Excitement Is In The Air

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Camille

Sweet Bi-Color Corn

Can you feel it?  There is something in the air that is making people giggly and excited.  And just what is all the excitement about?  People are getting ready for that wonderful time of year – CORN SEASON!!!!!  Yes, corn season.  Being from the Midwest, corn was prevalent on our dinner table.  Corn Bread, Creamed Corn, Corn On The Cobb, Polenta, Grits (yes, grits – my dad loved grits) Corn, Corn, Delicious Corn.  Well, maybe I am not that excited.  Being city born and raised, I definitely never picked any corn or even gave it much thought when I was growing up.   But it was a part of our summer diet:  I just ate it and didn’t ask questions.  It was and still is one of my favorite grains.

On a recent trip to Chicago, I stayed with my sister in the country, about 60 miles from the city, and remembered what the Midwest is all about.  Corn!!!  My sister and her husband live in a beautiful community in the middle of corn fields.  The corn is high and just about ready to pick.  So I thought I would get you all ready for that big day, when corn is at it’s best, by sharing a couple of my delicious original corn recipes.  I love corn and two of my favorite ways to enjoy it are Corn Chowder and Corn Pudding.  I just finished making a batch of Corn Chowder using the seasons first harvested corn from the midwest.  There are a lot of varieties of corn but the one I like the best is bi-color corn.  It is super sweet, tender and juicy (milky) with small kernels.  It is so tender that when you eat it right off the cobb it comes off easily and so sweet it is like eating a corn candy bar.

Both of the recipes are incredibly easy but do require a bit of chopping time.  Having all of your mis en plac ready before you begin makes these recipes a cinch.

A couple of hints and tips will help you, so listen up.  The corn chowder recipe has chicken in it but you could easily and, OMG!!!, make it so much more interesting and delicious by using lobster.  There is nothing better than Lobster and Corn Chowder.  If you decide to use lobster, cook the lobster first the way you like to do that task or buy pre-cooked lobster meat.  You can get pre-cooked at almost any seafood store except Whole Foods.  I suggest you heat the lobster in the soup per serving.  Don’t make this big batch and throw 4 cups of lobster in it if you are not going to serve all of the soup at one sitting.  You can even use Maryland Crab Meat or Alaskan King Crab.  You get the idea.

If you use chicken as suggested in the recipe you can use roasted chicken or sauteed chicken breasts, whatever you like to get the amount you need.

The soup freezes extremely well and will keep in the freezer for about a month or even a little longer.

 

Corn and Chicken Chowder

Corn Chowder Garnished with Red Hot Pepper

This recipe is a perfect example of “The Layers of Flavor” I always strive for in my cooking.  You can taste every ingredient in this chowder at one time and you will be able to identify each of them individually.

Using the corn cobbs in the cooking of the chowder gives it the most corn flavor possible.

Makes About 1 Gallon, Enough for 10 Healthy Portions

8        Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

2        Cups Spanish Onions, ¼ Inch Dice

2        Cups Celery, ¼ Inch Dice

2        Cups Carrot, ¼ Inch Dice

6        Cups Fresh Corn off the Cobb (From About 8 Ears, Reserve 4 of the Ears)

4        Cups Russet Potatoes, Peeled and ¼ Inch Dice

1        Jalapeno, Seeded and Finely Minced

1        Tablespoon Coarse Sea Salt

1/2     Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2     Teaspoon Chili Powder

1/2     Teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder

1/2     Teaspoon Chipotle Powder

8        Tablespoons All Purpose Flour

7  Cups Chicken Stock, Heated

2        Cups Heavy Cream

4        Cups Cooked Chicken Breast, ½ Inch Dice

Chopped Scallions and Crème Fraiche for Garnish

 

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, melt the butter over medium high heat.  When butter is hot and foamy add the onion, celery and carrot.  Reduce the heat to medium and sauté the vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion begins to become translucent.  Add the corn, potatoes and the jalapeno and sauté for a few more minutes mixing with the other vegetables to be sure all are covered with the butter.

Add all of the seasonings and toss to coat the vegetables.  Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to coat all of the vegetables with the flour.  Be sure to not let the vegetables get brown.  Cook the flour and vegetable mixture for 2 minutes, stirring continuously, to take the raw flavor of the flour out.

Add the heated chicken stock, stirring continuously, and bring to a rolling boil.  Add the reserved corn cobbs and reduce the heat to simmer and cook the chowder for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chowder begins to thicken and the vegetable are cooked through.

Add the cream and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add the cooked chicken and heat through.  Remove the corn cobbs and discard before serving.

To serve, ladle generous portions into warm bowls.  Top each serving with a dollop of Crème Fraiche and a sprinkle of chopped scallions.

Roasted Corn Pudding

Corn

Roasted Corn Pudding

This recipe has become a staple at our Thanksgiving Feast and it is also really good served at a BBQ.  You can make this a day ahead and reheat it, covered, in a 300 Degree F oven for about 30 minutes.  Test it with a thin bladed knife by inserting it into the middle of the pudding and keeping it there for about 30 seconds.  If the blade comes out warm it will be warm all the way through.

2        Tablespoons Olive or Corn Oil

6        Cups Fresh Corn Cut off the Cobb (From About 8 Ears)

2        Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1        Cup Chopped Scallions

2        Cups Chopped Red Bell Pepper

1        Chopped Jalapeno Seeds and Veins Removed (Optional)

6        Large Eggs

2        Large Egg Yolks

1 ½    Cups Heavy Cream

1 ½    Cups Half and Half

1 ½    Cups Grated Cheddar Cheese

1 ½    Cups Grated Jack Cheese

1        Teaspoon Mild Chili Powder

1        Teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder

1/2     Teaspoon Chipotle Powder

1        Tablespoon Sea Salt

1        Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the inside of Large Baking dish (13x9x3 high) with cooking spray.  Bring a medium large pot of water to boil.

Remove corn kernels from the Cobbs.  Toss with two tablespoons corn or olive oil.  Place on a cookie sheet pan with sides and roast in oven for 10 minutes.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan and sauté onion and peppers over medium-high heat for 4 minutes.  Add chili, ancho and chipotle powders and gently sauté for 1 more minute.  Remove pan from heat and cool slightly.

Whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, heavy cream, and half-and-half in a large bowl.  Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Add the cooked corn, the onion-pepper mixture, grated cheeses and pour into the baking dish.

Place the dish in a larger pan and fill the pan 1/2 way up the sides of the dish with the boiling water.  Bake the pudding for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

I am looking forward to hearing how you liked these recipes.  Your input is very important to me so let me know what your thought about them by commenting on the blog or by e-mailing me at camille@camillecooksforyou.com

(In the posting about the Beer Can Chicken, many of you asked if it can be cooked in the oven instead of the grill.  I made it in the oven on Tuesday and it came out moist and delicious and had really crispy skin.  The only thing that was a little disappointing was we could not taste the beer flavor as we did when I cooked it on the grill.  When I cooked it on the grill the beer flavor was very subtle – not overpowering at all.  BUT, the chicken was the most moist chicken I have ever had with cooking in the oven. Here is what I did:  I preheated the my CONVECTION oven to 375 Degrees F, propped that baby on an opened can of Mexican Beer, placed it in a shallow pan and cooked it for one hour and 15 minutes.  It was a 5 lb. Organic Chicken. I always recommend using an instant read thermometer to be sure it is cooked properly – 185 Degrees F for the thigh and 165-170 for the breast.)

Recipes © 2011

Posted in Chicken, Food For Thought, Hints and Tips, Recipes To Share, Soup, Vegetables | Tagged , | Comments Off on Excitement Is In The Air

Summer’s Bounty

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Camille

What could be more wonderful than summer fruit?  I am talking about the organic summer fruit grown in the United States, not fruit shipped in from South American or Mexico.  Right now the fruit is spectacular; peaches, nectarines, blueberries, strawberries, plums.  I can’t seem to get enough of these these sweet, delicious, juicy delicacies.  When I go to the market and see all of the fruit beauty in front of me, my eyes become bigger than my stomach.  I can’t resist because I know as fast as the fruit arrives the season will be gone even faster.  So I buy a lot and make as many wonderful fruit concoctions as possible.  I have a refrigerator full of preserves, a freezer full of fruit gelato and containers of blueberries (I am a blueberry squirrel, saving some for the non-blueberry months) .  On my counter sits a bowl full of peaches, nectarines and plums some of which have been turned into a Summer Fruit Crostada.

What I like the best about this recipe is that it cooks for just enough time to get the crust brown and super crispy but the fruit is still firm and holds its shape.  The time in the oven lets the fruit produce just enough juice to keep it from being mushy and runny.  I love that I can feel the texture of the fruit between my teeth.  I also love the rustic reform look of this tart.  It is a perfect dessert to end a light lunch on the veranda or a casual dinner such as a BBQ.

I will give you a huge tip.  Let the tart cool the whole time recommended and use two wide off-set metal spatulas to move it from the pan to your serving dish.  If you try to lift it without the help of the spatulas it will break and you really don’t want that to happen.  If you are not going to serve this to company,  it is purely for your pleasure and you don’t have the spatulas to help you move it don’t bother.  Just leave it on the baking pan.

When I make a tart such as this I use my pizza pan with holes on the bottom.  This type of pan helps the bottom of the Crostada cook and become crispy.  The parchment paper will catch any juices that may drip from the Crostada. (You can see the pan through the parchment paper in the first photo.)

As you can see by the picture, the Crostada looks beautiful.  I am doing all I can to keep from diving into it before it cools.  But I will wait and have a great dessert tonight.

Summer Fruit Crostada

Crostada Ready For The Oven

 

For The Pastry

Makes Enough Pastry For Two Crostadas

3½     Cups All Purpose Flour

1/2     Cup Granulated Sugar

1        Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt

8        Ounces Cold Unsalted Butter (2 Sticks) Cut Into 16 Pieces

½       Scant Cup Cold Vegetable Shortening Such as Crisco

5 – 6   Tablespoons Ice Water

For the Filling

3        Each Ripe Peaches and Nectarines Cut into 1/2 Inch Wedges

1        Cup Blueberries Stems Removed

1        Cup Cherries, Pits Removed and Cut in Half

¼       Cup Granulated Sugar

2        Tablespoon Cornstarch

 

1        Large Egg Lightly Beaten with 1 Tablespoon Water

2        Tablespoons Sanding Sugar for Dusting

 

My personal preference for making this or any pastry crust is to use my fingertips.  To make it my way, place the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.  Add the cut up butter and blend into the flour mixture using your fingertips.  Work quickly so butter does not get too soft.  Blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal or small peas.  Add the vegetable shortening in the same manner.  When all is mixed take a small amount and press it together in the palm of your hand.  If it stays together it is time to add the water.  Start with 5 tablespoons of the ice water and pour over the mixture.  Gather the mixture together into a ball.  If it is too crumbly and won’t stay together add a little more water.  You want the mixture to come together nicely.  Not dry or wet.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into 2 balls.  Flatten each ball into a disk and wrap, separately, in plastic.  Refrigerate for one hour before rolling out.  This gives the glutens time to rest and keeps the pastry from shrinking while it is baking.  Very important to always do this when making any pastry.

If this all seems to daunting, use your food processor following this next set of directions:  Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and shortening to the flour. Pulse the mixture until the mixture forms crumbs the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine the mixture and the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into 2 balls.  Flatten into  disks and wrap the each disk separately in plastic.  Refrigerate for one hour.

(If you are planning on making only one crostada, wrap the second disk in double plastic wrap and put into a plastic freezer bag.  It will last in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for up to two months.)

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before rolling.  If the disk of dough is too cold it will crack when you roll it.  You don’t want that to happen.  Bringing it to room temperature won’t hurt it at all as long as it got to rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. (400 if using a convection oven.)  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the pastry into an 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the baking sheet.

In a large bowl mix all of the fruit with the sugar and cornstarch.  Place the mixture in the middle of the pastry leaving a two inch border.  Gently fold the border up over the edge of the fruit being careful not the tear the pastry.  Brush the folded edge with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake on the rack in the middle of the oven for 25-35 minutes or until the pastry crust is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.  Using two wide aluminum or stainless spatulas, carefully transfer to a serving plate and serve warm or at room temperature with Crème Fraiche, Ice Cream or Whipped Cream.

I hope you will give this a try.  You can post comments to this recipe right here on the blog or you can e-mail me at camille@camillecooksforyou.com

Posted in Desserts, Food For Thought, Fruit Desserts, Hints and Tips, Recipes To Share | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Summer’s Bounty

Where Have I Been?

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Camille

It has been over a month since I posted an article on my blog.  Why? some are asking.  June was an incredibly busy month.  For the first part of June I had family visiting.  There were 9 of us having a hell of a great time.  We ate, drank, went to the beach, saw the Marlin’s loose to the Atlanta Braves, shopped and laughed, laughed, laughed.  A real highlight of the week we were together (at least a highlight for me and Jim) was our Frisbee throwing day at Holiday Park.  What a RIOT!!!  The greatest part of Frisbee in the park was my 82 year old Zia Angie getting out there on the field with the rest of us.  She was amazing.  I can’t wait to do that again.

After the family left, Jim and I went to New York to celebrate our wedding anniversary.  We started to make it a food and museum specific trip but abandoned the food part.  Odd, I know, for us to do that, but there were so many restaurants and we had only 3 days.  We ate some great food but didn’t visit any of the “popular” or “trendy” places.  We pretty much stuck to the well known:  A late night dinner at the Plaza, an anniversary dinner at Balthazar, pizza at John’s (an old popular pizza place serving traditional NY style pizza.  Soooo Good!!!!)  The rest of the food involved two meals at Eataly (The joint venture of Mario Batali and Lidia Bestianich), Stage Deli, lunch at The Museum of Modern Art  and a hot dog cart.  So we did eat good and with no pressure of making the wrong restaurant decision.

Eataly was a true food experience.  There is so much to Eataly and the best way for you to understand what it is all about is for you go to their great site.  http://www.eataly.com

The concept for Eataly started in 2007 with stores opening in Italy then on to Japan and now New York City.  Take a look if you like by going to the links listed below.

Once we returned from the city I immediately reported for Federal Jury Duty.  A truly enlightening experience.  Seeing our judicial system at work was amazing and so reassuring to me knowing we have a system such as ours.  There is none other equal.

The trial ended just in time to celebrate the 4th of July weekend.  And what a great weekend it was.  This is the first year in five previous we did not have a 4th of July BBQ.  It felt pretty good to have the weekend to party and not have to work the whole time.  Jim and I spent the weekend at home, barbecuing, watching movies, throwing the Frisbee around and just generally having a great time together.  I cooked two tremendous meals:  Beer Can Chicken and Grilled Whole Maine Lobster.  I also made a delicious blueberry bread (Perfect time of the year for this sweet delicacy).

So there you have it.  In a nutshell, I am having a great summer.

I want to share a few of the recipes I wrote and made this holiday weekend.  My hope is that you will try them.  If you do, please let me know how they worked for you, as I need the feed-back to how I am doing with my recipe writing.

Oh, yes, one other question people have been asking is “How is the the book coming?”  This past Tuesday I sent all of my original recipes to legal for copyright.  This is one step closer to the finished product.  I am looking for all kinds of possibilities for publishing.  The one possibility that looks the best is on-line publishing.  I will keep you all posted.

Beer Can Chicken

Beer Can Chicken

Chicken cooked over a can of beer is the most succulent chicken I have ever tasted.  I doubt if I will ever cook a roasted chicken in any other manner.

1    Can Imported Beer, Pop Top Pulled

1     5 LB. Roasting Chicken

1/4 Cup XVOO

1    Tablespoon Coarse Sea Salt

1     Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1     Tablespoon McCormick’s Montreal Seasoning

If using a charcoal burning grill, build a split fire.  Light the fire and when the coals turn white and you can hold your hand over it by 5 inches for only a few seconds you have a medium hot fire.  Place the grill over the coals.  If using a gas grill, heat the grill to medium high leaving the center burner off.

Meanwhile, rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Rub the olive oil all over the chicken and sprinkle the salt, pepper and Montreal seasoning inside and outside of the chicken.  Place the chicken over the OPENED can of beer.  Place the chicken sitting on the beer can onto the grill.  Place the cover on the grill (or close it if using a gas grill) and cook the chicken for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 185 when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh and 165 when inserted into the thickest part of the breast.  Carefully remove the chicken and beer from the grill onto a platter.  Lift the chicken off of the can and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving.

I served the Beer Can Chicken with Vegetable Couscous.  It is a perfect summer side dish and, even better, you can prepare it in advance.

Vegetable Couscous

with Beer Can Chicken

Vegetable Couscous

2        Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1        Small Red Onion Diced

1        Sweet Red Pepper Diced

1        Lb. Asparagus Trimmed and Sliced Crosswise into ½ Inch Pieces

2        Ears Fresh Corn Shucked

2        Cups Couscous

2        Cups Water, Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock

1        Teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2     Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2        Tablespoons Fresh Herbs, Chopped (Such as Basil, Oregano, Flat Leaf Parsley,     Tarragon, Dill, Your Choice)

Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add onion and sauteé until wilted and transparent, about two minutes.  Add red pepper, asparagus and corn and sauté sauteé for two more minutes.  Add salt and pepper and any herbs you like.  Add liquid and bring to a rolling bowl.  Take the pan off of the heat, add the couscous and stir until well blended.  Cover for 5 minutes.  Remove cover and stir with a fork to loosen.  Serve immediately or cool completely and serve at room temperature with a touch of Balsamic vinegar.

Grilled Maine Lobster with Herb Butter, Corn on the Cobb and Tiny Potatoes

Grilled Lobster

Serves 4

4          Whole Live Maine Lobsters Each Weighing 1½ Pounds

½         Cup XVOO

1          Tablespoon Coarse Sea Salt

2          Teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2          Lemons Cut in Half Crosswise

1          Pound Tiny Red and Yukon Gold Potatoes

4          Ears of Corn on the Cobb, Husk and Silk Remove and Each Cut in Half Crosswise

2          Sticks Unsalted Butter, Slowly Melted

1          Tablespoon Fresh Chives, Finely Chopped

1          Tablespoon Fresh Cilantro, Finely Chopped

1          Tablespoon Fresh Basil, Finely Chopped

1          Teaspoon Fresh Oregano, Finely Chopped

1          Teaspoon Fresh Thyme, Finely Chopped

Make a charcoal fire and when the coals are mostly white with ash, hold your hand 5 inches above the coals.  You will know the coals are ready when you can no longer keep your hand over the coals after 3 seconds.  This is a medium to medium high heat.  This is perfect to cook everything without having to reload the fire.  If using a gas grill, heat to medium high.

Meanwhile, as the coals are getting hot, place the corn on a double sheet of foil and the potatoes on their own double sheet of foil.  Bring the foil up around the corn to make an open packet.  Do the same with the potatoes.  In each packet pour the rest of the XVOO over each, add ½ cup of water to each packet and sprinkle each packet with the rest of the salt and pepper.  Bring the foil up each packet and crimp but leave it partially open.

Place the potato packet on the grill, cover grill and cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes place the corn packet on the grill and cook for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes test the potatoes to be sure they are done by inserting a thin bladed knife into a potato and if the blade goes in and out of a potato easily when pierced they are ready.  Remove the potatoes and corn from the grill and tightly close the packets to keep warm.

While the potatoes and corn are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add lobsters to boiling water one at a time.  You may be able to fit only 1 or 2 lobsters in the pot.  Bring the water back to a boil and cook the lobsters for 3 minutes.  Remove the lobsters from the water and pull off the claws and gently remove the tails.  Cut the lobster tails in half lengthwise and, with a mallet, crack the claws slightly (this will make it easier to cook the claw meat and remove from the shell).  Put the lobster pieces and the lemons into a large bowl and toss with ¼ cup of the XVOO and half of the sea salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.

Place the lobster on the grill with the flesh side of the tails facing the grill and cook for about 2 minutes to lightly char.  Add the lemons flesh side down.  Turn the tails flesh side up, turn the claws over and cook for about 5 or 6 minutes.

Remove all from the grill and place lobster, lemons, corn and potatoes in to a very large bowl.  Pour the melted butter over everything and add the fresh chopped herbs.  Toss to combine and place decoratively onto a large platter.

That’s it.  This should keep you busy.  I think I will save the Blueberry Bread recipe for a later time.  Enjoy!!!  And please leave a comment on this blog.  It helps me realize who is reading it.  I have made it easy for you to leave a comment: No signing up or joining anything.  If you prefer not to leave a comment on the blog and still want to make one you can also e-mail me at camille@camillecooksforyou.com

Posted in Chicken, Food For Thought, Hints and Tips, Recipes To Share, Seafood, Vegetables | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Where Have I Been?

Pasta Fagioli – Deliciouso!!!

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Camille

Pasta Fagioli Topped with Parmesan Cheese

Meaty Ham Bone Makes a Great Pasta Fagioli

When I cleaned out my freezer the other day I found the ham bone from Easter Brunch.  It didn’t take much for me to decide to make a delicious pot of Pasta Fagioli.  I am going to pass the recipe on to you with a few hints and tips that are time savers and really work.

Most people soak their beans overnight or do the quick soak of boiling for two minutes then letting them sit in the water for an hour and THEN boil them for another hour or so.  Not me.  I have always hated all of those steps.  There is no inspiration for me when I have to wait to do something I want to do immediately.  A long time ago I decided to skip the soaking steps and went directly to cooking.  What did I find out?  I found out that the beans cooked exactly like the soaking method.  WHERE IS THE MYSTERY?  So try it my way and see what you think.

Never salt the beans when they are cooking.  If you salt them too early they cook up just a little too mealy and loose their creamy texture.

Many people like to go through the hassle of pureeing part of the bean soup to make it creamy.  I don’t.  I found that when I cook my bean soup slowly and stir often the beans become creamy on their own.  Besides I love the texture of soups that aren’t pureed.  When pureed, the soup (any pureed soup) becomes one dimensional.  It then looses all of its layering that I strive for in every recipe I make (no matter what it is).

I don’t add my cooked pasta to the soup until I am ready to serve it.  If you add the pasta too early, or cook it in the soup too long, it will suck up all of the moisture and the soup will be too thick.  So, I suggest you cook only the amount of pasta you will need at the moment.  And the amount of pasta in the soup is, for sure, a personal thing.  I like a lot of pasta in my soup but most people do not.  So add what you think will work for you and whomever you are serving.  You definitely do not want to put any of the soup in the freezer with the pasta.  Not a good thing.

Often you will see in a Pasta Fagioli recipe the addition of Parmesan Cheese Rinds into the soup while it is cooking.  Yes, you can do that.  I don’t because I am not crazy about the flavor it imparts.  The rinds seem to take over and, once again, I loose the layering of flavor that I am always talking about.

The finished product will be not thick and not soupy – somewhere in between.  The soup thickens up on its own even when it is sitting on the counter cooling.  If it is too thin for you just add a little stock when reheating.

I like to top off a bowl of soup with parmesan cheese or, to make it really special, add a dollop of Pesto just before serving.  You can also drizzle a little XVOO on top of that wonderful bowl of Pasta Fagioli.

So there you have it.  A few tips and hints that I find really important and know for sure work.

If you decide to make this recipe please let me know your results.

Pasta Fagioli

Makes about 6 Quarts

For the Beans

2     14 Ounce Bags Dried Cannelini Beans (White Kidney Beans)

For the Ham Stock

1     Whole Ham Bone, Meat Removed, Diced and Reserved for Soup (Leave     the fat on the bone)

1     Large Onion, Skin Left On, Cut Into Quarters

4     Carrots, Skin Left On, Cut Into Half

6     Celery Stalks with Leaves, Cut Into Half

6     Garlic Cloves, Left Whole

2     Bay Leaves

1     Teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns

For the Pasta Fagioli

2    Cups Cooked Ham, Diced

1     Lb. Pancetta, Rind Removed and Diced

2     Cups Spanish Onion, Diced (About 1 Large Onion)

2     Cups Celery, Diced

2     Cups Carrots, Diced

6     Garlic Gloves, Finely Minced

4     Cups Russet Potato, Peeled, Diced

1     35 Ounce Can Plum Tomatoes, Drained, Chopped, Juice Reserved

2     Tablespoons XVOO

3     Teaspoons Course Sea Salt

2     Teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper

½    Teaspoons Crush Red Pepper

6     Cups Ham Stock or Homemade Chicken Stock or Low Sodium Chicken Broth

4     Cups Bean Cooking Water

1     Cup Reserved Tomato Juice

1     Bouquet Garni

Cooked Ditalini Pasta

To Cook the Beans

Rinse the beans and pick them over to remove any stones or dirt that may be present.  Place the beans in a large pot, such as a Dutch oven, and cover with cold water by about three inches.  Bring the beans and water to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 1 to 1½ hours.  You will know when the beans are cooked when they a not crunchy or hard when bitten into.

Remove the beans from the heat and drain reserving the liquid.  Rinse the beans and set aside.

To Make the Ham Stock

While the beans are cooking make the stock.  Place all of the stock ingredients in a large pot, such as a Dutch oven, and cover with cold water.  Bring the stock to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat to simmer and cook for at least 1 to 1½ hours.  Remove from the heat, drain the stock into a bowl and discard the vegetables.  Set aside.

For the Bouquet Garni

In a double layer of cheese cloth, place two bay leaves, several sprigs of fresh parsley, basil, thyme, oregano and sage.  Gather the edges of the cheesecloth to form a pouch like parcel and tie the pouch with kitchen twine.

To Make the Pasta Fagioli

In a large pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium heat, heat the XVOO and add the Pancetta.  Cook the Pancetta until the fat is rendered and the Pancetta just starts to crisp.  Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and gently sauté the vegetables until the onion begins to become translucent, about 10 minutes.  Add the potatoes and sauté the vegetables for 5 minutes more.  Add the plum tomatoes, the tomato juice, the ham stock and the bean water.  Add the cooked beans, diced ham, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.  Bring to a boil and add the bouquet garni.  Reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook for 1½ hours stirring often to be sure the mixture does not burn or stick to the bottom of the pot.  (I like to cook the soup with a lid half way on the pot.  This helps to keep the soup from reducing too much.)  Taste the soup for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

When ready to serve, heat the amount of soup needed and add as much of the cooked Ditalini as you like.

Although the recipe is long and at first read it may seem daunting, don’t let it get in the way of how easy it really is to make.  If you have any suggestions or comments please don’t hesitate to let me know.  I welcome your input.  My whole purpose in doing this blog and writing recipes is to make you interested enough to prepare my food.  If there is any way to make you more interested and tempted I want to know.

camille@camillecooksforyou.com


Posted in Food For Thought, Hints and Tips, Pasta, Recipes To Share, Soup | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Pasta Fagioli – Deliciouso!!!

A No Stress Party Menu

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Camille

Last Thursday evening Jim and I celebrated Cinco de Mayo by having a fabulous feast consisting of Pulled Pork Soft Tacos with all the trimmings:  Black Bean Salsa, Tomato-Green Chili Salsa, Corn Relish, Sliced Avocado, Fresh Jalapenos, Creme Fraiche, Cheddar and Jack Cheeses and Flour Tortillas.  While we were enjoying this great feast we thought how wonderful these soft tacos would be for a crowd pleasing casual dinner.

First off, you have to make a pretty good size pork butt to make it all worth while.  The bigger the piece of pork butt, the longer the cooking time and the more tender the meat.  I used a 7 pound Pork Butt with the blade bone, cooked it for six hours, slow and low, and the result was a tender, moist, flavorful roast.

In June, we are having family in from out of town for a week and I know I will be doing a lot of cooking.  I want to cook for everyone, but I don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen while everyone is at the beach.  This menu will be perfect for achieving a low stress, limited time in the kitchen kind of a day.

What’s so great about this menu is that I can make all of the accompaniments the day before and cook the roast on the day of the party.  It is especially helpful if you have an oven with a delayed start time and a timed cook control.  You can put it in the oven, set it and forget it.  My kind of cooking for sure.  All you have to do on the day of the event is cook and pull the pork and set out the accompaniments at the time of serving. (You can even cook the rice the day before and reheat it in the oven before serving.) Continue reading →

Posted in Food For Thought, Menus, Pork, Recipes To Share | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A No Stress Party Menu

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Camille

 

Chocolate Truffle Cake with Raspberries and Almonds

After I posted the menu for the cooking class I did last week, many of you asked me to share the Chocolate Truffle Cake Recipe.  This Flourless Chocolate Cake is probably the easiest cake you will ever make as there are only three ingredients.  It is practically a no-brainer.  The first time I made this cake was in the late ’90s when I owned my little shop in Victoria Park, Camille’s Gourmet To Go and Catering.  I found this recipe in a food magazine (not sure which one) but I feel as if it’s mine since I have made this wonderful chocolaty treat at least 150 times and, I believe, that is an under-estimated count.

Before I go any further, how about a little lesson in Chocolate.  I tried not to get too involved or complicated in the lesson and what I have given you is an overview of this wonderful food.

Unsweetened chocolate (also known as pure chocolate) contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, combining chocolate with sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. European rules specify a minimum of 25% total dry cocoa solids for Milk Chocolate. “White chocolate” contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids. Chocolate contains alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have some physiological effects in humans, but the presence of theobromine renders it toxic to some animals, such as dogs and cats. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain. Dark chocolate has been promoted for unproven health benefits, as it seems to possess substantial amount of antioxidants that reduce the formation of free radicals.

White chocolate is formed from a mixture of sugar, cocoa butter and milk solids. Although its texture is similar to milk and dark chocolate, it does not contain any cocoa solids. Because of this, many countries do not consider white chocolate as chocolate at all. Although first introduced by Hebert Candies of Massachusetts  in 1955, Mars, Incorporated was the first to produce white chocolate within the United States. Because it does not contain any cocoa solids, white chocolate does not contain any theobromine, meaning it can be consumed by animals.

Dark chocolate is produced by adding fat and sugar to the cacao mixture. The U.S. Government calls this “sweet chocolate”, and requires a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. European rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids. Dark chocolate, with its high cocoa content, is a rich source of epicatechin and gallic acid, which are thought to possess cardio-protective properties. Dark chocolate has also been said to reduce the possibility of a heart attack when consumed regularly in small amounts. Semisweet chocolate is a dark chocolate with a low sugar content. Bittersweet chocolate is chocolate liquor to which some sugar (typically a third), more cocoa butter, vanilla and sometimes lecithin have been added. It has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate, but the two are interchangeable in baking.

Unsweetened chocolate is pure chocolate liquor, also known as bitter or baking chocolate. It is unadulterated chocolate: the pure, ground, roasted chocolate beans impart a strong, deep chocolate flavor.

Raw chocolate, often referred to as raw cacao, is always dark and a minimum of 75% cacao. Because the act of processing results in the loss of certain vitamins and minerals (such as magnesium), some consider raw cacao to be a more nutritious form of chocolate.

Some people who purchase chocolate off the store shelf can be disappointed when they see whitish spots on the dark chocolate part. This is called chocolate bloom and is not an indication of chocolate gone bad. Instead, this is just an indication that sugar and/or fat has separated due to poor storage.

Information overload!!!!  At least you now have an idea of what chocolate is about.  The above information was taken from Wikipedia and the amount of info in Wikipedia concerning chocolate is huge, so if what I have here is not enough for you, you can always log onto the site.

Enough information, now the recipe.  Now Go, Bake and Enjoy!!!!

Chocolate Truffle Cake (Flourless Chocolate Cake)

In this recipe you can use a really good chocolate chip such as Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate if you don’t feel like chopping the chocolate yourself.  I use the chips almost all of the time when making this cake because I am usually making more than one and don’t want to spend the time chopping.

8        Large Eggs, Cold

1        Pound Semisweet Chocolate, Coarsely Chopped

1/2     Pound (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter Cut into ½ Inch Chunks

1 1/2  Cups Toasted Sliced Almonds

1/2     Cup Seedless Raspberry Jam

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position.  Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.   Spray the bottom and sides of an 8″ spring-form pan with non-stick baking spray (PAM).  Wrap pan in foil so water does not seep in.  Set in a large roasting pan.  Bring a pan of water to a boil.

Beat eggs with a standing mixer using the whisk attachment.  Beat on high for 5 minutes.  In the mean time melt chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl over the simmering water until smooth and very warm 115 degrees (or melt chocolate and butter in the microwave on high in one minute intervals, stirring at end of each interval).  Gently fold the egg mixture into the chocolate a third at a time until incorporated.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Pour boiling water into roasting pan until water reaches half way up the side of the cake pan.  Bake until cake has risen slightly, edges are just beginning to set and a thin glaze has formed on the surface and an instant read thermometer registers 140-145 degrees F. about 25 minutes.  Remove pan from water bath and remove the foil from around the pan.  Cool the cake on a wire rack until completely cool.  Refrigerate for 24 hours before removing the sides of the spring-form pan.  (Don’t be tempted to remove the sides of the pan before refrigerating.  The cake is extremely soft and if the sides are removed while still warm it will loose its shape.)

Remove pan from refrigerator and let set out for about an hour before removing the sides of the pan.  Run a thin blade around cake to loosen from the sides and then remove the spring form.  Garnish with fresh Raspberries.  Gently press the toasted sliced almonds on to the side of the cake.  Melt the Seedless Raspberry Jam in a small pan with 2 tablespoons of water or raspberry liquor (such as Chambord).  Gently brush the berries with the melted jam to glaze.    This cake must be served at room temperature.  Serve with White Chocolate Whipped Cream.  (You can top the cake with the berries, glaze it with the jam and arrange the almonds on the sides several hours in advance if you like.  Refrigerate the cake until 1 hour before serving.  The cake is best at room temperature.  If it is too cold it will be hard to cut and not so enjoyable to eat.)

White Chocolate Whipped Cream

12      Ounces White Chocolate Chips

1        Cup Heavy Cream

1        Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1        Quart Heavy Cream

1/2     Cup Granulated Sugar

Put Chips in a large heat proof bowl.

In a medium sized sauce pan heat heavy cream and vanilla until just ready to boil.  Remove from the heat and pour over the white chocolate chips.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Stir to completely combine.  Cool to room temperature.  (Do not refrigerate to cool because it will get harden and will not incorporate into the whipped cream.)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream slowly for about 30 seconds (this adds air to the cream and makes it fluffier).  Add the sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form.  Add the melted and cooled white chocolate in a stream to cream and beat until incorporated.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours before using.

If you have any questions please comment on the blog or feel free to e-mail me at camille@camillecooksforyou.com


Posted in Desserts, Food For Thought, Hints and Tips, Recipes To Share | Tagged , | Comments Off on Chocolate Truffle Cake

A Dinner Perfect For Easter Or Passover

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Camille

The Finished Product

On Palm Sunday, April 17, I will be giving a cooking class at a local resident’s home featuring a menu that works perfectly for Easter or Passover.  When my client booked the cooking class I knew, by the guest list, that  guests of both Christian and Jewish faiths would be represented, therefore, I thought it appropriate to teach this type of menu.

The menu is not very complicated to prepare, but it is time consuming.  I plan on giving a two hour class, in which time we will make our way through the menu by starting at the top, working our way down and having the class attendees prepare each menu item.  In other words, it will be a “hands on class”.  Besides the class preparing the food there will be plenty of discussion.  I do a lot of the talking but I do give the attendees time to ask questions and even give some suggestions. Each person will get a booklet with all of the recipes I will be teaching so, if we run out of time and don’t make it through the whole menu, they will, at the very least, have all of the information to make the menu at home. Continue reading →

Posted in Food For Thought, Hints and Tips, Lamb, Menus, Recipes To Share | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A Dinner Perfect For Easter Or Passover

Wild Mushroom Soup with Chicken

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Camille

Wild Mushroom Soup with Chicken

Fresh Porcini's at the Market

I WISH this was my local market!!!

I am going to share my Wild Mushroom Soup with Chicken recipe with you.  I made this soup last night and I got a great big WOW!!! from Jim on this one.  You don’t have to put the chicken in if you don’t want to and the mushrooms can really be what you like or, more importantly,  what you can find.

I like to use the wildest mushrooms I can find (The ones that stayed out late partying the night before are the best).  Whole Foods often has a really nice selection although they are extremely expensive.  If you are lucky enough to have an outdoor market in your neighborhood, you might want to check out the produce purveyor.  If they don’t have wild mushrooms and you are serious about getting them, establish a relationship with the vendor and most likely they will bring them in. Continue reading →

Posted in Chicken, Food For Thought, Recipes To Share, Soup, Vegetables | Tagged | Comments Off on Wild Mushroom Soup with Chicken

Dinner Party Last Weekend

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Camille

This past weekend I catered a dinner party for 11 people on a 120 foot yacht.  The dinner, a birthday celebration, was for my very good customers who I have been cooking for since 1999.

The menu was a paring of wine and food consisting of three hors d’oeuvres, four small plate courses and dessert.  I had the best help with the wine paring from Andrew of The Wine Watch.   Even though The Wine Watch retail store is local, Andrew does long distance sales as well.  His website is worth checking out.  www.winewatch.com

I did get to taste each of the wines before we served them.  After all, I needed to be sure they went with the food.  Of course they did and I loved them all.  My absolute favorite was the Sauternes:  It was thick and syrupy but not too sweet and it had a smooth finish.  I was a little skeptical about this wine in particular since I have never really been a fan of Sauternes and almost always like an Ice Wine from Canada with dessert.  But I trusted Andrew to put me on the right track and he certainly did.

The dinner was a huge success and I am posting the menu to give you an idea of what a great dinner party it was.  My plan had been to take pictures of each course and post them with the article but I got so involved with getting the food out in a timely manner and making sure it was perfectly perfect when it was served that I just couldn’t fit in picture taking.  I do have a few pictures which are posted. Continue reading →

Posted in Ahh Haa Moments, Appetizers, Cheese, Desserts, Duck, Food For Thought, Hints and Tips, Hors d'oeuvres, Menus, Seafood, Vegetables, Wine | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Dinner Party Last Weekend

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Camille

Here are the St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Recipes I promised.   The recipes may seem a bit lengthy at first glance, but I have given you some tips, hints and a little cooking class within the recipes. Continue reading →

Posted in Beef, Bread, Food For Thought, Hints and Tips, Recipes To Share, Vegetables | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on St. Patrick’s Day Dinner