Reaching my fork right into the screen here and grabbing a bit of that nice, crispy browned topping sounds so good right now. This fish dish was so easy. And so delicious. Of course, you do need to like halibut (although I’m sure it would work well with other kinds of firm-fleshed fish).

The fish is broiled (remember when that’s about all we DID with fish?). Down low in the oven. Actually at least 10 inches from the element – gives it time to cook through and slowly brown and get crispy on top. That’s about the only way you could broil this – low and slow.

First you prepare the pan (a broiler pan – rack – over a pan), oil it so the fish won’t stick too badly. Put a piece of foil underneath too to catch the drips (easier cleanup). Then you mix up some oil, fresh garlic, mayo and some rinsed and chopped capers. And a bit of lemon zest. Slather that on top of the fish and broil for 9-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish and the distance from the heat (remember, 10 inches). Serve with rice and lemon wedges. Easy. If you don’t like capers, you can substitute Dijon mustard.

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A year ago: Butternut Squash Risotto with Pancetta
Two years ago: Chorizo and Eggs
Three years ago: Pizza with Chicken, Red Onion and Olives

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There’s a long, meandering story to tell about this recipe. When we were in Britain in August we stayed in Wales for several days. And after a really interesting (and different) Welsh dinner at a pub one night, the chef served us a few Welsh cakes. Having never had them before (or ever heard of them) I was intrigued. He brought us four. We ate two and took the other two with us, which we enjoyed the next day. I almost always keep a small plastic bag in my purse. You just never know when you might need one. It was perfect for my little stash of Welsh Cakes. (And say, speaking of what kind of stuff women keep in their handbags – did any of you watch Nate Berkus on his new TV show, where he wanted to know what women keep in their purses – why we feel naked without one – and one audience member he interviewed actually pulled out a black bra from hers? THAT was weird!)

Traditionally, I’d guess a Welshman would not eat a Welsh Cake after dinner. And why the chef did for us, I’m not sure, except that he made us a typical Welsh meal. They’re more like a little treat to have with a cup of tea or coffee. Probably eaten mid-morning or mid-afternoon. The dessert I ordered, banofee pie – oh so good – was delicious, but it’s not Welsh particularly. So I guess he wanted us to end our meal on a Welsh high note.

We tasted them, and I fell in love with them. Being a scone aficionado, I quizzed our waitress about them. How were they made, I asked? In a dry skillet – cast iron preferred, she said. They were just lightly sweet, with a little sprinkling of sugar on the top of each one. They were warm, light and scrumptious. Right then and there I determined I’d learn how to make them once I got home. As we left the pub that evening the chef scribbled out his recipe and handed it to me. Comparing it in my mind with scones, I didn’t see any liquid on the list. I asked him about milk or cream, and he said no, the butter was sufficient. His instructions were so succinct as to be non-existent, so I figured I’d best figure it out later. I didn’t think any more about it then.

Within 24 hours of our arrival home I was searching my cookbooks (first I went to my EYB site – and yes, EYB told me I owned one cookbook with a recipe – and if you don’t know EYB, you can read my post about it). I went online and found several recipes too – many of them  identical. I made a kind of Welsh Cake spreadsheet, so to speak, of the different ingredients from all the recipes I found. Some had more butter (in proportion to flour) than others. Some had spices (like mace, nutmeg, cinnamon, or “mixed spice,” which is a combination jar sold in Britain). Some called for cream or milk. But every recipe called for an egg. Except the chef’s. Here’s the chef’s entire recipe: 5 ounces butter, 10 ounces self-raising flour, 3 ounces caster sugar, 1 pinch mixed spice, 4 ounces currants or raisins. 1/2 hour fridge, griddle no oil. Isn’t that a kick? That was it. He was doing it from memory as he scribbled onto a tiny piece of paper, and I think he must have forgotten the EGG.

SO, the next day I decided to try one of the recipes (not the chef’s) that included an egg and I’d see where it led me. I was pleased with the taste, but I followed a method that said to pat out the rounds by hand. I knew the chef’s had been much more structured, more precise than that. I didn’t know what temperature to cook them, either, although I quickly determined that using my nonstick electric skillet would be the best choice. I have an cast iron skillet, but the electric skillet would be more heat-consistent. I watched a precious video online of a dear, little Welsh grandmother named Betty making Welsh Cakes for her grandchildren. I didn’t try her recipe, but I watched the technique carefully. So next I tried the chef’s recipe – and decided with the quantity of flour  – that I should add two eggs. Mistake. Probably one would have been sufficient. But I didn’t think they were quite right, either, although I did use my rolling pin and got perfect rounds. And incidentally, my friend Marie, who writes A Year From Oak Cottage has a recipe on her other blog, about Welsh Cakes. Hers calls for lard, though. Take a look if you’re interested.

Now we fast-forward a couple or three weeks. I wasn’t sure which recipe I’d try next. Coincidentally, I’d had a couple of email exchanges with one of my readers, Toni-Anne, who lives in England (we’ve been emailing occasionally for the last couple of years). Just on chance I asked her whether she knew Welsh Cakes. Well, yes, indeed she did. She was raised in Wales, and recalled her mother making them often. Sadly, Toni-Anne’s mother died when she was 10, and she doesn’t have her mum’s recipe. Toni-Anne said she’d see what she could do, though.

A few days went by and then I got another message from Toni-Anne. She’d remembered that in the early 80’s she’d spent a few weeks in North Carolina and she’d made Welsh Cakes while she was there. North Carolina, I thought? From a magazine recipe, she said. And would you believe it? She still had the recipe. And the magazine! From the December, 1981 Redbook. The Welsh Cakes were credited to a woman named Blodwyn Lewis. Blodwyn? Yup. Blodwyn, a very Welsh name, I’ve learned.

Promptly, I made this recipe, and am so happy to say that this will be my go-to recipe for Welsh Cakes, thank you very much! I did make one change – I used cream instead of milk, but either will work. And I used my food processor to cut in the butter. They taste very similar to my buttermilk scones, but these have no buttermilk in them. I’ll have to make an ingredient by ingredient comparison of the two. Or maybe I’ll have to try my scone recipe cooked on a griddle. Maybe later. For now I’m sticking with this recipe. So here, my friends, is the Redbook magazine Welsh Cake recipe, from 1981, thanks to Toni-Anne and her amazing archives! Thank you, cyber-friend!

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A year ago: Olive Oil Orange Madeleines
Three years ago: Anise Pound Cake

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Really, I thought I’d posted this recipe ages ago. I’ve had it for years. Have made it a few times. It’s incredibly easy. You can make it in less than 30 minutes. Which is probably why it was one of Rachel Ray’s recipes, although I got it at a cooking class some years ago. It was credited to Rachel, but I could not find this recipe anywhere online, so perhaps the cooking instructor had changed it a bit. Or perhaps it’s in one of Rachel’s cookbooks and not available online.

What’s a stoup, you ask? Something in between stew and soup. A thicker soup than a traditional soup. But not quite as thick as a stew. And I think Rachel Ray coined the word stoup. What makes this one thicker is the addition of 8 ounces of cream cheese. It could be made with ground turkey, I suppose (I use ground beef). And you can use any kind of pasta, really. I used egg noodles this time just because they were the handiest to reach in my pantry. You could use elbow macaroni, or penne, or bowtie pasta. It would be best to use some kind of short pasta – not long noodle type. Just keep that in mind.

First you cook up the ground meat, add garlic, then stock, Italian seasonings, then you add canned kidney beans (or any kind of beans would do – it’s just that the dark kidneys look good against the creamy backdrop of the soup) and canned, chopped tomatoes. Lastly you add in the pasta and cook just until al dente and add the cream cheese. It melts quickly enough if you stir it gently. Serve and sprinkle with fresh basil. Done. Now, wasn’t that easy? It’s all made in one pot. Great for a fall cool evening, I think. It’s almost soup weather around here.

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A year ago: Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting
Three years ago: Drop Biscuits

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The photo is a little blurry – sorry – when I use my point and shoot camera, I tend to place the camera a little too close to the food. What you see there is a tender, juicy chicken breast that’s stuffed with some provolone cheese, then rolled up in 2 ultra-thin slices of prosciutto. It’s briefly browned, then baked for a few minutes while you make the pan sauce (butter, shallots, white wine, chicken stock, lemon juice and fresh basil). Once you gather up the ingredients, the entire dish can come together in a matter of minutes.

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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.

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This recipe has been part of my repertoire for so long I don’t even remember where I got it. When our kids were growing up, often on Sunday evenings we’d barbecue a big hunk of top sirloin – about 2+ pounds worth. Dave was the maestro at the grill and brought it, sizzling on a big, long white platter, into the dining room with a moderate amount of ceremony.

Dave loved telling stories to our kids about Sunday family dinners when he was growing up, and much to his grandmother’s consternation, his grandfather would throw slices of bread from one end of the table to the other. Far more interesting than passing a bowl or plate, he must have figured. Frisbees weren’t invented yet when this took place, but the stories were passed down through the family about Grandpa’s spinning the bread from where he sat at the head of his dinner table to whoever was requesting a slice. He preferred to sail the bread to the opposite end and let those people pass them on. Family sagas are made of this.  And although our dining table wasn’t as long as Dave recalls his grandmother’s was, Dave has been known to toss a biscuit or a roll – much to my consternation and warnings. Everybody laughs – and still laughs when Dave brings it up. My embarrassment was if anyone else was visiting (friends of ours, or friends of our kids) to think that’s the way we behaved at our daily dinner table.  My job as a mother was to instill decorum at the dinner table and teach our kids good manners. They’ll likely not remember my words of wisdom, but they’ll surely remember their Dad throwing a biscuit. Ah well, throw propriety out the door. Laugh and have fun, right?

Dave enjoyed cutting off the serving-sized hunks of the steak and putting them onto the plates stacked at his place at the head of the table. And when we were done with all the steak – it always got eaten in full – our daughter Dana wanted the juice – blood – that was pooling on the white platter – that was her favorite part. I think she still craves that part of any steak dinner at her house.

Usually I’d make baked potatoes because we all liked them. Once in awhile I’d make twice-baked potatoes, if I had the time. But this topping combines all the good stuff you like to have in a sour cream and butter topping (for baked potatoes) and puts it all in one bowl. And makes it easier for passing around the table. There’s nothing more to it than sour cream, butter, green onions (with a bit of preparation to them) and salt and pepper.

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What to make for dinner? Seems like I wait until about 2:00 in the afternoon (assuming I don’t have something leftover or have planned something that needs to cook for awhile) to decide what we’re going to eat. This time I pulled out two pouches of (frozen) fillet of sole. Sure enough, I had a recipe that called for coconut milk (check – I’d used part of a can in another dish last week). Carrots (check). Fresh fennel (check). Fresh ginger (check). Cilantro (check). Even had kaffir lime leaves in the freezer (check). And garlic, shallots, Madras curry powder. The original recipe called for mahi-mahi, but I had sole instead. And the dish took no time at all to put together. I also had the Balinese yellow rice leftover from a few days ago. Hooray. Dinner in 30 minutes or less.

The recipe came from a 2007 article in Food and Wine magazine, all about Padma Lakshmi’s cooking. Padma is a model, an actress, and a cookbook author from India. The recipe here is straightforward and easy. If you like Indian flavors and have all the ingredients (you could probably use chicken instead of fish, or other types of fish for that matter), it takes a short time to get dinner on the table. It was really good. And very quick.

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Usually here in Southern California in mid- to late September we’re still lingering under hot and humid summer temps. Not so this year. We’ve had a 2-week cool spell where temps maybe get into the low 80’s and always down to the mid-50’s at night. Makes for very comfortable sleeping. And pleasant evenings on our patio.

Leeks are something I usually associate with Fall and Winter, but this recipe just appealed to me, maybe because of the cooler temps. I was deciding what to make for our friends Gloria and Grant, who are undergoing a kitchen remodel at the moment, and they really needed a break from the ho-hum food Gloria can make in a microwave.

This recipe is really VERY easy, although there are several steps to it. I don’t want to mislead you – it’s not something you can put together in 5 minutes. But definitely in 30. There are 4 components to this: (1) the leeks;  (2) the sweetened lemon peel; (3) the chicken; and (4) the vinaigrette and toppings. I got everything (except cooking the chicken) ready ahead of time. I cooked the leeks (10 minutes to prep and about 5-6 to cook, yes really). I sugared the lemon peel (5 minutes to prepare and about 3 minutes to cook). I made the vinaigrette (about 5 minutes). I pounded the chicken breasts to a mostly even thickness and chilled them until cooking time (another 5 minutes).

When it was show time, I used the same skillet I used for the leeks (I reheated them in a separate bowl in the microwave so I didn’t have to use another big skillet). The chicken was lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, and just sautéed in the large skillet. Nothing fancy about that part. Be sure to not overcook them (this took about 5 or 7 minutes for me). I cut into one of the breasts to make sure it was done.

Then it was plating time. I had preheated the plates because I didn’t want the dish to get cold from kitchen to table. First the leeks (and the sugared lemon slivers were added to the leeks) went onto the plate in a kind of row. Onto the side of the leeks went the sizzling hot chicken breast, then I spooned the vinaigrette on top and sprinkled it with some toasted walnuts and chopped parsley. Done. I served it with  the onion bloom I posted a few days ago, and I also served it with the Balinese Yellow Rice I made a few days ago. The vinaigrette didn’t stay on the chicken very well, of course, but it tasted wonderful pooled under the rice. I hate how that happens!

The recipe I started with came from a 2009 Food & Wine magazine. I changed it some (I could not find my little jar of preserved lemon, so I used fresh instead and I used rosemary instead of tarragon). We all raved about the wonderful taste of the chicken. I’ll definitely be making that again. Maybe sooner than later. This one’s a keeper.
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We were having a little farewell gathering with an old group of friends – a gourmet group – that started out trying to be a “healthy” gourmet group. This was a few years ago. After meeting about 3-4 times we threw out the “healthy” part and just went with gourmet group. Anyway, one of the couples, our good friends Sue and Lynn, are moving to Colorado.

What with everyone’s busy summer schedules, we managed to get a date on the calendars just before they left. I said – let’s just do steaks and everybody bring side dishes. I made baked potatoes, but I also wanted to make something for people to put on their steaks. I turned to my favorite, new barbecue cookbooks by Steven Raichlen, and found this compound butter.

You know what compound butters are, right? Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it: A compound butter can be made by whipping additional elements, such as herbs, spices or aromatic liquids, into butter. The butter is then reformed, usually in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and chilled until it is firm enough to be sliced. These butters can be melted on top of meats and vegetables, used as a spread or used to finish various sauces.

?Pictured left, top to bottom: the ingredients (onions, bacon, mustard, butter and black pepper); the bacon and onions cooked through and slightly caramelized; and the soft butter mixed with mustard and pepper.

Once I combined all the ingredients (after the bacon and onion mixture had cooled to room temp) I plopped it in a long log-like pile on plastic wrap, then gently rolled it up, using the plastic wrap to mush it into a round shape, and chilled it until needed. That’s the photo you see at top.

The log will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks, so if you don’t use it up at your next steak fry, save the leftovers for some juicy hamburgers (the ideal match, the cookbook said). I think it would also be delicious over fresh vegetables – ones that would be good with bacon, like green beans, broccoli, leeks, cabbage, even dark greens like kale, Swiss chard, etc. So, there are plenty of uses for the butter if you have some remaining. I ended up using some of it on top of two servings of pan-fried salmon steaks. Delicious. And as I write this I still have some left.

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A year ago: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
Three years ago: Lentil Soup

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Talk about sweet! Talk about unusual! Talk about how BIG these are on a plate! All of the above. I’ve had this recipe in my to-try file for a long time (it’s from a December, 2007 Bon Appétit article).

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