Vieux Carré Cocktail

The Vieux Carré is a traditional cocktail that like many good things, was born in New Orleans. There are debates about exactly how to prepare the drink and the proper ratio of Rye to Cognac to sweet vermouth. One doesn’t want to stir it too much, and certainly do NOT shake it (oh no, no). It’s best to serve it over a very large ice cube (these large cubes are quite the rage in LA bars). I’m certain we could make them ourselves easily in some oversized ice tray. The big cube means the drink won’t get diluted nearly as much as the ice melts. The other option to reduce drink dilution is CONSUME YOUR DRINKS MORE QUICKLY, but with drinks this strong, that may be unwise… It’s worth saying a few words about Templeton Rye. When prohibition outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in 1920 some enterprising residents of a tiny town in Iowa created Templeton Rye, a quite high caliber whiskey that was at one point Al Capone’s whiskey of choice in his bootlegging empire. This small batch whiskey was finally produced legally beginning in 2006. Take a look at the Templeton Rye website for some great stories about American Prohibition, and some great drink recipes too.

Vieux Carré Cocktail (makes one cocktail)

• 1-oz Templeton Rye
• 1-oz Cognac Leyrat Fine VS
• 1-oz sweet vermouth
• .25 oz Benedictine liqueur
• 1 dash Peychaud’s bitters
• 1 dash Angostura bitters

Stir (do not shake). Pour over ice in a mixing glass and then strain into a cocktail glass to serve.

Share

The Bella Rose, a before-dinner cocktail loosely based on The Negroni

This is a variation of a drink I had at The Corner Door in Culver City, California. The Corner Door’s drink is called The King’s Assassin and is loosely based on the Negroni (gin, sweet vermouth and bitters – fondly referred to by many as the granddaddy of all before-dinner cocktails). The Corner Door uses Cocchi Americano in its drink, which – according to Serious Eats, is a slightly bitter version of Lillet Rose. You see originally Lillet Rose, a popular French aperitif that is used in many traditional cocktails, included quinine, which made it bitter tasting. Quinine was initially consumed to help prevent Malaria and over time people developed a taste for its bitterness and began to include it in cocktails of various types. In 1986 the French dropped the quinine in Lillet Rose and it became a smoother, less tart aperitif. In the last two years an Italian aperitif has surfaced that includes quinine and is, according to bartenders in the know, a near copy of the old formulation of Lillet Rose. The King’s Assassin includes gin, sweet vermouth, Salers, Cocchi Americano and Cointreau. My version uses Lillet Rose and a hint of simple syrup in addition to gin, dry (not sweet) vermouth, Salers and Cointreau, and although it has some of the same essence of The King’s Assassin, it is a smoother cocktail with far less bite and less acidity. It’s meant to be consumed before dinner, or with an appetizer course. It packs a pretty serious punch in terms of alcohol content. More than one of these and you won’t remember to have dinner.

Salers

The Bella Rose (makes two cocktails)

• 1 ½-oz gin
• 1-oz dry vermouth
• 1-oz Salers
• 1-oz Lillet Rose
• 1-oz Cointreau
• ½-oz simple syrup

Pour all of the ingredients over ice in a drink shaker. Shake hard. Strain and serve.

Share

Tomato Soup with Turkey Meatballs

This is a light tomato soup combined with turkey meatballs. Total comfort food, the combination is filling but not heavy. There are a number of ways to prepare meatballs. Two options are to fry or bake them and then add them to a sauce or soup. This soup relies on a third method – which I find the simplest and least time consuming, which is to drop the raw meatballs into simmering soup or sauce and allow them to cook through in the soup. For me this method appeals because, a. it generates fewer dishes to wash, b. it takes less time, c. it uses no added fat. Truth be told, I’m all about fewer dishes. I look at some recipes and think – “No way, not making that, too many dishes.” It’s a pet peeve I have with the cookbooks written by famous chefs. They not only assume we all have a team of sous-chefs in our kitchen ready to chop 17 different ingredients, but they also assume we’re willing to wash every bowl and knife we own, twice. No thanks. Anyway, I digress. Try this soup, it tastes great and you won’t have to wash more than a dish or two.

Tomato Soup with Turkey Meatballs (six servings, can be doubled)

Soup

• 1 large shallot, finely dice
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ lb raw Italian chicken or turkey sausage removed from casings
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 28-oz crushed tomatoes (I used fire roasted tomatoes)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Meatballs

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup finely chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan. Add the shallot, onion, red pepper flakes, and sausage and sauté for 10-12 minutes until the sausage is cooked all the way through. Add the wine, chicken stock, balsamic vinegar and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer 20-30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering make the meatballs. Blend together all of the meatball ingredients. This is easier to do when the meat isn’t exceptionally cold. Make sure everything is well integrated. Allow to sit while the soup finishes simmering.

Form meatballs with wet hands and drop into the simmering soup. Allow the soup to simmer an additional 20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with a piece of good crusty bread to dip into the soup.

Share

Spiced Red Lentil Soup

I’m on a domestic US flight thinking about how much airplane food has deteriorated over the years. It’s a sad, sad thing. Generally I’m organized enough that I pack us a healthy made-at-home lunch for whatever flight we happen to be on. I failed this time and all I can think about is how much I wish I had a nice hot bowl of soup. Good soup. Not the strangely salty, overly processed stuff that comes in a can – but a hearty bowl of something made with love in a home kitchen. This recipe comes from my dear friend Chef Anne. She hasn’t been hanging around this blog as much lately. We need to do something to rectify that. One of the things Chef Anne has taught me is the importance of adding spices twice to a soup like this one. She adds one set during the cooking process, and one set after all of the cooking is completed. The second set of spices add a brightness to the taste. It’s an excellent technique, one I keep meaning to try on my own (even without Chef Anne reminding me to do it).

Spiced Red Lentil Soup (makes ten servings)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion (red or yellow), chopped fine
• 2 small leeks, washed and sliced fine
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and then grated
• 2 teaspoons tumeric
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 4 teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup roasted red peppers (either fresh with skins removed or jarred and strained)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb red lentils, rinsed
• 10 cups broth – vegetable or chicken

Spices to finish:

• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Sauté the onion and leek in the oil on medium heat until soft and translucent, 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger, stir and cook 1 minute. Add spices, stir well, then add the vinegar and reduce the vinegar by half. Add the tomatoes, then the herbs and the lentils and stir to combine. Add broth, bring to a boil, then to a simmer. Add peppers. Continue to simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are very soft and falling apart, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly, then puree in small batches in a food processor, thinning with more broth if necessary. Season generously with salt and pepper. Put back in the pot, and then add the lemon juice and the finishing spices, to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro, parsley, chives, scallions, yogurt…

Share

Cilantro Feta Pesto Dressing

My latter born, now 11, has been cooking dinner on Tuesdays. He’s an adventurous eater and an adventurous cook. He created this pesto dressing to serve on top of grilled or baked fish. We served it on top of Tilapia (or what we thought was Tilapia – given all the press these days on misidentified fish, who knows what it really was…). We also served it on our green salad, and we steamed some broccoli and used this pesto as a dip for the broccoli. It’s pretty multi-functional stuff.

Cilantro Feta Pesto Dressing (makes 1½ cups of dressing)

• ¼ cup walnuts
• 1 small shallot, cut up
• 1 bunch cilantro (trim and discard tough last half inch of the stems and use the rest)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
• ¼ cup mayonnaise

Place the walnuts, shallots and cilantro at the bottom of your blender right on the blades. Add the lemon juice, salt, olive oil, feta and mayonnaise. Process until smooth. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Will last in the fridge for a week.

Share

Indian Cucumber Salad

I love cucumber salad in virtually any form. This simple cucumber salad recipe comes from my friend Asma, an excellent Indian cook, and a joy to watch in the kitchen. Asma can make six dishes in the same time it takes lesser cooks to make two. She tosses things together with such aplomb, at makes my happy chef heart skip a beat. This is a perfect side dish on a warm day, and makes a soothing addition to a lunch or dinner that is full of spicy Indian heat.

Indian Cucumber Salad (makes four side servings, can easily be doubled)

• 4 Persian cucumbers, finely chopped (do not peel)
• ½ white onion, finely diced
• ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ – 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1 cup full fat plain yogurt

In a medium-sized mixing bowl stir together all of the ingredients. Taste for salt. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro.

Share

Dill Ranch Dressing

I’m a big fan of making salad dressing in my blender. It has opened up a world of possibilities for me. It’s easy. You only have to wash the blender rather than washing mixing bowls and whisks and whatever all else. I like being able to add fresh herbs, or vegetables, or nuts, or cheese to dressings. After years of serving my family oil and vinegar dressing day and day out – I’m now the blender-salad-dressing Queen and we have something new and interesting every week. Rah!

Dill Ranch Dressing (makes 2 cups)

• 1 medium shallot, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup fresh dill
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup canola oil
• ½ cup buttermilk

Place the shallot, dill and lemon juice at the bottom of your blender. Process until smooth. Gradually add all of the other ingredients (I do this through the small top part of my blender and add the ingredients while the blender is going). You want to continue processing until the mixture is smooth. Keep in the refrigerator until just before you want to use it. It should last 7-10 days in the fridge. Serve over mixed greens or steamed broccoli or over poached salmon.

Share

Lemon Celery Vinaigrette

I need to say a few words (again) about most commercial salad dressings. They are 1. incredibly high profit margin items, 2. filled with all kinds of gums and thickeners that help them stay smooth, 3. loaded with sugar and salt, 4. not nearly as tasty as what you can make at home in ten minutes or less.  This is a terrific vinaigrette for an everyday dinner salad. It works well over quinoa (see recipe for Greek Style Quinoa Salad). I’ve used it with poached salmon to make a flaked salmon salad (like tuna salad, but a bit lighter). I’m sure you can come up with other uses as well. Let me know in the comments section if you think of something particularly unusual to do with this recipe (as long as it doesn’t involve illegal activity).

Lemon Celery Vinaigrette (makes 1 ¾ cups of dressing)

• 2-3 stalks celery
• 1 medium shallot, cut in quarters
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup EVO
• ½ cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

The Stern kitten tries to help with the photo shoot

Place the celery and shallot at the bottom of your blender. Add the lemon juice and process until smooth. Gradually add all of the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to ten days.

Share

Salsa Verde White Bean Chili With Chicken Sausage

I learned to add masa to chili from Ree Drumond, the Pioneer Woman, whose food blog is one of my favorites. She makes a traditional Southern Beef Chili with masa that I’ve made many times. I find masa cozy and comforting. This is a light chili made with chicken or turkey sausage and white beans. The addition of masa to this recipe smoothes out its edges. If you like more heat in your chili, double the Hatch chilies. This chili freezes well and tastes even better on the second day. A big thanks to Ree for introducing me to masa.

Salsa Verde White Bean Chili with Chicken Sausage (makes 8 servings)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ cups yellow onions, diced
• 2 leeks, cut lengthwise and then sliced
• One 4-oz can Hatch green mild chilies
• One 12-oz jar Salsa Verde (prefer Trader Joe’s brand)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (or white northern beans if you prefer)
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 pound raw mild turkey or chicken sausage
• ½ cup Masa (instant corn masa flour)
• 1 cup water

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the onions and the leeks and sauté until soft, 8-10 minutes. Add the white wine. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken stock, salsa verde and Hatch chilies. Allow to simmer 2 minutes. Add the beans. Continue simmering.

Using a pair of cooking scissors, cut the raw sausage into small bite-size pieces. Place in a non-stick skillet on medium heat and brown until cooked through. Add the cooked sausage to the chili and simmer 10 minutes.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the masa and the water. Slowly add the masa mixture to the chili. Continue to simmer 15 more minutes.

Serve with grated Mexican cheese and sour cream.

Share

Red Quinoa with Dried Fruit and Pecans

Mark & Stephen’s is a small batch LA-based business that focuses on salad dressings, jams and mustards. This is my second foray into developing recipes to go with Mark & Stephen’s excellent salad dressing offerings. Their Blood Orange Raspberry Vinaigrette is perfect. It’s a little bit sweet, but not too sweet and tastes fresh and clean – like fruit just picked out of one’s back garden. It works perfectly with a lightly sweet quinoa salad.

Red Quinoa with Mark & Stephen’s Vinaigrette

Red Quinoa with Dried Fruit, Pecans and Mark & Stephen’s Blood Orange Raspberry Vinaigrette (makes 6-8 side servings)

• 1 ½ cups red quinoa
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup dry toasted pecan pieces
• 1 cup dried wild blueberries
• 1 cup Vidalia onions, finely diced
• 1 cup dried apricots, finely diced
• ¾ cup Mark & Stephen’s Blood Orange and Raspberry Vinaigrette
• Blood Oranges or Cara Cara Oranges cut into 1/8ths for garnish
• 8 cups of Arugula

Rinse the dry quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. Put the three cups of water in a small saucepan that has a lid. Add the rinsed quinoa. Bring the water to a high simmer, stirring a few times. Turn down to low and cover. Simmer until the quinoa is just tender. You should see the white sprouts start to break out of the quinoa seeds. Drain the quinoa in your fine mesh sieve and set aside while you pull together your salad.

In a large mixing bowl toss together the pecans, wild blueberries, onions, and dried apricots. Add the quinoa. Toss gently. Add the salad dressing. Toss gently and then serve on top of a bed of arugula. Garnish with orange slices.

Share