Svenskarnas Dag Midsummer's Eve

Everyone has heard of Shakespeare’s play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in which a dream cycle consisting of imps, fairies and lovelorn characters gets mixed up in the woods on Midsummer’s Eve. As usual, Shakespeare manages to intertwine wise philosophy with ancient human foibles in an entertaining setting.


He was drawing on an ancient celebration of Midsummer’s Eve; ongoing in Europe for centuries. It began as a pagan celebration of the Summer Solstice and merged with St. John’s Day as Christianity took hold in Europe. Many countries throughout the world still celebrate with festivals and bonfires—usually on the night of June 23rd and the day of the 24th. Now in Sweden and Finland, the Saturday between the 21st of June and the 28th is the official day of celebration—so today is the day!

The Svenskarnas Dag observance of midsummer is celebrated in Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis annually. On Sunday the 26th of June right down the river in Stockholm, Wisconsin Midsommer Festival will be celebrated. Swedish delicacies are planned by Bogus Creek Café and Bakery in Stockholm to be served in the park accompanied by other fun and festivities. Swedish meatballs, Swedish pancakes with lingonberry sauce and Rhubarb crisp are on the menu.

This sounds like a great excuse for a Midsummer’s Day picnic to me—I’m always game for a picnic. If we want to be traditional, a cookout (with an open fire) sounds right. I really love weenies on hand-hewn sticks and later, marshmallows. Just so the celebration isn’t too simple, add plenty of rye bread (homemade is best) which is de rigueur for all Scandinavian countries, but especially Sweden and Finland. I think a Swedish potato salad, some pickled herring, deviled eggs and the above-mentioned rhubarb crisp would round things out perfectly.

Swedish Potato Salad

6 cold, boiled potatoes, sliced
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped chives
2 Tbsp. diced pickled beets

Dressing

2 Tbsp. wine vinegar
6 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Arrange potato slices in salad bowl. Place onion, parsley, chives and beets in rows on top. Mix dressing ingredients and pour over potatoes. Chill 1-2 hours. Toss once or twice before serving.

The Minnesota Ethnic Food Book by Kaplan, Hoover and Moore says this about the Swedish Limpa bread, “Similar to a Finnish bread, this slightly sweet loaf is popular at both sacred and secular times of year.” Sounds like the perfect bread to bring to our midsummer feast.

Limpa

1 pkg. dry yeast
¼ cup water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. shortening or lard
1/3 cup molasses
2 cups warm water
½ tsp. crushed cardamom seed
½ tsp. crushed anise seed
2 cups rye (or medium rye) flour, spooned into cup
4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into cup
2 Tbsp. vital gluten flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar and set aside. Combine salt, shortening, molasses, water, cardamom seed, anise seed, and rye flour. Mix well. Stir in yeast mixture. Stir in 4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time. Continue to add flour slowly until dough can be kneaded on a lightly floured board. Knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. You may need to work in more flour to eliminate stickiness. Allow dough to rise in a well-buttered bowl, covered, until double in bulk. Punch down and allow to rise a second time. Punch down well and divide dough in half. Form into 2 loaves and place in well-greased pans. Allow to rise in the pans until double in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread for 35 to 40 minutes or until nicely browned. Brush with melted butter. Remove from pans and cool on racks.

This is the Bogus Creek Café and Bakery Rhubarb Crisp recipe—excellent as is or, if you like, you can add 2 cups drained sour cherries in place of two cups of the rhubarb.*

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup quick cooking rolled oats
½ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups sliced rhubarb (see above note)*
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

In mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, oats, butter and cinnamon; mix together until crumbly. Press half of the brown sugar and oats mixture into a buttered 8-inch square baking dish. Top with the sliced rhubarb. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, and the 1 cup of water and vanilla. Cook together until clear, the pour over rhubarb. Top rhubarb with remaining crumb mixture and bake at 350 for 45 to 55 minutes.

Everybody Loves Strawberry Shortcake

Everybody loves strawberries—the only exceptions I know are those who are allergic—poor dears. I even had a poodle who loved strawberries. She was not a dog who would eat anything; actually she was very particular, like a cat. However, if you so much as brought a basket of strawberries in the house she was dancing on her hind legs and pirouetting in circles with her begging eyes. She just wouldn’t let up until you dropped her two or three.


This month the strawberry fields yield their beautiful, brilliant red berries that put the California supermarket variety to shame for flavor. The wild Minnesota berries are available, too—if you are very tenacious and have a strong back. They are so small that it takes a whole lot of strawberries to make even a cupful, but oh, are they worth it! If you’ve never tasted wild strawberries I urge you to find some and at least taste them. Because they are so tiny, wild strawberries make a great variation on blueberry pancakes since a few go a long way and maximize your harvest. Another idea for the tiny wild strawberries is to make an uncooked jam. You can get 2 half-pints from one cup of crushed berries. Procedure: jars and lids should be sterilized. Prepare fruit by washing and crushing lightly. Measure one cup (they will lose half their volume when crushed, so you must start with two cups of whole berries). Place berries in a glass bowl. Add 1 ¾ cups sugar and mix well with a wooden spoon. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small saucepan, combine 1/5 box of powdered fruit pectin and ½ cup water; stir well (mixture may be lumpy). Heat to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute, continuing to stir constantly. Pour pectin mixture onto fruit in bowl. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes; a few grains may remain, but the mixture should no longer look cloudy (or the jam will be cloudy). Pour into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch headspace; cover with clean lids. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours; the jam should set. If it not set, refrigerate for several days until set before using or freezing. Jam will keep for three weeks, refrigerated, or frozen for up to a year. (Adapted from Abundantly Wild by Teresa Marrone).

Strawberry shortcake is the perfect dessert for Dad tomorrow. If you found some beautiful home-grown strawberries at the farmer’s market or went to a pick-your-own farm, you’re all set. Of course, I guess there are those who like a sponge cake base for their shortcake—but that’s not really shortcake at all. The old-fashioned biscuit shortcake is the only kind I want. Here’s an old-fashioned, highly caloric, delicious treat for everybody—but especially the dads in your crowd.

Strawberry Shortcake

2 cups sifted flour
2 Tbsp sugar
3 tsp (1 Tbsp) baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup butter
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup half and half
3 to 4 cups sugared sliced strawberries
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped and sweetened with 2 Tbsp. sugar

Sift together the dry ingredients; cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Combine egg and half and half; add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring only enough to moisten. Spread dough in a sprayed 8” round cake pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan and cool on rack about 3 minutes. With serrated knife, split in 2 layers. Butter bottom layer. Spoon berries and whipped cream between layers and over top. Cut into wedges. Serve warm.

Nothing can really beat that dessert, but here are some quick and easy ways to use those luscious berries:

• Puree fresh strawberries in a food processor and add to a pitcher of lemonade.

• Layer sliced berries, yogurt, honey and crushed amaretti cookies in dessert glasses

• Dice one pint large berries. Saute in 1 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp sugar until just soft. Hit with a splash of balsamic vinegar. Serve over vanilla ice cream.

• Freeze super-ripe berries. Frappe in a blender with light coconut milk and vanilla sugar for a great smoothie.

If you’re really in a hurry, just put them, washed, in a bowl and pour cream over them. Sprinkle with sugar if they need it. Nothing beats the first homegrown strawberries of summer.

June is Dairy Month

Dairy month (June) is the perfect time to try your hand at making your own cheeses. Really, it’s simple and the results are more delicious than you can even imagine. I was very skeptical at first, having heard horror stories from my mother about burning the cottage cheese when she was at her grandmother’s house and the stench that remained in the house for days.


She justified her troubles by asserting that making cheese—any cheese—is a grueling and labor-intensive job that requires hours of stirring and watching the stove. Thanks, but I’m not interested in anything like that—especially in summer.

Then I came across a cookbook, “The Best American Recipes, 2005-2006” and on page 10, I read, “One taste of this creamy, snowy-white fresh cheese and you won’t wonder why we’ve included this recipe in a chapter of first courses. Instead, your mind will be racing with possibilities.” Okay, so how hard can it really be and could it really be that good? I had to try.

The directions were simple enough and so I took a chance—voila! Wonderful, delightful homemade ricotta cheese! Here’s how to do it:

1 quart whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 scant teaspoon coarse salt
2 Tbsp white vinegar

Rinse a saucepan with cold water (makes clean-up easier). Have ready a strainer lined with dampened cheesecloth and set in a bowl that’s deep enough so the strainer doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Pour the milk and cream into the saucepan. Add the salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the milk is simmering, turn off the heat and pour in the vinegar. Leave it alone for about 1 minute. Then start to stir slowly and gently. The milk will start separating into curds and whey (milky liquid); you are looking for the whey to become clear-ish, which will take about 1 minute of stirring. Once this happens, pour the mixture into the strainer. Lift the strainer out of the bowl and pour out the whey. Set the strainer back in the bowl and let the cheese drain for 15 minutes (or longer if you want a denser cheese). The ricotta is ready to serve now, but you can also refrigerate it, covered, for up to 5 days.

You can serve this cheese on a pretty platter, generously drizzled with the best extra-virgin olive oil, seasoned with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, and accompanied by slices of good bread. Other options are to add dollops to a green salad or an antipasto platter; shower it with herbs or spices, or make a delightful breakfast by drizzling a little honey on it and dusting with ground cinnamon or nutmeg.

Yogurt cheese has been around for awhile, but did you know that the very popular (and very expensive) Greek yogurt is just a high-quality, thickened yogurt which you can make at home? This is a simple process, but it takes 2 to 4 hours to get the drained yogurt . Start with 1 quart yogurt (homemade is best, but if you buy it be sure it has no guar gum or gelatin in it). Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth, allowing plenty to drape over the sides. Set the colander in a bowl; the bottom of the colander needs to be well above the bottom of the bowl to catch the whey. Spoon the yogurt into the colander and set aside at room temperature to drain until you have 3 cups of drained yogurt, 2 to 4 hours. You can store the drained yogurt, tightly covered in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week. Now to make the yogurt cheese: Use 3 cups of your Greek (drained) yogurt. Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt, mix well, and drain in a coffee filter inside a colander placed in a bowl. Let drain overnight in the refrigerator or until it’s firm.

Here’s a tasty appetizer to make, using your delicious yogurt cheese.

2 cups yogurt cheese
6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tsp. chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or mild red pepper)
1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Lavash or other crackers for serving

Divide the cheese into 13 portions and roll each into a walnut-size ball. Set the balls so they do not touch on a plate lined with paper towels. Cover loosely with paper towels and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, or until firm. Mix together the olive oil, garlic, dill and Aleppo pepper in a small bowl. Transfer the balls to a deep dish or a high-lipped platter in a single layer. Pour the oil mixture over the balls, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 week. Serve at room temperature with chives sprinkled over the top, accompanied by lavash or crackers.

Minnesota Wild Rice Salad

June is here and this is the big party month: weddings, graduations, Dad’s day, garden parties, reunions—just to name a few. Any excuse will usually do for a party, but in June you have bona fide reasons and for many hosts it’s panic time.


Over the years that I have been a caterer and a bed and breakfast owner I have cooked for large and small groups in many different conditions and can share some really easy, really great recipes for your special occasion.

First, however, I must share a horror storiy, lest you think that I was born knowing how to do this. One of my first experiences in my own catering company, “Affairs To Remember,” was a home wedding for about 75 people. It was an outdoor ceremony and reception in early summer and the day dawned hot and sunny. The ceremony was scheduled for 3:00 with a full meal following. Chairs were set up on the lawn and a large tent nearby housed the tables for the reception. I had a crew of 3 young people (high school and college age) working—all had previous experience with me and were good workers. Everything went very smoothly at first—and although the temperature outside was rising rapidly; the house and kitchen were air conditioned and very comfortable.

Shortly before the ceremony, ominous clouds began to move in and the air became stifling and still. At 2:30 the downpour came—torrents of rain, so heavy you couldn’t see the white chairs sitting on the lawn right outside the kitchen window. The bride and her mother were distraught. Then, as suddenly as it started—it stopped. Relief showed on everyone’s faces as they hurriedly wiped off the chairs and set up the flower arbor. The ceremony went on as planned.

The reception was not quite as wonderful. The sun came out for about 1 hour and created a steam bath. After an hour, just as we were heating up food in the kitchen and beginning to carry the first dishes out to the tent, the wind came up and it began to pour again. The flaps came down on the tent making it stiflingly hot and humid inside. The amount of water that was running into the low spots in the yard was ankle-deep so that the workers rolled up their pants legs and sloshed through it from the house to the tent. All of the guests came into the house, overwhelming the air conditioning, and sweat was running down my face back in the kitchen.

Somehow we got the meal served and the party was going well—we were at the tail end of the clean up and about ready to leave when the clouds began to gather into walls and scallops. People were beginning to look at the sky and talk about tornadoes. Suddenly the sirens went off and everyone hustled to the house. Most of the people went down the basement—although there were a lot of young men who went into the garage and watched with the garage door open. The tornado touched down just 3 miles from the house. Of course my crew and I were in the basement and didn’t see the funnel cloud (okay by me), but I heard many descriptions and saw pictures that were pretty amazing.

Here’s hoping that our rough weather is over and it will be smooth sailing and sunny skies for your big event. Here are some tried and true large group recipes to make it easy and fun.

Wild Rice Salad (Serves 12)

4 cups cooked wild rice (1 cup)
4 large tangy red apples
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup slivered toasted almonds
4 ribs celery, sliced
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
4 tsp. sugar
2 cups halved red grapes

Chill the cooked wild rice. Dice the unpared apples and toss with mixture of lemon juice and brown sugar. Stir in the celery, wild rice, and grapes. Blend the mayonnaise with the sour cream and sugar; toss into the salad ingredients and mix well. Chill thoroughly, but no longer than 6-8 hours. Serve in lettuce-lined bowl. Sprinkle with almonds just before serving.

Strawberry/Spinach Salad

2 large bags baby spinach
1 bunch sliced green onions
½ cup toasted slivered almonds
2 pints strawberries

Dressing:

2/3 cup raspberry vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 cup canola oil

Wash spinach and sort. Discard any long stems. Wrap in terry towel and put into plastic bag. Chill no longer than 24 hours. When ready to assemble, slice green onions, halve or quarter strawberries and mix with almonds in large serving bowl. Mix dressing ingredients with a whisk or in a blender and serve on the side in a sauce boat with ladle.

Two plus Two Potatoes

2 large packages frozen hash brown potatoes
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups sour cream
1 can cream of celery soup
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup green onions, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
Dash pepper
2 cups crushed potato chips
¼ cup butter, melted

Mix sour cream, soup salt and pepper and green onion. Put hash browns, ½ cup butter and cheese in 9x13 sprayed baking dish. Pour soup mixture over. Mix gently. Top with crushed potato chips and drizzle with ¼ cup melted butter. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Here Comes Summer

Here it is—the official beginning of the summer season and it’s about time! We’ve had our fill of winter and cold, dreary spring weather here in Minnesota and I, for one, am going to enjoy the warm weather with a vengeance.


That really means simplicity in cooking—out of the kitchen—out of the pot-roasting, bread baking mode and in with the new potato salad, brats on the grill and, of course burgers!

If I had to name the one quintessential American food, it would be hamburgers and I don’t think there’s even a real close second. Even though the fast food variety of hamburger is a great American institution for grabbing and going—nothing beats the summertime hamburger on the back yard grill.

If you’re going up to your lake cabin to open up or down to one of the city parks to picnic with family—it’s a perfect time to fire up the grill and make burgers. Typical go-withs are fine—but why not spice things up a little with some easy to make and tote salsas, relishes, and a variety of toppings—to give the burgers some style? The great thing about grilled hamburgers is that you can put hot dogs on for the kiddies—if they prefer them—and still have grown up fare as well. A make-ahead macaroni salad and giant, soft cookies for dessert and you’re done.

Now that the sweet onions are in the market (Vidalia and Walla Walla, to name two), caramelized onions as an adult topping are really wonderful. Along with the onions, the adults will enjoy avocado slices sprinkled with lemon juice or easy guacamole, a selection of lettuces such as arugula, spinach and Bibb. Ketchup spiked with Tabasco sauce, grilled bell peppers, chopped pickled jalapenos, horseradish mayonnaise—and a homemade chili sauce will make a grand array to complement the burgers. Just fill some plastic containers with these and any others you like and bring them along to set out in the center of the picnic table.

Barbecued Burgers (makes 8 child-size and 4 adult-size burgers)

3 ½ pounds lean ground beef
½ cup purchased barbecue sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)
12 sesame-seed hamburger buns
Sliced tomatoes

Mix first 4 ingredients in large bowl until blended. Mix in pepper. Shape half of meat mixture into eight ½-inch-thick patties. Shape remaining meat mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill patties to desired doneness, topping with cheese for last minute of cooking, if using.

Caramelized Onions with Barbecue Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large sweet onions cut into slices
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup canned beef broth
½ cup purchased barbecue sauce
1 ½ Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, salt and pepper; cook until onions begin to brown, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Add broth, barbecue sauce and vinegar. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Hamburgers have suffered a reputation for being an unhealthy food choice—and that certainly can be true if they are made with high-fat hamburger or too much hamburger (read 1/3 to ½ pound burgers) and slathered with mayo and/or butter (hmmm…butterburgers?) But it doesn’t necessarily need to be that way—especially if you make your own ground beef. Lean sirloin can be purchased in a large quantity (such as a sirloin tip roast) for a lot less than when sold as steak. Lean sirloin has about the same saturated fat as ground turkey.

All you really need is either a meat grinder attachment to a stand mixer or a heavy-duty food processor. The beef should be partially frozen; then cut into 1 x 4” strips and fed through the meat grinder with the large blade. If you are using the food processor, put about ½ pound at a time (cut into cubes or strips) and pulse until ground to your liking. If you like, you can add salt and pepper and form them into patties; then freeze with waxed paper separators. Just take out the number you want, throw the rest back in the freezer and put them right on the hot grill, frozen. You must control the heat to keep the inside from being raw when the outside begins to char—but it only takes a little experience to know when they are properly cooked. These burgers are really better than the store-bought, already ground beef types.

Happy Memorial Day and welcome summer cooking!

Raspberry Creme Brule

This year the Minnesota Bed and Breakfast Association, of which we are members (Zig is on the board of directors, as well), did not hold its annual conference. There were several reasons—among them the economy and a change of executive directors twice during the year—but, nevertheless, I was disappointed. I look forward to this conference every year for lots of reasons: a chance to meet old friends that we haven’t seen because they’re innkeepers, too and very busy; a renewed vigor for innkeeping; lots of information on marketing, decorating, special events, website updating, and—of course—food! However, I was in for a surprise.

Chuck Dougherty, innkeeper of the Water Street Inn in Stillwater, invited the membership to a one-day annual meeting and workshop at his beautiful hotel. I don’t know if any of you have stayed at the Water Street Inn, but it keeps good company with other historic hotels in Minnesota such as The St. James in our own Red Wing and a handful of others. One of the special features that Chuck offers is a pre-fixe, several-course dinner with wonderful foods and choice wines to match each course. It really is an experience you should all have. This was my second chance to enjoy the hospitality and fine food that The Water Street Inn offers.

The food was marvelous!! The entrée was a stuffed flank steak that was so tender it really almost did melt in your mouth—quite a trick for flank steak. It was stuffed with vegetables which gave it a fresh and healthy edge over the old-fashioned stuffed flank steak from my youth which had a sage-flavored bread stuffing. (That’s good, too, but a tad on the heavy side). While everyone was raving about the ample-portioned and delicious entrée, the chef sneaked in a dessert that was too good to believe: Raspberry Crème Brule. From the first crackling-of-the-sugar crust, through the creamy interior laced with vanilla and down to the raspberry bottom, it was a food delight. I begged for the recipe which was a secret and never given out. After persistent pleading and a solemn promise to given proper credit to the origin, I was given the recipe and permission to put it in my column.

I was about to leave, somewhat smug and triumphant when I ran into a foodie bonus. Linda Hayle from the Park Street Inn in Nevis, Minnesota, who was also attending the meeting, heard me carrying on about my treasured recipe and gave me one from her inn that she says her guests clamor for—both the dish and then the recipe. I was thrilled to get this one, too, as I love Eggs Benedict but they are difficult to make for a crowd and this is the answer to that problem. I love innkeepers! Thanks to Chuck Dougherty and Linda Hayle for these new additions to our breakfast menu.

Raspberry Crème Brule from the Water Street Inn in Stillwater, MN

4 cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
2 vanilla beans
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. corn starch
8 egg yolks
1 pint fresh raspberries
Extra sugar for caramel topping

Combine cream, first amount of sugar and vanilla beans (seeds scraped out of pod), in a heavy sauce pan. Bring just to a boil. Mix second ½ cup of sugar with cornstarch in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to egg yolks. When cream mixture comes to a boil, add a small amount to egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly; then add back to pan. Stir and strain mixture. Put washed fresh raspberries into 12 8-oz. ramekins. Add cream mixture over the top of the raspberries. Bake in a water bath at 300 degrees until firm (about 40 minutes). Cool completely or refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of superfine sugar evenly over the top of each ramekin. Using a small propane kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar, moving the flame back and forth over the sugar until it bubbles and browns, and tilting the ramekins to even out the caramel. Alternatively, after sprinkling the sugar over the tops of custards, as above, set the ramekins on a large baking sheet and put under the broiler as close to the heat as possible. Broil until light brown, careful not to burn, about 1 ½ minutes. Remove and chill.

For Bonus recipe, Eggs Benedict Strata from the Park Street Inn in Nevis, MN go to my blog, www.btkd-lynette@ blogspot.com or Area Voices (http://areavoices.com/members/lgudrais/activity/2132442 ).

Eggs Benedict Strata from the Park Street Inn in Nevis, MN

4 English muffins, split
2 Tbsp butter, cut up
1 cup chopped onion (optional)
10 oz. Canadian bacon, chopped (2 ½ cups)
1 (10-oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
2 medium garlic cloves, minced (optional)
¾ tsp. salt, divided
½ tsp. black pepper, divided
½ tsp ground nutmeg, divided
8 eggs
3 cups milk

Hollandaise Sauce

5 eggs, separated, room temperature
2 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1/8 to ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks), cut up

Heat broiler. Spray 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Place English muffins on baking sheet; broil 2-4 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Cut into ¾-inch pieces (you should have about 4 ½ cups); arrange English muffin pieces over bottom of baking dish. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion 3 to 4 minutes or until it begins to brown. Add bacon; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in spinach, garlic and ¼ tsp each of the salt, pepper and nutmeg; reduce heat to medium . Cook and stir 1 minute. Spoon over English muffins. Whisk 8 eggs in large bowl until frothy. Whisk in milk and remaining ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, and ¼ tsp nutmeg. Pour over mixture in baking dish, pressing to make sure all bread is moistened. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes or until puffed and golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Meanwhile, blend 5 egg yolks, lemon juice, ¼ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and cayenne pepper in blender 1 minute or until combined. Place ¾ cup butter in glass measuring cup; microwave on high 40 to 60 seconds or until melted and just starting to bubble. With blender running, slooooowly pour in butter in a very thin stream until sauce is thickened, 1 to 1 ½ minutes total. (If butter is added too quickly, egg yolks won’t be able to absorb butter fast enough and sauce won’t thicken.) Beat egg whites in medium bowl at medium high speed, 1 to 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Gently fold hollandaise sauce into egg whites. Heat broiler. Spoon hollandaise over hot strata; broil 1 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Double Chocolate Malt Shop Cupcakes

Do you ever wonder why a recipe wins in a recipe contest? You look over the recipe and it seems like a little twist on a million other recipes you’ve seen or even made. What makes this one make thousands or even a million dollars for that lucky cook? I’ve decided it’s that little twist.


You probably know by now that I have a very large cookbook collection and I’m very fond of trying out recipes in them. But it has occurred to me many times that there really are only so many possibilities to combine foods and make them taste good. Or are there? I started to watch the program “Chopped” on the Food Network a while back and was astounded at the ingredients these cooks were given from which to make a tasteful dish—and even more astounded that they seemed to do it. So I strayed from my usual habit to stick strictly with a recipe and decided to be a little innovative and sneak some different ingredients in the old standards. It actually turned out to be pretty easy and a lot of fun.

Next, I perused a few of my cookbooks that have contest-winning recipes in them, most notably, The Cooking Contest Cookbook by Joyce and Don Campagna. I did find that most of the recipes were standard at inception and then just deviated a little bit to put it over the top; in one contest an imaginative man spread pimiento cheese on pizza crust, cut it into small pieces and served it as an appetizer. Of course it is imperative that the cook has a knack for knowing what tastes good and looks good and, less importantly, is fashionable in food. Looking through my old copies of the Pillsbury Bake Off contest, the style of the winning recipes is very different in later years than in earlier ones.

A friend of mine, originally from Poland, loves to cook and her food is always wonderful. I can never believe the marvelous dishes she prepares—and they look as good as they taste! I queried her about the recipes she uses and her reply was, “Recipes? I never use recipes—I look in the cupboards and the refrigerator at what I have and then I cook.” The same philosophy was part of my late mother-in-law’s renowned recipe for bacon rolls or, in Latvian, piragi. Every woman in Latvia made them and each one a little differently. She changed her basic recipe when she came to America to suit the ingredients available here and also to lighten them up for the trend to healthier foods. They became so famous and loved that people still talk about them and some ask me to make them and send them if I can. (I can and do!)

I found this recipe in the April 1, 2009 copy of Family Circle magazine and wondered, at first, how Julie Hession of Las Vegas, NV, could win a big check with a simple-sounding cupcake. Three ingredients set it apart from the usual chocolate cupcake with buttercream frosting—and they made all the difference. I have had rave reviews from these from guests and friends:

Double-Chocolate Malt-Shop Cupcakes with Cherry-Vanilla Buttercream
Makes 20 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup malted milk powder (such as Carnation)
½ tsp. espresso powder
2/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup miniature chocolate chips

Cherry-Vanilla Buttercream:

4 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp heavy cream
2/3 cup tart cherry preserves
Malted milk balls or maraschino cherries, for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with 20 paper liners. (I sprayed mine lightly with Pam—lg). Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt until blended. Beat milk, malted milk powder and espresso powder on medium speed. Add canola oil and eggs; beat until blended. On low speed, add flour mixture to milk mixture; beat until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in miniature chips. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling halfway. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pan on wire rack for 2 minutes. Remove cupcakes to rack; cool completely.

Buttercream: Beat confectioners’ sugar and butter on medium-low speed until well blended. Add vanilla and heavy cream; beat for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in cherry preserves until well incorporated. When cool, frost the cupcakes with a knife or offset spatula. Garnish the top of each cupcake with a malted milk ball or cherry and serve.