A long time ago, I read an article in a magazine about one of my heroines, Katharine Hepburn. Who didn’t admire her patrician good looks, her outspokenness, and her practical and adventurous spirit? Continue reading
Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
Posted in Cookies, Dessert
Tagged brownies, brownies for the 4th, Katherine Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn brownies
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The Panaché and The Monaco
So there we were sitting in a café in Provence, ready to order a coffee crème, when our friend asked, “have you ever tried Panaché, or a Monaco? We had not, and we did—I ordered the Panaché and my husband the Monaco. Continue reading
Posted in Drinks
Tagged beer french lemonade and grenadine, french summer drink, provence refreshment
7 Comments
Tuna Mascarpone Stuffed Tomatoes
These could also be called Tomatoes à la Nano, or Tomatoes à la Anna, because I learned this recipe from a lovely French woman who cooks just like you would imagine a French woman would cook—beautifully and easily—resulting in simple, delicious food—stylishly presented. There is something deceptively offhand about that accomplished cooking style–watching Anna cook as we sat in the kitchen and chatted while she worked and I watched and took notes—I also noticed that she was careful to taste as she went, adding the ingredients a bit at a time until the flavor was just right. Since I copied what she did, you can simply put all of this together and you will have a great tasting dish that can be a main course for lunch, or a salad or starter for dinner. With thanks to Anna.
Tomatoes Stuffed with Tuna and Mascarpone
Makes 12
12 small ripe tomatoes (I used the small ones on the vine)
1 can tuna, packed in oil, drained
1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
1 shallot finely minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons chives, chopped
1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper.
Cut off the tops and scoop out the inside pulp and seeds. Sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with a bit of kosher salt and turn upside on paper towels to drain while you make the filling.
Mix together the tuna, mascarpone, shallot, lemon juice, chives, capers, salt and pepper. Stir well, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Gently pat the insides of the tomatoes dry with paper towels. Fill with the tuna mixture, garnish with chives and chill well before serving.
For other lovely ways to stuff a tomato, take a look here:
Baked Tomatoes with Mediterranean Ricotta Filling at Lucullian Delights
Julia’s Stuffed Tomatoes Provencal at FoodGal
Avocado Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes at Eat.Drink.Smile
Posted in Appetizer, Vegetables
Tagged stuffed tomatoes, summer tomato dish, tomatoes with mascarpone and tuna
10 Comments
Key Lime Pie
One of the great joys of moving to Florida was finding out how easy it is to make Key Lime Pie. And like any other classic, self-respecting pie, recipes for it can be the subject of some debate depending on interpretation by the individual cook. Some like a graham cracker crust, others swear by the traditional pastry crust. Some like a filling made with condensed milk, others prefer to make a more traditional milk custard, and others yet will use a cream cheese based filling. Some like to top it with meringue and some prefer whipped cream. There are frozen versions, no-bake versions and bake versions. I’m not a purist about the pie—I’ve had many great versions—and I offer you this one as the one that I make with the most success. The only place I think you really have to draw the line and not improvise is that it has to be made with key lime juice—if all you have available is green limes—don’t bother to make this—it just wouldn’t be Key Lime Pie.
Key Lime Pie
Makes a 10 inch pie; serves 8
Ingredients:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup melted butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
6 egg yolks
½ cup key lime juice
6 egg whites
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cracker crumbs and the melted butter and stir with a fork until well combined. Pour the mixture into a 10-inch pie pan and spread out evenly over the bottom and the sides. Use your hands or another pie pan of the same size to press the crumbs down firmly. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before filling.
In a large bowl, use an electric beater on medium high to mix the condensed milk and the egg yolks together until light and creamy. This usually takes about 8 minutes. Add the lime juice and mix just to blend—literally seconds. Then, use a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon and fold to be sure that the lime juice is incorporated.
Pour the mixture into the baked and cooled pie shell and let stand while you prepare the meringue topping.
Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar for 5 minutes. Add one cup of sugar and beat for another 5 minutes. At this point, the meringue should be very shiny and forms peaks when you take the beaters out. Using a spatula, spread the meringue over the pie and bake in the 350-degree oven until the meringue is nicely browned. In my oven this takes about 12 to 15 minutes, but watch this carefully in case yours is different. Refrigerate the pie for at least 5 hours until cooled and set before serving.
Posted in Dessert
Tagged florida dessert, key lime meringue pie, key lime pie, lime meringue pie, summer dessert
5 Comments
Southwestern Chopped Salad
This salad takes a bit of time to make, but is worth it if you, like me, have to have salad every single day and like a little variety from time to time. This is a little bit Caesar-y (anchovies, garlic and Parmesan give it that special tang we all love) and a lot Southwestern because of the boldness of the jalapeño and the generous amount of cilantro. It pairs beautifully with steak (see my previous Grilled Skirt Steak post) and I love it by itself for lunch with a few avocado slices on top.
Southwestern Chopped Salad
Serves 6
Ingredients:
For the dressing:
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 anchovy fillets
2 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno chili, seeded, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¾ cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the Salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, washed, rinsed and chopped
3 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 ear of white corn, kernels removed
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Preparation:
Place all of the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor and purée until smooth. Continue to process and slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube until the mixture is well blended. Cover the dressing and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the corn kernels on a small baking pan and drizzle them with a teaspoon of olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Roast the corn in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside. While the corn is roasting, in a small skillet, heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Add the tortilla strips to the oil and sauté them, stirring frequently until they are crisp. Remove them to a paper towel to drain and sprinkle them with a bit of kosher salt.
To serve the salad, combine the lettuce, tortilla strips, white corn and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Taste for seasoning.
Grilled Skirt Steak
As a child visiting the family in Texas, I remember my Uncle used to always make his fajitas using skirt steak. It is a long, flat, usually thin piece of meat, that he said, “needed attention” before cooking so it wouldn’t be tough. I now take the phrase “needing attention” to mean that a marinade will do the trick, and here is one that I like a lot for this flavorful cut.
If you don’t want to use the grill you can pan fry this steak instead, but the grill does make it especially good. While similar in ways, skirt steak is not the same cut as a flank steak, so if you use flank steak, I recommend marinating longer because it is a tougher cut of meat and I wouldn’t pan fry it—broil instead if you’re not going to grill. When slicing a flank steak, also remember to slice it thinly on a diagonal across the grain.
If you’re looking for something nice for Father’s Day, try this Skirt Steak with the Red Potatoes with Sour Cream Sauce posted last and the Southwestern Chopped Salad that follows.
Grilled Skirt Steak
Serves 6
Ingredients for Steak:
2 pounds skirt steak
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1 small lime
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Preparation:
Whisk together the oil, cumin, cilantro, shallot, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the skirt steak in a glass dish and pour the marinade over. Refrigerate for at least two hours and up to six.
Bring the steak to room temperature before grilling. Grill the steak for 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer to a cutting board, cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
Posted in Beef, Main Course
Tagged father's day dinner, father's day steak, grilled skirt steak, southwestern skirt steak, steak
2 Comments
