Category Archives: cooking

the best way to a woman’s heart is to cook for her

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Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

Ingredients

  • 20 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
  • 1 tablespoon (about) chopped fresh rosemary
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • 10 bacon slices, cut in half crosswise
  • Crumbled Stilton cheese, or other blue cheese

Preparation
Arrange shrimp on baking sheet. Sprinkle with rosemary, ground black pepper, and several splashes of vinegar. Wrap each in bacon, covering completely; secure with toothpick. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill on sheet.)

Preheat broiler. Broil shrimp 4 to 5 inches from heat source until shrimp are cooked through and bacon is browned, watching carefully to prevent burning, about 5 minutes per side. Remove toothpicks. Transfer shrimp to platter. Sprinkle hot shrimp with cheese and serve.

Makes 20.

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Creme Brulee French Toast

Ingredients
Although the Diehls use large slices from a round loaf of bread and remove the crust, we also tried the recipe with a baguette, leaving the crust on, and found it just as delicious. At La Maison, challah is often the bread of choice.

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons corn syrup
  • 8- to 9-inch round loaf country-style bread
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation
In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish. Cut six 1-inch thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use, and trim crusts. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier, and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350° F. and bring bread to room temperature.

Bake bread mixture, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve hot French toast immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

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Bananas Foster

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) dark brown sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 strip lemon zest, 1 to 2 inches long by about 1 1/2 inch wide
  • 2 large, firm, ripe bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise and then crosswise
  • 4 tablespoons dark rum
  • 1 pint vanilla ice cream, divided among four bowls

Preparation
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon stick, and lemon zest; stir to dissolve the sugar, about 1 minute. (If the heat is too high, the butter and sugar will separate instead of combining to form a sauce.)

Add the bananas and spoon some sauce over each piece. Cook until the bananas are glossy and golden on the bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn the bananas and continue cooking until they are very soft but not mushy or falling apart, about 1 1/2 more minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the rum and wait until the rum has warmed slightly, about 5 seconds. Wave a lit match over the pan until the rum ignites, shaking the pan to distribute the flame over the entire pan. When the flames subside (this will take 15 to 30 seconds), divide the bananas and sauce among the four bowls of ice cream and serve.
NOTE: While the bananas cook, scoop the ice cream into individual bowls so they are ready to go once the sauce has been flambeed. Before flambeing, make sure to roll up long shirt sleeves, tie back long hair, turn off the exhaust fan (otherwise the fan may pull the flames up), and turn off any lit burners (this is critical if you have a gas stove).

Serves 4

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Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds asparagus
  • 5 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream
  • Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)

Preparation
Trim tough ends from asparagus; discard. Cut off asparagus tips and reserve. Cut stalks into 3/4-inch-long pieces. Place 2/3 of stalk pieces, 1 cup broth and 1 cup water in blender. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add wine and cook until absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth and chopped rosemary; simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Continue to cook for 15 minutes, adding more broth by 1/2 cupfuls and allowing liquid to be absorbed before adding more, stirring often. Add remaining asparagus stalk pieces and reserved asparagus tips and continue cooking until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, adding broth as needed and stirring often, about 10 minutes longer. Add reserved asparagus puree and stir until absorbed, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan and cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer risotto to bowl. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired. Serve, passing remaining Parmesan separately.

Makes 6 servings.

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Blue Cheese Toasts

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature
  • 12 1/2-inch-thick rounds sourdough baguette
  • Sugar

Preparation
Preheat broiler. Mix cheese and butter in small bowl. Spread cheese mixture over bread rounds, dividing equally. Arrange rounds on baking sheet. Sprinkle each lightly with sugar. Broil until topping is just brown and cheese softens, about 1 minute. Transfer toasts to platter.

Makes 12 servings.