Dinner At Sheila's

Chantilcleer Gardens

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:32:45 -0400

I mentioned on a recent post that my sister, cousins from St. Louis and I visited Chanticleer Gardens in Wayne, PA several weeks ago.

This estate began as the country retreat of Adolph Rosengarten, Sr. and his wife Christine, and dates back to the early 1900’s.

The photo above gives you a glimpse of what the 48 acres of Chanticleer has to offer.

An excerpt from the brochure says it best…

Chanticleer has been called the most romantic, imaginative, and exciting public garden in America. The garden is a study of textures and forms, where foliage trumps flowers, the gardeners lead the design, and even the drinking fountains are sculptural, It is a garden of pleasure and learning, relaxing yet filled with ideas to take home.

Here is just a sampling of some of the photos from our wonderful day spent at this miraculous garden retreat.

If you get the opportunity you must visit this enchanting place. What makes it stand out among so many public gardens is the fact that they have made an extraordinary effort to keep it from being commercialized in any way, and have succeeded.

As you walk the paths of the various gardens you feel as if you are visiting a friend’s home and gardens. If you have questions about the many plants there are numerous gardeners available to answer them.

This pretty much sums up the experience they hope it will be…

…Sit and enjoy the views. Relax, read, converse, meditate. Feel the sun on your back and the grass beneath your feet as you listen to the birds and enjoy the scents of the garden.

Pan Fried Chicken Breasts with Orzo

Thu, 09 May 2013 02:03:00 -0400

I hate when this happens! I haven’t posted on my blog for almost 3 weeks. We are approaching the home stretch of our upcoming move, and ~~life~~ cooking as I know it is no more.

In the last few weeks my husband and I have made a trip to San Luis Obispo to check on the status of our future home.

We were there for the required framing walk-through, which turned out to be a 3 hour procedure since it is very detail oriented, not to mention the time it takes to cover the endless lists my husband produces at such meetings.

Seriously, I kid him about it, but when we had moved into our current home almost 25 years ago had he not been so on top of things our four bedroom house might have been a three bedroom house.

The boys and I were still in Chicago and my husband had driven out a month earlier to begin his new job. He was living in an apartment (where we would be joining him for 3 months until the house was ready).

He would come by the construction site regularly to check on the status. One day he discovered that instead of the fourth bedroom they had framed a sitting room off the master bedroom.

Fortunately for us, the mistake was caught in time, and corrected!

On this trip to SLO we found ourselves busy every day, but were able to see both of our sons and their girlfriends, which was the real bonus.

Although it was exciting to finally have something to see, walking through rooms framed in wood without walls, ceilings, or a roof overhead is, for me, tough to envision as the place I’ll be calling home in just a few months.

(this is especially difficult since there are no models, and we have only had plans and computer generated videos to go by) BOLD, aren’t we???

I may have mentioned this before but this move will represent a huge lifestyle change for us.

Our home is being built in SLO’s charming downtown (no more suburbs!) and (lots more walking) and we are truly downsizing to about half the size of our present beloved home without the magnificent gardens we created (novices, though we were…fortunately we had plenty of years to learn).

I will have a large deck, a small patio, and a tiny balcony that I intend to put all my energy into as soon as we are unpacked.

It is a totally different type of architecture than we are used to here on the east coast called contemporary craftsman with lots of windows and a 10 foot ceiling.

We even think we will have some beautiful mountain views from a few windows. That’s one of the things we discovered at the walk through!

We will not be visiting again until we move so that is when we will see our completed home for the first time.

The day after I got home two of my cousins arrived from St. Louis for a weekend at my sister’s home in PA (all planned previous to my knowing the exact timing of our trip to SLO…oops!)

We crammed a lot into a few days. I had dinner for them upon their arrival…appetizers on the patio until it got too chilly, and a meal of grilled Chicken Teryaki (I do the marinating, my husband does the grilling)

and Vermont Potato Salad.

For dessert…Chocolate Cake

The next morning we drove to my sister’s, went out to a great restaurant for dinner, and the next day we took a trip to the Chanticleer Gardens in Wayne, PA, a half hour outside of Philadelphia.

I hope to post photos I took there on a future post. It was the most beautiful day, and the 48 acres were lush with all the spring flowering plants and trees. Thanks to our cousin from the midwest for suggesting it.

Back at home I have been busy with packing, etc and have had little time to cook or shop. In fact I have been trying to use up my overloaded pantry. It seems I can’t resist a sale and whenever my favorite pasta was featured I would stock up.

With several boxes of orzo on the shelf I decided to make a quick dinner of Pan Fried Chicken Breasts with Orzo.

I usually reserve the boneless breasts in the freezer for chicken parmigiana or chicken stir fries, but with very few veggies for a stir fry and very little time for a parmigiana I decided to quickly marinate the chicken breasts Greek style with salt, pepper, lemon juice , minced fresh garlic and some oregano.

While that was marinating I made the orzo, risotto style like I love to do.

After sauteeing some chopped onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes I add the dried orzo (about 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups ) to the saucepan until it begins to brown.

To that slowly add some warmed chicken stock slowly as if you were making risotto, and stir continually on medium to medium high heat. As the liquid evaporates, keep adding more and stirring so it doesn’t stick.

Repeat this until you have added about 3 cups liquid. When most of the liquid is absorbed, season with kosher salt and pepper, and some dried or fresh thyme. At this point reduce it to low, and cover with a lid for another 10 minutes, checking to make sure it is not sticking. When done, turn the heat off and keep warm til ready to serve.

To finish the chicken breasts, heat a large skillet with a bit of olive oil and butter to medium high. When hot, add the chicken breasts and allow to cook on one side til browned. Turn and cook until browned on the other side.

Add a small amount of chicken stock to the pan and the juice of half a lemon. when done, cover pan and let sit for a few minutes.

Serve the chicken breast over a bed of orzo.

Garnish with fresh lemon and oregano.

Strawberries and Cream Spectacular

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:49:00 -0400

Strawberries and Cream Spectacular! This recipe comes from the Time Life Series of Books called The Good Cook/Techniques and Recipes published in 1981. I had the entire collection in those days, and through the years I have donated many and sold some at yard sales, but this particular one simply called Cakes remains on my shelf.

It is a great resource for anyone who loves baking cakes as I do. This particular cake is one that I love and continue to make today. I have made it for many special occasions, including a bridal shower for my best friend’s daughter a few years after we had moved here.

It is a great springtime cake and I served it at the brunch we had a week ago.

Now I’ll confess I use a pastry bag and tip to decorate occasionally, but my skills are from from that of a professional.

Somehow with this cake even if you stray as I do from using 3 different tips as the recipe suggests, this cake always ends up looking yummy and tasting yummier.

And, if you don’t run out of whipped cream as I did this time, you can also pipe rosettes around the bottom edge of the cake for a more finished look.

But you know what, nobody said, “Hey, where are the rosettes?”

The cake itself is light as a feather with just enough lemon flavoring that complements the ripe strawberries and vanilla flavored whipped cream.

May is around the corner and with it strawberry season, so find an occasion and do make this delicious spectacular cake.

Strawberries and Cream Spectacular

(The Good Cook, Cakes from the Time Life series, Elise W. Manning, Farm Journal’s complete home Baking Book)

To make one 9-inch cake

2 and 1/2 cups cake flour

1 and 2/3 cups sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 and 1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 egg yolks

4 cups strawberries

2 cups heavy cream, whipped with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup red currant jelly

Sift together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the shortening and half of the milk. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for two minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.

Add the remaining milk, the lemon extract, the vanilla extract and the egg yolks. Beat with the electric mixer for another two minutes.

Pour the batter into two buttered layer-cake pans that have been lined with parchment paper.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the centers of the layers comes out clean.

Cool the layers in their pan for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks.

While the cake is cooling, wash and hull the strawberries. Chop enough strawberries to make one cup; reserve the remaining berries. Fold the chopped strawberries into one cup of the whipped cream.

Place one cake layer, top side down, on a serving plate. Spread it with the strawberry-cream filling.

Top with the second cake layer, top side up.

Slice the reserved strawberries lengthwise. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the cake, starting at the outer edge and placing the slices with their pointed ends toward the edge of the cake.

After the first circle of berries is completed, continue placing the strawberries in this manner until the top is covered.

Refrigerate the cake for 10 minutes.

Melt the red currant jelly in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Carefully spoon or brush the hot jelly over the strawberries

Spread some of the remaining whipped cream around the sides of the cake.

Spoon the rest of the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a No. 190 drop flower tube. Pipe rosettes between the strawberry points around the rim of the cake. then change to a No.24 star tube and fill in the spaces. Finally, change to a No. 71 leaf tube, and piupe a border around the bottom edge of the cake.

If you do not wish to decorate the cake with decorating tips, spoon the remaining cream in small puffs on the top of the cake between the strawberries.

Refrigerate the cake until time to serve it.

Smoked Whitefish Salad

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:15:00 -0400

For our brunch last Sunday I made Smoked Whitefish Salad.

I use very little mayo relative to the amount of fish so the rich flavor of the smoked fish really shines through. You could even omit the mayonnaise altogether and simply add a little olive oil to the lemon juice.

The only thing challenging about this dish is deboning the smoked fish.

In the past I usually did it in a trial and error fashion, and usually found myself picking out a lot of bones that I had missed making this a pretty time consuming process.

This time I went online and found this video which made things a lot easier. I may need to practice a bit more, but I think I did a pretty good job.

I’m not telling how many times I had to replay the video, though! Your reward for all your hard work is getting to nibble all the bits and pieces that you are not using.

I see he agrees with me…check it out!

Smoked Whitefish Salad (makes about 8 cups)

2 smoked whole whitefish ( 2-3 # each), skin and bones removed

3-4 stalks celery, finely diced

1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped

juice of 3 lemons

freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise (I use Hellman’s canola oil mayo)

Debone the whitefish and place in a large bowl.

Add the diced celery, fresh chopped dill, mayonnaise, lemon juice and black pepper to the whitefish. Mix gently with very clean hands to maintain good size pieces of fish and toss til thoroughly combined.

Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with bagels,rye bread or pumpernickel. Garnish with chopped fresh chives or fresh dill.

Sunday Brunch

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:32:00 -0400

As we are approaching our move to San Luis Obispo at the end of June we added another last to our long list of memories of our home that we will take with us.

My kitchen island (and before the remodel, penninsula) has been home to too many Sunday Brunches to count over these past years.

This past Sunday with cousins visiting from New England we hosted what will most likely be the last of many large family gatherings for Sunday Brunch here.

It was a wonderful day filled with food and family, a combination hard to beat.

At one point I stood at my kitchen sink just listening to all the chatter and laughter which occurs when many conversations are going on simultaneously.

While some may describe the scene as deafening noise it is music to my ears…the sounds of family, poring over old photographs of loved ones no longer with us accompanied by all the stories which bring them back to life.

…and all the sounds of everyone catching up on each other’s current lives.

Of course food always plays a central role in any family get together, and it is always a labor of love for me.

Sunday’s menu included… Bloody Mary’s, (made the mix myself), a tuna tapenade served on crostini (sorry, didn”t catch a photo of that), a platter of deviled eggs and a wedge of Manchego cheese served with some grapes and crackers for starters.

The buffet consisted of a smoked salmon platter with capers and dill, a platter of smoked roasted salmon, plain and peppered, and my own smoked whitefish salad which I will soon post.

There were veggie and fruit platters, and our aunt’s famous jello molds (that we almost forgot to take out of the fridge, which explains why they are not in the photos).

An assortment of bagels with cream cheese and fresh chives, as well as fig, strawberry, and my sister’s home made peach preserves.

Later with coffee we had The Best Coffee Cake. Ever.

and a favorite of mine which I will put on the blog soon…

Strawberries and Cream Spectacular

A fine ending for a spectacular day filled with wonderful memories of brunches at Saint Regis Way!

Ina's Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:34:00 -0400

Here’s a recipe from Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa that never disappoints. It is one I have made numerous times. It is quick and delicious, and you will likely have most of the ingredients on hand, except the shrimp.

It’s a good idea to keep a bag of shrimp in your freezer for use in shrimp stir fries and other recipes that cook up quickly.

To make it even quicker Ina says you can use peeled and deveined shrimp, which I do.

Costco, for example, sells a 2 pound bag of raw large shrimp already peeled and deveined, so all you need to do is remember to defrost the amount you need overnight in the fridge. They will be ready for you the next day. (Do not use cooked shrimp).

Add a salad and some good bread and you have yourself a delicious dinner.

Ina’s Linguine with Shrimp Scampi (serve 6)

(Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Ina Garten)

Vegetable Oil (I used canola)

Kosher Salt

1 and 1/2 pounds linguine

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

5 tablespoons good olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)

2 pounds (raw) large shrimp (about 32 shrimp). peeled and deveined

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch). heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily!

Add the shrimp, 1 tablespoon of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine, and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Yum!

Passover Chocolate Sponge Cake Roll with Raspberries and Cream

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:48:00 -0400

In addition to the Passover Lemon Cheesecake which I made this year I also took this Chocolate Sponge Cake Roll with Raspberries and Cream to the seder at our aunt’s home.

I am not a chocoholic by any means ( I usually prefer desserts without chocolate with a few exceptions), but i know that for many people it is not dessert if it’s not chocolate. So I always like to include something with chocolate when there are several desserts at a holiday meal.

This recipe is an adaptation of a lemon sponge cake roll I have made numerous times at Passover. (See the post from April 2011) .

Instead of the lemon juice and zest I added cocoa powder and vanilla extract, filled it with some fresh raspberries and whipped cream, and covered it in with a chocolate frosting.

Passover Chocolate Sponge Cake Roll with Raspberries and Cream

(serves 8 to 10)

For the cake roll

1/2 cup sifted Passover cake meal

1/2 cup potato starch

6 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line a 10”x 15” rimmed baking sheet with buttered parchment paper.

Sift together cake meal, potato starch, and cocoa powder and set aside.

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and lemon colored.

Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring to make a thick batter.

Add the vanilla extract and mix well.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff but not dry. Fold very gently into the batter.

Turn into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Test with cake tester, or press gently with finger to see if cake bounces back.

Remove from then oven and turn onto a lightly sugared towel. Gently remove parchment paper.

Roll up with the towel while warm and let cool completely on a rack.

When cool, carefully unroll and spread the whipped cream, dot with the raspberries. Reroll and place onto serving plate.

Cover with the chocolate frosting. Garnish with extra raspberries.

Whipped cream filling

1/2 cup heavy cream for whipping

1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

Whip cream and sugar with whisk attachment in an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

3/4 cup fresh raspberries, (sweetened with 1 tablespoon sugar, optional)

Chocolate frosting

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1 and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 to 4 Tablespoons hot water

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

Blend sugar with melted butter, vanilla, and chocolate. Stir in hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until proper consistency.

Passover Lemon Cheesecake

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:59:45 -0400

This luscious lemon cheesecake is one of the desserts I took to the Seder at our aunt’s home last night.

The crust is made from ground almonds and matzo cake meal making it perfect for Passover when flour is prohibited. Its sweet crunchiness complements the smooth lemony light filling.

Passover Lemon Cheesecake (Epicurious, Gourmet/ April 2008)

(8 to 10 servings)

Crust

3/4 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted and cooled

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup matzo cake meal

14 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Filling

3 (8 -ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Equipment

a 9-inch springform pan

To Make Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle.

Pulse almonds, sugar, matzo cake meal, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in butter until combined well.

Press onto bottom and 1 inch up the side of springform pan. Bake until crust is firm and a shade darker, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on a rack.

To Make Filling and Bake Cheesecake

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Beat together cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs 1 at a time, mixing until incorporated. Mix in zest and vanilla.

Put springform pan in a shallow baking pan and pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until filling is set 1 and 1/2 inches from the edge but center is wobbly, 45 to 50 minutes (filling will set as it cools).

Transfer cake in pan to a rack and immediately run a knife around edge, then remove side of pan. Cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.

Garnish with blackberries and lemon slices (optional)

Note: Cheesecake can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, loosely covered.

Charoseth for Passover

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 22:26:28 -0400

Passover began last night with the ceremonial seder meal.

We were invited to the home of my husband’s aunt whom he has been especially close to since he was old enough to walk, and whom I became close with since I first began dating my husband in high school.

At that time his aunt and uncle and cousins lived in the same town in which we grew up.

In the late 70’s, years after we had married and moved to Chicago they moved to Virginia where our aunt still lives today.

The amazing thing is we never know what lies ahead.

In 1988 we found ourselves moving east after living in Chicago for 15 years.

We never could have predicted that one day we we would be living in Maryland, and even more amazing that we would be living just 35 minutes (barring traffic /accidents/ construction on the beltway) from our wonderful aunt.

And now as our life takes another turn we find ourselves celebrating the last of many Passovers and other holidays and events we have shared with her and her family over these past 25 years.

Through all these years we have had a special relationship with our aunt who is now the matriarch of my husband’s family.

She is a special lady who wrote the book on how to age well.

She is young at heart with an optimistic outlook, seemingly able to roll with any punches that life doles out.

Her schedule of activities and social life would be challenging for many half her age. Her sense of humor and lust for life are evident whenever you speak with her.

And did I mention that she is quite a looker, to boot?

She refers to herself and her significant other as the “oldest teenagers in their town”!

We have shared so much of our lives with her over these past years, and it will be difficult to say good bye.

Once we are settled in our new home we know she will be one of our first visitors from the east coast and we will insist that she add a regular trip to San Luis Obispo to her yearly travel schedule.

We look forward to sharing many more good times with her in San Luis Obispo, and of course, we will be back east to see her regularly as well.

Preparing a seder is no small fete. Although I love hosting the holidays, even I realized that with our upcoming move it was not to be. We have begun packing, selling some furniture, and my house is slowly but surely deconstructing, a necessary, but very sad evil for me.

Anyway, I am far from being done cooking here so I enticed my aunt to allow me to bring several contributions to the meal, one of which was the traditional dish of apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine known as Charoset, Charoseth, or Haroset.

The Charoseth is symbolic of the bricks and mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build cities for the Pharaoh.

It is one of the ceremonial foods on the Seder Plate. During the service we partake of it on a piece of matzoh along with a little horseradish, representing the sweetness of freedom and the bitterness of slavery.

Although we usually eat Charoseth once a year at Passover it is so delicious there’s no reason why we don’t eat it year round. Here’s the simple recipe:

Charoseth (serves 8)

1 cup chopped or diced apples

1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)

2 tablespoons honey or sugar

1/4 cup sweet red wine or grape juice

1/4 teaspoon (or more to taste) cinnamon

Mix chopped apples and chopped nuts. Add remaining ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Serve with traditional Passover dinner.

Bourbon-Butterscotch Pudding

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:56:00 -0400

I love pudding! Just a spoonful of ~~sugar~~ pudding helps the medicine go down, or anything else that ails you! It is the epitome of comfort food.

This past week I had an unexpected visit from my terrific niece from New York who will be graduating this spring from college.

It seems like yesterday that we got the call that she was born. My sister and I filled the car with all the food we had been cooking and baking while we were nervously awaiting the news of my sister-in-law’s long labor.

With the food and our father in tow we headed for NYC to greet our new niece named for our beloved mother, Lily.

I was so excited to have Lily at our home one last time before we head out to the west coast the end of June.

Lily made her first appearance here at 10 months old when we celebrated my younger son’s Bar-Mitzvah with a party in our backyard under tents on a beautiful spring afternoon/evening in May.

From then on she was with us for every Thanksgiving, and for many summers when she was younger she would come and spend a week with us.

I got to experience the joys of having a little girl around…fixing her hair, picking out outfits with her for her to wear, and allowing her to have her fingernails painted blue which was her favorite color one summer.

Trips to the bookstore for storytelling time, hours at the community pool nearby, playing with the neighborhood kids, fixing her favorite foods, and trips to Jimmie Cone ice cream for a vanilla cone with all the rainbow sprinkles it could hold, are just a few of my memories of her visits.

And now here she is all grown up, beautiful and bright and on her way to find her place in the world.

She stayed with us for a couple of days while she attended some meetings in DC.

My sister came in for the occasion and for dessert the first evening I made this Bourbon Butterscotch Pudding which appears in the March issue of Bon Appetit.

According to Bon Appetit… this complexly flavored pudding owes its smooth texture to a quick spin in the blender.

I found this to be a great time to use my immersion blender, and it worked beautifully, saving me some extra cleanup time.

Here is the recipe…

Bourbon-Butterscotch Pudding ( 8 servings)

(Bon Appetit, March, 2013)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

2 and 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon bourbon or Scotch

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 large egg yolks

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 tablespoons sugar

Creme fraiche and crushed gingersnap cookies (for serving: optional)

(Note: I used just a dollop of freshly whipped cream)

eight 6-oz ramekins or bowls

For a video demonstration of this recipe click here to see this from Bon Appetite.

Corned Beef and Cabbage with a Twist

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:51:00 -0400

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Although we are not Irish this day will always be one we celebrate because our oldest son was born on St. Patrick’s Day 1975 at 8:36 pm in Chicago.

With our upcoming move on the horizon we are really looking forward to celebrating birthdays with our sons once again since incredibly we will be living within a few hours of each after being on the opposite coast for so many years.

So in the spirit of celebration of my first born son and St. Patrick’s Day I almost always prepare a dinner of corned beef and cabbage.

This year I decided to put a twist on this standard dish and roast the cabbage which is unimaginably delicious. I also roasted the carrots, and made parsley potatoes to accompany the corned beef.

When the corned beef was tender after having simmered on the stove for several hours I placed it on a rack in a roasting pan, slathered it with a glaze of honey, whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar. and roasted it at 350 degrees for about 20 more minutes .

It was one of the best St. Patrick’s Day dinners I’ve made, and we are looking forward to corned beef sandwiches tomorrow.

Roasted Cabbage

1 head cabbage, cored, and cut into 8 wedges.

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher Salt to taste

Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Place the cabbage wedges carefully on a rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the slices over carefully and season again with salt and pepper.

Roast in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes until the edges begin to caramelize.

Carefully turn the slices over and roast another 10 to 15 minutes until they are crispy and browned at the edge, but still have a bite to them.

The Best Coffee Cake. Ever.

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 23:52:00 -0400

I wake up early every day, whether I need to or not. That’s just my body clock.

But I can’t really start the day until I’ve had my second cup of coffee. I love my coffee, and have since I began drinking it in college.

(I’m so thrilled that the recent health pundits have been touting the benefits of caffeine! Whew!!!)

Although I do love croissants, muffins, scones, danish pastries (especially cheese), and all kinds of coffee cakes along with a cup of coffee I really try to avoid them and have something healthier for breakfast.

Although I may cave later in the day I can get through breakfast most days without succumbing to those high carb sugary cravings.

Not so this past Sunday morning. For some time now I have had visions of sugarplums in the form of coffeecakes dancing in my head.

And this Sunday I adamantly announced to my husband that I was making a coffee cake for breakfast! That’s it…just coffee cake, my coffee, and the Sunday paper, and I would savor it guilt free.

I found the perfect coffee cake to accomplish this. It is from Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman’s blog.

It is called The Best Coffee Cake. Ever.
And it is.

See for yourself.

Just don’t make a habit of it.

The Best Coffee Cake. Ever. (from The Pioneer Woman’s Blog)

(16 servings)

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 and 1/2 stick butter, softened (I used unsalted)

2 cups scant sugar

3 cups, flour, sifted

4 teaspoons powder

1 teaspoon salt (I used kosher salt)

1 and 1 and 1/4 cup whole milk (didn’t have whole milk so I used 1 cup non-fat milk and 1/4 cup half and half. It worked)

3 whole egg whites, beaten until stiff

For the Topping:

1 and 1/2 stick butter, softened (unsalted, again)

3/4 cups flour

1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar ( I used light brown, dark brown would be okay, too)

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 and 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat egg whites and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until combined. Don’t overbeat.

Fold in beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula.

Spread in a well-greased 9x13 baking pan. A cake pan with higher sides would be best.

In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly.

Sprinkle all over the top.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. Serve warm. Delicious!

Baked Pasta with Sausage and Four Cheeses

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 10:57:46 -0500

With spring on the horizon there still remain enough wintry days to cook up some one dish meals such as this Baked Pasta with Sausage and Four Cheeses.

Soon we will be turning our thoughts to all the great grilling possibilities, and endless salads and such that will be heralded by the opening of the farm stands everywhere.

Until then consider making this delicious baked rigatoni dish which is great for feeding a crowd ( just make several) or a family dinner (with leftovers for lunch the next day).

Baked Pasta with Sausage and Four Cheeses

(The Tuscan Sun Cookbook, Frances Mayes and Edward Mayes)

serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for the baking dish

1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, meat cut into small pieces

1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed, meat cut into small pieces

1/2 cup red wine

2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

1 cup soffrito (see recipe in Giusi’s Ragu post)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

8 tomatoes or 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, juice included, chopped

1 pound rigatoni

1 cup (8 ounces) whole-milk ricotta

8 ounces Fontina or Taleggio, cubed

8 ounces mozzarella, cubed

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I used Pecorino Romano)

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs, toasted (I used Panko breadcrumbs)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bring the pasta water to a boil and add salt.

Ina large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat and cook the sausage, breaking it up as it browns, about 5 minutes.

Add the wine, turn the heat up to boil, and cook until much of the liquid has reduced, about 10 minutes.

Add the oregano, soffrito, seasonings, and tomatoes along with their juices.

Simmer the sauce for at least 10 minutes, or until thick and savory.

Cook the rigatoni a minute less than the time required on the package (since it will continue cooking in the oven), then drain, reserving a bit of the pasta water.

In a large bowl, mix the ricotta with the fontina and a splash of the pasta water,

then add the drained rigatoni and continue mixing.

Add the sausage mixture and mozzarella, tossing to mix well.

Oil a 9x13-inch baking dish, and then pour in the pasta. Sprinkle the Parmigiano and breadcrumbs on top. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until golden flecked and hot.

Hearts of Palm Dip

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 12:29:00 -0500

Sometimes the simplest and fewest ingredients result in the tastiest dishes. Such is the case for this Hearts of Palm Dip which I found in a Food and Wine magazine from a year ago, and made recently.

While so many of the dips and spreads that we love are filled with high fat ingredients…think sour cream, cream cheese, mayo, all kinds of cheeses… (although I use them at times the low fat versions are just not the same when it comes to flavor), I found this particular dip really satisfying and yet about as low fat as you can get.

I love hearts of palm, and will often slice them and add them to a salad. They are tasty, high in fiber, vitamin C, calcium and iron, low in fat, and have a nice texture to them.

For those, however who must watch their salt intake, the sodium count is rather high.

Blended with some olive oil, garlic, lime zest, and a bit of pepper it becomes this creamy, yet slightly chucky dip that goes great with plantain chips, pita chips, flatbreads, or just plain crudites. And, it’s guilt-free eating!

Hearts of Palm Dip ( adapted from Food and Wine, March 2012)

1 large garlic clove, minced

Salt (I prefer Kosher salt)

Two 14-ounce cans hearts of palm, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

Freshly ground white pepper (If you don’t have it, black pepper will do)

Plantain chips, pita chips, flatbreads, or veggies for serving

Using the side of a chef’s knife, mash the garlic to a paste with a generous pinch of salt. Scrape the paste into a food processor. Add the hearts of palm and oil and process to a medium-fine paste.

Add the lime zest, season with salt and pepper and pulse just to blend.

Transfer the dip to a bowl and serve with plantain chips, pita chips, flatbreads, or fresh veggies.

The dip can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

A Gluten Free Chocolate Birthday Cake

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 17:04:00 -0500

Our good friends from our “Chicago Days” who now live in Rhode Island spent the night with us on their way down to Florida yesterday. It was so wonderful to spend some time with them.

They were a part of a close knit group of friends we had who, like us, were all transplanted to the Windy City from the east coast in the 70’s. We were all beginning our own families at this time, and before long we became family to each other filling the void that living far from one’s roots can create.

So we celebrated holidays and birthdays together, formed a gourmet club, had play dates for our kids, went apple picking, pumpkin picking, and strawberry picking, and the dads even took the kids on camping trips (without the moms).

As is life, eventually we all found ourselves relocating, many of us back to the east coast, but all to different cities.

But those were days we cherish, and no doubt the memories of those good times for our children (now adults, and some with their own children), have impacted their lives.

As luck would have it, it was also my husband’s birthday yesterday, and what better way to spend it than with good friends!

I made a birthday dinner of Greek Chicken and Potatoes, Greek Style Green Beans and Tomatoes, and a Greek Salad, all of which was gluten free as our friend must adhere to this diet.

While dinner was not challenging at all, I was not so confident about making my husband’s favorite chocolate birthday cake with a gluten free twist.

I confess I have never made a gluten free cake other than the sponge cakes I make at Passover which are gluten free by nature since I only use potato starch in them, and an occasional flourless chocolate cake.

But I wanted this to be a real birthday cake, 2 layers with a special filling between the layers, and a decadently rich chocolate glaze.

When I found a bag of gluten free flour at Trader Joe’s I thought I just might be able to pull off a gluten free birthday cake worth celebrating.

I decided to follow the recipe for my chocolate cake, substituting the gluten free flour for the cake flour called for.

A Chocolate Cake That’s Got It All

Butter, for coating cake pans

2 cups sugar

~~1 and 3/4 cups cake flour~~ 1 and 3/4 cups gluten free flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch process

1 teaspoon instant coffee ( I used instant espresso powder)

3/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

14 tablespoons (13/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, but not hot

2 (8-inch) cake pans

Directions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease the cake pans with butter and dust with flour. (I prefer to line the bottom of the pans with buttered parchment as well to prevent any sticking).

Whisk sugar, flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

Place cocoa and coffee in a medium bowl. Whisk in 3/4 cup boiling water to form a smooth paste. Stir in sour cream and vanilla and set aside.

With a hand or electric mixer in medium bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Without cleaning the beaters, mix melted butter into dry ingredients until mixture is smooth. Immediately add cocoa mixture, and beat until batter is smooth, 2-3 minutes. Carefully fold egg whites into batter until just incorporated.

Divide batter evenly between pans and bake until a skewer inserted into center comes out with wet crumbs, 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cakes sit in pans to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Invert each cake onto a plate, then onto a cooling rack.

For the filling I whipped up some heavy cream into which I folded some frozen (partially thawed) raspberries, making it a pretty shade of pink, and then covered the whole cake with a rich chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Fudge Glaze

1/4 cup (60ml) water

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 ounces (170g) sweet cooking chocolate, broken into pieces

1/2 cup confectioners, sugar (2 ounces, 55g)

1 and 1/2 tablespoons dark rum (or Chambord Liqueur)

Pinch of salt

Bring water and butter to boil in a small saucepan. Keep at simmer until needed.

Metal Blade: Pulse the chocolate with confectioners’ sugar 5 times, then process continuously until chocolate is as fine as sugar. With machine running, pour water and butter through the feed tube and process until chocolate is melted, stopping once to scrape the work bowl. Add the rum or Chambord and salt and process for 5 seconds.

With the remaining glaze (I made 1 and 1/2 x the recipe) I decorated the top of the cake with a pastry tip. Allow the glaze to chill a bit to thicken it enough to do this.

Some raspberries for the finishing touch, and I would say it was a delicious success!

And by what was left I think you might agree.

I’m now a believer that gluten free doesn’t have to be taste free!

Pappardelle with Porcini and Garlic

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:22:09 -0500

This is a delicious quick dish for any night of the week or for guests. I’ve been making it for years. Although the recipe suggests porcini and pappardelle almost any kind of mushrooms and most pastas will do.

You can’t miss with this classic blend of sauteed mushrooms, garlic, parsley, and Parmesan or my favorite Pecorino Romano. Enjoy!

Papardelle with Porcini and Garlic

(adapted from Pasta, Food and Wine Books)

Serves 4

3/4 pound pappardelle pasta

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 pound porcini or other wild mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (I used a combination of shitake and cremini this time)

5 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

3/4 cup chicken stock, or low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pappardelle until just done, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over moderately high heat.

Add half of the mushrooms, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and if you want discard the garlic. I prefer to leave it in.

Repeat with the remaining oil, mushrooms, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Return all the mushrooms to the pan and add the stock, butter and parsley. Simmer over moderate heat for 1 minute.

Drain the pasta. Toss with the mushroom sauce and and the Parmesan or Pecorino. Serve with additional grated cheese and cracked pepper.

Valentine's Day Dinner for my Sweetheart

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:46:00 -0500

This is the dessert that ended our Valentine’s dinner this evening.

Nothing too fancy, just a few of my husband’s favorites…homemade rich chocolatey brownies cut into heart shapes, sharing the plate with pure vanilla ice cream blanketed with fresh ripe macerated strawberries.

Dinner was a mixed green salad, steamed lobster tails with drawn butter, pan seared T-Bone Steak, and baked potatoes all washed down with a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Coconut Cream Pie

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:53:00 -0500

My sister came to visit this past weekend so we could all celebrate her birthday.

Our best friends who have become good friends to her as well joined us for a terrific dinner Saturday evening in DC at a wonderful restaurant called District Commons. Check it out.

Our cocktails, appetizers, entrees, salads, and desserts were all great and it was a really fun evening.

After dinner we cruised our beautiful nation’s capital which is particularly amazing all lit up at night.

We passed by The White House, the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, numerous beautifully designed government buildings and more before heading for home.

Having lived here for the past 25 years with these treasures practically in our backyard, and knowing that by this summer they will be almost an entire country away, my appreciation of them and all they represent has grown even deeper.

We plan to go into DC more often over the next four months to savor all that is here before moving to the west coast this summer. It is one more thing to add to our growing list of things/people that will be hard to leave.

After our scenic tour we all came back to our house for coffee and yes, a second dessert. I had made a Coconut Cream Pie for the birthday girl knowing this is one of her favorite desserts.

I have always adhered to the belief that it is not a birthday unless there is a birthday cake, or in this case, pie! That’s just the way it has to be.

After scouring the internet for all forms of coconut cream pie, I landed on this version which comes from a fellow food blogger, and it is amazing. It is Lorie’s Coconut Cream Pie from her blog Mississippi Kitchen. I won’t be looking for another version after having made this one.

Here it is…

Lorie’s Coconut Cream Pie (from Mississippi Kitchen Blog)

Crust:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

1 teaspoon white vinegar

2-3 tablespoons ice cold water

Filling:

1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
1 envelope (about 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 (13.5-ounce) can pure coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 large whole egg
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 (15-ounce) can cream of coconut

2 1/2 cups shredded, flaked coconut, divided

Topping:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening and 1/4 cup cold cubed butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the vinegar and 2 tablespoons water, until mixture forms a ball, adding more water if necessary. Pat into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Roll dough out to fit a 9 1/2-10 inch glass pie plate. Place crust in pie plate and trim and crimp edges. Place the dish on a baking sheet for easier handling. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust well with a fork. Line the inside of the crust with a piece of foil, allowing edges to extend several inches beyond the perimeter. Place 2 cups of dried beans in the crust to weight it down during baking and prevent shrinkage.

(Note : I used parchment paper to line the pan and filled it with uncooked rice instead of beans)

Bake for 15 minutes or until crust is no longer raw on bottom. Remove the foil and beans by carefully lifting the foil out by the overhang. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Place 1/2 cup cold milk in a mixing bowl (preferably with a pouring spout) and sprinkle with the gelatin. Set aside to soften for about 5 minutes.

Bring the remaining milk and coconut milk to nearly a boil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat.

When the gelatin is soft, add the sugar, cornstarch, egg and egg yolks and whisk until very well blended. Gradually whisk about a 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture into the gelatin mixture; repeat this process once or twice using about 3/4 cup of the hot milk mixture. Pour the warmed gelatin mixture into the saucepan with the hot milk and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for about 2 minutes or until mixture is very thick.

Strain the pastry cream through a fine wire strainer into a large clean bowl; whisk in the butter, coconut extract, and cream of coconut until smooth. Stir in 2 cups shredded coconut.

Pour into the cooled the pie shell and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

To make the topping, beat the heavy cream in a large bowl on high speed until foamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat until soft to medium stiff peaks form. Spread over the pie. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Keep refrigerated.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful sister!

Cheesy Mac and Cheese

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 16:41:00 -0500

Every now and then I get an uncontrollable craving for mac and cheese.

Since my husband’s love for cheese is limited to a chunk of Jarlsberg or melted mozzarella on his pizza or Chicken Parm I can’t use him as the excuse for why I would make this large pan of Cheesy Mac and Cheese in the photo above.

Yep, I must admit I made it for me…although I’m always willing to share with anyone who may walk through our door, including repairmen, painters, etc… and countless times I have walked out the door and down the street carrying something hot off the stove to share with our best friends.

They have since moved away (too far a walk now), but for 20 plus years I could always count on them to enjoy a dish I was itching to make that wasn’t on the top of my husband’s list, or if truth be known, not on his list at all.

But you didn’t think that would keep me from making this Cheesy Mac and Cheese, did you? For someone who loves to cook and try new recipes as much as I do, I find I subscribe to that tag line for Clairol…I’m worth it!

This is the second time I’ve posted a recipe for macaroni and cheese. The previous one is a bit different, but I use a variety of pasta shapes and cheeses in both.

In this one I added an over- the- top amount of shredded cheese to the bechamel sauce before adding the pasta to the sauce. It is good enough to eat right there and then, or you can pour it into an augratin dish, cover it with Panko (coarse Japanese bread crumbs), and bake it off in the oven.

Either way…it is one cheesylicious Mac and Cheese!

Cheezy Mac and Cheese

(adapted from Homeroom’s Classic Macaroni and Cheese Recipe)

Ingredients

For the bechamel:
4 cups whole milk (I used 3 cups skim and 1 cup half and half)

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons kosher salt (to taste)

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

To assemble:

Kosher salt

2 pounds assorted pasta (I used penne, cellantani, and gemelli)

8 ounces shredded extra sharp white cheddar cheese

8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

4 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese

4 ounces shredded Asiago cheese

2/3 cup panko (optional)

For the bechamel:

1. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it just comes to a simmer, then turn off the heat and set aside.

2.In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture turns light brown in color, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

3. While whisking constantly, slowly add the hot milk to the flour mixture until evenly combined and smooth. (It will get very thick when you first add the milk, then thin out.)

4. Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and while whisking constantly, cook until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 2 to 3 teaspoons of the salt, taste, and add the remaining salt as desired. Stir in the cayenne and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To Assemble:
1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until it’s almost al dente (just on the edge of being underdone), then drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.

(If you plan to top the mac and cheese with panko and bake it, heat the oven to 400 degrees and arrange a rack in the middle.)

2. Place the reserved saucepan of bechamel over the medium heat and stir in the cheeses just until melted and smooth. Add the pasta and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is heated through and steaming, about 2 to 4 minutes.

Serve immediately, or, if baking, transfer to a large baking dish, sprinkle with the panko, and bake until bubbling and brown on top, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Pan Seared Veal Chops and Rosemary Potatoes

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:13:00 -0500

Lately I find myself looking for all kinds of excuses in the kitchen to use the rosemary that is still thriving in the huge pot it’s been planted in for the past 3 summers.

When the weather turns cold here I take my perennial pots from the patio and move them into our garage for the winter.

In early spring when it appears the days will be increasingly warmer I bring them out and let them adapt to the weather on the side of my house where they are still somewhat protected before returning them to the patio.

I then begin watering them again, and in no time at all they are bursting out of the soil.

I will never tire of that feeling of amazement as I watch this process year after year.

I must admit that some years I’m not even certain I remember what was planted in some of the pots until they begin growing again.

In the case of the rosemary, if the winter is fairly mild which it was the past couple of years, ( and so far this year ), it doesn’t die back and I have been able to harvest it in my garage where it sits beneath a window allowing it some sunlight.

All the other herbs in the garden have long since been plucked and won’t be available til spring again so I do have to buy them fresh in the market whenever I need them.

But my rosemary has been there for me and whatever dishes I impulsively decide to make. Recently these have included the Roasted Tomatoes , a Rosemary Gin Cocktail, and the Rosemary Potatoes pictured above.

The Rosemary Potatoes are a perfect accompaniment to a grilled chop such as the veal chops above.

Rosemary Potatoes (serves 2)
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Kosher salt to taste (but potatoes do like salt, so be somewhat generous)

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss potatoes with the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Place on a rimmed baking sheet covered with parchment paper. (This will help prevent any sticking).

Roast for 25 to 35 minutes, turning once or twice until potatoes are tender, crisp and nicely browned.

Of course garlic is always wonderful with rosemary, but this time I decided to let the rosemary shine on its own!

And they were wonderful along with the chops which I seasoned liberally just with kosher salt and fresh pepper, then pan-seared on top of the stove at a fairly high heat and finished off in a 350 degree oven.