Caviar Cake
This is a very rich dish. Even though it's best in small bites, people are going to go hold. gangbusters and eat all they can It's best served with Melba toasts or other sturdy, plain crackers. You can put out cucumber disks for the gluten-free.
I can't deliver exact measurements but no worries. Precision isn't required. A little more egg, a little less mascarpone, nobody will know.
4-6 oz. mascarpone (Italian cream cheese)
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and grated
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed
1-2 tsp mayonnaise
4-5 scallions, greens included, minced
handful fresh chives, finely chopped
6 oz creme fraiche
sm jar fish roe or real caviar
Very lightly oil the bottom and sides of a 4" springform pan. Cover it entirely with a 1/4" layer of mascarpone. Level and smooth it.
Mix the grated egg with the black pepper, celery seed and a bit of mayonnaise just to begin to hold it together. Not too much . Spread this layer evenly and smoothly over the mascarpone.
Make a layer of scallion and chives over the egg layer. Cover this with a thin layer of creme fraiche but be sure to cover it. (You will use the rest of the creme fraiche on the sides later.)
Refrigerate the layer "cake" at least 4 hours. Overnight is fine.
While it is still cold, release the springform and carefully remove the side piece. The cake should stay on the pan bottom. With a small spatula, cover (ice) the sides of the cake with creme fraiche. Open the fish roe/caviar and distribute evenly around the top.
Surround the cake with crackers and serve.
Green triangles (boreks) with sesame
 |
| before the sesame seed finale |
Makes 8
1¼ lb mix of chard, spinach, dandelion
greens, beet greens (not all)
Tuscan or curly kale
6 oz feta or mansouri cheese, crumbled
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, plus
extra for sprinkling
¼ c fresh dill, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely
chopped
1/4 c olive oil or melted butter,
plus an extra drizzle
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 sheets phyllo/fillo pastry
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp pomegranate molasses
Remove long stems from the greens. Put
the greens in a colander, and pour just-boiled water over them, so they wilt a
little. (For kale, remove the stems, wash, put them in a lidded pan on a high
heat and steam, covered, for two minutes, then drain.) Once cool, squeeze out
as much liquid as possible, then finely chop. You can use a food processor. Add
the cheese, sesame seeds, dill, mint and a drizzle of olive oil, salt and
pepper. Mix well.
Heat a baking sheet in the oven set
to 200C. Lay out a sheet of fillo on a work surface, keeping the remaining
sheets covered with a damp towel. Brush all over with olive oil or melted
butter and fold in half lengthwise to create a long strip. Spoon about 3 tbsp
of the greens mix into the bottom left-hand corner of the strip, leaving a
border. Take the right-hand corner and fold it up over the filling to seal it into a triangle shape.
Continue folding the pastry over the filling until you reach the top of the
pastry strip. Seal the edges and lightly brush with more oil or butter. Set
aside and work quickly to make the rest.
Transfer the parcels to the hot
baking sheet, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 20 minutes, until golden.
While they bake, whisk together the
tahini, honey and pomegranate molasses. If it is very thick, add 1 tsp water or
rose water.
When the golden crisp boreks come out
of the oven, lightly brush them with the honey mix and sprinkle on a few more
toasted sesame seeds.
To the right is what the strudel version looks like:
Marinated mushrooms (in a winter squash)
This may be my oldest still used recipe. It's so easy and tasty and turns out to be a true crowd pleaser. I got it decades ago from a woman in Provence. My contribution is serving it in a hollowed out red kuri winter squash or a pumpkin. There's nothing wrong with a bowl either. It's just that the squash allows you to stick toothpicks in it and you'll need a separate holder beside a bowl. You will need toothpicks to serve this.
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c dry white wine
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried tarragon leaves
dash of red wine vinegar
1/4 c dark raisins
1 tsp black whole peppercorns
salt, a pinch
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, minced
1 doz pearl onions, peeled
12 oz whole fresh mushrooms (cleaned)
3 tbsp tomato paste
Combine everything but the tomato paste in a large stock pot. Carefully add enough water just to barely cover the ingredients. Stir in the tomato paste. Bring the contents to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Cool and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Overnight is fine.
The remaining sauce after serving can be used for something else.
Taco tartlets
These meaty little tarts were big hit in my catering business. They look complicated but a mini muffin tin makes them simple and quick. They upgrade a spread of guacamole, salsa and chips. In fact some people like to dip these in salsa. For a complete south of the border nosh table, add a platter of fried plantains with or without sour cream dip and mini arecas (cornmeal pancakes--recipe in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking). And btw, most taco tartlets nowadays are actually in a pastry shell. Since these are not, they're fit for the gluten-free crowd.
Makes about 24
1 c sour cream
1/4 c black olives, finely chopped
3/4 c tortilla chips, crushed
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 tbsp onion, grated or minced
1 lb lean ground beef
2 tbsp ice water
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1/4 c cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/3 c cheddar, jack or similar cheese, finely grated
Heat oven to 350º. Lightly oil a mini muffin tin or two.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and blend well. You may want to use your hands.
Press a golf ball size piece of the meat mixture into each oiled muffin opening. Be sure to fill the opening to the top and level the top. Leave no air spaces. Fill all the openings you have. You may have to bake in batches.
Put the filled tin(s) in the oven and bake at 350º 20-25 minutes. A cake tester should come out clean. The meat should be brown. Cool 5 minutes before turning out of the tins onto a serving platter.
Smoked Salmon Rolls
This is another oldie but goodie that gives lots of glamour without
taking lots of effort. There are no exact proportions because it all works out in the end. It depends on the size of the flatbread, etc, so I'm giving hints.
1-2 large thin, soft flatbreads or 4 large wheat tortillas
6 oz herbed whipped cream cheese
1/4 c fresh dill fronds, finely chopped
4-5 scallions, very finely chopped
4-6 oz smoked salmon, sliced or in bits which are cheaper
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp capers
Freshly ground black pepper
1 long hothouse English cucumber, peeled
greens for the serving plate
Lay out the flatbread on the counter.
Leaving a 1/2" margin on all sides, spread the cream cheese evenly over it all. Lightly press in the dill and scallions so they don't fall out. Cover everything with the smoked salmon as evenly as you can. Lightly sprinkle the lemon juice on it. Spread the capers out over the salmon. Season with the black pepper.
Using a peeler, going lengthwise cut long thin strips of cucumber. Lay these on top of the flat bread lengthwise not crosswise.
Now carefully roll up the flatbread as tightly as you can. Seal the seam with cream cheese. Wrap roll tightly in clingwrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Overnight is fine.
Remove from the cold and with a very sharp knife, cut crosswise slices about 1/2" think. Lay on a serving platter covered with a green such as spinach or arugula.
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