Grownups' Mocha Hot Chocolate

This is a grownup's kind of hot chocolate, full of cream and whiskey and other good things. It's great on ice or heated. At Christmas, we all walked out to my dad's pole barn, which used to house his collection of antique tractors, but now holds all his O-scale train tracks. I think we all become kids again when we play with his trains.

This was perfect for sipping by my parent's wood stove after we walked back through the woods and shook off the snow.

Ingredients

1 cup light cream
1 (14 oz.) can evaporated milk
3 tsp instant coffee
1/2 cup chocolate syrup

1 2/3 cups of Irish Whiskey
1 tsp almond extract
Marshmallows (optional)

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and evaporated milk until hot but not bubbly. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Pour into four mugs. Sprinkle with marshmallows, if desired.

Makes 4.

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Candy Cane Lollipops

On Thursday, I was going to my friend's holiday cookie exchange, and I really wanted to do something different this year. Twenty or thirty ladies get together for this party, all wonderful cooks and creative women, so these cute little lollipops were the perfect thing to bring.

I didn't know that if you put mini candy canes into a warm oven for a few minutes, they soften enough to mold around lolly sticks. It turns out there is about a ten-second window between "softened enough to mold" and "melted into a flat red-and-white blob".

It took us quite a while to figure out the correct moment to pull them out of the oven. What I can tell you is that candy canes vary in softness so that temperatures and times are just suggestions. Try testing one or two first so that you don't ruin an entire pan (or two) and have to run back to the store for replacement candy canes. Yes, we had to do that the other day.

Don't let this intimidate you, though. These are super easy to make and I got SO many compliments at the cookie party.

Ingredients

32 mini candy canes
16 6-inch lollipop sticks
12 oz almond bark or white chocolate chips
3-4 drops peppermint oil
Christmas-colored candy sprinkles

Directions

Heat the oven to 235 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange pairs of candy canes into a heart shape, leaving room underneath each one to insert the stick after they come out of the oven.

Heat the candy canes for 4-7 minutes, until just soft enough to press a stick into each heart. We noticed that our canes developed little candy bubbles along the surface at just the right moment.

Slide the parchment and candy onto a counter and quickly press the lollipop sticks upward into the curved center of the two canes, then pinch the two bottom edges around the stick. If they don't stick securely, don't worry - the chocolate will hold the whole heart together. Let cool for a few minutes.

On the stove over low heat, or in the microwave, heat the almond bark or white chocolate until melted smooth, stirring frequently. If you heat it too long, it will become grainy with sugar crystals; just stir in a bit of coconut oil or shortening and beat it until smooth. Stir in the peppermint oil. Spoon a little chocolate into the center of each heart, then decorate with the candy sprinkles. Let the chocolate harden before serving.

Makes 16 lollipops.

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Risotto Milanese (Saffron Risotto)

Joe taught me how to cook risotto, which is a much different technique than cooking rice. You put rice and water and seasonings into a pan and simmer it for 20 minutes or so, then fluff it up at the end. Risotto is cooked with small amounts of liquid stirred in here and there while the short fat grains become tender and creamy in the sauce.

This risotto with saffron (ground or in threads) is perhaps the most classic preparation. I intended to look up the reason why this recipe is called Milan-style and why it uses saffron and onion together. But Thursday I had a photo shoot on Chicago L trains and a French small plates cooking demonstration.

Commuter on the Skokie Swift

L train pulling into the Merchandise Mart stop

Waiting for the L, Chicago

Train platform stairs, Chicago

This weekend we cooked Thanksgiving casseroles to freeze for a busy holiday week, then made pretzel bread and cheddar-beer fondue soup (recipe to come). Sunday we were at church all morning, attended a meet & greet with our new pastor and had a long worship band rehearsal, then created a slide show of charities we helped for the Thrivent Chapter Board annual dinner that night, and came home late.

I'm not complaining a bit. I love this kind of busy - the kind with lots of good food and great company and a long rainy Saturday cooking companionably with my love. Actually, we're lucky this recipe was written this weekend at all. I bet the Milanese would love the risotto Joe cooked Friday night, though I still don't know why they prepare it this way.

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup onion, minced
6 cups hot chicken broth
2 cups Arborio rice
1/4 tsp ground saffron
1 cup grated Romano cheese
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Melt together the butter and oil at medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion and salt and saute until tender. Add the rice and saute until white and covered with oil, about 2 minutes.

Slowly stir in 1/2 cup broth, allowing the rice to start to absorb the broth and thicken it. Stir in the saffron.
Continue adding the hot broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until the broth thickens before adding the next 1/2 cup. After 5 1/2 cups of broth are absorbed by the rice, taste for tenderness. If rice is still hard, continue stirring and add the rest of the liquid. The risotto is ready when the grains are tender on the outside with a small firm al dente core.

When the rice is ready, stir in half the Romano cheese and the parsley. Divide into 6 portions and top with the remaining cheese.

Serves 6.

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Creamy Baked Leeks

This baked leek casserole reminds me of the creamed onions that were always on my grandma's table at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Joe is sensitive to large amounts of onions, so he enjoys the milder onion-asparagus taste of leeks much better. This is a quick and easy side dish, that comes together in about half an hour.

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
Dash hot sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 medium leeks, tough green leaves removed and halved lengthwise

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with oil.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then whisk in the flour. Gradually stir in the milk and then the cheese until melted. Season with garlic powder, mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the leeks in a single layer on the pan. Pour the cheese sauce over the leeks. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, until leeks are tender and sauce is bubbly.

Serves 4.

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Smoked Cheese-Stuffed Eggplant Rolls (Involtini di Melanzane)

Eggplants have that hearty, meaty texture of some kinds of mushrooms. This is one reason why they are beloved by vegetarians. Cheese-stuffed eggplant rolls are wonderful for a meatless Monday, especially when a friend has just given you beautiful, shiny lavender eggplants from her garden. If you don't have eggplant, a similar dish can be made from other long summer squashes like zucchini.

The creamy smoked of the cheese is the highlight of this dish. We urge you to splurge on some really good melty high-quality kind if you can afford it. The rest of the recipe is really inexpensive, and you are worth it.

Try pronouncing this in-vole-TEE-nee dee may-lon-ZAH-nee. Melanzane is the Italian word for eggplant.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 20-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp capers
1 large eggplant (a long, thin one works best for this recipe)
1/2 pound smoked provolone, gouda, or scamorza cheese, sliced sandwich-thin
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Directions

Take the cheese out of the fridge and let it warm to room temperature.

Heat the oil in a saucepan until wavy. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Add the oinon and red bell pepper and saute for 2 or 3 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the garlic and saute 2 more minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Stir in the thyme, salt, and capers, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is ready to be stuffed.

Cut off the top of the eggplant. Slice it lengthwise into 1/4 thick strips. On a medium grill, cook the eggplant for several minutes on each side, or until the eggplant is tender and pliable.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x11 casserole pan.

Lay an eggplant slice flat on a cutting board. Place 1/2 slice of cheese on the slice. Rip a basil leaf in half and place each half on the slice. Roll up the slice and place it in the casserole pan. Repeat with each slice. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the rolls. Tear up the remaining cheese and sprinkle over the top.

Bake the casserole for 20-30 minutes,until heated through and bubbly. Serve with a tossed green salad and crusty bread, if desired.

Serves 4-6.

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Sicilian Lemon Chicken

We’ve made this savory lemon chicken dish for a lot of dinner parties, because it’s simple and delicious and serves a crowd well. The original recipe was from Rao’s Restaurant, a famous old Italian place in New York’s East Harlem.

Ingredients

For the Lemon Sauce

2 cups fresh lemon juice (we squeeze from 10-12 fresh lemons, but we'll look the other way if you want to use bottled lemon juice)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

2 1/2 to 3-pound broiling chickens, halved

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp cornstarch

Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

Preheat broiler for 15 minutes. Place chicken halves on a baking pan and broil, turning once, for about 30 minutes until chicken is browned and fully cooked.

Remove chicken and cut each half into about 6 portions. Shake the lemon sauce and pour it over the chicken. Return to the broiler and cook an additional 3 minutes. Turn the pieces over and cook the other sides for 3 more minutes.

Remove from oven and place chicken pieces on a warm serving platter. Pour the lemon juice into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Stir in parsley and cook for 1 minute. Whisk the cornstarch into the warm water and stir into the lemon sauce. Simmer 1-2 more minutes, until slightly thickened. Pour some of the sauce over the chicken and serve the rest in a bowl.

Make sure you serve this with lots of good crusty bread for sopping up all the lemon sauce!

Serves 6-8.

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Fried Sage Leaves (Salvia Fritta)

Thanks to Lawrence Rice for capturing these luscious leaves. :)

Just as the last leaves fall and the first snows start, a sage bush in the herb garden is still pumping out leaves. That's probably why sage is such a traditional part of Thanksgiving seasonings. In Tuscany, we found that they're in love with sage, too. We swooned over a small side dish of fried sage leaves that accompanied a rosemary-scented porterhouse steak. Now we're fried-sage evangelists.

Sage is a powerful herb, but the light crust and quick frying transforms the leaves into a mellow crispy treat, kind of like a flavored potato chip. These are wonderful alongside any kind of meat, or as a good snack or appetizer. You might find yourself whipping up a batch to sprinkle over a vegetable or grain dish, too.

Actually, we have trouble getting them to the table, since we like to munch on them while we're putting the finishing touches on dinner. Yes, they're that good.

Ingredients

24 large fresh sage leaves

1 egg

2 tbsp water

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt, plus more for sprinkling before serving

Vegetable oil for frying

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Rinse the sage leaves and pat them dry with paper towels.

Whisk together the egg and water in a shallow bowl. In a plate, stir together the flour and salt. Layer a platter with paper towels to drain the cooked leaves. 

Pour about 1 inch of oil into a large frying pan and heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Working quickly in small batches, dip the leaves into the egg mixture, let the excess drain off, then dip them into the flour and shake off the excess. Drop them into the oil and cook until barely golden - do not let them brown, as this will make them taste bitter.

Drain the cooked leaves on the paper toweling, and set the platter in the oven to keep them warm while you finish the rest of the leaves. 

Sprinkle with salt before serving.

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Pork Tenderloin with Date and Cilantro Relish

Joe found a luscious loin rib roast for $1.49 a pound, and we cut it into several pieces to last a few meals. I don't know about you, but we don't find deals like this very often. The sweet/savory fruit relish was perfect; lush and flavorful and special enough for Christmas dinner. If you use a tenderloin, it's also quick to make, since the meat only needs to roast a short time to keep it tender and juicy.

Ingredients

2/3 cup dates, finely chopped
3 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp sage
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped, plus whole leaves for serving
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp garlic powder

Directions

Whisk together dates, orange juice, sage, cilantro, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Set aside.

If you're cooking a tenderloin, heat the oven to 425 degrees. If you have a bigger, thicker rib roast, you'll want to cook it at 350 for a longer time.

Heat the last tbsp of oil in a large ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and garlic all over the roast, then brown it on all sides - about 6 to 8 minutes. 

Place the skillet in the oven and roast the tenderloin at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, or the pork roast at 350 for about an hour. The meat is done when a meat thermometer stuck in the center reads 140 degrees. Remove from oven and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes.

Drain the oil from the pan drippings, then stir the drippings into the fruit relish mixture. Slice the pork, then spoon the date mixture over the top before serving.

Serves 4.

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Watermelon-Feta Salad

This light, fresh salad is easy to whip up and perfect for a Labor Day picnic. You can also add cucumber cut into a one-inch dice, if you like. This is even quicker if you buy precut watermelon and crumbled feta.

Ingredients

6 cups watermelon, cut in 2" cubes

2 cups arugula

2/3 cup feta, crumbled

1/3 cup orange vinaigrette

1 tbsp. fresh basil, snipped

Instructions

Drain the cut watermelon in a colander for 15 minutes so that the salad doesn't become too juicy. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Top with the basil, if desired. Let sit for 15-30 minutes before serving.

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Ranch Crash Baby Potatoes

You might have noticed that Joe and I love potatoes. Really love them! It's a culinary fact that if there's potatoes involved, it's going to be a good dish. And if you add cheese and oil and other good things to the potatoes, it's a guarantee that there will be no leftovers in this house.

Last time I made these cheesy smashed potatoes, I looked for the leftovers that I was SURE were there. I wanted them for breakfast. But it's true that the early bird gets the - well, the potatoes - because Joe had gotten up an hour earlier and they were all gone.

He's notorious for eating odd things for breakfast, so he probably topped them with leftover marinated chicken from the stacks of BBQ chicken pizza I'd made for the homeless shelter. The BBQ chicken was gone too, you see.

Tender new potatoes, or very small ones, are perfect for smashing because they crisp up so well in the last step. If you don't like ranch flavoring, or prefer some other seasoning, add whatever snipped herbs and spices you like.

Ingredients

12-15 baby potatoes (we used 2" round ones from my mom's fall harvest)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 packet powdered Ranch dressing mix

1/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp snipped chives (optional)

Directions

Scrub potatoes, then put them in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender. Drain and allow to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Drizzle a cookie sheet with half the oil. Place the potatoes on the pan, and smash each one with a potato masher or the bottom of a strong cup. The potatoes should be about 1/2 inch thick when completely crushed.

Stir together the salt, pepper, ranch dressing, cheese, and chives. Sprinkle over the tops of the potatoes, then drizzle with the rest of the oil. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until crispy and golden brown.

Serves 4-6.

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Black Bean Mango Salad with Shrimp

A few weeks ago, our friends John and Peg invited us over to dinner and a play down at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. John is a fabulous cook who was working on a tropical theme - this mango and black bean salad, chicken with mango, papaya, and coconut, and a dessert of chocolate ice cream balls coated in toasted coconut.

John peeled and deveined raw shrimp, marinated them in the lime juice, then grilled them before adding to the salad. We went a less expensive route with frozen precooked tiny shrimp, but if it's in your budget, I'd really recommend cooking the shrimp fresh for the best taste.

Ingredients

For the shrimp:

10-12 oz. cooked salad shrimp
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

1 ripe mango
2 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp finely chopped mint
4 scallions, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Directions

Stir together the shrimp ingredients and let them marinade in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Peel the mango and cut into 1/2" pieces. Saute the shrimp for 2 minutes, then mix into the rest of the ingredients. Let set for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

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Too-Hot-To-Cook Veggie Pizza

This recipe has been around for a while, but it's still an easy favorite for me and my daughter to make together. We first tasted this when a dear friend brought it to a potluck as an appetizer and shared the recipe all around. When Jessie moved into her first apartment and asked for recipes for her favorite foods, I bought her a cookbook and hand-wrote the recipes she loved best, including this one. We recently made this pizza together in her kitchen.

This is an easy dinner to make when it's too hot to cook, because it only requires a few minutes in the oven and then it cools in the fridge.

Cool Veggie Pizza

Ingredients

1 tube of crescent rolls
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
(add any other chopped vegetables that you like)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Unroll the cresecent roll dough and flatten into a greased 9x11 pan, pressing the dough up the sides of the pan and sealing the pre-cut seams between each roll. Bake the dough according to the package directions until golden brown. Allow to cool.

Mix together the cream cheese, mayo, and ranch seasoning. Spread on top of the crust in the pan.  Sprinkle with all the veggies and top with the shredded cheese. Refrigerate before serving.

Serves 4-6

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Poblano Corn Chowder

Sweet corn and peppers are in season right now, and this summer chowder brings them together in creamy goodness. If you don't find poblano peppers, or don't like a little heat, try green or red bell peppers in this chowder.

Ingredients

3 medium poblano peppers
3 ears of corn
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint cremini (baby portabella) mushrooms, sliced
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup sour cream (we like Mexican crema best)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded chihuahua or colby jack cheese
2 tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Directions

Heat a grill to medium temperature. Remove the husks from the corn and lay the cobs on the grill with the poblano peppers. Grill the corn until barely tender and slightly browned, then remove and let cool. Turn up the heat and char the poblano skins on all sides. Place in a paper bag and allow to steam for 30-60 minutes. 

Remove the core and seeds from the peppers and scrape off all the blackened skin, then coarsely chop the poblanos. Cut the kernels off the corn cobs.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and then saute the onion, garlic, and mushrooms until just tender. Add the corn, poblanos, and chicken stock, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the sour cream, salt and pepper, and cheese, and heat on low until the cheese is melted and the soup is heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve topped with cilantro, if desired.  We like corn muffins or corn bread with sweet green chiles with this soup.

Serves 4.

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Triple Berry/Cream Shortcake Bars

Even better than strawberry shortcake!

When we took a cooking course in Tuscany, we learned how to make a traditional apricot tart with the super-fresh and aromatic apricots the villa owners grew on their Agriturismo farm. I still have to write and post that delectable recipe, but I've used the basic shortbread crust for a lot of tarts and dessert bars since then.

The beginning of June is prime strawberry season here in Chicago. When I was growing up in the country, my birthday always had fresh strawberries in it - usually ones I'd picked that morning. The smell of a perfectly ripe strawberry brings me back to those dewy mornings walking barefoot out to the strawberry patch...and my mom brewing fresh jam in the afternoon. Lovely.

Ingredients

For the Crust

1 cup butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp lemon zest

For the Bars

12 oz. light cream cheese
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries (or blackberries, or both!)
1 cup raspberries

1/3 cup Triple Sec liqueur

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Stir together the flour and baking powder. Slowly add it to the butter mixture while mixing. 

Grease a 9x11 baking pan and spread the dough on the bottom of the pan. Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool 15 minutes.

Whip the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar together. Spread over the crust, then top with rows of berries. Drizzle the orange liqueur over the berries. Cut into squares and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 15-18 bars.

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Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad

I've heard that Sweet Tomatoes restaurant makes a potato salad like this. That's a little disappointing because I thought Joe and I made up this recipe. Oh well. I'm extremely picky about potato salad (I really like my own recipe), but changing it up with red potatoes and blue cheese is pretty awesome, too.

If you happen to find some specialty blue potatoes at a Farmer's Market, throw them right in there. You can't get enough of the holiday colors around Independence Day, can you?

Ingredients

2 pounds of small red potatoes (use the new potatoes if you can find them, they are smaller than a golf ball)

1/2 cup chopped red onion

½ cup chopped celery

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp Coleman’s dry mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Wash potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Put them in a covered bowl in the microwave and cook until tender (the mircrowave will preserve more of the pretty red color than if you boil them).

Cool in the refrigerator. Stir together the rest of the ingredients, then mix it into the potatoes. I like to serve my potato salad at room temperature, but if you like it col or you're worried about the mayonnaise problem, chill it until you're ready to serve.

Serves 4-6.

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Kale with Bacon and Pine Nuts

Our very last Iron Chef Bacon Cook Off recipe comes from my friend John, our tattooed and Harley-riding church consultant friend who loves his food creation time as a meditative, relaxing practice. We've enjoyed many of his fabulous dishes over the years. This wilted kale salad has all the good benefits of leafy greens, along with buttery pine nuts and of course, good-quality bacon.

This dish can be whipped up quickly and is great for a side dish or a main-meal salad.

Ingredients

1 very large bunch of kale, mustard greens, or other leafy greens, stemmed and washed
8 strips of bacon
1/2 cup chopped green onion
3/4 cups pine nuts
1 small lemon

Instructions

Toast the pine nuts over medium heat in a dry skillet. Be careful not to burn. In a large pot, fry the bacon, remove and let cool on paper towel. When cool, crumble. Save the bacon grease.

Cook the green onion in bacon grease until soft. Add kale to pot; it may not all fit at first. Add 3/4 cup water. Put lid on pot to wilt the kale. Stir/toss occasionally. Add additional kale until all is wilted. Add bacon and toasted pine nuts and toss. Squeeze the juice of 1 small lemon. Toss before serving.

Serves 4.

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Cajun Bay Scallops with Zucchini Noodles and Potato puree

2 pounds small (5-inch-long) zucchini
1 pound russet potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbsp oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups chicken broth
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp Creole seasoning (we like Emeril's Essence)
2 cups bay scallops
1/2 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup corn kernels
1 tsp parsley (optional)


PREPARATION

If you have one of those gadgets that turns vegetables into noodles, use it on this zucchini. Otherwise, use your vegetable peeler to make thick linguini-like ribbons, or use a mandoline to cut the vegetable into julienne strips.

Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Heat half the oil in a large pot, then saute the onion until tender. Add the garlic,and  potatoes and cook 2 minutes more. Pour the broth over it all. Bring to a boil and cook 20 minutes or until tender.

Pour half of the vegetable mixture into a food processor or blender (more or less, depending on your appliance size) and puree until smooth. Pour back into the pot and stir in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Keep hot. You can make this part ahead of time if you like.

Bring a pot of water to boiling and then add the zucchini "noodles" and corn. Cook for about 30 seconds or until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking.

Sear the Creole seasoning, scallops, zucchini noodles, and corn in the rest of the oil, shaking regularly for 2 minutes, or until the scallops are just cooked through. To serve, pour the vegetable puree into individual dishes and top with zucchini noodles, corn, and scallops. Drizzle with the half-and-half, then sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Serves 6.

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Paul's Pork Wontons

This easy recipe for pork wontons is one that my step dad Paul learned when he was teaching agricultural methods in Vietnam during the war. My mom calls them "little porkies".

In this photo, Paul is grilling with his brother in my parents' annual family barbecue, the August Corn Fest. They set up big tables and chairs on the back acre that was once used as an animal paddock, and grill up a couple hundred ears of corn picked from their fields. He's a good griller as well as a cook.

The wontons in the picture below have been steamed. They can be fried, steamed, boiled in soups, or whatever else your imagination suggests. Here is my Dad's recipe.

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground Pork
1/2 cup green onions, diced

2 tsp ground ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced
Won Ton Skins
Hot Chinese Mustard

Teriyaki or Soy Sauce

Directions

I take a pound of ground pork and cut into 4 sections. This gives us about 12 to 14 pieces per section. Mix diced green onions, ginger, and garlic into the pork.

Take one wonton skin and wet one side with water, place a dash of ground pork on the center of the wet won ton (amount of pork is determined by you) and then fold the wonton and seal. Place on plate to deep fry later.

The original process calls for rice paper instead of wonton skins. Rice paper comes dry but need to be moistened with water so it can be rolled with ground pork in it.

Deep fry the wonton skins with the pork. I use a skillet with frying oil. Caution: warm oil slowly and do not over heat or the little porkies will come out dark brown and raw inside (that’s a no-no). When lightly brown and floating on the oil, turn them over to cook on the other side for about the same time.

Mix to taste, teriyaki or soy sauce with Chinese Hot Mustard. Dip deep fried wontons into the sauce and enjoy. We serve the cooked won tons with a vegetable stir fry over rice. 

Note: The original sauce is fish sauce with nothing added.

Serves 4.

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Plátanos Maduros (Sweet Fried Plantains)

My first mother-in-law was a Mexican immigrant. After I married her son, we moved into Mama Nona's house to save money to buy our own house.

I was twenty years old, and I’d lived on a farm in Michigan for most of my life. Growing up, the only Latinos I’d ever seen were the migrant workers who whistled at us from the back of a flatbed truck when they rode down our dirt road. When I moved into Mama Nona’s home in Waukegan Illinois, I was totally immersed in Mexican culture.

Mama Nona was born in Mexico in the 1920s. For the last thirty years she had lived in a rotting old house at the edge of a ravine that gangsters called “Death Valley”. Ray was the only one of her twelve children who was born in the United States.

Because Ray was the youngest, I was closest to his high school-age nieces and nephews. Work was strictly regulated between men and women, and Ramona, Maribel, Rosie, and Marijenia  squeezed into Mama Nona's steaming kitchen to cook with their mothers. One of the first recipes I learned was plátanos maduros, Ray's favorite dessert dish or side dish. Even though women were supposed to do all the cooking, Ray and I competed to see who could make the best plate of fried plantains.

At a party last weekend, a friend was reminiscing about the wonderful mofongo he ate in Puerto Rico. Mofongo is a dish made with unripe plaintains and has a consistency and use similar to mashed potatoes. Talking about mofongo led me to a craving for plátanos maduros (which are made throughout the Caribbean and Latin America), so I made them for breakfast one day this week. They were as good as I remembered.

If you don't have cholesterol problems, I would highly recommend using Latino crema instead of sour cream. Crema has the consistency of yogurt and is much less sour and much more creamy. It's amazing stuff but probably not as good for you.

Plátanos Maduros

 Ingredients

 4 large ripe plantains (skins should be mostly black mottled with dark yellow; fruit should be slightly soft)
1/2 cup Canola or Corn oil
1 cup crema or sour cream at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions

Peel the plantains. I find it easiest to cut a line in the tough skin from top to bottom, and peel from there; plantains don't peel as easily as bananas. Cut the plantains into 1/2" slices.

Heat a frying pan on medium heat and then add oil. When the oil is hot, fry the plantain slices on each side until golden brown and tender, turning as needed. Don't crowd the plantains in the pan; cook in batches if they all don't fit. Drain the slices on paper towels.

Place plantains on a warmed plate and drizzle with crema or sour cream. Sprinkle with sugar (and cinnamon, if desired). Serve immediately. A lot of Latinos like it as a side dish without crema or sugar, just a squirt of lime or a bit of salt. I'm going to try drizzling them with honey next time.

Serves 2-4.

Mama Nona in Mexico, 1940s

You can read more about my experiences living in a Mexican household in Scenes from a Mexican Kitchen and Life and Times of a Little Gringa.

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Rouladen - German Stuffed Beef Rolls

This is a classic German recipe that I learned from an American family that lived in Germany for some time. The first version is their rather Americanized (but still delicious) version.

The second recipe is a more authentic German version; we learned it at a German cooking class at the DANK Haus - the German-American Cultural Center in Chicago.

These beef rolls can be served with German spaetzle, egg noodles, dumplings, or mashed potatoes.

Version #1

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds round or flank steak
German stone ground mustard, to taste
1/2 pound thick sliced bacon
2 large onions, chopped
1 (16 ounce) jar tiny dill pickles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions

1. Cut the flank steak into thin filets; about 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches wide. Generously spread one side of each filet with mustard to taste.
2. Place bacon and pickle on each filet and form into a roll. Use string or toothpicks to hold the roll together.
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Brown the rolls on all sides.
4. Place rolls into a crock pot and add the chopped onions. Pour the mushroom soup and 1/2 can of water over the rolls.
5. Simmer for four hours, or until tender.
6. After removing the beef rolls, make a gravy by stirring the sour cream into the soup mixture. Serve the rolls with the gravy on the side.

Version #2

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds flank steak
German stone ground mustard, to taste
1/2 pound thick sliced bacon
2 large onions, sliced
1 (16 ounce) jar dill pickle slices
2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup sour cream

Instructions

1. Cut the flank steak into thin filets; about 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches wide. Generously spread one side of each filet with mustard to taste.
2. Place bacon, onions and pickle slices on each filet and form into a roll. Use string or toothpicks to hold the roll together. 
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Place the rolls in the butter and saute until browned.
4. Pour in beef stock and wine and stir.
5. Simmer the rolls for at least an hour.
6. After removing the beef rolls, stir in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and bring to a boil, stirring the liquid until thickened. Serve gravy over the rolls or on the side.

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Grilled Fish Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Joe has had a special place in his heart for fish tacos ever since a trip to Mexico over New Years' Eve week of 2000, right when everyone thought the world was going to end.

He was meeting a longtime group of friends in Puerto Vallarta, but came down a day early. He loves to travel without plans and reservations and lets the day take him where it will. A helpful cabbie found him a pleasant room for the night and he wandered around those beautiful colonial streets all afternoon. Dinner was the best tacos he ever had, right from a street vendor who grilled bass straight out of the bay and served it on tortillas his wife made that morning. He watched the sun slipping down over the water in golden flakes.

Things were much less tranquil the next day when his hard-partying friends arrived and swarmed the resort on the beach. That song "My Name Is Joe" was huge then, and in the nighttime beach bash with fireworks bursting overhead, they played it over and over, crowd pointing to Joe, who does sort of stand out in a crowd.

"What's my name? My Name is JOE!" they shouted, making a circle around him, pouring the drinks and dancing in the waves.

People kept asking him if he owned the resort, but he just said his name was Joe.

Ingredients

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup tomato, chopped
2/3 cup corn kernels
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp minced serrano pepper (or 2 tsp minced jalapeno)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt

Stir together all ingredients, and serve at room temperature.

Fish Marinade 

1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp grated orange peel
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Grilled Fish Tacos

1 lb. tender fish fillets (we use pollock, tilapia, bass, or swai, but use your favorite)
2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
Juice of 2 limes
1 cup crumbled Mexican farmers' cheese (queso fresco)
12 corn tortillas

Directions

Whisk together marinade ingredients and pour over fish fillets. Marinate at least 2 hours, but as long as overnight.

Sprinkle the lime juice over the cabbage and toss to coat. Grill the fish on a medium-hot grill, liberally basting with the marinade. Turn the fish at least once during grilling. The fish is done when the flesh flakes when pierced with a fork. Chop the fish into bite-sized pieces.

Heat the tortillas on a dry griddle. Flip them and heat the other side when air bubbles start to form or the top side gets a little puffy. The tortillas are done when you can fold an edge in half and it does not crease or break. Wrap the warm tortillas in a kitchen towel.

Serve the fish with sides of black bean salsa, cabbage, tortillas, and cheese, and let each person build their own tacos.

Serves 4-6.

 

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