Nicole's assorted Tasting Table recipe dinner - November 2009

Like many foodies I subscribe to the Tasting Table e-mail newsletter, and the delicious recipes that they send each week had been piling up in my Inbox without ever being tested. I especially wanted to try the dinner menu recipes for Thomas Keller, as I have eaten at Ad Hoc and one day aspire to dine at the French Laundry. This dinner night was an effort to use those recipes, plus one for Ebelskivers so that I could put to use the special pan that Rissa had given me.

Sausage-Stuffed Danish Ebelskivers

Heather took the reins on this recipe, which turned out requiring some skill to flip over the little dough balls in the pan while cooking. We branched out from the recipe's suggested savory filling of sausage, and also cooked some with chocolate or berry jam filling. The possibilities for fillings are endless, both sweet and savory. They were a delicious appetizer, and the extra ones reheated well for my snack the next day.
Ingredients:
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
3 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 pound precooked bulk breakfast sausage
Real maple syrup

Directions:
1. Separate egg yolks and whites into two bowls. Beat egg yolks. Add sugar, salt and milk; stir. Mix in flour, baking powder and baking soda.
2. In second bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into the other mixture.
3. Lightly grease each cavity of the ebelskiver pan. Over medium heat, fill each cavity 2/3 full with batter, and tuck a teaspoon-sized piece of precooked sausage inside, pushing it down so that the batter covers it fully. Cook 2 minutes and then flip the ebelskivers with two wooden skewers... (this method works best, and prevents scratching of the nonstick). Cook for another 2-1/2 minutes or until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Repeat until all the batter is used.
4. Serve immediately, with maple syrup.

Thomas Keller Roast Chicken

This recipe called for a ~2lb. chicken, which was impossible to find at my local supermarket. The only ones that I could find were over 4 pounds, which I shouldn't have been surprised about after recently watching "Food Inc." and seeing how the poultry industry operates. The presentation was not quite as nice as in the picture since we did not have four legs and breasts to plate, but the chicken was still very good.

Serves four

Ingredients
2 - 2¼ to 2½ lb. chickens
Brine
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 tsp. chopped thyme leaves
1 c. chicken jus, warmed
Fleur de sel
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Rinse chickens under cold water, then submerge in pot of brine and refrigerate six hours.

2. Preheat oven to 475°.

3. Remove chickens from brine, rinse, and dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt and pepper, truss chickens, and let them sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

4. Salt and pepper chickens again. Place two heavy, ovenproof, 10-inch skillets over high heat. When hot, add half the oil to each. Place birds breast side up in skillets, then into the oven, legs first.

5. Roast for 40 minutes, checking every 15 minutes and rotating skillets to brown evenly. When done, temperature should read approximately 155°F. Remove from oven, add thyme leaves to skillets, and baste birds with the juices and thyme. Let sit in a warm spot for about 10 minutes.

6. Carve each bird into 4 serving pieces. Arrange one breast and a leg on each plate, top with ¼ c. chicken jus, and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Brine for Roast Chicken

Ingredients
1 c. kosher salt
¼ c. plus 2 tbsp. honey
12 bay leaves
½ c. garlic cloves, skin left on, smashed
2 tbsp. black peppercorns
3 large rosemary sprigs
1 large bunch thyme sprigs
1 large bunch Italian parsley sprigs
Grated zest and 2 large lemons

1. Combine all ingredients and 1 gallon of water in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil.

2. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely before using.

Thomas Keller Salade de Laitue

This salad was easy to make and complemented the rest of the meal. The dijon vinaigrette was good and the overall flavor not too powerful, but this was not as much of a standout as some of the other salads we have made.

Serves four

Ingredients
4 heads Bibb lettuce
2 tbsp. minced shallots
2 tbsp. minced chives
¼ c. Italian parsley
¼ c. tarragon leaves
¼ c. chervil leaves
½ c. house vinaigrette
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Core the heads of lettuce. Separate leaves but keep each head by itself; discard outer leaves. Head by head, place the leaves in a bowl of cold water to refresh them and remove any dirt, then dry in a salad spinner.

2. Place the leaves from one head in a bowl; sprinkle with a pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper, 1½ tsp. each shallots and chives; and 1 tbsp. each parsley, tarragon, and chervil.

3. Toss gently with 2 tbsp. vinaigrette and 1 tsp. lemon juice. Repeat with remaining heads.

4. To serve, arrange outer leaves as the base on the plate and rebuild each head of lettuce, ending with the smallest leaves.

House Vinaigrette
Makes about 2½ cups

Ingredients
¼ c. Dijon mustard
½ c. red wine vinegar
1½ c. canola oil

1. In a blender, combine the mustard and vinegar at medium speed for about 15 seconds. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in 1/2 c. canola oil.

2. Transfer to a small bowl and, whisking constantly, slowly stream in the remaining 1 c. oil. Use immediately or refrigerate up to two weeks.

Thomas Keller Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron)

This tart was just okay. The quantity of pine nuts was a bit too much, and overpowered the taste of the crust in a negative way. I also accidentally slightly burned part of the top of the crust, so that did not help matters. Cooking that part of it properly would have helped, although overall we gave this one a thumbs down.

Serves eight

Ingredients
2 c. pine nuts
1/3 c. sugar
4 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra
1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra
3 eggs, cold
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold, cut into 6 pieces
2 egg yolks, cold
¾ c. sugar
½ c. lemon juice

1. Place pine nuts in food processor and pulse; add the sugar and 4 c. flour and pulse until nuts are finely ground. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

2. Add room-temperature butter, 1 egg, and vanilla; mix to incorporate. Divide the dough into three equal parts. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 minutes before using (Because the dough uses only one egg, it’s difficult to make a smaller quantity. Freeze the extra for another time.)

3. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats.

4. Remove tart pan from fridge; press 1 ball of chilled pine nut dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off excess.

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes; rotate; bake for another 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you make the filling.

6. Bring about 1½ inches of water to a boil in a pot slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk remaining eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute.

7. Set the bowl over the pot and whisk mixture while turning the bowl. When eggs are foamy and have thickened (about 2 minutes), add one third of the lemon juice. Continue whisking while turning, adding remaining lemon juice in thirds, until the mixture is thick, light in color, and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl (about 8-10 minutes). Turn off heat and leave bowl over water, then whisk in butter.

8. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.

9. While sabayon is still warm, put in preheated broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the tart (just a few seconds).

10. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Andrew's Herb Risotto

This was a good risotto that also packs a healthier and colorful punch with the vegetables in it. Not quite as rich as a typical risotto, but that was a good thing. Overall we liked this recipe.

Prep Time:10

MinCook Time:35

MinReady In: 45 Min

Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup trimmed, diced fennel bulb

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, divided

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 1/2 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat oil and butter in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add fennel, bell pepper, onion, garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons mint, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley, 1 tablespoon rosemary and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Saute, stirring, until vegetables are slightly softened (about 2 to 3 minutes).

Stir in coriander and rice and saute, stirring, until rice grains are oil-coated (about 3 minutes). Pour in wine and stock and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is almost absorbed and rice is tender but firm. (Note: Stir once or twice while simmering.)

Remove pan from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in remaining mint, parsley, rosemary and lemon zest, then add lemon juice and cheese. Cover saucepan with waxed paper and let stand 8 to 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 289 Total Fat: 11.2g Cholesterol: 15mg

Rissa says, "Do as the French do!" October 2009

I always thought I didn't like French food...until of course my best friend on FoodNetwork (you must know by now that's Ina Garten herself) showed me otherwise. My impression of it was that it was only wine-based and way too strong at that. Typically, I like wine in my glass and not my food, ha. I eventually learned that there are delicious dishes with butter, good cheeses, broths, etc. This had to be tried! So without intending to simply pull all Ina recipes (too easy), I looked throughout my cookbooks to see what could be pulled into this meal. It was a fun meal to coordinate and came out (mostly) well!

Gruyere Cheese Fondue with Roasted Potato Spears

Yes, yes..this is actually more Swiss than French..but it seemed like a great fit for the menu. Fondue is a fun dish for a dinner party. But this Rachael Ray recipe was NOT a winner! The sauce came out thin and the wine flavor was too strong for my liking. We tried to keep it warm with the tealight burner and then it started to burn, and burnt wine + cheese = no good. It was just not the fondue recipe we were going for. Potato spears can be kind of a heavy item to dip as well. I'd say bread is the better option!

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

Now this recipe was fantastic! Make things easy on yourself and buy the pre-cut butternut squash at Trader Joe's. Roast that with the maple syrup, olive oil, salt and pepper, and voila..it's the highlight of the salad. Okay, the walnuts, cranberries, and generous parmesan amounts contribute as well. I liked the colors in this dish..very festive and fall-like. Only gripe is that like with most salad, it's not one that keeps super well. I'd say it's best when used the same day.

Chicken with Dark Beer (Coq a la Biere)

Two words for this recipe: labor-intensive! We should have taken a better picture..it doesn't do justice for the work that it was! It all starts with seasoning and flouring the chicken, cooking in butter for 5 minutes. Then the pan is removed from the heat, gin added to it, and lit on fire! That part is a little scary but truly added flavor to the dish, so I'd say a necessary step. After the flames die down, the vegetables are added to the pan and all simmers for 45 minutes. The recipe says to use a cheesecloth but I don't recall doing that..or if we did I'd say now you can probably skip that part. After the chicken is fully cooked, it's removed from the pan and the rest gets made into a sauce for the topping once combined with yogurt. Again, quite a bit of work..(this is obviously a simplified description). I'm sure some would say they wouldn't make because of the complexity. But it was very tasty, went well with the menu and made for great leftovers with the celery root puree.

Celery Root Puree

Excuse the wine glasses in the photo..just contributing to the theme of the night. ;)

True experiment here trying celery root puree. It just seemed too bland to just go with mashed potatoes and I've heard good things about celery root (who woulda thought!). It was easy actually. Just boil the celery root, potato, and onions in milk for 30 minutes and process all together with butter. I thought the leftovers were yummy too and went nicely with the very flavorful chicken.

French Apple Tart

French in the name made this the right dessert. It was SO yummy. I'm not a fan of making pie crust or dough in general, but after watching Ina make this on her show it seemed less intimidating. The ingredients are simple and wasn't ridiculous to make. For a second we were nervous that it overcooked in my oven, but the crispy parts were pretty good, too! Very yummy pastry and serves well with ice cream.

Grandma Heather's Old-Fashioned Cookin' November 2009

Everyone knows that Grandma cooks with love. And by love I mean butter, cream, and everything else that clogs up those arteries. Grandmas are famous for their casseroles, pot pies, and fried chicken. I wanted to pick a menu that reminded of us all of that good home-cookin' but adapt it into a more updated, healthy version of the original. (Plus, I had been craving a root beer float!)

Recipes:

Beef and Vegetable Potpie (Courtesy of Cooking Light)

This recipe was relatively easy to construct, using the bread-stick dough. The labor intensive part was just chopping up the veggies. We omitted the mushrooms because I detest them (yeah, I know that means I'm not a true foodie but I can accept that as long as it means never having to eat one of those sluggish, slimy things). This dish turned out good, but not great. It was definitely not your creamy, flaky, buttery pot pie. Still, if you're craving some hearty comfort food but want to watch your calorie intake, this would be a good option.

Iceberg Lettuce Wedges with Creamy Garlic Dressing (Courtesy of All You)

Simple lettuce salad, I know, you're probably thinking B-O-R-I-N-G. Especially, with the nutrition-less iceberg but that's how G-ma would do it, right? Anyway, the dressing was what made the salad. It was deliciously creamy with just the right amount of garlic and I used the leftovers on other salads for weeks after our dinner night.

Split Pea Soup with Rosemary (Courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

This soup was delicious, creamy, and really reminded us of grandma's cookin. The bacon added a smoky flavor while the rosemary's piney flavor was a nice balance. This is very simple to throw together but make sure you give yourself enough time to let the peas cook fully.

Rootbeer Floats

1 can of A&W rootbeer

1 scoop of vanilla ice cream

You can't get anymore old-fashioned or nostalgic than this. Obviously, this isn't a fancy dessert that took a lot of effort but the simplicity of it is what makes it so fun. And delicious. Did I mention delicious? I could go for one right now.

Foxy- Beach BBQin’- Foodies September 2009

With all of our crazy schedules, it’s sometimes near impossible to find a date that works for everyone. After much debate, we settled on a Sunday. A few of the girls suggested we go to the beach before since I live really close. This, along with summer ending (tear), inspired me to put together a beach bbq theme---hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Chipotle Veggie Dip
This recipe was really easy to put together. The cream cheese and chipotle combination says it all and of course the other yummy key ingredients (cilantro, garlic, etc). Dipping veggies and pita chips in it made it a great appetizer! So easy to make. Only note is to be careful when using chipotle chilies in adobo…a little goes a loooong way with that ingredient in general.

1 8oz package of cream cheese

2/3 c. sour cream

3 teaspoons lime juice

3 canned chipotle in adobo sauce

2 tablespoons minced scallions

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Finely grated zest of one lime

Place first three ingredients into a food processor and blend until creamy. Stir in remaining ingredients by hands and enjoy!

H – Thumbs up – spicy and delicious!
K- Thumbs up
N – Thumbs up – a bit spicy, but yummy.
R - Thumbs up.

Grilled Romaine with Spicy Caesar Dressing- Food Network

Nicole – I had never “cooked” lettuce before, let alone barbequed it, so this was a new concept for me. It actually worked out well though, and I would recommend using larger romaine leaves (some of the smaller ones we used were a bit tricky to flip on the grill). Delicious dressing and the extra dressing could be used for another meal.

H – Thumbs up.
K- Thumbs up for the dressing, down for the grilled romaine. It just seemed to wilt; I thought it should be crispy?
N – Thumbs up.
R - Thumbs sideways. Definitely didn’t need to be grilled and became a lot of work to lift those guys off the grill. The dressing was good, but didn’t taste like Caesar necessarily?

Macaroni Salad- Bon Appetite
Heather – I was very skeptical about this recipe as I’m not a fan of mayonnaise-based pasta salads. I much prefer the oil and vinegar types. But, I was willing to give it a try…until I read that we were putting pickles and celery in the salad. Yuck! The only thing I can say about this is it tasted exactly how I thought it would. Maybe there are some people out there who like this sort of thing but I’m not one of them!

H – Thumbs way down.
K- Thumbs down- the store bought version is easier and tastier!
N – Thumbs sideways – nothing special, but not bad either.
R - Thumbs sideways. Don’t need to make again, but would definitely have a scoop if it was at a bbq.

Sticky and Spicy Baby Back Ribs- Food and Wine

Being my first time making ribs, I must say I was impressed! I was a little unsure at first because the first step is to remove the membrane---sick. Since I bought the ribs at Costco this part was already done for me, score! The rub was easy, and the bbq sauce was perfect combination of spicy and sweet. The only thing I would do differently is dice the onions up really small so they are less noticeable in the sauce

H – Thumbs up – These were delicious and had a tangy flavor from the vinegar sauce.
K- Thumbs up
N – Thumbs up!
R - Thumbs up. Ammmmazing. I didn’t think we’d eat the two huge racks of ribs...thought there’d be no way, but I was definitely wrong!

Cuban Corn- Dave Liebermann

This recipe is a classic and perfect for the theme. Grilled of course and with a bit of a spice topping (just a bit) muted by the most delicious queso fresco (big fan here). It was so easy to do. I learned a trick from Kristin in making this…that you can freeze queso fresco. Never thought of that before, but we took it out of the freezer and it was fine.

H – Thumbs up.
K- Thumbs up, lots of flavor.
N – Thumbs up – delish!
R - Thumbs up.


Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding- Paula Dean

This was a relatively simple recipe that did not require the oven. You use a package of vanilla pudding mix, some cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and those fun Chessboard cookies. I think when Paula says it’s not yo’ mama’s banana pudding, she means it’s a calorie-laden, full-fat, heart-attack-waiting-to-happen, version. That said, it was the most delicious bread pudding I’ve ever had!

H – Thumbs up.
K- Thumbs up, my boyfriend literally ate half of the pan.
N – Thumbs up.
R – Thumbs up.

“The $50 Dinner Party” Dinner - October 2009

Keeping with the theme of my last dinner night I have been trying to utilize cookbooks on my shelf that have not been cracked open in awhile. This time I looked to “The $50 Dinner Party: 26 dinner parties that won’t break your bank, your back, or your schedule”. I have used this book in the past with pretty good results, and thought that it was worthy of the monthly dinner night group. I chose Menu Sixteen, which was complete with a soup, salad, fish, side, and dessert.

Chilled Corn Soup with Tomatoes, Red Peppers and Cilantro

Nicole – This recipe was a multiple step process with the cooking/pureeing/cooling, but worth the effort. It was the perfect dish for a warm summer evening.

K: Thumbs up.

R: Thumbs up.

N: Thumbs up – good cold and fresh dish for summer.

H: Thumbs up.

Spice-Rubbed Catfish

Nicole – The catfish was easy enough to make, although the amount of seasoning that the recipe called for was a bit overpowering overall. It was a bit spicy for our tastes, and we did not even put in the entire required 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper.

K: Thumbs sideways, there was nothing wrong with it per say, I just think there are better recipes out there for this fish.

R: Thumbs up.

N: Thumbs sideways – after having catfish for lunch the day before I may have OD’d a bit on this fish.

H: Thumbs sideways.

Polenta Triangles

Nicole – I mistakenly chose yet another polenta recipe after we had cooked it in the last dinner night rotation, so I think that the repetition did not help this dish. The taste was fine, but the fact that we did not refrigerate the polenta overnight made for some pretty interesting frying pan action – take it from us, browning soft polenta does not really work.

K: Thumbs sideway.

R: Thumbs sideways - polenta is very hit or miss for me.

N: Thumbs sideways – the taste was great, but it didn’t look very pretty (we served it soft).

H: Thumbs down – I was expecting a little more crust around the polenta but this still had the mushy consistency that I don’t particularly enjoy.

Grilled Pineapple and Avocado Salad with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

Rissa - Salads can be boring after a while, so finding one like this is always nice! Avocado is super delicious in any salad and the vinaigrette was simple to make but a great compliment to the recipe. I don’t remember if we used watercress..being that I’m not a big fan of watercress I would think we used something else considering how much I loved it! Make again for sure.

K: Thumbs up! This was amazing.

R: Thumbs up!

N: Thumbs way up! This was a delicious salad, and I found myself eating the pineapple and avocado in the bottom of the bowl. I have made this a couple times since the dinner night with repeated success.

H: Thumbs up!

Jake and Earl’s Six-Layer Bars with Chocolate, Pecans, and Coconut

I make 7-layer bars almost every Christmas so they are definitely a favorite of mine. The only difference between the ones I usually make and this recipe was the missing butterscotch chips. Although, these bars still turned out great, I did miss the rich taste of butterscotch. Overall, a good and simple recipe.

K: Thumbs sideways, just not really my cup of tea.

R: Thumbs up. I actually don’t care for butterscotch too much, so this was perfect for me.

N: Thumbs up – gooey and yummy.

H: Thumbs up

Notes from the cookbook:

-make the chilled corn soup the day before

-assemble or make the six-layer bars the day before; if just assembling, bake 4 hours before

-grill the pineapple the day before

-rub the spices on the catfish the night before

-make but do not cook the polenta the day before

RECIPES

Chilled Corn Soup with Tomatoes, Red Peppers, and Cilantro

1 T. olive oil

1 small Spanish onion, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

8 large ears of corn, kernels scraped off (about 5-6 cups)

1 beefsteak tomato, diced

½ t. black pepper

6-7 cups chicken broth

½ red bell pepper, diced, for garnish

2-3 T. chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Place a large stockpot over medium heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until they are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the corn, tomato, and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Raise the heat to high, add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.

Transfer half the solids to a blender and puree. Transfer all the soup (pureed and chunky) to a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Garnish with the red bell pepper and cilantro.

Spice-Rubbed Catfish

1 T. dried Greek oregano

2 t. cayenne pepper

1 heaping T. garlic powder

2 t. dried thyme

2 t. Hungarian paprika

1 ½ t. kosher salt

1 t. black pepper

six 6-8 oz. catfish fillets, about 2 ½ - 3 pounds

1 T. olive oil

1 ½ lemons or limes, cut into six slices, for garnish

To make the spice rub: Place the oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl and combine well.

Place the catfish on a large plate and rub both sides with the spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

Prepare the grill or place a large skillet over high heat. If you are grilling, lightly rub each side with the olive oil and place the fish, skin side down, on the grill and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. If you are panfrying, place a large skillet over high heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Add the fish, skin side down, one at a time, allowing the pan to reheat for about 30 seconds between additions. Cook until deeply browned and cooked throughout, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a large platter and serve immediately. Garnish with the lemon.

Polenta Triangles

6 cups water

½ - 1 t. kosher salt

1 ¾ - 2 cups stone-ground cornmeal

½ cup heavy cream

1 T. unsalted butter

1 bunch scallion greens, chopped (optional)

1 T. olive oil

Lightly butter a 9-inch round baking pan.

Place the water and salt in a medium-size saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Gradually pour in the cornmeal, whisking all the while.

When the mixture begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and book until the cornmeal begins to thicken, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Slowly whisk in the cream, butter, and if desired, the scallions. Continue the cooking until the polenta just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Pour the polenta into the prepared pan, cover and refrigerate up to overnight. Just before serving, cut into 6 triangles. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Place the triangles on the skillet and cook until browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Serve immediately.

If you want to serve the polenta soft, skip the last step and serve immediately.

Grilled Pineapple and Avocado Salad with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

2 t. olive oil

2 t. walnut oil

1 T plus 1 t. red wine vinegar or lemon or orange juice

1 t. kosher salt

¼ - ½ t. black pepper

1 pineapple, cut into 12 slices

2 bunches watercress, well washed and torn

3 avocadoes, halved and cut into large dice

To make the vinaigrette: Place the oils, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl and mix well.

Prepare the grill or preheat the broiler.

Place the pineapple slices 4 inches from the heat source and cook until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Cut each slice into 8 triangles.

Divide the watercress between 6 salad plates and top with equal amounts of avocado and pineapple. Drizzle lightly with the vinaigrette. Serve at room temperature.

Jake and Earl’s Six-Layer Bars with Chocolate, Pecans and Coconut

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

12 whole graham crackers (do not use low-fat), crumbled into a powder

¾ cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened is fine)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

¾ cup sweetened condensed milk

1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the butter and graham cracker crumbs in an 8-inch square pan and combine until they are well incorporated. Press down in an even layer.

Sprinkle ½ cup coconut on the graham cracker crust.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the coconut.

Drizzle the condensed milk over the chocolate chips.

Sprinkle the pecans over the condensed milk.

Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup coconut over the pecans and lightly press down. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool. Cut into 9 squares.

Transfer to a platter and serve immediately or cover and store at room temperature overnight.

Rissa's "Beachside" BBQ

In the summer, I try to use my bbq as much as possible. Who says a 3x5 foot "backyard" (aka enclosed patio) can stop me from cooking out?! So when it comes to my dinner night in this season, it's usually incorporated. I wanted to do something summer-y in general so a gorgeous pink torpoedo with grilled apps was the right start. A Los Angeles summer fav for me is Duke's Restaurant in Malibu. This dinner night basically tried to mimick that beach feel with fish tacos, Spanish rice, etc. I'm just catching on to how seasonal corn on the cob is..I used to always shortcut corn by getting it out of the can, but now I know there's no substitute! So I had to incorporate this realization into my veggie dish. A good choice at that. Lots of colors and zest in this meal, which set the tone I was looking for!

Pink Torpoedoes




Kristin- These were fairly easy to make and incorpated two of my favorite things every- vodka and strawberries! Because of this, I think my expectations were really high and the drink fell slightly short. A decent summer time drink by all means, it just seemed like it was missing something. Maybe more sweetness would do the trick?

H: Thumbs up.
K: Thumbs sideways.
N: Thumbs sideways.
R: Thumbs up - I thought it was great.

Grilled Drumsticks with Herb Dipping Sauce



Nicole - These were super easy and delicious too! I am still a complete beginner on the grill, and this recipe was a good one for me to get some practice in.

H: Thumbs up.
K: Thumbs up- the sauce was a great compliment to the smokeyness of the chicken.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs sideways - anytime I eat this kind of app, I can’t help but expect buffalo sauce somewhere!


Margarita Fish Tacos with Chipotle-Lime Mayo and Arugula




These were easy enough to put together but the chipotle flavor overwhelmed all the other flavors in the tacos. If I were to make these again, I’d cut back on the chipotle.

H: Thumbs down – there are better fish taco recipes out there.
K: Thumbs down- little flavor to the fish and the sauce was too spicy for even me!
N: Thumbs sideways – a bit spicy for me too.
R: Thumbs down. Not the one..

Spanish Rice



Kristin- I was excited to tackle this recipe since I had never made spanish rice before. I believe I accidently added too many diced tomatoes, but I didn’t mind since I love tomatoes! Overall, solid rice recipe that wasn’t too bland (some of them can be!)

H: Thumbs up.
K: Thumbs up
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs sideways.



Zesty 3 Bean and Roasted Corn Salad




Rissa - This recipe was one of the hits of the night. Full of flavor and spices. This is where I also learned about fresh vs. can corn. Major difference! I snuck in a smidge more avocado of course, but you just can’t waste any. And as for browning the corn and green beans in a pan, that was a good tip. Very easy and super tasty dish.

H: Thumbs up.
K: Thumbs up!
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up.


Caramel Banana Cupcakes



Even though these required a lot of manual labor in unwrapping all the caramels, it was well worth the effort! I love the flavor combination of banana and caramel and you could really taste both in these cupcakes. The only thing I didn’t like about this and would definitely change next time was the frosting. It tasted like straight up butter. I would do a sweeter, less buttery frosting or even a cream cheese frosting next time.

H: Thumbs sideways.
K: Thumbs up- such a fun surprise inside! Though best when served immediately.
N: Thumbs up – yum!
R: Thumbs down.

Heather's Summer Seasonal Night

My inspiration for this dinner night was the fresh ingredients I see all the time at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market. I wanted to do a simple menu based on summer ingredients since many of them are only in season for a few months.

Grilled Shrimp with Corn, Tomato and Basil (Courtesy of Glamour Magazine)


Place 16 large cleaned, deveined shrimp (tails on!) in a bowl with 3 tbsp. olive oil and 1 clove minced garlic; marinate 30 minutes. Meanwhile, boil 3 ears husked corn in a pot for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut kernels from cobs. Mix with 2 cups chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 8 slivered basil leaves, salt and pepper. Remove shrimp from marinade; season with salt and pepper. Grill shrimp until cooked through, and place over salad. Serves 4.

K: Thumbs up. It was so light and refreshing.
N: Thumbs up! Who knew such a great recipe would come from Glamour.
R: Thumbs up. I’m giving magazine recipes a chance now.
H: Thumbs up – Absolutely delicious!

Peach-Strawberry Margarita (Courtesy of Margaritas, Mojitos & More by Jessica Strand)

1 lime wedge
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup crushed ice
¼ cup peeled, cubed peach, plus 1 slice for garnish
2 teaspoons Simple Syrup
¼ cup hulled, quartered strawberries, plus 2 whole for garnish
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ounce gold tequila
1 ounce peach schnapps

Moisten the outer rim of a chilled margarita glass with the lime wedge. Spread the salt on a shallow plate and dip the glass in the salt, covering it with a light band. Set the glass aside.
In a blender, combine the ice, peach cubes, simple syrup, quartered strawberries, lime juice, tequila, and schnapps. Blend at high speed until smooth. Pour into prepared glass. Spear a strawberry, then the peach slice, then a strawberry. Garnish with the fruit spear.

Heather – These were so fresh and summery. I felt like I was on vacation drinking them. They were easy to make as well.

K: Thumbs up.
N: Thumbs up – loved the summer fruits.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up


Fresh Mozzarella and Stacked Heirloom Tomato Salad with Green Chile-Cilantro Oil and Chipotle Vinegar (Courtesy of food network)

Heather – So we’ve done the tomato, mozzarella and basil combo a few times now but never with heirloom tomatoes and since they are only in season during the summer months, I thought it would be a perfect addition to the menu. These were very easy to put together and looked really professional and tasted great! I couldn’t really taste the chipotle too much in the vinegar.

K: Thumbs up the sauces were an interesting combo.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up

Couscous with summer vegetables and herbs (Courtesy of Seasonal Food by Susannah Blake)

Serves 4.
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into large chunks
2 red bell peppers, cut into large chunks
9 oz cherry tomatoes
2 zucchinis, thickly sliced
5 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
1 cup couscous
1 cup boiling water
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves
Large handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Large handful of fresh basil, torn

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put bell peppers, tomatoes, and zucchinis in a large baking dish, drizzle 2 tablespoons of the oil over them, season well with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, tossing once or twice, until tender and slightly charred.
Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, sugar, and 2 ½ tablespoons of the oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.

Put the couscous in a large bowl, blend in the remaining oil and a pinch of salt using a fork, then pour in the boiling water. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then fluff up with a fork. Add the roasted vegetables and any juices from the dish to the couscous along with the feta, and sprinkle with the mint, parsley and basil. Pour in the dressing, then toss to combine well and serve either warm or room temperature.

K: Thumbs sideways. I would leave out the mint next time.
N: Thumbs up! Loved the combo of couscous and veggies, and have made this a couple times since.
R: Thumbs up minus the mint. I usually don’t care for couscous, but this was really good.
H: Thumbs up – minus the mint and parsley.

Grilled Skirt Steak and Peaches (Courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine)

Rissa - I typically don’t like fruit in general unless it’s in a dessert with some sort of cake, SO I had to gear up for this dinner night! When I heard about steak with peaches, that was pretty odd to me. Heather is privileged to work right next to an amazing farmers market so the peaches looked perfect for this recipe (even to me). The sauce was really good and you don’t even need to marinade overnight which is nice (I would probably not scrape it off the steak before grilling). Because it was pretty zesty and with a little spice from the jalapeno, I think it actually paired well with the peaches! My only thing is that we used a grill pan for this recipe which I would not recommend. There is no substitute and the peaches and steak did not “char” as much as I would prefer if done on a regular grill.

K: Thumbs up- I thought the sauce was so yummy. However, I agree with the other girls, I would use a different cut of meat…perhaps filet.
N: Thumbs sideways – I liked the meat and peaches combo, although the meat was a bit tough for me too. I tried it again with chicken for better results, and a different cut of beef would probably work better.
R: Thumbs up..would try flank steak next time!
H: Thumbs down – The meat was way too tough for my preference.

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Ice Cream (Courtesy of Rachael Ray Magazine)

Nicole – This is a delicious and an easy ice cream recipe, and a good way to use up a lot of strawberries. The recipe says to mash the strawberries with a fork, but I found it much easier using a potato masher.

K: Thumbs up.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up

Blueberry Pie (Courtesy of AllRecipes.com)

Nicole – This pie was extremely easy to make – just mix everything together, and pour it into the crust.

K: Thumbs down (Disclaimer- I would say that to almost any fruit pie)
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up. I liked it and it was so easy!
H: Thumbs sideways – This was a little soggy. I’m sure I could find a better recipe for blueberry pie.