Oysters Rockerfeller 2

Ingredients:

2 dozen large (or 3 to 4 dozen small) oysters, opened and on the half shell
4 medium shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 small stalk celery, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
3/4 cup butter, softened and divided (1 and 1/2 sticks)
2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup soft bread crumbs
1–2 drops Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
Sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp Pernod (or Anisette)

Preparation:


1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Fill 4 pie or cake tins (or a baking dish large enough to hold oysters) with rock salt, but no more than half full (use just enough salt to keep the oysters from rocking back and forth). Place the tins in the oven briefly to warm.

2. Prepare the topping: Saute the shallots, celery, and parsley in 4 tablespoons of butter in a heavy skillet for approximately 5–7 minutes. Add spinach to the skillet and allow it to wilt for a minute.

3. Pour spinach mixture into a blender. Add the remaining butter, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, salt, peppers, and Pernod or Anisette. Blend for a minute at medium speed. Top each oyster with about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of the mixture, depending on the size of the oyster.

4. Remove the tins from the oven and embed the oysters firmly in the hot salt. Return pans to the oven and bake for about 4 minutes, or until the butter is melted and the spinach is lightly browned on top. Serve oysters right in the tin.

KITCHEN COUNTER: Makes 24 oysters (about 4 servings)Recipe from: The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook: Inside the Kitchens, Bars, and Restaurants of Mad Men by Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin

Dark Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

One of my fav cookies is the macaroon. 

Friend Noma gave me this recipe after she had made them for a dinner I attended.  The recipe is from The Shiska site, so they're perfectly kosher and (as published) not so bad on the waistline.   

 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups dried unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 tbsp potato starch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 13 oz. dark chocolate, divided

You will also need:

• 2 baking sheets, parchment paper, Ziploc bag, scissors

Total Time: 1:20 - 8 Hours

Servings: About 36 macaroons

• In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the shredded coconut, potato starch, sugar and salt till well blended. Break up any chunks of potato starch with the fork.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg whites and vanilla till frothy.

Pour the egg white mixture into the dried coconut mixture. Use the fork to stir the batter together, making sure the coconut is fully and evenly moistened by the egg whites. Let the mixture sit for 20-30 minutes while the coconut rehydrates.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Stir the batter again with a fork. Line a baking sheet with parchment or with a Silpat. Scoop up the batter in tablespoonfuls and drop them onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced. They won’t spread, so you can bake them fairly close together.

The batter will be delicate… it won’t “hold” together the way a cookie dough does, but as they bake they’ll stick together and solidify. When you’ve dropped all of the batter onto your baking sheets, use wet fingers to gently shape the macaroons into rough domes or haystacks. Don’t worry, they’re not supposed to be perfect.

Bake the macaroons for 20-25 minutes till the bottom edges turn golden and the tips of the coconut shreds start to brown. Remove from the oven. Don’t over-bake or they will become dry.

Let the macaroons cool directly on the baking sheet before moving them. Trying to move them too soon will cause them to crumble.

When the macaroons have cooled completely, you can dip and decorate them. First, place them on a flat surface lined with parchment paper. Melt 9 oz dark chocolate, either in the microwave or in a double boiler. I melt mine in the microwave at 50% power for 1 minute, stir, then continue to melt in 15 second bursts at 50% power till the chocolate becomes smooth.

Grasp each macaroon at the top and dip the wider base into the melted chocolate, twisting it into the chocolate and coating it about 1/4 inch up the sides.

Pull macaroon up and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl (you may need to "help" the excess off with your finger), then place the dipped macaroon onto the flat parchment. Repeat for remaining macaroons.

When all the macaroons have been dipped, melt the remaining 4 oz dark chocolate and scoop it into a plastic zipper bag (Ziploc). Gently squeeze all of the chocolate to one lower corner of the bag, then close the top of the bag, leaving a small gap so it's not completely sealed shut and air can escape. In the corner where you've pushed the melted chocolate, use scissors to snip a very small corner off of the bag. You'll be able to squeeze a small, thin stream of chocolate through this whole. Drizzle the tops of the macaroons with the chocolate, making a zig-zag motion to decorate.

Once the macaroons have been decorated, allow them to dry. Depending on the weather or temperature in your home, this can take several hours up to overnight. To speed the process, decorate macaroons on a parchment-lined tray and place them in the refrigerator; the chocolate will firm up faster that way.

Once the macaroons are completely dry, store them in a sealed Tupperware container in single layers divided by parchment or wax paper. A sealed container is very important, it will keep the macaroons moist and stop them from drying out. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for 7 days or longer.

Note/Hint:  Recipe lends itself to some variations.  After Noma's Dinner, Friend Edan made this for daughter's birthday: added slivered almonds / used milk chocolate for the dipping / used colored white chocolate coating for the topping.

Falafel Veggie Burger with Feta Yogurt Sauce

 

No, I've not gone vegan.  Everyone knows I like all the transfatty flavor which can be drawn from a dish (as is especially evident by my struggle to keep my girth in check). 
But Friend Noma is a vegitarian.  She made these for Sunday Lunch, and they were terrif!  After getting the link to the recipe from her, I will be whipping these up over the Spring and Summer.

INGREDIENTS:

2 (15 ounce) cans low sodium garbanzo beans, drained

1/3 cup tahini

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup sliced green onions

1 cup packed fresh spinach

1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers

2 garlic cloves minced

1 cup panko

1 large egg

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the fete yogurt sauce:

1/2 cup crumbed feta cheese

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and coat it well with cooking spray or olive oil.
2. In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans, tahini, cilantro, green onions, spinach, red bell peppers, garlic, panko, egg, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, coriander and salt.
3. Pulse until garbanzo beans are smooth, but not overprocessed (some chunks are fine). Transfer mixture to a bowl; shape the mix into 6 equally sized patties, flattening slightly. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, flip with a spatula and bake additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Serve with lettuce, tomato, cucumber slices and feta yogurt sauce.
For the feta yogurt sauce:
5. In a mini food prep, combine feta, Greek yogurt, garlic and lemon juice. Puree until blended.

Blue Cheese Mousse w/ Red Grapes and Walnuts

Ham Glaze Recipes

Pineapple-Apricot Glaze:

Grate the zest of 2 limes; set aside. Squeeze the juice into a saucepan; add 8 thin slices ginger and 2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice. Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Strain, then add the lime zest, 1 cup apricot preserves and 1/4 cup dijon mustard.

Apple-Maple Glaze:

Boil 2 cups apple cider in a saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low; add 1/2 cup each apple jelly and maple syrup, 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard, 1/2 teaspoon allspice and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.