Sonia's Seven

Most good friends have had at least two of these dishes. If not, you need to come over more often!

I would like to start cooking classes in June 2013. If you would like to learn how to make any of these dishes, combine a total of 4-6 people and send me a message on Facebook (Sonia Kassambara). Bon appétit!

Seven of my all-time favorites

1-Spring Salad Greens with Strawberries, Herbs, Goat Cheese and Strawberry Vinaigrette
Beverage: Pinot Noir Rosé
I first made this dish in summer 2000. There was a farmer’s market nearby, and I used frisée and other greens, chopped herbs, the first strawberries of the season and my favorite: soft goat cheese. The dressing came together since I love agrodolce, and strawberry and balsamic vinegar is a classic example. Then I added herbs, black peppercorns, Dijon mustard, honey and olive oil. Perfection!! It is one of my favorite ways to celebrate late spring. Pinot noir rosé has a great strawberry aroma and complements the tangy goat cheese.

2-Coconut Cous Cous with Aromatic Vegetable Sauce and Thai Chicken on Skewers
Beverage: Ginger Punch
I first served this at a gathering when I was in graduate school in the spring of 2001. Instead of the Thai chicken skewers I make now, I made jerk chicken skewers. This is dedicated to my Aunt Vicki, who makes amazing coconut rice with cabbage and meatballs. I took the cooking technique of the West African jollof rice/coconut rice of making a stew and cooking the grains but applied it to cous cous, which cooks much faster. And just like jollof rice, I use a sauce or stew, but mine uses coconut milk and Indian-spiced vegetables with separate meat. That way I can make a vegan dish in case I have friends who don’t eat meat. The chicken skewers use my technique of pulsing meat, herbs and spices together in the food processor. I was dismayed to learn about the higher risks of bacterial contamination of ground meats. Now I do it myself and can infuse more flavors. The coconut and spice of the skewers work with the coconut-based stew and cous cous, all from different cultures. Ginger punch features pineapple juice and complements all of these foods.



3-Leg of Lamb with Apricot-Rosemary Relish
Beverage: Sangria
I started making this for Easter 2004 and sometimes make it for Thanksgiving when my mom requests it. The acid, herbal and sweet notes cut through the fatty lamb flavor. Many people who try it say they didn’t like lamb until they tried it this way. This recipe started out as a Betty Crocker recipe in a Bridal Edition cookbook we received as a wedding gift. Sangria is a classic beverage that I love serving at gatherings. The best part is it lets me enjoy myself instead of opening multiple bottles of wine!

4-Frog’s-legs Chicken (poulet à la grenouille) with Sautéed Potatoes and Green Salad
Beverage: Grapefruit Mimosa
I had tasted garlic and fresh parsley often in France and tried frog’s legs in Mali, so when I saw Jacques Pepin’s method six or seven years ago, I immediately tried it. It has been a favorite, and now I cook the potatoes in a similar way. My nieces and nephews love it, too. These fresh, simple flavors would make a nice early lunch, and a grapefruit mimosa would take me right back to both Paris and Bamako with citron and pamplemousse pressés.

5-Peanut Chicken with Black-Eyed Peas and Akara (black-eyed pea fritters) and Fried Plantains
Beverage: Red Sorrel Punch
Peanut chicken can be a stew served over rice or as a marinade for roasted or grilled chicken. Either way, it is a taste that screams, “WEST AFRICA!!” The tastes are pungent and spicy yet comforting to me. Black-eyed peas are made differently in Sierra Leone and neighboring countries, with bell peppers, onions and palm oil. Palm oil is an acquired taste, but just a touch of this oil takes it from the Deep South to a large pot over a wood fire. Red sorrel punch, also called bissap and dabilenni, is made in homes and sold on the streets in West African countries. It’s sharp and fruity like cranberry juice and sweetened. In the U.S., it’s the featured ingredient in Red Zinger.

6-Turkey Breast with Sage Butter, Cranberry Gravy and Cranberry Relish; Butternut Squash-Pecan Lasagna
Beverage: Beaujolais Nouveau
The turkey breast with sage butter is a Bon Appétit recipe that I use whenever I make Thanksgiving turkey for a few people. I first made it for fellow graduate school students away from home. The brined poultry, browned butter and sage make it a rich, flavorful alternative to dry turkeys that many people accept. Cranberry gravy brightens everything and relish, which I make with citrus, doesn’t have the gelatinous taste of the canned jelly. Butternut squash lasagna tastes like ravioli but is a lot less work. Beaujolais Nouveau comes out at the perfect time, right around Thanksgiving, and its young, fruity flavor reminds me of Thanksgiving almost 20 years ago when my friends and I studied abroad in France and had an amazing Thanksgiving dinner together at a restaurant.

7- Banana-Infused Bread Pudding and Banana-Nutella Ice Cream
Beverage: Earl Grey Iced Tea
When living in Mali I brought back Kahlua from my visit to the U.S. I was so excited to have this treat and wanted to feature it, not just drink it in cocktails. There was a bakery that made excellent whole wheat artisan bread. And we were in the throes of banana season, so this bread pudding put all of those tastes together. I have always loved Nutella and crepes, so the ice cream is an unctuous homage to those flavors. The floral citrus notes of Earl Grey iced tea might be sacrilege to some, but it mirrors the sunny essence of the other flavors, the floral notes of banana, vanilla and coffee, yet it’s refreshing where this dessert is rich.