Daily Archives: May 23, 2014

Cooking with Rosemary

As the weather cools and my herb garden fades, I still know that my favorite herb will still be available in my garden. My little rosemary bush is the first to planted in the spring and is the last to leave me in early winter. I have it planted near my kitchen door so that I can just dash outside with my scissor to grab a few sprigs while cooking. Towards late afternoon on the weekends, I like to prepare for guests a little snack to go along with a great glass of wine and watch the sunset over the water. So this time of year, when I am planning these snacks, I tend to use rosemary since it’s still available in the garden. I love the scent and taste of rosemary it evokes a combination of both the forest and the sea, much like the surroundings of my house. Fresh rosemary, which is my preference , looks similar to pine needles and when you chop the needles, the fragrance that is released is intoxicating! For the snacks start by getting some store bought olives, add rosemary, a squeeze of lemon juice and some small wedges of cut lemon, last drizzle with a little olive oil and the olives become much more special! The other snacks I’ve made with rosemary are each delicious and quite different, one is roasted almonds, the next is a crostini using crushed cannelini beans on toasts and the last is a savory cracker. Each is a perfect compliment to wine. Let’s raise a glass together to cheer for rosemary!

From by the bay, wishing you rosemary scented food memories!

Maryann

Roasted Rosemary Almonds

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups raw whole blanched almonds

Additional coarse sea salt to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Heat olive oil in sauté pan add rosemary, salt, cayenne pepper and cook until fragrant – approximately 1 min.

Add almonds and coat and keep in the pan for another minute or two. Remove from heat and place on baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven, sprinkle with additional coarse sea salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Variation: Roasted Pecans

This will taste completely different but just as delicious. Using blanched almonds as they roast the almonds will fry in the oil.

Replace 2 cups almonds with 2 cups raw whole pecans.

Rosemary Mashed Beans on Chili Toast

Serves 4

1 15.5 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

4 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese

Directions

In small pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the rosemary when fragrant approximately 30 seconds, add cannellini beans and sauté for approximately 5-6 minutes, mashing beans with the bottom of a wood spoon. Combine beans with red wine vinegar, grated pecorino cheese and remaining olive oil to loosen mixture slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place bean mixture on top of toast. Serve.

Chili Toast

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon chili flakes

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

4 slices ciabiatta bread

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place bread on nonstick baking sheet, brush with olive oil and sprinkle the chili flakes and salt over the bread. Bake until golden brown approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Rosemary Pecan and Parmesan Cheese Coins

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup pecan flour

4 ounces unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened

1 tablespoon creme fraiche

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon fine grey sea salt

1 tablespoon rosemary, minced

1 to 2 tablespoons water

Directions

Pulse all ingredients except water in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of water.

Form dough by squeezing with hands, adding more water if necessary. Form dough into two logs approximately 1 inch in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut dough into 1/8 inch slices and place on baking sheets unlined. Place baking sheets in oven one on top rack and one on bottom shelf. Bake for 20 minutes in total until golden brown. Half way through switch baking sheets in the oven. Remove from oven and cool. Serve with wine or cocktails.

Napa Memories – Celebrating the Grape Harvest with Food

It’s end of September and time for the grape harvest and crush. It’s time to celebrate the harvest especially for wine lovers. But there is way to engage those who don’t have a passion for wine and still celebrate the harvest, simply cook with grapes. I find that outside a fruit salad it’s not often you find grapes in your food. When I was a buyer at Saks Fifth Avenue , I had the good fortune to work in Florence several times a year. No matter what time of the year I went, I was always looking forward to some seasonal food that would be available. It’s how I would bench mark my trips. Each morning I would walk from the hotel to the buying office. Along the way, I would pass many pasticceria shops and in the fall they would all have grape schiacciata. Many days when I arrived to the office, I would be asking about how to prepare something from dinner the previous evening or did they have a recipe for something I had just seen in the pasticceria shop. My first recipe is a verison of the grape schiacciata shared with me from one of those trips. Another recipe is a twist on a another classic dish from Tuscany called salisicca all’ uva – sausage and grapes. Instead of pan frying , I am roasting them in the oven along with onion, rosemary, thyme and balsamic vinegar. Terrific for dinner with mashed potatoes or for breakfast along with some great country bread. Give these recipes a try and celebrate!

From by the bay, wishing you grape filled food memories! Maryann Grape Breakfast Schiacciata

Serves 8

Dough

3 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 package instant yeast

1 tablespoon fine sea salt

1 tablespoon fine sugar, plus extra for topping

1 ¼ cup warm water (110F)

2 tablespoons olive oil,

Cooking oil spray for bowl and baking sheet

Topping

1 cup red grapes, halfed

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Mix the flour, yeast and 1 tablespoon salt in a food processor. With motor running add warm water to make a soft dough that forms a ball. If the dough is a little too sticky add a little more flour, too dry add a little water. Process another minute until smooth. Place in an oiled bowl and shape into a ball. Cover with a damp towel leave to rise at room temperature for an hour. The dough should be double in size. Punch the dough down. Take a non stick rimmed cooking sheet 9” x 13”. Spray sheet lightly with cooking oil and spread dough out to the size of the pan. Cover with damp dishtowel and let rise again for 30 minutes. Preheat over to 425 degrees F. Make bread topping by combining all ingredients. Take a brush and spread the oil from fruit mixture all over the top them add the fruit, pressing into the dough. Finally, sprinkle additional sugar on the top of the dough. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a board to serve either hot or at room temperature.

Roasted Sausages and Grapes with Herbs Serves 4 1 1/2 pounds sweet sausage 3 cups seedless red seedless grapes 1 bay leave 2 sprigs rosemary 2 sprigs thyme 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar seas salt and freshly ground pepper Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a baking dish add the sausage , grapes and garlic in a a baking dish in a single layer. Add the rosemary, thyme and bay leave , then drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top. Season with salt and pepper. Toss all together and then place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove baking dish and turn sausages and place back in the oven for another 15 minutes, until the sausages are browned and cooked and grapes and onions so soft. Remove from oven and serve with bread or mashed potatoes.

Apple Streusel Muffins

Apple Streusel Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Muffin batter

1 ½ cups flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup fine sugar

¾ cup buttermilk

1 egg

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup apple, pared and chopped

Streusel Topping

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

In a small bowl place all ingredients for the streusel topping, combine and set aside. In another bowl mix together sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In another bowl add buttermilk and one egg beaten. Combine wet ingredients and add to the dry ingredients in the other bowl. Mix until incorporated and add melted butter and apple. Mix again. Take a lined 12 muffin tin and fill each muffin tin to 1/3 with batter. Top the batter for the 12 muffins with ½ of the streusel topping. Put remaining batter into each tin and then finally top with the remaining streusel topping. Bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for 35 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on rack.

Mom’s Red Clam Sauce

My sister Nancy decided this was the weekend for elective surgery on her elbow. I had some time off and could help take care of her. My mom also offered to take care of her little girl. The surgery went well and the recovery was moving along. I thought I would make the most of a weekend shut in by taking the opportunity to cook with Mom one of our favorite comfort food sauces – red clam sauce. This was a sauce which both my mom and grandmother would cook for the family. My mom’s parents were both from Greece. They loved cooking seafood. When they settled in the United States it was in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn so that they could be close to the water. My grandfather was a sailor in his youth, he traveled often to the ports of both Italy and Greece and this is where he learnt to cook. This recipe is from the days of his youth on a carrier ship. Once my grandfather settled with his family in Brooklyn he would go down to the docks for clams and bring them home to be prepared. My grandmother would put up a big pot of this red clam sauce for their large family and their frequent visitors. By the time my mom was making the sauce, she opted for going to the fishmonger to buy shucked clams. Thankfully, this is how I’m preparing the sauce this weekend. Mom and I enjoyed out time discussing the recipe and making it. Perhaps even more important was how wonderful it was to be flooded with happy and loving memories that just tasting this sauce brought back to all three of us!

From by the bay, wishing you the happiest of food memories!

Maryann

Red Clam Sauce

Serves 6

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 bottle clam juice

2 cups water

3 springs fresh thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 pound shucked and chopped clams

1 dozen littleneck clams, cleaned

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

In a large pot heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. To the onion add tomato paste and mix well. Add the tomatoes, water, clam juice, fresh thyme , dried thyme, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil , reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes partially covered. Stir the sauce occasionally as it simmers. After the 30 minutes add the cleaned littleneck clams to the sauce and cook until opened. In the meantime, in a skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the chopped clams cooking a few minutes. Add the cooked clams and juices into the sauce. Simmer a few more minutes , taste and if needed add the sea salt and the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Serve with cooked linguine, spaghetti or bucatini immediately.

Enjoy!

Mixed Greens with Apples, Candied Pecans and Honey Vinaigrette

It’s post Labor Day and as summer transitions into fall, I eagerly welcome the apple season. I love apples! I started picking apples in my grandparents orchard, small though it was. They grew McIntosh apples. As a young adult, I went apple picking on a date. The date was ok, but the apple picking was fantastic. That was when I discovered that there were so many more varieties of apples beyond the simple, yet classic McIntosh. I loved strolling through the enormous orchard testing varieties from tree to tree before deciding where to spend my time picking. So many varieties, Cortland, Empire, Macoun, Granny Smith, Winesap, Red Delicious, Honeycrisp the names go on. All are great for eating, currently my favorite is Honeycrisp. For cooking it depends on the recipe, however, Granny Smith is still one of the best all round cooking apples. I thought I would kick off our apple season together with a few recipes featuring apples. The first recipe is a salad that balances between sweet and tart as well as soft and crunchy. Apples may not be the first ingredient you think of when making salad , but it will be once you eat this salad. The second recipe is hard to resist, it’s apple muffins with a streusel topping, the aroma on a cool autumn morning is intoxicating! So go head fall in love!

From by the bay wishing you crisp food memories!

Maryann

P.S Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss new recipes, also follow us on facebook!

Mixed Greens with Apples, Candied Pecans and Honey Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Dressing:

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon prepared mustard

Salad:

4 cups mixed greens

¼ cup manchego cheese, shaved

1 apple

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¼ cup candied pecans

Directions

To make dressing combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake. Keep to the side until ready to use. Shake before pouring onto salad.

Slice apple with skin on and place in bowl with lemon juice and mix to coat apples. To make salad combine all ingredients except cheese in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Top with shaved manchego cheese.

Candied Pecan

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

2 cups pecans

½ cup light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 225 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine egg white and water in mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy. Fold in pecans to coat evenly. Combine the sugar and salt and sprinkle over the pecans. Spread the nuts evenly onto the baking sheet and bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven , cool and store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Enjoying Corn Two Ways :Fresh Corn Pesto with Tagliatelle and Fresh Corn and Zucchini Salad

It’s the beginning of September , Labor Day is this weekend and it’s time to take advantage of the abundance of fresh corn that is still available. Here are two more recipes to try this weekend. Both of these recipes are tasty ways to think of fresh corn beyond eating on the cob. The first recipe is for cooked corn with a fresh zucchini dressing to create a lovely side dish that would compliment any main course. The second recipe features corn as the main event by creating a corn pesto to use on pasta. Using corn as the base of the pesto makes a sauce that is creamy in texture and very delicious! So run out this weekend, buy some corn and give a try to these recipes . Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

From by the bay, wishing you bright and fresh food memories!

Maryann

Fresh Corn and Zucchini Salad

Serves 6

8 ears of corn, cooked

1/4 cup mint

1/4 cup chives, chopped

1 1/2 cup zucchini or summer squash, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Cut corn off off the cob and place in a bowl. Add to a food processor mint, chives, zucchini, lemon juice , salt and pepper and blend. Slowly add the olive oil and continue to blend to a smooth consistency. Pour dressing on top of corn and mix well. Serve at room temperature.

Fresh Corn Pesto with Tagliatelle

Serves 4

6 ears of fresh corn

6 slices bacon

1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup basil leaves

1 tablespoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

12 ounces tagliatelle

Directions

In a frying pan cook bacon until crisp, drain and place to the side. While bacon is cooking cut the corn off the cob. Once the bacon is done cooking, keep 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat from bacon and place frying pan back onto a medium heat and saute the corn for 2-3 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and let cool. Take half of the corn and place into a food processor along with the pecans, remaining olive oil, cheese, basil and salt and pepper and blend until it’s a creamy consistency. Cook pasta as directed, before straining take 1 cup of hot pasta water and place to the side. Place the strained pasta into a bowl, top with the corn mixture, remaining whole corn kernels and 1/2 the pasta water. Mix well. You are looking for a creamy sauce that covers the pasta well, , add more water if needed. Sprinkle the top with crumbled cooked bacon and more parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Cooking with Red Hot Chili Peppers

The other day I ran into a friend Eva who offered me some hot chili peppers from her garden. She and her husband Al had a large harvest of hot peppers, too many for them to use. I , of course, jumped at the chance to spend a weekend cooking and experimenting with an ingredient. When the peppers arrived, I was thrilled to have a big bowl of color in my kitchen: all that red, green, orange and yellow. The first thing I quickly tried was a red chili mayonnaise that I planned to use with grilled shrimp as a main course or appetizer. I also thought that the red chili mayonnaise would be terrific to make panini’s -a fun twist on a ham and cheese. My next recipe I decided to adapt my grandmother’s beef goulash recipe and make a pork goulash, using cubes of pork with peppers and onions for a fiery dish. This meal started with a crostini of toasted bread and fresh ricotta cheese, topped with fresh chopped red chilis, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with some coarse sea salt. I wish I had a bowl of chili peppers in my kitchen every weekend and you will too when you try some of these recipes.

From by the bay wishing you the hottest of food memories!

Maryann

Word of caution when cooking with chili peppers: I suggest using disposable latex gloves especially if you have sensitive skin, like I do. I also wear contacts and trust me you don’t want to place you fingers anywhere near your eyes after handling fiery peppers! The heat of the chili comes from the seeds and the membrane inside the pepper, so to control the amount of heat in your dish, I suggest removing all seeds and membranes.

Red Chili Mayonnaise

1 cup store bought mayonnaise

3 small red chilies, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend well.

Chili Ham and Cheese Panini

Serves 1

2 slices sourdough bread

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon red chili mayonnaise

3 slices virginia ham

2 slices gruyere cheese

2 slices dill pickle toppers

Heat panini press or skillet. Butter two slices of bread. Buttered sides are the outside of the sandwich. On one side of bread – not buttered spread the chili mayonnaise, add the ham , then cheese and pickles. Top with the other slice of bread , press down and then toast until cheese is melted and bread browned. Serve immediately.

Chili Pepper and Pork Goulash

Serves 4-6

3 pounds cubed pork stew meat

4 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

4 cups onions finely chopped

6 medium size assorted chili peppers without seeds and membranes, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

4 cups chicken stock

1 jar 12 ounces of roasted red and yellow sweet peppers

Zest of 1 lemon

Directions

Mix flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a sealed plastic bag. Add pork cubes into bag and coated with flour mixture. In a large Dutch oven heat olive oil. Sauté floured pork cubes until browned. Remove browned meat into bowl and place aside. Add remaining olive oil to pan and sauté the onions with chili peppers until softened. Add the caraway seed, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. Sauté until fragrant about one minute. Add the tomatoe paste. Deglaze with the vinegar and stock , then add the meat and roasted peppers. Bring to a boil, then lower heat , cover and simmer until very tender, approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove from heat add lemon zest and serve with noodles or rice.

Chocolate Crumb Cake

Chocolate Crumb Cake

Serves 6-8

Topping

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup sifted cocoa powder

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon coffee

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate , melted to drizzle on top

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8″ square baking pan with butter. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Make topping for cake by combining all dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir in melted butter and place in the refrigerator to cool for about 15 minutes, While topping is cooling place the 2 ounces chocolate and melt in microwave for 30 seconds, remove and stir. If not completely melted repeat again and stir , then set aside to cool. Use an electric mixer and cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add egg and mix well. Add vanilla and cooled chocolate and mix again. Alternate adding the flour and baking soda with the coffee . once combined pour batter into baking pan and spread out with spatula. Remove the crumb topping from the refrigerator and crumble the topping over the batter. Place in the oven to bake the on the center rack for 25 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 20-25 minutes until tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack 15 minutes, Turn cake out onto rack remove parchment paper and turn upright onto plate. Microwave the remaining ounce of chocolate as before and use a spoon to splatter the melted chocolate across the top of the cake. let the chocolate cool and harden on the crumb cake for about 30 minutes and serve.

Maple, Pecan and Apple Granola

Maple, Pecan and Apple Granola

2 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons maple syrup
½ cup dark brown sugar

½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup dried raisins
1/2 cup dried apples slices, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except the dried fruit into a mixing bowl, combine well. On a parchment lined sheet spread ingredients in 1 layer. Bake for 50 minutes until brown stirring every ten minutes until mixture is browned. Remove from oven and cool granola. Once cooled add dried fruit and mix. Keep in airtight container. It should keep about one week.

entertaining by the bay

casual cooking and living

Daily Archives: May 23, 2014

Cooking with Rosemary

Napa Memories – Celebrating the Grape Harvest with Food

Apple Streusel Muffins

Mom’s Red Clam Sauce

Mixed Greens with Apples, Candied Pecans and Honey Vinaigrette

Enjoying Corn Two Ways :Fresh Corn Pesto with Tagliatelle and Fresh Corn and Zucchini Salad

Cooking with Red Hot Chili Peppers

Chocolate Crumb Cake

Maple, Pecan and Apple Granola