Let Them Eat Steak! Recipes

Recipes from "Let Them Eat Steak"

Planning food for gatherings is one of my passions. I start planning, then fill the fridge with food and my mind with ideas. If there weren't so many demands for my time, things would be served on time at the table topped with elaborate tablescapes.

Good thing people are just happy to come together over good food and few formalities. Many people asked how we made the items served, so here are the recipes and how-to's.

Sangria 
2 1/2 bottles Sangiovese wine about $3/bottle at Trader Joe's (in states like VA where it's sold in stores), 1 bottle medium-dry sherry, also from Trader Joe's, 4 cups pomegranate juice, 2 cups raspberry wine, apple raspberry concentrate, 32 oz cherry juice, 1 can grape juice concentrate

Alcohol-Free Fruit Punch 
2 cups pomegranate juice, 1 can each apple, orange and pineapple juices concentrate, 1 cup cherry cider, 1/4 cup lime syrup. Dilute with ice, seltzer water


Kids’ Meal-Spaghetti ‘n’ Meatballs 
2 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs of parsley, stems removed
3 pounds cubed chuck stew meat
1 onion
1 piece of bread + 1/4 cup milk, mashed into a paste aka panade
1 small zucchini
Dried herbs/spices: Allspice, Oregano, Thyme, Black Pepper, Salt-a pinch of each per batch, and two pinches salt per pound of meat
Using a food processor, chop garlic and parsley. Reserve a spoonful for the pasta sauce.
If your food processor is 5 cups or  more, grind the meat:
Add no more than one pound of stew meat at one time, plus the percentage of ingredients. In this case, I used 3 pounds of meat, so added a third of the bread/milk mixture, 1/3 zucchini, 1/3 onion,
If you don't have a grinder or medium or large food processor (or patience), consider buying organic ground beef.
Make meatballs no more than 1-inch diameter (approximately your thumb and index finger making a circle). Bake in oven 350 for 30 minutes. You know it is done when all the liquid is clear an turning brown and thick. No pinkish liquid should be in the pan.  Add juices-aka everything at the bottom of the meatball pan(s)- with the tomato sauce.

Tomato-based Sauce:
1 chopped onion, puree 1 small zucchini and 1 red pepper (I roast them first). Add to 26-32 ounces of store-bought (or home-made) marinara or tomato-basil sauce and simmer (cook on low), covered for 20 minutes to one hour, stirring every 10 minutes. I keep some to the side in case someone does not eat meat.

Green Crunchy Broccoli with Cream
1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 clove garlic, chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon olive oil, garlic salt or sea salt, and or pepper to taste. Cook on high heat until liquid vigorously bubbles and starts turning golden yellow. To that add:
3-4 pounds FRESH broccoli. Frozen will not work! Cook 3-5 minutes until broccoli is coated, bright green and softening but still firm when tossed.

Spinach, Kale and Arugula
Rinse the following:
1 lb spinach, 1/2 pound kale wilted in boiling water and 12-16 oz arugula OR 8 oz mustard greens, chopped,  
Add 8 oz shredded carrot.
Heat a high-quality Italian dressing with 2 tsp. Dijon mustard or make your own vinaigrette with  olive oil and  red wine vinegar--30 seconds in microwave
. Add 1/2 cup Romano cheese. Toss vigorously to mix and wilt--greens will compact by over half and will be shiny dark green. Serve room temperature

Herbed mushrooms
Canola oil- 2 tablespoons
2 packs sliced "baby bella"or Cremini mushrooms maybe 5 ounces, each. Sells for $3 to $3.50/pack at Trader Joe's and add two pinches thyme, 1 onion, cracked black pepper and salt to taste (maybe 3 pinches). Cook over medium high heat until all moisture has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Then sautee another 10 minutes, until some mushrooms begin to get crispy brown wdges.

Sautéed Potatoes 
Yukon Gold (used 5 pounds)--can almost always find at Whole Foods, Giant and Harris Teeter (usually not at Costco or Shoppers), . Cut each potato in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 4 pieces-will make wedges.Toss with 1/3 cup olive oil, sea salt, fresh rosemary, parsley, thyme and fresh chopped garlic. Lay out in single layer on baking sheet lightly greased. Bake at 400 degrees 35 minutes or until underside starts turning light brown. The herbs will be darker and crispy but not burnt. Wait a few minutes before transferring potatoes; they will stick less.

Open-faced Garlic Bread
Generously slather French bread rolls cut in half with herb-garlic butter. Bake at 375-400 8 minutes, until the amazing smell drives you crazy.

Grilled Tilapia
Ours stuck to the grill but was still delicious; used 2.5 pounds fish
Spanish marinade: 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 pinches smoked paprika, garlic salt to taste, 1 clove chopped garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, 21/4 cup butter, dash hot pepper sauce like Sriracha or Tabasco.

Feature: Steak 
Grilled to medium, served with steak sauce and herb-garlic butter. 

Steak Sauce 
In 2 cups water, boil mix of 2-inch square tamarind paste, 1/4 cup miso (or 1/4 cup soy sauce), 2 onions, 2 tablespoons pickling spice, garlic salt, 2 small spoons orange peel, 1 small spoon cinnamon, dash orange juice, dash red wine vinegar.  cook on high for 30 minutes. Strain, then add 1 bottle Ketchup base, 3 large spoons Dijon mustard, dash sweet chili sauce, 2 shakes pepper sauce, 1 teaspoon horseradish.

Herb-Garlic Butter
3 sticks softened butter, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 5 cloves garlic, 1/3 small onion (optional),  4 sprigs parsley, 10 blades rosemary, 2 pinches dried (3 pinches fresh chopped) thyme. In food processor, beat butter sticks. Then drizzle in olive oil, then cream. Drop in garlic, onion, and herbs until just turning light green and creamy. Can use with steaks, bread, and even potatoes and fish. Later on, use to sauté vegetables, pasta, rice, and main dish foods.

Tropical Fruit Salad 
cut fresh pineapple (3 cups), strawberry (3 cups), papaya (2 cups) and 2 large spoonfuls elderflower syrup, sold at IKEA.

Pavlova: dessert fit for a queen

J & G Steakhouse Raspberry Rose Pavlova

At the W Hotel's J & G Steakhouse at 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (near the White House), we stumbled upon this decadent dessert. The Pavlova had raspberry sorbet, raspberry- rose water coulis with cream, a ring of fresh raspberries topped with crunchy meringue (crunchy cookie made with egg whites and sugar).
Almost immediately after taking the first few bites, I realized that home cooks could recreate this delicious sweet and crunchy dessert with the burst of summer berries. The rose water made it mysterious and delicate, even regal. Dessert fit for a queen, and easy to make!

I like the idea of sharing this dessert with another, so the portions are ideal for two people sharing dessert after a large meal. Easy to adapt to the typical recipe size for 4-6 people.

If you would like to make meringues from scratch or get ideas about assembly, check out the primer from Bon Appétit.

Ingredients:
Sorbet/coulis:
-2-3 cups Summer berries, such as raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. The larger the berry, the more you need, so 2 cups for blueberries and 3 cups for whole strawberries. Fresh if possible, frozen is fine. This is more than enough for 4-6 servings and should yield almost 3 cups.

-1/2 cup sugar or one half (6 ounces from a 12-ounce container) pure juice concentrate, either a raspberry or grape blend (for berries).

Note: For one shared serving, crush with or blend with blender a handful of berries (almost one cup) with 2 tablespoons sugar. For a large amount I recommend using a blender.

Other ingredients:
-One scoop (use pint to serve 4 people) French (or just regular) vanilla ice cream.

-One teaspoon (single serving) or 1 tablespoon (4-6 servings) rose water, sold in international aisle, Middle Eastern/halal markets. This is important for enhancing the taste, so please try to find it.

-2 teaspoons/tablespoons heavy cream or thaw some of the vanilla ice cream

-7 to 11 raspberries per serving

-Enough vanilla meringue(s) to cover the ice cream and sorbet. I bought meringues from Trader Joe's and used 4. Whole Foods sells smaller meringues that can be clustered on top. If you make your own, you can make one large meringue.

Directions for sorbet/coulis:
Blend or mash fruit and sugar/concentrate in freezer-safe bowl. Or get a gallon-size freezer bag and squeeze until lumps go away. Great activity for kids. Just make sure the bag is sealed properly! Freeze for 3 or more hours. Ideally it won't be a hard block in order to scoop in onto serving dish. I prefer sorbet like at the restaurant. They also add another sauce, but the sorbet will melt and create the sauce. If pressed for time, there is no need to freeze.

Raspberry Rose Pavlova at home

Assembly:
-Place small scoop of sorbet onto plate. Flatten.
-Add cream around the outside and splash rose water.

-Position a scoop of ice cream.
-Place berries around ice cream, creating a ring.

-Top with meringues, then place berry in the middle.

Serve immediately. Crunch and swoon!

Dinner in 20 minutes: BLT salad

This neo-traditional sandwich is eaten like a hot dog.

Assembly for each sandwich: 3 Grape tomatoes cut in half and mayo together on bottom over two whole leaves of romaine for heft. Then add a bacon strip (I roast apple wood bacon on a rack in the toaster oven that catches the fat; do this as first step before washing lettuce, cutting tomatoes, etc.) and add cubes of a half piece of toast on top. More lettuce than bread, so I can eat two of these and feel full but not stuffed. Healthier and ratio-wise, it's more of a BBLLLLT and still super delicious! It is also a fun brunch food!!

Vinaigrette to the rescue!

I recently made several cups of vinaigrette and marveled at its versatility. I like a healthy dose of mustard. It keeps in the fridge for several days but use a little faster with fresh herbs added.

Use for:
Fresh veggies like carrots, cucumbers, red peppers, green beans, tomatoes, cabbage. Try making Greek salad with this dressing. You can marinate these. Dynamite at a cookout and easy side dishes when made the evening before. Added pita chips for crunch.

Steamed broccoli, squash, potatoes, corn, asparagus, beets...and, of course, lettuce and spinach!

Review of How to Cook a Crocodile: a memoir with recipes

Review of How to Cook a Crocodile: a memoir with recipes  Photos above and recipes below from http://peacecorpsworldwide.org

If you haven’t met Bonnie yet, you should know this: Bonnie takes work very seriously and takes pride in her work. So, when Bonnie told me she wrote a book about her Peace Corps experience in Gabon, I knew it wasn’t going to be some ho-hum, stream-of-consciousness dribble riddled with dangling modifiers. She was going to render a labor of love. In her forward, Bonnie mentions that Isak Dinesen’s Out of Africa and M.L.K. Fisher’s How to Cook a Wolf provided inspiration for this memoir. Having read Bonnie's book, I can affirm that she has done another "toughest job [she'll] ever love" by writing this book. It is a writer's task to show others the outside and often insides of an experience. Bonnie fulfills her responsibility as a writer by showing the range of emotions when one is asked to represent one's country, work with the host country where volunteers are assigned and teach fellow Americans about that experience.

How do you explain what you are experiencing in Peace Corps and other similar experiences? Share the amazing feeling that there are people you can understand even though you have zero languages in common. Hope that sparks of change will come and spread, like a controlled burn of tall grass. Explain the fear of being alone in a place you can't always figure out. Relay the burden of intermittent discomfort-a roach on your toothbrush, a burn on your leg, a rash you've never seen before. Show the dance the kids and you do whenever you see each other. Describe the heat absent the whirring ease of electricity.  Convey (or keep to yourself) how your eyes become wide open and how you process emotional pain from observing a new crop of sad things in society. Bonnie takes the time to explain all of these feelings. Cooking a crocodile seems daunting and far-fetched, just like Bonnie's and over two hundred thousand others' decision to serve in Peace Corps. But she did both.

In order for you to understand more about Bonnie and How to Cook a Crocodile, let me tell you how and when we met. Perhaps like many others, I knew of Bonnie before I met her in 1999. This was immediately after the time frame of her memoir. I was in Ségou, Mali, in the sunset of my Peace Corps Mali experience. Without easy access to phones, let alone cell phones, capricious mail delivery and sometimes isolated posts, the whole country, including us volunteers, spent a great deal of time updating one another. Some may say gossiping, but it seemed borne of necessity. That’s how we learned about how to request free seeds from the U.S., find where to buy little bags of homemade yogurt or nono kumu from a neighbor and scout the commerçant selling waxi cotton fabric at fair prices with very little bargaining to foreigners and new toubabus, or white people. 

 The grapevine informed me that a woman of a certain age had just moved in fifteen minutes’ bike distance from the hostel, or stage house. She had just completed a tour of Peace Corps Gabon, hails from New York and likes Africa so much that she would leave a place where they flew in French chefs to head up real restaurants to come to Ségou (and not even Bamako, added the grapevine). What did they TELL her? I wondered? Someone must have talked up Mali’s second largest city at the time, a sprawling town of 100,000 people really, to bring her here. Well, get this: she’s not alone. Yeah, she has a cé, a Malian guy, who is with her. Oh, that makes sense. Hmm, she’s older? And rolled in after Peace Corps with a Malian on her own bidding, not extending her Peace Corps service? I need to see this for myself.

After biking to Bonnie’s house one afternoon, I began recording with my mental video cam. The first thing I noticed about meeting Bonnie, besides her chirpy voice and sinewy arms that I guessed (rightly) came from gardening, was her floor. Her spotless floor in such a dusty place. “Neurotic with high standards. Channels them well.” “Thrives in comfort and beauty and beauty. Creative, doesn’t relax much,” I tacked on, while also eyeballing some fabric covering that looks hand-stitched. “I want you to meet Youssef, who has told me so many wonderful things about Segou.” “Optimistic, courageous, instinctively trusting,” my mind assessed. The perceptive part of my personality was intaking data like a mobile forensic lab.

I remember books and magazines in Bonnie's home, specifically Nowhere Child and Gourmet magazine. I noticed Nowhere Child, since Bonnie penned it herself. Eager to ask about this, I sensed a sad complicated story beyond even the words said. Someone kidnapped her child? “Who does that? How did she get trough that?” I wondered if it was easier to leave the world that did that to you, compared to mine, which seemed only to hold promise. And then, that beacon of light: Gourmet magazine. I learned of Bonnie's connections and guessed at how fast-paced and glamorous her life must have been. But New Yorkers seemed the complete opposite of Bonnie. Maybe that made it easier to find her "people" somewhere else in the world instead of the tribe she was born into.

Bonnie and I chatted some more, and then I continued to stop by when I could. Heck, I was just trying to figure out this chica, who, by now, could have been drinking free margaritas at ubiquitous ladies’ nites, going to beaches with swimming advisories instead of to slow-moving rivers with schistosomiasis, watching movies the day they come out with real fake buttery popcorn, reconnecting with friends and family, going to grad school and living mosquito-free, was checking out (yet another) place in Africa she has never seen before on her own dime. Not only that, she was asking about women’s craft groups—super-cool—and was growing enough basil (she says “bah-sil”) to start a pesto business but gave away this green gold and was never, ever sitting down when I paid surprise visits (quite common as there were no phones at our places.) 

At the time, I don’t think I really understood what Bonnie had set out to accomplish, especially in Mali. Looking back, she must have had to make some decisions in order to leave New York and to see the various ways people lived. Bonnie, I imagine, sometimes had to turn away from her tribe-presumably white expatriates-to stay true to her adopted global tribe, other sweet singular people in the world trying to uphold a standard of discovery, creative energy, perseverance and humility. 

Writers do seem to need to shape parts of the world through their eyes and hands to pen and paper. We readers are rewarded with a memoir, 41 recipes and the knowledge of how Bonnie did her utmost to change others' lives as well as her own. 

Enjoy these recipes from Bonnie's book:

Porcupine Meatballs

1-1/2  pounds ground sirloin beef

½ cup fresh bread crumbs

1 large egg

½  teaspoon salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

½ cup finely chopped onion

1 large clove garlic, minced

¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1 quart tomato juice (or V8)

 

Combine all ingredients (except juice).  Roll into 2-inch diameter meatballs.  Place in heavy pot or pressure cooker.  Cover with tomato juice or V8.  Cover pot and simmer 45 minutes (or cook 10 minutes in pressure cooker).  Correct seasoning and serve.  Makes about 4 servings.   

Easy, Low-Fat Risotto

(adapted from Barbara Kafka’s Microwave Gourmet Healthstyle Cookbook)

½ cup finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup Arborio (Italian short-grain) rice

3 cups homemade chicken stock

       or canned chicken broth

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (optional)

In a 3-quart microwaveable casserole, combine the chopped onion and butter.  Cover loosely and cook on high 2 to 3 minutes, until the onions are tender.  Add rice and stir well.

Stir in broth.  Cook, uncovered, for 9 minutes.  Stir and cook for 9 to 11 minutes more, or until rice is al dente.  Remove from oven.  Add cheese and herbs, if desired. 

Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for 5 minutes, or until rice absorbs excess liquid.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serves 4 as a first course, 6 as a side dish.

For more recipes and many excerpts from Crocodile memoir: http://peacecorpsworldwide.org/cooking-crocodiles/

Celebrate Spring! 

 Smoking food indoors, fish & parfaits and natural egg dyes

 

In the D.C. area, it has been pretty mild but not necessarily grilling weather. Here's a way to enjoy some smoked foods.

Smoke & Mirrors

Can't get outside but want to enjoy smoky-flavored foods?
Wish-list gadget: Cameron Stovetop smoker

Product I have tried:
Oven smoker bags. Food is smoky, moist and delicious! Process is easy and mess-free.

Fishing for new recipes?

For those who eat fish on Fridays for Lent or just want new ideas, the smoked bags are great for fish.
Here are some fish recipes for those who need some inspiration:

 

This is a variation of the green curry fish I made for Valentine's Day. I used cod and Thai green curry paste (just a dash, since it is hot! with a dash of soy sauce. I served it with coconut-lemongrass rice made in the rice cooker. Instead of cilantro in the recipe I used kaffir lime leaves (or lime zest) and lemongrass.
 

France's celebrated salade niçoise-from Nice (pronounced "niece").

And a Buffalo Shrimp recipe for good measure.

Parfaits? Parfait!
With Spring around the corner but some great fresh seasonal fruit like berries a long way away, consider the parfaits, fools, and panna cottas to bring fruit flavor without being the star of the show.

Serve make-ahead desserts in beautiful glass bowls. Layer with dried fruit, crumbled cookies, cubed cake, or nuts. This "fool-proof" recipe includes many inspiring variations.


Banana Pudding is a great dessert after the great citrus but before the summer bounty. Make sure you toast the vanilla wafers with butter, sugar and cinnamon. Amazing!

 Maria Helm Sinskey, who blogs on Williams-Sonoma.com, has helped create something a little extra special: naturally dyed Easter eggs.  Enjoy her blog entry below!

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These jewel-colored eggs are so beautiful we often have egg dying get-togethers with our friends and their kids to make them. And you don’t have to rely on commercial products to create them, either. Your refrigerator and pantry hold a cornucopia of fruits, vegetables, and spices that can be turned into a rainbow of distinctive dyes.

You will need patience to produce intensely colored eggs with natural dyes, however. They act more slowly than commercial products, so you need to drop the eggs into the dye and then find an activity to keep everyone busy while the egg shells absorb the color. The first time we made these, my daughters couldn’t resist hanging over the bowls of dye and rolling the eggs around, so their hands ended up as dyed as the eggs.

Creating Natural Dyes:

Robin’s Egg Blue

• 2 cups (6 oz./185 g.) coarsely chopped red cabbage
• 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Vivid Pink

• 2 large beets, peeled and shredded
• 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Tropical Orange

• 2 cups (1 oz./30 g.) loosely packed yellow onion skins
• 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Spicy Yellow

• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• a big pinch of saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

For blue, pink, orange, or yellow, combine the ingredients along with 4 cups (32 fl. oz.) water in a pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes to extract the color and reduce the liquid. Let cool and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Add cold water to bring the total to 3 cups (24 fl. oz./ 750 ml.), if necessary.

Deep Purple

• 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml.) thawed frozen Concord grape juice concentrate
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 3 cups (24 fl. oz./750 ml.) water

For purple, simply stir the ingredients together in a bowl.

The Equipment You’ll Need:

• 2 dozen large, white, organic eggs
• a large pot
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• natural dyes
• as many bowls as you have different dyes
• newspapers
• old clothes to wear
• 2 empty egg cartons
• slotted spoons
• white wax birthday candles and/or crayons

 DYEING EASTER EGGS

Step 1: Boil the Eggs Place the eggs in the pot with 4 quarts cold water and add the vinegar. Set a timer for 16 minutes. Bring the eggs to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the timer goes off. Remove from the heat, let rest 5 minutes, drain, let the eggs sit in cold water 10 minutes, then drain.

Step 2: Get Ready! Make the dyes as directed above, then pour each dye into its own bowl. Protect the work surface with newspapers, and make sure everyone wears old clothes—natural dyes stain, too. Line up the bowls on the work surface, and place the empty egg cartons nearby.

Step 3: Draw on Your Eggs Use a white wax birthday candle to mark the egg anywhere you don’t want the dye to stick. Write a name or draw a zigzag and it will remain white when you dye the egg. Use crayons if you want a color other than white.

Step 4: Dye Your Eggs
Place the eggs in the dyes until they are a hue you like, usually 20–30 minutes. Using the slotted spoons, lift the eggs out of the dye and place them in the egg cartons. Allow the eggs to sit until dry, about 1 hour, before handling.

Gift ideas for coquettish gourmands (like me!)

Know anyone like me? Here are some gifts I KNOW will be well-received!

Williams-Sonoma is having a pretty good sale through this coming Monday, December 12: between 10% and 30% off, with free shipping. If you spend $200, you would save at least $50. While not the best sale ever, W-S rarely has this kind of discount.

Donations to Ecova-Mali, which helps Malian farmers gain access to small loans, grants and other opportunities. The farmers have a  100% payback rate so far!

Peace Corps memoir-with recipes!!-from the comfort of your own home (not the discomfort of Gabon). I am lucky to count Bonnie, a fellow returned Peace Corps volunteer and fellow Taurean "foodonista," as a friend. Her memoir, How to Cook a Crocodile is so engrossing and well-written, I keep trying to read it in every spare moment. I will post a review on the blog when I'm done.

Carol's Daughter is on hsn.com and has a Limited Edition Vanilla Truffle and other gift sets that differ from Carol's Daughter's site. My staples are hair milk, mimosa hair honey and black vanilla leave-in conditioner. Balkissa now wants her hair washed so she can use Lisa's Princess and the Frog shampoo.

Fair-Trade handicrafts from around the world from National Geographic's Novica website. Thailand jewelry, especially earrings from Busarin, are so lovely.

A lip stain pen from Ulta. I love the deep colors that go beyond bright pink and purple. The deep, muted colors look really good on darker skin. Unlike Lorac's roller ball liquid, these pens are much neater and look natural on cheeks. Doe-eyed eye liner from Sephora is a great way to get precise, stay-put color. Great for oily skin! Black and green are the best, I think.

A wine aerator that attaches to the bottle spout. This gadget, along with the pricier pour-through aerator, enhance the flavors of wine. Also, try the Splendid Table's store (my favorite radio show) for ideas.

A gift for your little princess (or prince!) from Twinkling Tees, which features custom names "crystallized" or decal-ed onto a shirt. Alert: you may not want your little one around when your peruse this site for the first time. Dangerously cute!

Lane Bryant's Cacique brand often has great sales on their lingerie for curvy ladies.

Beautiful, relaxing, yet uplifting music--Anouar Brahem (Tunisian oud master) and Seraphic Fire (Claudio Monteverdi's vespers) can be found on iTunes. Reginald Cyntje's Freedom's Children is on CD Baby. Reginald combines jazz master artistry with sparkling rhythms from his island heritage.

Happy Holidays!