Here are the tastingspoons players. I’m in the middle (Carolyn). Daughter Sara on the right, and daughter-in-law Karen on the left. I started the blog in 2007, as a way to share recipes with my family. I’m still doing 99% of the blogging and holding out hope that these two lovely and excellent cooks will participate. They both lead very busy lives, so we’ll see.
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BOOK READING (from Carolyn):
Music of Bees, Eileen Garvin. Absolutely charming book about a woman in midlife, lonely, who raises bees, also makes unlikely friends. Heart-warming and very interesting about beekeeping.
A Postcard from Paris, Alex Brown. Really cute story. Dual time line, 1940s and present day about renovating an old apartment in Paris, things discovered.
Time of the Child, Niall Williams. Oh such a good book. Very small village in Ireland, 1960s. A baby is left on the doorstep. The town all whispers and helps. I listened to an interview of the author, which made me like him and his books even more.
Sipsworth, Simon Van Booy. If you like animals you’ll swoon. An old woman who really wants to die finds a tiny mouse in her house and befriends it and finds a reason to live. Utterly charming book.
The Forger’s Spell, Edward Dolnick. True story. For seven years a no-account painter named Han van Meegeren managed to pass off his paintings as those of Johannes Vermeer.
If You Lived Here, You’d be Home by Now, Christopher Ingraham. Could hardly put it down – about a journalist who takes on a challenge to move to small town in Minnesota and write about it. He expects to hate it and the people and place, but he doesn’t. Absolutely wonderful true story.
The River We Remember, William Kent Kreuger. 1950s, Minnesota. A murder and the aftermath. Could hardly put it down. Kreuger has such a vivid imagination and writing style.
How the Lights Gets In, Joyce Maynard. An older woman returns to New Hampshire to help care for her brain-injured son. Siblings and family, lots of angst and resentments.
The Filling Station, Vanessa Miller. Every American should read this book. A novelized retelling of the Tulsa massacre in 1921. Absolutely riveting.
The Story She Left Behind, Patti Callahan Henry. Love this author. Based on a true story. A famous author simply vanishes, leaving her husband and daughter behind. She had invented a mystical language no one could translate. Present day, someone thinks he’s solved the riddle, contacts the family. Really interesting read.
The Girl from Berlin, Ronald Balson. Love anything about Tuscany. An elderly woman is being evicted from a villa there, with odd deed provenance. Two young folks go there to help unravel the mystery. Loved it.
The Island of the Colorblind, Oliver Sacks, M.D. Nonfiction. The dr is intrigued by a remote Pacific island where most of the inhabitants are colorblind. He also unravels a mystery on Guam of people born with a strange neurological problem. Medical mysteries unveiled. Very interesting.
The Bookbinder, Pip Williams. Post 1914 London. Two sisters work at a bookbindery. They’re told to not read the books. One does and one doesn’t. One has visions beyond her narrow world; the other does not. Eventually the one gets into Oxford. Lovely story.
The Paris Express, Emma Donoghue. 1895 on a train to Paris, a disaster happens. You’ll delve into the lives of many people who survived and died in the crash.
A Race to the Bottom of Crazy, Richard Grant. This is about Arizona. Author, wife and child move back to Arizona where they once lived. Part memoir, research, and reporting in a quest to understand what makes Arizona such a confounding and irresistible place.
The Scarlet Thread, Francine Rivers. A woman’s life turned upside down when she discovers the handcrafted quilt and journal of her ancestor Mary Kathryn McMurray, a young woman who was uprooted from her home only to endure harsh frontier conditions on the Oregon Trail.
A Place to Hide, Ronald Balson. 1939 Amsterdam, an ambassador has the ability to save the lives of many Jewish children. Heartwarming.
Homeseeking, Karissa Chen. Two young Chinese teens are deeply in love, but in China. Then their families are separated. Jump to current day and the two meet again in Los Angeles.
North River, Pete Hammill. He always writes such a good story. A doctor works diligently healing people from all walks of life. His wife and daughter left him years before. One day his 3-yr old grandson arrives on his doorstep.
A Very Typical Family, Sierra Godfrey. A very messed-up family. Three adult children are given a home in Santa Cruz, Calif, but only if the siblings meet up and live in the house together. A very untypical scenario but makes for lots of messes.
Three Days in June, Anne Tyler. The usual Anne Tyler grit. Family angst. This wasn’t one of my favorites, but it was entertaining and very short.
Saved, Benjamin Hall. Author is a veteran war reporter. Ukraine, 2022, he nearly loses his life to a Russian strike. Riveting story – he survives, barely.
Grey Wolf, Louise Penny. Another Inspector Gamache mystery in Quebec. She is such an incredible mystery writer.
All the Colors of the Dark, Chris Whitaker. A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each. Could hardly put it down.
Orbital, Samantha Harvey. Winner of 2024 Booker Prize. I don’t usually like those, but I heard the author interviewed and she hooked me. This is not a normal book with a beginning, a story and an end. It’s several chapters of the day in the life of various astronauts at the ISS (Int’l Space Station). All fictional. She’s been praised by several real astronauts for “getting it” about space station everyday life.
The Blue Hour, Paula Hawkins. An island off Scotland. Inaccessible except when the tide is out. Weird goings on. An artist. A present day mystery too.
Iron Lake, William Kent Krueger. A judge is murdered and a boy is missing. Riveting mystery.
Tell the Wolves I’m Home, Carol Ricks Brunt. 1980s. A 14-yr old girl loses her beloved uncle. Yet a new friendship arises, someone she never knew about.
Four Treasures of the Sky, Jenny Zhang. 1880s, a young girl is kidnapped in China and brought to the United States. She survives with many hurdles in the path.
The Boy Who Fell out of the Sky, Ken Dornstein. Memoir, 1988. The author’s brother died in the PanAm flight that went down in Lockerbie, Scotland. A decade later he tries to solve “the riddle of his older brother’s life.”
Worse Care Scenario, T.J. Newman. Oh my. Interesting analysis of what could/might happen if a jet crashed into a nuclear plant. Un-put-downable.
Song of the Lark, Willa Cather. Complicated weave of a story about a young woman in about 1900, who has a gifted voice (singing) and about her journey to success, not without its ups and downs.
Crow Talk, Eileen Garvin. Charming story which takes place at a remote lake in Washington State, about a few people who inhabit it, the friendships made, but also revolving around the rescue of a baby crow.
The Story Collector, Evie Woods. Sweet story about some dark secrets from an area in Ireland, a bit magical, faerie life, but solving a mystery too.
A Sea of Unspoken Things, Adrienne Young. A woman investigates her twin brother’s mysterious death. She goes to a small town in California to figure it out, to figure HIM out.
The King’s Messenger, Susanna Kearsley. 1600s England, King James. About one of his trusted “messengers,” and his relationship with a young woman also of “the court.” Lots of intrigue.
In the Shadow of the Greenbrier, Emily Matchar. Interesting mystery in/around the area of the famous resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
Isola, Allegra Goodman. Hard to describe, survival story on an island in the 1600s.
Save the Date, Allison Raskin. Rom-com, witty, LOL funny. Clever.
The Sirens, Emilia Hart. Numerous time-lines, Australia. Mysteries abound, nightmares, abandoned baby, weird allergies.
Red Clay, Charles Fancher. LOVED this book. Mostly post-Civil War story about the lives of slaves in Alabama during Reconstruction.
Stars in an Italian Sky, Jill Santopolo. Dual time line, 1946 and recent time. Love stories and a mystery.
Battle Mountain, C.J. Box. Another one of Box’s riveting mysteries. Love his descriptions of the land.
Something Beautiful Happened, Yvette Corporon. A memoir of sorts in Greece, tiny island of Erikousa, where the locals hid Jews during WWII. All elusive stories told by the author’s grandmother.
The Jackal’s Mistress, Chris Bohjalian. 1860s Virginia, about a woman who saves the life of a Union soldier. Really good story.
Song of the Magpie, Louise Mayberry. Really interesting story about Australia back in the days when it was mostly a penal colony. Gritty strength of a woman trying to thrive with her farm.
The Boomerang, Robert Bailey. A thriller that will have you gripping the book. About a lot of secrets surrounding the president (fictional novel, remember) and his chief of staff and about cancer. A cure. Such a good story.
Care and Feeding, Laurie Woolever. Really interesting memoir of a woman driven to succeed in the restaurant business. She worked for Mario Batali and then Anthony Bourdain. Gritty stories.
Everything is Tuberculosis, John Green. Maybe not a book for everyone. A real deep dive into the deadly tuberculosis infection, its history. I heard the author interviewed and found the book very interesting.
The Book Lovers Library, Madeline Martin. Fascinating read about Boots’ drug stores’ lending library. And the people who worked in them.
The Arrivals, Meg Mitchell Moore. LOL funny, about a middle-aged couple whose children (and their various family members) return to the family home and the chaos that ensues.
My Life as a Silent Movie, Jesse Lee Kercheval. About grief. A big move to Paris, finding herself a new life with a new set of real blood family.
Escape, Carolyn Jessop. Another memoir about a woman really in bondage in Utah, Mormon plural marriage.
My blog's namesake - small, old and some very dented engraved silver plated tea spoons that belonged to my mother-in-law, and I use them to taste my food as I'm cooking.
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Posted in Salads, on October 4th, 2010.
Don’t you get tired, sometimes, of a regular green salad? My normal dinner side salad contains lettuce of course (or combination of greens of some kind), but usually radishes, celery, maybe carrots, some bell pepper, Feta cheese, tomatoes and parsley or cilantro. I make numerous kinds of salad dressings from scratch. But there are times when none of the veggies appeal to me.
Whenever we come home from a long trip abroad we always talk about it on the flights, what exactly we have missed the most and what must we buy at the grocery store when we arrive. We always miss our beds. I miss my pillow, big time. And my usual morning cup of coffee latte. Naturally we buy the usual stuff: bread, milk, yogurt, fruit, cream for my coffee, fresh vegetables, coffee beans. On this trip to England, we did have vegetables. It’s just that they were the same ones, day in and day out: carrots, cauliflower and maybe green beans. Steamed only. And often just flavorless.
Posted in Salads, on August 27th, 2010.
Surely there must be thousands of recipes out there for corn salad. And this one is not all that different, really. I started with a recipe from one of my America’s Test Kitchen cookbooks, but then I veered off and added some other things. Like a little jot of maple syrup to the dressing, and basil instead of cilantro, plus some orange bell pepper. I also used frozen corn (Trader Joe’s fire-roasted corn), which was a distinct no-no in the original recipe – they used fresh, and only fresh corn. Just be sure to add the basil at the last minute – basil doesn’t like to soak in liquids – it wilts. So, just stir it in before serving and garnish with some additional leaves.
There’s lime juice in the dressing . . . I had one lime, which wasn’t enough, so I used fresh lemon juice as well. No way was I going to make a run to the grocery store just to buy a lime or two. And I didn’t have cilantro in the frig, so that’s why I substituted basil from my garden. If that wasn’t enough, I didn’t have a green onion either, so I switched out some sweet onion instead, minced ever-so finely. But the substitutions were good. Very good. And I used a bit more dressing than the original recipe indicated. But then, there was some pooled in the bottom of the bowl, so perhaps you could cut down on the quantity if you’d like to. What I liked was the addition of the fresh cherry tomatoes. They added a nice acidy element to the salad, along with the citrus in the dressing. Anyway, I took this to a girls’ night potluck and there wasn’t much left to take home. The little bit left over I added to a big southwestern green salad I fixed the next night. It was the perfect amount of added carbs and color. Plus the extra dressing floating in the bottom was just right for the greens.
Recipe By: Inspired by a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen
Serving Size: 8
DRESSING:
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons lime juice — or lemon juice, or combination
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (scant)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon jalapeno chile pepper — stemmed, seeded
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin — rounded
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup
SALAD:
1 pound corn — fresh or frozen, defrosted (about 4 cups)
1 cup cherry tomatoes — halved or quartered
15 1/2 ounces canned black beans — drained, rinsed
1/2 cup red bell pepper — slivered (or use yellow or orange)
2 whole green onions — or 1/4 of a sweet yellow onion, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil — minced – or cilantro, or mint
salt and pepper to taste
1. DRESSING: Into a running blender jar add the fresh garlic clove and salt together. Whiz until the garlic is finely minced.
2. Add the lime or lemon juice, oil, wine vinegar, chile pepper, ground cumin, pepper and maple syrup. Blend until smooth and the jalapeno pieces are miniscule.
3. SALAD: Combine in a bowl the corn and black beans (be sure to drain and rinse them, otherwise the salad will have a kind of gray/black hue). Add all the other ingredients – except the basil and pour in the dressing. Stir to coat. You can refrigerate the salad at this point for a few hours. Just before serving add in the basil, reserving some to sprinkle on top.
Per Serving: 202 Calories; 14g Fat (62.1% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 308mg Sodium.
Did you ever taste something – way back in your youth – and you never knew how to make it? And you’ve still not found out? Even though you’re a foodie? And you cook a lot? And you read a lot of cookbooks? And you know how to do internet searches? And you’ve still not found the recipe? That’s what this post is all about.
Posted in Salads, on July 20th, 2010.
Just looking at that photograph makes me salivate. This salad is SO good. Over the years I’ve made similar salads several times, but never one quite this great. This has Italian origins, and was a way for families to make use of stale, leftover bread. Italian bread – like French bread, has no preservatives or other ingredients that help it store for more than a day. It’s just flour, water, salt and yeast. So once the bread is cut it stales quickly. By the next day such bread had little use. But the Italians are very frugal this way. They find ways to elevate leftovers. Therefore, panzanella was born. Way back when, I suppose.
This version is a little different – it’s grilled. Ina Garten, in her recipe, has a way with food too. She took a delicious, but simple salad and elevated it to something better. Much better. I may never make plain (ungrilled) panzanella again.
Here’s what I did – I followed Ina’s recipe to a T. Although my DH bought a different kind of fresh bread, but that was fine. He grilled red, yellow and orange bell peppers, and some red onion slices. Meanwhile I chopped up a hothouse cucumber and a huge heirloom tomato, salvaging all of the juices. You want all the juices. I made the dressing (Dijon mustard, fresh garlic, good olive oil – Ina made a point of mentioning good olive oil, champagne vinegar) and chopped the tomato over the bowl. A few capers are added, and you let the cucumber, tomatoes and dressing marinate for awhile.
Once the peppers and onions were done, they were allowed to cool off, then I cut them into long strips and chopped pieces. They went into the bowl with the dressing. Then my DH grilled the ciabatta bread. I cut it in half, slathered it with a little bit of olive oil, and they went onto the hot grill too, just until they got toasty black in some places. Ideally you want dry, stale bread. But not totally dried out. Like overnight stale. You can also put the bread in an oven for a bit. But I loved the grilled bread. Once grilled it was a bit hard to cut – finally I began tearing it up rather than cutting.
Into a huge bowl your bread goes and you pour the dressing/tomatoes/cucumber mixture over the top. Do drizzle it all over – you don’t want the top few pieces of bread to absorb most of the dressing. Stir as you pour, if you can. Toss it like crazy. Add fresh basil, salt and pepper and you’re done. Serve it right now. I mean immediately. The longer it sits the more the bread gets soggy. You’ll find you like the few bread pieces that still have some crunch or crisp to them. We did have a few cups of leftovers which we enjoyed for dinner. And actually the bread was fine. Not crisp, but it was still very tasty. I highly recommend this salad!
Recipe By: From Ina Garten, Food Network
Serving Size: 6
NOTES: I used a ciabatta loaf (wide, flat), cut it in half lengthwise so it was big flat surfaces to grill. I left all the crusts on. Just use a good serrated knife to cut the bread into cubes once it’s grilled. Ina Garten recommended using a ficelle, which is a very thin baguette (and small). This makes a lovely light dinner. Perfect for guests, too, although there is some last-minute prep required.
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 hothouse cucumber — unpeeled, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 large ripe tomato — cut into 1-inch cubes
10 large basil leaves
3 tablespoons capers — drained
1 red onion — sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 red bell pepper — seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
1 yellow bell pepper — seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
1/2 small baguette — cut into 1-inch thick slices or torn in pieces
1. Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals. Brush the grilling rack with olive oil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
3. Place the cucumber, tomato, basil and capers in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss together. Set aside.
4. When the grill is ready, brush 1 side of the onion slices and the peppers with olive oil. Place them, olive oil side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Brush the other side with olive oil, turn them over and continue cooking an additional 4 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the grill and place on a cutting board. Slice the peppers 1/2-inch thick, separate the onion rings and add them both to the cucumber mixture.
5. Brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil and toast them on the grill until golden. Add them to the cucumber mixture. Pour the reserved vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss together. Serve warm.
Per Serving: 294 Calories; 19g Fat (58.3% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 278mg Sodium.
Three years ago: Pineapple Salsa
Posted in Salads, Veggies/sides, on July 10th, 2010.
When I started out to make this, I’d intended to make Susan’s Garbanzo Bean Salad with Cilantro, Parsley and Feta. But I got sidetracked at the market with Henry’s special, 6 ears of fresh corn for $1.00. Such a deal . . . so I made some substitutions to the other salad and oh yes, it was very good. Good enough to make again. Especially if you’ve got good deals on corn at your corner farm stand or market.
It was a cinch to put together. I enlisted my DH to help me shuck the corn while I chopped up the red onion, orange bell pepper (those were 2 for $1.00), green onions, cilantro, Italian parsley, Feta cheese and mint. He squeezed the lemon and limes while I finished up chopping. Throw it all together and add just enough salt and pepper to suit your taste. If I’d had tarragon I’d have added some, but tarragon is being very elusive lately at my local markets. That’s why I added mint which is growing abundantly in our kitchen garden.
This salad is very forgiving – I’m certain you could add any number of ingredients and it would be delightful. But this combo was really, really good.
Recipe By: my concoction
Serving Size: 8
NOTES: Goes particularly well with a grilled barbecue dinner. You can use frozen corn, BUT, it certainly won’t be the same as fresh!
1 whole red onion — chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic — finely chopped
6 ears fresh corn — freshly shucked
1/2 cup fresh cilantro — (packed) chopped
1/2 cup Italian parsley — (packed) chopped fresh flat leaf
3 tablespoons fresh mint — minced (optional)
5 whole chopped green onions
1 whole red bell pepper — or orange, or yellow (not green)
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil — plus more if desired
1 whole lemon — juiced
2 whole limes — juiced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. In a large bowl, stir together the corn, cilantro, parsley, mint, green onions. Add the onion. Mix in the crumbled feta cheese. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (remember that the feta will add a salty taste). Add lemon and lime juice and olive oil, adding more olive oil if desired.
2. Allow to sit for 30 minutes, but it’s not really necessary. Nothing much in the salad will absorb juice or oil. Serve at room temperature.
Per Serving: 146 Calories; 7g Fat (38.7% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 11mg Cholesterol; 156mg Sodium.
A year ago: A photo from the Inland Passage, Alaska
Two years ago: A post about my Fagor pressure cooker
Three years ago: Mojitos
Posted in Salads, Veggies/sides, on July 5th, 2010.
Oh my goodness gracious is this salad ever good. I can take absolutely NO credit for creating it. But I urge you, if you enjoy pasta (the Israeli couscous) and a few grains (baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa), along with asparagus, almonds and goat cheese, to read on. Well, this recipe will make you sing! And, it’s going onto my carefully crafted “Carolyn’s Favs,” my separate page listing all of my favorites of everything I’ve ever posted.
We were at a family gathering a couple of weeks ago where someone brought this dish. After tasting it, and taking a small spoonful of seconds to try to deconstruct it, I found out our daughter-in-law’s cousin’s husband Chris brought it. I made a beeline to him, and began asking questions. After listing off the ingredients, he told me he’d found the recipe over at thekitchn.com blog (it’s part of the Apartment Therapy website). When I did a search for some of the ingredients there, this recipe popped right up. Oh, happy day! It was uploaded to their site in 2008 by Faith Durand.
The basis of the salad is a mix produced by Trader Joe’s (called Harvest Grains Blend). But, if you don’t live in Trader Joe’s country, then you can easily substitute Israeli couscous and farro (spelt) and call it even. The two types would need to be cooked separately (the farro will take a lot longer than the couscous), but you’ll still get all the greatness of this salad using those instead.
The recipe online calls for using half farro/spelt and half of the Trader Joe’s grains mix. But I didn’t have any farro, and Chris’ salad I’d tasted didn’t have it, either. So, I’ve altered the recipe to use just this mixture.
But what MAKES the salad is the overtones of fresh lemon juice. It really doesn’t have all that much other stuff in it (fresh asparagus, toasted almonds, olive oil, walnut oil, salt and pepper plus the zest and juice of a couple of lemons. I happen to have Meyer lemons, but you can substitute any kind of fresh lemons. Remember, though, that Meyers are a bit sweeter, so regular lemons might require less juice. Taste it and see what you think.
This salad is a shoe-in for a summer dinner/barbecue/picnic. It can be made ahead – it also keeps well. I can attest to that – as I write this, it’s 5 days now since I made it and it’s every bit as good today as it was the first. Soooo, if you’ve learned to trust my judgment, and my recipes, please do print out this one and make it right away quick. OKAY? Okay! And my thanks to Chris for sharing the recipe origin.
printer-friendly PDF or MasterCook file (click link to open recipe)
Recipe By: Adapted from Faith Durand at thekitchn.com blog 4/2008
Serving Size: 8
NOTES: You can use a combination of farro (spelt) and Israeli couscous, if you’d prefer. Use 8 ounces of each, cook separately, then combine when they’ve cooled.
3 1/2 cups water
16 ounces Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend — or see Notes
1 pound asparagus
Olive oil to cook asparagus
1 cup sliced almonds — toasted
4 ounces soft goat cheese — chilled and crumbled
2 whole Meyer lemons — zested and juiced (or regular lemons)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon walnut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Cook the Harvest Grains blend according to package directions (3 1/2 cups water to 16 ounces of the grain mixture) in a medium saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes until just barely cooked through, remove the lid and cook, stirring, until any remaining moisture evaporates.
2. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus and cut each spear into a 2-inch piece. Rinse out the large sauté pan and dry. Heat a little olive oil over medium heat, and cook the asparagus until just barely crisp-tender – about 1-2 minutes. Add to the grains and toss.
4. Also toss in the sliced toasted almonds, goat cheese and lemon zest.
5. Mix the Meyer lemon juice with the oils, taste, and adjust. Pour over grain salad and toss, along with salt and pepper to taste.
6. This salad lasts very well in the fridge; the herbal flavors of the Meyer lemons bloom nicely when it sits. If you want it to look particularly attractive, save some of the asparagus, almonds and goat cheese to sprinkle on top when it’s served.
Per Serving: 443 Calories; 22g Fat (44.0% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 7mg Cholesterol; 60mg Sodium.
Posted in Salads, on July 3rd, 2010.
According to the write-up, on the photocopied recipe I had of this salad, at Cafe Pasqual’s in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a chef there concocted this salad one day and it’s been wildly popular ever since. I can understand why. It’s just loaded with flavors – the chile spiced pecans, the pears, the blue cheese, the mint and basil, and the grapefruit (my addition, not in the original recipe).
It made a delicious and very pretty entree salad the other night. Before our guests arrived I made the salad dressing. I used light sour cream, low-fat buttermilk and fat-free half and half in the dressing because that’s what I had on hand. The dressing not only contains blue cheese (Maytag if you can find it – I couldn’t, so used Stilton instead), but also the juice of an orange and some goat cheese too. It could be whizzed up in a blender, but I did it in a small bowl instead with a whisk.
The pecans I did ahead of time too. They’re tossed with some vegetable oil, then rolled in some chile powder (Chimayo if you have it) and sugar and baked. Then just before serving, you drizzle them with a little bit of Kahlúa. I used up all of my Chimayo chile powder, so went online to order more. Didn’t realize it’s such a rare commodity – I guess very few farmers are still raising the particular type of chile that is unique to the Santa Fe area. I did find it at several sites, and ordered mine from Chimayo To Go, a home-based mail order business located near Santa Fe.
Composing the salad did take a little bit of time. My friend Donna came in the house to help me (we’d been relaxing on the patio for at least an hour, with wine and appetizers). I cut up the grapefruit, peeled the pears and Donna did the artistic part – dressing the salad, arranging the pear slices and grapefruit supremes just so. Sprinkling the nuts decoratively too. The salad takes a lot more dressing than you might think – you will want to use it all (but realize that the dressing contains buttermilk, half and half and orange juice, which thin it down). Donna spooned ample dressing onto each salad before the garnishes went onto them. Then the last thing you do is squeeze the juice from a big, fat lemon over the salads (the original recipe indicated one lemon per serving – I thought that was way too much). I used one really big lemon for four servings, so with more ordinary sized lemons, you might need two. Then we sprinkled on more fresh mint and basil.
Yes, I’d make this again. Definitely a different salad. I’ll try to seek out Maytag blue next time. And I think I’d like to use some kind of croutons maybe. Like cornbread if I felt like making them. The recipe indicated you could use Granny Smith apples in lieu of the pears. I liked the pears – especially with the spicy pecans. But sometimes you can’t find ripe pears, so the apples make a good option. The grapefruit sections came from our grapefruit tree, which is why I added them. They’re certainly not a necessity. They tasted lovely and looked very pretty on the plate too.
Recipe By: Adapted slightly from a Katherine Kagel recipe from Cafe Pasqual’s in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Serving Size: 4
NOTES: The grapefruit supremes weren’t in the original recipe, but it went well with the dish. I used light sour cream, low-fat buttermilk and fat-free half and half. You will want to use all of the salad dressing.
2 heads romaine lettuce
2 whole pears — cored and sliced lengthwise
freshly coarse-ground black pepper
1 large lemon — halved and seeded
1 large grapefruit — cut into supremes (optional)
fresh minced basil and mint for garnish
BLUE CHEESE DRESSING:
1/4 cup blue cheese — Maytag, or other good quality creamy blue
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup half and half
2 ounces goat cheese — soft – ¼ cup crumbled
1 whole orange — juice only
1 tablespoon mint leaves — fresh, stemmed, minced
2 teaspoons basil leaves — fresh, stemmed, minced
1/2 small shallot — minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper
TOASTED CHILE PECANS:
1 cup pecan halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Chimayó chile powder
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons Kahlúa
1. To prepare the dressing, in a mixing bowl combine all ingredients except the mint and basil leaves. Mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 –4 days. On the day of serving, add the mint and basil.
2. Preheat the oven to 300º F. Place the pecans in a bowl, toss the nuts with oil until evenly coated. Add the chile powder and sugar and toss again. Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until toasted. Do not allow them to burn! Set aside to cool. Can be done ahead of time. Before serving sprinkle Kahlúa over nuts.
3. To prepare the romaine hearts, wash, dry, then wrap in a cloth or paper towel and chill for at least one hour before serving. Slice each romaine heart vertically in half. On each of four large dinner plates, place hearts cut side up and drizzle dressing over until fairly well covered. Sprinkle the pecans (drizzled with the Kahlúa) over the leaves. Decorate with pear slices (and grapefruit, if using) on top and to the sides of the hearts. Grind black pepper over all, then squeeze the juice of one large lemon over the salads. Garnish with additional mint and basil if desired. Serve immediately.
Per Serving: 560 Calories; 38g Fat (57.4% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 13g Dietary Fiber; 40mg Cholesterol; 387mg Sodium.
A year ago: A photo from our Alaskan cruise last year (at sea, near Vancouver)
Two years ago: Chicken Tikka Masala
Three years ago: French (chocolate) Silk Pie
Posted in Salads, on June 4th, 2010.
Don’t you think this photo looks like pad thai? Or chow mein? Or fried rice even? But it’s not, it’s jicama, carrots and Napa cabbage with a spicy sweet (honey) and sour (lime juice) dressing.
Some months ago I was down sick with bronchitis, and spent countless hours in front of my TV trying to find something worth watching (distracting) so I wouldn’t cough so much. I must have been watching an old Bobby Flay show, and thought this sounded interesting. Of course, he makes it look like something you can throw together in a matter of 3-4 minutes. He has a sous chef to do all the manual labor, though. In this case I let my food processor do nearly all the work, so it wasn’t really all that difficult to shred the jicama and carrots. Napa cabbage is quite easy to slice and cut too. Cilantro is added at the last – I added more than the original recipe indicated, but then I love cilantro. Substitute parsley if you don’t care for it.
I’m just not sure I like shredded jicama, though. Since I do enjoy the crunchiness of jicama (cut in very small pieces), I thought the texture would hold up if it was shredded. For me it didn’t, but I liked the flavor very much. So next time I make this (yes, I’ll make it again) I’ll do two things: (1) julienne the jicama into tiny little matchsticks; and (2) use pale golden honey, not dark. I’d forgotten how jicama absorbs whatever you put on it. In this case the dressing was quite dark, so it makes the slaw look more like pad thai, or chow mein than it did crispy white jicama.
The salad is really more about the dressing (fresh lime juice, honey, oil, ancho chili powder) than it is about the jicama. Or the carrots or Napa cabbage. In reading the reviews on the recipe’s site, some people liked the dressing, others didn’t. Some people liked the texture, others didn’t. Some liked the chili powder, some didn’t. Amazing how tastes differ. Ancho chili powder really has almost no heat to it – anchos are smoked, dried and ground poblano chiles. It adds lots of flavor but almost no heat. But it’s also a dark red color, so that added darker color to the salad. Our grandchildren didn’t much care for it, but most of the adults did. What it is, is different. Good flavor, tasty and different.
Recipe By: Bobby Flay
Serving Size: 8
NOTES: You can also julienne the jicama, rather than shred it. Bobby Flay recommends shredding (I did it in the food processor) which makes the jicama almost soft. You lose the crunch, so if you enjoy the crunchy texture, cut it into matchstick pieces and continue the recipe from there.
1 large jicama — peeled and finely shredded
1/2 head Napa cabbage — finely shredded
2 whole carrots — shredded
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
2 tablespoons honey — pale golden, not dark
1/2 cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves — finely chopped
1. Place jicama, cabbage, and carrots in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, ancho powder, honey, and oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Pour the dressing over the jicama mixture and toss to coat well. Fold in the cilantro. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Per Serving: 187 Calories; 14g Fat (64.4% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 30mg Sodium.
A year ago: Pacific Rim Shrimp Pasta Salad
Two years ago: Myths about Searing Meat
Posted in Salads, Veggies/sides, on May 19th, 2010.
A week or so ago I watched the chefs at America’s Test Kitchen prepare an Austrian type potato salad. It has not even a whiff of mayonnaise in it. No hard boiled eggs. No celery. It does have red onion, cornichons (those little French pickles – I used kosher dills) and a light oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard dressing with some chives too. It’s easy. And it’s delicious! We were barbecuing red bell peppers and Italian sausages (I know, it should have been something like Kielbasa or Polish Sausage, but that’s what I’d defrosted). I thought this potato dish just sounded like a perfect marriage.
Yukon Gold potatoes are peeled, quartered and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces. They’re put into a wide skillet (that has a lid) with a bit of water and chicken broth, salt, a little tiny amount of sugar and some white wine vinegar. The potatoes get cooked through, and you use the little bit of liquid remaining in the pan as part of the dressing – it’s mixed with Dijon, oil and more vinegar, and a little bit of cooked potatoes mashed up, then it’s tossed with the hot potatoes, along with some finely diced red onion, some chives, and the minced pickles. It’s seasoned well with salt and pepper and you’re done. How easy is that?
These potatoes are supposed to be eaten within a few hours of making the salad/side dish. Don’t refrigerate it, as it changes the consistency of the mixture. The folks at ATK said serve it within 4 hours. So, you can just leave it out (covered) once it’s made. They tried many different kinds of potatoes for this, and found Yukon gold by far the best. As it happened, I had Russets, but next time I’ll make it with Yukon. I thought the salad was scrumptious. It comes together quickly – you could do some of the work ahead, even. And sitting for an hour or two likely enhances the flavor. Be sure to taste it for more salt and/or pepper. I thought it took a lot of salt to make it just right to suit me. And I’m always very heavy-handed with the pepper anyway. I’d definitely make this again! And it’s no wonder the Austrians and Germans have a great reputation when it comes to potatoes. They know a thing or two about how to prepare them. A mayo-based dressing would have ruined this combo.
And, by the way, if you haven’t looked at the America’s Test Kitchen website lately, they’ve completely revamped it, and have ALL the recipes going back as long as they’ve been producing the TV show. That is SUCH an improvement. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I’d watch a segment, go online to try to find it, only to not find the recipe. I contacted them by email and they told me that different regions of the country broadcast the shows at different times (sometimes a year later!) so the recipes were long gone. No more, with the new website! Thank you, ATK.
printer-friendly CutePDF
Files: MasterCook 5+ and MasterCook 14 (click link to open in MC)
Recipe By: America’s Test Kitchen
Serving Size: 8
NOTES: The finished salad should be creamy and loose, with chunks of potato that keep their shape but are very tender. To maintain its consistency, don’t refrigerate the salad; it should be served within 4 hours of preparation. The salad takes more salt than you might think.
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes — (about 4 large) peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small red onion — chopped fine (about 3/4 cup)
6 cornichons — minced (about 2 tablespoons) (or kosher dills)
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
ground black pepper to taste
1. Bring potatoes, broth, water, 1 teaspoon salt, sugar, and 1 tablespoon vinegar to a boil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until potatoes offer no resistance when pierced with paring knife, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat to high (so cooking liquid will reduce), and cook 2 minutes.
2. Drain potatoes in colander set over large bowl, reserving cooking liquid. Set drained potatoes aside. Pour off and discard all but ½ cup cooking liquid (if ½ cup liquid does not remain, add water to make ½ cup). Whisk remaining tablespoon vinegar, mustard, and oil into cooking liquid.
3. Add ½ cup cooked potatoes to bowl with cooking liquid mixture and mash with potato masher or fork until thick sauce forms (mixture will be slightly chunky). Add remaining potatoes, onion, cornichons, and chives, folding gently with rubber spatula to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Per Serving: 179 Calories; 7g Fat (35.7% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 127mg Sodium.
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