Saturday, February 18, 2017

Wayne Newton's Teriyaki



Wayne Newton's Teriyaki

2 pounds lean sirloin
1/2 cup soy sauce (or mirin)
Dash of sugar (or 1/2 tsp. honey)
One-inch piece fresh ginger root, minced
1 small clove garlic. pressed
1 tbsp. salad oil

Cut beef into strips 1 inch wide and 2 inches long. Prepare marinade by combining soy sauce (or mirin), sugar (or honey), ginger root, garlic and oil. Place meat strips in marinade 5 hours (or overnight) in refrigerator, keeping tightly covered. String strips of beef on metal (or bamboo) skewers. Grill teriyaki on hibachi (or oven grill) about 3 minutes, turning once, or until meat is tender but rare. Teriyaki is delicious with plain or parslied rice (add 1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley to cooked rice).

Thoughts: Mirin, a sweetened rice wine, is available in most supermarkets. If desired, steaks may be left whole, marinated, and pan-broiled in a skillet. Use extra marinade to spoon over steak about 5 minutes (or until meat takes on a glazed appearance). Teriyaki is usually garnished with tiny cucumbers marinated in vinegar and soy sauce. Serves 6.

Friday, February 17, 2017

Recipes by Paul Newman: Chocolate-Orange Angel Food Cake; Creole Gumbo; Salad Gazpacho



Paul Newman's Chocolate-Orange Angel Food Cake

4 ounces orange-flavored dark chocolate
12 large eggs, separated
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (divided)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated orange rind

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Make sure a 10" x 4" tube pan is clean, dry, and free of grease.

Grate the chocolate bars on the fine holes of a cheese grater.

Separate the eggs, and let the egg whites come to room temperature; about 15 minutes.

Sift 1 cup of flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt onto a piece of waxed paper. Sift them together a total of three times.

Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the lemon juice and continue beating. Sprinkle the remaining cup of sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, over the egg whites and continue beating at medium speed until the egg whites are glossy and form soft peaks that bend over at the top. Do not overbeat, or the egg whites will lose their volume.

Sift 1/4 cup of the dry ingredients over the egg whites and fold.

Gently stir in the vanilla extract and orange rind.

Alternately fold in the chocolate and remaining dry ingredients, working in small batches, until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the tube pan and bake for 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. A knife inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean. Remove from the oven and invert the pan. Allow the cake to cool for 30 to 45 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan and tube to loosen the cake.

Paul Newman's Creole Gumbo

1/2 lb. fresh okra (or frozen)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 large green pepper, chopped
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 handful chopped fresh parsley, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
About 5-6 cups water
Turkey carcass (or ham bone)
Salt to taste (less if ham is used)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Few dashes of Tabasco
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1 large can (28 oz.) tomatoes
2 tbsps. flour
1 lb. green shrimp, shelled (or 1/2 lb. crab meat)
12 large oysters
2 tsps. gumbo filé powder

Wash okra, cut off stem and tip ends. Slice in thin circles. Heat half the oil in large stock pot. Saute okra until it begins to brown and is no longer slippery. Add onion, green pepper, garlic, parsley and celery. Saute
lightly over low heat, stirring often until vegetables soften. Add water and turkey carcass (or ham bone). Bring to slow boil. Add salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste along with bay leaf, thyme and tomatoes. Simmer gently about 1 hour. Heat remaining oil in skillet, add flour, cook over low heat stirring for a few minutes until flour mixture turns brown. Stir browned flour mixture into the gumbo to thicken. Add shrimp (or crab meat). Cook for 10 minutes (only until shrimp turn pink). Add oysters and barely cook (only until edges of oysters begin to curl). Stir in filé powder. Do not cook after adding filé powder or gumbo will become ropy in texture. Serve over bowls of hot rice. Serves 6.

Thoughts: Paul's gumbo is a fabulous way to use the leftover holiday bird. Served with a nice crisp salad and good chilled wine or beer, the gumbo makes a delightful meal.

Paul Newman's Salad Gazpacho

2 to 3 cups leftover tossed green salad
2 cans (12 ozs.) cocktail vegetable juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tsps. prepared mustard
1 tbsp. garlic-flavored wine vinegar
1 tbsp. salad oil
1/4 cup chopped sweet red onion
1/4 cup pared cucumber
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tbsps. chopped green pepper
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

Turn leftover tossed green salad into blender jar. Add 1 can cocktail vegetable juice, salt, pepper, prepared mustard, vinegar and oil. Blend until smooth. Add remaining can of cocktail vegetable juice, cover and chill. Combine chopped onion, cucumber, celery and green pepper; chill. When ready to serve, pour gazpacho into serving bowls. Spoon on chopped vegetables and shredded lettuce. Serves 5-6.

Thoughts: Use any tossed iceberg lettuce salad dressed with French-type dressing. It may contain tomato, plenty of onion and cucumber. If you do not have leftover salad, use 2 to 3 cups iceberg lettuce chunks, 1/2 cup diced pared cucumber and 1/3 cup chopped onion with 1/4 cup French dressing.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Recipes by Edwin Newman: Steak Mirabeau; Super Rice Salad



Edwin Newman's Steak Mirabeau

For the anchovy butter:

1 tbsp. anchovy filets (or 1 tsp. anchovy paste)
4 tbsps. sweet butter
A few drops of fresh lemon juice
A few gratings freshly ground black pepper

1. Desalt anchovy filets by rinsing under tepid water; dry well, mash with fork (or use anchovy paste). Mix mashed anchovy (or paste) with softened butter, lemon juice and pepper to taste. Set aside.

To prepare the steaks:

4 large club (or Delmonico) steaks, cut at least 1-inch thick
Ground black pepper
Melted sweet butter (or olive oil)
Sliced green pimento-stuffed olives
Anchovy filets, cut in thin strips
Watercress

1. Spread one side of each steak with anchovy butter, season with pepper. Broil to desired doneness and remove from broiler.

2. Rub uncooked sides lightly with melted butter (or olive oil), season lightly with pepper. Form lattice work with strips of anchovy, fill in squares with thin slice of olive; broil second side. Serve alone or with side dish of melted butter sauce. Garnish steaks with watercress. Serve with braised endive (or Brussels sprouts) and chateau potatoes (peeled raw potatoes cut into olive shapes, cooked until tender and golden in seasoned butter). Serves 4.

Thoughts: The French are inclined to pan-broil this meat classic in a hot skillet lightly rubbed with butter and oil (or rendered suet). Garnishing is accomplished after meat has cooked. For an unusual garnish use fresh tarragon leaves.

Edwin Newman's Super Rice Salad

1 1/2 cups cooked rice
3 small ripe peeled tomatoes, chopped
3 tbsps. pimento, chopped
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsps. chopped celery
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. minced chives
1/2 cup vegetable (or olive) oil
2 tbsps. tarragon wine vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
Dash of sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cut garlic clove

1. Combine cooked rice, tomatoes, pimento, celery, parsley, pepper and chives. Prepare salad dressing by mixing together vegetable (or olive) oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), sugar and seasonings to taste.

2. Rub salad bowl lightly with cut garlic. Pour dressing over rice-vegetable mixture, toss lightly, cover, chill well to serve. Serves 4.

Thoughts: Ed's hearty salad is only the prelude to improvisations, such as using cooked shrimp in combination with cooked rice, celery, green pepper, dressed with curry-flavored mayonnaise; or leftover rice combined with slivers or ham (or tongue), cheese, celery, petits pois and-or cubes of slivered Swiss cheese.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Anthony Newley's Bouillabaisse Marseille



Anthony Newley's Bouillabaisse Marseille

1/2 cup onion flakes
1/4 cup celery flakes
1/2 tsp. instant minced garlic
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup olive (or salad oil)
1 qt. water
1 lb. canned tomatoes, broken
1 bottle dry white wine (or two 8-oz. bottles clam juice)
1 cup diced carrots
2 tbsps. minced fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves, crumbled
1/2 tsp. fennel seed, crushed
1/4 tsp. saffron, crumbled
3 1/2 lbs. assorted ready-to-cook fish, cut into pieces (eel, halibut, red snapper, perch, cod, bass and Spanish mackerel)

1 small (1 to 1 1/2 lb.) lobster (or 1 lb. lobster tail, cut into chunks)
1 dozen clams, scrubbed
1 dozen mussels, scrubbed
3 (3 inches each) strips orange peel

1. Mix onion flakes, celery flakes and minced garlic with the 2/3 cup of water. Let stand 10 minutes to rehydrate. Heat oil in a large pot.

2. Add rehydrated vegetables and saute 3 minutes. Add the 1 qt. water, tomatoes, wine (or clam juice, carrots, parsley, bay leaf, salt, thyme, fennel and saffron. Simmer 15 minutes.

3. Add the seafood and orange, cook covered 15 minutes (or until fish is barely tender). Serve in soup bowls with toasted French bread if desired. Serves 8 to 10.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Recipes by Lois Nettleton: Fried Potatoes; Mushroom Omelet; Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding




Lois Nettleton's Fried Potatoes

1 to 2 tbsps. minced onion
2 large leftover boiled potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/4-inch slices
2 tbsps. butter
Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup cold buttermilk

Saute onion in butter until soft and golden; lift out. Fry potatoes in butter slowly until golden and crisp (about 10 minutes). Return onions to pan, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange potatoes in a serving bowl. Pour cold buttermilk over them and serve at once. Delicious with broiled chops and a green salad. Serves 2 or 3.

Lois Nettleton's Mushroom Omelet

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 tbsps. sweet butter
Dash of nutmeg
2 eggs
2 tbsps. water
Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
Minced fresh parsley

Saute mushrooms in 1 tbsp. butter until nicely browned. Season lightly with nutmeg; set aside and keep warm.

Break eggs into mixing bowl. Add water, seasonings to taste; beat until mixture is foamy and light. Heat remaining butter until sizzling in a 10-inch, sloping-sided skillet or omelet pan.

Pour egg mixture into hot pan. Mixture will bubble and begin to "set." With a spatula, lift up egg mixture from edge of pan while tilting pan so the uncooked egg flows onto the exposed portion of the pan.

Work quickly, tilting pan all around. When all of the egg is set (this should take no more than 40 seconds over high heat), place mushrooms on one half of the omelet.

Fold one side over mushrooms; turn omelet upside down on a heated serving plate. Garnish with minced parsley. Great with thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes and fried toast. Serves 1.

Thoughts: If you follow the directions exactly, you will soon become a champion omelet maker. A word of advice, however: if you want to make more than one omelet, you can double, triple or increase the recipe as many times as you want, but do not cook more than one omelet at a time. It's easy to measure. A standard kitchen ladle holds exactly the correct amount for a 2-egg, 1-serving omelet. Other fillings to use: grated cheese, fresh tomatoes mixed with herbs, leftover cooked chicken mixed with slivered almonds, sour cream flavored with a dash of curry. Let your imagination work for you.

Lois Nettleton's Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding

Rib roast, weighing 6 to 8 lbs.
1/3 cup drippings (or butter)
1 tbsp. dry mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup lightly-browned flour (stirred over low heat on top of stove or in
oven until lightly browned)
6 tbsps. dry red wine
Salt to taste

Spread roast with drippings (or butter); sprinkle with a mixture of dry mustard, pepper and lightly-browned flour. Cover with layer of suet; secure in place with string over the top. Place roast, fat side up, on rack in roasting pan. Brown in preheated 425 degrees F. oven for 20 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. and add wine to the pan. Continue roasting, basting frequently, allowing 15-18 minutes per pound for rare, 20 to 24 minutes per pound for medium and 25-30 minutes per pound for well-done. If preferred, use meat thermometer. Let beef stand 30 minutes in warm place before carving. Reserve pan drippings for Yorkshire pudding and gravy.

For the Yorkshire pudding:

1/3 cup roast beef drippings
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup ail-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder

A half hour before the roast is done, prepare batter. Pour drippings into a 9x9-inch baking pan and place in a preheated 450 degrees F. oven. Beat eggs and milk together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt and baking powder; continue to beat until smooth. Pour batter into baking pan; bake 25 minutes (or until the Yorkshire pudding is well-browned).

Cut in squares to serve with each slice of roast beef. Serve with pan gravy (delicious made with pan drippings in bottom of roasting pan, crusty bits of suet, a little dry red wine or water, a knob or two of butter, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and salt to taste. Boil a few minutes before serving to thicken and flavor. Strain before serving piping hot over beef and Yorkshire pudding). Serves 8-10.

Monday, February 13, 2017

Recipes by Peter Nero: Steak Pizzaiola; Two-Hour Italian Tomato Sauce



Peter Nero's Steak Pizzaiola

1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 clove minced garlic)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 pound boneless lean sirloin steak cut into strips two inches long, one inch wide, and one inch thick
1 cup tomato sauce

Peter Nero says, "Place several drops oil (olive or corn oil) in pan. Put garlic powder (or real garlic if available), salt, pepper and sliced mushrooms in pan and brown. Take good cut of meat (preferably steak), trim off fat and cartilage. Cut meat into hunks. Brown in mushrooms mixture lightly (about 3 minutes on each side). When meat is almost cooked to taste, pour in a good Italian tomato sauce (either prepared or 2-hour homemade job) and let simmer a few minutes. Voila, it's terrific."

Thoughts: Meat can be tenderized 1 hour before preparation of the dish by using an unseasoned meat tenderizer.

Peter Nero's Two-Hour Italian Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 stalk celery, chopped fine
2 tablespoons chopped carrot
3 slices lean bacon, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
One 19-ounce can basil-flavored Italian tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon basil
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Brown butter, onion, celery, carrot, bacon, garlic and parsley in saucepan. Cook slowly 10 minutes. When well browned add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Cover, cook slowly 2 hours or until sauce is thick and well flavored, stirring often. Add more water as needed. Makes 2 1/3 cups.

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Patricia Neal's Chicken Avocado Soup



Patricia Neal's Chicken Avocado Soup

Use 1 cup undiluted canned chicken broth or prepare your own as follows:

Chicken carcass from large broiler or baking chicken
Water to cover bones
1 leek, white part only, chopped
Peeled yellow onion, stuck with clove
1/2 carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, plus leaves, chopped
1 sprig thyme
1 small bay leaf
Salt to taste
4 crushed peppercorns

Put bones in large stock pot with water and other ingredients. Simmer slowly 1 1/2 to 2 hours; skim off scum from surface. Strain, cool, refrigerate overnight. Remove fat and discard. Reheat stock in saucepan to reduce in volume by one-third. Taste to correct seasonings. Cool before using.

2 or 3 large ripe avocados
1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 1/2 small containers unflavored dairy yogurt
1/2 cup tomato (or vegetable) juice
1/2 teaspoon onion juice
Scant teaspoon sugar, more of needed
A few drops Tabasco (or small amount crushed chili pepper) to taste
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste
Chopped chives

Peel, crush avocados. Force through sieve. Put into mixing bowl; whisk in chicken stock. Mix in whipped cream, yogurt, tomato (or vegetable) juice, onion juice, sugar, Tabasco (or crushed red chili pepper), salt and white pepper. Blend well. Chill several hours. Spoon into individual soup bowls. Garnish with chopped chives (or dollop of salted whipped cream). Serves 6.

Thoughts: The amount of sugar added to soup depends upon the acidity of the tomato juice. Terrific served with cheese souffle, tossed green salad, white wine and fresh fruit for dessert.