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

Fish broth

June 11, 2013 by Mary Frances 8 Comments

So in my last post I described the beautiful red snapper fillets that my son got from his fish monger in Brooklyn for our celebration dinner. But what I didn’t mention is that he also brought the whole fish carcass home too! The head and tail attached to the body bones of our fish. Two of them. Both large.

“C’mon Mom, make some fish broth! Roast these while the fish is roasting,” is what he said.

Crazy kid! (what did I create?)

So I dutifully did roast them, that night during dinner.

I’ve never made fish broth in my life but what could I do? I had to! The next day, I packed and carried those roasted carcasses up to the country house and made broth – with a little celery, white wine, leeks, parsley, bay leaf, cloves and thyme. I think I even threw in a few crushed juniper berries. (I love juniper berries – explains why I love gin!)

Here are the fishes swimming around again.
So my plan is to use this for a seafood paella. I’ve never made paella, but my good friend Margaret made a delicious shrimp paella a few weeks ago and that has inspired me and given me the courage to try. And usually they say you need a special pan, which I don’t have, but she made hers in a Dutch oven. I think I’ll give it a go and it should be great. The broth is tightly tucked away in the freezer for now.

Now I need to inform you that I did not win that beautiful shiny red Kitchen Aid. 🙁 Thank you all for your comments and engagement but Stephanie got 58 comments and I had 53. Just those five little comments short did me in. Well I hope Stephanie enjoys it, and has room for it on her countertop.

And, I forgot to mention, our May newsletter went out in the nick of time on the 31^st. You don’t get it unless you’ve signed up for it. If you sign up now – in the upper right hand corner – I’ll make sure that you get that issue as it’s got a great grilled asparagus recipe as well as a wonderful Greek chicken you can do on the grill or in the oven. Both are terrific recipes for all summer long.

Have a great week!!

Split Cornish hens roasted on top of stuffing

November 11, 2012 by Mary Frances Leave a Comment

This dinner was so good and literally used up a bunch of leftovers. So I really can’t give you a specific recipe, but I can tell you what I did.

First, on the subway ride to work last Wednesday, I read the Dining section from The Times. Wednesday is my all-time favorite day!

They had an article about how dressing or stuffing has lost its allure, except for around Thanksgiving. Well I took it to heart. And while I am nothing like my Mother, (who I dearly loved), I am my Mother’s daughter and cannot waste a thing. She grew up in the Great Depression and her father owned a grocery store. He was the butcher. They never wasted anything and she could scrape a bowl squeaky clean. And, she raised six kids, five of them boys and if any of you out there have boys, you understand the difference between feeding boys and feeding girls.

I can’t waste a thing either. David Waltuck, of Chanterelle fame, says that good cooks never do and I admit I am the same.

So last weekend, at our country house, my brother and sister-in-law came to visit. They insisted on bringing Saturday lunch which was a delicious turkey chili, cornbread and fennel salad. Everything was great and eaten, except for some of the cornbread. Then I had a baguette to make the bread and chocolate (for three nights, mind you) so I had about 1/3 of a baguette left too, plus five leftover grilled mushrooms, one grilled scallion and leftover French dry sausage. I added fresh chopped sage leaves, one raw egg, ½ cup of chicken broth, and one minced shallot sautéed olive oil. Salt and pepper were added, mixing well and turned into an ovenproof casserole. I split two Cornish hens in half, shoved a small sprig of fresh rosemary under the skin on each, plus salt and pepper. I then made a sauce of 3 TBS grainy mustard and 1/3 cup of leftover dry white wine to brush on top of the birds. I threw the whole thing in the oven, at 375 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes. Tested it with a thermometer – you should reach 155 – 160 degrees on the thickest parts of the hens. Then broil the dish for 1-2 minutes to brown the birds. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Cornish hens with fresh rosemary, sage leaves, chicken broth, and minced shallot sautéed olive oil

Ready to go into the oven

This was so delicious and did not take long – a little bit over an hour from start to finish. I served it with the carrot and parsnip puree and truly, this could be a company dinner. Different and really delicious. The dressing was moist under the chicken and crispy in the exposed areas.

And I got to use up all of those leftovers!

Cornish hens with fresh rosemary, sage leaves, chicken broth, minced shallot sautéed olive oil, carrot and parsnip puree leftovers.

It was very yummy!

Easy, so delicious pork chops

October 4, 2012 by Mary Frances 2 Comments

I made the most amazing, simple dinner the other night. I had thick cut pork chops – two meals for me, one for my husband and about 30 small portobello mushrooms, fresh oregano and fresh sage – and we were hungry and needed to eat quick. I also had some spinach that was begging to be of service.

I used Garam Masala for a quick and delicious flavoring. It is an Indian spice that I love, a mixture of coriander, black pepper, cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon. To me, it’s a terrific, already made up spice rub! I like to use it on pork, although it’s probably good on chicken and maybe even roasted cauliflower. I’ll have to try that and let you know.

Here’s what I did.

GARAM MASALA PORK CHOPS WITH MUSHROOMS AND FRESH HERBS
– serves 2-3

1.5 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. unsalted butter
2 thick, center cut pork chops with the tenderloin section
Salt
Pepper
Garam Masala
About 30 small Portobello mushrooms, washed quickly and cut in half.
¼ cup leftover dry white wine or dry vermouth
¼ – 1/3 cup chopped fresh oregano
¼ – 1/3 cup chopped fresh sage leaves

Wash your chops thoroughly and pat dry. Wash the mushrooms in a cold bath of water quickly, lift them out of the water and drain and dry on paper towels. Mushrooms are delicate and very porous do you don’t want them lingering in the water and soaking it up. When the mushrooms are dry, trim a little bit off of the stems if necessary and cut in half to make them all the same approximate size.

Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper and then cover with Garam Masala and rub in with your fingers. Do this on both sides. See photo.

Heat the oil on medium high heat. Add the butter and when sizzling subsides, add the chops to brown. After about 4 minutes, add the mushrooms on both sides of the chops and sprinkle on 2/3’s of the chopped herbs which have been mixed together. Do not disturb for 3 minutes. The mushrooms will absorb the oils and then emit their own juices while browning underneath. Then turn your chops, and when you see the mushrooms getting juicy, you can toss those around to brown on the other side. After about 2 more minutes, add the white wine and continue cooking the chops until done. You will most likely want to remove the mushrooms beforehand, if your chops are as thick as mine were. Put the mushrooms in the center of your platter and place the chops on top of them when done to rest and warm the mushrooms up again. Drizzle all pan juices on top. I like to remove my chops at about 140 degrees as they will continue cooking when resting on top of the mushrooms. Let the chops rest for 5 – 10 minutes and sprinkle with remaining herbs before serving.

I served this with some spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic. A perfect, quick, early autumn dinner!

Creamy, dreamy…

September 19, 2012 by Mary Frances 6 Comments

…parsnips!! Yes, parsnips! Who would have thunk it? This dish, in the newest October Food and Wine magazine, appealed to me. I had parsnips and I had chicken thighs. I always have white wine that can be used up. If not that, use dry vermouth and feel very French. And the rest of the recipe I just improvised and changed.

Yesterday, my day was challenging. Our refrigerator and freezer went kaput in the middle of the night and I had to work from home while waiting for the repair men to come. Meanwhile I had the bright idea to call the super and ask if there were any empty apartments that had a refrigerator and could I please store all my food there? Yes, there was one on the third floor. Bingo! So here I am, hauling bags of food down there and then I’m trying to work at our kitchen counter and our darn refrigerator keeps on beeping to tell me that the temperature is below where it should be. Duhhh!!! Do you know how annoying that is?

Meanwhile, I’m dealing with two very inexperienced clients and I am frustrated. After the repair guys finally fix the refrigerator, I had to go to the Bronx for a meeting with the new board president at the school I volunteer at and I am not in a pretty mood. I tell them what I really think about their name at this meeting and leave. I am nice about it but firm.

I get back home and decide I need to sweat all this meanness out so I go to the gym and ride a bike for over 5 miles and come back up to cook this dinner which was so delicious and creamy dreamy that I am now a nice person again.

You see how food has the ability to comfort and soothe, curing all that ails you? When you cook with love, you only magnify that tenet.

Parsnips are in season now. Buy only fresh young ones — no big fat woody ones allowed! This really is a must-make dish. We served a Vouvray and some steamed Jasmine rice with this and all was well and back to normal in our household!

CHENIN BLANC BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH PARSNIPS AND SAGE
– serves 4

2 tbs. unsalted butter
2 tbs.extra-virgin olive oil
8 medium chicken thighs, with bones and skin
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 large shallots, peeled and quartered
1 lb. parsnips, peeled and cut into 3″ lengths and then quartered or halved
1 large sage sprig with numerous leaves
1 cup Chenin Blanc or other dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, preferably homemade
Chopped fresh sage leaves and chives for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large, deep ovenproof skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust lightly with the flour, tapping off the excess. Add the chicken to the skillet skin side down and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the shallots, parsnips and sage sprig to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Nestle the chicken skin side up in the skillet, tucking it between the parsnips. Transfer the skillet to the middle rack of the oven and braise the chicken uncovered for about 25 minutes, until cooked through.

Turn the broiler on. Broil the chicken for 3 minutes, until the skin is crisp. Return the skillet to high heat and boil until the sauce is thickened, 3 minutes. Discard the sage sprig, if you like. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to bowls, garnish with chopped sage leaves and chives and serve with steamed Jasmine rice.

After the move.

March 3, 2012 by Mary Frances 4 Comments

We did it!!

We moved our offices on Thursday. Two trucks and 400 boxes later, we are in our new space in TriBeCa. We finished at 2:30 am on Friday morning. It’s going to be great but right now, my hands hurt so much I’ve been coating them with hand cream followed by a thick coating of Vaseline, and wearing an old pair of my Aunt Lu’s white gloves from the 50’s to sleep in. (Not exactly sexy since I also like to wear a pair of white socks because my feet get so cold – oh well!) My Mom always said that this was the best bet to treat badly damaged hands AND keep your sheets clean. Only now I think I’m going to have to start with some Neosporin on the cuticles first, then the rest of the program.

It is truly amazing how much stuff you can amass in 10 years, particularly in my business with all the printed samples we must have on hand to show to new prospective clients. And I did a lot of editing and throwing away before the movers came and we still have so much stuff.

So we were back in the office again today, working on the unpacking and arrived home at 6:30, starving, as we had no lunch. As I mentioned before, my husband has to be on this crazy diet of no garlic, onions, tomatoes, spicy things, or lemons.

So I wanted to make a shrimp and pasta dish and I’m thinking, what can I do here? It’s easy to make a shrimp and pasta dish with garlic and tomatoes. A little shallot wouldn’t hurt either, or lemon and garlic with white wine, but this! He can have ginger, so I’m considering it but then it’s just not sounding good to me.

So I sent him out to get some parsley (we fortunately have a grocery store right downstairs in our building) and this is what I came up with – and it was crazy delicious!! Simple, quick, clean tasting and it seemed to have a creamy lemony taste, which I’m not sure where that came from – maybe a residual taste from the Sauvignon? Try this and tell me what you think.

QUICK, EASY PASTA WITH SHRIMP – AND NO GARLIC
– serves 4

1.5 lbs. large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 lb. spaghetti #3
1/3 cup olive oil plus more for finishing
1 cup chopped fresh parsley, washed and air dried before chopping
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt
Pepper
3 – 4 tbs pasta water

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Thoroughly wash and pat dry the shrimp. Salt and pepper one side.

Heat the olive oil until very hot. Add the parsley carefully – it will pop and really sizzle because of the water in it hitting the oil. Stir and let it sizzle for 30 seconds to a minute and then add the shrimp and turn heat down slightly. Cook shrimp 1-2 minutes, add the wine and make sure it is bubbling. Turn the shrimp and cook another 1–2 minutes. When shrimp are pink on both sides, turn off heat but leave in pan.

Meanwhile, you should be cooking your pasta till al dente. Save some pasta water and drain.

In a large bowl layer in half of the pasta and half of the shrimp mixture. Repeat the layers. Drizzle on some additional oil and the pasta water. Toss and combine well. Serve and enjoy!

Remember, it’s always about the quality of ingredients you use. Find the freshest shrimp, the best olive oil, use French grey salt and Tellicherry fresh ground pepper for best results.

Veal stew with rosemary and lemon

September 22, 2011 by Mary Frances 2 Comments

I made this last night for dinner. It should serve 4 but it was so good we cleaned it all up. You really should make this ahead of time or on the weekend to have time to simmer the veal the full hour and 15 minutes. I rushed it and only simmered it 45 minutes and it was still so tasty and good. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

VEAL STEW WITH ROSEMARY AND LEMON – serves 4
2 tbs. olive oil
1.5 lbs. boneless veal shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbs. unsalted butter
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1.5 large carrots, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup tomato sauce, preferably homemade
1 heaping tbs. coarsely chopped rosemary
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 tbs. chopped fresh basil
Polenta with Parmesan, for serving

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the veal, (use a paper towel to dry the meat first.) season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer the veal to a plate.

In the same casserole, melt the butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the celery, onion and carrot and cook over low heat until softened and golden, about 8 – 10 minutes. Add the wine and boil over moderately high heat until almost evaporated. Add the tomato sauce, rosemary and veal, along with any accumulated juices. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring once or twice, until the veal is very tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or you can rush this to 45 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Spoon the Polenta with Parmesan into bowls, top with the veal stew, finish with the chopped basil and serve.

Make Ahead The stew can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.