7 PERFCT DESSERTS FOR LABOR DAY

Planning Labor Day dinner can seem like a re-run of July 4^th. Both summer holidays are expected to be warm, hopefully sunny days, offering the preferred option of eating outdoors, perhaps grilling. Both dinners rely heavily on seasonal produce. In fact, the menus are all but interchangeable except for one big difference—the desserts.

July 4^th desserts are all about icy confections that laugh at the heat, seeming to say;”its summer, have fun and come cool off with us.” Traditionally, on Labor Day, the oven returns to make pastry showcasing the stone fruits of August, peaches, apricots, plums and nectarines. The desserts are a bit nostalgic, carrying the message; “Enjoy us while you still can. Autumn is near.”

The operative words are”.. while you still can.” Other summer produce, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers even cantaloupes and strawberries, though not field ripened, are transported to markets all year. Stone fruits are only available in season. Although these fruits cook better than most, as witnessed by their long history of being canned, for much of their short season it’s too hot to stand over a stove. We prefer to eat them out-if-hand or sliced into or over other foods.

However, there is a saving grace because though the end-of-season fruits may be of lesser quality to eat raw, they cook as well, perhaps even better than the lush ones in their prime. Probably it’s due to the fact that they have less water content and the meat is more compact, but heating brings out a ton of flavor.

Stone fruits combine well. If there isn’t enough of one type for a recipe, another can often be used to fill the quota. They’re generally interchangeable in recipes especially peaches and nectarines, which are really an antique Chinese variety of peach. Only peaches have to be skinned before cooking. That’s done as with tomatoes, by dipping in boiling water and peeling off the skin, but don’t remove the skin if grilling, roasting or broiling them, unless they’re to be sliced.

The following recipes are easy go-tos, not just for Labor Day, but for early Fall desserts. There are several more in the site Archives, just go to the right margin and select a month from the drop-down box. I suggest looking-up August-September of any year.

RECIPES:

Broiled, Grilled or Roasted Peaches or Nectarines
Peaches and nectarines are the favored stone fruits to withstand intense heat without the support of pastry or a pan. Simply halve and pit them, place them on a baking sheet in the oven or directly on the grill and cook them until the juices bubble and the cut edges begin to char. Grilling time depends on the size of the fruit and degree of heat. Roasting is done at 400 deg. for 20 min.
They can be served directly with meat but as a dessert I like to let them marinate a few minutes in a complimentary liqueur or liquor, Peach Brandy, Triple Sec, spiced rum etc., until they form a bit of sauce and then serve them with the sauce and meringues, ice cream or whipped cream.

Fruit Rustica, or Galette, is the easiest type of pie to make. This is a short version of the recipe from my book Dinners with Joy:
If making the crust: mix 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, cut in 1/3 cup shortening, add 3 to 4 Tbs. ICE water to form dough, and roll to a 12 inch round.
If buying the crust: roll only to 10 inches.
Transfer to a parchment or foil covered cookie sheet, or a pizza pan for baking.
Depending on size, fill the center with a 1 lb. to 1 ½ lb. fruit, leaving a 2 to 3 inch margin. (Apples pears and peaches should be peeled and sliced. Plums and apricots can be halved and stoned.)
Dot fruit with ½ Tbs. butter.
Sprinkle with 1 Tbs. cornstarch, 1 Tbs. sugar and ½ tsp. lemon juice.
Carefully fold edges of pastry up around filling, pleating as you go. The edges can be brushed with cream or egg white and sprinkled with sugar as decoration.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 min. Cool on sheet; preferably on a wire rack.
This can be moved to a plate for serving, but as the name implies, it’s a “rustic” or casual pastry, and I like to bake it and serve it in a pizza pan.

Fruit Pizza: Serves 8-10
Make dough as instructed above, increasing sugar to ½ cup and shortening to 2/3 cup.
If buying; purchase a roll of sugar cookie dough, not pie dough. Roll dough to fit a pizza pan, prick several times with a fork and bake as for cookies, 350 degrees for 10 to 12 min. until lightly browned, or as directions on package state.
Cool completely in pan.
Decoratively arrange raw fruit over the crust. The amount you will need depends on the chosen fruit, roughly about 1 ½ lbs. For July 4^th use a combination of strawberries and blueberries. Top with a glaze made from a clear jelly, apple or current, melted with 1 Tbs. water per ¼ cup jelly. For a thicker glaze dissolve ¼ tsp. cornstarch in 1 Tbs. water per ½ cup jelly, which is the amount I use for one of these. Boil until clear and spoon over the fruit. Chill until completely set. Serve in wedges and optionally pass whipped cream, or ice cream.

American Trifle Recipe: Serves 8
Note: the flavor of the pudding mix can be changed to taste Coconut, Lemon etc.*, as can the type of fruit preserve**. For example the trifle could be blueberry-strawberry or peach. Experiment and have fun!
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1 ½ cups milk ( note reuced amount from that stated on box)
10 oz. pound cake –available at the Dollar Store
10 oz. jar of raspberry preserves**
3-4 whole fruit –sliced or more as needed
¼ cup sherry, brandy, other complimentary liquor, or orange juice
1 cup sweetened whipped cream –optional garnish
¼ cup extra slices and/or a few mint leaves for garnish
Mix pudding with milk for pie filling as directed on package. Arrange 1/3rd of the cake in a single layer to completely cover the bottom of a deep glass bowl or large compote dish (clear glass is best) Spread with 1/3rd the preserves, sprinkle with 1/3rd the liquor or juice, spread with 1/3rd the fruit slices and top with 1/3rd the pudding. Repeat layers twice ending with pudding, Top with whipped cream if using and garnish with a few slices and/or mint. Chill for up to 1 day.
NOTE: If the trifle is to be kept for any time adding 2 thinly sliced bananas to layer under the fruit protects the cake from becoming too moist and falling apart or 3 bananas can be used alone

Wonton Fruit Cups: Serves 12
24 wonton wrappers
2 Tbs. melted butter
1/3 cup fruit preserves—flavor complimentary to fruit filling
1 cup lemon yogurt or instant pudding-pie filling, flavor optional
1 ½ cups diced fruit
Line a 12 cup or (2) 6 cup muffin pans with a wonton wrapper. Brush with ½ the butter. Place a second wrapper diagonally across the first and brush with remaining butter. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 10 min. or until golden. Remove and cool. Spread 1 tsp. fruit preserves in each cup. Fold yogurt or pudding with 1 cup fruit and spoon into cups. Garnish with remaining fruit.

Fruit Crisp: Serves 6-8
4-5 cups sliced peaches or nectarines, halved apricots, quartered plums
½ cup melted butter
¾-1 ¼ cups white or light brown sugar-depending on sweetness of fruit
¾ cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon or ½ tsp. nutmeg or allspice—depending on choice of fruit
Few drops lemon juice
Place the fruit in an ovenproof bowl or pan the size of a 9 inch pie plate and sprinkle with lemon juice. Stir all the other ingredients into the butter and scatter over the fruit. Bake in a preheated 400deg.oven about 30-40 min. until fruit is done. Cool on a rack and serve spooned into bowls topped with ice cream or whipped topping.

Dump Cake: Serves 12
4-5 cups sliced peaches or nectarines, halved or quartered plums or apricots
½ cup white sugar
½ cup melted butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
(1) 18.5 box of cake mix-flavor optional
Place fruit in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan and mix with sugar and cinnamon. scatter dry cake mix over the top and pour melted butter evenly over it. Do not stir! Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven about 30 min. until golden on top. Serve with ice cream or whipped topping.

SALADS SPOTLIGHTING PRODUCE IN ITS PRIME

One of the best things about August is the abundance of fresh produce at peak ripeness. Several items are robust enough to stand alone, or in a duet as a salad. Lettuces and leafy greens, also available now, can be used to simply add flavor or texture contrast, rather than the heavy body-building they supply the rest of the year. Herbs too are wonderfully fresh now and can be worked into many dishes as flavor accents or even as working components.

Because of the focus on a specific taste, and monochromatic coloring, salads concentrating on just one or two fresh produce items are appreciated more when served in smaller quantities, as a luncheon or an accompaniment to an entrée food, optionally on a bedding of complimentary greens. Adding ingredients in an attempt to convert them into an entrée ruins the recipe and defeats the purpose of choosing one or two items to savor and enjoy by showcasing them at their perfect moment.

Of course knowing how and where to find good produce is important. Field grown and naturally ripened are key. If you live near a farming area, taking a drive to find roadside farm stands is great, otherwise seek out a central farmers’ market or, in urban locations, try specialty stores. Supermarkets often feature specials on different produce crops in season, especially local ones, but check the labels to see where the product was grown; the closer it was the fresher it is and the less chance it was harvested prematurely to ripen enroute. If you have any doubts about how to select the best items, ask someone who works at the market and also be sure to inquire about handling and storage. It’s no good to buy perfect produce and have it spoil because it was bought too far in advance or improperly stored.

One other note on buying for and preparing these recipes; no matter where you look nowadays, most of what you find will be GMOs. I personally, mourn the loss of regional differences in and depth of flavor and deplore the bland equality of taste. Still, GMOs do offer some advantages; the overall perfection in appearance and longer shelf life are two. Developing a firmer skin or rind on fruits and vegetables to protect from infestation in the fields and bruising in transport is a big third.

This is especially relevant to preparing tomatoes. Formerly, removing the thin skin used to be the cook’s option. Now, dealing with the firmer skin is basic to the preparation. Left on, it preserves the integrity of diced or sliced pieces, especially if to be tossed, but prohibits the flesh from melding into the whole in some recipes. The presentation description will tell you what to do, if the recipe directions don’t.

The following recipes are good examples of making a specific produce into a salad, but only suggestions. (Again several are adapted from Three& Four Ingredients by Jenny White and Joanna Farrow.) If you have a favorite, go for it! A friend loves pears and has created a delicious salad with sliced pears, walnut oil, a dash of balsamic vinegar and chopped, toasted walnuts. Sometimes she adds a mild cheese, and sometimes plates it on a green of choice at the time, but it’s always soooo good.

 

RECIPES:

Tomatoes with Cut Beans (or Peas) and Basil: Serves 2- This Italian recipe is equally popular with lightly cooked peas or cut green beans. The peas are more filling but higher in carbohydrates.
2 Beefsteak tomatoes OR 4 plum tomatoes
1 ½ cups cut green beans OR 1 cup peas
1 Tbs. oil
½ tsp. garlic powder or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. dried basil
12 large fresh basil leaves + 2 sprigs for garnish
Cook the beans or peas to crisp tender and cut the unpeeled tomatoes in 1 inch dice. Lightly toss everything but the fresh basil in a salad bowl and chill to marinate at least 1 hr. Slice the fresh basil leaves thinly and toss into the salad1/2 hr. before serving. Garnish with the basil sprigs.

Watermelon and Tomato Salad: Serves 2
2 slices of watermelon- rind cut off, seedless and cut in 1 inch cubes
1 beefsteak tomato OR 2 plum tomatoes
½ Tbs. oil
½ tsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 oz. crumbled Feta cheese – optional
Small bunch of watercress OR baby spinach – torn
Peel the tomato by dipping in boiling water for a few seconds then pulling the skin off with a sharp knife. Cut the tomato in 1 inch dice and gently stir with the melon, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Marinate, chilled for at least 1 hr. Serve cold on greens optionally garnished with the cheese.

Crushed Tomato and Pasta Salad: Serves 4
6 plum or small tomatoes peeled and halved
1 lb. lasagna noodles broken diagonally in pieces the size of the noodle’s width
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3 Tbs. oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tsp. garlic powder
Shaved or grated Parmesan-optional
Gently crush the pulp and juice from the tomatoes into a bowl. Add everything else but the pasta and marinate, covered, chilled to meld 3 hr. Meanwhile cook the pasta al dente, drain and hold in a bowl of cool water. To serve, drain pasta and add to bowl with tomatoes; toss well and adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with basil sprigs and grated cheese if using.

Sour Cucumber with Dill: Serves 4
3 small cucumbers thinly sliced-mandolin recommended
3 small red onions thinly sliced- mandolin recommended
3 Tbs. chopped fresh dill + a few sprigs to garnish
5-6 Tbs. cider vinegar diluted with 2-3 Tbs. water
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large bowl combine the cucumbers and onions with salt and leave for 10min.until they ‘weep. ’Rinse well and drain. Add diluted vinegar, the dill and toss well. Marinate in the refrigerator 2-3 hours and serve cold, drained garnished with dill sprigs.

Cucumbers in Sour Cream: Serves 2
2 medium cucumbers-thinly sliced-mandolin recommended
Cider vinegar to taste
Sugar to taste
1 cup sour cream
Salt
Paprika
Place the cucumbers on a plate and liberally sprinkle with salt. Allow to sit about 15 min, until they ‘weep’. Rinse and drain well. Mix the sour cream with vinegar and sugar to taste-mildly sweet-sour. Refrigerate both separately. Just before serving, place half the cucumbers in a flat-bottomed bowl, then ½ the cream. Dust with paprika and repeat with the rest of the cucumbers and cream, ending with the paprika. Be sure to serve well chilled. This salad can also be served in individual saucers.

Roasted Pepper and Anchovy Salad: Serves 4
6 large bell peppers-assorted colors red, orange, yellow green
2 oz. can anchovy fillets
2 garlic cloves-thinly sliced
2 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the peppers in half and roast in a 400 deg. oven, cut side down, in a roasting pan 30-40 min. until skin is charred. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave for 15 min. then peel off skin and cut into julienne strips. Drain the anchovies and halve lengthwise. Mix the anchovy oil, vinegar, garlic and seasonings in a deep bow. Add the peppers and anchovies and fold to combine with a spoon. Chill until ready to serve. Excellent on spinach leaves with a slice of lemon to garnish.

Beets with Fresh Mint: Serves 4-This salad is an easy fix substituting canned tiny whole beets for the fresh ones.
4-6 beets, cooked OR (3) 15 oz. cans tiny whole beets
1-2 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch fresh mint.
Cut the cooked beets in about 1 inch dice, or drain and halve the canned ones. Strip the mint and shred the leaves-reserve half. Place all the ingredients in a bowl, toss and chill to marinate at least 1 hr. Serve garnished with reserved mint.

GLAMEROUS DESSERTS MADE WITH COMMERCIAL ICE CREAM

Several years ago I bought an ice cream machine. Flavoring with herbs was new and I wanted to try spices. I was also curious as to why commercial products came in so few fruit flavors. I lived in an area famous for blueberries, loved cranberries and had been mashing bananas in softened vanilla ice cream, then refreezing the mix in popsicle molds for ages.

Well….my efforts were successful, but the machine…not so much. The process was too time-consuming and the machine took more freezer space than was justified by the results-about 1 quart of ice cream. It took days to make enough for a full family dinner and no way could I have the choices I had planned always available. So the machine sits on a shelf, except for occasional request and I’ve gone back to the old, hand-made methods.

I wrote several posts on this last summer (See June 18 & 22, and Sept.1, or click the pictures on the Home Page panorama) covering frozen desserts and cold confections. However, this year I’ve taken a step further in the direction of convenience (or laziness) and been exploring converting commercial ice cream, as well as plain cream, into decorative, festive presentations. Most of the recipes below are adapted from TheThree & Four Ingredient Cookbook by Jenny white and Joanna Farrow, a few are old classics but they’re all easy and delicious—guaranteed to get you raves!

Don’t miss the special BONUS at the end of this post. It has 1 really current recipe and 1 which will make your ‘company’ desserts no-brainers in the future.

Truffle Bites: Yield 25
3 cups ice cream-flavor optional
7 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 oz. milk or white chocolate
¼ cup chopped, toasted nuts-almonds, hazelnuts suggested
Place a large cookie sheet in the freezer for 10 min. Scoop balls of ice cream with a melon baller and line them on the cookie sheet; freeze for at least 1 hr. Line a second cookie sheet with parchment paper and freeze it as well. Melt the chocolates in separate pots. Transfer the ice cream balls to the parchment covered sheet, and, gently spoon a little dark chocolate over half of them to cover, one at a time, and immediately sprinkle with chopped nut. Cover the other half of the balls with dark chocolate and drizzle with the milk or white chocolate. Freeze them as you go to avoid melting and keep frozen until serving.

Fruit Gateau: Serves 6
3 ½ cups mixed berries or diced, skinned soft fruit-if using large strawberries chop to size
3 cups ice cream- flavor optional
2 Tbs. powdered sugar
4 oz. meringues = 1 small per cup of other ingredients or 6 here—See recipe below*
Dampen a 2 lb. loaf pan and line it with waxed paper. Put the fruit in a bowl with the sugar and toss until it begins to break up but don’t let it get mushy. Put the ice cream in another bowl and break it up with a fork. Add the broken meringues and the fruit. Fold the ingredients together until lightly marbled. Pack the mixture into the prepared pan and press down lightly to level. Cover and freeze overnight. To serve, invert on a plate, remove wrap and slice.
*NOTE: This is delicious with an interesting texture. However, it’s difficult to slice. I think I’ll make it in individual molds from now on, perhaps even use muffin cups

Peach Melba: Per portion
1 large scoop ice cream-vanilla is customary but peach or strawberry are options
2 meringues-see recipe below*
1 peach half- canned peaches can be used, but fresh, skinned ones are better.
3 Tb. raspberry sauce- see NOTE below**
Place the peach half in the bottom of a dessert dish, top with ice cream. Press a meringue into each side of the ice cream scoop and pour the raspberry sauce over.
**NOTE: Melba Sauce is sold in gourmet sections, but fresh berries tossed with sugar are better, so are frozen raspberries sweetened to taste.

*Meringues: Yield about 25 small or 12 large
Meringues are very useful . The only thing to beware of is that egg whites will not beat if there is even a trace of any other substance, including water but especially egg yolk, on the beaters or in the bowl. Tip: egg whites beat better at room temperature.
Cookie Sheet and Waxed Paper:
2 egg whites
½ cup sugar
2 drops cider vinegar
½ tsp. flavoring – – Vanilla is usual if used with other ingredients. I like Maple to serve alone
Cover the cookie sheet with the waxed paper. Carefully separate the eggs, putting the whites in a clean, dry bowl. It might be wise to break them separately, over another bowl, then transfer each white into the beating bowl. That way, if there’s a bit of yoke in the last white, you don’t have to start over. With clean, dry beaters, beat the eggs until they form soft peaks, @ 1 ½ – 2 min. Still beating, add the vinegar, gradually pour in the sugar, and continue beating until glossy peaks form when you lift the beaters. Add the flavoring, beat to mix.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Drop the meringue batter on the covered cookie sheet by the teaspoon or soupspoon depending on desired size, forming little mounds about 2 inches apart; cook 1 hour. While still warm, remove the meringues from the paper, and allow to cool on a rack.

*NOTE: Meringues are handy to have on hand. They can be eaten as cookies and are lower in calories. They keep in an air-tight tin for months. The batter can also be cooked flat or in shapes and used to replace pie crust or pastry shells.

Banana Popsicles: Makes 6 as per usual mold set*
2 cups softened vanilla ice cream
1 cup mashed RIPE banana=1 large or 2 small—dark spots from ripening don’t show after mixing
Mash the banana to a paste with a fork and stir into the ice cream until fully mixed. Freeze in molds. Rec
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Brownie Torte: Serves 8-10
9 oz. chocolate brownies-crumbled
11 oz. white or milk chocolate broken in pieces
2 ½ cups heavy, whipping cream
Unsweetened cocoa for dusting
Line the base of a spring-form pan with waxed paper. Sprinkle the brownie chunks over the bottom and slightly up the sides pressing to form a dense base. Melt the chocolate gently with 2/3 cup of cream, stirring until smooth. Pour into a bowl and cool. Whip the remaining cream and fold into the chocolate then pour into the base. Tap gently to level, cover and freeze overnight. Remove from pan, plate and transfer to the refrigerator about 30 min. before serving. Just before serving dust top with cocoa.

Terrine: Serves 6
2 Tbs. powdered sugar
2 cups whipping cream
½ cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup chopped toasted nuts-pecans, almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts
Boil the granulated sugar and 5 Tbs. water until sugar dissolves and turns golden. Remove from heat and allow pan to stand until syrup is brown. Pour 6 Tbs. of cream over the sugar and heat, stirring until it’s a smooth caramel sauce. Cool. Rinse and line a 1 lb. loaf pan with plastic wrap. In one bowl whip 2/3 cup cream with the powdered sugar to soft peaks. In another whip the remaining cream and stir into the caramel sauce with the nuts. Spread 1/3 the caramel mixture into the pan and top with ½ the sweetened cream. Repeat layers ending with the caramel. Tap to level the surface and freeze for at least 6 hrs. To serve, dip pan in hot water, invert onto a plate, remove wrap and slice.

Fruit Mousse: Serves 8-10
1 qt. berries or skinned, diced fruit
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Add sugar to fruit and let stand 1 hr. then mash or leave in very small pieces. Whip cream with salt and vanilla. Fold in fruit, do not stir more than necessary, pour into a rinsed but not dried mold, cover and freeze overnight. Unmold, plate and slice to serve.
General Rules for Mousse-There are many recipes for mousse, but the rules are the same.
1) The dish will be smoother if the cream is whipped only until the peaks are soft-stiff.
2) Fruit should be crushed or in tiny dice to avoid crystalizing when frozen
3) Fold the fruit in, don’t stir it or the mousse won’t freeze evenly.
4) To avoid separation, have all the ingredients the same temperature when combining
5) Cover the top of the mousse with plastic wrap, even if the container has a lid.
6) To unmold, dip the container in hot water before inverting onto a plate.

Bonus
Chocolate Cups: Serves 6
These are an elegant way to dress up a couple of scoops of ice cream. Just add whipped topping, some fruit or other decorations and you have a party dessert! Make them ahead and you’ll always be set.
8 oz. chocolate broken in pieces-dark, white or milk
Waxed paper
1 baking sheet
(1) 3 inch round cookie cutter—OR tuna fish cans, washed and open at both ends
Cover the baking sheet with waxed paper. Cut (6) 12 x 5 inch strips of waxed paper. Fold each in half lengthwise and roll to fit inside the cookie cutter when standing on the baking sheet and tape paper in circles. Stand the cookie cutter on the baking sheet, fit a paper roll inside it and, with a teaspoon, spoon a little chocolate inside, spreading it over the bottom to form a base and unevenly up the sides. Careful not to crack the chocolate shell, remove the cutter and go on to the next cup. This is where tuna cans make the job easier; they stay in place until the cups harden, allowing several to be made quickly.
Each cup holds 2 normal scoops of ice cream.

Coconut Ice Cream: Serves 6– This doesn’t belong in either of the above categories, but it’s a fun addition, especially with the current popularity of coconut.
14 oz. can coconut milk
¼ cup sugar
2 limes, zested and juiced
Toasted coconut shreds, toasted almond slivers and/or chocolate shavings for garnish
Boil sugar with 2/3 cup water to dissolve, stirring constantly; cool then chill well. Add lime and coconut milk. Pour into a freezer-proof container and freeze 4-6 hrs., beating or processing twice in between to break up ice crystals. Freeze until firm. Serve in scoops topped with choice of garnish.

HOW TO UNLOCK THE SECRET TO CONTROLING FOOD EXPENSES

A button at the top of this site’s Home Page links to my book How to Control Food Bills which teaches The Diet for the Food Dollar Plan. I’d like to talk a bit about the book and what prompted me to write it. We can’t control food prices, but we can learn to deal with them.

First of all, I want to be clear, I am not a classically trained chef. I have none of the professional chef’s ‘perks’; no fabulous equipment, no assistants, no ’connections’ for supplies or access to special prices. I am one of you, cooking alone, in a normal home kitchen, buying retail at the local supermarket, and above all, working on my own dime. None of these facts change whether I’m making a meal for my family or preparing an order for a client.

This is why I feel that I can discuss the problems of dealing with current food costs with you better than the ‘professionals’. They have an objective view of the situation, whereas we have a subjective one.

My one advantage, and the one I share in this book, is that my training with the U.S. Personal Chef’s Association is focused on the economic and organizational aspects of the business, more than the culinary side. The students know how to cook and follow recipes, and most meals are left to the client to finish and serve. What they really need to learn is how to create a viable business working with the food situation today. That includes how to use organized planning and to food shop in an informed, intelligent way to control cost.

Frustration with cooking for an empty nest prompted me to train and open a personal chef service. I knew from the training, I was in for some awakenings, but nothing compared to the change in my attitude toward handling food expenses. Understanding what a personal chef service is and the steps a chef takes to complete an order will explain how this happened and why following a chef’s example can save time and money for the average family.

.

A personal chef service prepares a series of meals for a client to consume over a period of time, for which a price is quoted. The chef has a large recipe repertoire and can adapt family favorites or special diets, but individual requests are acceptable too. Although services have base prices, a personal chef service owner meeting with a client to draw up a menu, must be prepared for any requests. It can be a specific cut of meat, a change in number of entrees and/or servings, even adapting a meal from fresh to frozen. The chef has to be able to give the client a reasonable quote, on the spot, taking into consideration maintaining quality and meeting the bottom line while buying retail, much as the home cook should do when planning the weekly meals and calculating food expenses.

Of course, the chef has to be informed as to current market prices, and also be aware of all the ingredients needed to fill the order. This means keeping a running inventory of pantry supplies, staples, condiments, herbs and spices. This sounds harder than it is. Simply note supplies including amounts, and then each time you plan menus revise the amounts of the items used. Then you always know what you have, without constant searching.

When the menu is set and the day of delivery scheduled, the chef makes a master shopping list for the entire order, including every ingredient in the amount needed. Different market flyers are studied to determine which store has the best prices, especially on the meats and produce, for that particular order. Menu blanks, such as optional sides or choice of salads are filled in from the information in the chosen market’s flyer before shopping. Using one market saves valuable time especially on service day or, for the home cook, market day.

If an item is required from another store, then it is preordered to be ready for pick-up on service day. The same is true of the main order. The chef visits the chosen market in advance to place the order and be sure it’s waiting in designated amounts on the morning of the stipulated day. It’s important for quality and freshness that products go directly from store to client.

To facilitate this, the chef will have made it a point to meet the managers of the separate food sections of the supermarkets, especially the meat, fish and produce. Having worked together, these people understand what is needed and a phone call to each assures the order is correctly filled, packaged and ready on time. Many people don’t realize if they take the time to meet key people in the different departments of their favorite market, they can enjoy the same convenience and rely on being able to get sound advice.

The entire order is cooked in the client’s house and prepared in proportion sizes for freezing. The estimated time spent is one hour per entrée. This can be a good model for the busy home chef. Setting a time aside to cook some meals in advance, or cooking double amounts of a meal, which takes no extra time, is a great way to relieve stress. It’s nice to come home after a hard day and know something’s prepared.

The whole procedure is straightforward but requires time and attention to detail or it can bog down and derail. I needed a way to streamline it and a few short cuts to keep me on track. Otherwise, I would be spending far too much time on each order.

The plan I devised worked so well for the business, I applied it to my personal food shopping and preparation, saving both time and money. The best part is it’s individualized without being invasive so it adapts to all financial situations. To test it further, I shared it with some friends with the same results. One remarked that she wished she could shed pounds as easily as she cut dollars off her food bills and The Diet for the Food Dollar Plan was named.

It consists of 3 simple steps to alter your approach to food provisioning from planning through shopping and preparing. Experts say that habits are formed in three weeks. So if you can follow the steps for three weeks they will be well on the way to becoming habit and you will be on auto-pilot to saving time and money.

I had some fun with the steps, thinking up simple tips and incentives to keep on track. When I decided to write the book, I added more “bells and whistles” to pave the way and a lot more information, including a complete run-down of every type of store that sells food.

The steps are:

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1. BE DECISIVE— Don’t hesitate, press “Go” As with any diet, the first step is to set a realistic, obtainable, goal and start working toward it.
2. BE DETERMINED – Once you have a goal in mind, and an idea of how to carve the path to get there, it’s going to take resolve to turn that path into a paved highway.
3. BE DICIPLINED – In any diet this is the hardest step to follow because it requires ongoing effort, but the best paved road won’t get you into town if you keep taking scenic detours. If you are decisive and determined; all that’s needed is willpower.

In addition to the three steps in the plan, if you follow the personal chef’s schedule in your approach to menu planning and food shopping, you will find the tasks simplified.

1) Check your pantry inventory and supplies,

2) Make time to plan a week’s menus starting with the entrees,

3) Study the weekly market flyers, and pick the store which best fits your current needs,
4) Fill in any menu blanks using that flyer,
5) Write a detailed list of every ingredient, with amounts, needed for the week’s meals

6) Make a similar list for other food needs, breakfasts, lunches, snacks, pet food etc. and for household supplies, detergents, paper products etc. Anything bought in a supermarket.

7) Talk to the personal in the key departments of your favorite store. Get the name of one in each to call if you want to order ahead or inquire about an item.
8) Make ONE WEEKLY trip to market for everything

The book contains over 100 pages of charts and diagrams of meats, poultry, seafood cheeses, oils, grains and herbs and spices giving descriptions and suggested uses. There are lists of common ingredient substitutions, temperature conversions, pan measurement and calorie charts. These alone constitute a valuable kitchen tool

So click on the link at the top of the Home Page or the book cover in the Bookshelf panorama in the right margin, and take a closer look at the book and what it can do for you. I guarantee it will more than repay its $8.99 cost probably in the first shopping trip, but definitely in less than the time the plan takes to becomes a habit, or 3 weeks as stated above.

ICY DRINKS FOR HOT DAYS

I’ve been focused on cold food for several weeks now, but it’s been an unusually warm summer in much of the U.S. There have been several intense heat waves of longer than normal duration—often over a week rather than three to five days. This has given rise to awareness of the importance of hydration but it also raises the question of our choice of drinks. If we are to increase our fluid intake, we should guard against increasing our consumption of sweeteners in general, especially artificial ones and other non-natural ‘additives’ such as preservatives, coloring, flavoring agents etc.

Drinking plain water is the best way to stay hydrated and I’m a big fan, but it’s also boring. We need to be enticed to maintain our proper fluid levels, and that means a choice of a variety of cool, delicious drinks, preferably naturally healthy ones, not commercially bottled or canned products. I know the argument that making those beverages takes too much time, but not really if you make a pureed fruit base which can be stirred with, say, sparkling water, or a large pitcher of different flavored teas to be sweetened individually as poured. These concoctions can be kept chilled; the fruit purees can even made ahead with extras frozen, and be as quickly ready as a can of soda.

I’m offering nine recipes which will make staying hydrated a pleasure. Most are adaptations from The Three & Four Ingredient Cookbook by Jenny White and Joanna Farrow. A few are old classics. Several call for, or can be altered by the addition of another liquid. I recommend sparkling mineral water, flavored, not sweetened, soda water, and ginger ale, better yet, ginger beer or sparkling cider. If a recipe asks for two separate juices, please use those, not a pre-mixed, bottled combination. The proportions will be different and alter the taste. A few of these recipes can be changed with the addition of liquor or wine, two actually are better known as bar drinks, but remember, alcohol reduces their ability to hydrate.

If you have a juicer, you might want to use it for the drinks using fresh fruit. In testing them, I used my blender on’ liquefy’ and was pleased with the results, but I like some pulp in my fruit drinks. It gives them authenticity. However, if you like a clear syrup base for beverages, strain the fruit pulp through a sieve diluted with a little water to make its passage easier.

So—Cheers! Here’s to staying hydrated!

RECIPES

True Blue: Serves 2-4
2 cups blueberries
2 cups black raspberries
1 ¼ cups seedless red grapes
Put all the fruit through a juicer or blend on liquefy. Pour over ice in a tumbler, or add some raspberry flavored, unsweetened seltzer water, like Vintage, and serve in a tall glass. Garnish with reserved fruit,

Honeyed Watermelon Cooler: Serves 4
1 medium watermelon
1 quart sparkling water*
2 limes juiced*
Honey to taste
Cut away the rind and seeds and put the watermelon meat in a blender with enough of the water to liquefy. Add the rest of the water, the juice and honey. Chill thoroughly. Serve over ice.
*A shortcut is to substitute lemon-lime seltzer water for these two ingredients.

Strawberry-Apple Mist:-Serves 2
3 cups strawberries, hulled
2 tsp. vanilla syrup
Sparkling apple cider or apple juice
Blend or juice the berries with the vanilla. Pour into 2 tall glasses filed with crushed ice and fill the glasses the rest of the way with the apple juice or sparkling cider for a bit more kick.

Cranberry Spritzer: Serves 4
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1 cup apple juice
4 cinnamon sticks
Chilled ginger ale or ginger beer
Freeze the cranberry juice in a flat pan for about 2 hr. until ice forms around edges. Mash with a fork and refreeze for 3hr.or until firm. Meanwhile, bring the apple juice and cinnamon just to a boil; remove from heat, cool and chill. Put the frozen cranberry juice and apple juice without the cinnamon in a blender. Process briefly until slushy and pile into cocktail glasses, topping with the ginger ale. Garnish with the cinnamon sticks.

Peppermint Icy: Serves 4 —This is for the kids
4 oz. peppermint candy
1 pt. milk
1-2 drops red or green food coloring-optional
Put the candy in a plastic bag and break into small pieces. Blend with the milk and food coloring if using, until candy is in small granules. Pour into a pan and freeze for about 2 hr. until edges are frozen. Using a fork, beat the nix until combined, return to the freezer and repeat twice more, until the mix is a slush. To serve, spoon into tall glasses

Pure Sea breeze: Serves 2
½ cup grapefruit juice
1/3 cup cranberry juice
Mix juices well and pour over crushed ice in highball glasses

Mango Royale: Serves 6
2 mangos
2 oranges-juiced
Sparkling lemon-lime seltzer
Blend or juice the mango with the orange, pour over crushed ice in highball glasses and fill with the seltzer.

N.Y. Egg Cream: Serves 2 –The famous old summer drink that contains no egg and no cream.
½ cup chocolate syrup
1cup cold milk
Plain, unflavored seltzer water
Divide the syrup between 2 tall glasses, but don’t drip on the sides! Add the milk and then slowly pour in the seltzer avoiding a ‘head’ while filling the glass. Serve with straws to stir well before drinking and sip through the straws, don’t drink from the glass.

Purple Passion: Serves 2- When I was in college, this was a special at the C.I. and it’s still the best thirst quencher I know.
Purple grape juice
Ginger ale
Fill 2 highball glasses halfway with cold grape juice and the rest of the way with cold ginger ale. Enjoy!

COLD SOUPS THAT BEAT THE HEAT

During warm weather, it’s great to have a selection of recipes for cold dishes in various cuisines handy to enjoy, as I pointed out last week. However, when there’s a real heat wave, especially an extended one or a succession of them, as there have been this year, our appetites take a hike. We’re not in the mood for a large meal and even less in the mood to stand over a hot stove cooking one, including me, and I love to cook!

Yet our bodies crave fluids, which are essential to stay hydrated and we need nourishment. What’s called for is a light, satisfying, easily prepared meal, and the perfect solution to that problem is chilled soup. These soups require minimal cooking time and mainly, based on vegetables, they don’t even need to be accompanied by salad, a plate of fruit will do. Add some artesian bread and optionally sliced meat, it’s a complete meal. Deli meat works well for this type of dinner, but, lately, I’ve bought a roast, usually chicken or pork, added a bit of water to the pan, sprinkled a few herbs on top, turned the oven on and let it cook-no fuss- no basting. When finished, I cool then chill it and slice what I need each night.

I list ten really delicious cold soups below. Reading them you’ll notice they follow a simple ‘formula’. Though they may call for flavor accents, onions, garlic, to be sautéed first and/or a smoothing dairy product to be added at the end, the body of the soup is a vegetable cooked in broth and pureed. So why not experiment with your favorite vegetables and herbs? Some great combos are peas with mint, cauliflower with dill and kale with garlic or nutmeg.

The recipes given here are not only easy to make but fast as well. Most can be done in 30 min. or less. (I’ve found using an immersion blender or ‘giraffe’ a real labor and time saver.) In fact, two of the soups don’t require cooking. The Gazpachio is my family’s version and isn’t pureed. Noticing the difference in textures while eating seems to make it more satisfying, more like a full entree. The Garlic and Almond Soup is a true classic though not well known in the U.S. The nuts may seem an expense, but almonds are most reasonable in July and August. I buy my Christmas supplies then, but not at supermarkets—try national pharmacy chains. Given the other ingredients, it averages to a reasonable meal

I have left the amount of crab in the Crab and Rice Soup vague. The recipe asks for the meat from only 1 medium crab. Nothing goes further than the contents of a tin of fresh crabmeat, so I’m not stating a definite quantity leaving that up to you. I don’t know if imitation crabmeat can substitute but I am sure that canned crabmeat from the store shelf won’t. Stick with the fresh.

One last tip: my favorite soup is the Cucumber Bisque with the poached salmon. Served with good bread and fresh fruit, it’s a satisfying, refreshing meal but I confess I often poach the salmon or shrimp in with the simmering cucumbers. It saves time, another pot to wash and adds flavor to the broth. In a nutshell, that’s the point of this post—cool meals for hot days that are simple and fast to prepare, requiring a minimum of cooking, but are delicious, nutritious and satisfying. So give them a try and stay cool and happy—-

Avocado Soup: Serves 4
2 large avocados
4 cups chicken stock
1 ¼ cups sour cream
2 mint sprigs
Small bunch cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Peel and chop avocados, blend with 4 Tbs. cream. Heat stock to very warm and stir in remainder of cream until mixture is smooth. Slowly blend stock mix into avocado mixture, return to pot, and warm through, then cool and chill. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves and freshly ground black pepper.

Bean, Tomato and Pesto Soup: Serves 4
(2) 14 oz. cans lima beans rinsed and drained-or a white bean, but no other colors
¼ cup tomato paste
1/3 cup pesto
3 ¾ cups chicken or vegetable stock
Sour Cream for garnish
Place all ingredients but cream in a pot and simmer gently about 8 min. Blend the soup until slightly chunky and chill. Serve swirled with dabs of cream.

Artichoke Soup: Serves 4
1 lb. 12 oz. can artichoke hearts drained and chopped in large pieces
2 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 Tb. oil
1 garlic clove-minced
1 small onion-chopped
½ cup light cream
2 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves or 1 Tbs. dried
1 tomato chopped
Cook the onion and garlic in the heated oil until soft. Add artichoke then broth, stirring. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer 3 min. Blend until smooth, return to the pot and stir in cream and thyme; warm through. Pour into a large bowl and refrigerate at least 3-4 hours. Serve chilled garnished with chopped tomato.

Tomato-Basil Soup: Serves 4
2 lb. tomatoes OR (1)1lb.12oz. can diced tomatoes-drained, juice reserved*
2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth*
28 Basil leaves-20 chopped and 8 reserved OR 1 Tbs. +1tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 cup plain yogurt-divided, 1/3 cup in reserve for garnish
1 Tbs. oil
1 small onion – diced
1 large garlic clove-minced
Sugar, salt and pepper to taste
*NOTE: The original recipe calls for fresh tomatoes but they need to be skinned, before dicing, or the cooked puree must be strained to remove the skins. It’s simpler to use canned diced tomatoes. The 4 oz. difference in weight equals that of the skins and the cores, which must be removed before cooking. When using canned tomatoes, measure the reserved juice and add only enough broth to equal the 2 ½ cups liquid required.
Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until soft; add the tomatoes and 1 ½ cups of liquid and simmer for about 15 min. Puree the mixture, (strain to remove skins now if necessary) Add all the non-reserved ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and chill. Serve garnished with a swirl of yogurt and a couple of basil leaves.

Arugula and Blue Cheese Soup: Serves 4
8 oz. arugula leaves—any heavy spines removed
5 oz. blue cheese
2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
2/3 cup light cream
Heat stock and add arugula until leaves wilt about 3 min. Crumble the cheese into the pot and stir until it starts to melt. Blend the mixture until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot and stir in the cream, heating only until well incorporated. Remove from heat and chill. Stir well and serve cool, garnished with chives or paprika. Don’t refrigerate long or cheese will congeal and change the texture.
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Spinach and Mascarpone Soup: Serves 4
2 Tbs. oil
6 scallions- trimmed and chopped
2 celery stalks- chopped
12 oz. spinach
3 cups vegetable broth
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
Salt and pepper
Caraway seeds
Croutons—suggested rye bread
Saute the scallions and celery in the oil until softened. Add the broth and the spinach and simmer until spinach wilts; blend to puree; return to pan and add cheese, stirring until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill and serve garnished with croutons and seeds.

Cold Crab and Rice Soup: Serves 6
4-6 oz. cooked crab meat +optionally, a bit more according to taste
½ cup long grain rice
2 ½ cups skim milk
2 ½ cups clam juice
1 Tbs. anchovy paste or 2 anchovies
2 Tbs. lime or lemon juice
3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
Sour cream and chopped chives to garnish
Separate the large pieces of crab and reserve. Cook the rice in the milk until tender, about 20 min. Cool, add the smaller pieces of crab, anchovy paste and blend until smooth. Return to pot, add the reserved crab meat, clam and lime juice; heat through and stir in the parsley. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning and chill. Serve garnished with a dab of sour cream and chives.

Cucumber Bisque: Serves 4
3 large cucumbers, seeded and sliced but not peeled
1 small onion-diced
4 cups chicken stock
(4) 4-5 oz. salmon fillets or 16 large shrimp-optional
Salt and pepper
Sour cream for garnish-optional
Chopped chives for garnish
If using, poach the salmon or shrimp in boiling water until cooked-the salmon about 8 min. and the shrimp about 4min. Peel the skin off the salmon or clean the shrimp, leaving tails on and chill. Boil the vegetables in the broth until soft, about 15 min. Blend until smooth and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls with seafood on top, garnished with sour cream and chives or, if not using seafood, just cream and chives.

Gazpacho: Serves 6
4 cups tomatoes-in small dice
1 ½ cups finely chopped green bell pepper
¾ cup finely chopped onion
1 large garlic clove-minced OR 1 tsp. garlic powder
2 ½ cups beef bouillon-I like to use 1 can madrilène + 1 envelope bouillon granules with water to equal
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbs. paprika
½ cup thinly sliced cucumber
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Place all ingredients in a bowl and let stand for 1 hr. Add the cucumber, rinsed, and chill for at least 2-4 hrs. Adjust seasonings and serve with artesian bread.

Garlic and Almond Soup: Serves 4
14oz. stale French bread
4 cups ice water +cool water for soaking
4 large garlic cloves-halved lengthwise
6 Tbs. olive oil
¼ cup sherry vinegar
2 cups ground almonds=about1 lb. whole nuts
Salt and pepper
16-20 chilled white grapes-sliced
Tear the bread into pieces and soak in water to cover for 10 min. Squeeze excess water from bread and blend with garlic, I cup ice water and 3 Tbs. vinegar; add almonds and oil, blend briefly then add the remaining 3 cups ice water and blend to a smooth mixture. Adjust seasonings, adding salt, pepper and remaining vinegar to taste. Chill at least 4 hrs. before serving. Garnish with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper and the white grapes

CHANGING ‘WINTER’ RECIPES INTO SUMMER ONES

Writing the last two posts about the popularity of fish in summer, got me thinking about seasonal dishes. During my training with the U.S. Personal Chef Association we were asked in one class, if we designated recipes to winter and summer. I was surprised how few people did. I had always considered hearty stews and gravy cloaked roasts as too heavy and filling for hot days, just as I regarded tuna salad and gazpacho off mark for a snowy evening. Yet, when one person spoke up saying that the season didn’t change her tastes and preferences, I was reminded of a friend of my Father’s who are at the same restaurant every Tuesday for years, because that was corned-beef-and-cabbage day.

Then, I had a personal flash-back. My Mother’s vegetable soup is one of my favorite winter meals, as much for the chilled left-overs the next day as for the dinner. I was elated to find a trattoria close to my apartment in Italy that made minestrone very similar to mother’s soup recipe and even happier to learn they served it chilled in summer as a matter of course.

Remembering the incident, I realized there must be many other seasonal adaptations, especially among basic ethnic dishes, and began to look for a few. After all, people don’t give up flavor orientation because of the temperature. Cuisines have to adjust to endure. So I looked around for some other examples.

The first to come to mind is Spaghetti Pie, which I’ve mentioned several times and recently seen in other publications. It’s a centuries old dish for peasant farmers in Italy. Sauced, cooked pasta is left to cool overnight, then tossed with a lightly fork-whipped egg, about 1 egg per 1-2 portions, topped with Parmesan and fried in a little oil over medium-low heat until the bottom forms a crust and the ‘pie’ solidifies. When cool, it’s cut in wedges, wrapped and sent out with the men as they go to the fields to work—or simply served on a plate at table.

The Bolognese raise this preparation to an upscale level to enjoy their famous Ragu all year. Below is a recipe for Ragu Torte, an elegant dish, perfect for summer entertaining, usually served at room temperature. This is Elizabeth Davis’ recipe. She’s British, and still considered the best authority in ‘transitioning’ traditional Italian recipes to the English or U.S. kitchen and/or table.

Ragu Bolognese: Serves 6

8oz. lean ground beef
4 oz. chicken livers- chopped
3 oz. bacon or country ham, preferably unsmoked*-minced
1 onion-chopped
1 carrot-chopped
1 small celery rib- chopped
3 tsp. tomato paste
1 wineglass of white wine
2 wineglasses of stock
‘Nut’of butter = 2-3 Tbs.
Salt to taste and black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

Brown the bacon or ham gently in about 1/2 Tbs. butter; add vegetables and brown well; add beef and turn constantly until evenly browned; add the livers, and after 2-3 min. the tomato puree and then the wine. Taste for salt; add that with pepper, and nutmeg, then the stock. Cover and simmer very gently for 30-40 min. Add the rest of the butter before serving to smooth the sauce. A variation is 1 cup cream at the end to smooth the sauce even more. Pass grated Parmesan. Normally served over flat pasta.

.*Pancetta(Italian bacon) may be easier to find. Remember the saltiness of this ingredient determines the amount you’ll add during cooking.

Torte: Serves 6-8
Substitute 2lb. cooked, cheese filled tortellini for the flat pasta: line the bottom and up the sides of a springform pan, or  9-10 inch torte pan with removable bottom, with pie crust. Fill with ragu covered tortellini mixed with 2 lightly beaten eggs. Bake at 350 deg. 25-30 min. until pastry is done. With a spatula or dinner knife cut around pan sides and remove them. Serve torte on pan bottom, warm, room temperature or cold.

Fun Fact: The Italian language is very precise. A sauce, or salsa is liquid based, but a gravy or sugo, is based on meat, vegetable or animal. Hence Italo-Americans often call Tomato Sauce, Tomato Gravy, because it’s based on crushed tomatoes. A ragu actually roughly translates as ‘stew’, and reading the recipe you can see why.

Paella Salad: Serves 6
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts- cut in strips
1 lb. shrimp-cleaned-tails on
2 Tbs. oil
1 medium onion – chopped
1 clove garlic- minced
1 ½ cups uncooked, extra-long grain rice- brown preferred
¼ tsp. saffron
3 ½ cups chicken broth
1 Tbs. lemon juice
3+ cups torn green leaf lettuce
Optional garnishes-green olives, grape tomatoes, avocado, kiwi slices
Cook chicken in oil over medium- low heat until juices run clear; add shrimp and cook until pink and opaque. Remove to a plate. Saute onion in same pan until tender; add garlic and warm through. Add rice to pan and stir until opaque; add saffron, broth and juice. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 min. Remove, add chicken and shrimp and chill several hours. Serve on greens with garnishes of choice.

White Fish and Coconut Loaf: Serves4-6
8 oz. snapper or any other firm, white fish-skinned –See posting 7/6/17 for selections
2 tomatoes seeded and in finely chopped
1 small jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
1 onion in fine dice
2 green bell peppers in fine dice
2 ½ cups coconut water
2 ¼ cups bread seasoned crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnishes-twists of lemon or sprigs of cilantro
Sauce
½ cup ketchup
2 tsp. or to taste siracha or Texas Hot Sauce
¼ tsp. hot mustard-Chinese or Coleman’s Mustard Powder
Finely chop the fish and add to the vegetables, Stir in the bread crumbs, coconut water and seasonings. Line a 5x 9 loaf pan, fill with the mixture and bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven for 1-1 ½ hours until set. To serve cut the loaf into slices and serve hot or cold on greens, garnished as wanted, with sauce passed on the side.
To make sauce simply whisk the 3 ingredients together until smooth
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Tuna Fish Sauce for meat: Serves 6
A classic Italian dish; The meat can be warm or cold but the sauce is room temperature. Originally always served with veal, it now is more often made with turkey or pork. I list 2 recipes because the authentic one is made with raw eggs and there is concern with salmonella. The alternative is my family recipe for mayonnaise. Not only are the eggs cooked but there is no oil, making it ‘lite’.
2-3 lb. ‘Hotel’ turkey breast, a ½ loin of pork, or 2 turkey or pork tenderloins
(1) 5-6 oz. can tuna-in oil for original recipe, water for modified one, chunk style is best
Original sauce recipe: Serves 4
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. salt
8 oz. olive oil
Beat the eggs slowly; add the salt after about 1 min. Begin to stir in the oil drop by drop until mixture begins to attain characteristic mayonnaise consistency. Constantly stirring, increase amount of oil added gradually until it can be poured in a thin stream. If the mixture begins to lose its shine-stop, it has enough oil. A drop of lemon juice can be added at the end for flavor, but is optional. Chill. Drain the tuna well and mash it with a fork to a puree; add half to the mayonnaise first then more if desired. Stir well to make smooth sauce the consistency of heavy cream, but slightly thicker.
Lite Mayonnaise: Serves 6
2 eggs well beaten
3 Tbs. sugar
½ tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. paprika
1 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. butter
½ cup water
½ cup vinegar
Mix the dry ingredients and in the upper part of a double boiler, bring to a boil with the water, vinegar and butter. When the butter melts, pour in a thin stream into the eggs, and then add the eggs to the pot. Cook, stirring constantly over medium-low heat until mixture thickens to the point where a spoon dragged across it leaves a trail. Cool and chill, Add tuna as described above.
For the Finished Dish
Roast the meat as per any cookbook direction. I like to rub it with 1 Tbs. dried tarragon first. When cool, slice the meat, plate, cover with half the sauce and chill overnight. Serve as plated with sauce and pass the rest.
Optionally add 2 tsp. capers or 2 chopped anchovies.to the sauce before chilling

Tex-Mex Fajita Salad: Serves 4
1 lb. lean ground beef or 1 ½ cups diced cooked chicken
15 oz. can kidney beans- rinsed and drained
1 Tbs. oil
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 large onion cut lengthwise in julienne-strips 2 inches long
1 green bell pepper cut in julienne-strips 2 inches long
1 red bell pepper cut in julienne-strips 2 inches long
2/3 cup corn kernels
½ tsp. each cumin and coriander
Salt and pepper
4 cups torn Romaine
1 cup shredded sharp cheese
Tortilla chips
1/3 cup salsa
1/3 cup guacamole
1/3 cup sour cream
In a skillet, cook the beef in the oil until brown-omit this step with chicken. Remove meat and cook onion, corn and pepper with the garlic in the same skillet until just crisp tender. In a large bowl, toss the first 12 ingredients with the lettuce. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and just before serving spread the salsa, guacamole and sour cream in lines across the top. They will be the dressing when tossed into the salad at table. Optionally, toss some broken tortilla chips into the salad at serving and pass the rest on the side.

Classic Vegetable Soup a Freddo: Serves 4-6
This is my family recipe, but any found in cook books will do. There’s a version in every cuisine. The important thing is the consistency when chilled. It should be very thick, not fluid enough to drip off the spoon. This is achieved by the addition of (or more of) rice, orzo or in my Mother’s recipe, oatmeal.

1 qt. beef broth
1 lb. trimmed lean beef in ½ inch cubes
1 large potato diced
1 large onion diced
1 large stalk celery sliced
1 large carrot sliced
2/3 cup of EACH baby lima beans, cut green beans, peas, corn, sliced okra
Optional-1 ½ cups trimmed, torn spinach leaves
½ tsp. EACH dried marjoram, thyme, oregano and rosemary
Salt and pepper
1/3-1/2 cup oatmeal or rice—1/2-3/4 cup orzo
Simmer the beef in the broth until tender, about 40 min. Add, in order of ingredient listing the next 4 vegetables at 4 min. intervals, then add the rest of the vegetables with the seasonings. Finally add the pasta or grains and cook directed times for each, adding more to get the right consistency if needed. Adjust seasonings and serve warm or chilled. When cold, the soup is often topped with Parmesan shreds.
NOTE: Add vegetables as you please, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, beans, fennel are all present in different recipes.

The Bobbie: Serves 1-2
In Delaware there’s a Deli famous for this sub. Fondly called ‘Thanksgiving on a Roll’, people come from the surrounding states just to get it. I wouldn’t feel I’ve done a full job without including it!
Slit a roll of French bread lengthwise and begin layering from the bottom, slices of cold, roast turkey(NOT Deli sliced) cold bread stuffing, cranberry jelly, lettuce and spread the top piece of bread with mayonnaise. Close it up, cut it in half and enjoy!

THE MOST POPULAR WAYS TO COOK FISH

Last week I mentioned that fish is an increasingly popular summer food and speculated the reason was it provides the ‘fast, easy, fresh’ meal cooks/chefs seek in warm weather. Also, the flaky textures and subtle flavors combined with its ability to quietly ease hunger make it the light, satisfying food we crave on hot days. I suggested grilling for a quick, attractive presentation but fish can be prepared in many different ways.

In fact, few of the many seafood-focused restaurants that open seasonally, especially in resort towns feature grilled dishes. Restaurant kitchens are generally small and grills, particularly ’line grills’, aren’t spacially compatible. Yet these places are known for excellent food, some even famous and they rely on dishes based on traditional cooking methods.

These traditional methods of cooking fish are easy to master, elegant in their simplicity and invaluable to know because they, not the fish cited, are the stars of most recipes. Fortunately, fish is classified by type, fine-flake, oily, full-flavored etc. since market availability of specific species varies daily. (See list below)By encompassing a type of fish rather than a particular species, these preparations allow for substitutions, guaranteeing that a recipe can always be made. If you’re in doubt, just tell the fish monger how you plan to cook the fish and he/she can direct your choice.

Although the type of fish can be changed and the recipes modified or embellished by adding, subtracting or varying ingredients, I strongly advise against substituting key factors. If a recipe stipulates butter-use butter. The same is true of vegetables, fruits, fruit juices and herbs. If the recipe states fresh –use fresh. Not to do so can really impact the taste.

As stated, preparation methods can be used for different fish within the same categories. Acceptable substitutions would be for example:

A. Full flavored with firm meaty texture and high in omega-3 fatty acids: tuna, marlin, swordfish, shark
B. Mild tasting, lean, fine flake and sweet flavor: sole, flounder, tilapia, halibut, orange roughy
C. Mild tasting, lean, large flake, and sweet flavor: cod, haddock, bass, rockfish, ocean perch,
D. Firm, moderate flavor and medium oil content: snapper, catfish, monkfish (can also be substituted for lobster in some recipes)
E. Rich oily fish, firm flake and medium to strong flavor depending on species: salmon, wild or farmed, trout, arctic char, steelhead

The following recipes are examples of the most popular ways to cook fish. Each makes a complete dish, but at core, each also illustrates the preparation method it represents

Saute
Trout Meuniere: Serves 4 – This is also good using fillets, and advised for any fish in categories B&E
4 medium trout
2 lemons juiced-rinds reserved
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tb. oil
¼ cup butter
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup fresh parsley minced
Rub trout with lemon rinds, adding a bit of juice if needed. Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute trout turning once, (fillets don’t need turning) until both sides are slightly tan and edges of meat are opaque and curl, about 5 min. per side. Remove fish to a warmed platter. Wipe pan and add the last 3 ingredients. Swirl to melt and combine. Pour sauce over fish and serve.

Bake
Mexican Snapper: Serves 4 This procedure works for almost any fish, but the recipe favors category D
1 ½ lb. snapper fillets
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup toasted, chopped pistachios
¼ cup butter
Lime juice to taste + 1 lime quartered
Salt and pepper
1 large avocado – diced
Preheat oven to 350 deg. Place fish in a baking dish. Melt butter with lime juice and salt and pepper to taste in a sauce pan. Pour over fish and sprinkle fillets with nuts and cilantro. Cover and bake for 30 min. Serve garnished with avocado and a lime wedge.

Broil
Fish in White Wine with Parsley Butter: Serves 4.This is recommended for fish in categories A, B, D&E
1 ½ lb. fish in 1 inch thick steaks, thick fillets or center slices
1 Tbs. butter
½ -3/4 cup dry white wine-vermouth is fine
½ cup butter- room temperature
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp. garlic powder
Mix last 4 ingredients together and chill. Place fish in a baking dish and pour over enough wine to come 1/3^rd up the sides; dot with 1 Tbs. butter. Broil 4 inches from the heat source 3-5 min. per side for steaks or until fillets flake easily with a fork. Serve with pan drippings and topped with a dollop of parsley butter. Pass any remaining butter.

Simmered
Poached Salmon with Sauce: Serves 4 This can be made with salmon or any of the fish in category A
1 ½ lbs. of salmon fillets or steaks
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Bring water to cover and lemon juice to a boil and reduce to an even simmer. Slide fish in gently and cook about 8-10 min. per pound until the flesh turns pale pink and flakes easily. Remove from heat, run fish under cold water to stop cooking and remove skin, and spine bone, if still there in steaks. Serve warm or chill on a covered plate at least 1 hour.
Sauce 1:
½ large onion- diced
¼ cup oil
1/3 cup white wine
1cup sour cream
2 Tbs. capers
¼ tsp. lemon pepper or to taste
In a sauce pan, sauté diced onion in 1 Tbs. oil until soft, add balance of oil, capers, wine and ¼ tsp. lemon pepper, allow to simmer gently to warm. Check if more lemon pepper is needed, sauce should be very lemony but not bitter. Remove from heat, cool slightly, whisk in sour cream to blend while still warm. Serve warm over hot fish or cool to room temperature and serve over chilled fish. This is best made shortly before serving. Drizzle sauce over fish and pass remainder.
Sauce 2:
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ tsp. dill weed or to taste
Blend all ingredients well and allow flavors to meld several hours in the refrigerator. Add more dill to taste if needed. Serve dolloped over chilled fish.

Steamed
Southwest/Italian Seafood Packets: Serves 4 Fish from categories A,B&C are recommended for this
(4) 1 lb. fish fillets
½ cup thick salsa OR ¼ cup crushed tomatoes seasoned to taste with dried basil, dried oregano and garlic powder
8 large shelled shrimp
8 Cilantro, parsley or oregano sprigs or basil leaves
1 Lemon or Lime in wedges
Preheat oven to 400 deg. Cut foil or parchment paper into 8 pieces 1 inch longer than fish. Shapes, triangles or hearts make a nice presentation. Place a fillet on each of 4 pieces, top with 2 Tbs. sauce, 2 shrimp and 2 sprigs or leaves of herb. Cover with another piece of foil or paper and crimp edges to seal. Bake 10-12 min. Plate packets immediately and serve hot with fruit wedges. Cut an ‘X’ in the top of each packet to eat.

Fried
Fish should be cut into fillets to be fried and then into strips, size dependent on type of fish. The pieces are then 1) Dipped into flour then milk then crumbs; 2) Dipped into milk then flour;3) Dipped into milk, then flour, then egg then crumbs; 4) Dipped into flour then a batter*. Finally, it is fried to golden in hot fat or oil, either several inches in a pot or in a fryer. The crumb size is a matter of preference.
*There are countless recipes for batter but a simple one is: Beat 1 egg until fluffy, blend in ¾ cup water and 1 ½ Tbs. lemon juice. Stir in and mix lightly 1 cup flour and 1 tsp. baking powder.
NOTE: Years ago a chef told me that for mollusks #3 is the best coating, but a tip to have them retain flavor yet be crispy is to place them ready for frying on a waxed paper covered baking sheet in the freezer for about 20-30 min. Then fry at once and serve as soon as done.

Oven Fried Fish: Serves 4-Again any fish, cut into filets, will do
Standard recipe ( From Light Menus by Louisa Mariano)
1 lb. fish fillets cut –about ½ inch thick
1 egg beaten
2 Tbs. milk
2 Tbs. cornmeal
2 Tbs. flour
¼ cup fine bread crumbs
Salt, pepper , seasoned salt
6 Tbs. melted butter
Preheat oven to 500 deg. In a shallow dish combine egg and milk. In a second dish combine everything else but butter and lemon. Dip fish first in egg mix then dry mix. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with butter and cook 4-6 min. until fish flakes with a fork. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
TIP:A sprinkle of paprika on top before cooking gives a lovely color.

Coconut Tilapia: Serves 4 This is my own recipe and lighter than the standard. The coconut can be removed, the panko used alone or mixed with seasonings or replaced by crumbs. It’s the method that counts.
4 Tilapia filets – about 1lb
1 cup plain Panko
½ cup sweetened coconut flakes – toasted
½ cup + mayonnaise
Lemon pepper
Step I- Preheat oven to 350 deg. Toast coconut on a piece of foil until golden, about 4 min. watching that edges don’t burn. When cool mix with Panko.
Step 2 – Place fish on a lightly oiled cooking surface, a pan or baking sheet. Completely cover the tops with a thin sheet of mayonnaise, more like a veneer. Dust lightly with lemon pepper.
Step 3 – Sprinkle with Panko-coconut mix, and bake 8 min. per 1 inch width of filet, until top is golden, fish puffs slightly and edges bubble. Serve at once
Note: I put the breading mix in an empty herb bottle with a shaker top. It’s easy to apply, and any extra can simply be stored in the capped bottle.