May Picnics

After our warm, beautiful April, May has been decidedly cool. Nevertheless, since all of my children live a long way away and we had no guests on Mother’s Day at the Candlelight Inn, I decided to pack a picnic and go down the Mississippi River.

Those of you who have followed my column know that a picnic is my favorite way to dine. Anything from throwing some sandwiches into a brown paper bag to packing salads, fancy breads, cold roast beef slices and a chilled bottle of wine is good. There is something special about eating outdoors if the weather is even halfway decent. And, in spite of the coolness, Sunday was a perfect picnic day.

Fried chicken is a favorite, but it is putzy and time-consuming (also not-so-good-for-you). Potato salad is a must with chicken, but ditto the above complaints. The light bulb was a little slow Sunday, but it suddenly came on when I remembered a long-ago picnic of sorts on a sunny but cool spring day.

My three sons were all participants in the RAAA (Rosemount Area Athletic Association) and every April and May I spent all day on Saturday at the Rosemount Athletic field watching them run track. Of course, they were different ages, so it was really an all day affair. I brought blankets to soften the hard bleachers, raincoats and umbrellas in case of light rain (heavy downpours would cancel the events), puzzles to work, a portable radio and a few magazines. And food—lots and lots of food. Food for me, food for neighboring spectators who were not as seasoned as I, and food for the kids as they came bounding up with their ribbons to watch their brothers in the next meet.

One Saturday my sister-in-law was over and decided to come along for the day. She didn’t have any children yet and was always gung-ho to watch her nephews. When I lamented the lack of ideas for food to take along, she came up with a winner. She said that she had learned at a Chinese cooking class a delicious and easy chicken nugget recipe. So I watched her put Chinese Walnut Chicken Pieces together in short order. This with other goodies like cookies, cheese and crackers, fruit and lemonade made our day at the track a rousing success. I did notice, however, that when she did have children, neither of them participated in track.

Here is the menu I packed for our lovely Mother’s Day picnic—it really is easy and satisfying—and, as a bonus, really good for you.

Chinese Walnut Chicken Pieces

2 chicken breast halves, boned and skinned
¼ cup cornstarch
1 egg white beaten with 1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sherry
½ tsp. sugar
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for deep frying

Cut chicken into 1 ½ -inch squares. Mix together soy sauce, sherry and sugar. Pour over chicken squares in medium bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pour oil in heavy, deep saucepan to a depth of 4 inches and heat to a temperature of 360 degrees. Dip each chicken square into cornstarch, then into egg white mixture and then roll in chopped walnuts. When all chicken is coated, deep fry, 5 or 6 at a time for about 2 minutes turning once. Drain on paper towels. Salt and pepper to taste while warm. These will be delicious cold or warm. You can freeze them by placing them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze firm; then put them into a Ziploc bag; label and freeze. When using them, heat oven to 425, and put frozen chicken squares on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until brown and crisp.

Quick and Easy Potato Salad

4 medium sized red potatoes
3 hard-cooked eggs
¼ cup Italian salad dressing
3 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
Chives (about 2 Tbsp)
Salt and Pepper

Cook potatoes in their skins until tender. Peel or not as you desire. Pour Italian dressing over warm potatoes and let sit until room temperature. Chop eggs, leaving one out for garnish, if desired. Scissor chives to 1/8 inch lengths. Mix eggs, chives and mayonnaise into potatoes. Add salt and pepper (hint: potatoes absorb a great deal of salt so you may have to use a bit more than you think—keep tasting until just right). Garnish with sliced egg and chives. Serve room temperature or chilled. If you take this on a picnic, chill first and put into thermos container with ice.

Capsicum 2 Grub Club

The Grub Club (our Red Wing dinner group) met on the 3rd of August, 2007, and the theme was Capsicum—the pepper family. I mentioned in a previous column that we were the dessert course for a dinner that required capsicum in every course. I had so much fun researching and testing recipes that in the end I couldn’t decide between two that were really good. So I brought them both.

Our group decided that the whole dinner was one of our best (we’ve been doing this for five or six years) and I really want to share these delicious recipes.

The appetizer course from Randy and Susan Johnson was spicy chicken wings (not really Buffalo wings, but a close contender) and a variety of fresh stuffed peppers from the Johnson’s garden.

First course was supplied by Valerie and Tom Schooley and was a deliciously refreshing pepper salad.

Main course was grilled and served by our host, Mike Christensen and his wife Kay (Mike is the main cook in this couple)--Monk Fish on a bed of peppers with a side of small red peppers that weren’t really too hot, stuffed with cheese. Actually none of the dishes were over the top on heat. I had planned to bring several bananas to slice up and serve whenever the heat overwhelmed, but forgot them. We really didn’t need them anyway.

Oh yes and then there were the desserts: Coconut Caramel Cream Custard with Pineapple Concasse and Ancho Chile Flourless Chocolate Cake.

If any of you decide to try this menu, rest assured you will not need a fire extinguisher nearby—or even bananas.

Everything is for approximately 8 people

Susan’s Chicken Wings

3 lbs. wings (separated at joint)
1 whole bottle Tiger Sauce
2 Tbs.Tabasco sauce
1 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
One-half tsp. pepper

Place all ingredients in a large freezer bag and marinate for 24 hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees; place wings in baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until done, basting every 10-15 minutes with sauce. Serve with celery sticks and creamy, cool dressing.

Roasted Red Pepper Salad with Bacon Dressing and Pine nuts (Epicurious.com and Valerie Schooley)

4 medium-size red bell peppers
4 medium-size yellow bell peppers
8 bacon slices (about 8 ounces)
2 garlic cloves, minced
One-fourth tsp. dried crushed red pepper
2 tsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbs. Sherry wine vinegar
One-fourth tsp. coarse kosher salt
One-fourth cup pine nuts, toasted
Assorted salad greens

Char peppers over open flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Transfer peppers to large bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and seed peppers. Cut peppers into one-third-inch-wide strips; place in medium bowl. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)

Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to brown, about 1 minute. Add basil and stir 10 seconds. Stir in vinegar and one-fourth tsp. salt. Pour warm dressing over peppers in bowl. Crumble bacon and add to peppers along with pine nuts; toss to coat. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and serve over salad greens


Grilled Monkfish with Poblano Peppers

3 pounds Monkfish
One-half tsp. ground cumin seed
1 tsp. paprika
One-fourth tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
One-fourth cup (packed) fresh cilantro
1 large clove garlic
One-half cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 Poblano peppers, roasted and skinned
Salt and pepper

Garnishes:
Fresh rosemary
Toasted pine nuts
Lime wedges
Chile oil to drizzle over before serving

Using food processor, make a paste of cumin, paprika, cayenne, cilantro, garlic and olive oil (add last through feed tube). Cover Monkfish, cut in 6-oz portions, with paste and let marinate for at least 2 hours in refrigerator. Grill about 8 minutes per side or until done, but not dry. Plate fish on bed of roasted peppers and garnish with above ingredients, drizzling chile oil last.

Coconut Caramel Cream Custard with Pineapple Concasse

One-half cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. water
Cooking spray
4 large eggs
One and two-thirds cups half and half or whole milk
One-half cup sugar
One-third cup cream of coconut
2 tsp. vanilla extract
One-eighth tsp. salt
Pineapple Concasse (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine sugar and water in small heavy saucepan or skillet over medium high heat; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Cook approximately 2-3 minutes. Immediately pour into 8 (4-ounce) ramekins, coated with cooking spray, tilting each ramekin quickly until caramelized sugar coats bottom of cup. Blend next 6 ingredients with wire whisk until well-combined. Divide mixture evenly among prepared ramekins. Place ramekins in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 325 for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove ramekins from pan and chill for at least 4 hours. Loosen edges of custards with a knife. Place a dessert plate over ramekin and invert. Serve with pineapple concasse and a small dollop of whipped cream.

Pineapple Concasse

One and one-half cups finely chopped pineapple
1 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil
One small jalapeno pepper, seeded and de-ribbed, chopped very fine
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.

Ancho Chile Flourless Chocolate Cake

6 oz. Semisweet Chocolate, chopped
2 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter, diced
One-half cup brown sugar, packed
4 eggs, beaten slightly
1 Tbsp. Ancho chile powder (I made my own with dried Ancho chiles blended fine in the blender)

Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom of 9 x 9 inch pan with parchment. Place all chocolate in large bowl. Melt butter, sugar and chile powder in saucepan. Stir to dissolve sugar. Pour over chocolate, whisk till smooth. Cool slightly and add eggs. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place pan in roasting pan. Pour enough hot water in roasting pan to come half way up cake pan. Bake about 1 hour until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Chill. Hold pan over low heat for 15 seconds to loosen. Place plate over pan and invert. Peel off paper. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Capsicum

Capsicum: Capsicum is a genus of plants from the nightshade family (Solanaceae), native to Mexico, and now cultivated worldwide. Some of the members of Capsicum are used as spices, vegetables, and medicines. The fruit of Capsicum plants have a variety of names depending on place and type. They are commonly called chili pepper, red or green pepper, or just pepper in Britain and the US; the large mild form is called bell pepper in the US, capsicum in Australian English and Indian English, and paprika in some other countries (although paprika can also refer to the powdered spice made from various capsicum fruit). The original Mexican term chilli (now chile in Spanish) came from the Nahuatl word chilli or xilli, referring to a huge Capsicum variety cultivated at least since 3000 BC, according to remains found in pottery from Puebla and Oaxaca.

Peppers—the farmer’s market, regular market and home gardens are full of them now and it is hard to find a more diverse and useful vegetable. The capsicum family is a very large one and its fruits vary in size, shape, color and pungency. We generally divide the family into two parts: those that are sweet, larger-fruited and bell-shaped, and those that are smaller-fruited, hotter and more pungent. Sweet peppers or bell peppers are green at maturity but if left to mature longer on the vine, turn red and sweet. Although the different colors of bell peppers (purple, yellow, orange) are different hybrids of the same plant, the red pepper is actually an over-ripe green bell. These sweet peppers do come in other than the bell shape; long, slender and pointed can be the sweet peppers as well. One heart-shaped and particularly sweet-flavored variety, the pimiento, is widely used for commercial canning.

The capsaicin is the ingredient in the pepper that makes it hot. The sweet varieties have almost none; and the serrano and habanero are among the hottest. Generally the smaller and redder they are, the hotter. Our well-known jalapeno pepper is a medium hot one. The widely popular chipotle is really just a dried, smoked jalapeno with wrinkled skin and a smoky, sweet flavor. It can come pickled or canned in adobo sauce.

Peppers are very nutritious. The capsaicin, the substance that makes hot peppers hot is thought to be medicinal. It does have super healing powers that can increase metabolism, and block the formation of cancer-causing compounds in cured meats. They also can ease pain caused by shingles. All peppers contain a good amount of vitamin C. Capsicums (peppers) are the key constituent of Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, chili powder and chili sauce.

The theme for the dinner club that we belong to here in town was capsicum in every course. It was our turn to bring dessert, of course, and this was somewhat of a challenge. I hadn’t actually found any recipes with peppers as an ingredient in a dessert, so I experimented all week and have invented some interesting and good things. Since our club hasn’t met yet, I am not going to divulge any of these recipes yet.

Much of my cooking is with bell peppers, because they are so sweet and flavorful and very adaptable. They are delicious roasted, grilled, sautéed, stuffed and baked and in stir-frys and casseroles—well, there really is no end to their uses.
Here are a couple of my favorites:

My Mom’s Stuffed Green Peppers

4 large green peppers
½-1 pound lean ground beef
½ cup finely chopped onion
2 cups cooked rice
2 cups corn (either fresh, cut off the cob or canned or frozen)
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
Buttered bread crumbs (fresh bread crumbs cooked in butter until toasted)
Grated cheddar cheese

Cut tops off peppers, remove seeds and membranes. Parboil in boiling water to cover for five minutes. Drain and set upright in buttered square baking pan.

Sauté beef and onion until beef is no longer pink and onion is transparent. Add tomato sauce, corn, rice and salt and pepper. Stuff peppers with mixture, spooning any extra around peppers in pan. Cover with cheese and buttered bread crumbs. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes


Kung Pao Chicken (adapted from The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook by Andrea Chesman)

Serves 4

Chicken and Marinade
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar

Sauce
¼ cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp dark sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water

Vegetables
3 Tbsp canola oil
2 red bell peppers, cubed
2 green peppers, cubed
2 fresh red or green hot chiles, seeded and diced (optional)
1 cup sliced water chestnuts
4 scallions, white and tender greens, sliced
½ cup roasted peanuts
Hot cooked white rice, for serving

Combine the chicken, rice wine, soy sauce, chili paste and sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.
To make sauce, combine the broth, wine, hoisin, soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic in a small bowl and set aside. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water in another bowl and set aside.
Heat a large wok (or other large skillet) over high heat and add 1 ½ Tbsp of the oil and swirl to coat the sides of the pan. Add the chicken and marinade and stir-fry for 4 to 6 minutes, until the chicken pieces are tender and no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. Heat the remaining 1 ½ Tbsp oil in the wok still over high heat. Add the red and green bell peppers and the chiles and stir-fry until the peppers have softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the water chestnuts and scallions and stir-fry for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry for 1 minute to heat through. Add the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens. Add the peanuts and toss to coat. Serve hot over the rice.

Homemade Sausage

The word “sausage” is from the Middle English sausige and the Old French saussiche, both from the Latin word salsus, meaning “salted.” Sausage has been around for centuries and was born of necessity; another way to preserve the bounty of kill for the lean times. Spicing, smoking and drying were all ways to preserve animal products and prevail today as means of curing and preserving sausage.

Making sausage at home is fun and satisfying. Additionally, it is a way of controlling what goes into your sausage. If you want to keep fat to a minimum, you can make delicious sausages with chicken and fruits (like apples) and spices, or you can make Swedish potato sausage, even tofu sausage.

The categories of sausage we are most familiar with are fresh, cooked and cured. Fresh sausage is ground meat and spices, fat and perhaps some other filler made into patties or links and refrigerated or cooked in the time span of any fresh meat.

Cooked sausages are fully cooked either by poaching or smoking and may be eaten without heating, but most are heated again before serving. These should be stored in the refrigerator, as well. Frankfurters and bologna are examples.

Ready-to-eat sausages are treated with salt and other additives to impart different flavors and extend storage time. Some sausages, including pepperoni, are cured or preserved by drying and some are smoked as well during processing. These sausages need no further cooking and keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Making your own sausage is really simple but you do need a little equipment. An appliance for grinding the meat is the most essential and unless you only want to make fresh, bulk sausage, a sausage stuffer is needed as well. Grinders can be either old-fashioned hand grinders (go on the internet to find, or clean up an old family grinder) with grinding disks which can be sharpened with emory cloth (available at hardware stores). A heavy-duty mixer (such as a Kitchenaid) may have a grinding attachment which is really handy. Food processors will also work, although you must be careful not to overprocess the meat, as it will turn to mush.

To stuff your sausage into casings, you will need either a stuffer or a properly-sized funnel. A special sausage stuffer funnel is not expensive and does a much better job. Hand stuffing is a rather long and tedious process.

Most butcher shops will sell you natural casings; don’t wrinkle your nose—they are scrupulously cleaned and sealed in airtight bags and then kept frozen or refrigerated.

Here are the basic steps to making stuffed sausage (adapted from Home Sausage Making by Susan Mahnke Peery and Charles G. Reavis)

1. Prepare natural casing by rinsing, flushing with water (put open end of casing over faucet and run cold water through gently) and soaking in cool water for thirty minutes. Soak again in 1 tablespoon white vinegar for each cup of cool water.
2. Make the sausage stuffing by cutting the meat and fat into 1-inch cubes (freeze before grinding), measuring all seasonings and kneading together the meat, fat and seasonings.
3. Grind the meat, using your preferred method. With a hand grinder, grind the sausage ingredients together twice, adding the seasonings after the first grinding. Fry up a small amount of the mixture and taste to see if you want to adjust any seasonings.
4. Stuff the casing. Gather the sausage casing over the funnel and feed the ground mixture through the funnel (by hand or machine) until it reaches the opening. Tie the end of the casing into a knot and begin feeding small amounts of meat mixture through the funnel, filling the entire length of casing as you go. Maintain an even thickness of meat throughout the length of the casing.
5. Inspect the sausage for air bubbles and prick any you find with a needle.
6. Twist off the sausage links, beginning at the tied end. Grasp about 3 inches of sausage and give it two or three twists to form a link. When the entire casing is done, cut the links apart with a sharp knife.
7. Refrigerate the sausages for a couple of hours or overnight to meld the flavors and firm the texture.
8. Cook the sausage thoroughly and enjoy.

Here is a good beginning recipe which can be stuffed into casings or cooked from bulk.

Country-Style Breakfast Sausage (directions are for stuffed sausages)

4 feet small hog casing
2 ½ pounds lean pork butt
½ pound pork fat
1 ½ tsp. dried sage
1 ½ tsp. kosher or coarse salt
¾ tsp. freshly ground pepper
¾ tsp sugar
½ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp dried summer savory

Cut meat and fat into 1-inch cubes and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes before grinding. Measure the seasonings and combine them in a small bowl. Set aside.

For hand grinder: put meat and fat through the fine disk. Mix the seasonings into the meat with your hands, kneading the mixture well. Freeze the mixture again for about 30 minutes, then put it back through the fine disk a second time.

Food processor: Process the meat and fat to a fine dice and mix in the seasonings by hand after the entire batch has been processed.

Grinder attachment on heavy-duty mixer: grind the meat and fat first and then mix in the seasonings by hand after the entire batch has been processed.

Fry up a small amount and taste the cooked sausage to see if you want to adjust seasonings. Stuff the casing. Coat the funnel well with grease, then draw casing over the funnel so that the entire length is gathered onto the funnel and the end of the casing is even with the funnel opening. Push the ground meat mixture through the funnel or feed spout with your fingers or meat pusher until it reaches the lip of the funnel opening. Pull about 2 inches of casing off the end of the funnel and tie it into a knot. Feeding small amounts of meat through the funnel at a time, continue stuffing the entire casing. Pack the casing firmly but not to the bursting point, maintaining an even thickness throughout the length of the casing. When all the meat has been used, slide any leftover casing off the funnel. Prick any air bubbles with a needle. Twist off the links. Beginning at the tied end of the stuffed casing, grasp about 3 inches of sausage and gently give it two or three twists in one direction to form a link. Continue twisting off links until the entire casing is done. With a very sharp knife, cut the links apart and cut off any empty casing at the end. Arrange the links in a single layer on a platter, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Eat within 2 days or freeze. Thaw completely before cooking.

Making Foods from Scratch

With food and gas prices on the rise, it seems like a good time to consider making more foods from scratch. It’s definitely economical, if not convenient but you may wonder if it’s a good use of your time. With a well-executed plan in hand, it just might be. It is also a lot of fun.

The other main reason for making things from scratch is the control you have over what goes into the final product. With so much emphasis on eating healthy and buying organic foods and/or products without a long list of additives, cooking from scratch can put your mind at ease that you are eating wholesome, healthy food. You can also get a lot of use out of some of those appliances that crowd your cupboards.

Dust off the blender. I’m sorry to say that blenders in general have been relegated to making smoothies and crushing ice. Food processors, I must admit, do a great many more tasks, but there are a few things that a blender does best. One of these is homemade mayonnaise. Here is a product that is so superior when made at home, that there really is no comparison. This is especially true now that everyone is trying to cut down on fat and is using “light” or fat-free versions. Sadly, these are really inferior and besides, in order to make the fat-free or low-fat versions palatable, they are chock-full of fillers, gelatin and carbohydrates. Make your own in a matter of seconds and just use less or less often.

You can make your mayonnaise with any vegetable oil or with all or part pure olive oil, in which case you get aioli. You can vary the flavor by using lemon juice instead of vinegar and adding garlic or herbs to taste.

Making mayonnaise from scratch without a blender can be a stressful and somewhat tedious endeavor. The oil must be beaten into the egg mixture with the utmost care, drop by drop or the oil will separate and float on top of the egg.

As simple as blender mayonnaise is, there are a few tricks to keep a disaster or at least a disappointment from occurring. Here is the method; follow the directions EXACTLY:

(From Ann Seranne’s Good Food with a Blender)

How to Make Perfect Blender Mayonnaise in 15 seconds:

Makes 1 1/3 cups

1 egg
2 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
½ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup salad oil

1. Break the egg into the container. Add vinegar or lemon juice, mustard, salt and ¼ cup of the oil. 2. Cover and blend on Low Speed. 3. Immediately remove inner cap or cover and pour in remaining oil in quite a fast stream (do not add it drop by drop). All the oil must be added by the end of 15 seconds blending time. 4. A few drops of oil may remain on the surface of the mayonnaise. Without turning blender off, switch to High and blend for just 3 seconds more.

Note: Should the mixture fail to thicken, pour three-quarters of it into a measuring cup. Add another egg to the mixture left in the container and start again at step 2, adding the mixture in the measuring cup in the same manner that you originally added the oil.

I once brought a simple seafood salad to a gathering and got so many rave reviews and requests for the recipe that I was really amazed. The only thing different about that salad from scores of others that everyone has tasted was the homemade mayonnaise. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the reactions you get.

A good Hollandaise sauce may be a caloric extravagance, but it is, nonetheless, a classic dressing for vegetables (especially asparagus) and the famed Eggs Benedict. It can be a very iffy sauce to prepare, just like its cousin mayonnaise, because of the emulsion’s tendency to curdle and separate. Here is the blender method that has always worked for me.

Makes 1 ¼ cups

½ pound butter (2 sticks)
4 egg yolks
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Heat butter until very hot but do not allow it to brown. Put egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne into blender container. Cover and turn on Medium speed. Remove cover and pour in the hot butter in a steady stream. Serve immediately or keep warm in a double boiler. Should the sauce become too thick while standing, add 1 Tbsp. hot water and blend briefly. Sauce can be stored in refrigerator for at least a week or frozen for several months. Reheat over hot water.

Cooking Term Quiz

Think you are cooking savvy? Whether you’re a seasoned cook or a beginner, take this quiz and find out how up-to-date your cooking knowledge is:

Match the cooking term with the correct definition:

A. Green Beans
B. A sweet fruit combination, served warm
C. Italian cheese crisps
D. A mixture of fresh herbs, garlic and seasonings
E. Horseradish powder
F. Wild leeks
G. Middle Eastern candy
H. Curly-leafed salad green
I. Fruit and nut paste
J. A high protein grain
K. Italian bacon
L. Pasta shaped like little ears
M. Little sandwiches
N. Mixture of onion, olive oil, capers and fresh basil or vegetables
O. Strips of fat used for adding moisture and flavor to meat dishes
P. A zesty herb and garlic sauce from the Middle East
Q. Hard Italian cheese made of goat’s milk
R. Mixture of melted chocolate and cream

1. Frico
2. Gremolata
3. Halva
4. Carpaccio
5. Haricots Verts
6. Ramps
7. Wasabi
8. Bocadillos
9. Ganache
10. Semifreddo
11. Orecchiette
12. Pecorino
13. Lardons
14. Frisee
15. Pancetta
16. Charmoula
17. Haroseth
18. Quinoa

Answers: 1. C; 2. D; 3. G; 4. N; 5. A; 6. F; 7. E; 8. M; 9. R; 10. B; 11. L; 12. Q; 13. O; 14. H; 15. K; 16. P; 17. I; 18. J.

Well, how did you do? Even with the amount of “cooking related” reading I do, there were a few that were new for me. All of these terms were taken out of the April, 2007 issue of Bon Appetit. I couldn’t find a single one of these ingredients or terms in my 1972 Betty Crocker cook book, only one in the 1940’s Joy of Cooking, and three in the latest edition of Larousse Gastromonique, considered the encyclopedia of classic cooking.

Nevertheless, the popularity of TV cooking shows and the availability of global foods and eating styles has vastly expanded our cooking repertoire and many of these terms and ingredients are quickly becoming commonplace.

Here are a few recipes using a few of the above cooking terms and ingredients:

Salmon with Orecchiette, Caramelized Onions and Horseradish Cream

6 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ pounds Vidalia onions, thinly sliced

2 cups whipping cream
1 8-oz. bottle clam juice
3 Tbsp. prepared white horseradish
1 10-to12-oz. bunch broccoli rabe (also called rapini)
12 ozs. Orecchiette
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until deep golden brown, about 28 minutes. Set aside. Boil cream and clam juice in heavy large saucepan until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in horseradish. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Cook broccoli rabe in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to plate. Reserve cooking water. Cut broccoli rabe lengthwise in half, then chop coarsely crosswise. Return water in pot to boil. Add pasta and cook until tender but still firm, (al dente), stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to same pot. Add 2 Tbsp. oil, caramelized onions, broccoli rabe, Parmesan cheese and ¾ cup reserved cooking liquid. Toss pasta mixture over medium high heat until heated through, adding remaining reserved cooking liquid if pasta is dry, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add salmon to skillet, skin side up, and cook until brown on bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn salmon over and cook until skin is golden brown and crisp and salmon is just opaque in center, about 3 minutes longer. Bring horseradish sauce to simmer. Divide pasta mixture among 4 plates. Top with salmon, skin side down. Spoon horseradish sauce over salmon and serve.

Haricots Verts with Almonds

1 ¾ pounds haricots verts, trimmed
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Cook beans in pot of boiling salted water until just crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold running water to cool quickly. Pat beans dry. Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add green beans and half of almonds and toss until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season beans with salt and pepper. Transfer beans to platter. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.

Herbed Quinoa Pilaf

2 cups quinoa (about 9 ounces)
2 ½ cups water
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
¾ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
¾ cup chopped fresh basil

Place quinoa in large strainer. Rinse under cold running water until water is clear. Transfer quinoa to large saucepan; add water and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer quinoa to large bowl; fluff with fork. Stir in oil and lemon juice. Cool to room temperature. Mix in pine nuts and red onion. Season with salt and pepper.

Tiny, pearly quinoa grains are immensely healthful—they’re a complete protein—and similar in size to couscous. They have a slightly nutty flavor and a firm texture (like pasta al dente). It is sold at natural food stores and some supermarkets.

No-Ice-Cream-Maker Recipe for Premium Chocolate Ice Cream

Those of you who read this column regularly, know I gave you a quick-no-knead-keeps-forever-and-is-delicious recipe for artisan bread. If you’ve tried it, I think you will agree it is wonderful! I also promised you a quick, easy no-ice-cream-maker recipe for premium chocolate ice cream that is equally easy, fast, and non-traditional and really makes top-notch ice cream. Here it is!

I found this recipe in the June/July 2009 Cook’s Country magazine and the lead-in said “With just 10 minutes of work, we made creamy chocolate ice cream without an ice cream machine. Yes, we’re serious. (Lynn Clark) I didn’t believe it.

I have two kinds of home ice-cream machines. The first is electric and requires ice cream (rock) salt and ice—lots and lots of ice. The second has an insert that has to be chilled in a deep freezer for at least eight hours. When I get in the mood for making ice cream, I seem not to have the proper salt, enough ice, or hours and hours to wait.

Going through old cookbooks, the choices were two. The first—the hand-crank type of ice cream maker—was good, but you always had to have enough little kids around to take turns with the very long and arduous cranking task. That ice cream was soft-serve when it was done and had to be frozen even longer before “hard” ice cream formed. The second old-time method was after the home freezing compartment came into being—and was all the rage. It required freezing trays that I believe were made of metal and quite shallow—like ice cube trays without compartments. The problem with this method was that after freezing the mixture you had to stir it every 30 minutes for hours. It’s a lot easier to drive to the store and buy a half gallon.

So, you can understand my skepticism with an article called “Magic Chocolate Ice Cream” making ridiculous promises. But I am one to take the bait and I did. It was truly heavenly—especially if you like very rich, very chocolaty premium ice cream such as Hagen Daz. Here’s the recipe:

1 tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder
1 Tbsp hot water
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 ¼ cups very cold heavy cream

Combine coffee powder and hot water in a small bowl. Let stand until coffee dissolves, about 5 minutes. Microwave chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and coffee mixture in bowl, stirring every 10 seconds, until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute. Stir in vanilla and salt. Let cool. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Whisk one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Fold remaining whipped cream into chocolate mixture until incorporated. Freeze in airtight container until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 2 weeks. Serve. If you plan to store the ice cream for more than a few days, place plastic wrap directly on its surface before freezing.

Another plus: I like my ice cream hard, like hand-packed premium ice cream that you buy. Most homemade ice cream that I have had is either soft-serve or rock hard and icy (if it’s ripened too long in the freezer.) This ice cream freezes to hardness while still being creamy.

As is the custom for this magazine (sister magazine to Cook’s Illustrated), testers try several methods of cooking before coming up with the result they’re looking for and they include all the methods they tried which failed. In this article, though, no mention is made of any other flavor of ice-cream being tried. I am going to experiment a little myself to see if I can make another flavor ice cream that is equally good using this method.

After stepping on the scale, I’m wondering why I wanted recipes for crusty, artisan-type bread that takes no time to bake and an equally easy and delicious recipe for premium ice cream. I may have to try to find some tasters for any further experiments.