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FeedMarch 2007 OH Recipes
Blood Orange Cocktails
What’s the perfect accompaniment for Undead and Unwed by Hastings novelist MaryJanice Davidson? A drink that attracts vampires and a munchie that repells them, of course. Cocktail recipe from Laura Salyards Fryberger of Minneapolis.Makes 2 cocktails
½ c. citrus-flavored vodka
¼ c. blood orange juice, bottled or
fresh squeezed
1 Tbsp. simple syrup (1 part sugar and 1 part water mixed over medium-low heat in a saucepan)
blood orange slices for garnish, halved
In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, juice, and simple sugar with ice.
Shake well. Strain into a cool martini glass or cocktail glass with ice. Garnish with orange slices.
Roasted Garlic
Cut off tops on whole garlic bulbs. Drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes (until cloves are soft). Squeeze out onto toasted bread points. If you are around other people, bring gum.Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pizza
In The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, Runway magazine’s weight-obsessed staffers graze solely at the salad bar. Among the delectables left untouched: a version of this dish, offered in The Book Club Cookbook.Makes 4 9-inch pizzas; serves 12 as an appetizer
For the pizza dough
2¼ tsp. (1 packet) active dry yeast2 tsp. sugar
1 c. warm water
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
cornmeal and flour (for rolling out the dough)
Toppings
2 cloves garlic, minced½ tsp. salt
4 tsp. fresh oregano or marjoram, minced
½ c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1½ c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, slivered
1 lb. creamy goat cheese
salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
To make the dough:
Dissolve the yeast and 1 tsp. of the sugar in ½ c. warm water. Set aside until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Place the flour, salt, Parmesan, and remaining tsp. sugar in a food processor and pulse until well blended. With the motor running, add the yeast mixture and olive oil. Very slowly pour in additional warm water, if needed, just until the dough forms a single ball that holds together (even a little too much water will produce dough that is too sticky). The dough should hold together when handled, but still be a bit sticky. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead vigorously until smooth and stretchy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer dough to a large oiled bowl and cover with a dampened kitchen towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for one hour. Punch the dough down and allow it to sit an additional 15 minutes.To make the pizza:
Place a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. In a small bowl, gently mash together the minced garlic and salt. Add 2 tsp. of the oregano or marjoram and stir in olive oil. Set aside. Divide the dough into four equal parts and shape into disks. Place a disk of dough on a work surface that has been generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough out into an 8- to 9-inch circle. Using your fingers, stretch the dough farther until it is very thin but not in danger of tearing. Pinch around the edge to produce a raised rim. With an oven mitt or thick potholder, remove the pizza stone or baking pan from the oven and place on a heatproof surface. Sprinkle the stone with cornmeal and lay the prepared crust on top (either lift it gently or use a floured pizza paddle). Brush the dough with the garlic mixture. Spread one-fourth of the onions over the top, cover with one-fourth of the sun-dried tomatoes, and dot with one-fourth of the goat cheese. Sprinkle with remaining tsp. of oregano or marjoram and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, until crust is golden and crisp and cheese is melted. Repeat process for remaining pizzas.From The Book Club Cookbook by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp with permission of Tarcher Books, a member of the Penguin Group, Inc. (USA). Copyright 2004 by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp.
Tandoori Shrimp
In Yann Martel’s novel, Life of Pi, the title character constantly yearns for food from his native India while adrift at sea. This easy-to-eat entrée artfully combines these two literary themes.8 to 10 servings
1½ lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
12 bamboo skewers for grilling
lemon or lime wedges
Marinade
1 Tbsp. ground cumin1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground turmeric
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 c. (8 oz.) nonfat plain yogurt
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
Note: You can substitute 1 tsp. red chili powder, which can be found at Indian groceries, for ½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper. It is bright red and moderately spicy.
Wear plastic or rubber gloves while handling the chiles to protect your skin from the oil in them. Avoid direct contact with your eyes, and wash your hands thoroughly after handling.
Combine all the marinade ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and process until blended into a smooth paste. Transfer to a large, non-reactive bowl. Dry shrimp well with paper towels and toss together with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 3 hours. Soak the bamboo skewers in warm water for at least 20 minutes (this prevents them from burning on the grill). Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. Drain the skewers and remove shrimp from marinade. Thread the shrimp onto parallel skewers in a ladder-like arrangement (this simplifies turning them on the grill). You should get 4 to 5 on each pair of skewers. Leave at least ½ inch of space between shrimp. Brush the grill rack with oil and place the shrimp on the grill. Grill about 2 minutes per side. Do not overcook. Serve immediately with lemon or lime wedges.
From The Book Club Cookbook by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp with permission of Tarcher Books, a member of the Penguin Group, Inc. (USA). Copyright 2004 by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp.
Mini Beef BBQ Burgers with Hand-Cut Garlic Oven Fries
Bayport book club member Pam Hoye developed these recipes when hosting a discussion of Red Meat Cures Cancer by Starbuck O’Dwyer. She made the burgers mini (rather than regular size) to keep conversation flowing.Serves 4 to 8
1 lb. ground beef
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. BBQ sauce
8 small slices cheddar cheese
1 onion, sliced
bread & butter pickles
8 store-bought “dollar” buns, cut in half
Combine beef, salt, pepper, and BBQ sauce. Form into 8 patties. Fry onions and burgers together in a pan, cooking burgers about three minutes on each side. Top burgers with cheese and cover pan for a few minutes until cheese melts. Remove burgers from heat, and continue to fry onions until brown. Assemble each burger with onions and pickles, and top with extra BBQ sauce.
For fries:
3 large baking potatoes2 Tbsp. olive oil
garlic salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel and slice potatoes into thin fries. Soak in ice water for 15 minutes. Dry with a kitchen towel and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with olive oil. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Flip fries and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven, toss with garlic salt and pepper, and serve.
Spicy Lasagna
When hosting her club for the book Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani, St. Paulite Rena Wiltfang-Roepke went Italian for obvious reasons. She whipped up her family’s favorite lasagna recipe, as well as the pine-nut cookies that appear in the book.Serves 8 to 10
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 c. onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lb. fresh Italian sausage
2 tsp. salt
14-oz. can tomatoes
8-oz. can tomato sauce
6-oz. can tomato paste
¾ c. water
½ tsp. basil
½ tsp. oregano
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 to 2 tsp. hot sauce
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 lb. package lasagna noodles
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a Dutch oven or large, heavy saucepan. Add onions and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage. Cook over medium heat until browned. Add salt, tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, basil, oregano, sugar, and parsley flakes. Bring sauce to boil; then simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Add remaining Tbsp. oil while cooking lasagna noodles to prevent them from sticking. Drain, rinse, and cool. In bowl, blend ricotta cheese and egg. In greased 13”-by-9.5” baking pan, arrange alternate layers of sauce, noodles, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese, finishing with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
West African Peanut Stew (Tigadègèna)
Kris Holloway-Bidwell, author of Monique and the Mango Rains, gave us Monique’s traditional peanut stew recipe, adapted for vegetarians. The stew is even better the next day, she says.Serves 6 to 8
2 c. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
4 c. vegetable stock
2 c. tomato juice
½ tsp. cayenne (or to taste)
1 to 1½ c. smooth peanut butter
2 c. cabbage, chopped
2 c. sweet potato, chopped
1 c. okra (if available), chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
scallions, chopped, to garnish
Rice or couscous (this sauce can be served over either)
Heat oil in large skillet and fry onions, garlic, and ginger until soft. Add vegetable stock, tomato juice, and cayenne. When hot, add peanut butter, and mix well. Allow to boil for 10 to 20 minutes to thicken, then add cabbage, sweet potato, and okra. Cook 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add water if the sauce is too thick, peanut butter if too thin. Serve over rice or couscous. Top with scallions.
NOTE: In Mali, the stew would be served in a communal bowl, followed by this blessing: “Allah k’a suma i kònò,” which translates to “May God cool the food in your belly.”
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