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Chicken Liver Pâté

Chicken Liver Pâté

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Yield: 6 servings
Felicity Cloake / the Guardian

Dec. 2016: This is the first pâté I’ve actually made. It came out great, with a wonderful flavor. All pâté’s are an aquired taste. I love all kinds from mousse style like this to country pâté with its chunky texture.

  • ¾lb chicken livers, cleaned
  • 12TBS butter, diced
  • 1shallot, finely chopped
  • 1tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
  • ¼cup Madeira
  • ¼cup double cream
  • ½tsp salt
  • 1allspice berry, ground
  • ¼tsp ground ginger


Cut the livers into roughly 1/2 inch pieces, and heat a knob of butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallot and thyme and soften, then turn up the heat to medium-high, add the livers and sauté for a couple of minutes until browned on the outside but still pink inside. Tip into a food processor.

Add the Madeira to the pan and boil until reduced to a couple of tablespoons. Tip into the food processor, add the cream, salt and spices and whizz until smooth. Add all but 4 tablespoons of the butter, and whizz again. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Pass through a sieve into a serving dish and chill for half an hour. Melt the remaining butter and pour on top, then refrigerate until set.

Sautéed Green Beans With Mushrooms and Caramelized Cipollini Onions

Sautéed Green Beans With Mushrooms and Caramelized Cipollini Onions

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Yield: 6 to 8 servings
J. Kenji López-Alt / Serious Eats

Nov 2014: Probably should rename this to feature the onions first. They really are the star of this dish. A bit of a lenghty cook for beans, but the onions and mushrooms make this a winner for a special meal. We used it first for Thanksgiving.

  • 4TBS unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1lb Cipollini onions, trimmed and peeled
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2lb green beans, trimmed
  • 2TBS canola or vegetable oil
  • 1lb button mushrooms, washed, trimmed, and cut into quarters
  • 1medium shallot, finely chopped
  • 4medium cloves garlic, minced (about 4 tsp)
  • 1tsp picked fresh thyme leaves
  • 1tsp soy sauce
  • 1tsp juice from 1 lemon

Melt 3 tablespoons butter (or heat olive oil) in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add Cipollini onions, season well with salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, and cook, turning occasionally, until onions are a deep, caramel brown, about 45 minutes total.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add beans and cook until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain and run under cool running water until at cold. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat until lightly smoking. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’ve released all their liquid and are browned, about 10 minutes total, reducing heat if oil starts to smoke excessively. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add shallots, garlic, thyme, and remaining tablespoon butter (or olive oil) and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add soy sauce and toss to combine. *

Add green beans, onions, and lemon juice to mushrooms and toss to reheat and combine. Serve immediately.

* Can be made ahead through this step, refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, combine beans, mushrooms, and onions in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until hot.

Gayle’s Coleslaw

Gayle’s Coleslaw

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Yield: 12 servings
Adapted from Robert Irvine
  • 6cups shredded cabbage
  • 1cup shredded carrot
  • 1cup mayonnaise
  • ¼cup white wine vinegar
  • 1teaspoon celery seed
  • ¼cup sugar
  • Salt and pepper

In a large bowl, combine cabbage and carrots. In a smaller bowl, make dressing by combining mayonnaise, vinegar, celery seed, sugar, salt and pepper. Toss dressing into cabbage mixture and let chill. Serve in a family style bowl.

Original Copyright 2006, Robert Irvine

Lobster/Seafood Plate Chowder

Lobster/Seafood Plate Chowder

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Yield: 4 servings
Recipe from Bruce Frankel, Panache Restaurant, Cambridge, MA

We had this for New Year’s Eve… only once? Nope, lobster once, shrimp twice, lobster, shrimp and scallops once. This is wonderful stuff! Very simple to make, the recipe was featured on the cover of Food and Wine around 1987. Not a perfect substitute, but I converted this to use shrimp and scallops, and it is still great.  See photos.

  • 4live lobsters, 1½ lb each
  • – or –
  • 1½-2lb shrimp 
  • 8large sea scallops, foot removed 
  • 8cold-water lobster tails
  • 1½-2lb red potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice
  • 1cup heavy cream
  • ½tsp salt
  • 6TBS unsalted butter
  • 1medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • minced fresh chives
  • cayenne pepper

Lobster version: 

Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Drop 2 lobsters head first into the boiling water, cover and cook for 3 minutes. With tongs, transfer the lobsters to the ice water and let soak until cool enough to handle. Repeat with the remaining 2 lobsters.

Break off the tail and claws from each lobster. Remove the meat from the claws and knuckles. Split the tails lengthwise in half, leaving the meat in the shell. Remove the light green tomalley from the body, pass through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside.

Remove and discard any dark green matter from the bodies. Coarsely chop the carcasses and place in a large saucepan. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup, about 30 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan, then set the lobster stock aside.

Shrimp version:

Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells and tails. Place the shells and tails in a saucepan and add two cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup, about 30 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan, then set the shrimp stock aside.

Lobster tail, shrimp, scallop combo version:

Bring enough water to cover the lobster tails to boil. Add the lobster tails and cook for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Remove to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. When lobster tails are cool, remove from the shells and cut into bite sized pieces.

Add the shrimp shells and lobster tail shells to the saucepan and return water to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan, then set the seafood stock aside. Discard the shells.

All:

Return the stock to the pan and add cream and salt to the reserved lobster or shrimp stock. Simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Whisk in 4 TBS of the butter, 1 TBS at a time. Remove from the heat.

Potatoes:

Meanwhile, place the diced potatoes in a medium saucepan and add cold water to cover by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for about 3 minutes, the potatoes should still be very firm. Drain and rinse under cold water, drain well and set aside.

In a large skillet or saucepan, melt the remaining 2 TBS butter over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent, for about 2 minutes.

Add the potatoes and cook, tossing, for 1 minute.

Finish sauce and serve:

Pour in the cream sauce and add the reserved seafood. Simmer until the seafood is cooked through, for about 3 minutes, do not overcook.

Spoon the chowder into individual soup plates. If using, add a spoonful of the sieved tomalley to the sauce in each bowl. Garnish each with a pinch of chives and a dash of cayenne.

Wine Suggestion: California Pinot Blanc

Chicken Parmigiana

Chicken Parmigiana

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Yield: 6 portions, simple to double
Scott Nowell

Early 90’s: This is Gayle and my variation on a Pillsbury recipe for Veal Parmesan. It needed a lot of fixing. We’ve been making it for many years and like it for its simplicity. Unlike a lot of Chicken Parm recipes, this is baked in the sauce rather than coated just before serving. The sauce for this is very simple and uses inexpensive canned sauce. You can certainly substitute your favorite sauce, but it will likely be a different dish.  That’s a double batch in the photo above.

  • Chicken:
  • 3boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • ¾cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ¾cup plain bread crumbs
  • 1egg beaten with 2 TBS milk
  • ½cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
  • vegetable oil
  • 1-2TBS butter
  • Sauce:
  • 1medium onion, chopped
  • 48 oz cans tomato sauce
  • 1tsp oregano
  • 1/8tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Assembly:
  • 8oz grated mozzarella cheese
  • ¼cup grated Parmesan cheese

Trim and halve the chicken breasts to form equal sized pieces. You can pound the chicken to get a uniform thickness, but I usually don’t do that. They come out fine as-is. Season with salt and pepper.

Set up a coating station in 3 dishes or 1 dish or plastic bag for the egg and 2 for the dry mixes. Put flour, seasoned with salt and pepper in the first. Beat the egg and milk in the second and season with salt and pepper. Mix the grated Parmesan cheese with the bread crumbs in the third.

Dredge the chicken breasts in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg mixture to coat, then press into cheese and crumb mixture. Turn to coat on all sides. Set aside and repeat with the remaining breasts.

Heat a pan until hot, add 1 TBS each of butter and oil. Heat until butter stops foaming. Brown chicken in batches on one side, turn and brown other side. Arrange chicken in 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Sauce: Discard used oil and wipe out the pan so remaining crumbs don’t burn. Add 1 TBS oil and heat over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent but not browned. Add the tomato sauce and oregano. Stir and heat until boiling.

While the sauce is heating, divide the Mozzarella and place on top of the chicken breasts. When sauce is hot, carefully pour over the chicken breasts. Top each breast with equal amounts of the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake:

In 375°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling in the center of the pan and the chicken is 165°F in the thickest part.

-or-

In 300°F oven. Cover dish with foil and bake approximately 1 hour. Remove foil and increase heat to 400°F, and bake until cheese is browned, 5-10 minutes.

Serve with:
Starch: duh! Pasta, of course.
Veg: Salad

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

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Yield: 12 Rolls
Adapted from Stella Parks / Serious Eats

December 2017: It’s a test. Can I do it? Yes, I did! Repeat in December 2020

I’ve been a supermarket pop and bake user forever. I’ve graduated to the real thing and it was worth the effort.  The name brand version has gone downhill in quality and directions over the years.  You could consider halving the recipe unless you have a crowd.

  • For the Frosting:
  • 4oz plain, full-fat cream cheese (8 TBS), softened to about 70°F
  • 2tsp vanilla extract
  • 5oz powdered sugar (about 1¼ cups)
  • For the Filling:
  • 4oz unsalted butter (8 TBS), creamy and soft, about 70°F
  • 6oz light brown sugar (¾ cup, gently packed)
  • ½oz ground cinnamon (about 2 TBS)
  • ½tsp grated nutmeg
  • ¼tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
  • For the Dough:
  • 16oz all-purpose flour (about 3½ cups, spooned), such as Gold Medal, plus more for rolling
  • 3½oz sugar (about ½ cup)
  • 2tsp instant yeast, such as SAF (not rapid-rise)
  • 1¾tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
  • ¼tsp baking soda
  • 4oz unsalted butter (8 TBS)
  • 4oz milk (8 TBS), any percentage will do
  • 8oz plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt (about 1 cup), any percentage will do
  • 4oz toasted pecan halves, roughly chopped (a shy cup), or more to taste


For the Frosting:

Combine half the package of cream cheese and vanilla with half the powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low to moisten, then sprinkle in the rest of the sugar a little at a time. Once it is incorporated, increase to medium and beat until creamy and pale ivory, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a zip-top bag or disposable pastry bag and set aside until needed, up to 24 hours at room temperature. (If your kitchen is chilly and the butter hardens in that time, briefly microwave the bag to restore its creamy texture before use.)

For the Filling:

Prepare filling with the same bowl and beater, mixing butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt on low speed until moistened. Increase to medium and beat the dark paste until creamy, light in color, and very soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a zip-top bag or disposable pastry bag and set aside until needed, up to 24 hours at room temperature.

For the Dough:

Wipe the bowl with a paper towel, then whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and baking soda until thoroughly combined. Melt butter in a 2-quart saucier over low heat, then stir in milk and yogurt, warming to about 80°F. Add to flour and stir to form a very dry and shaggy dough. With the hook attachment, knead on low until silky-smooth and elastic, able to be gently stretched into a thin but rough sheet without tearing, about 20 minutes.

First Rise:

Cover bowl with plastic and set dough to rise until puffy, light, and doubled in bulk, about 90 minutes at roughly 70°F. If the dough feels dense, firm, or overly resilient, rest 15 minutes before testing again (this is more likely in chilly months).

Shaping:

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, dust with flour, and roll into a 13-inch square. Snip a corner from the bag of cinnamon filling, squeeze over the dough, and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Sprinkle pecans on top and roll to form a 12-inch log, ending seam side down.

Slide an 8-inch strand of thread, unflavored dental floss, or butcher’s twine under the dough until you reach the middle. Cross the ends over the top and pull tight to divide the log in two. Cut each half into six 1-inch slices and arrange in a parchment-lined 9- by 13- by 2-inch aluminum baking pan (or two 8-inch by 3-inch round cake pans).

Second Rise:

Cover rolls with foil and refrigerate overnight, or up to 48 hours. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F; meanwhile, let cinnamon rolls stand at room temperature until oven is hot.

To Bake and Serve:

Bake, covered, until cinnamon rolls are puffed and firm but pale, about 45 minutes. (If using darker pans, check on the cinnamon rolls after 30 minutes.) Remove the foil and continue baking until lightly browned, about 15 minutes more. Snip a corner from the bag of frosting, squeeze over the cinnamon rolls, and spread into an even layer with the back of a spoon. Serve immediately, and leave no survivors; life’s too short for day-old cinnamon rolls.

Storage:

In case you need to keep some for New Year’s Day, these freeze well in sealed plastic containers. Remove from freezer, open container and let sit for 20-30 minutes on counter. Microwave for 15-20 seconds each.

Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms

Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms

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Yield: 8 Mushrooms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO2pZYl8zAw

Fall 2017: The Cooking In Russia channel on YouTube has some great recipes. The chef is an American ex-pat living in Russia and currently working on opening a restaurant in Helsinki Finland.

  • 8large mushrooms
  • ½lemon
  • 2strips bacon
  • 2oz red onion, diced
  • 3/4oz garlic, chopped coarsely
  • 2oz small shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • ½tsp paprika
  • 1oz white wine
  • 2egg yolks
  • 2TBS bread crumbs
  • cayenne to taste, pinch to ½ tsp
  • parmesan cheese for grating
  • Special equipment: ceramic baking dish (metal can scorch mushrooms)


Preheat oven to 400°F.

Stem mushrooms and scrape more from inside to make large cavity. Save the scrapings and stems. Cut stems and add to removed bits.

Squeeze lemon over prepared mushrooms. Rub to coat.

Render bacon over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, stir, add salt, cook about 10 minutes.

Add white wine and cook 2 minutes. Add shrimp, cayenne and cook stirring.

Remove to blender cup and blend with stick blender or chop to any consistency you want.

Scrape into bowl and add 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, 2 egg yolks, stir until mixed.

Remove mushrooms from baking dish and stuff, making sure they mound in the center. Add olive  oil to baking dish and spread over bottom. Set mushrooms, stuffed side up in dish. Grate Parmesan over mushrooms. Bake for 16 minutes.

Special step: Transfer to plate and distribute pan juices over the mushrooms. Return to baking dish and pour plate juices evenly over mushrooms. For immediate use, return to oven and bake 7 more minutes.

-or-

At this point they can be set aside for serving later, or refrigerated. NEVER freeze!

From room temperature, cook for about 10 minutes. If refrigerated, bake for 11-12 minutes.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip

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Yield: 2 to 3 cups
Alison Roman / NY Times

Easter 2017:  I needed a dip as an appetizer contribution.  I used this one from the NY Times. Use canned artichoke hearts; they’ve got a tangier flavor and better texture than the frozen ones. If you want to go a step further, transfer it to a skillet and run it under the broiler after cooking, which gives you bubbling dip with a golden top.

  • 110-oz package frozen spinach, defrosted, drained and chopped as desired
  • 2TBS olive oil
  • 1large garlic clove, finely chopped
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1(14-oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
  • 8oz cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4oz fresh mozzarella, torn or shredded
  • 4oz sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
  • ¼cup pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, finely grated


Defrost, drain spinach. Wring out well in paper towels or dish towel. Chop, if desired.

Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until it’s softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add crushed red pepper, if using. Add artichokes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes, just to take the raw edge off the artichokes.

Reduce heat to low and add cream cheese and mozzarella. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir until all the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes. Stir in sour cream and pecorino/parmesan, and season with more salt and pepper.

You can certainly eat this dip straight from the pot (or transferred to a serving bowl), but running it under the broiler for a crispy top is also an excellent option. To do so, transfer dip to a small ovenproof skillet (6 to 8 inches). Place in oven and broil until the top is golden and the dip is bubbling, 5 to 8 minutes. Let sit a minute or two before serving.

Cheesy Artichoke Tartlets

Cheesy Artichoke Tartlets

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Yield: 32 pieces
Source lost

Circa 2008:  Remember those mini-muffin tins you bought for the Chipotle Shrimp Wonton recipe?  This is another use for it.

  • 32(3 ¼ x 3 ¼-inch) won ton wrappers
  • ¼lb (1 cup) Alpine Lace Deli Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 1(8-oz) package nonfat cream cheese
  • 1TBS Dijon-style mustard
  • ¼-½tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • ¼cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1(14-oz) can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped


Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 32 mini muffin pan cups with no stick cooking spray. Gently press 1 won ton wrapper into each muffin cup, allowing ends to extend above cups. Spray edges of wrappers with more cooking spray. Set aside. Combine cheese, cream cheese, cayenne pepper and mustard in medium bowl; mix well. Stir in red bell pepper and artichoke hearts. Spoon about 1 tablespoonful cheese mixture into each cup. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until cheese mixture is set and edges of wrappers are lightly browned. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve warm.

Mom’s Chicken Wings

Mom’s Chicken Wings

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Yield: 24 wing sections
Scott Nowell

Dawn of time: This is my Mom’s recipe. A key here is to cook the wings enough. The collagen in chicken breaks down around 185°F. When you go over that magic mark, the wings get real tender. Keep in mind though, this doesn’t work on boneless breasts. They dry out.

  • 12whole chicken wings with tip section removed
  • – or-
  • 24chicken wing sections
  • salt & pepper
  • 1cup all purpose flour
  • 1tsp salt
  • ½tsp pepper
  • 1-2tsp seasonings of your choice like poulty seasoning, italian seasoning, herbs de Provence, etc.


Preheat oven to 425°F.

Season wings generously with salt and pepper.

Put the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and your seasoning in a bag, paper or plastic as you see fit. Add 6 wings to the bag, close and shake to coat. Line up wings on a foil-lined or Silpat lined half-sheet pan. Repeat with remaining wings. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and turn wings over. Bake for another 20-30 minutes until cooked to an internal temp of 185°F or higher.