Kitchen Kat

As much as I enjoy a good cocktail, I realize that not every occasion calls for a sweet, intoxicating drink. Take, for instance, hot summer days when everyone craves more thirst-quenching beverages. Likewise, the nights when we’re all counting calories — a common activity for food journalists — and we need something kinder to our waistlines. Let’s not forget the times when we’re juggling the demands of work, playing host or serving as designated driver; we want to be refreshed, fit into the party but keep clear heads.

Enter the mocktail. Perfect for quenching thirsts and staying alert yet festive enough for any celebratory event, faux cocktails can replace even the most beloved alcoholic drink.

MANGO-PAPAYA SPRITZER
Serves many

1/2 part mango juice
1/4 part papaya juice
1/8 part orange juice
1/8 part seltzer

Fill a large pitcher halfway with mango juice. Add papaya juice, orange juice and seltzer and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to consume. Pour into cocktail glasses or into ice cube-filled tumblers.

BANANA COLADA
Adapted from Ben Reed’s The Art of the Cocktail (Ryland, Peters and Small, 2004)
Serves 2

2 ripe bananas
1 1/4 ounces coconut cream
1 tablespoon whipping/light cream
10 ounces pineapple juice
handful of ice cubes

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a hurricane glass and serve.

ICED BLACK ‘N’ WHITE
With a nod to the ubiquitous black ‘n’ white cookie of NYC, I’ve dubbed this blend of coffee, ground chocolate, milk and vanilla an iced black ‘n’ white coffee.
Serves 2

ice cubes, enough to fill two glasses
8 ounces (1 cup) strongly brewed coffee, at room temperature
2 ounces (1/4 cup) milk
1 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of sweetened ground chocolate

Fill two tall glasses with ice cubes. Mix together the coffee, milk, sugar and vanilla extract and pour into the glasses. Sprinkle sweetened ground chocolate over top and serve.

HORSE’S FALL
from Stuart Walton’s The Ultimate Book of Cocktails (Hermes House, 2003)
Serves 1

1 lemon or a paper cocktail umbrella
3 tablespoons raspberry, orange pekoe or Assam tea, chilled
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened apple juice
4 ounces ginger ale or lemonade, chilled

Cut the rind from the lemon in one continuous strip and use it to line and decorate a long cocktail glass or decorate with a paper cocktail umbrella.

Measure the tea and apple juice into a cocktail shaker and shake for 20 seconds. Strain into the prepared glass. Finish with ginger ale or lemonade.

ICED CARDAMOM COFFEE
Adapted from Matthew Tekulsky’s Making Your Own Gourmet Coffee Drinks (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1993)
Serves 2

3 cardamom pods, crushed
8 ounces water
4 tablespoons ground coffee
sugar, to taste
ice cubes, enough to fill two glasses

Boil the cardamom pods in 8 ounces water for about 5 minutes. Strain, cool and use this water to brew your coffee. Brew the coffee and cool to room temperature. Add sugar, to taste. Pour the coffee into two, ice cube-filled glasses and enjoy.

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As the temperature soars to 100 degrees today, it feels far too hot to discuss, much less think about, cooking. Rather, it seems like the ideal time to talk about cold drinks. Although I’ve been swilling chilled seltzer all week, I’ll skip the fizzy, non-alcoholic beverages and instead hone in on some timeless cocktails.

Thanks to a story in David Schickler’s Kissing in Manhattan that mentions this gem as well as a friend’s unwavering passion for it, I will forever remember the sidecar. Its name supposedly comes from the transportation habits of its creator, a French army officer who always traveled in a motorcycle sidecar. Nom de plume aside, the sidecar consists of a few simple ingredients — brandy, orange-flavored liqueur such as Triple Sec or Cointreau, lemon juice and ice. Shake it all together, strain it into a cocktail glass and you have a cool Parisian classic for summer.

Sometimes it’s the look and not the taste of a drink that dazzles me. That’s the case with the Pink Lady. Invented before World War I to honor a stage play, the Pink Lady derives its color from the ruby red pomegranate syrup known as grenadine. Its sister drink, the White Lady, replaces grenadine with creme de menthe. Hence the whiteness in White Lady.

Whenever the Angophile in me kicks into full swing, I pull out my bottle of Pimm’s No. 1 and throw together a Pimm’s Cup. Long associated with English summers, the gin-based Pimm’s originated in London in the 1820′s. It was then that oyster bar owner James Pimm created his eponymous beverage as a way to distinguish his pub from all the others in town. Requiring only Pimm’s No. 1, a little lemonade or lemon-lime soda and ice, it’s an uncomplicated and refreshing drink.

SIDECAR
Makes 1 drink

ice
1 1/2 ounce brandy
1/2 ounce Triple Sec
freshly squeezed lemon juice
plastic green monkey, optional

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and then add the brandy and Triple Sec. Top off with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Shake, strain into a chilled, shallow cocktail glass, dangle the optional green monkey from the side of the glass and serve.

PINK LADY
Makes 1 drink

ice
1 1/2 ounces gin
1 1/2 ounces heavy cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grenadine

Place the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake together, strain and serve.

PIMM’S CUP
This recipe is taken directly from the back of my bottle of Pimm’s No. 1
Serves 1

ice
1.5 ounces Pimm’s No. 1
ginger ale or lemon-lime soda
lemon slice

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add Pimm’s and then top off with ginger ale or lemon-lime soda. Garnish with a lemon slice.

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In honor of Bastille Day here’s an excerpt from the article “Viva la France” published in Chester County Town and Country Living. Grab a glass of champagne and enjoy!

Break out the flags and fireworks. Chill that bottle of champagne. Don’t forget to dig out your old, souvenir beret. It’s time to celebrate freedom and equality the French way!

This year marks the 222nd anniversary of the storming of the infamous prison, the Bastille, and freeing of its seven prisoners. On July 14, 1789 the Bastille stood for everything that the people of Paris and France despised – a government of despotic monarchs such as King Louis XVI. Just as the signing of the Declaration of Independence did in America in 1776, the takeover of the Bastille kicked off the start of a revolution in France. It likewise went on to symbolize the birth of the Republic and a new way of governing.

On my first trip to France I mistakenly thought that I would visit this famous, 14th century fortification. No such luck. The Bastille was demolished a few months after the assault. At the Place de la Bastille there now exists a traffic circle. The prison is, as my Lonely Planet guidebook indicated, the “most famous monument in Paris that doesn’t exist.”

Bricks and mortar may have disappeared but the significance of the structure perseveres. The 14th of July, or le quatorze juillet as it is called in France, is the country’s largest national holiday with festivities occurring throughout the land.

In Paris the celebration kicks off on the evening of July 13. On that night revelers dance in Bastille Square and at various balls throughout the city. On the morning of July 14 the fetes adopt a more patriotic but no less joyful tone. In Paris the President leads a military parade from the Arc de Triomphe down the Champs Elysées to the Place de la Concorde. Jets fly in formation overhead while the throngs look on from the parade route along Paris’s most prestigious avenue. The events continue throughout the day with special luncheons and picnics. At night fireworks fill the sky across the country, capping off 24 hours of festivities.

Americans aren’t exempt from Bastille Day mania. In New York mimes, cancan dancers, picnic tables, food vendors and wine tasting stands line three blocks of 60th Street at the event know as Bastille Day on 60th Street. For me, though, the party doesn’t start until I’ve had my first bite of French food. This means noshing on such quintessential French offerings as buttery, flaky croissants, fruit-filled crepes, Brie and Camembert cheese-stuffed baguettes, chocolate-topped éclairs and powdered sugar-dusted cream puffs. Trés magnifique!

A hundred miles away in Philadelphia Francophiles come out in droves for Fairmount French Fling Weekend. There restaurants pull out all the stops and showcase such specialties as ratatouille, escargot, croque monsieur and coq au vin. Bottles of champagne, Kronenbourg 1664 beer, and créme de cassis, a black currant liqueur from Burgundy, flow freely through the weekend.

The highpoint of Philadelphia’s bash is the reenactment of the storming of the Bastille. Portrayed by members of the Old Fort Mifflin Historical Society, costumed revolutionaries rush the Eastern State Penitentiary. There Marie Antoinette shouts “Let them eat Tastykake!” while hurling 2,000 Butterscotch Krimpets from the prison tower.

And speaking of butterscotch . . .

BUTTERSCOTCH OATMEAL COOKIES
Makes 2 dozen

1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/8 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two cookie sheets.

In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the two sugars, beating until the mixture is creamy and well-combined. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again.

Mix the flour, salt and baking soda together and then add it to the butter-sugar mixture, beating until well-combined. Add the rolled oats and butterscotch chips and, using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir until blended. Spoon out 1 teaspoon of the batter onto a cookie sheet. Leaving one inch between the cookies, continue to drop spoonfuls of batter onto the sheets until all the batter is gone. Bake until the cookies are slightly brown around the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes.

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I adore theme parties. Since I also love to travel and do it quite a bit, a recurrent party theme in my household is the cuisine and culture of foreign lands. Two weeks ago my husband and I pulled together a world cultures shindig featuring high points from such countries as Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia a/k/a a Southeast Asian Soiree.

If I were geographically accurate, I would have included Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, East Timor and Singapore on the menu. However, since I’ve only visited three Southeast Asian countries, our friends got a taste of those plus a smidgen of India. Granted, India isn’t in Southeast Asia but it has had a tremendous influence on the cuisine and history of this region. Plus, I’ve mastered some darned good Indian recipes.

What can you anticipate from a night of Southeast Asian delights? Lots of fresh fruit such as mango, papaya, pineapple, coconut and melon and fresh vegetables and herbs such as basil, ginger, lemongrass, mint, chili pepper and potato. You can count on an interplay between spicy and sweet as coconut milk partners with chilies, ginger with pineapple, etc. For that matter, you can expect a bit of heat and saltiness as chili, soy and fish sauces are commonplace condiments in these countries.

Since seafood and poultry are the primary animal protein sources in these lands, shrimp and chicken made appearances on the buffet table. I featured the two in steamed dumplings, fried egg rolls, a curry and a spicy saute.

A staple of Southeast Asian cuisine, rice also played a prominent role on SEA night. On that evening it accompanied 12 quarts of curry chicken. Dressed with soy sauce or the hot chili sauce sriracha, it also served as a vegetarian option for the non-meat eaters in the bunch.

Along with food there was music, courtesy of Dengue Fever, the Clash and a variety of Vietnam War-era bands. There were decorations including statuettes of elephants, Ganesha and Buddha, printed tablecloths and vases acquired on our travels as well as Chinese-style lanterns bought in the East Village. For entertainment a friend gave origami lessons. Once again, it wasn’t strictly Southeast Asian but it was fun.

And now for a few requested recipes from the night.

CHINA BEACH
From Stephen Kittredge Cunningham’s The Bartender’s Black Book (The Wine Appreciation Guild, 2004)
Serves 1

ice
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce ginger liqueur
cranberry juice

Fill a glass with ice. Add the vodka and ginger liqueur. Fill the rest of the glass with cranberry juice. Stir and serve.

SESAME-SCALLION SOBA NOODLES
No, they’re not from Southeast Asia but they are delicious and easy to make. This tastes just as good with or without the scallions.
Serves 1

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 to 2 scallions, white and 1-inch of green part minced
1 individual package of soba noodles (found in Asian section of larger grocery stores)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
4 teaspoons lite soy sauce

Boil the soba noodles for about 6 minutes (or according to instructions on package), until they are tender. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop from further cooking.

In a small bowl mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, honey and oil.

Drain the noodles. Place the noodles, sesame seeds and scallions in a serving bowl, pour the sauce over the top and toss to combine.

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The past few Saturdays my morning ritual has been to throw on some clothes and hustle over to our neighborhood farmers’ market. My mission? To get there before someone else buys all of St. Peter’s Bakery’s brioche sticky buns. Thanks to their rich yet light dough, these brioche-based buns are the most divine that I’ve ever eaten.

Rumored to have originated in Normandy, France in the Middle Ages, brioche is a light yeast bread or cake made from flour, butter, eggs and, of course, yeast. Its name comes from the verb broyer, meaning to break up. The breaking up refers to the dough’s need for repeated and prolonged kneading.

In addition to increased kneading, brioche usually requires three, rather than just two, rising periods. In France this extra time and effort has prompted most to buy, rather than bake their own, brioche. Shops devoted to brioche, known as viennoiseries, have sprung up to serve this need.

In the 19th century it became the custom to bake this dough in a deep, fluted pan. The resulting bread possessed a narrow base and a wide, pillowy top. While this form still exists, I more often encounter the Parisian version. Instead of using special pans, Parisian bakers place small balls of dough atop larger ones, creating what is known as brioche à tête or ‘brioche with a head.’ Along with brioche à tête I also have seen brioche loaves, plaits and buns.

As it’s a versatile dough, I’ve come across brioches filled with fruit, cheese, nuts, meats or whipped cream. In any case, it’s traditionally consumed at breakfast or as a snack with a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

BRIOCHES À TÊTE
From Baking at Home with the Culinary Institute of America (Wiley, 2004)
Makes 24 individual brioches

NOTE: Brioche dough will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator and 2 months in the freezer.

5 cups flour, plus extra as needed
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 large eggs, plus 1 beaten egg for brushing
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
cooking spray for greasing

Combine the flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the eggs, milk, sugar and salt and mix on low until evenly blended, scraping down the bowl as needed, about 4 minutes.

Gradually add the butter with the mixer running on low speed, scraping down as needed, about 2 minutes. After the butter has veen fully incorporated, increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and is quite elastic, about 15 minutes.

Remove the dough, shape into a brick, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Coat individual brioche tins or muffin pans with cooking spray.

To shape the brioche, remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut into 24 equal pieces, about 2 ounces each. Preshape each piece by rolling it into a 3-inch long cylinder. Coat the edge of your palm with flour and then roll the dough back and forth about 1 inch from the end of the cylinder to create a head (tête) that’s still attached to the dough; it should look like a bowling pin. Transfer the brioche, head up, to the mold. Hold the head with fingertips of one hand and push it down against the larger portion of the dough so that the head sits on the surface of the brioche. Brush lightly with egg wash. Repeat until all the brioches are made. (If the dough becomes too sticky, return to the fridge until chilled.)

Cover the brioches with a clean, damp towel and allow to rise until nearly double in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brush the brioches with beaten egg once more before baking. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool in tins or muffin pans for 10 minutes. Unmold and finish cooling on wire rack before serving.

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The name sounds almost too cute to be legit but peekytoe is, in fact, a type of crab found on the East Coast. Also known as rock or spider crab, this spindly legged crustacean originally was discarded by fishermen who found it in their lobster pots. They stopped pitching it out in the late 1990’s after the owner of Portland, Maine’s Browne Trading Company, Rod Mitchell, dubbed the unloved crab “peekytoe.” This new, perky moniker won over chefs and consumers, who started buying up and eating the bycatch.

Peekytoe lives among rocks and in waters up to 40-feet deep. An eco-friendly seafood, it’s caught live in traps with no bycatch. After removing the crab from the trap, the fisherman will snap off one large claw. He then returns the crab to the ocean where it regenerates its missing appendage.

When on land, a peekytoe crab will cover itself with algae, grass and other natural debris. This tendency has given the crustacean yet another name, the decorator crab.

Adorable nom de plumes aside, peekytoe is prized for its sweet, moist and firm meat. Fortunately for me, it’s sold picked so I never have to fiddle with cracking the claws and picking out the meat. Someone has already done all the work for me.

Peekytoe goes well with a wealth of foods and flavors. Its affinities include such items as asparagus, avocados, cayenne, chives, garlic, ginger, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mustard, onions, flat-leaf parsley, shrimp, tarragon, tomatoes and watercress.

I’ve found peekytoe to be the ideal ingredient for pasta dishes as well as crab cakes. It also works well in salads, seafood cocktails and sauces. If you haven’t already, take a peek at peekytoe. You won’t be disappointed.

KITCHEN KAT CRAB CAKES
Makes 6 large cakes

1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1 pound lump crab meat
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup good quality mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, washed, dried and minced
2 to 4 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
flour, for dredging the cakes
lemon wedges, optional

Heat the 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil in a small frying or sauté pan. Add the minced shallots and sauté until soft, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

In a medium-sized bowl mix together the shallots, crab meat, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, black pepper, parsley and bread crumbs, adding just enough bread crumbs so that the mixture binds together. Depending on how firm you prefer your cakes, this could be anywhere from 2 to 4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs.

On a plate or other flat, clean work surface, spoon out enough flour to coat 6 large crab cakes. Heat the butter and olive oil over medium in a large, non-stick frying pan.

While the butter and oil are heating, form the crab cakes by taking three to four heaping tablespoons of the crab mixture and, using your hands, shaping it into a 6-inch round patty. Dredge both sides of the cakes in the flour and set aside. Repeat with the remaining mix.

After the cakes are formed and the oil and butter are hot, pan-fry the cakes for 10 minutes, gently flipping them over after 5 minutes so that both sides turn golden brown. Serve with wedges of lemon.

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At dinner with friends last night the subject of easy chicken meals arose. Although I don’t cook chicken very often, I do have a surplus of good poultry recipes. While these dishes do require more than three ingredients and take longer than 30 minutes to prepare, they’re definitely worth the extra effort to make.

As for cooking tips, I would advise using local, humanely raised, truly free-range chicken. Chances are that, if you buy locally, you can see how your chicken lived, what it ate and, ultimately, what you’re eating. Plus, you’ll find that chickens allowed to roam about freely in grass pastures taste better and are more healthful for you. Needless to say, it’s more healthful for them, too.

Jumping off my soapbox, I’ll add that you should always cook chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Insert a digital meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken to determine if it’s done.

VINEGARY CHICKEN
Note: If you don’t have white wine on hand, substitute 1/3 cup water and 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar for it.
Serves 4

1 1/2 white onions, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
handful of fresh basil, washed and minced
handful of fresh parsley, washed and minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine (See headnote for substitutions)
3 large, ripe tomatoes, washed and diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
ground white pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a Dutch Oven or large saute pan. Add the onion, sprinkle the salt over it and saute until soft and slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Arrange the chicken breasts over the onion and sprinkle salt, pepper, minced basil and minced parsley over the chicken.

Mix together the chicken stock, wine, vinegars and lemon then pour into the pan. Bring liquids to a boil then cover and simmer gently for about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, seed and chop the tomatoes. Place tomatoes in a bowl, add the olive oil and white pepper and mix together.

Remove the lid from the pan and check the chicken. If it’s finished cooking, remove the breasts and place them in a shallow serving bowl. If not, leave them in the pan and allow all the ingredients to simmer for another 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. If you haven’t already, place the chicken breasts in a large, shallow bowl. Pour in the onions and sauce. Ladle the tomatoes over the chicken and serve immediately with a side of couscous.

CHICKEN SOUVLAKI
Serves 4

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons oregano
tzatziki, for serving
4 individual pitas, optional
2 tomatoes, sliced, optional

For the tzatziki
8 ounces plain yogurt, excess water drained
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, grated
¼ teaspoon dried mint
dash of salt

Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and oregano in a small bowl. Place the chicken cubes in a medium-sized bowl and pour the marinade over top. Cover the bowl, place it in the refrigerator and allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dried mint and salt and refrigerate the tzatziki.

Preheat the grill.

Using metal skewers, insert the cubes of chicken lengthwise on each skewer, leaving a little room between each chunk of meat. Place the skewers on the hot grill and cook for approximately 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked. Remove the skewers from the grill and place on a platter. Serve immediately with a side of tzatziki sauce and optional pita and tomato.

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM PUFF PIE
Serves 6

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups chicken stock
¾ cup low fat milk
¼ cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons flour
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
½ cup pearl onions, peeled and halved
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 sheet puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If using frozen puff pastry, unfold and defrost one sheet of pastry.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, poach the chicken in 2 cups of stock. Strain the poaching liquid, add the milk, extra ¼ cup stock and flour. Whisk together and then set aside. Allow the chicken to cool before cutting it into small cubes or pieces.

In a large frying pan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and mushrooms and cook until softened. Pour in the liquid and the cubed chicken and stir the ingredients together. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper, stir and allow the filling to cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

Place the puff pastry on a cutting board. Using a pie pan as your guide, trim the pastry so that it fits over the pan. Once the pastry is trimmed, butter the bottom and sides of pan. Spoon the heated chicken and mushroom filling into the pan. Lay the pastry over the top of the filling. Bake at 350 degrees for roughly 20 minutes or until the pastry has puffed up and turned a golden brown. Serve immediately.

TARRAGON CHICKEN SALAD
From Gourmet Magazine June 2003
Serves 6

4 cups cubed (½ inch) cooked chicken (about 1¾ lb)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 celery rib, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 cups halved seedless green grapes
¾ cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
12 slices of whole grain bread

Toss together all ingredients in a large bowl until combined well. Serve between slices of whole grain bread.

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They sat glistening in the sun like a display of amethysts at Tiffany’s. One look and I knew that I had to have them. No, they weren’t sparkly earrings, strappy sandals or the latest handbags from Elaine Arsenault. They were one of nature’s gems, purple asparagus.

Unlike white asparagus, which is merely green asparagus that hasn’t seen the light of day, purple asparagus hails from the Albenga region of Italy. There farmers propagated seeds from hardy, opened female plants, producing a variety known as Violetto d’ Albenga. With this variety the stalks grow larger but there are fewer of them. Although its stems appear purple in color, its feathery leaves remain green. Similar to other asparagus, Its flesh ranges from pale green to white.

Twenty percent higher in sugar than its green counterpart, purple asparagus possesses a mildly sweet taste. Due to its low fiber content it’s also tenderer than green and white asparagus. These differences in taste and texture make purple asparagus perfect for raw salads. When blanched alongside its green and white relations, it then can be chopped, tossed and dressed with a little olive oil and lemon juice.

As with all asparagus, look for firm, plump, straight spears that snap when bent. The tips should be compact. Skip those with loose or slimy tips or shriveled, rubbery stalks.

To store, I snap off about an inch from the bottom of the stalks. I then pour an inch of water into a small bowl and, standing the asparagus upright in the water, refrigerate the vegetables. You can also wrap the bottoms of the asparagus in a wet paper towel and slide the bundle into your crisper. Wrapped and refrigerated, they’ll keep for three days. Resting in water, they’ll keep for up to a week.

Although asparagus is available year-round, its natural growing season is spring. In the case of purple asparagus you probably have missed the chance to buy it locally this year. However, many grocery stores now import this variety from Peru and elsewhere.

SIMPLE PURPLE ASPARAGUS
Serves 4

1½ lb purple asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, grated
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Steam the asparagus on a steamer rack set over boiling water, covered, until just tender, 2 to 5 minutes (depending on thickness), then transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Place on an oval serving platter.

Whisk together the vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil in a small bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the asparagus spears and serve.

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Thanks to a recent and premature East Coast heatwave, I’ve already started thinking of ways to beat the summer heat. While I could always spend the day in a frigid Starbucks or hovering over our struggling window air conditioner, I do have a few other, less radical tricks for staying cool this summer. As you might expect, they involve food and plenty of it.

You may have heard how in Morocco, India and other steamy or arid lands folks cool off with hot and spicy foods. Steaming hot teas are especially popular for they hydrate and make the consumers sweat. Keep on drinking and hydrating. Keep on sweating and cooling off. Truthfully, I’m not a fan of the ‘hot drinks and food in summer’ practice. Give me a icy glass of water, a little cold soup and I’m chillin’.

That brings me to the first food trick, chilled soups. Sometimes referred to as “liquid salads,” cold vegetable soups do wonders for heat sufferers around the globe. In Spain and Portugal the overheated reach for red gazpacho and ajo blanco, a garlic-almond soup sometimes referred to as ‘white gazpacho.’ In Eastern Europe it’s purplish, beet-laden borscht and chlodnik that soothes the masses. Chlodnik features grated beets, cucumbers, onions, radishes, dill and yogurt, which turns the soup an eye-popping pink. In the Mediterranean diners refresh themselves with several variations of an iced, yogurt-cucumber-garlic-mint soup. Turks call it cacik. Greeks call it tzatziki. I call it good.

Trick number two? Frozen desserts. Often it’s sorbet, that energizing and non-fat, iced fruit puree that has been dished out in France since the 17th century. Other days it’s the Italian relative, granita. Consisting of one part sugar to four parts water and/or fruit juice, coffee or wine, granita possesses a coarse, crystalline texture that sets it apart from the velvety sorbet. Crunchy or smooth, these are two indulgences that always satisfy.

While I usually skip the thirst-inducing gelatos, custards and ice creams, I do have a weakness for another childhood summer sweet — strawberry yogurt pie. A bit kitschy but always a favorite, this frozen treat never fails to beat the heat.

Until the next heatwave . . .

PAT HUNT’S STRAWBERRY YOGURT PIE
Serves 8

2 1/2 (6-ounce) containers of strawberry yogurt
1 (8-ounce) container of Lite Cool Whip
1 store-bought graham cracker pie crust
1 handful of fresh strawberries, washed, trimmed and halved

In a medium-sized bowl mix together the strawberry yogurt and Cool Whip until well-combined. Pour the filling into the graham cracker pie crust, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until lightly set. Remove the pie and place the halved strawberries around the edge of the crust. Cover again and return to the freezer where the pie should remain until frozen. Remove 30 minutes before serving so that the pie thaws slightly and is easier to cut and consume.

KITCHEN KAT’S STRAWBERRY YOGURT PIE
Serves 8

If you have a little extra time, try this version, too.

For the graham cracker crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
1/2 cup organic strawberry puree (1/2 pint of organic strawberries blitzed in a blender or food processor)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cup organic, vanilla yogurt
1 (8-ounce container) Cool Whip
handful of fresh, organic strawberries, washed, trimmed and halved

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter until well-blended. Spread over and press into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.

Mix together the puree, sugar, yogurt and Cool Whip. Pour the filling into the graham cracker pie crust, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until lightly set. Remove the pie and place the halved strawberries around the edge of the crust. Cover again and return to the freezer where the pie should remain until frozen. Remove 30 minutes before serving so that the pie thaws slightly and is easier to cut and consume.

Tags: Food Musings by Kitchen Kat
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No matter what detractors of British cuisine may say, I ate well in London. So well, in fact, that I’m now working off three extra pounds. Considering that in many countries I’ve lost weight, that’s pretty high praise for English cooking.

Where I ate obviously influenced how well I ate. Armed with Time Out London, London Zagat, and tips from friends and local foodies, I sought out places that would please my finicky palate. For breakfast I went to cafes such as Gail’s Bread, Ottolenghi and The Tabernacle. Located in Notting Hill and close to the flat where I had stayed, these three served up consistently good food in warm, cheery atmospheres.

Since lunch was always right around the corner, I never succumbed to the full English breakfast of poached eggs, bacon, sausage, fried tomatoes, fried mushrooms, beans, toast and tea. Yet, I did love many less filling, local specialties. Currant-studded Chelsea buns, jam-slathered scones and scrambled eggs on toast with sauteed mushrooms ranked high on the list of favorites.

Often I grabbed lunch on-the-go. Olive focaccia from Lina Stores in SoHo, Cornish pasties or locally produced breads and cheese fit this bill. The chain noodle shop Wagamama also fell into the category of quick, easy lunches. Started in London in the 1990′s, Wagamama offered fresh tasting, Asian-inspired meals at relatively inexpensive prices.

Far from fast or inexpensive, Harrod’s in Knightsbridge nonetheless gave me the best lunch of my London visit. Famed for its luxury items, the department store possesses an extravagant, ground floor food hall. Here I saw everything from shredded beef biltong to black truffle puree. I also found a wonderful late lunch at its “easy eatery,” the Sea Grill. Its succulent pan-roasted Scottish salmon with tomato-garlic salsa and sauteed spinach was well worth splashing out on.

So, too, was dinner at E&O in Notting Hill, Ottolenghi in Islington and The Gate in Hammersmith. Of the three, The Gate remains the most memorable. Never has vegetarian cuisine tasted so good. If you go, consider the potato and wild mushroom rotolo for your entree and the Eton mess for dessert. Likewise outstanding was the Pan-Asian offerings at E&O. Baby aubergine and spicy miso dim sum, king prawn & black cod gyoza, chili tofu and the utterly British banoffee pie are just a few of the highlights from this vibrant restaurant.

When I think over my London dining experiences, I’m not surprised that I packed on pounds. I’m just surprised that I didn’t gain more!

BUTTERMILK SCONES
from Trudie Styler and Joseph Sponzo’s The Lake House Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, 1999)
Makes 6

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons plain white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, diced
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
beaten egg, to glaze

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add the raisins and sugar and stir to combine. Make a well in the center then stir in enough buttermilk to form a soft dough.

On a lightly floured work surface turn out the dough and knead lightly. Roll the dough out to 1″ thick and cut into rounds with a 2 1/2″ plain cutter. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones with the beaten egg. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until risen and golden brown on top. Serve hot or cold.

Tags: Food Musings by Kitchen Kat
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