“Sweet Enough” by Alison Roman. Clarkson Potter Publishers. 303 pages. $35.00.
I am always looking for new dessert recipes because I love to cook them for my children and grandchildren, and they always appreciate my efforts. This new book by bestselling cookbook author Alison Roman is full of delicious ideas that she has developed for easy to prepare treats. The book also has a few savory entries and, while they are inventive and worth trying, I’ve chosen sweet ones for this column.

“Sweet Enough” concentrates on recipes that are “casual, effortless and chic.” They make use of the pans you already have on hand and ingredients that are easily available. Roman’s entries range from how to make sumptuous pies, cakes, and puddings, to tips for frozen desserts and jams, and they star caramel, chocolate, and especially fresh fruits. Lovely photographs accompany most recipes and will tempt you to serve them at your next dinner party or take to special friends.

The book begins with a section on pies, tarts, and galettes, so the first recipe I’ve chosen for you today is for a luscious-looking rich chocolate tart. It even has a chocolate crust, designed to gild the lily for all chocoholics. Plus, it can be made three days ahead and refrigerated.

Perfectly Tangy Chocolate Tart

For the crust:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 Tsp. kosher salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 4 ounces milk chocolate
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 cup sour cream
• Flaky sea salt

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and kosher salt. Drizzle in the melted butter and mix until well combined. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch pie plate or springform pan, using a measuring sup or your hands to flatten it and make sure it’s all packed an even.

Bake until it’s completely baked through and gone from dark brown and shiny to a lighter dark brown and matte, 15-20 minutes. The center should be firm and opaque. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Make the filling: In a heatproof medium bowl, combine the dark and milk chocolates and kosher salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream and honey over medium heat. Once it starts to simmer, remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute or two to melt the chocolate, then, using a spatula, mix until well blended and no pieces of chocolate remain.

Stir in the sour cream and mix until it looks thick, glossy, and emulsified. Immediately pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle with flaky salt and refrigerate. Let chill at least 1 hour before slicing. Makes one 9-inch tart.


The next recipe is for a galette, a simple desert but one that looks spectacular. This one calls for peaches, but there are more that star other fruits.

Peaches and Cream Galette
This galette calls for a piecrust, preferably homemade, so I’ve included the author’s recipe for one. She claims it’s a never fail! It is a little different than the one I have used for years, and her explanation of why it works is compelling enough that I will try it soon.

For the Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 Tsp. sugar
• 1 Tsp. kosher salt
• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into
• 1-inch pieces, chilled
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup ice cold water

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and toss to coat it in the flour mixture. Using your hands, smash the butter between your palms and fingertips, mixing it into the flour, creating long, thin, flaky, floury, buttery bits. Once most of the butter is incorporated and there are no large chunks remaining, dump the flour mixture onto a work surface.

In a measuring cup, combine the vinegar and ice water and drizzle it over the flour/butter mixture. Run your fingers through the mixture like your running your fingers through your hair, just to evenly distribute the water through the flour until the dough starts coming together.

Knead the dough a few more times, just to gather up any dry bits from the bottom and place them on the top to be incorporated. You will be tempted to add a tablespoon or two more water now - resist if you can, add only if you must.

Once you’ve got a shaggy mass of dough, knead it once or twice more and divide it in half. Pat each piece into a flat disc about one inch thick. Wrap each disc individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours. Since this recipe calls for only one disc of dough, the other one may be wrapped thoroughly and frozen for a later galette.

For the Galette:

• 2 pounds peaches, nectarines, or
• apricots, unpeeled, cut into slices
• about 1-inch thick.
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice
• 5-6 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tsp. dried chamomile, or 1 Tbsp.
• fresh, optional

Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a 13-14-inch round and transfer to the lined baking sheet.

Arrange the peach slices in the center of the dough, letting the slices pile on top of each other, leaving a 2-inch border of dough all around. Gently toss the peaches with lemon juice and two tablespoons of the sugar.
Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the peaches, letting it pool and gather in the nooks and crannies. Fold the crust over the peaches by about two inches, crimping/overlapping the dough at 1- or 2-inch intervals to create a good seal for all the juiciness to come.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg with one teaspoon or so of water and use that to brush onto the crust. Sprinkle the whole galette with three or four tablespoons more sugar for juicier fruit and an extra crunchy/craggy/golden crust.
​
Bake, rotating the baking sheet front to back once, until the crust is deeply golden brown and baked through, the peaches are juicy, tender, and bubbling, 50-55 minutes. While still warm, sprinkle with chamomile, if using. Let cool completely before slicing and serving with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes one 10-inch galette.

As any Southerner already knows, it isn’t Easter dinner down South if it doesn’t begin with deviled eggs. 
Sure, they’re served around the globe, but as a Southerner born and bred, they hold a special place in my heart. Come Easter Sunday, there was always a place for them next to the ham and potato salad on my mother’s Easter buffet. Now, I continue that tradition myself. And while they may come in and out of “fashion,” they’ve never lost their front and center place on Easter tables across the country.

No matter how sophisticated your crowd claims to be, their posturing will go out the window the minute they see the egg plate. And if the deviled eggs are well made, the rest of the meal can be lackluster, and no one will care. Thank goodness.

Think of the recipe that follows as a base from which to evolve. No two cooks have ever made deviled eggs in exactly the same way, so don’t let yourself get too obsessed with reproducing your mother’s formula. Feel free to let evolution take its natural course: If you find you prefer a softer filling, add more mayonnaise or a splash of cream; if you like it to have more bite, up the mustard to Dijon, add some horseradish or cayenne, or use Wickles pickle relish - my favorite because it seems to add just the perfect bite to the yolk mixture. They’re also lovely with a teaspoon or two of curry powder mixed into them.

If you want to gussy them up, top them with sliced pimiento-stuffed olives, capers, slivers of country ham, lox or even fresh radish, or small cooked shrimp, caviar, or salmon roe. Or fold a quarter-cup of finely chopped ham, smoked salmon, sweet or dill pickles, or chopped olives into the filling - or whatever else (within reason) your imagination fancies.

But remember: They’re still just deviled eggs, not a canvas for your culinary ego or an advertisement of your so-called sophistication. Take the less-is-more approach. Simpler is easier and always seems to please the crowd the most.

And remember, peeling fresh eggs is almost impossible. Nine times out of 10, you’ll end up with divots all over your beautiful egg whites. You want your eggs to be at least two weeks old - preferably three or four. They’ll still be good as long as you’ve kept them refrigerated.


Classic Deviled Eggs

• 1 dozen large eggs
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise, preferably 
• homemade
• 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard (your choice)
• Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1-2 Tbsp. Wickles pickles relish (or 
• your favorite sweet relish)
• Paprika or curry powder

Using a clean pushpin or needle, gently prick each egg at the large end to help prevent the shell from cracking as its contents warms. Put them in a heavy-bottomed pan that will hold them in one layer and add enough cold water to cover them by one inch. Bring the water to a full boil over medium-high heat.

Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and remove it from the heat. Let it stand 10 minutes, drain and rinse the eggs under cold running water. Lightly tap the eggs on all sides to crack the shells, cover with cold water, and let stand for another minute or two before peeling them. Begin at the large end, where there’s usually an air pocket that will help you get the shell loose.

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop the yolks into a mixing bowl. Set the whites, cut side up, on a deviled egg plate or platter. Roughly mash the yolks with a fork to the texture of coarse meal, then blend in the mayonnaise and mustard. Season to taste with salt and cayenne and beat until smooth. (You may do this step in the food processor; put the yolks in the work bowl that has been fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until they’re the texture of coarse meal, then add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt and cayenne and process until smooth.) If you’re adding other things, fold them in now.

Spoon or pipe the filling (using a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip) into the egg whites, mounding it up a little.  Lightly dust the top with paprika or curry powder. They can be made several hours ahead; cover with something that will not touch the tops of the eggs and refrigerate until you are ready to serve them.

“Home Is Where the Eggs Are: Farmhouse Food for the People You Love” by Molly Yeh. William Morrow. 338 pages, $32.50.
When my grandchildren were still toddlers, I admit I often fed them hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and peanut butter sandwiches. But now that they have developed more mature pallets, I’m hoping to try out more exotic foods, sort of. I know that they still will always eat most any fruit, muffins, and spaghetti, but I’m frequently on the lookout for things they may not have yet tried that they might like. Enter this new cookbook by Molly Yeh, with its just perfect name.
The star of the Food Network show “Girl Meets Farm” and recipient of several awards for her cooking, Molly put this book together after she and her husband, Nick, had their first child. It reflects her ah-ha moment that “feeding a family is different.” She has embraced that idea that food has become “about building family traditions and memories, celebrating the everyday.”
This cookbook gathers recipes that Molly developed for feeding her husband and daughter, Bernadette, as well as some fancier fare for her job. I am definitely going to try lots of them out on my grandchildren, especially the one for Baked Egg Rolls, made by filling flour tortillas with meat and veggies and baking until golden brown since they are partial to finger-foods.
The first recipe included here is for scrambled eggs, enhanced by the addition of cream cheese and everything bagel topping. (Molly’s recipe for this popular mix is to combine equal parts of dried minced onion, dried minced garlic, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, kosher salt to taste, and caraway seeds, if you like them.)  I know my grandchildren like scrambled eggs, and these are especially tasty; they are not difficult to prepare, nor what they might call “weird,” their immediate reaction to new foods. (I will probably not douse them with the everything bagel seasoning, the scallion, or the dill.)


Cream Cheese Scrambled Eggs

• About 1/2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 large egg, beaten very well with a
• splash of water
• 2 Tbsp. cream cheese, cubed
• Lots of everything bagel topping
• Flaky salt or kosher salt, if your
• everything bagel topping doesn’t
• provide enough
• 1 scallion, green part only, thinly
• sliced on a very steep bias
• 1 dill spring chopped or torn
• Ketchup, optional
  

Heat a nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. When it’s good and hot, add the butter, swirl it around, and immediately pour in the egg.
Quickly scatter on the cream cheese. When the bottom of the egg is set, use a spatula to pull one side of the egg in toward the other side, bunching up the bottom set part and letting the uncooked egg pool in the exposed part of the pan. Promptly push the opposite side of the egg back to the side where you started. Gently pull it around a couple more times until is just set and slide onto a plate. Sprinkle liberally with everything bagel seasoning and salt, if desired, and finish with the scallion and dill. Serve with ketchup, if desired, and toast. Makes one small serving. Double if you’re hungry.


The next recipe is for a French bread pizza that is topped with a creamy, lemony Caesar salad just before serving. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, as the salad give the cheesy pizza a delicious crunch.

Caesar Salad French Bread Pizza

• 1 loaf French bread
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• Pinch oregano
• Grilled chicken, optional
• 9 ounces romaine, chopped
• Caesar dressing, see below
• Crushed red pepper
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Grated Parmesan

Caesar Dressing

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 shakes of Worcestershire sauce
• Zest and juice of half a lemon
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or grated
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 Tsp. kosher salt
  

Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth. Store in fridge until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 425.
Slice French bread in half lengthwise, but leave it connected on one side and place cut side up on a sheet pan. Brush inside of bread with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic, spread with pizza sauce, and cover with mozzarella. Sprinkle with oregano and chicken, if using, and bake until the cheese is melted and the edges are toasty, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the romaine with Caesar dressing.
Cut the pizza into four big slices crosswise, then top with salad and sprinkle with crushed red pepper, black pepper, and Parmesan.  Fold over into a sandwich. Makes four servings.


Here is the recipe for the Baked Egg Rolls. I will serve them with some red sweet and sour sauce, which is tempting to my grandchildren.

Baked Egg Rolls

• 1 Tbsp. neutral oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
• 10-ounce bag coleslaw mix
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 6-inch flour tortillas
• Rice vinegar, for serving

Preheat oven to 425. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Heat large skillet over medium heat and add oil. Add onion, celery, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned. Turn off the heat and stir in the coleslaw mix, stirring for a minute or two so that the cabbage wilts slightly. Add the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and loads of black pepper and mix to combine.
Scoop 1/2 cup of the mixture in a line across the equator of a tortilla, roll it up, and place it seam side down on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling, spacing them out evenly on the sheet pan. Brush the top with a thick layer of oil and bake until lightly golden; begin checking for doneness at 14 minutes. Let cool slightly and cut in half on the diagonal.
Serve with a dipping sauce of one part vinegar and one part soy sauce.
Makes 12 egg rolls.

The blustery days of March are upon us, and the weather can play tricks on our souls. One day it may be sunny and warm, and the next can be cold and snowy. Remember 1993? The first week of March was sparkling and warm. The next? The blizzard of the century hit, and the mountains and valley were covered with feet of snow. No matter how whimsical the weather, March is always a good time for stew, the kind that takes hours and fills the house with delicious, tempting smells.

There’s nothing quite as comforting as coming in from the cold and warming yourself with a steamy bowl of hearty beef stew. Its rich gravy and tender veggies are second only to mouthwatering chunks of beef that have been simmering for hours, marrying the marvel of flavors and textures.

Stews are one of those dishes that never create a whirlwind of excitement; there’s really nothing glamorous about them. Nonetheless, they continue to be one of winter’s most popular meals because there’s nothing that satisfies quite as much.

And when the family gathers on a chilly night, stew is an ideal meal. There’s no last-minute prep, and one recipe feeds the crowd.

They come in various concoctions. Not all contain beef. Some are made with chicken. Others have more of an African angle, adding okra and even peanuts to the mix. But tradition rules in most households, including mine.

I make beef stew as soon as the thermometer plunges, using a recipe that’s a little different. Rather than simmering the stew in a Dutch oven on the stovetop, my recipe calls for putting it in the oven on a low temperature, then baking it for hours. Tapioca, added as a thickener, results in a delicious gravy. A cup of red wine boosts the flavor.

Add whatever vegetables you like. My kids didn’t like cooked carrots, so when they were young, I’d double up on the onions and potatoes. Now I sometimes add sweet potatoes for color and extra vitamins.

I found the recipe years ago in “The Original Tennessee Homecoming Cookbook,” which came out in 1985 when then-Gov. Lamar Alexander launched a statewide campaign to celebrate the state’s history, including our culinary history. The cookbook is filled with recipes from cooks across the state, such as Lorraine Whitler of Nashville, who contributed her Five-Hour Beef Stew to the mix. Like many recipes that cooks have had for years, I have tweaked this one with the addition of red wine. If you don’t have any on hand, try adding some beer or cola for a different flavor. I’ve also made it with leftover lamb and, if I have any, lamb gravy. It’s surprising how forgiving beef stew can be.

Five-Hour Beef Stew

• 1 1/2 pounds chuck roast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup celery, chunked
• 4 carrots, chunked
• 2-3 medium potatoes, chunked
• 1 onion, sliced or large dice
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1 large can tomatoes
• 1 cup red wine, optional
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 4-5 Tbsp. minute tapioca
• 2-3 generous splashes of
• Worcestershire sauce

Do not brown the meat. Combine all ingredients in a large baking dish with a tight-fitting lid or cover securely with foil. Bake in a 250-degree oven for 5-6 hours. Do not hurry this stew. The slow oven is the key to success.
​
Contact Anne Braly at [email protected] or annebraly.com

“Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook.” By Dorie Greenspan. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 357 pages. $35.
This book is not Greenspan’s latest, but it is one of her best, in my opinion. It presents dishes that are not too complicated with ingredients that are easily available. The author says that the recipes are for “the food I make all the time,” and I think you will want to add them to your repertoire.

I was inspired to pore over this book, published a few years back, after reading Louise Penny’s monthly newsletter where she talked about some of her upcoming book talks in Canada, and how she was looking forward to visiting with Dorie Greenspan and her husband Michael in Paris. (You can check it out and subscribe at [email protected].) It reminded me that lots of Greenspan’s menu items are especially appropriate for spring.

Greenspan writes that she likes to “sneak in a little surprise” in her cooking. Thus, she might add some walnuts and oats to her meatballs, or cranberries to her beef stew. She says these additions are often prompted by the fact that she has a leftover in her fridge that is just begging to be used.

“These recipes, most of which are simple, turn out food that’s comforting, satisfying, inviting and so often surprising. I love when there’s something unexpected in a dish, especially when it’s in a dish we think we know well.”

The first recipe included here today is for a salad that delights in both its appearance and its taste. Who doesn’t love fresh berries, tangy grapefruit, and smooth avocado?

Spring Avocado and Berry Salad

• 1 Ruby Red grapefruit
• 2 or 3 limes
• Tiny pinch of sugar
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 large or 9 medium strawberries, hulled
• 2 large ripe but firm avocados
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced or sliced
• About 1/2 Tsp. pink peppercorns
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• A few fresh basil leaves, torn

Section the grapefruit, squeeze the juice left in the membranes into a small bowl, and reserve. Squeeze 2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 large lime or 2 smaller ones). Put 1 ½ tablespoons of the grapefruit juice and the lime juice in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add the sugar, a big pinch of salt, some black pepper, and the oil and shake vigorously to blend. Taste to see if you want to adjust the seasonings and set aside.

Slice the strawberries. You can make the salad ahead up to this point a few hours ahead, refrigerate the grapefruit and berries, and keep the vinaigrette at room temperature.

When you’re ready to serve, cut the remaining lime in half. Working with one avocado at a time, slice each one in half from top to bottom, remove the pit and cut each half into long, slender slices - you’ll get 6 to 8 slices from each half. Lay the slices out on a platter and immediately sprinkle them with lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter over the grapefruit and strawberries, followed by the jalapeno, pink peppercorns - pinch them between your fingertips to crack them - a few grinds of black pepper, and another squeeze or two of lime juice. Shake the vinaigrette to blend again and drizzle it over the salad; you may not need it all.  Finish with cilantro, basil, and a sprinkle of salt. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

All the rage these days, the next recipe is a one-pan version that will come together quickly and leave you time to set the table, whip up a side dish, and even relax for a minute before you eat. You can substitute chicken breasts for the whole chicken legs.

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Potatoes and Mushrooms

• 1 1/2 pounds small potatoes, scrubbed and halved if large
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and cut in half if large
• 1 large shallot or medium onion, cut into 8 wedges rinsed and patted dry
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 8 springs fresh rosemary
• 8 springs fresh thyme
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 4 whole skin-on chicken legs, patted dry

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees. Rub a baking sheet with a little oil or line it with foil and oil the foil.

Put the potatoes, mushrooms, shallot or onion, and garlic in a large bowl. Toss in four springs each of the rosemary and thyme, one teaspoon salt, a few grindings of pepper, three tablespoons of the oil, and three tablespoons of the balsamic. Mix everything well and spread the ingredients out on the baking sheet.

Put the chicken in the bowl, along with the remaining oil, balsamic, half teaspoon salt, and a good amount of pepper, and mix well to coat the chicken. Tuck the remaining herbs under each piece.    

Roast the chicken for 40 minutes to one hour, until a thermometer stuck into the thickest part of a thigh measures 165 degrees.

Serve everything on the baking sheet or a big platter; pour over the cooking juices. Makes four servings.

The last recipe is for a side that combines Brussels sprouts with sweet maple syrup and savory mustard. The crunchy bacon that’s tossed in at the last moment makes the dish even more memorable.

Maple Syrup and Mustard Brussels Sprouts

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, regular or mini, trimmed and, if large, cut in half from top to bottom
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves, germ removed, cut into slivers
• 1 shallot, cut into slivers, rinsed, and patted dry
• 6 strips thick-cut bacon
• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard (grainy, smooth, or a mix, preferably French) or more to taste
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Cider vinegar (optional)

Set up a steamer. Season the Brussels sprouts with salt and pepper and toss them with the garlic and shallot. Steam the sprouts until the tip of a small knife can easily poke into but not completely pierce them, eight to 10 minutes. Remove the sprouts from the steamer and set them aside. If you are doing this ahead of time, dunk them in ice water or run cold water over them to stop the cooking then pat them dry. You can cook them one day ahead and store in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature or warm them by cooking gently before proceeding.    

While the sprouts are steaming, cook the bacon in a large saucepan or high-sided skillet until crisp. Drain it on paper towels, then coarsely chop into bite-sized pieces Set the pan aside.
Mix the maple syrup and mustard together.

Pour off all but about one tablespoon of the bacon fat from the skillet and add the olive oil to the pan. Turn the heat to high, and when the oil is shimmering, add the Brussels sprouts. Cook, turning a few times, until the sprouts are charred here and there and crisp-tender. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the maple-mustard mixture. Cook, stirring, until the sprouts are uniformly glazed. Stir in the bacon, season with salt and pepper, then taste and add more syrup and/or mustard, if needed. If you’d like a touch of acidity, add a splash of vinegar.

Serve immediately. Makes four servings.

by Karin Glendenning

“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

• 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:

1. 3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1/4 Tsp. kosher salt
4. 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
5. 2 Tsp. orange zest (from about 2 blood oranges)
6. 2 Tsp. vanilla extract
7. 2 large eggs, room temperature
8. 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
9. 2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
10. 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

The weatherman’s early prediction for this winter calls for much of the same we’ve experienced in winters past: a few snow showers, some rain and sunshine. Now that was a difficult prediction, right? One thing for certain though, temperatures have dipped enough that we yearn for a good roaring fire and an easy filling meal.

It’s the kind of weather that’s perfect for chicken soup, and hardly a week passes by this time of year without a pot of broth simmering on the back of my stove, filling the house with its warming, appetite-stirring fragrance. That doesn’t mean that our diet has been monotonous. Far from it, in fact. No two pots of soup are ever the same.

One of the best things about a good homemade broth - and I always have a bag or two in the freezer from a chicken I’ve cooked - is that it welcomes all kinds of additions. Sometimes the broth alone is allowed to star; other times, it slips into the background. It can be meaty with lots of chicken or thick with vegetables. It’s a lovely host for all kinds of pasta, from slim little egg noodles, to small soup shapes such as ditalini, orzo and stellini - those fun little star-shaped pastas. Or broth can take on a more hefty texture with stuffed dumplings like anolini, tortellini or wontons.

Earlier this winter, while I was stuck at home with my first case of COVID-19, the broth I’d taken from the freezer and thawed was just right for a nice, thick minestrone-style vegetable soup. It’s a soup I’ve made often and change each time, and on this occasion, I added some herbs I had in my kitchen window.

I always add several slices of gingerroot to the pot when I’m making chicken broth. If you’re not using a homemade broth, or don’t happen to use ginger as a rule, try grating a little fresh gingerroot into this soup for a nice sunny lift. Clove is a spice that’s often neglected after the holiday season and is another nice addition to a chicken-broth-based soup.

Feel free to add other vegetables as you have them and your mood dictates. A little parsnip, a cup of diced or shredded cabbage, a cup of diced zucchini, and a cup of cooked cannellini or other white beans would all be nice additions. If you just can’t imagine vegetable soup without tomatoes, add a can of tomatoes.
Keep in mind that every addition increases the yield, but that’s all good, because these kinds of soups are even better the second day.


Minestrone-Style Chicken Vegetable Soup

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced carrot (about 1 large)
• 1 cup diced celery (about 2 large ribs)
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup green beans, cut about the same size as the diced vegetables
• 1 cup peeled and diced potato
• 2 scallions or small green onions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Salt
• 1 cup ditalini or other small soup pasta, cooked to al dente stage
• 1-1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1/2 baguette or other crusty bread, thickly sliced

Put the butter in a heavy-bottomed 3- to 4-quart pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and sauté until it’s translucent and beginning to soften, about four minutes. One at a time, add the carrot, celery, peas and green beans, sautéing until each addition is bright and just beginning to soften.

Add the potatoes and white parts of the scallions and sauté until they’re hot. Add the broth, raise the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil, then adjust the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the vegetables are all tender, 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt, as needed.

Stir the chicken and green parts of the scallions into the soup. If it seems too thick, thin it with broth or water, as needed. Let it come back to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is heated through, two to three minutes longer. Stir in the pasta, let it warm through for a minute, then taste and adjust the salt as needed. Serve at once with sliced baguette. Makes two or three servings as a main course.

by Anne Braly

One of the great hallmarks of classic Florida cookery is the pairing of its celebrated citrus and abundant local fish. This was especially true in the old resort towns along the east coast - now hidden in the folds of multi-story condos and colorful townhomes - where the fruit began to come into season just as the snowbirds arrived to escape the harsh winters of the Northeast and play in the sunshine. An especially delicious example is Sautéed Fish Fillets Palm Beach, which is really nothing more than an adaptation of a French classic - sole à la meunière, which is whole or filleted sole sautéed in clarified butter. It’s a recipe I found in one of my mother-in-law’s cookbooks. She was a Florida girl, born and raised, and the cover of that cookbook is now missing after years of use. I believe it was from a Junior League cookbook, though.

The twist on this recipe is a refreshing lift provided by a finish topping of fresh grapefruit and orange sections. It’s the kind of simple, elegant fare that graced the elite tables of Palm Beach in its heyday as a jazz-age resort, and it might well have been served at Whitehall, the mansion that was the winter home of Henry Flagler, the industrialist who built Florida’s east coast railroad. So far, though, I’ve not been able to trace it back any further than Irma Rombauer’s Joy of Cooking, the classic chronicle of 20th-century American cookery. My copy is stained from years of use, mostly referring to technique rather than actual recipes.

The recipe for this dish, though, goes back to the sixth edition from around 1946, according to a footnote in my mother-in-law’s cookbook. Well, never mind all that; its provenance doesn’t really matter at the table. What does matter is that it’s simple to make, elegant in its presentation, and, most importantly, delicious. It’s an especially lovely way to prepare seasonal Pompano filets or, if you can’t get them, snapper or grouper fillets. Here’s my own interpretation, in which the pan “gravy” is enriched with a little of the fresh grapefruit juice.

Palm Beach Sauteed Fish Filets

• 1 large pink grapefruit
• 1 large navel orange
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 4 5-ounce Pompano filets (snapper or grouper may be substituted)
• Salt and white pepper
• All-purpose flour
• 2-4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into bits
• 2 Tbsp. minced flat-leaf parsley, divided

Cut the tops and bottoms from the grapefruit and, holding the fruit over a bowl to catch the juice, peel it with a paring knife, cutting all the way through the connective membranes to the inner flesh. With a sharp knife, separate the sections from their membrane and add them to their collected juices. Over a separate bowl, peel and section the orange in the same way and add the sectioned fruit to the bowl with the grapefruit. Set the orange juice aside for another use. Melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Pat the fish filets dry and season lightly with salt and a liberal grinding of pepper. When the butter is hot, lightly dust both sides with flour and slip them into the pan. Fry, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, one to two minutes per side depending on the thickness of the fillets. Remove the fish to a warm platter or serving plates and alternately arrange the grapefruit and orange sections on top, allowing three or four per serving.

Return the pan to the heat, add the reserved grapefruit juice, stirring and scraping to loosen any cooking residue and bring it to a boil. Let it reduce slightly, then turn off the heat. Stir in half the parsley and whisk in two to four tablespoons of cold butter. Pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve at once.
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Contact Anne Braly at [email protected] or annebraly.com.

As the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers disappear from our refrigerators and pantries, it suddenly seems that what’s left of the year is hurtling away as if it has been greased by turkey fat. Not only are our days shortening, we’re ushering in our biggest - and longest - season of feasting.

Unfortunately, for all too many, it’s also the most frantic. People who never entertain suddenly start knocking themselves out to do so, busying around their homes dusting off the dining table, digging out the holiday china, polishing Grandma’s silver. Is this you?

Folks who never cook will actually open cookbooks, pore over cooking magazines, and don aprons they’ve not worn since last December, if ever. If you’re one of those people, it’s probably not helpful to point out that this would all seem a lot less overwhelming and stressful if you just did it more often. Just saying. Still, that might be something to think about adding to your new year’s resolutions.

When you’re around the table this holiday season, instead of trying to impress with volume, focus on being bountiful. What I mean by that is it’s better to offer a few dishes that you know you can handle, preparing them carefully and presenting them in generous portions, than to over-reach with a lot of different things that might be beyond your ability.

In short, if you never cook, this is not the time to try to tackle Beef Wellington for 25 or even lobster thermidor for four. With that in mind, this pork tenderloin is easy and makes a lovely main dish that’s simple enough for even a novice cook but fancy enough to impress without fail. The only tricky thing is the prosciutto wrapping. If you really find that complicated, then keep everything else that you offer simple.

Pork tenderloins are the same cut as beef filet, but are a lot more affordable when there’s a crowd to feed. I’m sure you’ve seen the price of beef lately. Just like their bovine counterpart, pork tenderloins are lean and always tender, but also the least flavorful part of the animal. They’re also prone to be dry when mishandled. These shortcomings are easily corrected by simply wrapping them with prosciutto, which coaxes out and enhances its natural flavor and helps keep it from drying out should it be left in the oven a bit too long while you’re scurrying about getting your house in order.

A very Merry Christmas to you all!


Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloins

• 1 pair pork tenderloins, about 2-2 1/2
• pounds
• Olive oil
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
• 10-12 very thin slices Italian prosciutto
• 1 cup dry white vermouth
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 lemons, each cut into 8 wedges

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 425 degrees. Rub the tenderloins lightly with oil. Sprinkle the entire surface with pepper, rosemary and garlic, then pat it in. Wrap the tenderloins with prosciutto, completely covering them, and secure it in place by tying it with twine.

Rub a roasting pan with oil, put in the tenderloins, and drizzle them with oil. Roast 20 minutes and reduce the heat to 350 degrees, then roast until the meat reaches desired internal temperature, around 135 degrees for medium. It will continue cooking as it rests about 15-20 minutes longer.

Remove the tenderloins to a platter, loosely cover with foil, and let them rest 15 minutes. Put the roasting pan over direct medium heat, add the vermouth and bring it boil, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan. Boil until it’s reduced by half and lightly thickened. Add any accumulated juices from the platter, let it get hot again, and turn off heat. Swirl or whisk in the butter. Pour the gravy into a warm bowl or sauceboat. Thinly slice the tenderloins, garnish with lemons and serve with the sauce passed separately. Makes six to eight servings.
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Contact Anne Braly at [email protected] or annebraly.com

Buttermilk pie is an old-fashioned standard of Southern baking whose history goes back to more humble days when baking ingredients were much harder to come by. We take for granted the simplicity of running to the grocery store and picking up whatever we need. A humble buttermilk pie with homespun pastry, was brought over from England and became a standard in the South during the 18th and early 19th centuries when buttermilk was plentiful and inexpensive.
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It suffered gross neglect during the “gourmet” 1970s, then in the so-called “nouvelle Southern” movement 1980s, it survived a tarted-up comeback, with the additions of such things as powdered sugar, raspberries, blueberry sauce and the like. The pie’s brief popularity faded once again in the early part of this century, but happily, it’s lately enjoyed yet another revival, this time appreciated for what it is: a delightfully simple and economical sweet that will fit in just about anywhere it’s taken.

It’s been interesting over the past couple of years, how our cooking has taken us back to our roots. Have you, like I, been getting lots of emails from food-related websites links to recipes from decades ago? It may have something to do with the pandemic that ravaged the world and continues to do so, but I like to think that it’s because we’re finally coming to our senses and appreciating those foods that our grandparents made that were so simple, but so delicious.

Buttermilk pie is one of those that I didn’t fully appreciate until I was going through some of my mother’s recipes and found her recipe that my dad so loved. I remember hearing him say it reminded him of his mother’s buttermilk pie.

There are many variations of this pie, but our house-favorite is this one. It’s one that I make when looking forward to those cooler days of autumn when we begin longing for a break from the heat and some homey comforts. This recipe makes two pies. Bake both and enjoy one now, then freeze the second one for later. The pies are good frozen for up to three months, so you’ll appreciate having one on hand during the busy holiday season.

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie

• 3 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup (one stick) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 Tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups whole-milk buttermilk
• 1/2 Tsp. vanilla
• 1/2-1 Tsp. lemon juice
• 2 single-crust pie shells (preferably made-from-scratch; store-bought if you must)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, butter, flour, baking soda, buttermilk, vanilla and lemon juice; mix well with electric mixer. Place pie shells in two 9-inch pie pans, then divide filling between both. Bake pies for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking for 30-35 minutes, keeping an eye on the pies so the crust doesn’t overbrown. If needed, shield the pies with aluminum foil.

Makes two pies.