Refreshing Snacks for Hot Weather

(once again, my lackluster photo skills don't do justice!)

Well hello there- it’s been too long! Summer 2010 has been an impressively busy season around our household with holidays, anniversaries, birthdays and out of town visitors, I have been bouncing around the East Coast enjoying all the season has to offer. Somehow, in my absence it also appears as though I've hit the 20 Followers mark, how exciting! What started as a way for me to organize my recipes and the likes has apparently struck a chord with others, so big thanks to all of you who are interested in my culinary adventures, your support is awesome!

A few weeks ago, Kyle’s ship was rather suddenly mobilized to assist in the oil clean-up efforts in the Gulf of Mexico, so we spent his last week in town trying to get in as much quality time before they set sail through August 30th. It is a long time to be apart, but I am very proud of what he is a part of with the effort, and wit will make his homecoming all the more sweet.

In the meantime, I have settled into my solo routine quite well- and this weekend I had the pleasure of hosting one of our favorite couples for a night before they headed to their anniversary vacation out on Block Island. They were married out there last August, and it was hands down one of the best weddings I have ever been to- they sure know how to throw a stylish party! A few photos to pay homage to two of my favorite people- Happy Anniversary Will & Carolyn!!!

When Carolyn first asked about coming to stay for a night, I was beyond thrilled, as we don’t get to see each other all that often since we moved away from Annapolis. As those in the region know, the Northeast has been uncharacteristically hot this summer, which seems to impede my desire to whip up a lot in our tiny attic kitchen. Carolyn & Will were arriving mid-afternoon, so I whipped up these Spicy Seared Tuna Canapés with Avocado-Crème as a light snack and served a side of chilled edamame pods tossed with a little French sea salt. The canapés were a spin-off of an appetizer my friend Alex Day (who runs Chez-Vous here in Newport) brought to a cocktail party a few weeks ago, with a couple of modifications I made for what I had on hand.

The chilled tuna & avocado make a classic light combination, and went well with ice cold beers & mojitos. It was so great to catch up with good friends, although I paid the price a bit the next day at work- long gone are my days of being able to go out for drinks on a school night, but it was worth the paying the toll in the end!

Spicy Seared Tuna Canapés with Avocado-Crème (makes 12 hors d’oeuvres)
-6-8oz. Sushi-grade tuna steak
-Spice rub (see below)
-1ish Tblspn sesame oil
-1 Ripe Haas avocado
-1 Clove garlic, minced fine
-1 Tspn fresh lemon juice
-3+/- Tblspns whipped cream cheese
-1 Medium English cucumber
-Soy sauce
-Sri Racha or other Asian hot sauce (optional)
-Sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
-Chives, cilantro or other fresh herbs for garnishing

For the spice rub:
-1 Tbspn toasted black sesame seeds
-1 ½ Tbspn seafood seasoning (think Old Bay)
-½ to ¾ Tbspn curry powder (I prefer to use spicy)
- ½ Tbspn cayenne pepper powder
-Couple turns of the pepper mill & a good pinch of sea salt

Pat tuna dry & cut into 1 ½” strips (if purchased in one large steak, a lot of fish markets will cut it down for you if you like). Combine spice rub ingredients in a shallow dish & toss to mix well. Dredge tuna through the spice mixture, making sure to well coat all sides and set aside to allow flesh to absorb spices.

Mash avocado well (a few chunks add nice texture) with garlic, lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste. Lightly fold in whipped cream cheese (overworking will cause deflation, treat the mixture like a soufflé) until combined and keep chilled in the refrigerator.

Over medium-high heat, heat sesame oil in a non-stick skillet until the oil begins to sheen a bit. Sear tuna on each side (approx 30 seconds or per side) just long enough to sear & color the outside and maintain a rare to medium-rare interior. Remove tuna promptly from pan & set on a cutting board to cool. Once tuna is cooled, slice into bite sized slices against the grain.

While tuna is cooling, slice cucumber on a bias to create ovals (12) and lay on a plate lined with paper towels and lightly salt slices. After a few minutes blot off any moisture expelled from the slices and discard paper towels. Arrange cucumber on a chilled plate and top each slice with a small amount of avocado mixture, and top avocado with a slice of tuna. Add a dash of soy sauce directly to each piece of fish, followed by a small dallop of Sri Racha (if using). Garnish each finished bite with fresh herbs & serve immediately. If making ahead of time, cucumber/avocado/tuna slice component can be made in advance & kept cool in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic for a few hours. Just before serving, garnish with soy sauce, Sri Racha and herbs to maintain flavors.

Cocktail Party Season!

One of my favorite things about warmer weather is entertaining outside. Whether it’s throwing a couple of steaks or chicken breasts on the grill on a weeknight, or an all out backyard soiree, eating al fresco seems to make things a bit more special. In the past couple of months, we’ve hosted a couple of small cocktail parties at our house during the week, and it’s been a blast. One of my favorite parts about cocktail parties (whether hosted indoors or out) is putting together a simple spread of bite sized food with a little something for everyone. I always put out a couple of cheeses with crackers, a cured or dried meat, nuts, crudités, a bowl of marinated olives and a couple of spreads or dips. Most of the components are pre-made, so throwing together a great looking appetizer table is easy, and really only requires a little arranging and tweaking. Time permitting, I like to put out at least two “from scratch” elements to add a little personal flavor to the scene, and it’s even more enjoyable if you encourage guests to bring a snack to share.

In warmer weather, my go to choices are most often seafood based, as it is satisfying without weighing you down, and pairs well with summer white wines, lighter beers and clear spirits. For a while now I have been making a smoked salmon spread that has made appearances at cocktail and porch parties from Annapolis to Maine. It is very simple to pull together, and is great when served with cucumber slices, water crackers or pumpernickel toast. I’ve also used this as a stuffing for hollowed out peproncini- the kick of the pepper plays well off of the coolness of the spread. I would recommend making the spread in advance, so the flavors have time to come together while chilling overnight.

If you end up with any leftover (a rarity!) it is also great with toasted bagels in the morning. I have rarely actually given the recipe out for the spread, but I think it’s time to bite the bullet and share, so long as I get credit at your next porch party! ;-)


Smoked Salmon Party Spread

-16oz Package regular cream cheese- room temp
-16oz Package whipped cream cheese
-2 to 3 Tblspns sour cream/mayo/plain yogurt (optional)
-16oz Wild caught smoked salmon (I usually use the pre sliced Scottish style in the cryovac’d package for easy preparation)
-8oz. Capers, chopped fine, brining liquid reserved
-1/2 to 1/4 Red onion, minced fine
-Good bunch of fresh dill, minced (adjust to suit personal taste)
-Juice from ¼ lemon
-Sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
-Couple shakes of hot sauce (optional)

In a good size bowl, combine first three ingredients and mix until well blended. Remove salmon from packaging, mince finely and add into cream cheese mixture. Add in capers, onion, dill and lemon juice, and mix until well combined. If spread is a bit thick, add in a small amount of brining liquid from capers to loosen and mix well. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste. Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator an hour or so before serving to let soften a bit.

Spring Time Oysters

I have started implementing some of my menu planning ideas from my Magazine Recipe Book, and it has been a great week of eating in the Humble Home. After letting the salmon sausages cure for a bit in the fridge, we were excited to test them out, so we fried them up and served them over a fresh salad. I’m not going to lie- they were extremely good! I love finding new ways to bring more fish and protein into our diet, so I think we’ll be seeing more of these little beauties. Kyle had picked up some oysters at the often mentioned Anthony's Seafood, and I had flagged a recipe idea in Bon Appétit for an Irish style broiled oysters, and we had ourselves a little seafood supper. I altered the original oyster recipe to what we had on hand, and my only disappointment with the end result was that they ran out too fast! The robust nature of the blue cheese complimented the briny nature of the oysters, and the breadcrumbs brought the perfect amount of crunch and texture. The oysters were a perfect light first course, and would be great for a cocktail party, just make sure you have enough on hand!

Another great tip I had picked up while doing my magazine pillage was out of Cook’s Illustrated for making fresh breadcrumbs without a food processor: Freeze whatever bread you want to use until hard. Place a box grater over a large plastic bowl or plate (to ensure it won’t break under force- you can also use a kitchen towel to anchor the plate/bowl) and grate desired amount of breadcrumbs needed. It’s a really easy way to have the amount of fresh breadcrumbs that you need for your recipe (I’m big on using fresh as opposed to the store bought variety whenever possible), and not have to worry about using up or storing any leftover crumbs. The bread has a long life in the freezer, so you waste less in the long run, and don’t have to pull out a big piece of machinery every time you need breadcrumbs.

A few of my oyster got a little extra crispy under the broiler, but the breadcrumbs act as a great shield from the heat of the broiler, so the oyster remained juicy and fresh. If you’re not a blue cheese fan, smoked Gouda or fresh curls of parmesan would be a great substitution. I picked up the technique of preheating the oven before broiling from working in restaurant kitchens, and I think it helps to even the overall temperature of the final product, so that the oyster is just warmed and all the flavors come together without having to spend too much time under the broiler.

Broiled Oysters on the Half with Garlic Breadcrumbs & Blue Cheese

(modified from Bon Appétit’s Broiled Oysters w/ Garlic Breadcrumbs, March 2010)

-1 Dozen fresh oysters, shucked & in ½ shell w/ luquor
- ¾ Cup fresh breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat bread)

- 2 Good sized garlic cloves, minced finely

- 2 Tblspns flat leaf parsley, minced

- 2-3 Tblspns salted butter

- 1(ish) Tblspn dry white wine (Sauv Blanc)

- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 12 small slices of good blue cheese (Danish or Roquefort work well), cut to fit oysters

- Lemon wedges

Place oven rack about 3-4 inches from broiler and preheat oven to 450. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat and sauté minced garlic until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add in wine & cook another minute. Add in breadcrumbs, stirring to combine & crisp crumbs up, about 4-5 minutes. Add in parsley and season with salt & pepper to taste and remove from heat. Arrange oysters on a baking sheet and distribute breadcrumb mixture over oysters evenly. Top with a small slice of blue cheese. Once the oven has come to temp, switch off and heat the broiler to low. Place oysters under the broiler until cheese has had a chance to melt and breadcrumbs turn golden, approximately 3-5 minutes, depending on the intensity of your broiler. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon.

Homemade Salmon Sausage

As I mentioned previously, my husband and I are now the proud owners of the meat grinding & sausage stuffing attachments for our much loved KitchenAid stand mixer. Since Kyle is such a proficient baker, I wanted to make sure that we diversified our use of the stand mixer so it was not purely used for the baking arts. We had been talking about getting into sausage making for a while now, and we were both excited when we finally bit the bullet and ordered the attachments. We were successful in our first attempt at making a basic breakfast sausage, so on the next go ‘round, I wanted to step it up a bit.

Quite a few years ago, my mom and I would regularly attend the local farmer’s market, and my mom would always stop off at one particular stand. The company was called Out of the Blue, and they made the most incredible salmon sausages- they were packed with fragrant herbs, fresh salmon and had a subtle texture. At this point in my life, I ate almost no seafood, but I could not get enough of these salmon sausages. My mother would serve them grilled and sliced for cocktails and they were always the first to go. At some point, the purveyors stopped attending the local farmer’s market, and the salmon sausages were all but a memory. Until now!

Armed with my memory and fresh ingredients, I set out to re-create the much loved treats. I ordered some vegetarian collagen casings, went to the ever popular Anthony’s Seafood Market to pick up the salmon, and set to work. From memory and a little online technique research I began piecing together a recipe. Upon chatting up the guys at Anthony’s, they recommended that I go with wild caught salmon tail meat- the reasoning being that it has an excellent fat content, good texture, and was much less expensive than the filet cuts. As sausage making in general is all about using less expensive meats to start with, I knew it would be a perfect match, and they removed the skins for me in the market. Wanting to replicate the smoky flavor of traditional sausages, I added in some cold smoked, wild caught salmon for Washington, which brought a lot to the flavor profile. After letting the sausages “cure” in the refrigerator overnight, Kyle and I had our first sampling yesterday, and the flavor was just as good as what I remembered from all those years ago- subtle, fresh and delicate. Initially, I had planned on using the sausages for a hash last night, but Kyle and I agreed that the flavor was just too wonderful to overpower with a heavy pan dish. Instead, I’m leaning towards using them this evening with a bright spring salad, and I know it’ll be a perfect match.

If you’re apprehensive about using casings for the first time (I know I was!), the meat is just as good loose, or formed into patties for sandwiches or any other application. I have to be honest, I did burst a few of my casings on this first attempt (which in turn caused me to bust out a few four letter words), but as my husband patiently reminded me, it’s all about learning and the experience. If you do decide to go the casing route, be sure to work with even pressure and gently- over handling the casing or overstuffing will cause them to burst! As with any sausage making, it is important that all equipment and ingredients be very cold: I usually put my grinder, die and meat in the fridge for a good 30-40 minutes before grinding, and then put the meat back into the fridge for another half hour time out before stuffing.

Fresh Herb & Garlic Salmon Sausages

-2lbs. Fresh, wild caught salmon tail meat- skins removed & cut into chunks
-8oz. Wild caught smoked salmon, broken into pieces
-3 Cloves of garlic, chopped
-3 Tblspns fresh dill, rough chopped
-3 Tblspns fresh flat leaf parsley, rough chopped
-Zest from ¼ lemon
-Juice from ¼ lemon
- ½ - ¼ Tspn smoked paprika (optional)
- ½ Tspn celery salt
-1 Tbspn(ish) sea salt
- ½-1 Tbspn fresh cracked pepper
-Small (21mm) sausage casing (vegetarian available)

Combine all ingredients in appropriate size cold bowl & let rest in refrigerator for 30-40 minutes or until well chilled. Fit stand mixer with meat grinding attachment and small grinding die. Working in batches, feed salmon mixture through grinder at a medium speed into chilled catch bowl below. Once all meat has been pushed through, mix thoroughly. At the point, you can pull off a small amount of the sausage mixture and cook it off to test for seasoning adjustment. Place mixture back in refrigerator to rest and chill for an additional 30-40 minutes and clean out grinder (see note for tip). If you do not plan to use casing, make sure mixture is covered tightly and let “cure” overnight in the refrigerator before using. Can be formed into patties for sandwiches and salads, crumbled into stuffing or used in any other sausage application. For casing use, follow additional directions:

Grab a friend or a loved one, as this works best when working with two people, especially if you are a first timer (also why I don’t have photos of this part of the process- all hands were busy!). Re-attach grinding attachment to stand mixer and fit with small sausage stuffing tube. Slide casing over end (if you have a large amount of casing, you may want to cut the casing down to size to work in batches, otherwise you won’t get a good fit over the tube).At a medium speed, begin feeding salmon mixture through the grinder. Once salmon has reached casing, pinch or tie off end with kitchen twine and begin slowly feeding salmon into casing, making sure not to overstuff. I found it works best if you have one person feeding the mixture into the hopper, and the other guiding at the casing end. We worked in 3 sections of about 2-3 feet each so as we had a little more flexibility and didn’t become overwhelmed with one large casing. Once all stuffing has been fed into the casing, lay stuffed sausages on a flat surface, and twist into sections of desired relatively even length (I tried to keep ours around the 6” length) by holding starting end in one hand and twisting open end clockwise for 4-5 rotations to seal off each link. Once the process has been repeated to create all links, wrap tightly in butcher’s paper or parchment paper and allow to “cure” for 6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Cook as you would any other link sausage over medium to medium-high heat in a skillet for 10-12 minutes to ensure they are cooked through. Fresh sausage will last about 2-4 days in the fridge, or can be frozen for a max of three months.

Note on cleaning: Anyone who has ever cleaned out a meat grinder knows it is a bear! To simplify the process, feed a couple of pieces of bread (stale works best!) through your meat grinder. The bread will pick up a lot of the bits and pieces left behind in the grinder, cutting down on cleaning time immensely. Some folks even mix in the bread with their sausage so as not to lose any little bit of flavor, but I’ll leave that choice up to you!

Salmon Sausages over Spring Salad

A Rainy Night in Newport...

I admit that I have been a bit lax on posting as of recent- it has been crazy busy in my little world. Between hectic office hours, trying to get my fitness routine back on track and house weekend house guest fun, I have fallen behind in my updates. I’m hoping to get back on track this week and get some of the back logged articles and recipes up, so bear with me as I get back in the swing (thanks for the gentle reminder, Carolyn!).

This past weekend, Kyle’s brother Brandon and his wife Ugne came for a visit from Boston. It was wonderful to host family, and we always seem to have a great time when we get together. The weather was pretty unfriendly, and this combined with the fact that it was Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration, we were all easily convinced to stay in, eat, drink and be merry. Not that I don’t love celebrating the High Holy Day of Obligation, but something about the combination of wet, cold, drunk hooligans was not particularly appealing.

Drinks and an Antipasti platter before dinner, even Ninja Kitties had a good time!

I had been working on the boatbuilding text at the library in the afternoon before Kyle, Brandon & Ugne came down to pick me up and we settled in for the night. Wine was poured, snacks were laid out and after a little relaxing, I got to work in the kitchen. Kyle and I had recently gone to Norey’s, a fabulous beer & wine bar just down the street on Broadway, and I had their AMAZING mussels, so I did my best to re-create the flavors with a couple of my own touches. There is an outstanding seafood market here in town- Anthony’s (http://www.anthonysseafood.net/), and we swung by in the morning to pick up some fresh treats. I went with a selection of PEI mussels, local littleneck clams and fresh monkfish and the combination was beautiful. Kyle also picked out four of the regional treats known as “Stuffies” (Quahog shells stuffed with seafood stuffing and a little spice kick) and they were an ideal and easy starter.

The meal was outstanding, the company engaging and the wine flowed freely. It was a wonderful weekend, and the perfect meal for a night spent in with family and storytelling on a cold March night. The recipe easily serves four very hungry diners, and can be adjusted depending on the size of your crowd. It is similar to the Frogmore Stew recipe, but is a bit more elegant in its ingredients, and a much different flavor profile. Thanks to Brandon and Ugne for the photos!

Mussels, Littlenecks and Monkfish in Tomato-Basil Broth

- 2 lbs. fresh mussels, scrubbed & debearded
- 2 lbs. fresh littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 1 lb. fresh monkfish filets, cut into chunks
- 1 lb. smoked (or Italian) sausage, cut into chunks
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 7-9 crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 bottle good Belgian style beer (Sam Adams Noble Pils!)
- 1 ½ cups Sauvignon Blanc, or other dry white wine
- 16 oz. crushed tomatoes
- ¾ cup light cream
- 6-7 fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
- ¾ cup of fresh shaved parmesan
- Sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
- Olive oil
- Crusty bread (cibatta or boule) for dipping

In a large, wide stock pot, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add in shallots and garlic to sweat and soften for a few minutes. Add in sausage and sauté until it begins to brown. After a few minutes, add in tomatoes, mushrooms, salt and pepper, and continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until all components begin to soften and meld flavors. Turn heat up to high, and add in the wine, beer and half of basil ribbons, cover and bring to a rolling boil (depending on how much seafood you have, you may need to add a little water as well- approx ½ to ¾ cup). Add in the mussels and clams (hold off on monkfish), and give the whole pot a good stir with a hearty slotted spoon to mix all ingredients together. Cover and keep a watchful eye. Every couple of minute, give the pot a good shake and stir the shellfish up- this will keep cooking time relatively even. After approx 10 -12 minutes, shells should begin to open. Using a large slotted spoon, remove shellfish from the pot (no worries if you remove other ingredients with the shellfish) and transfer to a large serving dish and place in a warm (not hot!) oven. Take stovetop temp down to medium and add in tomato puree. Once hot, add in monkfish chunks and cook through, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream and let heat through. Pour broth and cooked monkfish over mussels and clams, top with second half of basil and parmesan, and serve immediately with lemon wedges, a fresh green herb salad and lots of crusty bread for sopping up the broth- or in our case lots of big spoons as well!

Mussel

Frogmore Stew

For those of you that are fans of the 90's sketch show The State, no, this does not have anything to do with Froggy Jamboree in a kiddie pool (and for those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about, never mind). In any event, this is one of my favorite simple meals. It's easy (one pot!), it's relaxed, and there's not a whole lot of technical work to prep it. It is definitely the kind of supper made for flannel shirts, old jeans and flip flops, and usually a good amount of story telling and beer, two of my favorite activities during meal time. Throw on some good classic soul music, and you've got a perfect night!

This is very similar to a low country boil which is popular in South Carolina and Georgia, with some slight alterations. It's a great dish to serve for a casual dinner party- I line the table w/ newspaper, put out a big roll of paper towels, a bunch of seafood picks, shell bowls and lots of cold good beer. Especially awesome if it's a warm enough night to eat outside!

Frogmore Stew

-2lbs. any combination of shrimp, clams*, mussels*, haddock, crab claws, or any firm fish that is fresh
-1lb. spicy cased sausage such as andouille, chorizo or linguisa cut into 2" pieces
-1/2 to 3/4lbs. small red potatoes halved
-2-3 sweet onions, quartered
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-3-4 ears of corn, broken in half
-6-8oz. of decent beer (Newcastle, or Shipyard Export if you can get your hands on it!)
-Old Bay (lots, maybe 1/2 a cup or so? Adjust to your taste)
-Couple of shakes of hot sauce, to your taste
-Crusty loaf of french bread, toasted

Clean seafood accordingly (mussels/clams scrubbed and de-bearded and any with broken shells discarded, fish cut into 2" chunks, shrimp de-veined, etc.). In a large, wide pot lightly sautee garlic & sausage in a little olive oil (1 tbspn or so) until fat starts to render out of sausage and garlic is lightly colored. Add a large amount of water (enough to cover all ingredients once added, but not drown!), beer, hot sauce and Old Bay and bring to a boil. Toss in potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Add onion, cook another 10. Throw in corn and cook for 5 more minutes. Give the pot a stir and add in seafood, and keep a weather eye on it. If cooking a mixture of seafood, start with shellfish, add in whitefish and finish off with shrimp, with a few minutes in between each add in. When cooked clams & mussels will open naturally (discard any that do not open), fish will be opaque and shrimp will be curled and pink (about 6-12 minutes depending on what fish you use). Be careful not to overcook, otherwise seafood will turn rubbery. Serve family style out of the pot in the middle of the table with lots of bread for dipping.

-I also usually serve mine with a mustard-mayo dipping sauce with minced garlic & fresh parsley and lemon wedges, other great options are drawn butter or cocktail sauce.

*A note on selecting shellfish: When choosing fresh shellfish, have a chat w/ your fish monger to see what is fresh. Whenever possible, select those that are loose, not pre-bagged, as they are usually more fresh. To make sure that they are still alive and edible, tap the outside of the shell. If shellfish reacts & closes its shell, you're good to go.