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Inaugurating Kabler's Cooking Chatter
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By JANE CLINE KABLER Staff Writer
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As the author of Mason County's Greatest Recipes, a caterer and co-instructor in the Cline-Kabler Cooking Classes, I hope to share many easy, delicious recipes and cooking tips to make life in the kitchen a pleasure and not a disaster.
Tasty foods, easy to prepare and attractively served simply make the cook a big success. I hope to encourage readers to try new items in recipes, since "variety is the spice of life."
You will see that I am big on a variety of cheeses and the use of spices. I believe in taking short cuts to make life easier.
As I continue to work at the news desk, I will try to entice you to cook more and enjoy what you are cooking. Don't be afraid to learn about new ingredients, that puts style into your cooking.
Two famous lovers of food were the two U.S. presidents having birthdays this month -- Abraham Lincoln, Feb. 12 and George Washington, Feb. 22. Both loved good food, entertaining and providing hospitality to their guests. It was said Washington had a dinner bell he would ring, and guests were expected to be seated five minutes later. He demanded that dishes be placed in the center of the table and around the eating area. A great deal of wine was served during the meals. Washington's favorite breakfast was hoe cakes topped with honey and butter.
Mr. Lincoln, the 16th president, born in Hardin County, loved to entertain. He and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln rarely ate alone. Mary Todd was a well-educated lady, known for her Southern hospitality. Lincoln's favorite recipe was his wife's White Vanilla Almond Cake. I have made this and it is simply delicious.
WHITE VANILLA ALMOND CAKE
1 cup of blanched almonds, finely chopped
1 cup of butter, room temperature
2 cups of sugar
3 cups of all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
6 egg whites (beaten into stiff peaks)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour a tube pan, cream sugar and butter well, sift flour and baking powder three times, add flour mixture to creamed butter and sugar, alternating with the milk, stir in the almonds and vanilla, and then gently fold in the six beaten egg whites.
Pour into a greased and floured tube pan, bake 1 hour 15 minutes on the middle rack. Place on a cooling rack and when cool turn out on the cake plate. When completely cool dust the top with sifted powdered sugar. Serve with a large spoonful of whipped cream and a few fresh berries. If it is your preference you may put a glaze on the cake or icing.
If you enjoy reading about the president's lives, politics and their favorite foods go to the Web at:
http//www.google.com, then search for three sites: president's favorite foods, Lincoln President and Washington President.
Men in the kitchen
Move over ladies, the men are going to be in charge for one night this week and cook your dinner. The old adage that men can't cook is no more. In most homes, the family structure has changed throughout the years. Moms work and dads help with cooking, cleaning and laundry. Why not? My purpose in today's feature is to give men a menu to follow and recipes that are easy and light in calories, plus a few tips.
For a man to succeed in the kitchen, he needs to choose easy recipes, do his own grocery shopping and choose a time when the kitchen is free from his wife and children. He has to think about what he is doing and read carefully the recipe he is about to tackle. Always read a recipe all the way through before starting. Ask my son, Ashley about this!
TIPS FOR THE COOK
Clean up as you go.
Try to make enough for at least two meals, freeze one half of it and save it for another evening.
Men, your wife will love you more if you learn to cook and help out with the cooking, every man should cook at least two evenings a week.
Women, answer their questions when they're cooking, but don't go help them or do it for them.
Brag on the finished product, bragging goes a long way.
RECIPES AND MENU FOR ONE EVENING
Mixed green salad with homemade mustard vinaigrette dressing
Chicken, broccoli and bow tie pasta
Fresh fruit salad with honey yogurt topping
Preparation order
1. Prepare fruit salad topping, cover and refrigerate .
2. Cut up fresh fruit and place in serving dish, cover and refrigerate.
3. Prepare Mustard Vinaigrette for vegetable salad, cover and refrigerate. Wash greens, drain on paper towels, and place on salad plate, cut cherry tomatoes in half and place on the salad, peel and slice a cucumber, and a slice of red or yellow bell pepper and place it on top of the salad. Cover with foil and set it in the refrigerator. Don't put the dressing on the salad. Serve the dressing beside the salad in a small pitcher.
4. Now begin the main course for dinner, the pasta, chicken and broccoli.
RECIPES
HONEY VANILLA YOGURT TOPPING AND FRESH FRUIT SALAD
4 cups of vanilla yogurt
4 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon of vanilla
juice of one orange
Combine, cover and set aside in the refrigerator and keep until ready to serve. This will keep 3-4 days. Cut up a variety of fresh fruit such as seedless grape halves, strawberries halved, cantaloup, pineapple chunks, blueberries and any other favorite fruit. Place fruit in a dish and top at the last minute with a couple of tablespoons of the topping and a few chopped pecans.
MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
6 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon of crushed garlic or garlic paste
3/4 cup of olive oil
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoons of salt
3/4 teaspoon of pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together everything except the olive oil, when well blended add the oil very slowly until it is well emulsified ( blended). Set it in the refrigerator, covered, and then set it out 1/2 hour before serving. Shake and use this on the tossed salad: 4 cups of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and a orange or red bell pepper ring. Serve dressing on the side in a tiny pitcher. (Garlic paste can be found in the produce section of the market).
BROCCOLI, CHICKEN AND BOW TIE PASTA
Take 2 cups of canned chicken broth and 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, add 5 strips of chicken tenders or two skinless, boneless breast of chicken. Cook about 20 minutes. Remove, drain and cut into bite size pieces. Cover with foil and set aside.
Take 1 tablespoon of salt and 6 cups of water, bring to a boil and add 3 cups of raw, bow tie pasta, cook about 15 minutes and then drain. Cover and set aside. While the pasta is cooking then cook 3 cups of broccoli florets, in boiling water with 1 tablespoon of salt and drain. Set aside.
In a skillet place the following mixture and cook about 5 minutes:
4 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon of mild olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon of garlic paste or crushed garlic, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped shallots, zest of one lemon, and juice of one lemon, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. When finished add cooked pasta, broccoli and chicken. Toss well and keep a little heat under it for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and place in a serving dish, sprinkle about 1 1/2 cups of shredded Parmesan over the top. Serve with heated Italian bread and your tossed salad. Lemon zest can obtained by rubbing a lemon over the grater carefully and not cutting into the white covering of the fruit. The white is bitter, you just want the yellow skin, it contains an oil which will enhance the flavor of your recipe.
Kabler's Pick of the Week
(To participate in Pick of the Week, e-mail your favorite recipe to jane.kabler@lee.net or mail to The Ledger Independent, P.O. Box 518, Maysville, Ky. 41056, attention Jane. Include your name, phone number and hometown. Your phone number will not be published but is needed in case I have a question about your recipe.)
SMOKED SALMON SPREAD
Submitted by Evelyn Osborne Taylor, Lexington
16 oz. of cream cheese
2 tablespoons of dried dill
4 oz. of smoked salmon
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke
3 tablespoons of finely chopped shallots
Juice of one lemon
2 teaspoons of horseradish
1/2 teaspoon of salt
A sprig of fresh dill
Place all ingredients, except the sprig of dill, in the food processor and thoroughly mix or mix in a blender. Place in a serving dish and add sprig of fresh dill to the top. Serve with unpeeled cucumber slices, 1/4 inch thick and round crackers. (Shallots can be found in the produce section of most markets). They are small and when peeled, slightly purple in color. They have a wonderful flavor but a little strong. They can be sautéed nicely. Watch your skillet when you add your garlic, it will scorch quickly. Stir and keep the temperature at medium. Smoked salmon can be found in 4 oz. packages on the counter in front of the meat and seafood section at the market. It is vacuum packed. |
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