Oh Summer How I've Missed You So...

I know we are a few weeks off until that official day on the calender but thanks to that amazing weather all weekend, Memorial Day tends to feel like the "opening day" of Summer.  Those nice 3 day weekends do wonders for the body; you kick the intensity down a couple of notches, suck in that nice fresh summer air and mellow out because for 3 months it is all about relaxed, laid-back living.  During the rest of the year it always feels like you are up against some time crunch where you are rushing from thing to thing and never getting a chance to take a breather but then comes summer and the attitude completely changes.  Plans seems to fall into place because it's where the day takes you and you squeeze out every possible waking hour by eating later and lingering longer.  There are 3 other seasons to be all tight, perfect and in control...let your hair down and have Summer take you where it's meant to go.  Figure out what you want out of Summer this year and make the personal pledge to yourself that you are going to get everything you want out of it because it's right in front of you, full of promise for the taking.  


So in honor of the "opening day" of Summer, here are 2 amazingly easy recipes to enjoy all season long.  Let me highlight the beauty of the fast and easiness vibe to both of these dishes because as much as I love outdoor dining, grilling, and all of those wonderful Summer foods I hate having to be chained to a hot kitchen for long periods of time while I have far more enjoyable things to take part in.  First off, here is great new take on Classic Potato Salad made with eggs and pickles from my favorite blogger Dinner: A Love Story.  My calendar is marked for June 5th when their first cookbook comes out but Jenny and Andy among many others things know how to do Summer right so use their blog as a go to for meals all season.  They are the geniuses behind the Yogurt Marinated Grilled Chicken and I'm fully aware that I am mildly obsessed with them but more and more I feel like they could be my friends or neighbors with their "down to earth" take on food and entertaining.  The potato salad is a breeze to make and the combination of smashed potatoes, eggs and sweet pickles gives it a classic taste reminding you of something you've had a while back but couldn't quite replicate until now.  

Perfect summer kind of meal complete with a Narragansett 

These Brownies with Orange Cream Cheese Icing and Toasted Coconut should become your "go-to, do not pass go until you've made these" summer dessert whether it be for a picnic, get together or just a hankering for something sweet.  I actually made these brownies several years ago when the recipe was first published in Bon Appetit back in the summer of 2007 (and after a quick flip through the summer recipe binders realized that I still had the article carefully filed away) but became reacquainted with them this past Friday evening.  Like the good Connecticut residents that all of my friends and I am, we knew that we had to kick off the weekend at "The Place" which turned out to be a very fun evening filled with lots of laughs, wine and seafood.  We all brought different things and my friend Deanna volunteered to bring the dessert.  I love my friend Deanna dearly, we have literally been friends for about 90% of our lives and while she has many talents and attributes she isn't actually one to jump at the opportunity to bake so when she said she would bring dessert I was somewhat intrigued to see what was going to be the result of this move.  When the dessert was presented Friday night and I recognized what it was, I almost fell off my stump at the thought that Deanna went so far into the baking world that she had made her own homemade brownies but she actually did one better then that...she pretty much blew my mind with this trick that you all should adapt immediately.  Take your favorite store bought mix of brownies and prepare according to the package directions.  Mix into the batter a melted bar of 75% cacao chocolate until well incorporated and then continue along with the baking instructions on the back of the box.  Top with the homemade orange cream cheese icing from the link above and finish off with a healthy amount of toasted coconut.  By all means as I've said before "if you feel the need and desire to go all Martha Stewart on us please go ahead and make the homemade brownies" but can I assure you that people are not going to know the difference with this little trick.  And plus, you have far better uses of your time in these Summer months then to be slaving over brownies with 12 different ingredients in them.

How to Succeed at Entertaining (without really trying)

I realized a couple of years ago that I'm actually quite a fan of graduation season that comes upon us every May and June and by no means do I need to be the one graduating to get into it.  I don't know if its all of those beaming graduates in shiny cap and gowns, the ceremonial pomp and circumstance of it all or just the underlying theme that a new chapter is beginning that is filled with so much promise and optimism.  Give me one of those inspiring commencement addresses or an up close and personal story about someone graduating and it's all over for me.  So as everyone is out there currently telling graduates to "carpe diem the day" and  "to go and set the world on fire" as my own Jesuit education always pushed me to do, I figured why pass up an opportunity to dispense some of my well learned and tried and true advice when it comes to entertaining.  There might not be a diploma or a fancy shamcy degree at the end of the post but I can assure you will be a better cook and hostess and that's a just as good skill to have.

1.) Keep the drinks simple 

In our house, we like to keep our alcoholic beverages of choice on the simple, straightforward side: wine, beer, gin and tonic, bourbon and water, vodka on the rocks with a twist.  I can assure you that we will never be serving up some fancy "mixologist" drink that has 12 different ingredients in it and involves bitters.  I know those drinks are all the rage, and there's a place and a time but we just aren't those kind of those people at home.  But sometimes the occasion calls for mixing it up a little bit (no pun intended) and you need a go to, jazzed up drink.  The beauty of this delight is that it can be served morning, noon or night (because in my book, it is always acceptable to indulge in a bubbly bev anytime) and involves minimal ingredients.  

Black and Bubblies
In a champagne flute or wine glass, add a tablespoon of black current, or black raspberry puree (any berry on that note will do).  Add a splash of St. Germaine elderflower liquor to each one (which if you haven't had this already, you have no idea what you are missing...it's amazing on so many levels).  Fill the remainder of the glass with prosesco or cava (the Spanish cousin in the bubbly family) and give it a quick stir to mix all together.  And there you have it, that's all there is to this fabulous 30 second cocktail.  It's also a good starting point to an event that makes it easy to jump to something else such as wine later in the night because God knows we have all been there when we mixed the bar and it is never pretty nor enjoyable the next day.

2.)Appetizers should be a nibble not a meal

I happen to love appetizers and can make an entire meal out of them but I know their place on a full dinner menu.  They are a prelude, a quick snapshot or a tone-setter of what the meal holds.  Give your guests enough snacks to nibble on to hold their attention while everyone is settling in and then call it a day.  Because as I've said before "Do you really want your guests filling up on cheese and crackers when they really should be saving their appetites for the main event".  I usually either make one or 2 simple things that can be served at a variety of temperatures depending on when your guests arrive or follow this fail proof formula for a perfect appetizer platter:

-A fruit or vegetable (red pepper slices, peaches...think color but the sky is the limit).

-A cheese (most recently I went with a triple creme gouda that caught my eye at Trader Joe's but I always try to get something a little different that you wouldn't snack on during your average weeknight)

-A meat (very few people out there do not get excited when they see a fun cured meat or pork product whether it be salami, prosciutto, or something else in the pig family.  I happen to love either the plain sliced salami or pepper edged one from TJ's but if you are lucky enough to have a local Italian market, try whatever looks good and they always love to give you a sample!).

-A cracker or bread product (These have become my latest obsession but fresh bread ripped into pieces, or any interesting cracker will do.  Anything above the triscuit or cheez-it is a safe bet and I've found that the best finds are always in the cheese sections of stores).

-A dip or spread.  Depending on the season and if you are feeling ambition, you can pretty much make some sort of bruschetta or caponata out of so many vegetables or there are good store bought ones out there as well.  I happen to like hummus as well a lot and have a go to recipe for a hot buttered Israeli version that I love.  I was on my way to making that this past Saturday until I was browsing the dips at TJ's and saw something new on the shelf which was a white bean basil spread and thought "Oh I can make this just like I usually make my hummus" and an idea was born.  Out when the chickpeas, in went the cannelloni beans and we were off.  Here is the rundown:


Warm White Bean and Basil Spread (based on the TJ's version and Zahav Hummus)  


-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 
-In a small frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter until foamy and then toss in 1 to 2 garlic cloves depending on size.  Saute until soft but watch to make sure they do not get too brown.  Set aside to cool slightly.  
-Into a food processor or mini prep, add 1 can of cannelloni beans (drained but reserve the liquid), 2 tablespoons of butter cut into small pieces, the juice of half a lemon (2 tablespoons),  the sauteed garlic and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.  Puree until smooth and then add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a tablespoon or 2 of the reserved bean liquid if you think your spread needs it.  Continue to puree.  The whole key to success with this spread is to puree far longer then you would ever believe is necessary.  Just let the food processor run continuously for a couple of minutes and you will end up with the most smooth spread.  Season with salt and pepper and throw in a handful of fresh basil leaves.  Give it one more quick whirl to combine by the basil and you are good to go.
-Transfer the spread to an oven safe baking dish.  Top with a few pine nuts (if you have them around) and sprinkle of oregano and and swirl of olive oil. (You are basically going for aesthetics here so whatever you have in your kitchen to make it pretty is going to work out well...it's the garnish). 
-Bake for 15 -20 minutes until it begins to bubble on top and is warm throughout.


3.) Don't be afraid to change up the plan
There are times when I am a meticulous planner and list maker.  I am all about the "plan of attack" and executing it perfectly and then there are times where I really have no idea what I'm going to do until I'm in the middle of a grocery store and then you just have to go with your gut and what looks good.  This happened to me this past Saturday where all along I thought I was going to make roasted zucchini as my veg but then walked into Whole Foods in Fairfield (which can I just say blows the Milford one out of the water and is pretty much only 10 minutes further from my house) and got swept up by some beautiful skinny asparagus grown in New Jersey.   After taking a quick peak at the zucchini to see what my options were and discovered that it was grown in Mexico for only a dollar cheaper per pound  it became a no brainer what I was going to get.  Don't be afraid to not have a plan or abandon the  current one if it isn't working because we all know that the best thing in life are surprises and the unexpected always wins out.

4.) Remember you are a guest at your dinner too 
So many times, people think they need to be short order cook when having guests over for dinner where they end up chained inside the kitchen while everyone else is having a good time and relaxing.  Above all else having a dinner party is mainly about your guests and the food secondary.  If you're with the right group of people, it really doesn't matter what you eat and almost anything will taste good when you are laughing so hard it feels like you're cleansed by the end of the night.  But because this is a food blog, I just can't leave you to your own devices so here is what will be my dinner party dish of the summer of 2012...the Candied Pork from one of my favorite blogs.  I made mine with skinny pork tenderloins that went on the grill instead of the oven and the only enhancement that I added was brining the pork overnight.  What can be better then a recipe that you brine overnight, make a simple marinade in the morning and then all that is left to do is grill up 30 minutes before you are ready to serve it?  The spinach salad that accompanies the pork recipe is also amazing and with a few candied pecans thrown in it's the perfect dinner party salad.  

Dependables

There are certain things in life that you should always be able to depend on to be there for you.  To be able to pull out in a moment's notice, to never fail, and to make you look like pretty much a rock star upon completion every time.  They are those things that once you find them, you can stop looking for anything else similar because your dependable is basically untouchable.  It's like when you find them you almost want to exhale that huge sigh of relief because it's just going to be another thing that is going to make your life so much better.  I love to gain dependables in my life and when one comes along it is the most amazing feeling.  I have "back pocket dependable" recipes for banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, basic tomato sauce and probably 20 other different things but a few weeks ago I added a very big one to the pile:  the most perfect roast chicken.  There is something about cooking roasted chicken that feels extremely homey and domesticated from the savory smells that whiff through the house, to the long-ish, drawn out cooking time, to the classic feel of the meal as you are eating it.  Come on, can I paint an even more "pro roast chicken" picture then I'm doing right now?  


I came across this recipe for Honey-and-Lemon-Glazed Roast Chicken from an old Food and Wine Magazine a couple of weeks ago when I was in the mood for chicken one night and have already made it twice.  The sweet-salty-acidic combination in the glaze of lemons, honey and soy sauce is amazing and I loved the idea of the high to low cook temperature technique in the recipe.  I promise you, this is one roast chicken recipe that you will always be able to depend on. 

Note:  The recipe calls for small 3 pound chickens.  I like to use larger chickens (5-7 pounds each) that tend to have more meat on them.  I just extended my cooking time longer at both temps and checks the bird's internal temperature to make sure they were done.  I also like to roast my chickens onto of a bed of veggies that are not so much to eat but because they add tremendous flavoring to the stock that I've made after with the carcasses and such.  Oh and one more thing - if the bird that you're roasting has one of those plastic pop up timers, please pull it out beforehand or ignore the purpose of it.  I know more disasters that have come out of it because call me silly but there is no way that little thing can predict proper temperatures and such.    

Just the best frickin dessert out there

For as long as I can remember my mother has had a recipe box in the kitchen containing her arsenal of go to dishes and growing up I would always get pretty excited when one of those small, hand written cards would come out because it usually meant that we would be making something special or with some sort of significance to it.  When I look through the cards now you can identify themes in cooking through the years of what was widely popular and you tend to get nostalgic over different dishes that you used to have a lot as a kid growing up such as "open sesame chicken", "do ahead mashed potatoes" and "cranberry raspberry mousse".  And then you realize that there was a very big thing having to do with all things jello considering it takes up a large chunk of the desserts section.  You start to think a little harder and remember that there was always some sort of jello dessert at the buffet of party, and my Mother and Aunt had these matching Tupperware jello molds where you changed the top symbol based on the specific time of the year (which I still think is in our basement because God knows I'm going to need it for some sort of project one day).  By no means were these your run of the mill basic jello recipes.  They involved layers of fruit, cream, or crust mixed in and usually spearheading the efforts was my Mother's good friend Barbara who I would even go so far as to deem in the land of jello, she would be the queen because she probably has a whole recipe box devoted to these recipes.  I know that jello gets a bad rap a lot of the time because there are some dousies out there involving multiple canned goods or weird texture issues that have mentally scarred you.  You think it's dated and old-fashioned and I even used to think "oh I'm way too gourmet for jello".


But then 2 summers ago, down at Barbara's cottage in Milford one of those jello desserts made an appearance from the archives and after one bite I forgot how much I loved it and those apprehensive, too good for jello thoughts quickly fell by the wayside as I went in for my second helping of the pistachio dessert and I was back on board of the jello train.  The pistachio dessert has now made appearances at multiple parties and one of my friends even deemed it "the best frickin dessert ever" because it's refreshing after a big meal and sometimes you just aren't in the mood for a slice of cake or another baked good.  I know I don't have to give any more reasons for you to make it yourself after you've seen the picture or ever experienced a bite of it but let me just push you further over the line so I can almost guarantee that you'll be running out to grab the ingredients.  It's super easy to make, travels well, and can be made the day before.  Do I have to be any more convincing?  I promise once you have your first helping, you'll be back on the jello train too and if you're still wavering then we'll just have to bring in Barbara's strawberry pretzel jello to win you over once and for all. 

good shot of all the layers

Pistachio Dessert Squares


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  With a pastry blender or two forks, mix together until crumbly:
-1 stick of unsalted butter
-1 and 1/4 cup of flour
Then add in:
-1 cup of ground nuts (walnuts work best) 


Spread into a 9 x 13 greased baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.  Set aside and let cool.


In a mixer, combine 
-8oz of cream cheese, softened
-1 cup of confectioner's sugar 
-Half of a container (the 8oz size) of cool whip.


In another small bowl, whip together until firm:
-2 packages of instant pistachio pudding 
-3 cups of milk 


First spread cream mixture evenly onto the cooled crust and then top with the pistachio pudding.  Add the remaining half container of the cool whip as your top layer and chill.  

The Brunch Series: Recipe Link Round-up

To round out the series on brunch, here are the links to some of my favorite recipes that you can now make at home:


-Carrot Souffle I came across this recipe in a home magazine a couple of years ago and instantly fell in love with a new creative take on how to serve carrots.  Do not be fooled or frightened by the word souffle in the recipe.  It is a foolproof recipe that is made very easy by the use of a food processor.  I almost always make it ahead of time and then just bake it right before it's going to be served.  


-Baked Glazed Ham Ham is one of those party foods that everyone always gets really excited about.  The host loves it because they are relatively simple to make and feed a large crowd with ease and guests are into it because it's one of those things you don't make at home on a regular basis and who doesn't love those mini ham sandwiches.  A lot of times, a ham will come with a ready made glaze but sometimes it's fun to jazz it up a bit with your own homemade touch.  In years past I've made a pineapple mustard glaze by Martha Stewart that is quite delicious but I was going for ease this year and you can beat the Barefoot Contessa's glaze recipe.  Another thing that can easily be made ahead of time and I swapped out apricot preserves for the mango chutney and it was just as good.  


-Roasted Salmon with Mustard Tarragon Sauce One of my favorite ways to cook salmon and by baking it at a high temperature, it almost seems at first bite like you might have poached it but since not many home cooks actually own a fish poacher this is a simple way to get that kind of flavor.  Also a great weeknight dinner and can be served at room temperature over a salad as well for a fancy lunch.  

The Brunch Series: Spring Pea and Artichoke Salad

This is one of my favorite salads to include in a brunch buffet because it gives a great pop of color to the menu, is super easy to make and people literally go crazy for it once they've tried it for the first time.  I know so many people out there have aversions to peas probably because they remember eating canned or over-cooked peas in that horrible puke green color as kids but  when cooked properly, bags of frozen peas are great staples to have on hand in the kitchen and I've always been a big fan of them.  Whether they are tossed into a salad or mixed into a pasta dish there are so many great things you can do with them and here's just one of them.   This salad isn't limited to just brunch menus. It is a perfect accompaniment to luncheons and dinners with fish especially with the subtle dill dressing that it is dressed with.


Spring Pea and Artichoke Salad 


Sour Cream Dressing:
In a small bowl mix together the following:
-1/4 cup each sour cream and mayonnaise
-1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped 
-1 tablespoon cider vinegar 
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon each minced garlic and pepper 


In a large bowl, add the following:
-3 cups frozen petite peas thawed 
-1/2 English cucumber, quartered and sliced thin 
-1 cup thinly sliced radishes
-1/2 cup chopped red onion
-1 (14oz) can of water packed artichoke hearts, quartered


Pour dressing over the salad and stir gently to combine.  Adjust for seasonings and serve.  


Note:  The dressing and salad can both be made ahead of time but do best when the 2 elements are kept separate until just before you are going to serve them.   

The Brunch Series - Baked French Toast Casserole

I've come to realize that once you do something enough of times, it will eventually get over the big metaphorical hump where at once seems like this massive, chaotic, stress inducing event to where it will become second nature and dare I say, almost easy.  Well after 4 Palm Sunday brunches, we have finally hit that point where I know what we're doing, what works and what doesn't, what you need to let go of when you are entertaining for the masses (because God knows I wouldn't have it any other way then to basically stuff my home with an over capacity crowd of wall to wall people) and what each of our roles is in the whole party scheme of things.  I am a self-admitted control freak and I will mentally kill myself for things to be that "oh so perfect" vision that I imagine things to be because that's how I am but I knew after last year something had to change because admittedly so I didn't have a good time at my own party.  I was a stressed out mess, wanted to be everything to everyone and literally wanted to pass out in exhaustion by the time the desserts hit the table.  So I gave myself my own personal pep talk and said "change your game plan.  What is important to you and what can you let go?  Remember this is supposed to be fun- you are not running a restaurant here and when it comes down to it, people come for the food and they love everything but they really come to be around each other and you can't lose sight of that".  I delegated my heart out and even farmed out the cooking to my trusted friends who I knew would do a great job.  I kept calm and carried on and had so much time freed up that I didn't have to get up super early and even had time to shower and get ready like a sane adult instead of the basket case I usually am.  By the time all the food went out I was able to kick back, have some brunch bevs and enjoy myself as people went to town on everything.  I got to pick on a few things and then enjoyed my own plate once everything was done and cleaned later in the day.  I made updates to my notes for next year and if my mother wants to invite 30 more people, Maryanne go to town because I have a fail proof system in place and can handle it (even though people might soon be spilling into the streets but isn't that what it's all about?).

The first year we did the brunch, our guests really wanted the different recipes that were made so an index card circulated throughout the house as a sign up sheet for what people wanted to learn how to make.  4 years later and this lovely blog exists so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for a little brunch series of posts so you can all replicate at home. Over the next couple of days I will share a number of recipes so keep checking back and before you know it you will have your own fool proof, back pocket brunch menu. 

Baked French Toast Casserole

In a small saucepan on low heat, blend:
-5 tablespoons unsalted butter
-1 cup light brown sugar
-2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Spread the mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 12 greased baking dish.  Cut 1 and 1/2 inch thick slices of challah bread and then cut them into smaller pieces (3 or 4 per slice depending on size) and fit them snuggly into the baking dish.  I find that its easier to have smaller pieces so when you go to serve the french toast, it is more manageable to get out.  As a guide, I usually use 2/3 of a loaf of challah per each casserole.

Beat together in a small bowl and then pour over bread:
-6 eggs
-1 and 1/2 cups milk
-1 teaspoon vanilla

Top with the zest of a grated orange and refrigerate overnight in order for the bread to really soak up the egg/milk mixture. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes uncovered until the top develops a nice crust on top.  Finish the casserole off with a good drizzle of maple syrup and a powdering of confectioners sugar. 

PS:  In the height of getting all the food out I forgot to break out a camera to start taking pictures of everything so there will be no food photos to go along with the recipes.  Next year there can be a designated camera person!