe-best-coq-au-vin-chicken-braised-in-red-wine.html

This is a delicious and pretty tart (a work of art, one might say J). http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/raspberry-tart-with-a-pistachio-crust

And, a great art idea:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/everyones-painting-their-own-abstract-art-and-you-should-too-229632?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Category%2FChannel%3A+Main

Menu 35 – Easter Day

When your dad is an Episcopal priest, Easter is more than bunnies and chocolate. It’s about getting to church early so you can get a seat, and seeing parishioners you haven’t seen since the Christmas Eve service. It’s about looking serious while you prepare communion with your dad because you are an acolyte and this represents the body and blood of Christ (“for heaven’s sake stop that smirking”). It’s about wearing a spring dress on a cold April day so you bundle up with a winter coat and make the best of it. It’s about tulips lining the alter. There was one Sunday my mother got all commercial on us and we woke to bunny prints (powdered sugar!) all over the house which eventually led to a monumental basket of chocolates. That was a great day. But then, off to church.

It wasn’t all about bread, wine and hymns. Dinner was an event in our house. Usually ham. Often scalloped potatoes. A green vegetable. I don’t know if we had dessert. My mom isn’t big on desserts.

I almost never go to church now. This is for another blog post OVER HERE sometime. In short, Easter for me is another way to be present with family – kids and grandparents – and enjoy hunting for eggs together, making a meal together (definitely an expression of love and perhaps rising again) and coming together at a table. This year will be no exception. I have never hosted Easter, but if I did, I would make this menu. Lovely deviled quail eggs that are a cute surprise. A braised lamb dish that is (yay!) cooked ahead and dreamy – and comes alive with a bit of lemon. Serve with, as the recipe suggests, over fregola. It’s a day partly about bunnies so let’s make some delicious carrots. And then this cake – I’ve wanted to try this cake for a year. I even bought a special tart pan. Rhubarb is barely around and worth grabbing up. Happy Easter everyone, whatever that means to you and your family.

Tips and Notes

Eggs: http://www.dartagnan.com/deviled-quail-eggs-with-bacon-and-thyme-recipe.html

Lamb: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018017-braised-lamb-with-egg-and-lemon

Order Fregola: http://www.amazon.com/Rustichella-Abruzzo-Fregola-Sarda-17-5/dp/B000B38C6A

Carrots: http://www.marthastewart.com/863971/glazed-carrots-thyme

Cake: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/rhubarb-almond-cake

Menu 34 – Saint Patrick, You Old Dog

I get it – you were over-served. Someone spiked your green beer you spent the weekend hungover. You hate Ireland and vow to never ever chase leprechauns and pots of gold again (while consuming copious amounts of alcohol). St. Patrick’s Day went from a Christian holiday to, let’s say, a religious experience where you ended up worshipping the porcelain god.

Time to redeem yourself. Time to reconnect with all that is good and Irish and enjoy the wonders that come from that beautiful country. Friends, time for Traditional Full Irish Breakfast.

Yes, now that the green haze is wearing off, invite your ne’er do well friends over this Saturday for brunch and go back to the land. The Irish know how to start the day. Pretend you’re in an old Irish manor house and serve a Traditional Irish Breakfast. This breakfast is meant to last you through much of a long cold work day. It’s got several types of sausages, bacon, fried eggs, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and bread and ALL of the above (ex the beans) has been thoughtfully fried up in good old Irish butter. Procuring traditional white and black (i.e. BLOOD) pudding (sausage) might be hard – if you have time, order blood sausages online. If you skip that part and stick with regular pork sausage, I won’t tell. The beans – you can make your own or you can buy the canned version. Eggs are easy, fry them up preferably in the same pan you’ve fried up the meats and the mushrooms/tomatoes. Not a ton of cooking to be done here (you are recovering, after all) but I would urge you to try to make this low maintenance and delicious bread. The idea here is to eat enough to feel better about leprechauns. Wash all of that down with copious amounts of good dark tea, and begin to feel happy and lucky again.

Tips and Notes

Make this bread! http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2015/06/ballymaloe-irish-brown-bread-recipe/

HERE is a wonderfully descriptive breakfast cooking plan (though it doesn’t include beans but how hard is it to add them? Dump a can of beans on a pot and you’re good to go. Excellent hangover food). I might skip the Boxty as that seems like more cooking than I want to do, but that’s just me being not fully Irish.

ORDER White and Black Pudding.

Menu 33 – GO TERPS!

Let’s start with a congrats to 5^th seeded MARYLAND in the NCAA Tournament!! Actually I’m conflicted here since I didn’t go to Maryland (Georgetown! Oh but we didn’t make the tournament..) and I have family history in Kansas…but I’m partial to Maryland food, so here we go with a Maryland themed menu. Game one against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (jackrabbits? The ignominy) is Friday – you have tons of time to plan this…read on!

My Maryland History

One of the best memories I have of growing up is going to our church Annual Crab Cake Dinner. Crab cakes, green beans and something for dessert. I barely remember dessert because it was really all about the crab. From 1976 – 1999 my family lived in Hyattsville, Maryland. When we moved there from upstate New York I remember thinking how nice it would be to live in a place called “Mary – Land” and that I would probably be friends with Jimmy Carter’s daughter, being a neighbor to DC, you know.

Maryland is a lovely place to grow up. The state itself is remarkable – country, city, beaches, mountains. A little Northern and a little Southern…the best of both. This week host a Maryland Pot Luck (Marylanders like to share, so make your friends contribute to making this menu) and celebrate the state that is the birthplace of “The Star Spangled Banner”, where jousting is the official state sport, where school is closed if they PREDICT snow and where pizza is cut in squares!

This Maryland Menu…

You’re expecting a bushel of crabs? That would be awesome but obvious. We’re getting a little more creative here…do you know Maryland is also known for its fried chicken? Best food EVER. Maryland fried chicken is distinguished from other Southern fried chicken as rather than cooking the chicken in several inches of oil or shortening, the chicken is pan-fried in a heavy cast-iron skillet and covered after the initial browning so that the chicken steams as well as fries. Let’s give this a try. Don’t worry – of course we will start with crab and there will be a LOT of Old Bay.

As people arrive, have a few bowls of Old Bay seasoned popcorn around and serve a local beer. There are a number of good craft beers in Maryland, but if you aren’t there, have one from your own state. Then set out big trays of bite sized crab cakes (mostly crab, very little cake). Next, the fried chicken with gravy – and (hold on to your seats) Old Bay & Cheddar biscuits (OMG). We aren’t skimping on seasoning here (Maryland itself by the way has four true seasons). If you want to serve some greens right now like kale, cabbage and spices do so – you would be nodding to yet another Maryland specialty of stuffed ham (which seemed a little over the top even to me, but the greens would be nice here). And last but not least, have someone make Maryland’s Official State Cake (another thing that makes Maryland AMAZING – we have our own CAKE). Read about it HERE and then lick your fingers. You’re full of carbs, crab and Maryland goodness. Flop down on the couch in time for Terps v. the Jackrabbits, this Friday at 4:30PM EST, Hon!

Tips and Notes:

Old Bay Popcorn: http://www.abeautifulplate.com/old-bay-stove-top-popcorn/

Mini Crab Cakes – keep the recipe really simple: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/25964/maryland-style-crab-cake-recipe/

Fried Chicken and Gravy: Good method but absolutely add OLD Bay to the mix here, and cut your salt: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/01/maryland-fried-chicken-white-gravy-recipe.html

Amazing BISCUITS! http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cheddar-biscuits-with-old-bay-seasoning/0ab8660c-5ae7-4cb2-827a-00d53aedde06

Maryland’s Official State Cake: http://www.smithisland.org/cakerecipe.html

Maryland Fun Stuff:

Amusing Maryland Stereotypes: http://www.movoto.com/guide/md/maryland-stereotypes/
Fried Chicken – Maryland’s Eastern Shore home to Perdue. I probably won’t be buying Perdue but don’t let me discourage you.
Dumb Laws in Maryland: http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/united-states/maryland
Awesomely Pretty Places in Maryland: https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/washington-dc/15-most-beautiful-places-in-maryland
Maryland Loves Stuffed Ham: Stuffed ham is a variety of ham in which cabbage, kale, onions, spices and seasonings are chopped and mixed, then stuffed into deep slits slashed in a whole corned or smoked ham. Stuffed ham is believed to have originated in Southern Maryland, specifically in St. Mary’s County, and remains popular in that region to this day. Typically the ham has a distinctively spicy flavor due to added seasoning. http://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/05/travel/stuffed-ham-with-a-kick.html
18 Ways to Use Old Bay: http://www.buzzfeed.com/melissaharrison/ways-to-use-old-bay#.rc0XEK8px

Menu 32 – Scandinavian Night

In 1999 I did a bike trip through Denmark where the roads are flat, the people are pretty and the beer is awesome. I remember leaving Copenhagen and saying “I know I will be back.” What a wonderful colorful city. So when I asked my mom what she’d like for a menu, I was happily surprised to hear “How about a Scandinavian menu?” Excellent! It’s always good to please your mother. And it also gave me a chance to research new cuisines, and attempt to sketch a Danish port. What could be better.

My dad always wanted to be Scandinavian. He was half Finnish and kept grouping himself with the Scandinavians but really, that is a stretch. We also share a family rumor from my mother’s side that we have Viking roots (based on some hand issue my grandfather had that a random doctor in Arizona said had only been traced back to the Vikings…I know. Did the doctor quack when he said that?). Back to the food….

This is a simple menu with nods to Denmark, Sweden and Norway. I wanted to go fancier but my mother is the QUEEN of simple (except when it comes to popcorn toppings where she lets it all hang out), and since this is her menu, I thought I would oblige. If I dare say, it’s about as Scandinavian as you can get – pickled herring, delicious roast pork with cracklings (go Denmark with the cracklings), a new way to make potatoes (hasselback, accordion potatoes!), a cucumber dill salad and Sabayon Lingonberry Mousse. I chose simple dishes as I found those were very traditional and because I’m suggesting you make something that sounds and looks fancy “Sabayon!” but is actually pretty straightforward and must be made ahead. I just love the idea of this creamy, brandied mousse layered with pretty tart lingonberry jam. Go to Ikea and grab those lingonberries (Challenge! Try to get out of Ikea with JUST the lingonberries!). Then make everyone in your family research interesting facts about each Scandinavian country. See? I took care of your dinner, your dessert and your table talk.

Tips and Notes

To start: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/herring-in-mustard-sour-cream-on-rye-bread

The pork, thank you very much: http://sweetsoursavory.com/blog/2013/11/17/danish-pork-roast-flskesteg

It’s not summer but who cares. Maybe like age, summer can be a state of mind….http://www.outside-oslo.com/2013/06/21/cucumber-salad-for-your-scandinavian-midsummer-menu/

Potatoes http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-hasselback-potatoes-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-199763

The Pretty Pretty Dessert: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sabayon-lingonberry-mousse-109137

Menu 31 – Not an Oscar Menu

Geez you really want an Oscar menu? You’re having an Oscar party to see how Chris Rock handles the tone deaf lack of Oscar diversity? Well that’s the only reason I plan to watch too, so I can relate. I am not providing a full Oscar menu but here’s a suggestion: eat whatever you want as long as it’s diverse – since, you know – diversity is GOOD FOR US as a society and as individuals. We can’t survive on hummus alone. Mix it up and you’ll have a much healthier, richer and more interesting experience. Oh and start with a bubbly champagne cocktail.

We had a great dinner with my husband’s mother and her boyfriend a couple of weeks ago. It was cold as bones outside and right before Valentine’s Day. This is a lovely meal for four that can easily be expanded for a larger party.

Start with a simple hors d’oeuvre – maybe a bowl of marcona or smoked almonds and a cocktail. Nothing heavy. Nobody makes meatloaf anymore, so we made meatloaf and it was delicious. Ina has a great recipe from a place in the Hamptons – The 1770 House. It calls for beef, pork and veal. None of my local stores were selling veal so I left it at beef and pork and were none the worse for wear. It calls for a garlic sauce. This part needs work. It was somehow tasteless and took some gussying (a bouillon cube; more butter; a dash of Worcestershire). I would make that part again but next time I might start with a roux and homemade beef stock.

We’re going homey here – let’s make a blinged up Potato Celery Root Puree (when I think BLING I think CELERY ROOT). Ina Garten buried a ridiculously good potato/celery root puree within a scallop recipe – I’ve linked to it for you below. I followed it almost exactly (I added a little milk to the cream to just cover the vegetables). This can be made earlier and reheated.

And then we roasted broccoli. It’s really the best way to eat it. Just before serving grate some lemon zest on top and well, it’s just like mom used to make but better.

We weren’t skimping on dessert. I had a disc of holiday sugar cookie dough left in my freezer so made round sugar cookies, topped with royal icing (pink) and then decorated with hearts (red). They were delicious and GONE. I think you should do the exact same thing but decorate however you want. Serving homemade cookies never gets old.

Tips and Notes

Behold, meatloaf: http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?CookbookID=33

Ignore the scallop part, focus on potatoes and celery root here: http://www.weeknightgourmet.com/fish/shellfish/barefoot-contessas-seared-scallops/

Broccoli – start here but eliminate the lemon juice part. I find it gets bitter. Do everything else and then just toss some lemon zest on it before serving. http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_broccoli/

Best Sugar Cookie recipe: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/ultimate-sugar-cookies

Easy royal icing for your splendid cookies: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/the-most-royal-of-icings

My cookies:

P.S. Why the rooster? My mother-in-law has a thing for birds like this so I thought I would draw one.

P.P.S. Sneak preview for next week….my mom requested a Scandinavian menu….Ooohhh Challenge! Tune in later for that one…

Menu 30 – Apres Ski!

This menu is actually good après most cold weather activities…skiing, skating, shoveling. It’s make ahead, humble and filling. We’ve even got a nod to Quebec in here this week with a very rich, very simple dessert. Forget après…how about “anytime” is more like it.

When everyone is back and throwing their wet snow pants around, get the hot toddies going. We drink these all year round and definitely when we feel like we’re getting a cold. Best elixir ever. You can make the pot pie filling in advance and cut out your dough. If you get lazy (I might), substitute puff pastry which you can easily buy in the freezer section. Puff pastry makes everything better and always looks pretty. Beets. You know, I keep trying to like them. My family razzes me about this (“how can you not like beets!”) but these have a shot. Horseradish cream got me going. This dessert can be made in ramekins or in one larger pan. I would definitely opt to serve with cold heavy cream poured over. If that’s not your thing we can’t be friends.

Tips and Notes

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/apple-brandy-hot-toddies

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/10/pancetta-white-bean-and-swiss-chard-pot-pies/

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-beets-with-horseradish-cream

http://food52.com/recipes/416-pudding-chomeur

Menu 29 – What to Take a Friend Post Surgery

“I asked ‘Can I bring dinner?’ and within 30 seconds got a “YES” reply.”

This was the text my sister relayed to me when a friend of hers came home from surgery. So my sister hopped to and got right into planning her menu.

My sister is a really good friend. She’s full on in the “it takes a village” camp when it comes to child-rearing and being part of her community. Her first thought is “How can I help?” When I had my first child, she came up and stayed with me (non-maternal me) for a week and helped out. She was a god-send. She didn’t ask, she just unloaded the dishwasher, took out the trash, folded laundry. She held the baby – through all the crying. She is THAT friend. You want her in your ‘hood.

And you want her to cook for you when you come home from surgery and would kill for a home-cooked meal but can’t get it done yourself.

Don’t tell me when you look at this that it’s too much work. YOUR FRIEND JUST HAD SURGERY! And my sister – mother of two rambunctious boys; pregnant lady with an incoming girl; and a NICU nurse who works nights – managed to make all of this in about half a day for her friend (to rave reviews). So there. Stop complaining and be a good friend. On to the menu…

This is unapologetic comfort food. The ranch dressing doubles as crudité dip. Be sure to include paper plates and disposable flatware. Yeah yeah I get the environment issues but your friend just went under the knife – they don’t need to do any dishes.

DISCLAIMER: Reconsider menu if your friend has gastro issues. I don’t know what to do in that case. Maybe broth and a movie.

BONUS! You could also tuck in a bouquet of flowers or you can print this menu in black and white and let your friend have some Zen coloring time! DOWNLOAD here…Menu 29 – 2 11 2016 BW

Tips and Notes

The Pork Roast. Take in one piece to maintain juices. http://chefmommy-brandao.blogspot.com/2012/03/pork-tenderloin-with-pan-sauce.html

Hash Browns – so bad and so good. http://www.thechildatheartblog.com/cheesy-hash-brown-casserole/

Your own Ranch Dressing Mix. http://happymoneysaver.com/diy-copycat-homemade-hidden-valley-ranch-mix/

Guilty pleasure – Stouffer’s Escalloped Apples. Try this homemade version…http://my-extraordinary-life.blogspot.com/2010/02/escalloped-apples.html

Please, you don’t need a recipe for a Big Green Salad.

Dessert! Or Breakfast! Pound cake…http://www.chef-in-training.com/2014/05/lemon-blueberry-pound-cake/