By now y'all know that our flavor for the week is Rhubarb. This is another of those curious fruit/vegetable situations.  In the south . . . we treat it as a fruit (surprised?)

Rhubarb is always good in a fruit pie, a cobbler or a crisp. I decided to fancy-up an apple crisp ~ the recommended 'flavors' have been capitalized.

Of course I used our WhistleStop Apple Crisp Mix
. . . It doesn't get any easier than this.

I had what I thought was a very original concept—to make tiramisu with a strawberry-rhubarb filling but... After I made it I checked on Google and there are a few other brilliant cooks who have done it before. My recipe is not exactly the same as any of theirs but the idea is the same. Nevertheless, here’s my not-so-original recipe

Rhubarb Tiramisu—serves 10

3 Packages of Ladyfingers

Rhubarb filling
3 Cups rhubarb sliced into 1/2 inch pieces—about 6 stalks.
1/3-cup sugar
2 Tablespoons water
6 thin slices fresh ginger root
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries+ 1 more tablespoon of sugar

Custard
6 egg yolks (room temperature)
1/2-cup sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2-cup cream

8 ounces mascarpone cheese
8 ounces cream cheese

Topping
1-cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
2 Tablespoons reserved rhubarb cooking liquid
Grated white chocolate

Slice the strawberries and mix them with the tablespoon of sugar and set aside. Then, bring the rhubarb to a boil with the water and ginger slices. Turn it down and simmer for about 8—10 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft. Put it into a bowl, mix in the sliced strawberries and let it cool.

For the custard:
Put the egg yolks, sugar and salt into a stainless steel bowl (I used my stand-mixer bowl) Beat the mixture for about 3 minutes until it’s thick and much lighter in color. Stir in the cream.
Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook, very gently, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 160°.

It took me about 7 minutes. Set it aside to cool. After it is back to room temperature, beat in the mascarpone and the cream cheese. Beat it for about 5 more minutes until it is smooth and thick.

Meanwhile, strain the rhubarb mixture, saving the liquid, and remove the ginger slices.

(Notice the gorgeous color!)
Put the liquid into a wide shallow bowl or a pie plate.

Dip the ladyfingers quickly into the rhubarb liquid and use them to fully line the bottom of a 9X13” glass baking dish. Put them very close together but not overlapping.

Cover that layer with 1/2 of the custard mixture, spreading it as evenly as you can, followed by all of the drained rhubarb. Spread it gently. It’s OK if some of the custard poke through—just be gentle.
Top with another layer of dipped ladyfingers and then the rest of the custard. Put it into the refrigerator to begin to set while you whip the cream, adding the rhubarb towards the end of the whipping process.

Spread the whipped cream on the top and grate on the white chocolate.

Chill for at least 4 hours.

Enjoy!

This is a refreshing summer salad and the combination of peas, lemon and mint was very flavorful.

1 pound fresh English peas
1/2 lb. small pasta
1/4 c. lemon Greek yogurt
1/4 c. mayo
zest of one lemon
2 green onions, chopped
20 mint leaves, finely chopped
salt to taste

Blanch peas in boiling water for 90 seconds. Drain and set aside. Boil pasta, drain, and combine all ingredients.

This is so easy and it transforms "hum drum" white rice into a special side dish.

Recipe:

1 cup white rice
1 shallot minced
1/4 cup unsweetened grated coconut
2 teaspoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup defrosted frozen peas

In a small saucepan, saute the shallot and the coconut for about 4 minutes.
Add the salt, rice and water. Bring to a boil. Turn down to very low and cover the pan. Let the rice cook for 18 minutes. Stir in the defrosted peas and recover just enough to let the peas heat through--about 2 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Y'all know by now the 'flavor' for the week is asparagus. The one thing I am always reminded when I spend time in Italy is that the most important thing is quality.
semplicemente
Simply
the
Best.
You'll see that the recommended 'flavors' have been capitlized.
Dijon Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze
1 Tbs BALSAMIC VINEGAR
1 tsp OLIVE OIL
1 tsp DIJON MUSTARD
1 tsp SALT
2 lb Asparagus spears
2 Tbs grated parmiggiano CHEESE (the good stuff)
In a skillet, heat oil. Cook trimmed asparagus until just tender. Sprinkle with mustard and balsamic. Salt as desired. Toss gently until spears are evenly coated. Remove from heat.Place asparagus on a serving plate. Sprinkle evenly with cheeseI toasted this for a smidge to melt the cheese.
Yum!
Y'all enjoy~
Sandi

These make an elegant side dish, or meatless main course. They come together quickly, and are rich and delicious.

Parmigiano-Bechamel Sauce

2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1/4 t. salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup grated parmigiano or granna padano cheese

6 lasagna noodles
1/2 lb. asparagus, blanched, or cooked for 2 min. in microwave
6 oz. mascarpone
Shredded parmigiano

Put pasta water on to boil, and make sauce. Stir together butter, flour and salt until butter is melted and combined into a rue. Add milk, and whisk until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat, and stir in parmigiano.

Boil 6 lasagna noodles for 8 minutes.

Spread cooked lasagna with mascarpone

Cut asparagus into thirds, and place pieces on top of mascarpone.

Spray a 6 cup muffin tin with olive oil cooking spray. Spoon one large spoon on bechamel into each muffin cup. Roll up lasagna noodles and place one in each muffin cup on top of sauce.

Spoon the remaining bechamel onto the tops of each lasagna roll-up and top with shredded parmigiano.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Tortellini with Asparagus Sauce—serves 4-6

My daughter Kathryn loves asparagus, roasted, steamed or sautéed and she loves tortellini. It was fun to create this dish for her.

20 ounces cheese tortellini, cooked al dente and drained (reserve some of the water)
1 bunch of asparagus (about 1 pound)
1 onion sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces goat cheese
3/4-cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic chopped
1-teaspoon butter
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup (very approximate) reserved pasta water
1/4 cup shopped fresh parsley

Cut the asparagus so the stems are in about 1/2 inch chunks and the tips are reserved.

Sauté the onions in the olive oil until they just begin to brown.

Add the garlic and the chopped asparagus bottoms and a pinch of kosher salt.

Cook them well, until the asparagus are softening—about 8 minutes. Add the tops of the asparagus, the broth and the goat cheese. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until the asparagus tips are just tender.
Season with salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper

Put the butter and the cooked tortellini into the pan and mix it all together gently over a very low heat. If you want it saucier, add the reserved water, too.

Serve with freshly grated parmigiano and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

This was really a winner-- a perfect spring dish.

The flavor of the week is Cod.  I think that the only place you get cod in Alabama is at Captain D's. I was tempted to go there and take a picture before I left for Italy and just be done with it.But . . . I started thinking of a trout almondine I had made before. Cod would work just fine.

Pan-Fried Cod with Almond Crust
4 fish fillets
2 large eggs
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter
Almondine Breading
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup almonds, sliced
First, make the almondine crust by minching the almonds and panko together in a Majic Bullet or processor. Salt and pepper the fish.

In a small bowl, mix egg and water together to make an egg wash.
Place the almondine breading in another shallow pan.
Dredge each fish fillet through the flour, dusting off any excess, then dipping in egg wash and placing in breading, coating both sides of fish.

Cod with Sage sauce

This is so simple. You can certainly substitute any flavors you prefer. I did it with sage because I’d never had sage with fish and it was suggested in, where else, The Flavor Bible.

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Put all of the above into a food processor. Process until you have a nice smooth sauce.

Spoon the sauce onto a 1-pound filet of cod.

Bake at about 425° (used my grill so I’m not certain of the temperature but I actually baked it in a pan in the closed grill)
Until done—depends on the thickness of your piece of fish. Mine took about 13 minutes.

I love a bowl of fish chowder on a cold night, with a garlicy crouton floating on top and a glass of crisp white wine on the side. What I dislike are those overthickened chowders you're too often served that are made from a frozen base, tasting more of undercooked flour than of the sea.

This version is a combination of fancy fish and shellfish chowder I used to eat at a long-gone restaurant called Tapas in Cambridge, and my grandmother's comforting New England-style fish soup. I've kept the diced vegetables and pancetta from Tapas, and the technique and thin but savory broth from my grandmother. This isn't quite as rich as a restaurant chowder, but its still a once-in-a-blue-moon soup because of all that cream. A small bowl makes a good serving.

The chowder can also be made without the pancetta, like my grandmother did it. What's crucial is good fish, and some fish or clam broth that's honest and briny, without additives or too much salt. A fish market may be able to sell you fish stock/broth or clam juice; you can sometimes find frozen fish broth; and the clam juice from Whole Foods is very good. If you're using bottled clam juice, don't salt the chowder as much as you would if you were using fish stock. I usually serve this several hours or the day after preparing, to let the flavors blend. I've bolded the ingredients that appear in the Flavor Bible.

Cod Chowder for a Rainy Night--Makes a big pot, at least 8 servings. Keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge

4 ounces good pancetta, cut into tiny dice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions cut into half-inch dice
3 carrots, cut into tiny dice
2 stalks celery, cut into tiny dice

4 Tbs. flour
6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
2 dried bay leaves
4-6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
4 cups good fish stock or clam juice (Look in Whole Foods or a fish market)
1 cup dry white wine
water as needed
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds skinless cod fillets cut in big pieces, pinbones removed
1 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 and 1/2 if you must)
a handful of chopped parsley

1. Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat and add the diced pancettta. Cook until a crisp golden brown, but be careful to not let it burn.

2. Add the butter, onions, carrots, celery, and thyme to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 8 minutes, until the onions are softened but not browned. Add the flour, stir well, let cook for a few minutes, but don't let it brown.

3. Add the potatoes, bay leaves, wine and stock. If the broth doesn’t cover the potatoes, add just enough water to cover them. You want vegetables covered in broth, but not swimming in it. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil, cover, and cook the potatoes vigorously for about 10-15 minutes, until they are soft but not mushy. Reduce the heat to low and season assertively with salt and pepper (the saltiness will be absorbed by the fish and cream) Add the fish fillets and cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes. Stir in the cream and taste for salt and pepper, gently simmer another few minutes, then remove the pot from the heat and allow the chowder to sit for 10 minutes (the fish will finish cooking during this time, you can stir gently as needed to break it up). If desired, add a bit more cream.

4. Let it cool a bit, then refrigerate.

5. When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don’t let boil. Ladle into wide bowls, top with a fresh crouton, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with love and a glass of wine.

The 'flavor' for this week is veal. Since I am in Italy, I can say that I have had some awesome Italian veal dshes this week.

Sorry for you .  .  . this is actually a veal dish I made before I left home.



Y'all don't expect me to be cooking while on Vacation do you? ~ this is not the great escape I used to take, where I had access to a kitchen.

These meatballs were a nice change of taste, and have a "surprise" inside. They are baked, not fried.

1/2 lb. of ground veal
1/3 lb. of ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 clove of garlic, minced
a handful of Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Romano cheese

2 oz. mascarpone
2 oz. gorgonzola or blue cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 400. Mix together all ingredients for meatballs. Combine mascarpone and gorgonzola thoroughly with a fork.

Make 4 meat mixture patties.

Divide cheese mixture into four spoonfuls, and place one in the center of each patty.

Completely enclose cheese mixture into meat, forming 4 meatballs. Drizzle with a little olive oil in a baking dish.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Y'all have been tuned into the week of Chicken, now this is exciting.


I ask you . . .what flavor does not go with chicken?
Of course my first thought was to make Southern fried chicken. . . But that includes flour and oil, salt and pepper ~ not very interesting flavors.

Then I decided to go with Buffalo flavor. Buffalo Chicken Wings ~ with a twist.
I love this dip! It is quick and easy, perfect for a summer afternoon with a cold brew by the pool.

I had a flash of "genius" when making my regular chicken salad. I wonder what it would taste like with some blue cheese added? I took a little out of the big bowl, added a few crumbles and LOVED it! (I love ANYTHING with blue cheese!) Brad had a taste, and pronounced it delicious, so I added the rest of the cheese to the large bowl of chicken salad.

Meat from 1 large rotisserie chicken, or 4 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1/2 red onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 large bunch red seedless grapes, washed and stemmed
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. cashews
4 oz. crumbled Maytag blue cheese
1/2 c. mayo
salt and pepper to taste

Toss and chill until serving.

I've been making some variation on this recipe for years. this is just how I did it this weekend. Feel free to add and subtract. Some people may like a lot more garlic in the rub. Feel free to play with it.

Grilled Chicken with Rosemary—serves 6

1 whole cut up chicken + 2 additional breasts; breasts cut in half

Brine:
1/2-cup kosher salt
1/3-cup sugar
Strips of zest from 1 lemon
5 smashed cloves of garlic

Mix all of the above with about 5 or 6 cups of water.

Rosemary Rub

11/2 cups fresh rosemary leaves
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-teaspoon kosher salt
1/2-cup extra virgin olive oil
About 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Brine the chicken by submerging it in the brining liquid for about 1-2 hours.

Make rub:

With the food processor running, drop in the garlic clove.
Turn off and add all the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil. Process until the rosemary is well chopped. It will not look like pesto—the rosemary will just look smaller than it looked whole.
With the machine running, add the oil.

Put the rub into a baking pan and rub all the chicken pieces with it.
Let it sit for about 20 minutes while the grill warms up.

Grill until done.

Enjoy!