donna's daily dish

pardon this interruption

11/26/2023

Hello again, it’s been a few weeks since I last posted. My husband and I had a brief weekend getaway to Annapolis to see a Navy football game. Now that we’re back and Thanksgiving has passed, it’s time to catch up on what I’ve been cooking.

Prior to departure, I made another “House and Garden” UK recipe by Donal Skehan from his book “Home Kitchen,” Autumn Pasta with Blue Cheese and Nuts. It’s an unusual combination, but my husband loves pasta in any shape. For the recipe you’ll need 1 pumpkin or autumn squash, 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, olive oil, salted butter, 2 onions, either conchiglie or rigatoni pasta, 3-1/2 ounces blue cheese, 3 ounces toasted and chopped walnuts, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and extra-virgin olive oil.

I used a butternut squash that I cut into 1-inch chunks, tossed with olive oil and roasted with sprigs of thyme. While the squash was roasting, I started the sauce by thinly slicing the onions and cooking in butter seasoned with salt and pepper until caramelized.

easy brunch

10/22/2023

Last week was a slow cooking week for me. My husband was on a short vacation visiting his college friends so I took the opportunity to have some friends over for brunch. I made Sweet and Spicy Bacon and Three-Cheese Baked Eggs with Roasted Peppers from “Gourmet Magazine,” November 2001. To balance the richness of the breakfast, I made a Grand Fruit Salad, a recipe from “Bon Appétit Magazine.” I had some British-Style Currant Scones and Pumpkin Ginger Scones in the freezer.

The egg dish and bacon are both baked in the oven, which makes it perfect for entertaining. For the baked eggs you’ll need three medium bell peppers, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, baking powder, 9 eggs, unsalted butter, 6 ounces grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese, 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese, 1 cup grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese and 3 scallions.

While you can roast the peppers on the gas burners of your stove, I prefer to cut out the stem end, remove the seeds and white ribs and roast outside on my gas grill. To me, this seems a faster way to roast peppers. You also need a 10-inch (6-cup pie plate). I didn’t think my Pyrex dishes were large enough, so I used a 2-quart Corningware dish.

The eggs are beaten until doubled in volume. This is followed by adding a mixture of flour, salt and baking powder and melted butter. Once those ingredients are mixed in, the diced roasted peppers and finely chopped scallions are stirred in. The mixture goes into a buttered dish and bakes for 30 to 35 minutes. At the same time, you can bake the Sweet and Spicy Bacon. The egg dish bakes for approximately 30-35 minutes and the bacon, roughly the same amount of time.

What a delicious breakfast. The eggs were light and fluffy. You can taste the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and the richness from the whole milk ricotta. The smoky, sweetness from the roasted peppers added another layer of flavor. The seasonings on the bacon was fantastic, taking the bacon to a different flavor level. The bacon was seasoned with brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper. By the way, it made for a fabulous BLT the other day.

For the fruit salad I used green grapes, strawberries, plums, peach and fresh orange segments. I would have used a kiwi, however, the selection at the food store was less than desirable looking. To keep the fruit from turning brown, I tossed the cut fruit with granulated sugar and orange juice. The recipe called for Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur, however, not knowing if my guests were on any medication, I left the liquor out. The fruit salad was a nice sweet addition.

Overall, my guests and I enjoyed the meal. If you’re having company this holiday season, I recommend these recipes for your guests.

rain again..ugh!

10/15/2023

It’s another Saturday and it’s raining again. I woke up this morning with a list of things to do. After having breakfast and doing my usual morning routine, I decided to replenish my pantry with my Honey Pecan Granola and since the sky was gray and it was a bit chilly, I also made a pot of Butternut Squash-Apple Soup, which was perfect for a dreary day.

If you like pumpkin and a little nosh to go with your coffee or tea, you must try Yossy Arefi’s recipe for Pumpkin Crumb Cake. You can either use an 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan for the cake. From start to finish, it takes approximately an hour to make. For the recipe you’ll need light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice blend, salt, unsalted butter, eggs, pumpkin purée, neutral oil, baking powder and baking soda. If you would like to put a glaze on the cake, you’ll need confectioners’ sugar, pumpkin spice blend, salt and milk.

just a little rain

9/27/2023

What a miserable four days we’ve had with all this wind and rain. There’s not much you can do other than read or cook; I went for cooking. I have company coming this weekend and I wanted to stock up on some breakfast treats for my guests. One of the things I made is British-style Currant Scones from America’s Test Kitchen. They are similar to the tea biscuits that were available years ago at a local bakery. I’m not sure they still offer them. I also made Pumpkin-Ginger Oat Scones from Genevieve Ko from The New York Times.

Several months ago, I needed crystallized ginger for a recipe. It just so happens that this is the same ingredient needed for these scones and I had just the right amount left. You’ll also need all-purpose flour, old-fashioned oats, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cold unsalted butter, canned pumpkin and eggs. My luck ran out as I only had one teaspoon of pumpkin spice left and I needed 2. Fortunately, one of the comments contained a recipe to make your own mixture. It consists of cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves and nutmeg. I’ll include the proportions below. The recipe takes 45 minutes from start to finish. The dry ingredients are whisked separately in a bowl and then butter is cut into the flour with your fingers or pastry cutter. This is followed by adding finely chopped crystallized ginger. The eggs and pumpkin purée are mixed separately in a bowl then added to the dry ingredients. Make sure not to over mix; mix until there is no dry flour left.

capturing summer

9/9/2023

Recently I received more tomatoes and peaches in my Dreyer Farm CSA box. In my search on the NYT Cooking app, I found a recipe by Alexa Weibel for Tomato and Peach Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese.

As crazy as the combination sounded, it was outstanding and perfect for a summer lunch, starter salad or as a bruschetta on top of grilled Italian or sourdough bread. For the recipe you’ll need extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, whole-grain mustard, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, small red onion, goat or feta cheese (I used goat cheese), heavy cream, 2 large heirloom tomatoes, 2 medium peaches, and, optionally, mâche or watercress. If you can’t find either, you can substitute arugula or baby spinach.

who would have thought...

8/22/2023

Sometimes our CSA repeats vegetables during the season. So, the question becomes, “What can I do with…” Another head of cabbage and more peaches were in my box last week.

I went to my favorite source for recipes, The New York Times’ webpage called “Cooking.” As I mentioned before, there are a number of contributors and there’s a wide range of diverse backgrounds among the recipe developers. I would have never thought of putting caramelized cabbage with pasta, but Hetty Lui McKinnon did in her recipe for Caramelized Cabbage and Walnut Pasta.

My husband was a bit hesitant when I told him what was for supper, but he loves pasta and has enjoyed the many preparations I have made over the years. For the Caramelized Cabbage and Walnut Pasta, you’ll need olive oil, unsalted butter, cumin seeds, leeks, garlic cloves, green cabbage, Diamond Crystal salt, spaghetti or other long pasta, grated pecorino cheese, freshly ground black pepper, lemon juice, toasted walnuts and chopped chives (optional).

fresh vegetables

8/12/2023

I’m still hunting down recipes that can be cooked outside on the grill. Recently, I found on The New York Times webpage, Cooking, a recipe by Ali Slagle for Grilled Chicken with Tomatoes and Corn. This quick and easy recipe needed boneless, skinless chicken thighs, extra virgin olive oil, chili powder, kosher salt, large ripe tomatoes, a fresh ear of corn, small red onion and fresh oregano.

A trip to a local produce stand, Matt’s Farm Market in Belmar, yielded beautiful sweet corn and tomatoes for this meal. Instead of chicken thighs, I used boneless, skinless breasts that I butterflied open. The recipe also called for fresh oregano, which is one of the many herbs from my garden.

The preparation begins by coating the chicken with olive oil, chili powder and salt. I did this early in the day, but you can do it up to a day ahead. The veggies are all served in the raw state. I thinly sliced the tomatoes for a base, topped with corn kernels, red onion and oregano. The vegetables are seasoned with salt and extra virgin olive oil

Mother's Day

4/17/2023

Mother’s Day is just four short weeks away, have you started planning yet? I am the mother of two children and grandmother to 3 and I prefer to stay home and not join the throngs of people dining out. In fact, I wouldn’t mind cooking if that meant my entire family would be together at once. I’ll take it a step further and host my children and grandchildren on Saturday. If, however, you prefer to take Mom out, consider other days besides Mother’s Day. Another suggestion would be to cater the dinner and enjoy it at home thus allowing younger children a bit more freedom.

Perhaps you’re sharing the cooking duties with family. I have some wonderful recipes for appetizers. If available by Mother’s Day, Garlic Scape Salad Dressing is decidedly different and delicious on a tossed salad. Marinated Beet Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese is also tasty. If you want to hit wider range of palates, create a charcuterie board using Alexian Pâté. If you’re not sure how to build a charcuterie board, I’ve provided a link to “Better Homes and Garden’s” website for instructions.

almond croissants

4/2/2023

Besides chocolate sugar cookies, the other sweet that I could eat every day are almond croissants. The first almond croissant I had was from Maison Kayser in Manhattan. My husband and I haven’t been into Manhattan since the pandemic. When we came in for theatre, we would arrive late morning, walk up to Maison Kayser near Columbus Circle purchase an almond croissant and coffee then people watch near Central Park.

Unfortunately, Maison Kayser closed all 16 of their New York locations at the beginning of the pandemic. In July of 2020 it was reported that they were looking to close down all of their stores in Manhattan. By September, they filed for bankruptcy, closing all of its stores and leaving 800 people without employment.

Easter brunch ideas

3/31/2023

Today I invited a friend for brunch. She’s not a big meat eater, and this being a Friday in Lent, I opted for a meatless meal. I’ve had in my files a recipe from “Bon Appétit Magazine” (circa December 1997) for Cheddar Cheese and Red Bell Pepper Strata. A strata is a breakfast casserole made with bread and eggs, while a frittata is a thick egg omelet that contains vegetables, cheese and sometimes meat. For this recipe you’ll need butter, red bell pepper, green onions, white bread, grated sharp cheddar cheese, whole milk, eggs, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, salt and freshly ground black pepper.