Kitty Chat

I have quite a few recipes I have developed over the years for various people, for various reasons. They range from starters through to desserts. Even a drink or two. I find it huge fun to play about in the kitchen, taking a recipe and melding with another, changing it so much it bears only passing resemblance to the original. Or starting from scratch with an array of ingredients and building a dish based around a technique and/or a main ingredient. I tend to do this ‘cuisine-play’ when I have good friends around, then we eat the results! I like having an audience, I guess, so I hadn’t been much in the mood to do any experimenting for the last couple years or so, living toute seule… and on Atkins to boot.

That is… until lately… now I have someone around me who appreciates my culinary efforts, is ‘kindly critical’, AND knows how to match wine to a meal, so I feel much more inspired. So I have been banging out new recipes in my little postage-stamp-sized kitchen. Ah... for a big kitchen where I could really let rip...

In my dream kitchen, I will have either a four-oven Aga or a commercial Viking or Wolf range oven plus a centre island with a proper gas-fired wok burner with seating around the countertop so people can be in the kitchen with me and watch me and we can socialize, drink wine and converse while I cook. I will have a Kitchen Aid area, a marble table for pastry and cool granite countertops. I will have plenty of counter space/preparation area so my friends can pitch in and help, if they like. Plenty of seating so they can just kick back and watch if that is more appealing. I think the kitchen is the Spiritual Centre of the home and I want a big kitchen! Space for a sofa or two, space for dogs and children and lots of big windows bringing in the light. I LOVE cooking for people and talking, laughing, drinking wine or cocktails and all the while discussing things as I cook. I suppose it’s a bit showing off, maybe, but on the other hand, I like showing people how to do what I do as I enjoy sharing my knowledge. Good thing I chose the profession I did, huh? (Well, one of them at least…)

Whenever I make one particular recipe, Maruyama Chicken, I can’t help but chuckle to myself. I made up this recipe in honour of my friend Karen Maruyama when we were both students at SDSU. Kind of like Teriyaki Chicken but better, with lots of garlic and the bite of ginger and chile marinated into it. It’s served with coconut rice. I brought it over to her house for a ‘Japanese Potluck’ I had been invited to. Her aunt, uncle, and some of her cousins were visiting from Japan and this was a welcome dinner in their honour. After a hysterical evening, started by lots of toasts with little cups of sake, and then sitting around laughing and eating, her (male) cousins brought out this t-shirt they wanted to give to me, if I would model it and let them take a group picture. Karen and I looked at each other… the t-shirt was in Japanese. Since her Mom didn’t say anything, we thought, yeah, go on, it’s harmless enough, so I went in the other room and changed into this rather tight t-shirt. “What’s it say?” I asked. “It says ‘Japanese’, as in female Japanese,” one of the cousins replied. So we took lots of pictures with the cousins pointing at my t-shirt and grinning and me in the middle smiling (as you do when you have no idea what is going on.)

It was only later, when we looked at copies of the developed photos that we realised what all the smirking was about on the night. Emblazoned across my pert 36DD chest was the Japanese for Nipponese or Japanese-American street slang ‘Nip on these’. Japanese girls tend to be rather less well endowed (unless surgically enhanced) than most Americans are. (I say Americans because I include women as well as a lot of American men… I think most Japanese women would be proud to sport some of the man boobs I have witnessed on both Florida and California beaches…)

I am sure Karen’s cousins got a lot of mileage out of the photos when they got back to Yokahama…

Still, got a nice t-shirt out of it.

Chicken Maruyama

Marinade

1/4 cup honey
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup Mirin (Japanese Sweet Cooking Wine)
1/4 cup oyster sauce
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
4 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
6 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon ketchup
½ yellow onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or more/less to taste)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

First make the marinade:

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Heat on stove stirring until the brown sugar is dissolved and all the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Allow to come to room temperature. The marinade can be made ahead of time and held under refrigeration for three days. You get best results if you use it right away, though.

Marinade the chicken: If using the boneless breast/thighs cut up, a couple hours marinating will suffice but I leave it overnight. If using the bone-in chicken, I leave it for 24 hours marinating in the fridge, turning it several times. This can be facilitated by bunging the whole thing in either a heavy duty freezer bag and turning it over every few hours or into a large Tupperware container and just giving it a good shake when you remember.

Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade, and either bake in a pre-heated 375°F/180°C oven on a rack over a foil-lined grill pan/baking sheet or on the BBQ, over coals that are grey-ashed over (so medium heat.) You could also use the marinated meat to do kebabs, threading the meat on wire skewers or bamboo sticks. (Soak the bamboo sticks in water for a few hours so they don’t burn from the heat of the BBQ.) The chicken interspaced with red, yellow and green bell peppers, fresh or canned pineapple chunks and ripe cherry tomatoes would be a colourful and flavourful mix.

While the chicken is cooking, reduce down the marinade to about half of the volume or less. It will go very dark, thick and syrupy. At this point you can strain it for a glossy glaze or leave it as is for a chunkier sauce. Pass this around so people can help themselves to more.

Serve with coconut rice and Yum salad, if desired.

I'll post the rice and salad recipes in the next couple days.

This is a recipe that Ruby gave me. It is very, very more-ish. It’s like a cross between a soup and a stew and is vegetarian. I have only altered it slightly to take advantage that the split Moong dhal is sold in 500g packages. This alteration uses half a 500g bag.

250g moong dhal (washed well in a fine sieve until no more colour comes off)

1 teaspoon salt

2 onions, chopped

1 ½ litres water

60 ml oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

4 cloves garlic, chopped

180ml chopped tomatoes (I use tinned)

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons chilli powder (I use ground cayenne)

Place washed dhal, salt, onions and water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent sticking.

Meanwhile, as the dhal cooks, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the cumin, mustard seeds and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly for two minutes or until the garlic turns opaque. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, garam masala and chilli powder/cayenne. Cook for an additional two minutes or so. Add to the moong dhal when it is finished simmering and stir in well. Allow to cook for an additional five minutes.

What a lovely day!

Maestro and Tebee picked up the girls and me at 11.30 on Saturday and we drove on to Quatre Vaux at St Cast-Le-Guido, near FoxyLoxy’s place. We turned up to find most everyone already arrived and the people who had gotten there early had secured an excellent part of the beach, it wasn’t as crowded as thought and they didn’t even need those sun-loungers draped with German flags after all.

Salamander was there with her husband, sister and a friend. Ploppy with her husband and son. Foxy and Al, of course. Fitfeet and his family. JoB was there with her husband. I finally was able to meet MillyMollyMandy and her husband, who graciously cooked all of my chicken satays for me. Jigglypuff and her two sons arrived after doing some last-minute Guerrilla shopping. (You try going into a supermarket near the beach on a nice weekend day and tell me a different term for it!) There were other people but these are the only ones I actually knew or met… and can remember their names! Some people who said they were coming didn’t show up, probably because the weather the day before had been so foul. However, it was a truly glorious day! I have the sunburn to prove it…

I brought a plate of charcuterie, sliced cucumbers and a punnet of cherry tomatoes. I also did two types of chicken satay with a homemade peanut sauce. I used turkey instead of chicken as it was on promo and sliced it in long strips before threading it on wet bamboo skewers. If I had done chicken, I probably would have done chunks instead. I got the recipes from Darina Allens’ excellent cookbook ‘Ballymaloe Cookery Course’. I use it a lot, its chocka with excellent ideas and techniques.

Here are the recipes I used for the two different types of Satay and the Peanut Sauce.

For each marinade:

500g Chicken meat, skinned and boned (but I used turkey breast)

20 or so Bamboo skewers (soaked in water overnight to prevent burning on the BBQ)

Malaysian Chicken Satay Marinade

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

½ teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Juice of one lemon

Indonesian Chicken Satay Marinade

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 shallots or one small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon lemon juice or red wine vinegar

Peanut Sauce

175g peanuts (Darina calls for raw, unsalted Spanish peanuts that you then roast in a dry pan, rubbing the skins off when cool but I think that’s a bit of a fiddle so I just used roast salted peanuts. You could also use ‘Natural’ chunky peanut butter, the kind that is just peanuts and salt. That would give good results as well.)

50g onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves

¼ teaspoon chilli powder

1 rounded teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

Juice of one lemon

50g Demerara sugar

1 tablespoon cornflour mixed into 300 ml water

First mix all the marinade ingredients together. Cut up the chicken into small 2.5cm cubes or long strips. Place in a bowl and season with the marinade. Marinate overnight.

Puree the peanuts in a food processor until they are just slightly gritty. Add the onion, garlic, chilli powder and salt. Whizz together a few minutes.

Heat the peanut oil in a shallow frying pan. Add the peanut mixture and fry over a medium heat until the peanut mixture begins to take on a ‘golden colour’ stirring constantly. Don’t allow it to scorch. Add the tamarind paste, lemon juice and sugar and mix well. Then add the cornflour mixture and simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve hot or cold.

Thread pieces of chicken onto the skewers for ¾ of the length. Cook the chicken for 15-20 under a pre-heated grill or over a barbecue, turning to ensure even cooking. Serve with Peanut Sauce.

After we had eaten, around 4.30 or so, as the huître and moule boats came in; Ploppy’s husband went and bought several dozen oysters, which we all consumed with gusto and a splash of lemon! I LOVE oysters and it’s true, they do have an extreme aphrodisiac effect on me. Erm, well, let me say; in the right company, they have an effect on me. I’ll just slurp them down for now, and save up the effect. Then, when I finally am in the right company, darlin’, watch out!

Ruby at Les Épices has introduced me to Thai curry pastes. I have never used them before, as I have always preferred to grate the fresh ginger, grind the spices after dry-roasting, use fresh garlic, that sort of thing. But its nigh on impossible to get fresh lemongrass here or galangal or even fresh cilantro. So I thought, go on then, let’s give it a go.

Let me tell you, not only is it dead easy, its really very good! I have almost used an entire tub of the Thai Green curry paste and I have only been using it a little over a month. It appeases my need for hot and spicy, that ‘Oh-I-could-do-with-a-Madras-tonight pang I get from time to time.

I use diced turkey thigh a lot or prawns with the green paste. I just tried the Namya the other night, it was enough to blow my head off. Mmmm… Perfect. Check out the directions:
Namya Curry Paste
Cook 200g of fish meat, then pound with 50g of curry paste.
Stir mixed paste in 400ml of coconut milk, keep boiling until boiled.
Seasoning as preferred. Serve with rice vermicelli.

So not what I would call informative, really. Keep boiling until boiled? Who did the translation, Yoda? And I never cook anything then pound it... that I can think of, right off. Isn't that why God created food processers? (I love my Braun Minipimer.) So, for lack of more elucidative directions, what I did was cook the paste in a little olive oil for a few minutes, added the coconut milk and brought to the boil. Then I added chopped raw turkey breast and some cauliflower florets and some fresh haricot vert. Covered and let the whole thing simmer for about 10 minutes. It was lovely with some basmati rice. (Just a bit, mind you. Basmati rice is Atkins friendly as long as you keep to a small portion.)

Yum. I am doing fresh haricot vert, turkey and green chile curry using the paste tonight. With just a dash of fish sauce, some extra chopped ginger and the coconut milk. I will finish it off by mixing in some extra coconut powder to thicken it.

Ooooh. Maybe I will need to make it now. Talking like this has made me hungry!

Gin and Tonic
2 oz Gin
5 oz Tonic Water, the good kind with sugar not aspartame!
Garnish: Lime wedge

Shake both the ingredients in a shaker with ice and dump into a rocks glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

Now doesn't that just look dead refreshing? Ooohhh... yes, please!

Ramos Gin Fizz
Invented in the 1880s by Henry C. Ramos, in his bar at Meyer's Restaurant, this is one of New Orleans' most famous drinks. The secret of its flavor and texture is orange flower water and egg whites. This is my favourite Sunday morning drink. Next to very good, chilled champagne. (Actually, I'll have one then the other... if thats OK with you...)

2 ounces gin
3 drops orange flower water
1 egg whites
1 teaspoon bar sugar
1 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
1 ounce cream
Soda water

Shake very vigorously for at least one minute. Strain into a tall thin glass, or a very large old fashioned glass, and top with some soda water. Stir. Repeat endlessly for me... If it's alright with everyone, I'll just skip breakfast and lunch and have Ramos Gin Fizzes instead... followed by a nice nap, I think.

The Rancho Las Palmas Marriott made such nice Ramos Gin Fizzes and since I lived for awhile at Rancho Las Palmas Country Club (just next door on the 16th fairway), I could just stumble home after a long, leisurely and boozy à volonté Sunday Brunch. Ah, those were the days... sigh.

Isn't it pretty? Oh look, you can see the San Gorgonio mountains in the background... Oh my, I feel a little nostalgic... Now wait a minute, Kitty, July 24th, it will be at least 118°F... cancel the nostalgia, I am happy here in France!!!

Here is my recipe for Sangria. I modified it slightly for last Saturday’s BBQ (Because I was making about 10 litres.) I use this recipe below when I am just making just enough for a party of about eight people, two 10 ounce servings each. (That’s a UK pint of Sangria each, I think that’s plenty!) Serve from a tall, shapely glass pitcher of at least three litres capacity. Try to source organic fruits, if at all possible, or at least wax-free. Make sure you wash the fruits well in hot, soapy water and rinse well with clean water as the rind features in the recipe. Soapy fruit tastes vile. This Sangria isn’t that much of a fiddle to prepare and really does taste so much nicer than bottled Sangria, especially the stuff from Lidl…

3 x 750 ml bottles of a spicy red, such as Chilean Merlot
1 c (250 gm) granulated white sugar
zest of 2 oranges, 2 lemons and 2 limes, removed with a vegetable peeler and cut into thin julienne strips
2 c (450ml) water
1 c (250 gm) Muscovado sugar or to taste
the juice from the fruits above (should be at least 12 oz (350 ml) if not, top up with water or orange juice)
500 ml brandy or cognac
250 ml Cointreau
1 litre fresh orange juice, frozen into ice cubes
1 orange, 1 lemon and 1 lime, all sliced into thin rounds

In a stainless steel saucepan, place the granulated sugar and the zest. Using the back of a metal spoon, crush the zest into the sugar to release the oil from the skin. The sugar will turn colour as this happens. When you think you have managed to release as much oil as can be released, or get bored, add the water and Muscovado sugar and bring to a boil, stirring. Simmer for two minutes and then let cool to room temperature.

Stir in the juice from the fruits and strain the syrup through a fine sieve into a container, pressing the zest well to get all the syrup out. (I sometimes squeeze it with my hands.) The Sangria can be prepared to this point and kept refrigerated for up to three days or so.

When ready to serve, pour half the zest syrup into the serving pitcher with one and a half bottles of red wine, half the brandy and half the Cointreau, stir well, then taste to adjust flavour. If a bit sharp, add some runny honey. Too sweet? Add more Cointreau or orange juice. Then top up with the frozen orange juice cubes. Add in all the sliced fruit and stir gently to mix.

I usually don’t bother trying to serve the fruit with each drink. Besides, it’s nice to nibble on afterwards as you clean up! When that pitcher is finished, make up the next one!
Makes 16 servings of 10 oz (300 ml) each.

My Mum always gave me interesting Birthday presents. I always knew she had put a lot of thought into it, even though, at the time, I didn't always appreciate it.

For instance, for my 'Sweet Sixteen' birthday, she set up a 'Day of Beauty' at the Indian Wells Hotel. I got my very first 'Lymphatic Draining' (fancy name for a massage), my first full-body massage using appropriate scented oils (we call it aromatherapy now), I got a facial, I had my long hair shampooed and conditioned and then sitting wrapped up in a warm, fluffy bathrobe, I had my very first manicure and pedicure. Then we had lunch there as well, sitting among the rather beautiful people in the palm-frond filled conservatory, listening to calming music, and a sparkling fountain bubbling away in a corner as we ate our Crab Louis salads. I felt just like a happy, pampered Princess. Which was, of course, her motivation for doing it.

Another time, when we lived in Covina, she served Artichokes for my Birthday dinner. I think I was about nine or so. They must have come from Castroville, California, the Artichoke Capital of the World. (Did you know Marilyn Monroe was the very first Artichoke Queen at Castroville? No?? How have you lived without this nugget of useless information?) I loved them and am still besotted with artichokes done any style: braised, marinated, steamed, stuffed; they are one of my favourite treats.

For my 15th birthday, my Mother gave me my first cookbook. French Cooking. I read it cover to cover and worked my way through many of the recipes. I still know many by heart, Coq au Vin, Bœuf Bourguignon, French stick, Chocolate Mousse. Mum loved the fact I liked the cookbook so much. It gave me a good grounding in French method. Little did either of us know that I would be living here in France now.

My Mother always called me on my birthday, no matter where I was in the world, always at 5.45 am, her time. "Good morning, Birthday Girl. Guess what I was doing this time (fill in the age blank) years ago?" I don't know Mom, Quilting? Making Strawberry Jam? Watching Jane Wyman in 'Johnny Belinda'? Voting a Democratic ticket? Awaiting news of Sputnik? What Mom? Then she would laugh, "Bringing into the world the most beautiful little girl." Awww…. Bless.

My Mum put so much reflection into my Birthdays because she really, really loved me and I know she would be so proud of me now if she were around to see me today. So this recipe is for you, my dear Mommy, one of the recipes I have made over and over all these many years, one of the recipes from the cookbook you gave me with love, with deliberation and with an eerie precognition.
I love you.

Grand Marnier Chocolate Mousse
Serves 8-10 (Or just four if you want to pig-out)

You need to use the absolute best chocolate for this that you can find. We are talking major high chocolate solids, I use 80% or higher. I would say it needs to be at least 74% cocoa solids, it's worth it. Don't bother otherwise. 'Lion Mark' eggs, such as are found in the UK, are inoculated against salmonella. If you are not sure of your eggs, don't serve this to pregnant women, children or the elderly. Or source pasteurised egg yolk. As for me, I don't worry about it. But just so you know...

A friend of mine has said she doesn't like to use raw eggs and wouldn't make this recipe because of it. Well, just for you Ruby, I will experiment making this where you 'cook' the yolks using the hot chocolate and also use a cooked Italian meringue or meringue powder. I have done it in the past but never wrote it down, but I do know it's possible. But you will have to eat the results… poor you!

250 gm (9 oz) Best quality, high cocoa solids, plain chocolate (That's 2 ½ French tablets)
15 gm (1/2 oz) unsalted (sweet) butter
150 ml (5 oz) water
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) Grand Marnier
4 very large eggs, separated

Ramekins or cocktail glasses

Break up the chocolate into small pieces and put the chocolate, butter and water into a bowl over hot water (Bain Marie.) Stir gently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the Bain Marie and allow to cool. Stir in the Grand Marnier then add the yolks to the mixture, mixing well.

Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks then fold them in. Then using an electric mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon beat the mixture for 5 minutes or until it becomes silky, glossy and thickens. Spoon the mousse into the ramekins or cocktail glasses. Allow to chill 5-6 hours or overnight. Decorate with a dollop of thick, heavy cream and a dusting of grated chocolate.

Variations:
You can do a Mocha mousse by substituting espresso coffee for the water and crème de cocoa or Kahlua for the Grand Marnier. Float a layer of double cream over the top that has been slightly sweetened with either the crème de cocoa or the Kahlua. Dust with cocoa powder. Decorate with chocolate-coated coffee beans, if you can find them.

For a plainer chocolate mousse, use rum or brandy instead of the Grand Marnier. You can also fold in some slightly whipped double cream before you fill the serving dishes to make a Milk Chocolate-type mousse. If you don't mix it in entirely, and use glass-serving dishes, you get an attractive marbled effect. Sometimes I fold in finely chopped toasted pecans and/or chopped plain chocolate as well.

Have fun! For one formal dinner party I did, I filled flat-bottomed ice-cream cones with the brandy mousse which had been lightened with whipped cream and then put a generous dollop of sweetened brandy whipped cream on top. Next I sprinkled the cones with chocolate jimmies (sprinkles) and served them with a cup of coffee. Everyone looked at me with a weird expression, (Can you imagine the little minx would serve ice cream cones at a dinner party… I mean, have you ever?) That is until they tasted the 'ice-cream'. It got rave reviews! And we all had a good laugh... Ah-ha! gotcha!

No... This has nothing to do with how my three children were delivered into the world (after the second one, I requested Velcro or pop-snaps to be put in...) this is the recipe for Caesar Salad.

Caesar Salad originated in good 'ol TJ... or Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico to you not from So Cal. Alessandro Caesar Cardini, the restaurant owner of Caesar's Palace created it on 4 July, 1924 for some Hollywood types down from LA, as legend goes. The original recipe never used anchovies, just 6 drops of Worcestershire sauce, but I like this recipe better. Cardini's daughter still markets the original recipe dressing and that makes an excellent salad, especially with sliced hot grilled chicken scattered on top. But try this version as well.

TJ is dead fun to visit, take the bus down from the border and walk around Avenida Revolución; everything comes off of that, really. Or take the car down in the morning and leave it to get re-upholstered with 'Tijuana Tuck and Roll' while you spend the day shopping like all of the Californians do... the shopping is brilliant and you will never get a better car upholstery job done anywhere on Earth. These guys take real pride in their work, they are all skilled upholstery artisans, and it's very competitive between the different shops.

Try to stop into a tortillerilla and get a half a kilo or so of freshly made corn tortillas, they are excellent still warm spread with sweet butter and sprinkled with sea salt and perhaps a squeeze of lime juice. Oh… and you must try jícama with lime juice and sprinkled with cayenne pepper. Jícama is like water chestnut, well, kind of, it's eaten raw as well, but is big, brown and round, bigger than a grapefruit and is excellent when peeled, cut into julienne and added to a salad. Really fresh tasting, try it, if you can find it.

I love eating the food off the street vendors stalls but you might not. So, besides the hotels and the bigger restaurants on Revolución, there are lots of little restaurants scattered about on the side streets. Let your nose guide you to one. Carne Asada, enchiladas, tamales, soft tacos, 'pulled beef', barbacoa... try something new. But let me tell you, they can keep Menudo, which is a spicy tripe soup, I never touch it unless I have a hangover and am in Mexico, so... actually not that often. Oh and cabrito is kid goat. It's nice barbecued.

Last time I was in TJ, was for a wedding reception shortly before my accident in '93. I haven't been back to Tijuana since, but I would love to go back... and I will, one day. Anyway, before the wedding, I was invited to TJ to this BIG engagement party, right? Maricella, the bride-to-be explained they had this extra-special dish they were serving at the party, nothing like it in America. They had decided to go to this particular restaurant for the party based on their reputation for this dish. Best place in TJ, I was informed, and both Mother-in-laws had amazingly agreed on the same restaurant, so isn't that a sign for a good marriage? OK, whatever you say, Maricella, honey. Well, I have had absolutely incredible meals in Guadalajara at a mucho posh 5-star hotel and I have also stood outside in San Ysidro at a taco stand and had brain, pancreas and only-god-knows-what-else tacos, so, how could this be either better or worse Mexican food wise?

So, starter was a composed salad, very spicy, followed by caldo de res soup... then... here comes the pièce de résistance. And placed in front of me, with a flourish, was a huge plate of....


Pork Scratching covered with Brown Gravy??????


I looked around to see if this was, in fact, a joke. But no, everyone was tucking in, making appropriate Spanish yum-yum noises and saying how good it was. Maricella looked over to see how I was enjoying it (as I was the only Anglo) and I gave her a smile and the thumbs up and tucked in as well. Then quickly decided Brain Tacos actually had more than a slight edge over this...

I politely declined seconds....

Caesar Salad
Serves 6

1 large head Romaine/Cos lettuce, trimmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup [75 g] freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese (I use Parmigiano Reggiano when possible)
1/2 baguette cut into 1/2" cubes (about 3 cups)
2 Tablespoons [30 ml] olive oil
Dressing:
2oz [50g] tin anchovies, drained and mashed up with a fork
2 large garlic cloves, chopped then smushed with the side of a knife to make a paste
2 egg yolks (you can coddle the eggs, if you wish)
2 Tablespoons [30 ml] fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon Colman's English Mustard powder
2 Tablespoons [30 ml] Hellmann's/ Best Foods mayonnaise
½ - 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ - 1 Tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1/3 cup [75 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons [30 ml] water

Wash the lettuce leaves, shake-dry thoroughly (I use a salad spinner) lightly wrap in a tea towel and chill in the fridge as you make the croutons and dressing.

Make the croutons: Preheat oven to 350F/180C. In a large bowl toss the bread cubes sprinkled with the oil and salt to taste and spread on a jelly-roll pan/rimmed baking sheet. Bake croutons in the middle of the oven until golden, about 10-15 minutes. If lighting the oven depresses you, as it is the height of summer, you can also make the croutons in a wide frying pan. Use a bit of butter with the oil to aid the browning and stir about until they are the appropriate colour. Cooking should be fun and easy, I say.

Make dressing: Either in a blender, with a handheld stick blender (or if you are a glutton for bicep's punishment - a whisk,) whiz/blend together anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, mustard powder, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and salt until smooth. Then with blender on low speed or pulsing with the stick blender, slowly add the oil in a steady stream until emulsified. If using the whisk, beat like hell after each addition of oil. Add water and blend well. Taste and adjust seasoning. This dressing should be very highly flavoured.

(I use a liquid lecithin gel-cap, pricked and squeezed into any oil-based dressing I make, even vinaigrette, and it always stays emulsified and never breaks... this is a top tip! Saves on the biceps as well…)

You can either tear apart the lettuce into bite-sized pieces or leave whole. In a large salad bowl, toss together lettuce with one heaping Tablespoon of dressing per person, half the Parmesan, croutons and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over each serving. Pass around the extra dressing for people to add individually if they wish. Any remaining dressing will keep in the fridge, covered, for several days.

Originally from Gourmet Magazine, possibly sometime in 1994, I think... with some variations added over the ensuing years.

Think I had better stick with my safe, uncontroversial subjects for a few more days...

So.... how about another recipe?

Blue-Cheese Crusted Steaks with Red Wine Sauce
Serves 4

This recipe is from the Redstone American Grill in Minnetonka, Minnesota. It was in Bon Appétit Magazine, November 2003. 'Panko' is Japanese-style breadcrumbs, I found it in an Oriental Food shop in Liverpool but if you can't find it, you can substitute fresh breadcrumbs, I have given a 'how-to' at the bottom. This is wicked easy and, as I've been told by dinner guests, dead impressive. You can even make the sauce and the cheese-breadcrumb mix the day before, keep it refrigerated and then just reheat as you sauté/grill the steaks, the finish takes less than 15 minutes so you can have this on the table before the wine has even had a chance to breathe! I have also converted this recipe to metric; it's the second measurement in [these parentheses], only use either one or the other, never mix US and metric measurements... It's a Law of the Universe!

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick US) or [1/4 stick UK] chilled butter
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon [15 ml spoon] chopped fresh thyme (please don't use dried, it's vile in this...)
3/4 cup [200 ml] low salt beef broth or make up equivalent amount with a stock cube or Touch of Taste liquid bouillon concentrate.
1/2 cup [125 ml] dry red wine
1/2 cup [125 ml] coarsely crumbled blue cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup [50 gm] panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) These are available at Asian markets and in the Asian section of some supermarkets. Or de-stress and use my substitution.
1 tablespoon [15 ml spoon] chopped fresh parsley
4 (1-inch-thick, weighing 6 to 8 ounces each, filet mignon steaks) [2-3cm thick, 200 to 300 gm each Filet steaks]

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, shallot, and thyme. Sauté until shallot is tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth and wine. Boil until sauce is reduced to about 1/2 cup [125 ml], about 12 minutes. Set sauce aside. (If you use Touch of Taste concentrate, you can omit the water and cut down on the tedious boiling time. The wine's alcohol will boil off when you deglaze the pan at the end.)

Blend cheese, panko, and parsley in small bowl to coat cheese evenly with panko. (Sauce and cheese mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.)

Preheat broiler/grill. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Add steaks to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to rimmed baking sheet/grill pan; reserve skillet. Press cheese mixture onto top of steaks, dividing equally. Broil/grill until cheese browns, about 2 minutes. Transfer steaks to plates.

Pour sauce into reserved skillet and any juice from the pan you grilled the steaks on. Bring to boil, scraping up the browned bits. Boil 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce around steaks and serve straight away.

Panko Substitution: It is hard to come up with the spiky white and light texture of panko, but a very usable replacement is fresh baguette-style bread, cut off the crusts, cut in slices, leave out overnight to dry out then either grate with a large hole cheese grater, blitz in a food processor or put in a paper bag and whack heck out of it with a rolling pin. Good stress reliever... Heh, you make too much, you can always freeze it. So something to do with all those stale baguettes!

So the dinner menu could be as follows: small helping of homemade Caesar salad to start; then, to compliment the steaks perfectly, serve them with buttered haricot vert and jacket potato filled with sour cream/Crème Fraîche (a grind of fresh black pepper dusted across the top.) Finish with a Grand Marnier Chocolate mousse and a tiny tasse of espresso or fresh fruit compote and Essensia or other dessert wine.

You want the recipe for the Caesar salad and the Chocolate Grand Marnier mousse as well? OK... those will be some of my next Blogs!

I first tasted Moussaka in Athens when I was there on holiday back in '82 or '83. It was light, not greasy and with the very first bite caused an eruption of flavours to burst forth in my mouth. I was hooked. I spent the rest of the two week holiday, on the island of Skiathos, trying Moussaka at every opportunity. Since then, I have had fabulous renditions and dire attempts. I also make it myself, and thats my favourite. Still, I would love to go back to that tiny Taverna in Athens and eat that Moussaka again, my legs sunburned from the beach, the glasses of Retsina to compliment the dish, watching the old ladies dressed in black sitting in their whitewashed doorways with their cats, in their minds preparing meals for their menfolk who left to go to war and never returned... as they have sat as such for millennia.

This isn't too difficult to prepare, just needs a lot of preparation so allow at least an hour just for that. You put together five parts, similar to my lasagne: fried egglant slices, a white sauce, a meaty red sauce, fresh breadcrumbs and cheese

The Eggplant part
Wash 3 Medium eggplants, slice 2/3"/4cm thick, salt and let drain for 1/2 hour while you prepare the white sauce and start the red sauce. Then dry eggplant and shake in a bag with flour and a good grind of black pepper. Brown in a bit of hot olive oil. Be careful with the amount of oil, and use only enough to brown a few slices at a time. The eggplant is like a gready sponge and will absorb an amazing amount of oil if you let it, and greasy Moussaka is gross. Drain the eggplant and reserve

The White Sauce part
In a saucepan over medium heat mix together:
6 Tbl Butter
6 Tbl flour
Whisk for a couple minutes until well blended, add:
3 cups milk
Gently bring to a boil, stirring, and simmer couple minutes. Whisk a cup or so of this mixture into:
3 eggs, well beaten. Whisk the egg mixture back into the white sauce and bring up to a very gentle simmer, whisking just until thick. Do not boil, or sauce will scramble.
Add:
Good grating of nutmeg
dash Tabasco Sauce
Let White Sauce cool. It should be quite thick. Note that the white sauce can be prepared a day ahead of time and refrigerated.

The Red Sauce part
Brown well together in heavy frying pan:
2 Tbl olive oil
500gm ground lamb.
Drain grease. Add:
large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Saute around until the onion is limp. Add:
250ml can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp cinnamon
tsp dried leaf oregano
Tbl chpped parsley
Tbl chopped mint
bit of salt and pepper
Simmer gently until quite thick. The red sauce can be prepared well ahead of time, and keeps well refrigerated or you can freeze it.

Breadcrumbs and Cheese part.
You will also need 250gm dry bread crumbs. Make fresh by blitzing in a food processor then spread out on a baking tray and leave in a slow oven, stirring occasionally.
Also 500gm grated Mozzarella cheese and 150gm or so of grated Parmesan or romano cheese.

To assemble the Moussaka
You need a either good sized casserole with a cover or a lasagne dish you can cover with aluminium foil. Put about 1/3 of the eggplant on the bottom in a solid layer. Trim eggplant to fit. Spread 1/2 of the red sauce on top. Spread 1/3 of white sauce over red. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese, 1/3 of the crumbs. Repeat this set of layers. Then put in a layer of the rest of the eggplant, the rest of the white sauce and cover with the rest of the crumbs. Garnish top with a sprinkle of ground red chile or paprika and an small handful of chopped parsley. Cover, and bake at 350°F/160°C for an hour, uncover and bake until browned on top and bubbly. Serve with a green salad, good bread and a bottle of light red wine. Greek Retsina wine is quite wonderful with this.