Fresh Soft Breadsticks

Serve breadsticks in a unique glass

This is mostly a passive recipe that requires a few minutes of your attention at the start and finish and rewards you with a batch of warm breadsticks.  Sprinkled with some grated Parmesan cheese, they make a simple soup or spaghetti dinner special or a nice coffee treat when dredged in a bit of cinnamon sugar.  Topped with some coarse salt, they will remind you of soft pretzels.  Serve them at a cocktail party with a honey-mustard sauce.  If you have never worked with yeast doughs, this is a good starter recipe. 

Soft Breadsticks Dough
Makes about 36 breadsticks

Ingredients
1 cup water, 100-110˚F
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 packet)
large pinch of sugar
3 cups bread flour
optional toppings: grated Parmesan cheese, cinnamon sugar or coarse salt

Method

1. Start dough up to an hour and a half before you want to serve bread sticks.  Add 1 cup of water, 100-110˚F, to a large bowl.  Sprinkle yeast and sugar over water and stir lightly.  Let mixture sit for 5 minutes to allow yeast to bloom.  If you do not see a bloom cap forming over water within 8 minutes, your yeast may be old.  You will need to start again with fresh yeast.
2. When yeast has bloomed, stir in 2 cups of flour.  Turn a wooden spoon upside down to use the handle as a good mixer.  
3. When flour is incorporated, turn dough onto a floured board and begin to need, adding the last cup of flour in as you go.  On drier days, not all the flour will be required.  Knead dough for 8 minutes, until dough is elastic and no longer sticky.  Don’t worry too much if you are new to the process and not sure of the texture.   This is a very forgiving dough. 
4. Place dough in a medium bowl that has been lightly oiled.  Cover with a dish towel and place in a non-drafty spot at least 70˚K (near the stove works well).  Let dough rise 50 minutes, until doubled in size.
5. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
6. Punch down dough and let rest 15 minutes.  This will make the dough easier to roll out.  On a floured counter tip or board, roll out dough to into a large rectangle about 12” X 16”.  
7. Cut dough in strips about 1/2 inch wide to make 32 strips.  Twist the strips and fold them in half so that the two ends twist around each other or leave them long for a dramatic effect.  Lay each strip on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.  
8. For breadsticks, brush strips with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese before baking. For cinnamon sticks, brush with melted butter and cover with cinnamon sugar (2 parts sugar to 1 part cinnamon) before baking. For soft “pretzels,” brush with water and baking soda (dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a 1/4 cup water) and sprinkle with coarse salt before baking.  
9. Bake at 400˚F for 15 minutes, until nicely browned.  Remove from pan and cool just a few minutes before serving. 

Leftover breadsticks don’t keep well.  If you have leftovers or want to make a batch ahead, store them in the freezer and reheat them uncovered in a oven or toaster oven at medium temperature (300-350˚F) or about 10 minutes.

No Apologies Chocolate Mousse

At least once in your lifetime, eat like Julia Child.  Start by enjoying a real dessert.  If you are not allergic to eggs, make that dessert chocolate mousse topped with a dollop of real whipped cream.  Leave behind the store bought cookies, the mixes and the processed bars for one night and indulge in the real deal.  The trade up will leave you satisfied and possibly with fewer calories than a typical night’s indulgence as a result. 

Chocolate mousse is easy to make- very elemental- whipped cream, eggs and chocolate mixed with real butter and sugar.  Not only is it a simple pudding served with fruit and whipped cream, it also makes a wonderful cake frosting and can be frozen for later use (or strictly measured consumption).

I’ve made many versions of chocolate mousse but none is easier and tastier than the one from Julia Child’s book The Way to Cook (Alfred A. Knopf, 1989).  So with no additions or embellishments, here is her recipe:

Julia Child’s Chocolate Mousse
Serves six

Ingredients
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup strong coffee
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar (process regular granulated sugar briefly in a food processor to get a finer grain)
1 cup heavy cream

Method

1. In the microwave or over the stove, melt the chocolate in the hot coffee.  
2. Remove from heat and beat the softened butter into the chocolate mixture.  
3. Next mix in the egg yolks, one at a time.  
4. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.  Continue beating while adding the sugar to the egg whites a few tablespoons at a time.  
5. n a medium bowl, beat cream until it forms soft peaks of whipped cream (not too stiff).  
6. To combine, pour the chocolate mixture down the side of the bowl of egg whites.  Fold them together using a large flexible spatula to cut down the middle of the egg whites and scoop up chocolate and egg white together.  Egg whites will deflate slightly; be patient, stay calm.  When mixture is almost blended, fold in the whipped cream. 
7. Transfer mousse into a large serving bowl or individual cups (wine glasses make a nice presentation).  Cover and chill mousse for a few hours before serving. 

 Congratulate yourself on mastering something new.  School's out for the day.

Our Blue Plate Special

Individual meatloaves make everyone feel special.  These are chili meatloaves with cheddar cheese melted on top.  Easy variations like this use a basic meatloaf recipe. 

Every few weeks we have the Blue Plate Special for dinner.  Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans says “diner blue plate” to me but a meal this fine that exactly suits our tastes might be hard to find at just any diner. 

Creating a signature meatloaf that your family loves and may even get passed down to the next generation is not that difficult.  Meatloaf is very forgiving and allows much variation once you understand a few ratios.  It is also one of those dishes that will help you recognize and develop your personal taste.

Basic Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup milk- 1 cup total of liquid could also include tomato sauce, wine, ketchup, barbeque sauce,etc
1/2 cup bread crumbs—try fresh bread crumbs or ground instant oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon each thyme, oregano (other herbs to try: sage, thyme, quatre epice, basil)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (also try 1-3 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce, brandy, soy sauce, anchovy paste)
1 1/2 pounds ground meat (beef or turkey sometimes with veal, pork, lamb combinations are common)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients except meat.  Let sit 5 minutes to allow liquid to absorb grains and flavoring.  
3. Add meat and mix quickly but well.  A light hand is useful in meatloaf making.  
4. Place meatloaf in a 9” x 5” loaf pan or form a free-standing loaf and place in a shallow roasting pan.  If covering with bacon or pancetta, wrap meatloaf at this stage.
5. Bake 350˚F for 30-40 minutes, then check temperature and carefully drain excess fat. 
6. If you are adding a topping, drain fat and pour your sauce over the top during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Meatloaf is finished when center of loaf reads 165˚F minimum. 
7. To allow easier slicing, let cooked meatloaf rest at least 10 minutes before cutting. 

Toppings
Tomato based: combine 1 cup plain tomato sauce with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cayenne, ground chipotle chile or paprika.  Spoon over meatloaf. During last 15 minutes of baking.
Meat Gravy based: Retain about 1/4 cup of fat during cooking.  Make a quick roux with 1 tablespoon flour and add 2/3-1 cup beef or chicken broth to create a thick gravy.  Taste for seasoning and add slat and pepper.  Spoon over meatloaf when serving.
Chili Meatloaves: Use a combination of beef, turkey and pork for the ground meat and oatmeal for the grain.  Tomato sauce with cayenne or hot sauce is the liquid and cumin, chipotle chili and oregano plus salt and pepper provide the herbs and spices.  Form individual meatloaves and top with the tomato sauce topping above and thick slices of cheddar cheese the last 10-15 minutes of baking until the cheese has melted. 
  
Signature Meatloaf
Smart tips for creating your signature meatloaf: Test your mixture—combine all flavoring ingredients first using half the salt.  Combine with liquid and bread or grain. Use a small teaspoon to taste the flavor mixture.  If you like what you taste you are on the right track. Add the rest of the salt and the meat.  Mix thoroughly and scoop out a teaspoon-sized patty to cook in microwave (30 seconds on medium) or small frying pan.  When cooked completely through, taste again.  Sometimes more salt is needed or you may find you’d like to add more of one of the herbs.  Remember if you are serving meatloaf cold, a higher degree of seasoning is needed. 

Go Vegetarian
There is a fun website to help you build your own vegetarian loaf.  These loaves will satisfy big appetites and make really good sandwich fillings.  Once you try it a few times you will figure out the way the ratios work and be able to create more recipes without the guide.  http://www.veganlunchbox.com/loaf_studio.html

Beyond Potato Salad

It’s hard to resist good ole’ potato salad but there are some really tasty alternatives if you’ve had it at every summer cook out this year.  Just like potato salad, these salads taste great alongside sandwiches as well as all things grilled.  Try one out at your Labor Day get-together.


Wild Rice Salad
Serves 4-6
Nutty and citrus-infused, this salad is chock full of whole grains tossed with almonds, pumpkin seeds, orange sections, dried fruits and herbs.  Just the right amount of crunch and sweetness.  It goes with hearty sandwiches, grilled pork or burgers.  Add some sliced, grilled chicken to any leftovers for a complete bag lunch the following day.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked wild rice, cooled
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

2 oranges
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 ounces olive oil
1/2 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
Salt and black pepper
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method

1. In a medium-sized serving bowl, toss together rice, cherries, apricots, almonds, pumpkin seeds, parsley and cinnamon.  
2. Zest one orange and add to rice salad.  Peel and cut second orange in sections and add to rice salad. 
3. Make dressing by juicing zested orange. 
4. Mix lemon juice, olive oil and soy sauce into orange juice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  If using red pepper, add at this stage. Pour over rice mixture and toss to coat.  
5. Chill until ready to serve. 

Celeriac Salad
Serves 6
This is a luxurious side salad with a mild mustard flavored sauce.  A great choice alongside fish and seafood.  What is celeriac?  Celery root.  This tastes good with sliced celery too but if you can find celery root it’s a revelation.  The dressing is also nice over pasta salads.


Ingredients

1 celeriac
Juice of half lemon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Peel celeriac with a vegetable peeler.  Cut bulb in half and cut away any roots.  Turn each half onto its cut end and slice thinly.  Separate each half into quarters, turn onto the flat side again and cut slices to create matchsticks.  
2. Place in a medium bowl and toss with lemon juice.  
3. Combine mayonnaise, mustard and olive oil.  
4. Mix dressing with celeriac, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.   
5. Serve Celeriac Remoulade as a side or feature it on a bed of lettuce for a light lunch salad with a bit of bread and cheese.

Spain’s Russian Salad
Don’t even try to figure out the derivation of this salad, just enjoy it.  Theories are divided on why the Spanish named this salad after distant northern neighbors including one involving the use of winter vegetables—potatoes, carrots and peas—as a base.  The cooked vegetables are enrobed in a rich, flavored mayonnaise and sometimes shrimp or tuna, hard-boiled eggs, olives, celery and more are added.  Ample variations make this a good leftovers salad. 

Making your own mayonnaise is a culinary adventure every cook should try at least once but if you are serving this salad to guests who are very young, old or recently ill, stay away from raw eggs. I’ve created a variation that uses safer (and fast) store bought mayonnaise flavored with saffron and green-scented extra virgin olive oil.    Try a Spanish olive oil in this recipe for an authentic Iberian flavor.

Ensalada Rusa
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound thin-skinned potatoes
2 medium carrots
1/3 cup frozen or fresh peas
1/2 cup good quality real mayonnaise
1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Large pinch saffron   (substitute 1/8 teaspoon each turmeric and Spanish paprika)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Optional
1 hard boiled egg
1-2 pimientos (or roasted red peppers) sliced in strips
5-6 green or black olives, sliced or left whole
1 can tuna packed in oil, drained
4-6 steamed shrimp, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup green beans, steamed and cooled
1 teaspoon capers

Method

1. Boil potatoes with skins on until tender.  When potatoes are almost ready, add peeled carrots (whole or cut in half).  
2. If using fresh peas add them to the cooking water during last minutes or two.  When vegetables are tender, drain and cool. (Traditionalists peel the cooked potatoes when cooled; purists may want to leave the skins on.)  If using frozen peas, add them to the drained hot vegetables so that they defrost while the cooked vegetables cool.  
3. Meanwhile make mayonnaise sauce by combining mayonnaise, olive oil, saffron and slat and pepper in a large bowl.  
4. When vegetables are cool, cut them into a large dice.  
5. Toss them plus any additional ingredients you are using with mayonnaise sauce.  
6. Cover and chill at least 2 ours before serving.  You may also make the base salad and add your extra ingredients as garnishes placed on the potatoes to form geometric patterns.

Pesto Potato Salad
Pesto adds an end of summer glow to potato salad.  Homemade pesto is easy (see June 20, 2010 blog entry) but you can use a pure prepared pesto sauce for this too.  Boil a few extra potatoes for dinner and make this salad from the leftovers the next day.  Cut the cooled potatoes into bite-sized pieces and mix in 1-2 teaspoons of pesto per potato.  Add a little extra virgin olive oil or mayonnaise to thin out the pesto a bit.  This will work on leftover baked or roasted potatoes too.  And you don’t have to wait for this one to cool—it tastes great hot or cold. 

Grilling out should be as easy on the cook as the grill master.  If you divide the tasks, you may have noticed that the day’s sous chef spends too much time indoors.  Instead of spending time in the kitchen preparing the sides, step out and enjoy the fun with everyone else.  These sides can be prepped ahead and given a final toss outdoors, where everyone can lend a hand.