Additional Recipes

bolognese

A Seafood Bolognese That’s Very Interesting

A Seafood Bolognese?      By definition, a seafood bolognese makes no sense. According to culinary tradition, a Bolognese sauce is meat-based and it’s referred to as ragu’ in Italy. It is cooked over low heat for many hours. And because it’s meat based, it reflects the cuisine of Northern Italy. This part of Italy is more fitted to support livestock and wildlife with its green pastures and woodlands. Also, the North borders Austria and France which also influences what they prepare.      There’s no meat in this recipe. Instead, a fresh seafood selection…

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croque

Croque Madame. Invite A French Lady To Breakfast.

Offering a French Delight – The Croque Madame      If you are hosting overnight guests for the holidays and you want to add a cosmopolitan touch to breakfast, serve each of them a croque madame. If they’ve never eaten one before, then they are in for a treat.          It’s really quite simple to make. It’s a half sandwich where a slice of bread is covered with a high-quality wet-cured ham. Ladle some béchamel sauce on top of the ham, and cover everything with a layer of coarsely-grated Gruyere cheese. And then add the pièce…

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sweet

Holiday Side: Candied Sweet Potatoes a la Emeril

Joke: What’s the difference between a sweet potato and a yam? About ten cents a pound. Let’s Get Something Straight      First of all, it’s time to get something cleared up. Contrary to what many people think, a sweet potato and a yam are not the same. It’s true, they are both root vegetables but they belong to different plant families: the sweet potato belongs to the morning glory family and the yam the lily family. In a nutshell yams are sweeter, are larger, but they don’t supply as much nutrition.      …

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cranberry

Holiday Side: Cranberry Sauce Par Excellence

The Obligatory Side      In our family, at holiday meals (especially Thanksgiving) cranberry sauce has always been considered an obligatory side. When all of us are seated at the table, and the bowls start being passed, there is a frenzy as food is piled high on each plate. When the dish of cranberry sauce arrives, most will politely take a dap (so as not to offend the person who brought the dish). And after everything on each plate is consumed (being from the Midwest we do “clean” our plates), usually the only…

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Ham

Ham Bone-in Cooked Shank

A Real Hankerin’      Every once in a while, I get a hankerin’ (it’s the way my people used to talk) for a taste of a good ol’ bone-in country ham – the kind that my grandmother used to make on Easter. If you’ve ever tasted one, the taste was unforgettable. The Kiss Principle Applies Here      My advice is to keep it simple. Something happens to many of the commercial types. They are most likely soaked in brine and injected with who knows what resulting in an odd, artificially sweet taste. Even…

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marsala

Mushroom Gravy

     This easy creamy gravy, spiked with Marsala wine, can be whisked together while the main event of your meal is cooking. Start by browning mushrooms in butter to give the gravy plenty of savory flavor. Add flour to thicken, simmer in Marsala wine and beef broth, and finish with heavy cream. Serve this versatile gravy with everything from meatloaf to beef Wellington.

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Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington

     Beef Wellington. Even it’s name is a bit stuffy.  As for haughty cuisine, I place it in the same class as oysters Rockefeller, beef bourguigon, Caesar salad, and baked Alaska. We also assume it’s a dish only that only the well-heeled and well-to-do can afford. I’ve seen it described as ritzy and swank, and my personal favorite descriptors have been highfalutin and fancy-schmancy.      It’s basically a steak fillet covered with pate de foie gras, then wrapped in pastry and baked. The beef  [tenderloin] is seared, then topped with either foie…

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Succotash

Succotash a la Thoreau

     I know this is a sneaky way to introduce a great recipe for succotash, but it’s a given – almost every succotash recipe contains beans. And when beans are mentioned, two personalities usually come to mind: Duke (the dog in the Bush’s Baked Beans commercial) and Henry David Thoreau.      Duke is not important here, but Thoreau is. He was born on July 12, 1817 and died at the age of 44. If his life hadn’t been cut short by tuberculosis, he would have celebrated his 200th birthday this year. As the longest living…

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BLT

A Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich To Die For

     I love a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, and I’m not alone. In polls where people were asked about their favorite sandwich, the BLT was either at the top or close to the top of every list. And it’s so simple: two slices of bread, mayo, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. That’s it.      Not all BLTs I’ve eaten have been great. I’ve been served many that I didn’t think were very good at all. What I think sets a great one apart from the others are (1) the quality…

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Moon Pie

Solar Eclipse Moon Pies

     It you want to make a hit with your children (or grandchildren), make some homemade moon pies. Sure, you can buy the commercial kind. It’s easier and probably less expensive, but you’re not going to make any memories.      After a couple of trial runs, invite the kids to your kitchen and get started. Let them do as much as is safely possible. The cookies will be made in three stages: making the sandwich cookies, assembling the moon pies, and dipping the moon pies in chocolate.      I warn…

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