"I don't care about the money -- I just want Lee back!" cried this rueful Scott Thorson (the late, great Peter Croce) on a balmy Greenwich Village Halloween long ago, as seen in this New York Native's full-page photo headlined Night of Beasts and Fairies. No doubt jilted lover Thorson also missed Liberace's (or Lee, as he was known to family and intimates) scrumptious … [Read more...]
RAZOR CLAMS
East-coast razor clams are less know than their hardier Pacific counterparts. Shaped like old-timey straight razors, the shells of these 5" are soft, much like steamer clams, brittle even. And the elongated shape makes them even more fragile. They can't travel far once they've been liberated from their beds. Which is a little ironic since they are pretty mobile in the wild. … [Read more...]
CARROT FLOWERS DELUXE
The new How to Make Carrot Flowers (part 2) video is the sequel to our first How To Make Carrot Flowers. This Youtube video has received nearly a half million views. Lots of people like it. This idea for these groovy blossoms was served up on a plate in Paris. Literally -- at a small bistro the rim of the dinner plates were decorated with a halo of happy carrot disks, as … [Read more...]
RECIPE: CROQUEMBOUCHE
CROQUEMBOUCHE: Cream Puffs, Sour Lemon Cream filling and Caramel recipes Not required but nice to have: Copper caramel saucepan Pastry bag decorating Set Croquembouche form NOTE: Make three batches of this cream puff recipe to provide an ample supply to build an impressive croquembouche. Freeze extra cream puffs for profiteroles with ice cream and chocolate … [Read more...]
KUGELHOPF DELUXE RECIPE
KUGELHOPF DELUXE Recipe (Notes: 1. Be sure to have the butter at room temperature or it will be difficult to work into the already mixed dough. 2. If using a stand mixer, always use a low speed, careful not to over mix. 3. The dough needs a warm environment to rise properly; allow extra time to each rise cycle if needed.) 4 c. all-purpose flour 1 package active dry … [Read more...]
WILD WILD RICE RECIPE
Wild Wild Rice Recipe Note: This recipe takes well to customization with additional bits of vegetables and herbs and sauces 4 c. chicken broth 1/2 c. sherry 6 T. soy sauce, divided 1 t. Rooster brand chili sauce (sriracha) 1/2 t. salt zest of 1/2 an orange 6 T. butter, divided 1/2 c. minced onion 4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 c. wild rice blend (wild rice with … [Read more...]
IRISH GENERAL VEGETABLE SOUP RECIPE
Irish General Vegetable Soup Recipe This vegetable soup recipe benefits from diversity. Use up all the forlorn bits of this and that in your vegetable bin, augmenting with some fresh things to fill it out. 2 ribs of celery 1 medium onion 1 or 2 large carrots 1 parsnip 1 turnip 2 scallions 1 zucchini small handful of green beans 1 bunch Swiss Chard 1 tomato 1 … [Read more...]
IRISH SODA BREAD
From the Sullivan family cookbook Forks Up! comes my sister-in-law Malinda Sullivan's recipe for Irish Soda Bread. As my mother, Mary Pat, wrote in Forks Up! "It is amazing how many variations of this bread there are -- almost one per Irishman." In keeping with this world-view we substituted dried raspberries for the raisins only because they were on hand and raisins were … [Read more...]
RECIPE: HASSENPFEFFER – RABBIT WITH LEEKS GERMAN STYLE
HASSENPFEFFER - RABBIT WITH LEEKS GERMAN STYLE Recipe Note: This dish is best served with steamed new potatoes or buttered noodles. Plan accordingly as you cook the rabbit. 3 lb. fresh rabbit cut into 8 pieces white vinegar 1/4 pancetta flour s&p butter 1/4 lb. mushrooms 3 carrots 2 large leeks 1 shallot 1 chicken bouillon cube 1 bay leaf 1/2 t. … [Read more...]
BUTTERED RADISHES
As made by the incomparable Gabrielle Hamilton, James Beard Award-winning author or Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef and chef/owner of NYC's celebrated Prune restaurant. I was told the secret is to mix a tiny bit of cream into the melted butter, then dip in very cold radishes. Trim the bottoms in advance so they sit flat on the … [Read more...]