Artichoke Dip

Artichoke Dip

This artichoke dip recipe is fast, elegant and easy and is a show stopper for any entertaining you might be planning.  The dish also travels well, making it easy to bring to a party or event to which you might be asked to bring a dish.  Whenever I have served this dish to guests, the plate, at the end, is always empty.

Serves 6 to 8
Note:  if serving more guests I have not had luck with doubling the recipe, you are better served making two batches.

1 8 1/2 oz. can or artichokes in water
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise

A Dash of each of the following ingrediants to taste:
Lemon Juice
Tabasco
Garlic Powder


Paprika - to sprinkle on top

I have found the easiest way to make the dip is in the Cuisinart but you may also make the dip in a mixing bowl as well.  The mixing bowl method does leave a different texture to the artichokes in the dish.

If using a Cuisinart:

Drain the water from the artichokes and place in the Cuisinart.  Add all ingredients (except paprika) and using the pulse button, blend all ingredients leaving a bit of texture.  As you pulse the ingredients, test for the final dashes of ingredients to taste, adding a bit more if you like.

If using a mixing bowl:

Drain the water from the artichokes and mash the hearts in a large mixing bowl.  Add the mayonnaise and mix the ingredients together.  Add the parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly.  Add the dashes of lemon, Tabasco and garlic powder to taste.

Final step for both methods:

Place the mixture into a medium casserole dish and sprinkle the paprika on top.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

I have found the best way to serve the artichoke dip is with thinly sliced french bread slices, but your favorite cracker is also an option.

Wine:  Best served with an oaky, California Chardonnay or an Alsacian Pinot Blanc
Bon Appetite

Dedicated, with love, to Mom

Rack of Lamb

This is a delicious, fast and very easy way to produce an extraordinarily elegant rack of lamb. 

1 Frenched Cut Rack of Lamb
1 to 1 ½ cup breadcrumbs
Dijon Mustard
1 or 2 cloves of Garlic
2 teaspoons Herbs of Provence (rosemary, thyme and other herbs work as well)
A small handful of curly leaf Parsley
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Smear the outside of the lamb with Dijon mustard and sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a baking pan. Cook at 500 degrees for 10 minutes. Pull out the pan and reduce the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the garlic, Herbs of Provence and parsley. Once mixed pour in a bit of olive oil so that the breadcrumbs stick together when pressed between you fingers. Coat the outside of the rack of lamb with the breadcrumb mixture and a few pads of butter on top and return it to the oven for approximately 20 minutes. The meat temperature should get to 140 degrees.

Once it is done pull out and rest in aluminum foil for 5 minutes then serve.

Bon Appetit

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Gazpacho

Gazpacho

There are many different kinds of tomatoes and they are very important to making great tasting Gazpacho. If you have access to heirloom tomatoes they are worth the extra price you pay. For a beautifully red colored Gazpacho chose heirloom tomatoes that have a deep rich color.

If you grow your own tomatoes the Brandywine variety is also wonderful for Gazpacho.

Serves 6 to 8

3 1/2 to 4 pounds of tomatoes - cored, peeled and seeded

1 plus a 1/2 large red onion

1 large green pepper

2 garlic cloves chopped

4 tablespoons of olive oil

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar - We prefer Heinz red wine vinegar if you can find it.

4 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lime juice

A large hand full of cilantro leaves

salt & pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the tomatoes for 15 to 30 seconds. Remove the tomatoes to gently peel off the skin. Cut out the stem of the tomato and cut the tomato to remove the seeds. Place in the Cuisinart.

Chop slightly the red onion and green pepper and add to the tomatoes. Chop the garlic and add along with all remaining ingredients to the Cuisinart.

Pulse the Cuisinart to mix all ingredients, don't let it get too fine, keep significant texture to the Gazpacho.

Chill the Gazpacho and serve.  For an elegant appearance try serving Gazpacho in martini glasses.

Recommended Wine to Serve:   Sauvignon Blanc  
Also sometimes know as Fume Blanc in the California Wine Region.

Bon Appetit

Printable Recipe

Favorite Tools for Making Gazpacho

Homemade Pasta 101

Homemade Pasta 101

There is nothing like the taste of your own homemade pasta.  The pasta is more delicate in flavor and seems to almost melt in your mouth.  The recipe that follows is light and uses both the egg yolks and whites keeping the pasta delicate and light in color.  For a more robust pasta many cooks will add additional egg yokes.  In Italy, quite some time ago, a family serving a pasta dinner was judged by the color of their pasta, the yellower the pasta, the more egg yokes used, indicating a wealthy household because of the cost of eggs.  
The homemade pasta recipe that follows is suitable for a variety of dishes.  We use it for everything from a side dish of Fettuccine Alfredo to a main dish of Smoked Salmon Fettuccine.  You will be surprised how easy it is to make and how wonderful the homemade pasta tastes.

Serves 6 to 8 (depending on if used as a main course or side dish)

Makes approximately 1 1/2 pounds of pasta

2 cups flour
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 tablespoons water

In the Cuisinart add the flour, eggs and salt plus 1 tablespoon of water.  Mix all ingredients in the Cuisinart until the dough forms a ball.  If the dough does not form a ball after a minute or so add a bit more water until it does form a ball. 
The pasta dough may need a bit more water if the temperature is lower and your kitchen is drier.  The dough should be slightly sticky to the touch. 

Remove the dough to a lightly floured cutting board and with your hands form into a large ball. 
Do not over knead the dough.  Once in a large ball separate the ball into two equal sections as seen in the photo below.  Wrap the dough sections in plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes. 

Note:  we use a kitchen aid electric mixture attachment but you can also create the pasta with a manual pasta roller, see below.

Remove the dough from the plastic and sightly flatten to approximately 1/2 inch thick.  Place in the top of the pasta maker and roll through at setting 1.  The setting applies to both an electric and manual pasta roller. 

Once through the first roll in the pasta machine, place the pasta back on the cutting board and fold the pasta as seen below.  Repeat the process, two or if needed three times, to remove all the air bubbles from the pasta.  If the pasta feels very sticky rub a bit of flour on the pasta with your hands after laying on the cutting board.

Step One: lay pasta across a lightly floured cutting board

Step Two: Fold in one third of the pasta

Step Three: Fold in the last third of the pasta and run again through the machine

Step Four:  After one or two times of folding the pasta and running through the machine to remove the air bubbles move to flattening out the pasta.  Keep moving the dial on your electric or manual pasta machine thinner (dial 2 through 6) to roll out the pasta.  

We use a pasta tree as seen, to house the pasta, it is not necessary, but extremely helpful when working with pasta.

Next, change the attachment to a cutting attachment for the finished noodles.  Please note we are featuring fettuccine for this demonstration but you can also use this homemade pasta recipe for spaghetti, ravioli and many other pasta recipes.

Once you have cut the pasta into the desired shape you are ready to cook the pasta. 

Note:  both electric and manual pasta machines have settings to create flat pasta for ravioli, lasagna and most of the cut noodles for spaghetti and fettuccine.

Place your homemade pasta in boiling water and cook for 3 minutes and serve according to your recipe or taste.

Bon Appetit

Printable Recipe

Favorite Tools for Making Homemade Pasta

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp


There is a great variety of apples to cook with these days including, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, McIntosh.  For this apple crisp recipe we prefer McIntosh apples for their sweetness but it is delicious with other apples as well.

When making this recipe over the years we have discovered a particular fondness for using Mount Gay Rum, a light dark rum that adds richness but again as with the apples feel free to use your favorite.

The same is true for pan size.  We have tried many and have landed on a few favorites for the Apple Crisp, the first is a wider, longer dish, a 10 x 6 x 2 inch or 12 1/2 inch square Le Creuset baking pan and the other a round 8 x 3 souffle pan.  The wider and longer baking pans create more space for the topping to spread out and the souffle baking dish allows for a thicker top crust.  We like both styles and so we recommend trying both to see which is your favorite way to make apple crisp.  When using the souffle pan we add one additional cup of apple to the recipe below to fill the baking dish. 

Note:  One apple peeled, cored and sliced is approximately one cup.  Add more if you wish depending on the size of the pan used.


Serves 8

 4 cups to 5 cups (depending on pan size) of McIntosh Apples
 1 cup sugar
 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus a tablespoon to butter the pan
 3/4 cup flour
 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon rum
 1 teaspoon cinnamon
 1 teaspoon nutmeg
 1/2 teaspoon salt

Bring the butter to room temperature. 
In a medium bowl combine the flour, sugar and butter with a pastry cutter until it has a consistency slightly larger than corn meal, allowing for some small chunks to remain and set aside.
 

Butter the baking dish on the bottom and sides and set aside.   Peel, core and slice the apples and place in the buttered pan. 

Sprinkle the apples with the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Pour in the rum and then sprinkle the flour, sugar and butter mixture over the top of the apples.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes and remove.  Set the oven on broil and broil for a few minutes until the top is golden brown.
 
 

Serve either warm from the oven or at room temperature. 

Additional options for serving, add ice cream or whipped cream to the side if so desired.


Bon Appetit

Printable Recipe


Favorite Tools for Making Apple Crisp 

Roasted Red Pepper & Eggplant Soup

Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Soup

This is a fabulous soup and easy to make with wonderful rich and exotic flavors.  Delicious hot or cold. 
Roasting peppers enhances the flavor of the pepper and is extremely easy to do.  For this recipe we are roasting red peppers but you can roast almost any kind of pepper to enhance the flavors. 

Take care when roasting hot peppers as the oil and juices from those peppers may cause skin irritation. It is best to wear gloves and use tongs when roasting any kind of hot pepper such as a jalapeno pepper.

Roasted red peppers are a delight on their own or may be added to sandwiches, omelets or many of your favorite dishes.  You may also store roasted red peppers in the refrigerator, covered in oil to add to your other favorites.

Serves 6 to 8


5 red peppers
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium eggplant-cut into bite size pieces
1 large onion-chopped
2 carrots-peeled and sliced
6 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
sour cream-optional

Roast red peppers over your gas burner on high heat, on the grill or in the oven under the broiler on a sheet pan until blackened.  If you roast the peppers on a gas burner place the pepper directly on the burner to char.  Using tongs, continue to rotate the pepper as each side blackens.


To assist the peeling of the blackened red peppers, place in a plastic bag for 10 minutes.

Remove from the plastic bag and peel under running cold water and the peppers will peel easily.

Once the skin is removed, slice the peppers into slim slices and remove the seeds and stem.

Melt the butter in a large soup pot and saute the onion, carrots, and eggplant until they are
softened, 10-15 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer 15 minutes.
Add the red pepper slices and simmer an additional 15 minutes. Add seasoning.
Puree the soup in either a blender or food processor.  An immersion blender is also an easy way to puree many of your soup recipes and makes clean-up a breeze.

 Top with a dollop of Sour cream.

This Soup can be served either hot or cold

Bon Appetit

Printable Recipe

Recommended Wine to Serve: Zinfandel, red or white

Favorite Tools for Making Roasted Red Pepper & Eggplant Soup