Each year when we visited my grandparents for three summer weeks in their rural home in New York, we’d spend our time doing essentially nothing. It wasn’t exciting, it wasn’t exhilarating and it wasn’t elucidating. Sometimes it was boring. The funny thing is, however, that now I look back on those days with a rosy, [...]
Pomegranate is one of the girls favorite winter fruits. That, combined with our gigundous box of citrus that has just arrived from Florida, rounds out this dish nicely. It’s a beautiful crop of oranges and grapefruits this year and the juicy globes are just what I’m hankering for. This recipe is one I almost [...]
Poaching is a technique used to gently cook what is usually already a tender ingredient. Chicken and fish are commonly poached in a flavorful broth called court bouillon, which is made by simmering aromatic vegetables and herbs in water. When used to cook fruit, it’s common to simmer in red wine, another sort of alcohol [...]
Beef Ragu with Fennel and Orange 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds stew beef ¼ cup flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1 large onion, diced 1 cup diced fennel 2 large carrots, diced 3 stalks celery, diced ½ green pepper, diced 6 cloves minced garlic 2 tablespoons fennel [...]
Creamy Butternut Squash and Pear Soup 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup onions, diced 1/4 cup celery, diced 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash (or 1/2 butternut squash), cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 pear, peeled, cored and minced 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 cup sherry 4 cups chicken stock 1 cup heavy [...]
Pear Tarte Tatin Pastry: 1 1/2 cups flour 6 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 10 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/4 cup ice cold water, as needed Pears: 8 Anjou or similar pears; peeled, cored and quartered 12 tablespoons butter 1 cup sugar Pastry: In a medium bowl, sift the [...]
Nectarine Jam This jam shouldn’t be canned due to the lower amount of sugar. 1 pound nectarines, peeled, pitted and sliced thin 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a non-reactive skillet. Reduce heat and simmer until it begins to look syrupy. Skim off any foam [...]
Blueberry Muffins I use this recipe as a base for many different kinds of muffins. It’s very forgiving and tasty too. Using Maine blueberries is always a favorite of our passengers. 2 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 3/4teaspoon salt 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs, beaten 2/3 cup milk [...]
Melon and Israeli Couscous Salad This salad was inspired by a local restaurant called Market on Main (M.O.M.). It seemed like an odd combination, but I’m always trying the interesting dishes on menus. The tart fruits – grapes and citrus – really give this dish the punch that makes it great. I can find Israeli [...]
The reasons that writing good recipes can be so difficult and that cooking is so interesting rests upon the same principle – that the variation of only one ingredient, pan, oven or technique makes all the difference between success and abject failure. The Banana Bread Mystery is one of these instances. Every time I make [...]
