Serge the Concierge

Memorial Day Garden Party deserves Garden Cocktail, Recipe by Eliq Maranik from Cocktails

A great Garden Party deserves a Garden Cocktail by Eliq Maranik from Cocktails (H.F Ullman, Spring 2013).

Garden 

1 oz (30 ml) triple sec

1 oz (30 ml) sour apple liqueur

1 oz (30 ml) passion fruit juice

1 oz (30 ml) lemon juice

½ oz (15 ml) sugar syrup

2 dashes blue curaçao 

Pour all the ingredients, except the curaçao, into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Trickle the curaçao over the drink for a colourful visual effect. 

The passion fruit is actually a berry that is said to relieve asthma. It is a climbing plant that can grow up to 50 feet tall. The fruit has a dark, brownish purple skin that is smooth when the fruit is fresh. Maracujá, that has a yellow skin, is another species in the passion flower family.

It should leave a lasting impression on your Memorial Day Party guests.

(* Recipe and photo from Cocktails, Fancy and Delicious Recipes for All Tastes by Eliq Maranik- published by H.F. Ullmann, Spring 2013, all rights reserved)

Sweet and Sour Beef Tongue, Eel With Raisins and Pine Nuts, 'Popes Peasants and Shepherds' Recipes

For past few weeks, my schedule has not left much time for book browsing so with a little time on my hands this evening i decided to pick up Popes, Peasants and Shepherds 'Recipes and Lore from Rome and Lazio' (University of California Press, March 2013) by Oretta Zanini de Vita for a quick browse.

It reminded me that in many regions of Italy as is case in France, most things can be turned into meals whether it's tripe, veal stomach or eel in Eel with Raisins and Pine Nuts and Tongue with Sweet and Sour Beef Tongue.

Some might be more comfortable with Gnocchi dolci alla romana ('Sweet Gnocchi') or'Maccheroni con le noci' (Sweet Pasta).

 

Picnic Your Pick for Mother's Day, Start with the Dips, Dips Recipes from Picnic Cookbook

After Soup Glorious Soup and Camping Cookbook, Annie Bell serves us The Picnic Cookbook (Kyle Books, June 2013).

If a picnic or backyard party is your Mother's Day choice, Annie Bell's Dip Recipes are a good place to start.

Let’s go: dips 

We love damning convenience foods, but where would most of us be without those plastic tubs of hummus, guacamole and the like. A lot of it isn’t bad at all, but that small homemade touch injects an essential element of nurture. In pretty much every case there are invariably one or two finishes that will bring out the best in the dip. Or, you could go further, as it takes little longer to whizz up a creamy dip using soured cream or Greek yogurt. Rustle up some crudités and olives and you are well on your way to a respectable feast of a picnic. 

Hummus

Stir 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin into a 300g tub of hummus. Transfer this to a portable container

or bowl, drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice and dust with a little

more cumin.

For 4–6 people 

Guacamole

Stir 2 teaspoons of finely chopped coriander leaves into a 200g tub of guacamole. Transfer this to a

portable container or bowl, drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil, dust with cayenne pepper and

scatter over a little more coriander.

For 4 people 

Taramasalata

Stir 1/2 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest and a tablespoon of finely chopped parsley into a 200g

tub of taramasalata. Transfer to a portable container or bowl, drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil

and a squeeze of lemon juice and scatter over some more parsley.

For 4 people 

Tzatziki

Stir 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and 2 teaspoons of finely chopped mint into a 200g tub of

tzatziki. Transfer to a portable container or a bowl, drizzle over some more oil and scatter over a few

tiny mint leaves.

For 4 people

Cheat’s aioli

The short cut to making an aioli uses soured cream instead of mayonnaise. It makes for an elegant dip,

as well as a sauce that can be slathered over food from the grill or cold roast beef

(see page 115).

Blend 300g soured cream, 2 peeled and crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice and a

little sea salt in a bowl and spoon into a clean bowl or container. Chill until required. Before you leave

the house, dust the top with Piment d’Espelette or cayenne pepper.For 8–10 people

Creamed Goat’s Cheese

This creamy dip can be tinkered with endlessly, using different ingredients and flavourings depending on

what you want to serve it with, but roasted vegetables are always a good starting point, as is a bowl of

feisty green leaves with a walnut dressing.

Whizz 250g fresh young goat’s cheese with 100g Greek yogurt or fromage blanc and 100g crème

fraîche in a food-processor until creamy. It will probably be slightly grainy, but that’s fine. Transfer

to a bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of finely snipped chives. Chill until required. Before you leave for the

picnic, dust with paprika.

For 6 people

(* Recipe excerpted from 'The Picnic Cookbook' by Annie Bell-Kyle Book, US Edition, June 2013, all rights reserved, photography by Jonathan Bell)

Salad Inspiration, Roasted Red Pepper and Anchovy Salad from 'Spanish Flavors'

After Orange Scented Apple Bunuelos, a quick dessert to serve to friends from Spanish Flavors (Kyle Books, US publication January 2013) by Jose Pizarro, time for salad inspiration.

Roasted red pepper and anchovy salad on roasted garlic toasts 

The red peppers in Spain are outstanding and there is almost nothing better than peppers roasted in a proper wood-fired oven, a service that during my childhood was provided by the village baker. I’ll always remember the aroma that filled the house when my mother returned from the baker’s bearing a large tray of these wonderful vegetables. The combination of sweet roasted red peppers and salty anchovies is always a winner. This can be served as a tapas, as the larger Basquestyle pintxos or even as a light lunch with a dressed green salad and a poached egg. If you’re in a hurry, instead of roasting the red peppers, use a jar/can of Piquillo peppers, which are already roasted and skinned, and have a great smoky flavor. 

Serves 4

2 large heads of garlic, unpeeled, plus

1 fat clove, finely chopped

4 large thyme sprigs

11/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 large red bell peppers

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

8 small slices of rustic white bread,

about 1/2-inch thick

16 good-quality anchovy fillets in olive oil,

drained

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the outer papery skin from each head of garlic and take a thin slice off the top of each one to expose the cloves.

Tear off a large square of foil, place the heads of garlic in the center, add 2 of the thyme sprigs, drizzle each head with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, and sprinkle with a little salt. Wrap securely in the foil, place in a small roasting pan along with the peppers, and roast on the top shelf of the oven for 20–30 minutes, turning the peppers once or twice until the skins have blackened in places. Remove the peppers from the pan, drop them into a plastic bag and leave until cool enough to handle. Return the garlic parcels to the oven and roast for another 35 minutes, or until the cloves feel very soft when pressed.

Meanwhile, slit open the peppers, working over a bowl so that you catch all the juices, and remove and discard the stalks, seeds and skin. Tear the flesh into 1/2-inch-wide strips, and add to the bowl of juices with the chopped garlic clove, vinegar, the remaining thyme leaves, and the rest of the olive oil. Stir well together.

Remove the garlic from the oven and set the parcel aside. Toast the slices of bread. (I like to put mine on the bars of a preheated cast-iron ridged griddle long enough to give the bread a slightly smoky taste, then finish it off in the toaster.) Unwrap the roasted garlic, squeeze some of the purée from each clove and spread it onto the toast while both are still hot.

Sprinkle with a few sea salt flakes and some black pepper. Season the pepper strips with a little salt to taste and spoon onto the garlic toast. Garnish each slice with the anchovy fillets, drizzle over some of the pepper juices, and serve while the toast is still crisp. 

(* Recipe from Jose Pizarro's Spanish Flavors-Published in US by Kyle Books, January 2013- Photos by Emma Lee) 

Apple and Calvados Crumble Choux Buns from 'Patisserie at Home' by Will Torrent

Here's a second helping from Patisserie at Home (Ryland Peters & Small, April 2013) by Heston Blumenthal alumni, UK pastry chef Will Torrent,a book full of luscious classic desserts.

Apple and Calvados crumble choux buns

These choux buns have a surprise inside (apple compote and Calvados cream) and on top (crumble crust) – delightful in summer or autumn! 

icing/confectioners’ sugar, to dust

Crumble topping

80 g/5 tablespoons butter, softened

100 g/1/2 cup light brown sugar

100 g/3/4 cup plain/all-purpose flour

Pâte à choux

125 ml/1/2 cup water

125 ml/1/2 cup milk

100 g/61/2 tablespoons butter

a pinch of salt

a pinch of sugar

140 g/1 cup plus 11/2 tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour

approximately 6 eggs

Crème diplomate

250 ml/1 cup whipping cream

250 ml/1 cup double/heavy cream

500 g/2 cups storebought crème pâtissière

2 tablespoons Calvados

Apple compote

500 g/18 oz. Bramley apples

2 tablespoons butter

50 g/1/4 cup light brown sugar

juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

piping bags, plain nozzle/tip and star-shaped nozzle/tip

baking sheet, lined with greaseproof paper

Makes 12–16 small buns 

For the crumble topping

Beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer or in a bowl with an electric whisk just until well combined. Add the flour and bring together into a dough with your hands. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of greaseproof paper, top with another sheet and flatten with a rolling pin until about 3 mm thick. Freeze for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas 4.

For the choux pastry

Put the water, milk, butter, salt and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a silicone or wooden spoon so that the sugar doesn’t burn and cause the mixture to stick to the bottom of the pan.

When it comes to the boil, quickly stir in the flour and mix together. Beat the dough vigorously until it cleanly leaves the sides of the saucepan – this can take up to 5 minutes, depending on the heat.

Transfer the dough to a stand mixer or mixing bowl (using an electric whisk) and beat in the eggs, one at a time. You might not need all 6 eggs – flour and eggs behave differently no matter how many times you make the same recipe, so the number of eggs needed can vary.

As you add the eggs and beat them in, watch the dough and when it is soft and smooth and drops off a spoon leaving behind a ‘V’ shape, it is ready.

Take the piping bag and fit it with the plain nozzle/tip. Fill the bag with the choux pastry and pipe 12–16 buns on the prepared baking sheet. Take the crumble topping out of the freezer, remove the top sheet of paper and stamp out 2.5-cm/1-inch rounds from the frozen dough – use a cookie cutter or cut around a bottle top. Cut out the same number as there are buns and place a round on top of each bun. (A)

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through, puffed up and golden, then turn the oven off and leave the buns inside to cool completely and dry out.

For the apple compote

Peel, core and chop the apples. Put them in a saucepan with the butter, sugar and lemon juice and zest. Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir, raise the heat and cook for a further 5 minutes or until you get a chunky ‘compote’. Allow to cool completely.

For the crème diplomate

Put the whipping cream and double/heavy cream in a stand mixer or use a mixing bowl and an electric whisk. Beat until soft, billowing peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip it otherwise it will become thick and grainy and it will split when mixed in with the crème pâtissière. 

Gently fold the whipped cream, in stages, into the crème pâtissière until smooth and irresistible, then fold in the Calvados.

Cut each chou bun in half horizontally and spoon some of the compote in the bottom. (B)

Fill the piping bag with crème diplomate. Pipe a generous mound on top of the compote. (C)

Sandwich with the other half of the bun. Dust with icing/confectioners’ sugar, to serve.

(* Recipe from 'Patisserie at Home' by Will Torrent- Ryland Peters & Small, April 2013- photography by Jonathan Gregson-all rights reserved)

Showstopper for your Taste Buds, Passion Fruit Delice from Patisserie at Home

With Patisserie at Home (Ryland Peters & Small, April 2013) by Heston Blumenthal alumni, UK pastry chef Will Torrent, you are in happy land of choux a la creme, babas au rhum, mille feuilles and other luscious classic desserts, not to forget madeleines and macarons.

Search is over if you are looking for a showstopper and palate pleaser for your next dinner party with this first excerpt from 'Patisserie at Home'.

Passionfruit Délice

This is a sure showstopper, not only for its appearance, but also for your taste buds. Passionfruit is one of my favourite flavours as it works amazingly well with other ingredients but also stands well on its own. This is a celebration of passionfruit, great for special occasions, but you could make small versions for individual indulgent moments! 

20-cm/8-in. storebought flan base

Passionfruit mousse

3 leaves of gelatine

250 ml/1 cup whipping cream

125 ml/1⁄2 cup passionfruit purée

125 g/1⁄2 cup passionfruit yogurt

3 tablespoons lime vodka

1 large egg white

21⁄2 tablespoons caster/superfine sugar

Passionfruit jelly

2 leaves of gelatine

100 ml/1⁄3 cup fresh orange juice

11⁄2 tablespoons sugar

1 vanilla bean, split

100 ml/1⁄2 cup passionfruit purée

seeds of 1 passionfruit

Swiss/jelly roll pan, lined with greaseproof paper

deep, 20-cm/8-in. round springform cake pan

Serves 6–8

Start the recipe the day before you want to serve the cake.

Put the flan base inside the cake pan and set aside.

For the passionfruit mousse

Put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften; put the cream in a bowl and beat until soft peaks start to form, then refrigerate.

Put the passionfruit purée in a small saucepan over low heat until hot. Add the softened gelatine, squeezed of excess water, and stir until it has dissolved. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the yogurt and vodka.

Put the egg white in a stand mixer or in a bowl using an electric whisk and whisk until it forms soft peaks. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until well incorporated and glossy.

Now line up all 3 bowls. Add a little meringue to the yogurt mixture and beat in with a spatula or balloon whisk. Fold in the remaining meringue very gently so as not to knock all the air out. Fold in the whipped cream in the same way.

Allow to cool completely, then spoon into the cake pan on top of the flan base, leaving a little gap at the top for the jelly. Refrigerate overnight.

For the passionfruit jelly

The next day, put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften.

Put the orange juice, sugar and vanilla bean in a saucepan over low heat and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the softened gelatine, squeezed of excess water, and stir until it has dissolved. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the passionfruit purée and seeds. Allow to cool slightly.

Pour the cooled jelly on top of the frozen mousse in the cake pan. Allow to set in the fridge for about 2 hours before releasing the cake from the pan and enjoying this tangy dessert. Cut into slices using a hot, sharp knife.

VARIATION

Add pomegranate seeds to the jelly for an extra splash of colour.

(* Recipe from 'Patisserie at Home' by Will Torrent- Ryland Peters & Small, April 2013- photography by Jonathan Gregson-all rights reserved)

Take Your Fish by the Collar, Buri Kama, Charcoal-Grilled Yellowtail Collar from Japanese Farm Food

Since I have not yet finished editing my interview with Nancy Singleton Hachisu (shame on me), I have to make up for it in a small way with a third recipe from her book Japanese Farm Food (Andrews McMeel Publishing, Fall 2012).

Charcoal-Grilled Yellowtail Collar
Buri Kama

Serves 4

In Berkeley, for the 2010 Soba Dinner preparations, one morning Kanchan, Christopher (my eldest), and Sylvan Brackett from Chez Panisse (and Peko-Peko Catering) all trouped across the Bay Bridge to check out the freshly caught fish at Monterey Fish. It was an early mission (very early), so Andrew and I chose to stay in bed. When we finally hooked up back at Sylvan’s cooking studio in Oakland, Kanchan regaled us with his tale of grabbing out fish guts (liver and eggs, to be precise) and yellowtail collars from the refuse pile due to be jettisoned.
He cackled with glee at his “finds” and shook his head over the American waste. While he did not serve those orphan parts at the Chez Panisse dinner, the cooks were the lucky recipients later that night. Kanchan simmered the eggs and livers in soy sauce- and mirin-flavored dashi. The texture was slightly crunchy on the tongue and mildly sweet in the mouth—lovely. And the boldly fatty yellowtail collars, broiled, were meaty and succulent. Good in the oven, these are even better on the barbecue.

1 yellowtail collar (9 ounces/260 g)
Sea salt
Grated daikon
Soy sauce

Prepare a barbecue using hardwood charcoal (the fire needs to burn down, so do this a good 45 minutes before cooking). The collar sputters a bit from its natural fish oils, so cook over low heat.

Lay the yellowtail collar on a small clean grate and set directly over the fire. Sprinkle lightly with salt from a foot (30 cm) above the fish (tatejio) and cook slowly for about 10 minutes. Flip carefully and salt the other side. Flip every 10 minutes or so and cook for a total of 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness and the heat.

Alternatively, broil slowly on a rack set over a foil-lined broiler pan in the third position from the top of the oven. Check after 5 minutes to gauge the broiler heat. If the collar is browning too quickly, move the rack to a lower position. Turn several times for even cooking and browning.
Depending on the broiler, this will take from 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer the collar from the grill to an attractive plate. Squeeze a few spoonfuls of grated daikon in your fist to remove excess liquid, mound on the plate next to the collar, and drizzle the center of the mound with soy sauce. Let people dig in with chopsticks as a convivial first course or snack with drinks before dinner.

Variation: Substitute the collar for a similar fatty fish such as salmon.

Taking fish by the collar for Tokyo Thursdays # 255

Previously: Butterfly, Kansuke Yamamoto's Surrealist Take, Hiroshi Hamaya's Documentary Style, Photo Exhibit, Getty Museum

(* Recipe from Japanese Farm Food-Fall 2012- by Nancy Singleton Hachisu reproduced with permission of publisher Andrews McMeel, photographs by Kenji Miura, all rights reserved)

Cocktailed and Literary, Back to 1870 with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Breeze

Match book favorites with cocktails you serve.

Get your inspiration going with Tequila Mockingbird, Cocktails with a Literary Twist (Running Press, March 2013) by Tim Federle.

Re-read classic 20,000 Leagues under the Sea (free ebook) or watch 1954 movie after you serve this recipe.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Breeze

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870) By Jules Verne

Translated, adapted, sometimes even copied (see: Finding Nemo, among others), this dazzling adventure by Jules Verne, the French father of science fiction, was shockingly prescient in its depiction of future underwater technologies. A time-tested tale of “Boy meets fish, fish turns out to be secret submarine, submarine never lets boy leave because now he knows too much,” Twenty Thousand Leagues sends readers into chilly ocean depths, where they meet eccentric scientists, memorable sea monsters, and one very unforgiving whirlpool. Swirl up your grandfather’s Sea Breeze recipe with a little carbonation—and settle old scores by serving this one with calamari.

1 ½ ounces vodka
2 ounces grapefruit juice
2 ounces cranberry juice
1 (12-ounce) can club soda

Combine the vodka and juices over ice in a highball glass, and fill to the top with the club soda. Drink slowly to avoid the bends—and come up for air every now and then, diver boy.

Tim Federle's effort reminds me of Booking Bands by creative minds at Coudal in Chicago who matched books and bands.

(*Recipe reprinted with permission from TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD © 2013 by Tim Federle, Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group)

Desir Noir Perfect and Harvard 90's, Armagnac Cocktails for Tax Day 2013

After hard work you put into getting all the paperwork together, spending time with your accountant and 'most painful', writing a check to the Treasury, you deserve better than a run of the mill cocktail as a coda to your day.

Here's tempting image of Desir Noir Perfect by Marc Jean of Normandy Barriere in Deauville.

...Followed by recipe for Harvard 90's.

HARVARD 90’S

Glass: Cocktail glass

Garnish : Orange zest

Ingredients:

30 ml Armagnac 1990

30 ml Sweet Vermouth

5 ml yellow Chartreuse

Orange twist

Instructions : Pour all the ingredients in mixing glass,filled with ice cubes, stir then strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Origin : Variation on Harvard cocktail recipe by Bar le Coq, Paris.

(* Recipe and image courtesy of B.N.I.A Armagnac)

Posh Pear Beignets with Rosemary Sugar and Pear Anglaise from 'Full of Flavor'

In Full of Flavor: 18 Ingredients...Endless Possibilities (Kyle Books USA, April 2013) Maria Elia turns 18 ingredients into 100 plus recipes.

Here's a sweet treat from 'Full of Flavor'.

Pear beignets with rosemary sugar and pear crème anglaise 

Posh pear fritters! Robust pears are just 'pearfect' with rosemary scented sugar – make this in advance if you can, you will find all sorts of uses for it. A little lager in the batter really does improve the taste.

Serves 4–6 

For the poached pears

200g caster sugar

1 bay leaf

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped

1 whole unwaxed lemon

4 pears, peeled and cored

For the BATTER

150g plain flour

3 tbsp sugar

pinch of sea salt

1 large egg

250ml lager or ale

vegetable oil, for frying

icing sugar

For the pear crème Anglaise

120ml milk

100ml single cream

2 egg yolks

10g caster sugar

For the rosemary sugar

2 sprigs of rosemary, dried, leaves stripped

75g caster sugar 

Prepare the poaching liquid before preparing the pears as they discolour.

Place the sugar, 150ml water, bay leaf, vanilla seeds and pod, bay leaf and the juice and the lemon in a saucepan over a low heat and bring to the boil for 2 minutes.

Cut each pear into 3–4 vertical slices about 1cm thick and add to the cooking liquor. Place a circle of greaseproof paper (a cartouche) on the top and poach until just tender (about 5–7 minutes). Remove the pears from the liquor and leave to cool and drain on a rack or cloth.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, a pinch of salt and the egg. Whisk together and gradually add the lager or ale. Whisk until the batter is smooth. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

To make the rosemary sugar, blitz the rosemary and sugar together in a blender. Store in an airtight container until required.

Heat the oil to 175ÅãC. Working in batches, dip a few slices of poached pear into the batter, then carefully drop them into the oil. Fry until golden on both sides (about 4 minutes).

Drain the pear beignets on absorbent paper and dust with rosemary sugar.

To make the pear creme Anglaise, place the poaching syrup from the pears, the milk and the cream in a saucepan and gently bring to the boil.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale. Pour a little of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, then gradually pour this back into the hot milk. Cook over a low heat, stirring continuously until the custard thickens. Do not boil or the custard will curdle. Once thickened, pass the custard through a fine sieve and serve with the pears.

(* Recipe from 'Full of Flavor' by Maria Elia- published by Kyle Books USA, April 2013-  reproduced with permission- Photography by Jonathan Gregson)