This recipe comes from my mother Betsy White in New Orleans.  It’s just the sort of thing that restaurants dish up in heaping portions at charity events and festivals.  You can modify it or reduce the amount of butter or cream.  Dare I say it, my belly has gotten wimpy after too much time away from New Orleans.

Serves 4

1 lb linguini or fettucini

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

3/4 c chopped green onion

1 T Cajun Magic *

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pint half and half

1 lb crawfish tails (these usually come cooked, in a bag), or cooked shrimp

Cook pasta and drain.  Melt butter in saucepan and sauté onions 2-3 minutes.  Add Cajun Magic, garlic and crawfish or shrimp.  Sauté one minute and add half and half.  Cook 5-10 minutes over medium heat until sauce thickens.  Add pasta and toss well and serve immediately.

*we used Old Bay because the other option in the cupboard was Emeril’s Essence and that didn’t smell like the dish of my childhood.  Old Bay smelled exactly right as it cooked, but we’d probably use a little less than a tablespoon next time.

Dark Chocolate & Bacon Topped Toffee

1 pound good quality bacon, cooked crispy, drained, cooled and crumbled. I cook mine on a rimmed sheet pan in the oven, at 400-425 for 15-20 minutes. Save remaining chopped bacon for…anything you want! You’ll be so happy to have it ready to sprinkle on potatoes, salads, or soups, or a little mini blt.
35 or 40 soda crackers
1 cup butter + 1/4 cup for pan
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate. I use Valrhona 79% cacoa. Can be lighter but use high quality.
Preheat oven to 425. Melt 1/4 cup butter, pour into 10X15 jellyroll pan and arrange crackers over butter. Combine 1 cup melted butter and brown sugar in medium saucepan. Bring to boil and boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in sweetened condensed milk. Pour over crackers. Bake 10-12 minutes until topping is bubbling and slightly darkened. Remove from oven and cool one minute. Scatter chocolate over top. Allow to melt 5 minutes. Spread chocolate over caramel and sprinkle with as much chopped bacon as you desire, reserving remainder for other use.
Refrigerate until chocolate is set. Cut into small squares. Stores well in the freezer.

Inspired by a recipe for toffee from Springbrook Hazelnut Farm B&B in Newberg Oregon. Original recipe is topped with hazelnuts instead of bacon.

Pizza and movie night is a favorite tradition in our household.  This recipe for dough is wonderful and freezes well so we always make an extra batch while the ingredients and food processor are out on the counter. 

Rosemary Pizza Dough

Makes four 8-in pizzas

1 cup warm water (105-115 F)
1 T sugar
1 envelope dry yeast
3 T olive oil
3 cups (or more) all purpose flour
1½ tsp salt
1 T chopped fresh rosemary

Combine water and sugar in food processor. Sprinkle yeast over and allow to sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add oil, flour and salt. Process until dough comes together, about 1 minute. On a floured work surface, turn out dough and sprinkle with rosemary. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is sticky, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil large bowl. Add dough; turn to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic, then towel. Let stand in warm spot until dough doubles, about 1 hour.  Punch down dough. Knead dough in bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes. Using pastry cutter, divide dough into 4 pieces.  On lightly floured surface roll dough, place on baking sheet and top each with desired toppings - pizza sauce, duck salami, sautéed greens, mushrooms and mozzarella are faves here.  Bake (425° F) until bubbly and golden brown on the underside.

Serves 6 (by all means, double it!)

2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1½ lbs lean ground beef
1 T plus 1½ tsp chili powder
1½ tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp smoked Spanish paprika
½ tsp to 1½ tsp cayenne pepper
about 1 tsp salt
1 can (14.5 oz) crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup beer (ale, amber, whatever)
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 can (14.5 oz) pinto or kidney beans, drained
sour cream, sliced green onions and grated cheese for topping

In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon, stirring until it just begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add onion, lower heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally until translucent, 4-7 minutes. Uncover pan, stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute.Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef; break it up with a spoon and stir gently until browned, 6-8 minutes. Stir in spices and 1 tsp of salt and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beer and Worcestershire and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially and cook 30 minutes.

Add beans and cook 10 minutes, uncovered. Season to taste.

Based on a recipe from Sunset Magazine.

6 servings

1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salt

1 bag spinach

6-8 ounces farfalle pasta

1 26-ounce jar marinara sauce

2 cups water

½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

Ground black pepper

¾ cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup minced fresh basil

Brown meat in a 12-inch skillet over high heat, breaking into pieces with spoon.  Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon salt.  Add spinach and stir until wilted.  Add noodles, marinara sauce and water.  Cover and cook, stirring often and maintaining vigorous simmer until noodles are tender, about 20 minutes.  Add a couple of tablespoons water if necessary.

Off heat, stir in half of mozzarella and half of parmesan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Dot heaping tablespoons of ricotta over noodles, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.  Cover and let stand off heat until cheeses melt, 3-5 minutes.  Sprinkle with basil before serving.

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 ½ tsp. grated onion

8 T mayonnaise

2 T chopped chives

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

4 T parmesan cheese

1 loaf white bread*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine first six ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Cut bread into rounds using a jigger or aperitif glass (these crimp the edges better than a biscuit cutter will).  Mound a teaspoon of cheese mixture on each bread round and spread evenly.

Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.  Serve warm.  Recipe can easily be halved and freezes very well.

* good ‘ole gummy, American white bread works best.

Boeuf D’Oregon

Serves 8-10

This is our family’s twist on a classic French dish, Boeuf Bourguignon.  Since we make Oregon Pinot Noir, and also import wines from 15 small producers in Burgundy, this dish represents the sum of our passion for pinot, on both sides of the pond!  The preparation could not be simpler, and the results are instant comfort for a hungry crew.

4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

3 large yellow onions, sliced ¼-inch thick

1 pound white mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup tomato paste

1 cup Pinot Noir (or more)

2 cups baby carrots

Season meat generously with salt and pepper.  Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Brown the meat on all sides, in batches, remove meat and set meat aside.  Add the onions to the pot and sauté, stirring frequently until they soften, about 10 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, cover the pot, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Return meat to pot, scooping sautéed mushrooms and onions on top of meat.  Add the Worcestershire sauce and ½ cup wine.  Cover pot and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.  Add the tomato paste, ½ cup of wine and carrots, and continue to cook, covered, for another 30 minutes or until fork-tender, checking occasionally to see if more liquid is required.  Serve over rice or polenta.

Italian Country Green Tomato Jam
Adapted from The Italian Country Table: Home Cooking from Italy’s Farmhouse Kitchens by Lynne Rossetto Kasper, (Scribner 1999). Copyright © 2004 Lynne Rossetto Kasper. All Rights Reserved.

Makes 1-1/2 cups and doubles easily

Having the tomatoes and sugar stand for 24 hours before cooking allows the sugar to draw out the tomatoes’ juices so they stay crisper in cooking and their syrup is more flavorful (a good trick for any fruit dessert). Actual simmering takes 40 minutes.

Insure bright contrasts of tart-sweet fruit and spice by cooking the jam only long enough for it not to run when spooned onto a chilled plate (210 degrees on candy thermometer). Beyond this, flavors flatten.

• 2 pounds green tomatoes (preferably organic), cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (keep the juices and seeds)
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 2 medium lemons
• Pinch of salt
• Generous pinch fresh-ground black pepper
• 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken

1. In a glass or china bowl toss together the tomatoes, their juices and seeds, and the sugar. Lightly cover with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature 24 hours. Turn into a 4-quart saucepan.

2. With a zester, shred yellow skins of both lemons into tomatoes. Cut away the white pith. Seed and cut up lemon’s flesh into small pieces. Stir into the tomatoes with remaining ingredients.

3. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat. Reduce heat so jam cooks at a moderate simmer. Simmer, uncovered, 40 minutes, or until a candy thermometer set into the jam reads 210 degrees. Test by spooning a little jam onto a chilled plate. It should not run. Do not overcook. Turn jam into a bowl to cool. Refrigerate or freeze. Jam is best served at room temperature.

Dijon Mustard & Panko Oven-Fried Chicken (adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

(1/29/09 - I’m adding a note here having made an adjustment to this recipe last night that we all liked better.  I used skinless, boneless chicken thighs and cut them through so they could lie flat and followed the same preparation.  Delicious, “grown-up” chicken tenders!)

Serves 4

Easy, with delicious results.  We like this with our 06 La Paulée.

¾ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

¾ cup grated Parmesan or other hard cheese like Pecorino

¾ teaspoons cayenne

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 chicken legs (with thigh)

½ cup Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in upper third, and butter a 4 sided baking sheet and set aside.  In a pie plate or shallow dish, mix together bread crumbs, cheese and cayenne, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Drizzle with butter and toss.  Pat the chicken dry and put into a sturdy freezer bag with the mustard and seal.  Gently squish the bag in your hands until the mustard evenly coats the chicken.  Dredge each piece of chicken in the breadcrumbs, place on the baking sheet and roast until browned and cooked through, about 30 minutes.  Serve warm or room temperature.

This is a nice summer side-dish that tastes bright and fresh.  The recipe is tweaked from one from Food & Wine Magazine.

4-6 as side dish

1 cup Arborio rice

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup tightly packed flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1 ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/3 cup oil-cured pitted black olives, roughly chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add rice, simmer until tender, about 14 minutes and drain well.  In a bowl, gently stir rice with all remaining ingredients and serve warm or room temperature.