Homage to Sheila: oatmeal raisin cookies

Such a sad day when I learned of Sheila Lukins death. Her first cookbook, The Silver Palate Cookbook, became one of the bibles in my kitchen, and I will always be grateful to her, and Julee Rosso, for their inspired cooking.

My children will remember the cookies: the infinitely variable chocolate-chip, the moist and chewy oatmeal-raisin, the meltingly tender Linzer Hearts. But the cookbook was so much more. It brought fresh, herby lushness to even beginner cooks. The recipes always worked, and always tasted delicious. I've given it to everyone from college bound students who have never cooked, to young marrieds, to bewildered suddenly solos. Just read the chapters: finger food, crudites, savoury meats, baking in foil, pasta perfect, sunday night soups, catch of the day, the charcuterie board, cheese & breads, the brunch bunch, significant salads, essentially chocolate, and on and on. The only wish I had for the book was a sturdier spine ; when I bought a new edition in 2007, the pages began falling out almost immediately.

When I briefly ran the kitchen in a Carmelite monastery, what was the only cookbook on the shelf there? Yes, it was Silver Palate . When the new chef took over, I remember several monks cornering me in the kitchen and pleading with me to deliver their beloved oatmeal cookies and lemon cakes on the sly.

Here are those Oatmeal Cookies:
(from The Silver Palate Cookbook)

12 T. unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 extra large egg
2 T. water
1 t. vanilla
2/3 cup King Arthur flour
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
3 cups Quaker rolled oats ( they specified quick cooking oats, but I prefer the rolled oats)
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350F.
Line two baking sheets with foil.

Cream the butter and both sugars until fluffy.
Add the egg and beat.
Mix in the water and vanilla.
Sift together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda and mix in.
Add the oats and raisins and mix well.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop cookie batter onto sheets, 6 to a sheet ( this should make between 10-12 giant cookies)
Gently press down on each scoop of batter to slightly flatten.
Bake sheets one at a time, for 17 minutes each.
Remove to cool.

Enjoy - and a final loving wave to Sheila.

blueberry scones with lemon curd dipping sauce

You know me - I'm crazy about scones. So when I came across Steamy Kitchen's recipe for sour cream blueberry scones ( with a lemon curd "glaze"), I had to try it.

Were they tender? Oh yes. Lovely golden mouthfuls of delicious scone, and dipping them into the lemon curd really made them sizzle. I loved the way they puffed up into pillowy, pretty, pastries - so I hope you'll give them a try. I'm sure you'll agree!

Recipe from Steamy Kitchen:

For the lemon curd:

3 lemons

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

4 T. unsalted butter

Zest one lemon ( she says to zest all of them, but I don't like that much zest in my curd) into a saucepan.

Roll the lemons on a board firmly, then juice them and add to the saucepan.

Add the eggs and sugar and whisk away on medium heat - but be careful not to let it boil, or the eggs will curdle.

When the mixture is hot and bubbling, whisk in the butter and turn heat to low. Continue to stir for about 6-10 minutes, or until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the scones:

This made 13 scones, using an ice cream scoop

3 cups King Arthur flour

1 1/2 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3 T. sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, cut in pieces & softened

2 cups sour cream

1/2 t. vanilla

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries ( if using frozen, toss in a teaspoon of flour to coat them)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line 2 baking sheets with foil or parchment.

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Cut in the softened butter and mix until butter is mixed well.

Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix gently.

Fold in the blueberries, or knead in gently.

Using a regular ice cream scoop , scoop up dough and place on baking sheet - 6 to a sheet. You'll have to space the second sheet, since it made 7 scoops of dough.

Bake 30 minutes or until the scones are golden brown and light when picked up.

Serve hot with the lemon curd. Yummy!

juicy turkey burger with garlic, mint, and rosemary

Yes, I just said JUICY turkey burgers! These burgers came out loaded with the flavors of garlic, mint, rosemary, and parsley with a secret ingredient that insured you'd be biting into a juicy, dribble down your chin, burger. Olive oil made all the difference, in this wonderful recipe slightly adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen.

Her recipe included some spices I didn't have, like coriander and sweet paprika, so I minced up some rosemary along with the parsley and mint. While those spices are on my grocery list for the next shopping, this adaptation was fabulous. I was also able to make two fat, large burgers, along with a dozen "turkey meatballs" to simmer in broth for brown bagging lunches.

So do check out her recipe, which includes a yogurt sauce for dipping.

To make:

1 pound ground turkey

2 fat cloves of garlic, minced

3 T. minced parsley

2 T. minced fresh mint

2 T. minced rosemary ( or you can use fresh dill if you prefer)

1 1/2 t. ground cumin

3 T. olive oil

1 1/2 t. salt

freshly ground pepper

Mix ingredients together well. Form into 4 patties, or make two burgers and a dozen medium-sized turkey meatballs. Cook in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat until cooked through.

I served the burgers on sandwich flats with heirloom tomatoes.

Enjoy!

fresh fruit crostatas

Until yesterday, I had never made a crostata - a freeform sweet ( or, I suppose, savoury) crust filled with fresh fruits that's baked until fragrant and bubbly, then topped with a dusting of confectioner's sugar. Some little part of me was offended by the lack of structure and prettiness. No more, no way, no how!

In yesterday's food section of the Boston Globe, I found an article about Connie's Bakery and Fresh Food in Provincetown, and with it was a delicious recipe for individual fresh fruit crostatas.
Perhaps it was the smaller size ( most crostatas I've seen serve six), maybe it was the two boxes of strawberries and a box each of blueberries and raspberries I knew were cooling in the fridge; whatever it was, it propelled me into the kitchen to try my hand.

I was so pleased with the results! I was afraid the crostatas would be overcooked - not at all. Fresh and tasty whether served hot, warm, or cold ( yes, it was my breakfast, as well as my dessert last night ). And after an overnight in the fridge, the crostatas were less fragile, so think brown-bagging and/or school lunches.

The Globe article featured blueberry-peach crostatas, but I made blueberry, and also strawberry-raspberry. In a few weeks, I'll make a wild pear batch, I think. Mmmm, how about apple? Anyway, here is the recipe for your delight!

From the Boston Globe, adapted from Connie's Bakery

The Dough

2 1/2 cups King Arthur flour

1 T. sugar

1 t. salt

2 sticks unsalted cold butter, cut into little pieces

1/2 cup , more or less, ice water

Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Mix briefly.

Add butter and pulse until butter is incorporated well and mixture is crumbly.

With motor running, slowly add the ice water. Don't add all of it at once, since you often need less than called for. Buzz it just until it makes a ball.

Gently knead dough into a round, wrap in plastic or foil, and chill.

The Filling:

About 4 cups fruit , cut into bite size pieces

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 T. flour

1/4 t. ground mace, cinnamon, or nutmeg ( I liked the mace best)

1/2 t. salt

confectioner's sugar for sprinkling.

Since I was using two different fillings, I made up the sugar/flour/ mace mixture and divided it between the two bowls of fruit I was using. Stir and let sit for a bit.

To make:

Preheat oven to 375F

one foil or parchment covered baking sheet/cookie pan

Cut the dough into 4 pieces.

Roll each piece out on slightly floured board into a circle - about 6 inches.

Heap the fruit into the center and fold up the sides about 3/4ths, leaving an open center where the fruit peeks out.

Continue until all four crostatas are completed.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbly.

Remove, and cool.

Sprinkle heavily with confectioner's sugar and serve, or wrap gently in foil and store in fridge.

I know you're going to LOVE these!

Featured on TasteSpotting!

little lemon cakes and a hatbox

New Hampshire ( and New England) has been in the grip of not only a heat wave, but that high humidity that makes moving two feet a trial, unless you're sitting on the edge of a lake with your feet in the water. And, mais oui, I also had a catering job.

Here is one thing I discovered: high humidity can affect your baking recipes. When I made the batter for the New York lemon cake, I was shocked. The batter was very light, and very fluffy, when it was supposed to be creamy and thick. Your intrepid baker did not panic, thank heavens, nor did I toss the batter and start again, or worse, bake it, hoping it would magically transform itself. I added about another half cup of flour and stirred it gently. It was still not quite right, but the texture was better. So I crossed my fingers and baked it. I'm happy to say it was just fine, although it needed twice as much time to cool, thanks to the 85 degree weather.

I brushed the uncut cake several times with a glaze, let cool some more, and cut into bite size pieces. I "glued" blueberries on the tops, and added tiny little leaves of lemon balm and lemon verbena, then popped them into dark green cupcake papers. I thought they were adorable.

After I delivered the salads and dishes and sweets, I drove by a shop I had often passed, but never stopped to investigate. And I'm delighted I finally did! Sarah's Hatboxes

was chock full of colorful, beautifully made hatboxes and boxes of every shape and size. These would also be perfect for mailing cakes , so I've tucked that away in my party/birthday/catering notebook. Above is the one I got for my mother to keep her postcards and letters in, and the striped fabric is just gorgeous.

You probably know my New York Lemon Cake by now, but here's the recipe again.

New York Lemon Cake:

Preheat oven to 330F (350 is too high, 32r too low)

Grease a standard baking pan 14"x9"

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups sugar

zest of two lemons

4 extra large eggs

4 1/2 cups King Arthur flour

1 t. baking soda

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3 T. lemon juice

1/2 t. nutmeg

Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest.

Add the eggs, flour, baking soda and salt and nutmeg.

Mix well.

Add the lemon juice and buttermilk and mix. The batter should be thick and creamy.

Bake for an hour, or until the cake is firm when gently pressed in the middle.

The Glaze:

Simmer equal parts fresh lemon juice and sugar.

I use:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar.

Let the cake sit on cooling rack ( still in the pan) for about 20 minutes.

Brush a few times with the glaze.

Let cake cool another 1/2 hour.

Mark off squares with a ruler and cut cake.

Remove pieces to a cooling rack placed on a cookie sheet.

Brush a few times with the glaze, add blueberries to tops, and drip some sticky syrup to "glue" the berries on top of the cake. Add tiny leaves from your herb plants, and let set.

yellow pepper gazpacho on a hot day

It's blisteringly hot and humid in New Hampshire today , for the fourth day. I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to eat in this kind of weather - at least until it cools off a little in the evening, or after a nice long swim. Since I had no time to drive out to the lake, I've been wilting as the day goes on. But then I thought of making gazpacho, and an enticing thought it was; a nice blended vegetable soup, bright with yellow peppers, and refreshing with celery and cucumbers, nicely iced. Tomatoes, you say? Since I only had red tomatoes, I decided to skip them. I'm sure it's some kind of blasphemy to call it gazpacho, but there it is.

I also skipped garlic, just on a whim, thinking it might overpower the fresh subtle flavor of the cucumber and pepper. But if you want them, feel free to toss them in.

To make 2 large bowls or 4 small ones:

1 large yellow pepper, roasted and skinned, cut into small pieces ( about a cup full)

1 heaping cup of roughly chopped celery

1 1/2 cups seeded and peeled cucumber ( doesn't have to be English)

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1-2 T. fresh chopped Italian parsley

salt

1-2 T. virgin olive oil ( optional)

several drops of green Tabasco, or just put on the table

To roast the pepper, you can use an electric or gas grill, charring the skin all over, then tightly wrapping in a small paper bag. When cooled, rub off the charred spots, or trim with a knife. Take the core and seeds and membranes out before chopping.

Place all the chopped vegetables in the food processor, and process until smooth.

Add salt, and olive oil, as wished, and hot sauce, if desired. Chill well.

Serve in bowls, or for fun, in a martini glass.

Stay cool!

crepes fines sucrees for Julia's birthday

Today I suddenly started craving crepes. As I whipped up the batter from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I was reminded by the scrawl on my birthday calendar that tomorrow is Julia's birthday, so I hastily raised a fork full of these delicious, apricot-stuffed dessert pancakes to Julia's dear memory.

When I worked in a French restaurant, I was the crepe maker - stacks and stacks of crepes for dessert, and often for a savoury fruits de mer entree. It's hot work, and you have to work fast, but once you get the hang of it, you can whip out a few dozen without any trouble. A crepe pan is a must for me, with a heavy bottom that holds the heat, as well as asbestos fingertips, if you tend to flip them with your fingers, as I do, instead of the more sensible spatula.

Recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

The batter needs to be made a few hours before you intend to use it. You'll need:

A blender

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup water ( today I used 1 cup water to get the right consistency)

3 egg yolks

1 T. sugar

2-3 T. dark rum

1 1/2 cups sifted King Arthur flour

5 T. unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking the crepes

Place the ingredients ( in the order listed) into the blender. Puree and add a little more water if the batter is too thick. When you ladle it into the hot pan, you need to swirl it quickly, which won't happen if the batter is too thick.

Let the batter sit for 2 hours in the fridge.

Two hours later.....:

Place a stick of unsalted butter on a plate near your stove.

Heat up the crepe pan ( or omelet pan works, too) and swirl the tip of the stick of butter around the pan. The heat should be at medium.

Using a small ladle, scoop the batter out and , using a swirling motion, drizzle into the hot pan. Immediately grasp the pan's handle, and tip it around and back and forth so the batter covers the bottom of the pan. After a minute, the edges will look bubbly. Another minute and you're ready to flip it quickly, using a spatula. Cook another minute or so, then flip the crepe out onto a platter.

Continue to butter the pan, scoop the batter, and cook until batter is gone - this makes around 10 crepes.

If you're serving them right away, simply flip onto a plate, spoon some chunky apricot preserves around the disc of the crepes, and roll up. Three to a plate is usually plenty per person. Dust a little confectioner's sugar on top and serve. If you're holding them, place squares of waxed paper between the crepes so they don't stick together.

And blessed Happy Birthday, Julia! Where would we be without you?