Recipes
Church Ladies’ Crab Soup
Serves 4 to 6 5 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ cup finely chopped onion ½ cup finely chopped celery ½ pound cooked crabmeat (the church ladies use canned) 2 ½ cups whole milk, divided 2 cups heavy cream 2 cups half and half ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce or to taste ¼…
Crawfish Etouffee
Serves: a crowd 2 sticks of butter 3 onions, finely chopped 1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped 3 stalks celery, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 3 pounds cleaned crawfish tails 1 to 2 tablespoons “Slap Ya Mama” seasoning (or other Cajun seasoning) 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with water (enough to…
Pimento Cheese Sandwiches
Serves 2 to 4 people 8 ounces sharp cheddar, coarsely shredded ½ cup jarred pimentos, drained and finely diced ¼ cup mayonnaise Homemade style whole wheat bread Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Spread the cheese on the bread to make sandwiches and cut into quarters.…
White Chicken Chili
Makes 6 servings Hands-on time: 15 minutes Total Preparation time: 40 minutes 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon) 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne…
Martha Lou’s Fried Chicken
Martha Lou’s Fried Chicken Note: if you don’t have Lawry’s products handy substitute the homemade seasoning salt for both the Lawry’s products in the ingredient list Serves 6 1 1/2 tablespoons Lawry”s Seasoned Salt 1 1/2 tablespoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt ½ teaspoon Black pepper one 3 to 4 pound chicken,…
Kielbasa, Cheddar and Kimchi Sandwiches
Serves 4 1 cup well-drained Quick Kimchi (see recipe below) 4 hero rolls 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 1/2 pounds kielbasa 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese Prepare Quick Kimchi. Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Split the rolls horizontally to within 1/2 inch of the…
Bahamian Fish Chowder
Norman Van Aken, © 2001 Serves 8 to 10 2 ounces diced slab bacon, rind removed if any is on it ¼ cup olive oil 4 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced 1 Scotch bonnet, seeds and stems removed, minced 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and diced medium 4 celery…
Key West Backyard “Cut Up” Salad
©2019 All rights reserved by Norman Van Aken I first learned of this salad like creation from a woman born and raised in Key West by the name of Sheila Sands-Davenport. We were at a party at her home having dinner when talk turned to true ‘conch’ cooking. ‘Conchs’ are…
Chicken Paillard with Greek Salad and Tzatziki
Makes 4 Servings Hands-On Time: 30 minutes Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes Suggested Accompaniments Greek Farmer Salad (see recipe below) Tzatziki (see recipe below) 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves Olive oil 2 large cloves garlic, minced 3 lemons, 2 zested and 1 cut in wedges 1 teaspoon coarse sea…
Two Melon Prosciutto and Feta Layered Salad
Makes 4 servings Hands-on time: about 15 minutes Total preparation time: 15 minutes 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, sweet or hot Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/8 medium watermelon (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into bite…
Steakhouse Salad
Makes 4 Servings Hands-On Time: 30 Minutes Total Preparation Time: 35 Minutes 1 pound russet Potatoes (2 medium) 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper One 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pound beef sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 inches thick) 1…
Korean Style Burgers
Makes 4 Servings Hands-On Time: 15 Minutes Total Preparation Time: 25 Minutes Quick Kimchi (recipe below) or store bought kimchi 4 medium scallions One 3/4 inch piece fresh ginger 3 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium if you prefer) 1 1/2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar 1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown…
Mussels and Bok Choy with Green Tea Pilaf
Start to finish: 45 minutes Hands on time: 35 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger 6 scallions, sliced thin crosswise and white and green parts kept separate 2 tablespoons fermented black beans rinsed well and mashed lightly…
Smoked Salmon and Salmon Roe on Crispy Potato Pancakes
I often make these appetizer latkes from Sara Moulton Cooks at Home for special occasions when it’s just the four of us at home, because you can dress them up or down. Sam leaves the salmon and caviar alone in favor of the unadorned potato pancakes. Ruth also favors the pancakes…
Eggs Baked in Red Wine
Makes 2 servings Hands-on time: 20 minutes Total Preparation time: 40 minutes Suggested Accompaniment steamed asparagus tossed with a little butter Ingredients 2 slices homemade-style white bread 2 garlic cloves, one halved and one minced 3 strips bacon 1 shallots minced ¾ c dry red wine ¾ c chicken stock,…
Dirty Duck Rice
Dirty Duck Rice Serves 4 to 6 people 3 large duck livers 1/2 cup whole milk 6 confit duck legs (available on line from Dartagnan.com and Mapleleaffarms.com) 2 tablespoons duck fat (available from the above on line sources) 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion 2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons…
Dandelion Green Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and Pecan Dressing
Serves: 4 For the dressing: 2/3 cup raw sugar 1 cup toasted pecans 1 cup red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 pinches salt 1 ½ teaspoons chile de arbol powder (or chile powder of your choice) 3 cups blended oil For the salad: 6 cups dandelion greens 1…
Camarones Enchilados and Fried Sweet Plantains
Camarones Enchilados 4 servings 1/2 cup olive oil 1 large onion, sliced 1 large green pepper, sliced 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped 2 roasted jarred red peppers, lightly chopped 15 oz can plain tomato sauce 1 cup dry white wine 1 bay leaf Salt Red pepper flakes 2 pounds…
Zucchini in Cuban Style Cherry Tomato Sofrito
Makes 4 servings Hands-On Time: 30 minutes Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Suggested Accompaniments Rice or shredded Napa cabbage seasoned with just a bit of olive oil and salt. Ingredients 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3-4 garlic cloves, mashed with mortar and pestle or finely chopped 1 medium…
Dandelion Greens Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and Pecan Dressing
Serves 4 For the dressing: 2/3 cup raw sugar 1 cup toasted pecans 1 cup red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 pinches salt 1 ½ teaspoons chile de arbol powder (or chile powder of your choice) 3 cups blended oil For the salad: 6 cups dandelion greens 1…
Handmade Lemon Pasta
Handmade Lemon Pasta Makes 4 – 6 Servings Hands on time: 40 minutes Total preparation time: 1 hour and 15 minutes For the pasta: 4 cups 00 flour (Italian milled flour) 2 tablespoons semolina flour 1 large egg 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature 1 cup milk, at room temperature…
A Summer Salad from Paris
Several years ago Cory Van Horn sent me this photo along with an e-mail saying “I made your ‘Summer Salad from Paris’. . . . This recipe is delicious! I loved how all the flavors scream summer.” You can find more of his work at www.culinarycory.com. Janis Adler is my…
Pan Con Tomate (Bread with Tomato)
Pan Con Tomate 1 loaf of crusty bread Ripe tomatoes (see note) Extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt Slice the bread. Slice the tomatoes in half crosswise. Rub the halves of the tomato directly onto to the bread. Sprinkle with salt. Drizzle with olive oil. Note: A viewer, Kathy Dobrowolski, did…
Salad in a Jar
For the Honey-Lime Dressing: 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1/4 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon honey dash of hot sauce For the salad: ¼ cup black beans (rinsed and drained) ¼ cup corn kernels ¼ cup guacamole ¼ cup chopped tomato ¼ cup shredded chicken ¼ cup shredded romaine ½…