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Search Results for: Pie crust

Best Biscuit Recipe

September 20, 2014 by Mary

Biscuits. What is more comforting in the morning? So homey. Makes you really feel loved, right? My mother used to tell me this story: When my father was at Officer Training School in Fort Benning, Georgia (WW II – he became a Major), they didn’t have room for everyone to live on the base, so residents of the town with extra room would take in officers and their wives. They lived with Mr. and Mrs. Olsen, in an upstairs portion of their house. And my mother would say, “Oh Mary, Mrs. Olsen made the BEST biscuits every Sunday morning!” Well if only my mother (and Mrs. Olsen too) were still living because I do believe this is the Best Biscuit Recipe around!

Usually my cooking is pretty clean, healthy, low fat, not much butter. Here is a major deviation. But every once in a while – maybe twice a year, it can’t hurt you. Actually, these biscuits are so good and have so much butter in them already, you don’t need to put anything on them so you can skip those calories. Try these tomorrow with your Sunday breakfast and you will not be disappointed. Fairly easy to make and well worth the extra effort as opposed to plain toast, this recipe is from Food & Wine magazine, the August issue. Make them with LOVE and you will be in a little bit of heaven.

SKILLET BUTTERMILK BISCUITS – adapted from Food & Wine Magazine – contributed by Coleen Cruze Bhatti

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus more for greasing
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk (I used Kate’s Buttermilk – the real thing)

Preheat the oven to 450° and butter a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. In a large bowl, whisk the 2 cups of flour with the baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add the cubed butter and, using a pastry cutter or your fingers, pinch the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles very coarse crumbs, with some of the butter the size of small peas. Gently stir in the buttermilk, just until a soft dough forms.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat it into a 3/4-inch-thick round. Using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter, stamp out biscuits as close together as possible. Gently press the scraps together and stamp out more biscuits. Arrange the  biscuits in the prepared skillet and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.

I had leftover dough and used this little pie pan my mother used to use to make us little birthday pies when we were toddlers. Isn’t it so cute?!

Blueberries!

August 17, 2012 by Mary Frances

They’re here now locally in abundance! And boy, are they delicious this year!! Sprinkle them on oatmeal, toss in your fruit salad, make sauces for duck, pork and salmon or just eat them! I have already made two pies and one blueberry crisp. They supposedly are a true brain food, full of antioxidants to combat all the other toxic things we do to our bodies. My good friend, Margaret, makes sure to eat lots of them year round but right now they are local, sweet and yummy.

Melissa Clark, in the New York Times, recently published a recipe of a blueberry sauce on salmon. This is on fresh, expensive wild King salmon. You can find the recipe here: Salmon With Agrodolce Blueberries. I made the full recipe for only a pound of salmon for the two of us and saved the rest of the sauce for pork chops on another night. To our tastes, this sauce was just okay on the salmon (which would have been just fine by itself), but amazing on the pork chops. You decide. And the crisp is easy as can be with an oatmeal topping. That recipe is here.

Blueberry Crisp – with an oatmeal topping

Buttermilk Challah French Toast

March 30, 2017 by Mary

I love French toast! It’s even better than pancakes for me. Did you know that this past Saturday was National Waffle Day? Me neither, until our totally on-the-ball, wonderful marketing associate, Abby, at MARY’s secret ingredients pointed it out, and that made me think of making French Toast too. But then I thought, how could I make French Toast even better? And I came up with this Buttermilk Challah French Toast recipe – and it was totally yummy!!

It’s less sweet. It sort of tastes like French Toast coated with crème fraiche. It’s a subtle sophisticated difference, but I really liked it. And it’s a whole lot better for you too as buttermilk is considerably lower in calories and fat content but high in calcium, Vitamin B12 and potassium as compared to regular milk. One cup of buttermilk may contain up to 99 calories while milk may contain up to 157 calories. Also, one cup of buttermilk typically has 2.2 grams of fat while the same amount of milk gives you 9 grams of fat. So there!

What makes your French Toast work?

I remember once being on location for a catalog and advertising photo shoot for several days and our crew of five folks spent three days together shooting slippers. Yes, slippers, for Dearfoams, and at one breakfast at the local diner, they had French Toast, but no powdered sugar in the kitchen. Bradley, the photographer looked at me and said, “So you need that to make it work for you?”

I thought that was such a funny yet very true way to put it.

And yes, I do need confectioner’s sugar with a tiny bit a melted butter, to make my French Toast work for me. Ever since I started eating leftover dinners, sliced turkey or only eggs for breakfast, as I need a lot of protein, I rarely make these sweet things. So it’s a good thing we had the sugar on hand, while my husband prefers maple syrup.

Here you go with this super simple recipe. Since there were only two of us, after I made it on Saturday and used just half of the batter, I covered the pie plate with Saran wrap and refrigerated it. The next morning on Sunday, I took the batter out and let it warm up at room temperature for about 20 minutes and then started soaking bread slices again to make a fresh batch of Buttermilk Challah French Toast. This was a way cool, super fast breakfast the second time around. And, it was just as good!!

Make with LOVE.

BUTTERMILK CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST – serves 4

1 loaf of challah bread
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup of real buttermilk (I use Kate’s)
Pinch of French grey or Kosher salt
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. unsalted butter

Slice the challah into generous ½” slices. Lightly beat eggs in a Pyrex pie plate. Add buttermilk, salt, vanilla and cinnamon and whisk to combine thoroughly.

Soak the bread slices in the egg buttermilk mixture, turning over several times to coat thoroughly.

Heat the butter in a large skillet until sizzling. Add dipped bread slices. Brown on each side for 2 – 3 minutes on medium-high heat. Watch it so it doesn’t brown too quickly because the inside needs to cook as well. You may need to add more butter to the skillet.

Serve with pure warmed maple syrup or a tiny swish of butter and powdered sugar.

Chef’s Planet Nonstick Toaster Ovenliner

July 16, 2014 by Mary

THIS is a really handy, dandy thing, this Chef’s Planet Nonstick Toaster Ovenliner, which was included in our MARY’s secret ingredients summer box. You know when your husband or kids just make total messes in your toaster oven? Or when you decide to get clever and not use your big oven because you don’t want to heat up the whole house in the summertime, and you roast a chicken or bake a blueberry or peach pie and you know the mess it’s going to make but you do it anyway?

Well Chef’s Planet is this nifty company and is here to save the day. Their whole mission in life, their entire reason for existence, is to make your life easier in the kitchen. We like them. We really like them!

Here’s my toaster oven tray from just toasting some bread.

And look at it now with my new ovenliner. And I can just take that baby out and wipe it clean (it’s nonstick, remember) or even throw it in the dishwasher, woo hoo!!! Thank you Chef’s Planet!

Visit their site and take a look at their other great products. They even make a full size ovenliner, which is next on my list. Be liberated and throw away that tinfoil I know you have down there now. The good folks at Chef’s Planet actually wanted to include a full oven-sized liner, but it wouldn’t fit in our box. 🙁 Maybe next year we’ll grow bigger boxes!

Easy Lamb Stew

November 8, 2016 by Mary

I love stew. And I love lamb. (And an easy lamb stew is the best!) I used to ask for lamb for my birthday dinner ever since I was like, 5 years old. When we lived in New Jersey, our babysitter, Jen, used to make the best lamb stew using lamb neck pieces. They get so very tender, but they are also hard to find. I never see them in the stores I shop in now. I should put in a special request to the butcher.

So I wanted to find a quick and easy way to make a delicious lamb stew, so this is what I did, remembering a trick my mother used to use on her stews. That trick is to lightly sprinkle flour on top of the meat, while you’re browning it. It works nicely to brown the flour, adding in the thickening agent without having to make a roux so you can move on quicker! Thanks Mom!

Another thing I did was add in dried apricots. They cook nicely with the meat and don’t really “read/taste” as fruit, when it’s all done – it just adds a touch a sweetness, melding deliciousness in a great, comforting way.

Comforting, that’s what a great stew is all about, right? Especially on some egg noodles.

And we all need a little comfort these days. I can’t wait for today to be over. This has been a very tough election season and I am so sick of hearing about it. Are you too?

Make this with LOVE and sink into some tasty comfort!

EASY LAMB STEW – serves 6

2.25 lbs. lamb stew meat
Kosher salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. flour
2 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. allspice
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbs. butter
1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced
3 – 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
3 stalks of celery, cut in 1” pieces (no leaves)
½ of a fennel bulb, cut in ½” wedges
5 whole garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 bay leaf
3 stems of fresh rosemary
2 medium fresh tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges and each wedge cut in half
20 dried apricots, each cut into 3 pieces
Cilantro, chopped for garnish
Dry the meat pieces with paper toweling while you warm the oil on medium-high heat, preferable in a Le Creuset cast iron Dutch oven pot. Salt and pepper the top of the meat cubes and when oil is hot, lay seasoned side down in your pan. Brown the lamb cubes for about 3 minutes while you salt and pepper the other side of the meat in the pan and lightly sprinkle 1/3 of the 2 Tbs. flour over the top of the raw meat. Turn and brown the other side for 3 minutes, being careful and adjusting your heat to not let the oil and flour mixture burn. This will take about 3 batches to do. Remove the browned meat to a glass pie plate for meat juices to collect.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in another non-stick skillet and lightly brown the onion, carrots, celery, fennel and garlic on medium to medium-high heat, tossing often until they are lightly colored, about 10 minutes.

When all of the meat has been browned, sprinkle with the cumin and allspice and toss to coat in the pie plate.

Deglaze the Le Creuset pot with the wine, stirring up all the bits on the bottom of the pan, reducing the wine by about a third, simmering 5 minutes.

Add in the chicken or vegetable stock, the seasoned browned meat, and all the vegetables, scraping all the butter and juices left in the skillet from the vegetables. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, apricots and rosemary stems. Toss all to combine.

Cover and roast at 350 degrees for about 1.5 – 2 hours, until meat is super tender when tested with a fork. If it looks a little dry or you want more juices, add more broth.

Serve over some egg noodles or cous cous would also be nice. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!!

International LOVE

Mary writes a column for the vibrant Spice4Life, an online lifestyle magazine out of South Africa. The topic? Herbs and spices for delicious eating! You can read those columns here.

Chilled Curried Zucchini Soup with Apple Garnish

Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Onion Dip with Za’atar

Indian Spiced Roast Beets

Tea Infused Holiday Pancakes

Classic Barbecued Ribs with Memphis Dust Spice Rub

Ginger Ale Spice Cake

Red Wine Braised Pork with Apples & Thyme

Spicy Beef Ragout with Thyme & Rosemary

Snow Peas with Ginger, Garlic, Shallots, Lemon & Mint

Grilled Chicken with Fresh Curry Leaves & Lemon, Onion Butter Sauce

Cumin, Lamb & Eggplant Pasta

Grilled Farmer’s Market Chicken with Lemon Ginger Basting Sauce

Watermelon Salad with Feta & Mint

The Best Homemade Spice Rub for Pork

Pork Chops with Capers & Lemon Anchovy Sauce

Striped Bass with Shallots, Fennel & Persimmon

Cumin & Mustard Roasted Chicken with Fruit

Pork Chops with Peaches, Sweet Onions, Shallots & Cocoa Spice Rub

Grilled Chicken with Sage & Garlic & Lemon Ginger Basting Sauce

Eggplant Tomato Layered Yum! with Oregano

Catfish Roasted with Tomatoes & Horseradish

Rosemary on Your Crostini

Zucchini, Fennel, Red Pepper, & Mint Torta

Cornbread Sausage Stuffing with Apples & Sage

Introducing the Freekeh Salad

Get Bolder with Smoulder!

Herbs and Grapes Add Spice to Pork Chops

Chocolate Souffle for Valentine’s Day

Fillets of Sole with Sorrel

Cardamom

Chocolate!!

Fennel

Garam Masala and Pork Chops

I Love Garlic!

Cinnamon

I Love Ginger!

Cumin!

Sumac – The Real Spice 4 Life!

Basil in my Garden

With Love From New York! Introducing Mary

Mary’s columns also appear on Foods 4 Better Health, a resource about eating well to be healthier, fight disease, slow the signs of aging, and live a happier, healthier life.

Greek Salad

Heaven in Your Mouth: Figs Wrapped in Prosciutto

Fillets of Sole with Sorrel

Broccoli and Shiitake Mushrooms

Healthier-Than-You-Think Lean Steak Salad

Sesame and Curry Crusted Salmon with Tomato Salad

Fresh Tomato Chicken Braise

Mary Frances: “When you cook with love, the food just tastes better !”

French toast!

February 11, 2013 by Mary Frances

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
– 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!

Asparagus with Maple Sugar & Sea Salt SUPERSEEDZ & Fresh Basil

October 13, 2016 by Mary

Let it be known, if you don’t already know, I ADORE pumpkin seeds. First of all, pumpkins mean a lot to me, to us. My husband and I were married on Halloween!! It’s engraved in our wedding rings. And just to note, Tiffany’s spelled it wrong the first time. Holloween. Can you believe it?

But I digress. Truly I love pumpkin seeds. I always use fresh pumpkin for my pies for Thanksgiving and then I roast the seeds. However, they always have a little bit of stringy stuff on them – annoying. So these seeds from Superseedz are amazing! Perfectly toasted, no strings of course, and this new flavor of maple sugar and sea salt is oh so sweet and oh so savory, all at the same time!! They’re super crunchy and DELICIOUS!!!

You can use these Superseedz Maple Sugar and Sea Salt flavor on really ANYTHING!! I love them by the handful, on salads, in soup, on yogurt, you name it. But as an asparagus or fish topping – it’s a super simple way to take your dish up a notch!!
ASPARAGUS WITH MAPLE SUGAR & SEA SALT SUPERSEEDZ & FRESH BASIL – serves 3 – 4

1 bunch of asparagus
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. chopped Maple Sugar & Sea Salt Superseedz Pumpkin Seeds
1 Tbs chopped basil

Melt the butter and set aside. Chop the seeds and basil and set aside

Wash asparagus. Holding both ends, bend and break the asparagus stalk at the tender point and discard the end. Spread out stalks in a large skillet and fill skillet with ¼ inch of water. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 4 – 5 minutes until crisp tender. Remove asparagus and dry with a clean linen or cotton towel.

Lay asparagus out on a platter. Drizzle butter evenly on top. Distribute the chopped Maple Sugar & Sea Salt Superseedz Pumpkin Seeds in a line in the center of the asparagus. Garnish with the chopped basil on top of the seeds. Serve with LOVE and enjoy!!

Take a look at my oven roasted tilapia last night, topped with Maple Sugar & Sea Salt Superseedz Pumpkin Seeds on a bed of sautéed broccoli rabe. Delish!

There are a few fall boxes left where you can
get your own bag of Maple Sugar & Sea Salt Superseedz.

And your purchase helps us support Feed The Children.

Easter Lunch in Italy

May 19, 2022 by Mary

I absolutely adore the Italian tradition of a proper Sunday lunch, a multi-course wonderful meal in the sun dappled daylight of the afternoon, Prosecco, wine and Vin Santo early in the day. And enough time for a walk in the afternoon to work it all off. And Easter Lunch in Italy is even more special! Buona Pasqua!

(I had debated in my mind that perhaps it was too late to post about my Easter Lunch in Italy but I really wanted to share this time with you and make it permanent on the blog. I had posted some photos as an Instagram story, but they disappear after 24 hours, so here you go. And truth be told, I’ve been too busy cooking, eating and drinking here to do a proper post before this time!)

My Easter, Growing Up

My mom would always serve a big Easter dinner with a leg of lamb or ham or both if we had a huge crowd. I carried on that tradition with my own family, usually roasting a pancetta-wrapped leg of lamb with some additional traditional Polish dishes, including homemade bread and beets with horseradish.

Easter Lunch in Italy -Tagliatelle. — Marzia’s homemade Tagliatelle.

Tiziana hosted this year’s Easter Lunch and it was utterly fantastic. Thirteen people were present, of all ages, and practically everyone pitched in with the food. Her sister-in-law, Marzia, outdid herself making 3 different kinds of bread, all of the tagliatelle noodles, the tiramisu and fruit salad. Marzia’s friend, Eleanor, made a super delicious lemon tart with an outstanding cookie crust.

Andrea, Tizi’s husband, made a spectacular sugo sauce with pork and sausage meat. And then of course we had Tizi’s amazing starters, plus her delicious roasted lamb with rosemary, potatoes and sautéed fresh spinach from the Farmer’s Market. I added a radicchio salad, made with the long leaves of radicchio, which are much less bitter than the round headed variety. Radicchio and thinly sliced celery were topped with gorgonzola, toasted walnuts and a fresh lemon juice olive oil vinaigrette.

The excitement and mirth before and during the meal were palpable. And Tiziana does not disappoint.

Here is the complete menu, but I am almost certain that I left something out.

STARTERS WITH PROSECCO

Crostini with homemade chicken liver pate
Dark bread crostini with salted butter and smoked salmon
Hard boiled eggs
Pollo in galantina
Various thinly sliced meats and sausages

FIRST COURSE: with a light red wine
Homemade tagliatelle with sugo sauce and grated parmigiana

MAIN COURSE: with my red wine – 2020 Bolgheri Bell’Aja
Roasted lamb with Rosemary and garlic
Roasted potatoes
Sautéed spinach
Radicchio salad with sliced celery, Gorgonzola, toasted walnuts and a lemon vinaigrette dressing

DESSERT: with a choice of Sauternes and/ or Vin Santo

Tiramisu
Lemon Tart
Fruit Salad
Meringue and cream cake with strawberries
Coffee

Our After-lunch Walk!

The vineyards are starting to grow again.

After eating (lunch is pranzo) we went for a beautiful walk in the hills of Arezzo, near the house I used to rent!

I hope your Easter or Passover were wonderful and filled with LOVE!!

Barbecued Ribs or Santorini Grilled Chicken?

May 29, 2016 by Mary

BBQ ribs – perfect for this holiday weekend. Those are fiddlehead ferns garnishing the platter – they’re in season now!

If you’re thinking of ribs for today or tomorrow, I’ve got you covered with my great rib recipe here. People rave about this recipe and it’s so simple and easy. Or if pork is not your thing, how about a Santorini Grilled Chicken recipe that’s sure to please everyone as it’s stuffed with tomatoes, cheese and onions and oregano. And I’ve added on for you some salads too – one tomato and two potato. So fire up the grill, whip up the salads and enjoy this lovely long weekend with your family – and don’t forget to thank our fallen heroes for their service to our country, as that is what Memorial Day is all about.

Here’s a shot of my Dad’s cavalry hat from WWII. We proudly display it on the wall as a piece of art. (That pie in the back gives a hint of one of our products coming up in our summer box!)

These recipes are all reprise recipes so I’ll just show you the pictures, which all link back to the original post.

We are all out of sorts today. My mother-in-law is passing. She is 96 years old, almost 97, in August. She lived a good long life. I’ve dealt with a lot of passing of people close to me. My mom passed in 1995, my dad in ’98 (of a broken heart from losing my mom. He always thought he would go first.), and then we lost a brother to MS in 2000. All of these were sudden events and a surprise. This, with Steve’s mom is maddening. His sister is in Baltimore with her and has called in hospice. We are both on pins and needles.

Today I spent an hour tearing through the house looking for my reading glasses and then I went to wash my hands in the bathroom and looked up in the mirror – there they were on my chest – hanging from my necklace. Hope this isn’t a sign of things to come! Once I left my car keys at a greeting card store and then they closed and I couldn’t drive home! I was so engrossed in reading funny cards and laughing so hard, I got comfortable, sat on the carpeted floor and left my keys there too. That was a tough one to retrace. Then there was the time I left my keys in the freezer. Don’t ask.

Love your family more. Our time here is precious. Cook with abandon and always serve with LOVE!

Santorini Grilled Chicken

Greek Salad, salad with feta cheese tomatoes cucumbers greek

Tomato, cucumber and feta Greek salad

Best potato salad with fennel, parmigiano cheese, cippolini onions and piccholine olives.

Midwest potato salad in a white Le Crueset bowl garnished with parsley.

Or here’s a great mayonnaise-based potato salad – my Midwest Potato Salad – that was featured in the Tanglewood Cookbook!

Zucchini, fennel, red pepper and mint torta

January 23, 2013 by Mary Frances

Several of you asked for this recipe from our “Birthday Linner”. The truth is that my older son made it up, on the spot, based on vegetables that I had in the apartment, plus some herbs from our grocery store downstairs, which does not have a broad selection, particularly on a Sunday. He originally wanted some basil but they had none. He came back with a beautiful bunch of fresh mint instead. And, I just learned last night from my fellow cooking friend, Margaret, that mint is a relative of basil, so that was a very good choice indeed.

He meant to put in fresh grated Parmesan, but forgot. But as a dish in the middle of this many-course celebration, it did not need Parmesan. The clean tasting vegetables were a welcome interlude between the pasta with spinach and Pecorino Romano cheese and the very rich and super delicious short ribs with polenta.

This son is a big cook – he just gets in there and does things! Fearless and big, that’s what I call him. He says, “Thank you!”

Here’s a stab at his recipe.

ZUCCHINI, FENNEL, RED PEPPER AND MINT TORTA
3 zucchinis
1 and 1/2 fennel bulbs
2 large red peppers
3 – 4 tbs. olive oil
Salt
Pepper
½ bunch of fresh mint leaves

Broil red peppers, checking and turning until all skin is blackened. Using tongs, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until cool. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice zucchini and fennel on a mandoline, somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Using 1 or 2 tbs. of olive oil for each vegetable, toss separately in a bowl, with salt and pepper (test and taste for proper seasoning) and lay out each on separate baking sheets. Roast zucchini and fennel until crisp tender. Check in 20 minutes. The fennel will most likely take a little longer. This is why you keep them on separate baking sheets.

Peel the red pepper, core, remove the seeds and cut into 1 inch wide strips.
Layer the zucchini, fennel, red pepper and mint leaves in 10 inch round dish, repeating again until all is used up. Place a plate on top and weight it down to press ingredients together. We used a 28 oz. can of tomatoes with a large heavy mason jar of honey on top of the plate. Press for an hour or two. Then carefully slide the torta out, top side up, on a large round cake plate. Cut into pie wedge serving pieces and enjoy!

We used only two red peppers but three might be better. You could also add a layer of grated Parmesan cheese. We talked about that and then forget to do it.

About

This is the story of the circle of love and food.

MARY_APRON_2013_cropped-lo

My name is Mary Frances. I am a lifelong food lover and the owner and creative director of the NYC award-winning design, branding, and marketing agency PM+CO. I am also a member of the elite Culinary Content Network, a curated association of food writers whose work appears as part of The Daily Meal, and a monthly contributor to two online food and lifestyle publications — Spice 4 Life, based in Cape Town, South Africa, and Foods 4 Better Health, based in Ontario, Canada.

What I especially love about cooking is creating and serving great food to make my loved ones happy. Hearing mmmm’s makes my heart soar!

I grew up in suburban St. Louis, the youngest of six and the only girl. (Yes, that’s FIVE older brothers!). My mom was a great home cook and she made sure that I learned the basics and how to make a mean pie from scratch.

The LOVE – the secret ingredient Adventure

The inspiration for starting this blog came from our youngest son when he wrote this message in a Christmas gift cookbook.

It’s true, when you cook with LOVE, everything just tastes better! And that’s what LOVE – the secret ingredient is all about. Spreading love through food.

Away from New York City for 16 years, I threw myself into cooking, dedicating my weekends to the creation of new recipes, fantastic food adventures and throwing great parties. And now it’s time to share those recipes, tips, stories and LOVE with you!

Cooking with love doesn’t require extensive knowledge, but you can gain cooking skills and confidence through practice, and without going to culinary school. The key is to cook often and pour lots of love into your creations. LOVE – the secret ingredient will do the rest, by providing the recipes, shortcuts and tips any home cook needs to make delicious food.

Who doesn’t want to make great food that brings people together, to share time, share experiences and share love?

MARY’s secret ingredients, my new challenge

After sharing my love of food with you for two years I have decided to take my passion further. That’s why I have recently launched MARY’s secret ingredients (MSI), a surprise subscription box service in which I curate new, delicious, artisanal and gourmet ingredients to delight and inspire home chefs of all experience levels.

By way of these favorite, vetted products, I hope to bring fresh ideas into home kitchens across the U.S., promoting easy cooking and healthy eating. Each season, a box of surprise goodies will be delivered to our subscribers’ doors. Back here on LOVE–the secret ingredient, I will provide a tested recipe or serving suggestion using each one of the ingredients from the box.

I am also committed to using my passion to give back, which is why a portion of the profits from MARY’s secret ingredients will be donated to the worldwide organization Feed The Children, because I believe no one should go hungry.

Banana Bread

May 31, 2020 by Mary

Zooming…

I was Zooming with my friend Sherry the other day and told her about this new Banana Bread recipe that I had just concocted and shared through a mailbox delivery (a real, snail mail type delivery box in the country – on a post near the roadside) to some local friends and her response was, “Oh! How very Covid of you!” So there you have it! A whole new vocabulary has erupted from this pandemic. Covid has become a verb, adverb and adjective besides always being a noun. Sherry said, “Oh yes, all of them.” And Banana Bread could almost be called Covid Bread because EVERYONE is making it.

It must be that everyone has bought all of those bananas for fear that they might not be there the next time they shop and they can’t possibly eat them all so what’s next? Covid Banana Bread!

And did you notice, “Zooming” is also a new verb.

Then there is my personal favorite, “Quarantini,” where you make a martini and drink it alone, at home. I wonder how many alcoholics will come out of this? I could literally have a cocktail catch-up with friends every single night, which has been using up a lot of my time, fun times albeit, but now I have curbed the commitments. Too much!

Differences in my recipe…

Back to Banana Bread. In this recipe, I upped the eggs (for extra moistness) and went light on the sugar, as I always do, added nuts, cinnamon and nutmeg, which are unusual from what I can see out there.

I love Banana Bread toasted and then smeared with butter, particularly the end pieces, as the crust holds all the butter goodness in and none can drip out through the bread and onto your plate. Or, put on even a little cream cheese for extra pure decadence. I know, these are silly details but really worth it. For me, it brings back childhood memories as I used to fight over the end pieces with my brothers. And my mother loved putting on some butter AND cream cheese, as she’d put a finger to her lips, “Shhhhussh, don’t tell anyone…”

But really, this recipe is so good and moist, you don’t need a thing!

It freezes well and keeps in the refrigerator nicely.

Make with LOVE and create some of your own special memories.

BANANA BREAD – 1 loaf

½ cup butter, softened
1 scant cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 – 4 overly ripe bananas, finely mashed with a fork
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¾ cup pecan halves, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º F degrees.

Using the paper from the butter, butter and flour a loaf pan, making sure to get into all the corners. Use extra butter if needed.

Cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs and mashed bananas. Combine well.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add gradually to creamed mixture by large spoonfuls. Add vanilla.

Mix just until combined. Stir in the finely chopped nuts. Do not overmix.

Pour into buttered and floured loaf pan.

Bake at 350º F / 180º for 45 – 55 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Keeps well, refrigerated. Also freezes well. Enjoy toasted and spread with LOVE, and butter or cream cheese.

Always add LOVE

Always make and serve with LOVE. Because your food will taste better, without exception! Trust me. Spread LOVE around, not Covid-19. 🙂

Best Corned Beef Dinner

March 15, 2016 by Mary

My mother was funny about St.Patrick’s Day. She’d always make a corned beef and cabbage dinner (all about the food!) yet she wouldn’t let us wear green. She’d say. “You are not Irish. You’re Polish – wear red.” Yes, she was very proud of her Polish heritage and wanted us to be too. Many of my girlfriends were Irish so boy did I look like an outsider.

This past Saturday, I made this pretty awesome dinner if I may say so myself. It was an early St Patrick’s Day celebration with our friends, Margaret and Wayne. My corned beef didn’t come with a spice packet so I did some reading on what those spices might be and threw in my own and then some.
Margaret has a bit of Irish blood in her and she made the most beautiful and deliciously light Irish soda bread.

We served it with this new super fresh simple soup that I’ll tell you about later, because I will make it again and again.

Here you go on THE BEST CORNED BEEF!

BEST CORNED BEEF – serves 8 or 4 plus corned beef hash for 4 plus a lunch!

4.25 lbs. corned beef
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. allspice seeds
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
10 juniper berries
1/4 tsp. whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 dried bay leaves.
10-12 small red skinned potatoes
10 carrots, peeled and cut into 3 – 4″ lengths.
One head of cabbage, cut into 6 or 8 wedges.
Grainy mustard for serving
Horseradish for serving

Cover the meat completely with water, throw in the spices and bring to a boil in a very large soup pot, covered. Skim any dirty foam and reduce heat so that it just simmers for about 3 hours or until fork tender.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking add the potatoes and carrots.

Remove the meat, let rest on a board and add the cabbage wedges to the pot to cook for about 15 minutes.

Slice the beef in thin slices against the grain. Arrange in the center of a warm platter. Place the potatoes, carrots and cabbage artfully around the meat. Spoon a little warm cooking liquid over everything.

Serve with the mustard and horseradish

This corned beef was so flavorful and delicious! My piece was a little over 4 pounds as I wanted leftovers, because on Sunday morning, I made homemade corned beef hash with most of the leftover meat and potatoes!! Brilliant, right? While I need another go around at this before I share, this was a good beginning. It was flavorful but I didn’t achieve the crispy crust I was looking for and I think it would have been better if I had used a griddle pan, rather than a skillet. Just as soon as I perfect this recipe, I will share. It’s just not quite ready for prime time yet.

But isn’t this just luscious!?!

Our oldest son appeared at our apartment tonight for dinner and while he was waiting for us to come home, he had some of the leftover corned beef hash and said, “Mommm, when did you make this? It’s really great – just like a diner!”

Oh the luck of the Irish – two meals in one! Happy St. Patrick’s Day to EVERYONE!!! Spread LOVE through a great corned beef meal!

Belgian Endive with Smoked Trout Pâté

February 11, 2022 by Mary

Pretty, light, with a slightly spicy kick of cayenne, and elegant – so nice with a glass of Prosecco or a cocktail – these appetizers of Smoked Trout Pâté on Endive with a Toasted Walnut are delicious! They would also be a good, healthier addition to your Super Bowl fare of chips and dips. (And don’t forget about my healthier, super tasty Spicy Chicken Chili recipe for the big game.)

I served these as a starter for my dinner party last weekend and they were a hit! The Smoked Trout Pâté is super easy and quick to make, can be made a day or two ahead of time and then the assembly is also very easy to do, right before the guests arrive. And everyone went “ooo la la” once they saw the platter as it looked so impressive!

Using an oval plate, (I neglected to take a picture of that), I had the Smoked Trout Pâté on Endive with a Toasted Walnut outlining the outside edge. I filled the middle in with Medjool dates, pits removed and stuffed with Roquefort cheese and a toasted walnut half. Also delish!

So different, simple and elegant…

The whole thing was simple, different and all mighty tasty, besides looking beautiful and elegant. All of the things you hope to achieve when entertaining your friends and family.

Make these soon, sit back and enjoy the compliments!

BELGIAN ENDIVE WITH SMOKED TROUT PÂTÉ – serves 10 as an appetizer

One 8 oz. boneless smoked trout, skin, head and tail removed, broken into large chunks
¼ cup sour cream
2 oz. (¼ cup) cream cheese at room temperature
2 Tbs. coarsely chopped red onion
1 chunk (2 inches) fresh horseradish, peeled and coarsely grated (about 1 packed tablespoon) You can use bottled horseradish in a pinch, but if you do, drain it well and use only 2.5 tsp.
1.5 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ cup walnut halves
2 – 3 large heads of Belgian endive, using only the larger leaves
Grated fresh lemon zest for garnish

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Scatter the walnuts on a pie plate or baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7 – 10 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool.

Place the chunks of trout in the bowl of a food processor. Add the sour cream, cream cheese, onion, horseradish, lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Pulse several times to form a chunky purée. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. The pâté can be prepared to this point a day or two in advance. Wrap it well and refrigerate.

Thinly slice the bottom of the endive off and carefully separate the leaves. Wash and let air dry on top of paper towels or a clean linen towel. Once dry, roll up the paper or linen towel with the endives inside, place in a ziplock bag and refrigerate for crisper leaves.

Drop a rounded teaspoon of the pâté into the cup of each leaf, top with finely grated lemon zest and press a walnut piece on top. Arrange lovingly on a platter and serve immediately.

NOTE: You can also serve the pâté on fresh crisp apple slices or surround the bowl of pâté with slices of whole grain toast. If the pâté has been refrigerated, all of the flavors bloom when it is a little more at room temperature.

Serve with LOVE and enjoy!

Rhubarb Crisp for an Easy Memorial Day Dessert

May 23, 2020 by Mary

It’s the season!

I adore rhubarb and right now it is in season! This rhubarb crisp recipe is perfect for an easy Memorial Day Dessert, so you can still relax. Because the recipe has all the specific ingredients I was craving, namely oats and pecans, along with the simplicity in preparation, I vote this as a winner anytime fresh rhubarb is available.

Heck, I think you could even use frozen rhubarb as rhubarb does freeze well. And typically, “crisp” recipes are certainly easier than a pie or a biscuit topping and this one is even super easy because you melt the butter and combine everything with your hands.

I made this as a surprise dessert to take over to Margaret and Wayne’s house for our first pandemic dinner out. We had all been very careful, only going out to buy food while fully gloved and masked. We hadn’t seen anyone else in the last 2 weeks. And we were all feeling great and healthy.

I was asked to bring an appetizer and I had some good store-bought hummus, chopped up some veggies and completed that request.

But now I had this gorgeous, freshly picked rhubarb from my farmer friend, Ethel, and I felt I must put this to work as I thought I remembered that Margaret loved rhubarb and sure enough I was right!

I was running late however with the crisp still in the oven. I texted over the facts, not telling them why I was late, and Wayne said OK. I then asked if they had vanilla ice cream.

Wayne texted back that they already had a dessert.

Surprise!!

I sighed, but ignored him and brought my own vanilla ice cream. (That’s what friends are for, right?)

When I arrived with the still very, very warm crisp, it was greeted with wide smiles and Margaret said, “Don’t you ever listen to my husband if he says we have dessert and you have this in the oven!”

I was glad I didn’t.

You will be glad too when you make this Rhubarb Crisp yourself this weekend! Serve with ice cream and LOVE and sit back and enjoy the compliments!

My apologies – in my rush to get Margaret and Wayne’s, I neglected to take a picture of the finished crisp. Next time!!

RHUBARB CRISP – serves 6

For the filling:

4 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb (about 6 stalks) – ½” pieces
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

For the crisp topping:

6 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. French Grey salt or Kosher salt
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Grated fresh nutmeg

For serving:

Use the best quality of vanilla ice cream.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a 10” cast-iron skillet or in a square baking dish, toss rhubarb with filling ingredients until evenly incorporated.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, pecans, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Grate the fresh nutmeg evenly all over. Use your hands to incorporate melted butter into flour mixture until mixture has pea-sized clumps.

Scatter topping over rhubarb mixture and bake until rhubarb is bubbling and topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

Rhubarb Crisp ready to go into the oven!

Easy peasy!

Best Barbecued Ribs Ever! Make them for the 4th of July!

June 28, 2015 by Mary

Nothing says summer more than barbecued ribs and corn on the cob, right? Well after years of trying, I think I’ve finally perfected my ribs recipe. And while I call them barbecue, I cheat. I have found this oven method to be so much easier, (You can set it and forget it!), and it doesn’t use a ton of propane or time spent fiddling with the temperature on your grill. With the low, constant heat in the oven and the pan of water underneath, to provide steam and moisture, and then a final finishing on the grill (or under your broiler) to caramelize your sauce, this, for me, is the best foolproof way to cook ribs. I wanted you to have this recipe before the upcoming 4^th of July weekend, so that maybe you’ll be inspired to make these Best Barbecued Ribs for your friends and family!
Every time I serve these to guests, they always ask for the recipe. My original source is this crazy guy named Max Good, I think, but he goes by the name Meathead Goldwyn at amazingribs.com. Do take a look at his site if you have time, as he has interesting tidbits to share about cooking ribs and barbecuing in detail. It is chock full of information. The Huffington Post also put together an article on cooking his ribs on the grill. You can check that out here.
This is his rub recipe, cut in half. At first I cringed at his inclusion of sugars in the rub but if you read his chemistry defense on the fact that the sugar creates the crust (called “bark” by the pros) and you’re really not getting very much of it, it all makes sense. I also salt my ribs before rubbing the oil and sprinkling the rub on. If you forget to do the rub 24 hours in advance, it’s okay but not ideal. The marinating time is advantageous.

Just remember that this recipe takes a fair amount of time so plan accordingly – besides the marinating time, you’ll need the hour before going in the oven and then 5 to 5.5 hours in the oven and then some time on the grill. But all of it is worth it and relatively easy. Make it with LOVE and sit back and enjoy the compliments!

BEST BARBECUED RIBS – serves 4 – 6 (depending on how big your eaters are)

2 racks of St. Louis cut ribs
6 Tbs. canola oil
8 Tbs. Memphis Dust
1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

Memphis Dust – makes about 1.5 cups (store extra in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid)

6 Tbs. firmly packed dark brown sugar
6 Tbs. white sugar
1/4 cup paprika
2 Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. ground black pepper
1 Tbs. ground ginger powder
1 Tbs. onion powder
1 tsp. rosemary powder (grind dried rosemary leaves)

Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. If the sugar is lumpy, crumble the lumps by hand or on the side of the bowl with a fork. If you store the rub in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid, it will keep for months.

The day before or at least 4 hours before: Rinse your ribs well and pat dry with a paper towel. If the butcher has not removed the membrane from the back side, do it yourself. Insert a butter knife under the membrane, then with your fingers, work a section loose, grip it with a paper towel, and peel it off. Trim the excess fat off from both sides as well.

Lightly salt both sides of the ribs to taste with Kosher salt.
Rub the oil in on all sides using about 1.5 Tbs. per side. Then sprinkle on the rub, using 2 Tbs. per side. You don’t want a heavy thick coating. You want some meat to show through as in the above photo.

Place ribs in a glass dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.

Serving day: Remove ribs from the fridge an hour before putting in the oven.

Preheat oven to 230 degrees.
Arrange the 2 racks of ribs, meaty side up on wire racks on a rimmed baking sheet as shown. Fill another baking pan with hot tap water and slide that in on the bottom oven rack. Slide the ribs in on a rack spaced above the water and bake for 5 – 5.5 hours.

When ribs are done in the oven, light your grill and brush the ribs with your favorite sauce and grill to caramelize the sauce, being careful not to burn the ribs and ruin your hours of cooking time. If you don’t have a grill or access to one, you can also carefully broil them as I did here. Place the pan in the center of the oven, about 10 inches away from the flame and turn the broiler to low.Watch carefully so they don’t char. About 5 minutes per side did it for me.

Assuming your meat is all good and natural, these will be the best ribs ever!!!

Fried Catfish atop a Baby Kale Salad with Sautéed Radishes and Japanese Turnips

June 3, 2014 by Mary

I am not a fried food fan. First of all, it’s fattening, (I am always wanting to lose 5 lbs.) and of course too much of it is not good for you. However, usually once a year I make fried chicken for a dinner picnic and I also adore fried catfish. Must be the Missouri in me.

Actually one of my most memorable meals was a just-caught fried catfish in Missouri at Pere Marquette Lodge. My parents were celebrating their 50^th wedding anniversary and flew everyone home and treated us all to a weekend at the resort. We used to go there for a quick vacation when we were kids so a reunion back there was memorable. And we did all the same things, except with our own kids – horseback riding, shuffleboard, playing the giant chess game, and swimming – and the best fried catfish dinner that tasted so good after all that outdoor activity. So last Friday night, I almost replicated the catfish, but served it as a dinner salad as Fried Catfish atop a Baby Kale Salad with Sautéed Radishes and Japanese Turnips. It was so good!!! The only thing it lacked was the just-caught freshness of the fish. It was very fresh, and it was very good, but not just-caught, if you know what I mean. That’s different and unless you’ve had it, you just don’t know. Everyone should have a just-caught cooked fish on their bucket list, because it can’t be beat!

This is not a particularly quick dinner. I made this on a Friday night when there’s more time. Make sure your oil is hot enough – a bit of flour as a test should really sizzle. This insures that your fish doesn’t absorb any or very little of the oil. Use canola oil as opposed to olive oil as you can get it hotter without smoking. Intellectually, I tried to balance the fried aspect with the healthy raw baby kale and you can opt to use the radishes and turnips raw but I like a little bit of warmth to mix in with the cool greens. And my radishes had been around for a week so I needed to liven them up. Feel free to work with any combination of vegetables to suit your taste, but this was a good one.

Now I understand and hear from other sources that a lot of you have been making my recipes and I want to hear from you! I know a lot of people read food blogs to be inspired but never actually make the recipes. So if you’re making them and have success, please let me know. If you have problems, please let me know, because that means I’m not doing my job. And I want to do my job, which is to help you cook healthier food easier, with LOVE, in order to live a life with boundless energy.

FRIED CATFISH ATOP A BABY KALE SALAD WITH SAUTEED RADISHES AND JAPANESE TURNIPS – serves 2

4 oz. baby kale, washed, air dried and chilled
1 bunch of Japanese white turnips, scrubbed, sliced and chopped
8 breakfast radishes, scrubbed and sliced (or regular radishes)
1 tbs. unsalted butter
3 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced
16 cherry and sunny gold tomatoes, washed and sliced in half
2 catfish fillets
½ cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs – throw day-old or even older slices of a baguette or other bread in your food processor and process to make crumbs
Canola oil – enough to cover the bottom of your skillet about 1/8 inch deep
Sherry vinaigrette

Have all your vegetables ready for the salad. Make your dressing.

Melt the butter in a small skillet. Add the radishes and the turnips and sauté until golden brown as shown here.

Set out three shallow pans right near your stove-top. Left to right, with your stove on the right should be your flour, the beaten eggs and the breadcrumbs.

Wash and dry the catfish fillets. Salt and pepper one side with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Heat the canola oil until shimmering. It should be enough to cover the bottom of your skillet by about 1/8” deep. Cover the fish fillets lightly in flour and shake off. Dip in the beaten eggs and let drain and then cover in breadcrumbs and fry for 3 – 4 minutes on each side until fish flakes and you have a nice golden brown crust.

Assemble your salad arranging baby kale leaves on the bottom, distribute the scallions, warm radishes and turnips along with the tomatoes, and drizzle salad dressing over all.

When the fish is done, remove to a platter covered with paper towels and let it rest there for a minute. Then place the fish fillet on top and dig in! Serve with LOVE and enjoy!

Maricel E. Presilla’s Cuban Avocado, Watercress and Pineapple Salad with Spicy Goan Shrimp

May 8, 2013 by Mary Frances

I’ve been wanting to tell you about the small dinner party I had a few weeks ago where I served the Vegetable Lasagna with No Pasta as a first course. You see, it all started with me wanting to make this salad I found on Food 52 – Amanda Hesser’s (formally of The New York Times fame) blog. It’s broiled pineapple, avocado and watercress with a cumin dressing. Doesn’t that just sound so unusual and so good?

Well, it was! And it was beautiful too!

The author’s note says that this salad is great served alongside spicy shrimp or slow cooked pork and black beans and rice. A Cuban meal!

Since it was our main course, that meant I couldn’t start with a salad. And with the weather finally getting warmer, soup was not appealing and the tomatoes are not ripe enough for a gazpacho. So that is how I came to the idea of starting the meal with the vegetable lasagna.

The whole dinner was amazing, as my husband and guests told me. I served the salad with some spicy Goan shrimp and Jasmine rice and black beans.

We finished with fantastic homemade lemon bars with a buttery rich crust studded with pine nuts. That recipe to come. But I forgot to take a picture of the shrimp – sorry.

MARICEL E. PRESILLA’S CUBAN AVOCADO, WATERCRESS, and PINEAPPLE SALAD – serves 6

2 bunches watercress
One 2 1/2 pound pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into four 1-inch thick slices
1 tbs. sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs. fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp.+ ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Haas avocados
1 small red onion (5 ounces), thinly slivered lengthwise (I used a shallot – I couldn’t find the red onion I bought!)

Wash the watercress well in large bowls of cold water to remove the grit or sand. Discard any yellowing leaves and remove the tough stems; for this salad, you want only the leaves and tender stems. Spin dry in a lettuce spinner and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Heat the broiler. Place the pineapple slices on a baking pan and sprinkle sugar evenly on top of them. Broil about 4 inches from the heat source, turning once, for 5 to 10 minutes on each side, until golden brown. (You can line your pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup, but not parchment — it may catch fire.) Let cool, then cut into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.

For the dressing, mash the minced garlic with the salt on a cutting board. Place the mashed salted garlic, lime juice, cumin, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Taste for seasoning. Set aside. I added a pinch more cumin.

Cut the avocados lengthwise in half around the pit and remove the pit. Take a small paring knife and cut 1/2″ strips lengthwise and crosswise but do not cut through the skin. Take a large tablespoon and scoop it all out in nice cubes. Alternatively, place the avocado halves cut side down on the work surface and slice lengthwise into 1/2″ wide wedges. Peel each segment by hand or with a paring knife, and cut into 1/2″ cubes.

Assemble the salad: Place the watercress in a medium bowl and toss with half the dressing. Arrange on a large platter. Add the pineapple and avocado to the same bowl and toss with the rest of the dressing. Mound the pineapple and avocado over the bed of watercress. Garnish with slivers of red onion and serve immediately.

SPICY GOAN SHRIMP – adapted from Michael Romano
– serves 4 – 5

6 dried red Thai chiles
12 whole black peppercorns
8 whole cloves
One 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
6 garlic cloves
2 tbs. Champagne vinegar
1 tsp. brown sugar
Sea salt
1.5 lbs. shelled and deveined raw shrimp, tails left on, thoroughly washed and patted dry
1.5 tbs. olive oil
Lime wedges, for serving

Grind the chiles, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and cumin in a spice grinder. Add the ginger, garlic, vinegar, brown sugar and salt and blend until smooth. Rub this paste over the shrimp and let marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the shrimp and sauté over high heat until golden and just opaque throughout, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter, garnish with lime wedges and serve.

STEVE’S SUGGESTED WINE PAIRINGS:

White Wine: 2011 Eroica Riesling from Columbia Valley, WA, by Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen

Red Wine: 2010 Villa Mt. Eden Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Both are $20 or less and represent very good values. Trade up in these type of wines if you are not budget-constrained.

Veal Milanese – or Pork

June 18, 2020 by Mary

Veal Milanese with Mizuna salad topping.

My late husband (Why do they call it late? He’s not coming back, unfortunately, so he’s not late for anything.) would always order this dish – Veal Milanese – if it was on the menu. I would think, yuck, fried meat. Fattening. I’ll never have that.

I had been so conditioned as a child that fried things were SO fattening that I shouldn’t ever go near them.

And just look what I’ve been missing out on!!

With Covid-19…

In this Covid-19 time, anytime there is something new in the grocery store, excitement, almost giddiness, bubbles up. Well at my little local store upstate, they had veal scaloppine in the meat case!! Bingo! Something different – I’m in!

So now what to do with it?

Veal Milanese!

Of course, I always loved the salad part. Because I also love warm meat with a cool salad, this seemed to hit the spot. The true recipe calls for arugula but I substituted these mizuna greens – so delicious and a tiny bit bitter – so yummy – but hard to find and the season is short. You can use any greens you like but I would not recommend romaine. I used it once here and the greens really need to be softer in this case.

Have fun with the salad part

But have some fun with the salad part! You can use large tomatoes and slice thinner wedges, or skip the cheese and add thinly sliced radishes. Anything goes to your heart’s desire!!

Well I made this once, and then I made it again and again within 2 weeks!

In all honesty, the panko crumbs and cheese mixture were enough for at least 2 servings, but then I did have to add to it for the third round. The second time I made it with a pork chop! Equally delicious, just a little more cooking time in the oven as I opted to not pound it thin.

And then the third time, they had veal scaloppine again.

It is often hard cooking for one and getting portions right or making sure you’re not eating the same thing four times in one week.

The anniversary of Steve’s passing is TODAY. It is three years since he’s been gone and sorely missed by all of us. We had a family Zoom call recounting “Steve stories”.

So count your blessings, enjoy and cherish what you have today and don’t let a day go by without telling the people you love that you love them.

VEAL MILANESE – serves 2

Ingredients

1/3 cup flour
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus a little extra for shaving over the top
1/2 cup Panko, pound more finely with a rolling pin or wooden mallet
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 veal scaloppini, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness, about 6 ounces each
About 1/3 cup Canola oil
2 big handfuls of baby arugula, or mizuna, or other soft farmer’s market lettuce
8 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters, or 1 large tomato cut into thin wedges
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, cut in half

Your dipping plates in order, right to left and then to your hot skillet with oil.

Directions

Place flour in one shallow bowl or pie plate and beaten egg in a second. Combine parmesan and Panko in third and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Dredge veal in LOVE, flour, then egg. Allow excess egg to drip off, then transfer to Panko mixture. Turn to coat evenly, pressing crumbs in so they adhere. Transfer scaloppini to a large plate.

Add oil to a small skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering and some Panko crumbs dropped in the oil immediately start bubbling. Carefully add one piece of veal to hot oil. Cook, until golden brown on the first side, about 1 1/2 minutes. Carefully turn with tongs and cook until second side is golden brown, about 1 minute longer. Adjust heat as necessary to prevent oil from burning—veal should bubble steadily. Transfer veal to paper towel-lined plate and season immediately with fine sea salt. Repeat with second veal scaloppine.

Toss arugula, tomatoes, and some of the extra parmesan shavings in a medium bowl with olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Immediately serve the veal topped with the salad and additional parmesan.

Alternatively, you can use a pork chop. If not pounded thin, heat oven to 350 degrees F. Dip in flour, egg and panko and fry for 3 – 4 minutes on each side. Drain on a paper towel lined ovenproof plate. Then place in the oven for 5 – 7 minutes until the instant read thermometer registers 140 degrees.

Top with salad and enjoy!!

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Always add LOVE

So different, simple and elegant…

BELGIAN ENDIVE WITH SMOKED TROUT PÂTÉ – serves 10 as an appetizer

It’s the season!

Surprise!!

RHUBARB CRISP – serves 6

For the filling:

For the crisp topping:

For serving:

Directions:

With Covid-19…

Have fun with the salad part

VEAL MILANESE – serves 2

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Directions

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