Saturday, July 31, 2004

Sangria recipes are like snowflakes (and assholes… /Cho) — every one’s a little bit different. Here’s mine.

4 L red wine

Sweet, not dry. I always use burgundy, from a box or a jug. You can buy “sangria” in a box, but that seems like cheating.

1.5 L Manischewitz kosher wine, Concord Grape flavor

There are a variety of flavors of Manischewitz, so make sure you get the Concord Grape. This comes in 750-mL and 1.5-L bottles.

750 mL Crantasia

Cranberry schnapps. I’m not sure I’ve seen non-Crantasia cranberry schnapps. Do not substitute with raspberry. I thought this came in 750-mL bottles, but I’ve only seen 1-L bottles lately.

250 mL brandy

I always use Christian Brothers. I don’t think it makes a huge difference what kind. It’s like the red wine, don’t waste your money on the expensive stuff.

Citrus Fruit

My order of preference: lemons, oranges, limes. Make sure you don’t mistake a pink grapefruit for an orange.

Chill. Serve. Maybe not a bad idea to fill a glass with ice and pour it over.

Sunday, July 25, 2004

2 parts Stoli Vanilla
2 parts Oregon Chai Tea
1 part Goldschlager
dash of cream

Rim the glass with cinnamon and sugar.

Die a happy death.

Monday, June 28, 2004

Here’s the recipe:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup colored sugar for decoration

1 In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder, stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the heavy cream. Cover dough, and chill for 2 to 3 hours, until firm.

2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3 On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets.

4 Bake *just* until set (5-6 minutes in my oven when I make round cookies 1.5 inches wide).  Do NOT wait until cookies turn golden brown, they will be too dry.  I also only bake on a stone, not sure how these turn out when baked on metal.

I have the frosting recipe at home, but from memory, I think this is it:

1/4 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1-2 Tbsp whole milk
Food coloring

Combine butter and sugar.  Add unbeaten egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar.  Add milk and food coloring until almost runny consistency.  Dip tops of cookies in icing and place on rack to dry.  Icing will dry to a smooth, shiny, firm finish.

via Sherri

Friday, May 28, 2004

I made these yesterday and they are really great.

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
6 oz chocolate of your choice (I like to use a mix of unsweetened and semi-sweet chocolate)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 pan with foil or parchment paper.  Spray with nonstick spray.  Mix the flour, cocoa, and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.  Melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler.  Stir in 1 cup of the sugar and the vanilla, then set aside to cool.  Mix the eggs with the rest of the sugar just to combine, then pour half the egg/sugar mix into the chocolate.  Stir to combine.  Whip the rest of the egg/sugar mix until light, fluffy, and thickened, 2-3 minutes on high with a hand mixer.  Fold the egg mixture into the chocolate until almost combined, then fold in the flour mixture.  Pour into the pan and spread around to fill the corners.  Bake for about 30 minutes, until just set but still pretty soft in the center.

These are amazing warm and they keep for about a week in an airtight container.

We made these last night - delish!

The goat cheese and relish keep these burgers especially moist. For a nice variation, omit the goat cheese, and top the turkey burgers with sliced Havarti or Monterey Jack cheese during the last few minutes of cooking. Set out bowls of pickles and olives, and pour chilled Chardonnay throughout the meal.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
6 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet)

6 whole wheat, hamburger buns

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 7-ounce jars roasted sweet red peppers, rinsed, drained, patted dry, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
3 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

4 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For Burgers:
Combine turkey, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, lemon peel, thyme, salt and pepper in large bowl. Mix well. Divide turkey mixture into 6 equal portions. Form 1 portion into two 4-inch diameter patties. Place 1 tablespoon goat cheese atop 1 turkey patty; place second patty atop cheese. Seal patties at edges to enclose cheese. Repeat with remaining 5 portions. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill burgers until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Grill hamburger buns, cut side down, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Place turkey burgers on bottom half of buns. Top burgers with Roasted Red Pepper Relish, then bun tops and serve.

For Relish:
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add red peppers and sauté 2 minutes. Add onions and garlic. Cook until onions are tender, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

Mix vinegar and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Stir vinegar mixture into red peppers. Mix in mustard and cayenne pepper. Season with salt. Continue cooking relish until all liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes. Cool to room temperature. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.) Makes about 2 cups.

Serves 6.


Bon Appétit
July 1996

Friday, March 19, 2004

CHICKEN SAUTE WITH OLIVES AND PLUM TOMATOES

Spoon some of the sauce over noodles that have been tossed with Parmesan cheese; serve with a salad of balsamic-dressed mesclun and with crusty bread. Almond cookies and grapes are a simple finale.

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 6-ounce skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups seeded diced plum tomatoes
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon marjoram. Add to skillet; saut� until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add bell pepper; saut� 2 minutes. Add garlic; saut� 1 minute. Add tomatoes; saut� until juices are released, about 3 minutes. Stir in olives and 2 tablespoons marjoram. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 2 servings; can be doubled.


Bon App�tit
April 2001

30-Minute Main Courses