Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries

This recipe comes courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa.  What makes this dessert so special is the addition of black pepper.  Black pepper goes very well with strawberries.  I actually added a little extra pepper to the panna cotta itself.  I doubled the recipe and must not have put in enough gelatin because the panna cotta did not set as it should.  So, we had a pudding panna cotta!  Just served it in the ramekins instead of the cotta sitting prettily on the plate surrounded by the strawberries. Also be sure and use a "real" balsamic instead of some so called balsamic which is actually vinegar with caramel coloring.  Go to one of those olive oil stores that have popped up and get a nice balsamic.  I used a 5 year barrel aged.   My guests wanted to wallow in it.  This is a great summer dessert after a heavy meal.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 packet (1 teaspoon) unflavored gelatin powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 pints (4 cups) sliced fresh strawberries
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated lemon zest, for serving

Directions
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on 1 1/2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the gelatin to dissolve.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup of the cream, the yogurt, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds. Heat the remaining 3/4 cup of cream and the 1/3 cup of sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Off the heat, add the softened gelatin to the hot cream and stir to dissolve. Pour the hot cream-gelatin mixture into the cold cream-yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Pour into 4 (6 to 8-ounce) ramekins or custard cups and refrigerate uncovered until cold. When the panna cottas are thoroughly chilled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Combine the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and pepper 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. Set aside at room temperature.
To serve, run a small knife around each dessert in the ramkein and dip the bottom of each ramekin quickly in a bowl of hot tap water. Invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate and surround the panna cotta with strawberries. 
Dust lightly with freshly grated lemon zest and serve.

2007, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved




Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/panna-cotta-with-balsamic-strawberries-recipe.html?oc=linkback

A Big Piece of Meat: T-Bone Fiorentina

I've seen Mario Batali make this on one of his shows.  He uses a 3 inch think, 3 lb. T-Bone.  Yowza.  I did it though.  It makes one impressive presentation.  Mario simply says, "place meat on grill and cook until well charred."  Excuse me but there's a lot of olive oil on that meat as well as fat.  You need to watch this thing like crazy or you're going to have hockey pucks for dinner.  Giant one's, though. Also, none of our friends eat rare meat so I cooked them for 30 minutes and then rested it. It turned out spectacularly. I had med rare to med.   Oh, I do steak the Tuscan way by grilling lemons and then before serving, squeeze on the steak. Enjoy.

Makes 4

1 tbls. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tbls. chopped fresh sage

1 tbls. chopped fresh thyme

2 tbls. kosher salt, more to taste

2 tbls. freshly groun pepper, plus more to taste

1 T-bone, at least 3 inches thick, 3-3 1/2 lbs.

2 tbls. pure olive oil

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 lbs. baby spinach, stems removed, washed and spun dry

2 lemons, halved

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbls. coarse salt

Preheat the grill (I have gas so I got it to 500 degrees)

In a small bowl mix together all of the spices including salt and pepper. Add in the 2 tbls. olive oil.  Mix.  Pat the steak dry and smoother the steak with the spice/oil mixture.  Place on a clean grill and cook until well charred (note above) about 12 minutes, turn and then cook an additional 9 minutes for rare.  Remove from grill and let rest for 8 minutes.  While resting, place the lemons cut side down and grill for 5-7 minutes until they are well charred.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat 1/4 cup of the EXVO over high heat until smoking.  Add the garlic and cook until light brown.  Be careful not to burn them.  Add the spinach and stir until wilted.  Remove from heat and add lemon juice and  salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Carve the filet and the strip from the bone and slice.  Divide the steak among four plates, squeeze grilled lemon on each and plate with the spinach.  Drizzle with the rest of the olive oil.  Season with coarse salt.  Serve.

Grandma Susie's Meatballs

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe before.  A friend asked me for it but I guess I just had it in my head.  My mother in law, raised and died in Little Italy, NYC, taught me this recipe.  I use a good canned marinara because once you cook the balls of meat in the sauce, all of the goodness seeps into the sauce.  Mangia!

Makes 28 balls of meat

1 lb. ground lean beef
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground pork
2-3 large eggs, whisked
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tbls. chopped Italian parsley
1/2 small garlic glove, minced
1 small yellow onion grated
1 1/2 to 2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup EVOO
salt and pepper to taste
Marinara sauce of choice
Pasta of choice, I use ziti or some other thick pasta NEVER angel hair...

In a bowl, combine beef, veal and pork.  Add the cheese, parsley, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.  Using your hands, blend the ingredients together.  Add 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs.  Then half of the whisked eggs.  You want the mixture moist but still holds its shape when you make the meatball so you may need to add more egg or more bread crumbs.  Make the balls 2 1/2 to 3 inches in size.  I use an ice cream scoop.

Heat the oil in large saute pan.  When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the meatballs in batches.  Once one side is nice and brown and crisp, turn.  Do the same for the other side.  My mother in law would put enough oil in the pan to practically submerge the ball.  In this day of healthy eating, I usually have enough oil to come 1/2 way the ball.  Remove the ball and put on a paper towel to drain.

Meanwhile, heat up your marinara.  When the sauce is nice and bubbly, add the meatballs until they are submerged.  Cook for approximately 15 minutes.  My husband always does the taste test to see if they're done.  Cook your pasta until al dente, drain, put pasta back in pot, turn heat to med high, add a large scoop of sauce to pasta and stir to coat pasta.  Add more sauce if needed but don't over sauce.  We simply want the sauce coated.  Put pasta in a bowl and serve meatballs and remaining sauce in another bowl.  Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and crushed red peppers.

Beef and Red Wine Broth

I used this broth as a gift for friends to have on New Year's day.  I called it a "restorative":))  It's a great recipe from a great cook book, The Silver Palate Cook Book.  The cook book is a wonderful gift for newly weds.  I don't make beef stock/broth from scratch.  I use either the organic kind from either Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.  By the time you simmer all of these wonderful veggies in the broth, you have a dynamo of a sipping broth.  I made 4X the amount and it made about 6 quarts.  I also roughly chopped the vegetables.  You're going to strain them out so no need to be a perfectionist here.

4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
8-10 garlic cloves (about 1/2 of a small head) peeled and chopped
3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
5 cups good beef stock/broth
1 cup dry red wine (avoid any with oak hints)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
If you so wish 1 cup small pasta (pastina, shells)
grated Parmesan

Melt the butter in a soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, parsnips and chopped garlic and cook, covered, over low heat until veggies are tender and lightly colored, around 25 minutes.  Add chopped parsley, beef stock, and wine and season with salt and pepper.  Set over medium heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour.  If you want to add the pasta, cook about 15 minutes before soup is ready and add after soup has been strained.  Pour the soup through a fine strainer and discard the solids.  Return the broth to the pot, add pasta, if you wish, simmer for a few minutes.  Serve immediately with grated Parmesan.

Easy Salad Using Winter Fruit

This salad is so simple and it is great with a heavy entree.  Simply wash and dry however much ARUGULA you want to use.  Then core and thinly slice a PEAR or GREEN APPLE. If you are going to wait to use the fruit, in a large bowl fill with ice water and a tablespoon or so of lemon juice.  Let sit for 7 minutes and then drain and pat dry.  Place fruit in a plastic bag with a paper towel in it.   When ready to use, toss with arugula.  Then at the last minute toss with the vinaigrette recipe.  You could even add some crumbles of goat cheese or blue cheese.  I did find a great lemon/cracked pepper vinaigrette at Whole Foods. It certainly made this salad VERY easy...

ingredients

• 2 to 3 large garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon or basil (optional)

• preparation

  Mince garlic, then mash to a paste with 3/4 teaspoon salt.
  Whisk together garlic paste, pepper, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, and mustard, then whisk in oil until emulsified.
  Whisk in herb, if using.

Tarragon Roasted Halibut

Looking for a fish lite dish to cut through all of the party food?  Looking for a dish to stay trim and fit?  Then this is a dish for you.  And on top of that, it's simple.  

If using skin-on hazelnuts, rub them inside a clean kitchen towel after they've been toasted—the skins will slip right off. Serve the fish with a lightly dressed butter lettuce and herb salad.

photo by Christopher Baker

Serves 6-8

ingredients

• 1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts
• 1 large bunch fresh tarragon
• 1 3-3 1/2-pounds skinless halibut fillet (halved lengthwise if very wide)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Lemon halves

preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8-10 minutes. Coarsely chop; set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Scatter tarragon sprigs on a large rimmed baking sheet. Place halibut on top, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until halibut is just opaque in the center, 20-30 minutes, depending on thickness of fish.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until butter foams, then browns (don't let it burn), about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let brown butter cool slightly. Stir in lemon juice, hazelnuts, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper.

New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp

I know.  Americans don't like to eat shrimp with the heads and tails on.  But it makes for a more flavorful dish.  Just have plenty of paper towels, bowls and lemon water to wash the digits...
Serves 4

photo by Linda Pulgiese, food styling by Chelsea Zimmer

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 pound jumbo Louisiana shrimp, peeled, leaving heads and tails on
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Crystal hot sauce
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 cup Abita or other amber beer
• 1 teaspoon minced rosemary leaves
• 1 loaf French bread, thickly sliced on the diagonal and warmed

preparation

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the garlic until lightly browned and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute on each side. Increase the heat to high and add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes, then remove the shrimp from skillet.