While bold sangria tastes great just about any time of year, I hold my spicy reds for the blustery winter months and opt for a lighter white sangria, with all the punch and flavor, for sipping during the humid summer. This recipe just scratches the surface of the options you can explore. Try adding some fresh Bing cherries or nectarines. Got a spare green apple? Throw it in. Happen to have cognac instead of triple sec? It all works and it all tastes incredible.
Continue reading “For Sipping: White Sangria” »
Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category
FOR SIPPING: WHITE SANGRIAPosted by Maggie Brooks on 7/12/2011 at 7:00AM | 2 Comments
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FROM SCRATCH: PEACH & PROSECCO SORBETPosted by Maggie Brooks on 6/28/2011 at 7:00AM | No Comments
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DO IT YOURSELF: BERGAMOT’S PEA GREEN SALADPosted by Maggie Brooks on 6/23/2011 at 7:00AM | No Comments
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RECIPE: ENGLISH PEA SOUPPosted by Erin Byers Murray on 6/15/2011 at 8:23AM | No Comments
Chef Chris Parsons, of Winchester’s Parson’s Table, is one of the chefs on board for the for the first annual Food & Fin event set to take place on Nantucket from July 7-10. He shared with us his sweet summer soup recipe ahead of the event. Chilled English Pea Soup with Maine Crab Salad Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 2 c. English peas, blanched until tender, shocked in ice water Drain the English peas and pat dry with a towel. Place the peas in a blender and pour just enough milk over the peas to almost cover. Season with kosher salt and white pepper. Blend on high until smooth. If the soup is too thick add another splash of milk. Strain through fine mesh strainer pushing through with the back of a ladle. Taste, adjust seasoning and place in refrigerator. Place the crab meat in a bowl with the chives, a drizzle of olive oil, and the lemon juice. Season with fleur de sel and white pepper. Gently mix the crab, taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle the soup into four chilled bowls. Spoon the crab salad into the center of each bowl. Place the pea tendrils in the empty crab bowl, drizzle with olive oil and gently toss. Place the tendrils on the crab salad and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Serve with a chilled spoon. Enjoy. |
FROM SCRATCH: ASPARAGUS AND SMOKED SALMON FRITTATAPosted by Maggie Brooks on 6/14/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments
INGREDIENTS 9 large eggs In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and dill until well combined. Season with pepper. Set aside. Continue reading “From Scratch: Asparagus and Smoked Salmon Frittata” » |
COOKING TO EAT: FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF GREENPosted by Annie Copps on 6/9/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments
Fat, thick stalks are my personal preference—I find them nuttier—but others opt for the thinnest possible (I think they are a bit bitter, but to each her own, no?). Either way: Get yourself some asparagus while they are fresh from our neighboring farms. They do travel well, and sure you can get them year round from God knows where, but right now, they are burgeoning with a flavor that is, in my mind, beyond just vegetal or green—they are spring. I like to make an open-faced tart with them. I use a simple pate brisee dough (whatever is your favorite) and line a tart pan with removable bottom with the dough. Add a layer of caramelized onions (one medium onion, thinly sliced, cooked in butter on low for 30 minutes or so), then a layer of asparagus (trimmed of their “woody” ends and if using thick ones, you may want to slice them in half lengthwise), add a dozen or so teaspoon-sized blobs of fresh goats cheese and bake about 30 minutes in a 375 oven. A perfect lunch or appetizer. I also totally dig this salad, it is asparagus-y, bright from the lemons, and the almonds and peas echo the nuttiness of the asparagus. Asparagus and Fresh Pea Salad INGREDIENTS 2 bunches asparagus, washed and cut into 5-inch pieces (tough bottoms discarded) In a large bowl, combine 3 cups very cold water with 1 dozen ice cubes. In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups well-salted water to a boil; add asparagus. Return water to a boil and blanch asparagus 5 minutes (8 to 10 minutes if using thick spears). Remove asparagus with tongs (reserving water in pan) and place in ice water 1 minute; remove from water, dry, and set aside. Bring cooking water back to a boil and blanch peas about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in ice water 1 minute. Strain and dry well; set aside. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, saute shallot in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove shallot to a small bowl and set aside. Add almonds to hot oil and toast 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, being careful not to burn. Add almonds to shallot and mix in lemon zest, juice, peas, and mint leaves. Arrange asparagus spears on a serving platter (or divided among six salad plates). Season pea and almond mixture with salt and pepper, then spoon over asparagus. Garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano. |
BEGINNER GOURMET: TRIPLE BERRY COBBLERPosted by Maggie Brooks on 6/7/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments
INGREDIENTS For fruit: For the batter: Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl combine all ingredients for the fruit filling and fold together. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. In an 8×8 baking dish melt the butter in the oven. Meanwhile whisk together the flour, sugar and milk. When the butter is melted, pour the batter into the baking dish. DO NOT mix the butter into the batter. Spoon the fruit and any excess juices on top and bake until the fruit is bubbling and the crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. This can be enjoyed hot, cold, room temp, whatever. I find it best piping hot and topped with vanilla ice cream. |
BEGINNER GOURMET: STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CROSTATAPosted by Maggie Brooks on 5/31/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments
Strawberry Rhubarb Crostata For the dough: For the filling: To make the dough: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse once or twice to combine. Add the very cold butter all at once and pulse the mixture 10 – 12 times until the butter is the size of peas and evenly distributed. With the processor running, add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time just until the dough comes together. On a floured surface form the dough into a disk (work quickly), wrap with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. Continue reading “Beginner Gourmet: Strawberry Rhubarb Crostata” » |
FOOD NETWORK: A PEEK INTO AMERICA’S TEST KITCHENPosted by Erin Byers Murray on 5/27/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments
 photo by Steve Klise, America's Test Kitchen Boston chefs have been popping up on reality TV in droves lately: Ken Oringer guest judging on Chopped; Mary Dumont making a run on The Next Iron Chef. Yes, we watch these episodes breathlessly waiting to see whether our local heroes will sink or swim. But sometimes, all we really want is a reality check. No confessionals. No spiky haired hosts. No fancy sound effects. Just some solid cooking advice. America’s Test Kitchen has been producing this kind of kitchen geek content for the past 12 years right in our own backyard. Located in Brookline Village, the ATK offices take up several floors of an old warehouse; the entire television studio is housed here, behind a library of about 4,000 cookbooks in a completely unassuming corner of the city. From that studio, the television production team shoots 26 episodes in just 13 days, often putting in at least 15 hours per day to get every last segment taped in their short time frame. (They also shoot a show called Cook’s Country, which will tape its fifth season at a studio in Vermont later this fall.) Last week, ATK invited us in to check out a taping of an episode that will air during the upcoming 12th season (look for it starting January 2012). We watched as the show’s host, Christopher Kimball, clad in bowtie and suspenders, grilled test cook Adam Ried on how to pick out the perfect measuring cup. It was sandwiched between segments on baking chocolate and buying pork. Like the magazines and books these shows are based on, ATK episodes (some of the most watched on public television) are for the home cooking fanatics, folks who really, really want to know which of the many canned tuna options they should buy or why certain household ice cream makers work better than others. It’s straight forward and instructive without being droll — Kimball and the test cooks that appear on the show don’t work from a script so their banter is genuine and, oftentimes, quite funny. At the end of a long stretch of filming, the staff blows off steam not with a wrap party or bottles of champagne but with a highly contentious Rice Crispy treat bake-off during which the test cooks show off their most delicious and often wacky versions of mom’s easiest dessert. It may be nerdy and educational stuff but at the end of the day, that’s what cooking at home requires. No sound effects. No spiky-haired hosts. Just a good measuring cup, the right type of chocolate, and a reliable recipe. That it comes from a few local heroes surely doesn’t hurt. The Emmy-nominated series, America’s Test Kitchen, airs locally on WGBH. |
FROM SCRATCH: RASPBERRY FRITTERSPosted by Maggie Brooks on 5/24/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments
Since I don’t deep fry much of anything, but have always wanted to try raspberry fritters at home, I went to some chefs who serve specialty doughnuts for some pointers. Jeremy Sewall, chef at Island Creek Oyster Bar, has a Boston Cream Pie doughnut on his brunch menu and says, “Doing the frying as close to the serving time as possible makes for the best doughnut. And having the proper equipment, like a thermometer, is very important.” Michael LaScola of American Seasons in Nantucket suggests: “Keep the dough cold before you fry, it helps everything cook evenly.” Chef LaScola fries up a fois gras doughnut filled with a rhubarb jam. With their instructions in hand, I came up with this fruity fritter, which works as both a breakfast and a dessert. Raspberry Fritters Ingredients In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the buttermilk, egg yolks, and butter. Slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. The batter will be stiff, almost like a dough. In a clean dry bowl, beat the egg whites until the reach medium peaks and then fold into the batter. Lastly fold in the clean and dried raspberries. Try to keep the raspberries mostly intact, but some breakage is okay. Allow the batter to chill until the oil is hot. In a large, heavy bottomed dutch oven add about 1 1/2 inches of oil (about 5-6 cups). Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and slowly, over medium heat, allow the oil to reach 350 degrees. Using a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop, drop tablespoon size balls of batter into the oil and allow the fritters to fry until golden brown, turning as needed with a slotted spoon or strainer, about 4 minutes. Do not overcrowd the oil or the temperature will drop too much. Don’t worry if the raspberries on the outside turn darker than the dough, the natural sugar will caramelize faster, but they are not burnt. Allow finished fritters to drain on paper towel then top with powdered sugar and serve. |
