From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple soup makes a fabulous lunch or first course for a special dinner. I make it several times during the course of the winter because my family enjoys soups that are fortified with curry powder and I find they help ward off the damp chill that is so pervasive at this time of year. It is quick and nearly effortless to make, especially if you have a food processor and immersion blender. Don't be put off by the parsnips in the soup. They are a mildly flavored root vegetable and they blend beautifully with the companion apples and curry powder. So, the next time those North winds start to blow I hope you'll remember this lovely soup. Here is how it's made.
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This coffee cake is a bit of a cheat. It gets a head start by using frozen bread dough which can be homemade or the kind you purchase at the supermarket. Once the dough has thawed, this ladder-style coffee cake can be table ready in about 90 minutes. The recipe is simple and straight forward, but there is one point at which you might get into trouble. The filling for the ladder should be spreadable but not runny. Sometimes a large egg will add too much liquid to the filling and cause it to spill out from the dough. You can avoid this by using a smaller egg, or adding the large egg by tablespoons until the filling can be spooned onto the bread dough and still hold its shape. While this coffeecake is over the top when made with Danish or puff pastry, it is still quite good when ordinary bread dough is used. If you like white chocolate and need a new recipe for coffeecake, why not give this one a try. Here is how this simple cake is made.
Weekly Menu at One Perfect Bite...
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple sandwich is the one I promised to share with you yesterday. It has three major components and if any one of them is off, the sandwich will be a disappointment. If, however, you use fresh ciabatta, tender pork loin and the rosemary aioli I'm including in tonight's post, you are in for some memorable eating. The sandwich is based on one I found in Once Upon A Tart, coauthored by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau, and while I have changed the recipe over time, I am indebted to them for this wonderful sandwich. I'll be serving it to my own guests on Super Bowl Sunday. While leftover pork can be used for this sandwich, I prefer to use the Pork Center Cut Loin Filet that is packaged by Hormel. These tiny roasts weigh about 1-1/2 pound and they'll cook in 40 to 45 minutes and produce tender slices that are a perfect size for sandwiches of this type. You'll want to liberally season the roasts with salt and coarse black pepper before roasting them. I use an Italian-style garlic salt to flavor mine. The ciabatta loaves I use for this are about 10-inches long and I've found that a loaf of this size will make five sandwiches. Tonight's recipe is for one 10-inch sandwich, and while the bread and meat are important, it's the aioli that takes this sandwich over the top. It is not hard to make and if you have a blender, upright or immersion, you'll have the world's most wonderful mayonnaise in a matter of minutes. I do hope you'll try this sandwich. It truly is a delight and I know you will enjoy it. Here is how it's made.
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have a split personality when it comes to cooking. Unlike a true foodie, I don't believe every morsel that I make for my family and friends has to take hours prepare or be made with only the finest and freshest of ingredients. I love to cook for those I love, and while I often spend hours in the kitchen, I don't feel that exhaustion is a measure of my affection for the folks who gather at my table. I guess that's how it happens that a kitchen that produces Veal Prince Orloff and has pressed a duck or two is also known for its Chili Mac. The recipe I'm featuring tonight is for a simple, old-fashioned snack cake that's topped with a coconut glaze. It is not meant for foodies. It's a lovely little cake that is inexpensive and almost effortless to make, but I must warn those of you who favor barely sweet desserts, that this one will send you into sugar shock. It really is meant for those who have a sweet tooth, a really sweet tooth. The are no tricks to making this cake, but I do want to remind you that this type of topping can burn in an instant, so please keep your eye on the cake when you put it under the broiler. I'm told that the cake is a good keeper, but I can;t speak to that as I've never had leftovers to deal with. I do hope that those of you who like sweet desserts you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the cake is made.
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If your cookie jar is empty, you might want to give this recipe a try. My family loves ginger cookies regardless of their country of origin. This is one of our favorites and the recipe I'm featuring is for an all-American version that produces large, nicely spiced cookies that remain soft and chewy as they bake. I use light molasses to make ours, but any type of molasses, save blackstrap or sorghum, can be used. These ginger cookies are simple to make and they are good keepers. I do hope you'll give the recipe a try. These cookies are great for school lunches and those occasions that don't require finesse. Here is how they are made.
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We've been buried in fog for the past several days. It's the kind you associate with Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper and the clopping of horse's hooves on the cobblestones of a back alley in Merrie Olde England. Around seven this morning, the Silver Fox joined me at the table, had a few sips of coffee and then went out on the deck. While I couldn't see him, I could here him pacing on the deck and knew instinctively that cabin fever had the man in its grip. He came back into the house and issued one of his famous urbi et Maria pronouncements, "We're heading to the coast, I want to be out of here by ten." Normally, I'd have been thrilled, but I had committed to bring something to a coffee the following morning. Wanting not to disappoint on either score, I did a quick search of my "keepers" and found this old recipe for a super simple, yet scrumptious walnut bread. Fortunately, I had walnuts aplenty and immediately started work on the loaves which I knew would be perfect for the morning coffee. While I had to use the microwave to help bring the ingredients to room temperature, once that was done it took all of ten minutes to make the bread and throw it in the oven. I dressed while it baked and left its care to the kitchen gods who have been very kind to me of late. Both the bread and I were ready for our ten o'clock departure. We headed toward the coast and by the time we crossed the Siuslaw River, the sun was shining. We spent the day learning how to crab and inspected a three-master, called the "Sea Nile" whose owner may indeed have been. At any rate, downtown Florence, one of our larger coastal towns, was packed with folks who had the same idea as the sun-starved Silver Fox and he had to share the streets with them. We headed home and while our part of the valley was still smothered in fog, the aroma of the walnut bread as we walked in the door reminded me how very good this simple bread can be. I do hope you'll try the recipe. Make it the day before you plan to serve it and I promise you'll not be disappointed. Here is how it's made.
Weekly Menu at One Perfect Bite...
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Years ago, I started using a technique that makes serving sandwiches to a crowd really easy. I found that by slicing loaves of sandwich bread horizontally rather than vertically, I could make one sandwich that would feed three to four people. I also learned that I could make four of these super sandwiches at a time. I wanted to share the technique and some applications of it with those of you who will be feeding a crowd on Super Bowl Sunday. Both these sandwiches are easy to make, and while they are very simple, I'll guarantee they'll please your family and friends. A sandwich loaf cut horizontally, will produce four long slices of bread that can be used to make these super-sized sandwiches. While each of the recipes I'm featuring makes just one long sandwich, the ingredients can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled, as is needed to feed the crew that you've brought together for the big game. While I don't assemble the sandwiches ahead of time, I make sure that all the ingredients are set to go, so when I'm ready, all I have to do is layer the ingredients and pop the sandwiches in the oven. I do hope you'll give these recipes a try. I'm especially fond of the toasted cheese sandwich and I highly recommend it to you. Here is how these simple super-sized sandwiches are made.
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Those of you who remember waffles for dinner on Sunday night, will also recall tonight's feature recipe. While Welsh rarebit has fallen out of fashion, back in the day it made regular appearances on American tables. At its most basic, the dish is simple and consists only of toast over which a thick cheese sauce is poured. We are told that in 18th century England the poor ate rabbit, while in Wales, where rarebit originated, the population was so poor that rabbit was replaced with cheese. While I'm sure the story is apocryphal, it does help explain how the dish got its name. There are many versions of this recipe, some of which predate the settlement of colonial America, but they all share a common base of bread and cheese. The best of them are made with a sauce so velvety that, in theory, you'll forget there is no meat. More to the point, if you are fortunate enough to have one of the best versions, you won't care that there is no meat. This happens to be one of my favorite quick-fix meals and I make it often, using soup and a small green salad to round it out and make it substantial enough to serve as a light supper. For years, I used Jeff Smith's version of rarebit, but I when I stumbled on Alton Brown's recipe, which is made with a caraway rye bread, I switched my allegiance. These days, while it is probably overkill, I make the rye bread I use, so I can control the thickness of the rarebit base. I must also admit that I've become a bit of a cheese snob. While I'm not particular about its country of origin, I insist on using an aged white cheddar for the cheese sauce. I have a simple recipe for a light rye bread that I'll share with you tomorrow, but tonight I want to focus on the cheese sauce and the assembly of the rarebit. Please give this recipe a try. You will not regret it. Here is how this fabulous version of rarebit is made.
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely tart is a scrumptious treat that's as easy to make as it is to eat. Commercially prepared puff pastry is perfectly acceptable to use in its preparation, and its use certainly makes assembly of the tart nearly effortless. There is also a bit of room to play with this recipe. You can swap raspberries for blueberries and mascarpone can, of course, replace the cream cheese that serves as the base of the tart filling. I do, however, strongly suggest you serve the tart the same day it is made. You'll find it loses its shard-like crispness and appeal if it sits around too long. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. I know those of you who do will love this crisp tart. Here is how it's made.
Weekly Menu at One Perfect Bite...
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I did some experimenting with duck breast during the holidays. I found two recipes that have real promise and I want to share the first of them with you tonight. Duck breast is nearly effortless to prepare but it's hard to find a recipe that functions well for everyone who tries it. I think the variable size of duck breasts is the problem. Duck is best served rare or medium-rare, and often recipes omit the size of the breasts that are being used. An 8 ounce breast will be tough and dry if it is cooked as long as those that are larger. While I can purchase large fillets online, I'm not organized enough to place my order in a timely fashion, so I end up using breasts that are locally available. They weigh just 8 ounces and would be overcooked if I followed the instructions below. I don't like to tinker with the recipes of established chefs, so I'm posting Robert Irvin's terrific recipe as it was published. My changes, necessitated by the use smaller breasts, appear in red directly below his. I've learned to use the cooking instructions provided by the supplier of the breasts I use, but I still follow the developer's sauce instructions, and I must say Irvin's sauce is outstanding. It is simple to make and wonderful with duck or pork tenderloin. If you don't care for duck, I hope you will try the sauce with pork. I served the breasts with rosti potatoes and a citrus salad that balanced nicely with the fatty duck. It made for a great company meal that was stressless to make and enjoyed by all. Here is how the duck and berry sauce are made.
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I make it a point to test and feature outstanding vegetable recipes whenever I find them. These carrots were a last minute addition to my Christmas menu that I found late on Christmas Eve, when I learned that our head-count for the big meal had changed. I discovered the recipe, which is a creation of the renowned Daniel Boulud, on the Food and Wine site, and to be truthful, I honed in on it because it could be made ahead of time and simply rewarmed for serving. It was ideal for my holiday kitchen and it was so well received that I served it again on New Year's Day. I want to pass it on to you, because it is both easy and inexpensive to make, and while you will appreciate its simplicity, your family will enjoy its flavor. I do hope you will try the recipe or keep it in mind for your next company meal. The carrots add wonderful color to the table and almost everyone enjoys them, so they are sure to be a hit. Here is how they are made.
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The Silver Fox and I live in an area where cattle and sheep are raised. That would be immaterial, save for the fact that availability makes them dirt cheap during the holiday season. In one of our local markets, standing rib roasts were actually cheaper per pound than ground beef. Now, the only person less capable of resisting a bargain than me, is the Lord of the Manor. To make a long story short, on an errand meant to pick up a quart of eggnog, he passed the meat counter and came home with three rib roasts. We were on the verge of creating a herd of our own when they joined the two I had already purchased and stored in the freezer. As it happened, I spoke with my youngest daughter on Christmas morning, and she was in the middle of preparing her holiday dinner. She mentioned that she was using a Paula Deen recipe for her rib roast. While I had other plans for the day, I was curious about the technique she was using and made a mental note to explore it further. Years ago, Anne Seranne developed a recipe for a closed oven rib roast that appeared in the New York Times. It made a delicious roast that I stopped using only when we had smoke detectors installed in the house. The 500 degrees needed for her technique managed to set off the smoke alarms in my kitchen and I couldn't stand the noise. The Deen recipe my daughter was using was similar, but the meat roasted at a lower temperature. I had to try it. I love it when simple things produce spectacular results and I'm happy to report that this is a great recipe. It is effortless and truly foolproof if you remember two things. The meat must be at room temperature before roasting and once you put the roast in the oven, the door cannot be opened until you are ready to serve the meat. I did very slightly change the original recipe. I applied my own version of a salt rub to the beef the day before I planned to roast it. The rub, of course, adds flavor, but it also makes a wonderful crust that covers the surfaces of the meat as it roasts. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. It produces a really nice, nearly effortless rib roast. Here is how it is made.
Weekly Menu at One Perfect Bite...
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This dish should really be called Adobo-esque Chicken. In Philippine cuisine, adobo refers to a style of cooking in which meat or vegetables, such as potatoes or eggplant, are stewed in a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar. This recipe is adapted from one that appeared in Cooking Light magazine, but because I've substituted boneless chicken thighs for bone-in chicken, it cooks quickly and does not have the full robust flavor that is the hallmark of a true, stewed adobo chicken. It is, nonetheless, delicious, and I think those of you who are pressed for time or money, will really enjoy this simple Frugal Friday entree. Be sure not to overcook the chicken and vigilantly watch the sauce, thinning it with water if needed, to prevent the scorching that the honey in the recipe encourages. If funds are especially tight, substitute potatoes for the chicken and cook just until they are fork tender, but still hold their shape. This dish is a palate brightener and it is made even more appetizing when served with a small citrus salad. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. It is nearly effortless to make and I think you will enjoy the chicken. Here is how it is made.
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'll wager you can guess what my resolution for the New Year is. Yup! I'm joining the ranks of the rabbit people until I've atoned for the dietary excesses of the holiday. It, unfortunately, is going to take a while, so portion and carb control are going to be my mantra for the next couple of months. I promise not to bore you with my progress, or lack thereof, and I won't make the assumption that you, too are watching your weight. Mums the word! My plan is not to mention this again until I get were I want to go and that's a lot of pounds away. There will be before and after pictures when I hit the finish line. Salads like this one will make the journey a bit easier. I love the play of peppery arugula with the sweet carrots in this salad and the walnut vinaigrette used to coat the greens walnut is inspired. The recipe was develop by Martha Rose Shulman for The New York Times and I think you will love it as much as I do. Here is how the salad and its dressing are made.
