“Preppy Kitchen: Recipes for Seasonal Dishes and Simple Pleasures” by John Kanell. Simon Element. 320 Pages. $32.50.
This brand-new volume gathers recipes from the Preppy Kitchen, the author’s digital cooking site, into a well-organized, beautifully illustrated, and interesting cookbook. Divided into sections celebrating the seasons, it offers many tips on how to prepare and serve inventive recipes. Lots of the entries are familiar to those who love to cook, but here they are distinguished by Kanell’s flair.
The book includes ideas for serving and for making special occasion meals as well as everyday fare. While Kanell is well-known for his luscious desserts, he includes recipes here from “soup to nuts.” Today we focus on winter dishes, since that season is still with us. But the chapters titled Spring, Summer, and Autumn meals are also most welcome.
I usually prepare a cheesy egg strata casserole for Christmas brunch, omitting the sausage so my vegetarian kin can enjoy it. But I don’t think I’ve ever considered fixing a strata as a main dish for supper until I saw Kanell’s Tomato and Sausage Strata. I can’t wait to try this following recipe because it is full of ingredients I love and has the added benefit of needing to be prepared ahead of time. All you really have to serve with it is a tossed green salad, some hot curried fruit, and a rich, chocolaty dessert. What a wonderful menu for an informal winter supper!
Tomato and Sausage Strata
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13-by-9-inch or 3-quart baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, cover the sun-dried tomatoes with the boiling water and set aside to soften.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage with the back of a spoon, until it is just browned, about five minutes. Add the onion and continue cooking for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat. If the sausage is especially greasy, drain off the fat.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat the bread completely. Let stand for five minutes, tossing occasionally to help the bread absorb the liquid evenly.
Drain the sun-dried tomatoes thoroughly and add them to the bread mixture. Add the olives, cooked sausage and onion, and mozzarella. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, gently pressing down with your hands to evenly distribute the mixture. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown and the center is set, about 30 more minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes and top with the fresh basil before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to three days. Makes eight servings.
The next recipe, also in the “Winter” section of the book, is an elegant and easy-to-prepare seafood dish that just begs to be served to a ladies-who-lunch group. While the stars of this dish are the tender shrimp and scallops, it’s the vermouth-laced sauce and the crunchy browned-butter breadcrumbs that make it so yummy. Roasted asparagus, scalloped tomatoes, and small buttery rolls would make delicious accompaniments, followed by a warm fruit cobbler. Kanell suggests that if you can’t find bay scallops, you can quarter larger ones.
Mini Seafood Gratins with Garlic Bread Crumbs
Preheat oven to 375. Place six (8-ounce) oven-safe ramekins or gratin dishes on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
Cut any hard crusts off the sourdough slices. Finely chop the bread with a chef’s knife or pulse in a food processor until coarsely ground. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt three tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat until foaming and starting to brown. Add one tablespoon of the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, about one minute. Add the garlic to the breadcrumbs, plus 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and toss to combine.
In the same skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, three to five minutes. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of garlic and cook for one minute more. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for one minute. Slowly stir in the cream and vermouth, bring to a simmer, and cook for another minute.
Stir in the cheese a few tablespoons at a time until incorporated. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the tarragon, lemon zest, pepper, and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Fold in the shrimp and scallops and turn to coat thoroughly. Divide the seafood mixture among the ramekins and top with the breadcrumbs.
Bake the gratins until the seafood is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. If the breadcrumbs are not browned, broil for one to two minutes. Let cool slightly before serving and garnish with additional tarragon, lemon zest, and pepper, if desired. Makes six servings.
The following dessert recipe combines the sublime creaminess of cheesecake with the zesty tang of oranges and the surprise spice of a gingersnap crust. A plus is that it needs to be prepared ahead of time and garnished only at the last minute. (This recipe would probably be best prepared using the mise en place system.)
Brûléed Blood Orange Cheesecake
For the Crust:
For the Filling:
For the Topping:
For the Crust:
Preheat oven to 350.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the gingersnaps and process until finely ground. Add the sugar and pulse until fully incorporated. Continue pulsing and stream in the melted butter until fully incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press into the bottom and one-inch up the sides of the pan. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until fragrant and dark golden in color. Set aside to cool.
For the Filling:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the cream cheese and beat at medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about one minute. Add the sugar and salt and continue beating until incorporated, another minute or so. Add the sour cream, orange zest, and vanilla, beating just until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated before adding the next. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and Grand Marnier until well incorporated. (Don’t be tempted to mix this ahead of time or skip this step and add the alcohol directly to the batter!) Add this mixture to the batter and beat just until combined. Sprinkle in the flour and beat until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again just until the mixture is fully combined and smooth, barely a minute.
Pour the batter into the cooled crust and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 and continue baking for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until the filling is slightly puffed and the edges are set but the center is still wobbly. Turn the oven off and allow the cake to rest for an additional hour in the oven without opening the door. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Cover with a tea towel or paper towel and chill overnight.
For the Topping:
When ready to serve, place the orange slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with the sugar. Using a kitchen torch, brúlée the tops of the oranges. Let cool for a few minutes.
Run a thin knife around the edge of the springform pan and release the sides. Carefully transfer the cheesecake from the base of the pan to a serving plate. Arrange some of the brúléed orange slices over the chilled cheesecake and serve with any extra slices.
by Karin Glendenning
This brand-new volume gathers recipes from the Preppy Kitchen, the author’s digital cooking site, into a well-organized, beautifully illustrated, and interesting cookbook. Divided into sections celebrating the seasons, it offers many tips on how to prepare and serve inventive recipes. Lots of the entries are familiar to those who love to cook, but here they are distinguished by Kanell’s flair.
The book includes ideas for serving and for making special occasion meals as well as everyday fare. While Kanell is well-known for his luscious desserts, he includes recipes here from “soup to nuts.” Today we focus on winter dishes, since that season is still with us. But the chapters titled Spring, Summer, and Autumn meals are also most welcome.
I usually prepare a cheesy egg strata casserole for Christmas brunch, omitting the sausage so my vegetarian kin can enjoy it. But I don’t think I’ve ever considered fixing a strata as a main dish for supper until I saw Kanell’s Tomato and Sausage Strata. I can’t wait to try this following recipe because it is full of ingredients I love and has the added benefit of needing to be prepared ahead of time. All you really have to serve with it is a tossed green salad, some hot curried fruit, and a rich, chocolaty dessert. What a wonderful menu for an informal winter supper!
Tomato and Sausage Strata
- Unsalted butter or nonstick cooking spray for the pan
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground breakfast sausage
- 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup whipping cream or half and half
- 2 Tsp. kosher salt
- 1 Tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/2 Tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (1-pound) loaf crusty sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 (6-ounce) jar pitted green olives, drained and cut in half
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella, drained
- and cut into 12-inch chunks, or use mozzarella pearls
- Fresh basil, thinly sliced, for serving
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13-by-9-inch or 3-quart baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, cover the sun-dried tomatoes with the boiling water and set aside to soften.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage with the back of a spoon, until it is just browned, about five minutes. Add the onion and continue cooking for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat. If the sausage is especially greasy, drain off the fat.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat the bread completely. Let stand for five minutes, tossing occasionally to help the bread absorb the liquid evenly.
Drain the sun-dried tomatoes thoroughly and add them to the bread mixture. Add the olives, cooked sausage and onion, and mozzarella. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, gently pressing down with your hands to evenly distribute the mixture. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown and the center is set, about 30 more minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes and top with the fresh basil before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to three days. Makes eight servings.
The next recipe, also in the “Winter” section of the book, is an elegant and easy-to-prepare seafood dish that just begs to be served to a ladies-who-lunch group. While the stars of this dish are the tender shrimp and scallops, it’s the vermouth-laced sauce and the crunchy browned-butter breadcrumbs that make it so yummy. Roasted asparagus, scalloped tomatoes, and small buttery rolls would make delicious accompaniments, followed by a warm fruit cobbler. Kanell suggests that if you can’t find bay scallops, you can quarter larger ones.
Mini Seafood Gratins with Garlic Bread Crumbs
- 3 thick slices artisan sourdough bread
- 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp. minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
- 1 1/2 Tsp. kosher salt
- 3 shallots, peeled and minced
- 3 Tbsp. plus 2 teaspoons flour
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 2 Tbsp. minced fresh tarragon, plus more for garnish
- Zest of 1 lemon, plus more for garnish
- 1 Tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
- 1 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 pound bay scallops
Preheat oven to 375. Place six (8-ounce) oven-safe ramekins or gratin dishes on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
Cut any hard crusts off the sourdough slices. Finely chop the bread with a chef’s knife or pulse in a food processor until coarsely ground. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt three tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat until foaming and starting to brown. Add one tablespoon of the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, about one minute. Add the garlic to the breadcrumbs, plus 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and toss to combine.
In the same skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, three to five minutes. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of garlic and cook for one minute more. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for one minute. Slowly stir in the cream and vermouth, bring to a simmer, and cook for another minute.
Stir in the cheese a few tablespoons at a time until incorporated. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the tarragon, lemon zest, pepper, and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Fold in the shrimp and scallops and turn to coat thoroughly. Divide the seafood mixture among the ramekins and top with the breadcrumbs.
Bake the gratins until the seafood is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. If the breadcrumbs are not browned, broil for one to two minutes. Let cool slightly before serving and garnish with additional tarragon, lemon zest, and pepper, if desired. Makes six servings.
The following dessert recipe combines the sublime creaminess of cheesecake with the zesty tang of oranges and the surprise spice of a gingersnap crust. A plus is that it needs to be prepared ahead of time and garnished only at the last minute. (This recipe would probably be best prepared using the mise en place system.)
Brûléed Blood Orange Cheesecake
For the Crust:
- 8 ounces (36) gingersnap cookies
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling:
- 3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 Tsp. kosher salt
- 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 Tsp. orange zest (from about 2 blood oranges)
- 2 Tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
- 3 Tbsp. flour
For the Topping:
- 2 to 3 blood oranges, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
For the Crust:
Preheat oven to 350.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the gingersnaps and process until finely ground. Add the sugar and pulse until fully incorporated. Continue pulsing and stream in the melted butter until fully incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press into the bottom and one-inch up the sides of the pan. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until fragrant and dark golden in color. Set aside to cool.
For the Filling:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the cream cheese and beat at medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about one minute. Add the sugar and salt and continue beating until incorporated, another minute or so. Add the sour cream, orange zest, and vanilla, beating just until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated before adding the next. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and Grand Marnier until well incorporated. (Don’t be tempted to mix this ahead of time or skip this step and add the alcohol directly to the batter!) Add this mixture to the batter and beat just until combined. Sprinkle in the flour and beat until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again just until the mixture is fully combined and smooth, barely a minute.
Pour the batter into the cooled crust and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 and continue baking for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until the filling is slightly puffed and the edges are set but the center is still wobbly. Turn the oven off and allow the cake to rest for an additional hour in the oven without opening the door. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Cover with a tea towel or paper towel and chill overnight.
For the Topping:
When ready to serve, place the orange slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with the sugar. Using a kitchen torch, brúlée the tops of the oranges. Let cool for a few minutes.
Run a thin knife around the edge of the springform pan and release the sides. Carefully transfer the cheesecake from the base of the pan to a serving plate. Arrange some of the brúléed orange slices over the chilled cheesecake and serve with any extra slices.
by Karin Glendenning