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Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

Zakuska!

March 3, 2013 by Mary Frances 15 Comments

Okay, so here is a question:

What is a zakuska? (zuh-KOOS-kuh)

Tick tock tick tock tick tock….

HMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!

an hors d’oeuvre!

This Russian word for a snack, zakuska, entered the lexicon in the mid 1880’s as a derivative of kusát meaning “to bite.”

So you can invite all your guests for a little zakuska and drinks, the next time they come over.

(Now why is it that both words for something to eat with a drink are from a different language?)

Bean dip in a red bowl with vegetables and crackers.
Here’s a quick pic my friend Judy snapped of the bean dip she made recently for a birthday celebration. A great zakuska!

Please share with me your pictures of dishes you make from the recipes here – I’d be delighted to publish!

Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged With: bean dip, crackers, crudites, hors d'oeuvre, vegetable strips, zakuska

Chicken Breasts with Shiitake Mushrooms

February 28, 2013 by Mary Frances 19 Comments

As I think I’ve told you, I shop once a week and I buy whatever looks beautiful. Well, the shiitake mushrooms last Friday were so gorgeous, I almost cried. Really. They were so white underneath, so fresh, so beautiful. I didn’t have mushrooms on my mind, but I could not pass these up.

So on Monday evening, I came home and decided to combine them with some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I had some spaghetti squash that was begging to be eaten and some beet greens. Here’s what I threw together and it was scrumptious, if I dare say so myself!

And now…a little drum roll please… watch the very first video from my kitchen! I share tips for preparing and cooking the spaghetti squash and mushrooms. Let me know what you think of it!

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
-serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. unsalted butter
12 – 15 large shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed and minced, caps thickly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 dry white vermouth
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock or low salt, packaged
1 large stalk of fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
Parsley for garnish

Wash the chicken breasts, pat dry, season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter on medium – medium high heat and when the butter stops sizzling, add the shallots and minced mushroom stems, lower heat to low, and cover for 8 – 10 minutes. Stir frequently during this time. Raise heat and brown chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes on each side. After 3 minutes on the second side, add mushroom caps and continue cooking, lowering and adjusting the heat. After 2 more minutes, add the vermouth and chicken broth, shake your pan to combine and sprinkle the rosemary leaves on top. Continue cooking, covered if you need to, until done, 155 degrees. Top with chopped parsley leaves before serving.

Serve on a bed of spaghetti squash or with squash on the side, with some sautéed beet greens and a little savoy cabbage, sauteed in olive oil and garlic, garnished with cilantro.

finaledit2 copy

finaledit1 copy

Filed Under: Dinner, Poultry Tagged With: beet greens, boneless skinless chicken breasts, cilantro, dry vermouth, homemade chicken stock, savoy cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, spaghetti squash

Oscar night chili

February 24, 2013 by Mary Frances 12 Comments

Spicy chicken chili in a Le Creuset pot for a terrific Oscar night dinner party.
I made this chili yesterday because I was making chicken broth at the same time, (from a roast chicken carcass that I had cooked on Wednesday) and I thought, well this would be easy because the chili calls for two and half cups of broth. It is a fairly quick recipe, so you still have time to make it today. (And your broth does not have to be homemade, although it is better.) Served in warm wide soup bowls with some hot cornbread and topped with some fresh onions, cheddar cheese or sour cream, you have a perfect dinner to watch the Academy Awards with tonight!

So I was all excited to share this with you today. (Last night I was busy with the gallery show opening that my painting was in – a terrific turnout with support from our friends!) And then I said, wait a minute, didn’t I already do that last year? And a quick search said yes I did, for a football Sunday. But wait, I changed the recipe again! So here is my version from yesterday. Although I am serving it tonight, trust me, I tasted it yesterday and it is darn good.

Now, who do you want to win best picture? I’m betting on Lincoln. And I’m rooting for Sally Field for Best Supporting Actress. I thought she was terrific! (Yes, we like you, we really like you!) And if Alan Arkin doesn’t win Best Supporting Actor for Argo, I’ll be very upset. Let me know what you think.

SPICY CHICKEN CHILI- VERSION 2.0
– serves 4 – 5

2 tbs. canola oil
1 medium large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 of a large red pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1/2″ squares
1 lb. skinless chicken thighs (about 4), trimmed of all fat and cut into thin strips
1 tbs. plus 1 tsp. chili powder
1 tbs. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano (preferable Greek oregano)
1 tsp. salt
2 jalapeño peppers, ribs removed, chopped, with some seeds
1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes with their juice
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1  15 oz. can drained and rinsed pinto beans
1  15 oz. can drained and rinsed black beans
1/2 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper

Suggested garnishes:
Chopped cilantro
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Minced onion
Sour cream or unflavored low fat Greek yogurt

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over low heat. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper; cover, stir and cook until they soften, about 12 minutes. This makes the onion lovely and sweet.Onions, garlic and red pepper sauteeing in a Le Crueset Dutch oven.

Increase the heat to moderate and stir in the chicken strips. Cook until they are no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. Add the jalapeños, the tomatoes with their juice, and the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Uncover the saucepan and stir in the beans and black pepper. Simmer until the chili is thickened, about 15 minutes longer. Serve topped with your favorite garnishes.

Wedges of warm cornbread are always great with chili. Or serve the chili over rice.

Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: Academy Awards, Cheddar cheese, chicken chili, chili, homemade chicken stock, jalapeños, Oscar night, sour cream, spicy chicken chili

Aprons are going fast!!

February 21, 2013 by Mary Frances Leave a Comment

LOVE - the secret ingredient aprons on beautiful women.
Meet my beautiful nieces and sister-in-law, Patti!! I’m so very happy to share this picture with you. Aren’t they all gorgeous??

You too can show your secret ingredient with our beautifully embroidered full length apron, and always be reminded to add that extra dash of LOVE to your cooking. It just makes everything taste better!

Sending lots of LOVE your way!

Filed Under: Products for sale Tagged With: aprons, chef aprons, LOVE the secret ingredient aprons, nieces, show your LOVE

It could always be worse

February 19, 2013 by Mary Frances 12 Comments

HA! This post (which Mark Bittman recently shared) is full of the grossest, funniest cooking projects gone awry. Most of them were doomed before they started, clearly! I was laughing so hard I cried. Take a look at these and remember, it could always be worse!!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/people-worse-at-cooking-than-you-food-fails

this pizza_buzzfeed

Photo courtesy Buzzfeed via malsfoodporn.blogspot.com

To clarify, this is not my mess! I’ve made messes, but not quite like this. Credit noted above.

Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: cooking, disaster, Mark Bittman, mess, quotes

BEST Beef Stew Recipe

February 16, 2013 by Mary Frances 21 Comments

Best beef ste on a plate with mashed potatoes - adapted Lee Bailey's recipes.Last weekend, I promised you this BEST Beef Stew recipe, so here it is! As Monday is a holiday, I hope that you’ll find time to make it this weekend. It is so rich and delicious.

These recipes can also easily be cut in half if you don’t have a big crowd, as I did last weekend for just the two of us and we finished the last of our leftovers for lunch today. Yummy.

It really is better to make it a day or two before you plan on serving it, for this allows you to degrease it and let the flavors meld together and the whole thing becomes even richer.

The basis for these recipes, comes from Lee Bailey’s cookbook, Long Weekends, but I have made many changes, particularly in the BEST Beef Stew recipe. Omit the ancho chilis if you don’t like a bit of spice. I think the mashed potato recipe is brilliant with the addition of the cauliflower. It makes them lighter and even more delicious. If you think the title of stew is too plebeian, call it a braise or even beef bourguignon. Enjoy!!

BEST BEEF STEW RECIPE – serves 8

4 pounds boneless rump pot roast or chuck pot roast, cut into 1 x 2-inch chunks
2 cups hearty red wine
½ lb. pancetta, cut into ¼” dice
2 tbs. olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
7 carrots, scraped and sliced ¼” thick
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken or veal stock
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tbs. tomato paste
2 small dried ancho chilis
1½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 lb. white mushrooms, sautéed – see recipe below

Place the beef in a crockery bowl, add the wine, cover, and marinate, refrigerated, for 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Boil some water. Place dried ancho chilis in a bowl and cover with ½ – ¾ cup of water and let sit to soften for 20 minutes.

Place olive oil in a Dutch oven and add pancetta. Sauté until golden on medium heat. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Drain the meat, reserving the marinade. Dry the meat well and brown it in batches over high heat. Set aside.

Add the onions and carrots to the Dutch oven and sauté until wilted and beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, take ancho chilis (remove the stem and a few seeds) and ½ cup of the water they were soaking in and puree in a food processor. Set aside.

Pour out any oil that may be in the Dutch oven. Melt butter over medium heat in the Dutch oven and stir in flour. Cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, using a whisk, until the roux turns a dark golden brown. Add the tomato paste and stir for a minute. Stir in the stock. This will foam up, so stand back. Simmer a minute or two, then stir in the garlic, ancho chili puree and salt and pepper. Add the sautéed vegetables, meat, bacon, and reserved marinade. Bring to a boil quickly on top of the stove. Cover and bake until tender, about 2 hours. Allow to cool, then refrigerate overnight.

Remove the stew from the refrigerator an hour before reheating. Lift off the congealed fat and discard. Reheat in a preheated 325 degree oven, covered, until bubbly, about 45 minutes.

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SAUTEED MUSHROOMS
While the stew is reheating, wash your mushrooms quickly and let dry thoroughly on paper towels. Trim ends and quarter. Heat 2 tbs. butter and 1 tbs. of olive oil in a heavy skillet on medium–high to high heat. As soon as the butter foam subsides, add the mushrooms and spread out over the bottom of the pan and do not touch the pan for 3 minutes. Then stir and flip the browned mushrooms over until they start to release the fat they have absorbed and brown some more, about 3 – 4 minutes more. Remove from heat and lift the mushrooms out of the skillet and stir in the finished stew.

If the sauce in your stew has reduced and is a bit too thick, thin it out with an extra cup of hot chicken stock.

Beef stew - marinated cubes of beef drying on paper towels.Browning carrots and onions for beef stew.

Browning the roux for beef stew.
Beef stew - browned meat  Beef stew finished in a pot

MASHED POTATOES AND CAULIFLOWER – adapted from Lee Bailey
– serves 8

As Lee Bailey says, you can boil the potatoes for this, but baking is better. Save the skins (sliced into strips), and at a later date butter and salt them and toast them for hors d’oeuvres. You can even grate a little cheese on top too.

2 generous cups cauliflower florets and tender stems
Whole or 2% milk
3 pounds russet potatoes, rubbed with oil and baked
1 large head roasted garlic
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub scrubbed clean potatoes with oil, pierce the ends with a fork and bake for 45 – 60 minutes until done. The skin should feel crisp and the flesh beneath it should feel soft. At the same time, take a whole head of garlic and slice in half. Drizzle a little olive oil on the cut ends, salt and pepper and wrap in aluminum foil. Roast the garlic with the potatoes for 40 minutes, until soft and browned a little.

Cover the cauliflower with milk in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil, being careful not to let it cook over (that’s why you use a large saucepan for this).  Turn back to slow boil and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes.

Scoop out the hot potato flesh into a large, warm bowl. Squeeze the soft garlic pulp into the potatoes, using as much or as little as you like. I use the whole head. Cut butter into pieces and mash in with a hand masher (do not use an electric mixer, as it will make the mixture glutinous). Drain the cauliflower, reserving milk. Mash in with the potatoes, adding about ¾ cup of the cauliflower milk. Add a little more milk if you would like the potatoes creamier. Salt and pepper to taste.

Butter a casserole and scrape the mixture in. Smooth the top and rub with a bit of butter to make a thin film on top. Set aside, covered with a tea towel, until ready to reheat.  (This may be done an hour before dinner).

To reheat, put into a preheated 325 degree oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Beef stew spinach salad with basil, beets pecorino, cashewsI served this with a baby spinach salad with basil leaves, roasted beets, Pecorino Romano cheese and toasted cashews, drizzled with a sherry vinaigrette. Toasted pine nuts would have been better, but I didn’t have any already toasted.

TIP: When toasting nuts for a recipe, always toast extra to have them ready to use on salads or green beans for another dinner. They will keep fine in a sealed plastic container.

 

Filed Under: Dinner, Meat, Salads, Sides Tagged With: baby spinach salad, beef stew, Julia Child, Lee Bailey's Long Weekends, mashed potatoes with cauliflower, pecorino Romano, roux, sauteed mushrooms, tips, toasting nuts

This is our day!!!

February 14, 2013 by Mary Frances 8 Comments

Valentine's Day cookies from Tribeca TreatsHappy Valentine’s Day to you!!

But our aim is to celebrate love every single day! Spread love through great food – and we can help you do that!

Here’s a neat, simple and easy trick. Make a batch of brownies but instead of cutting into rectangles, use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut into hearts. So cute.
Valentine's Day brownie hearts from Tribeca TreatsThese lovely treats are from Tribeca Treats in my neighborhood by my office.

Have a fantastic day!

Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: brownie hearts, food and love, love, sweets, Tribeca Treats, Valentine's Day cookies

Silky chocolate cake

February 13, 2013 by Mary Frances 28 Comments

So we have this wonderful big lovefest tomorrow – Valentine’s Day!! A terrific holiday in my book!

If you don’t have time to make this on the 14th, no matter. Keep the holiday going and make it on the weekend.

I have been making this cake for nearly 20 years now and it is a true winner. It is orgasmic – full of rich chocolate and butter. You can just sink into it, and if you died, it wouldn’t be bad.

Every time I make this cake for a dinner party, guests always either pick at the crumbs on the serving plate or just want another piece. It is rich, rich, rich and totally yummy. And it’s easy to make. Enjoy!

SILKY CHOCOLATE CAKE
-serves 8 – 10

2 sticks plus 2 tbs. (9 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I use Scharffen Berger)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, beaten
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Extra butter to butter the pan

Preheat the oven to 350°. Wrap the outside of an 8 or 9 -by-3-inch round springform pan in heavy-duty foil, then generously butter the inside of the pan. Set the springform in a roasting pan.

In a saucepan, combine the butter with the granulated sugar and water and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir until smooth and all the chocolate is melted; let cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the eggs until blended. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Pour enough hot (not boiling, but hot) water into the roasting pan to reach one-third of the way up the side of the springform. Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the top is crusty and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cake cool in the springform on a rack for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and the side of the pan and let the cake cool completely. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream with some vanilla. A few fresh raspberries are also a nice addition.

Silky chocolate cake, side view on a plate.Silky chocolate cake top view on a handmade plate from South Africa.Silky chcocolate cake piece - yummy!

Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: Scharffen Berger chocolate, silky chocolate cake, sinful chocolate, Valentine's day desserts

French toast!

February 11, 2013 by Mary Frances 13 Comments

This is one of my favorites. I made French toast for our Sunday breakfast. I’m sharing it with you now so you can use it for next Sunday and keep Valentine’s Day going with all the LOVE you have!

For me, French toast only works with powdered sugar and no syrup. My husband likes syrup, but only the pure maple syrup from Vermont is allowed in our house. For that reason my family hardly orders this at a restaurant because most places try to pass off the fake stuff (Mrs. Butterworth’s or Aunt Jemima) and the difference is palpable. Since many restaurants do not have powdered sugar, I never order it out either. I need the touch of powdered sugar to make my toast work!
French toast on a platter with the morning sunlight streaming in.FRENCH TOAST
– serves 4

4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup of whole or 2% milk
1 generous tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Ground cinnamon
8 slices of 1/2” thick sliced bread or Challah
Unsalted butter
Pure maple syrup or powdered sugar

Lightly beat the eggs and use a fork to whisk them together with the milk, vanilla and salt in a glass pie plate. (Use this flat dish so you can soak 3 slices at a time.) Sprinkle ground cinnamon on the mixture and then whisk in. Melt 1/2 tbs. of butter in a large flat-bottomed skillet or griddle pan, using medium – medium high heat. Dip bread slices in the egg mixture on both sides to soak up the liquid. Place in hot pan and check in 4 minutes. Turn when nicely browned and cook on the other side. Add the remaining 1/2 tbs of butter and swirl while the toast is in the pan, if you think you need it. Serve warm with pure maple syrup or powdered sugar.

A breakfast of turkey sausage, French toast and sliced apples on a white Wedgewood plate.

Our breakfast – before the powdered sugar sprinkling!

Filed Under: Breakfast Tagged With: challah bread, French toast, pure vermont maple syrup, sliced apples, Sunday breakfast, turkey sausage

One fabulous beef stew to come

February 9, 2013 by Mary Frances 2 Comments

With all the blizzard storm warnings out yesterday, we got up early and stocked our larder for the weekend. Well it was pretty nasty on Friday, particularly with the gale-like winds, but NYC did not get hit so hard. We woke up this morning and it was all over, with just a foot of snow – so not so bad.
NYC blizzard of 2013 view from a Harlem apartment looking East on landmarked brownstones.Here’s the view from our apartment.

So yesterday, with the thought of staying put all weekend, I had decided to make a favorite beef stew recipe today, to serve for Sunday night dinner. I use a recipe from Lee Bailey’s Long Weekends cookbook, that I have adapted and changed but the basis is his. He is no longer with us on this earth, but I will tell you, most all of his recipes are great!! I first met him though his Food & Wine magazine contributions and then searched him out in other places as well.

I have a sneaky suspicion that beings in the afterlife do not eat food. They don’t need to, but they miss it. Now I know you think I’m a little crazy, but haven’t there been times when you have to have an extra bite or an extra sip of something and YOU really don’t want it but feel someone is making you do it? Maybe that is some being who wants a little taste through you??

Just musing….

I will post the recipe and pictures later. Right now, I gotta get cooking!

Filed Under: Dinner, Meat, Travel Tagged With: beef stew, Food & Wine magazine, Lee Bailey, Lee Bailey's Long Weekends, NYC blizzard of 2013, staying in all weekend

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Spread love through cooking.

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