Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

This is one of my favorite ways to do baked potatoes for a crowd.  I have always done a version of these, but was able to update my procedure from a recipe that appeared on Pinterest.  It came from the blog Family Favorite Recipes.  I had always cut baking potatoes in half, added salt, pepper and spices or herbs, then put a pat of butter  on each cut side and cooked them cut side down on a cookie sheet in the oven.  This recipe had a few additions and tweaks  and that made all of the difference.  Crusty parmesan went a long way to take these potatoes over the top.

These potatoes are baked in a 9×13-inch pan which has been coated with melted butter, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and any herbs or spices that you prefer.  The recipe can be adjusted to the number of people that you are serving.  Since I am a lone diner this week, I made 3 potatoes and plan to make several meals from them.  If you have a crowd you can double the recipe and do two pans.  Serve with sour cream and chives or do like I do and add a splash of vinegar.

PARMESAN BAKED POTATO HALVES

Ingredients

• 6 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
• 1/4 cup butter
• grated Parmesan cheese to taste,
• garlic powder
• other seasonings (to personal preference)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter and pour into a 9×13 inch pan and spread evenly across the bottom. Generously sprinkle parmesan cheese and lightly sprinkle other seasonings all over the butter. Place potato halves face down on the butter and seasonings. Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve on a plate with a side of sour cream for dipping.

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There is nothing better than a basket of warm homemade scones for Mother’s Day.  That is exactly what I treated myself to today.  I am spending Mother’s Day on my own because David is on a motorcycle trip to Texas and the kids are away doing other things.  Sometimes it is OK to be alone on a holiday.  As far as I’m concerned, Mother’s Day is every day of the year.   I get all of the love I need from my family on a regular basis all year.  So I chose to celebrate this day as a day of rest, indulgence (the scones) and remembrance of my Mother.

My Mother  was everything that I always hope to be;  Good, talented, funny, forgiving and kind.     Her influence on her devoted children, grandchildren and  great-grandchildren was stupendous.  She was a talented artist and a naturally good cook.  Two of her granddaughters inherited her cooking and artistic genes.  At least one of her great-granddaughters (My Rachel) is a talented artist.  The art part passed me by, but you can’t say I don’t love to cook.

When we were in Nantucket, Mary Anne made the most delicious Currant Scones one morning for breakfast.  She said they were from a Martha Stewart recipe in her Baking Essentials book.  I never did find that specific recipe, but this one came from the Martha Stewart Cookbook.  There were no dried currants in my supermarket so I substituted dried cranberries and plumped them with orange juice. The recipe was easy.  Why haven’t I made scones before?

What I love about Mary Anne’s scones is that they are mealy and flaky like pie crust.  There are no eggs in them and that may be the difference from other scones that I have tried.  I love that flaky consistency.

I lounged in bed this morning with my coffee and scones, read my mystery du jour, encouraged the dog to wait until 10:00 AM for her walk and just chilled.  What could be better?

Tonight I am having my favorite grilled hamburger and a salad.  Easy and delicious.  Simple pleasures for a solitary, contemplative and peaceful weekend.

 

CRANBERRY ORANGE SCONES

I halved the recipe
4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup dried currants, soaked overnight in 3 tablespoons brandy (I used dried cranberries soaked in Orange Juice)
1 to 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 egg beaten with 1/4 cup light cream

Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  Using a pastry lender or two kitchen knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  (This can also be done in a food processor, using half the flour mixture, and adding the processed mixture to the remaining flour before adding the currants and cream.)  Stir in the drained currants.

Mixing lightly with your fingers, add just enough heavy cream to hold the mixture togeher.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill approximately 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out the dough 1/2-inch thick, and, using a biscuit cutter, cut the dough into various shapes.  I rolled the dough into a circle 1/2-inch thick and cut the dough into 8 wedges (For half of the recipe.  If you use the whole recipe you would make two circles).  Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, brush the tops lightly with egg wash, and bake until golden brown and puffed, 13 to 15 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack.

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I have always loved biscotti but I have never made them.  While in Nantucket, I enjoyed this decadent chocolate biscotti at Mary Anne’s house and got a lesson in how to make them.  Biscotti are baked twice.  That is why some would call them dry.  But the individual pieces are made to be dunked in hot coffee or tea so the dryness makes sense.  Of all of the biscotti I have had in the past,  this is the most moist and flavorful.  It is probably because of the chunks of chocolate chips strewn throughout and the sticky dough.  The original recipe came from the Union Square Cafe in New York City.  But I got the adapted recipe from Mary Anne’s friend Barbara.

Barbara is such a delightful person.  She is an accomplished pianist, great cook and world traveler.  She will be spending her usual month in Paris next March; my kind of lady.  While we were being given a tour of her house, we all stopped in her homey kitchen.  What is it about kitchens that draw us in?  Her kitchen is light-filled with an inviting pine table for casual meals, brick wall and a generous bookcase full of cookbooks. David pulled a small cookbook from her collection because it was called Zinfandel Cookbook (his favorite wine).  Barbara immediately insisted that we take it;  ”too many cookbooks, never used, glad to share”.  I would do the same with some of mine I’m sure.  I have too many.  So we appreciated her generous spirit.

I don’t think I would have had success with these biscotti if I hadn’t been given specific instructions from Barbara.  They are easy to mix together, but the dough that you end up with is very sticky and wet.  That’s probably why the end product is better than most.  Barbara swears by a flexible dough scraper like this.  It helps you get the mixture out of the mixing bowl.  Since I did not have her trusty scraper, I used a flexible spatula.  I lightly floured my board, floured my hands and working with half of the mixture at a time I formed them both into a loose log.  I placed them on a lined sheet and flattened them.  They should be about 2-inches thick.

As you can see, I didn’t get them quite equal.  I was just lucky to be able to transfer them.

After the first baking they spread some and get crackly and drier.  Let them rest and cool for at least an hour and then cut into wedges and bake again.  It’s really very simple after you figure out how to handle the wet mixture.

Wow, these were good.  Dipped in whipped cream with sweetened strawberries, I think this was better than strawberry shortcake.  Thank you Barbara and Mary Anne for introducing me to chocolate biscotti.  Here is Barbara’s recipe.

CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups lightly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon expresso or coffee
3 large eggs
7 1/2 ounces (1 rounded cup) small mild chocolate chips
1 large egg, beaten and mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
2 tablespoons raw sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12-by 17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick liner.  Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda; set aside.

Using a heavy-duty electric mixer, cream together the brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter for 3 to 5 minutes at medium speed.  Add vanilla extract and espresso.  Mix  10 seconds.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing for 10 seconds at medium-low speed after each addition.  Add sifted flour mixture and mix at low speed until dough comes together, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add chocolate chips and mix just until chips are evenly incorporated, 15 to 20 seconds.

Transfer dough to a work surface, lightly floured.  Divide in two.  Working with one piece at a time, with floured hands form each ball into a log 2′ inches wide or more.  Transfer logs to prepared baking sheet and flatten until the  depth is about 2- inches.  Brush tops of logs with egg wash and sprinkle  each log with 1 tablespoon raw sugar.  Bake until biscotti have spread, have a few cracks and bounce back slightly when pressed with fingertips, 30 to 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Using a sharp serrated knife, cut logs into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices.  place each slice with a cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or nonstick liner.  Bake until firm, crisp and slightly dry, about 15 mintes.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or freeze for up to three months.

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You might want to grab a cup of coffee.  This is going to be a long post.  We are fortunate to have friends who live on Nantucket Island.  After David’s class reunion last year, several of the classmates were invited to visit Moses and his wife Maryanne there for the Spring Daffodil Festival.  It was our fourth time on the island.  Nantucket is one of my favorite destinations in the United States.  It works its magic on you from the first time you step off of the ferry until you throw coins in the water (to ensure a return) on your voyage back to Hyannis Port.

The classmates and wives (minus Maryanne who was cooking for us) gathered in front of the Sconset Post Office while we were on a guided bus tour of the island.

Sconset, or officially Siasconset, is a small village on the east side of the island.  It is known for its small grey shingled beach cottages and profusion of roses in season.  There is a story behind this particular cottage.  The last time David and I were on the island, we picked up a picnic lunch in the Sconset Market and then wandered the paths around the village looking for a spot to eat.  This charming cottage had a patio with comfortable chairs and it looked to be vacant.

We plopped down, unwrapped our sandwiches and proceeded to eat.  Halfway through our lunch we heard someone cough inside the cottage.  Needless to say, we grabbed our food and ran.  The above picture was taken on this trip.  It just so happened that the cottage belonged to our tour bus driver’s mother.

We took this picture of the Chanticleer Restaurant in Sconset on our last trip.  It was summer and the roses and flowers were in bloom.  Breathtaking!

 

 Back in town the next day we looked forward to the Daffodil Festival on cobblestoned Main Street.

All kinds of antique cars were decorated with flowers for the parade.

The cars were judged, so everyone went out of their way to be unique.

Some were more elegant than others.

There was also a dog parade.  We were rooting for this dog named Bailey.  She was on the ferry with us on the way over to Nantucket and we bonded.

Here we are encouraging Bailey to do her best.

Nantucket Harbor is usually full of boats and the wharfs are hopping with activity, but since it was so early in the season, most of the boat slips were empty.  It was good to be here before the rush of tourists.

Moses and Maryanne live in this house.  Have you noticed a pattern here?  Most of the houses on Nantucket are grey shingled with white trim.  A local joke is to say “Meet me on the corner in front of the grey shingled house with the white trim”.   Many of the original houses had widow’s walks.  The first industry of Nantucket after it was settled by the English was whaling.  The ships would be gone from port from three to five years.  The wives would scan the horizon from these aeries for the return of their men.  It was a brutal business, but the ship captains made a fortune from the whale oil which was used to light lamps all over the world.

Not only did we enjoy the sights and activities on Nantucket, but we also ate very well.  Maryanne prepared delicious meals for us.  Unfortunately I did not take composed pictures of the food, but I came away with wonderful recipes that I will share with you over several posts.  Our first dinner in their home included Filet of Beef with Paprika, Coriander and Cumin and Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto.  The filet recipe came from Joyce Goldstein, former chef at Square One and Chez Panisse.  Joyce made it for Moses’s 59th birthday party.  The pesto pasta is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and is perfect for a crowd.

 We left Nantucket Harbor with a last view of the Brant Point Lighthouse and threw pennies in the water in the hopes of returning to this enchanted island.  As long as our friends are there, I have no doubt that we will be back.  Thank you Moses and Maryanne.

FILET OF BEEF WITH PAPRIKA, CORIANDER AND CUMIN (Joyce Goldstein)

The beef, which gets an aromatic flavor from the spice rub, requires 4 days of marination.  Serve it rare, leaving the end slices for those who like their meat well done.

1 filet of beef, about 3 1/2 pounds
3 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
Hot-sweet mustard

Trim the fillet of any visible fat and silver skin.  Mix together the paprika, cumin, coriander, ground pepper, nutmeg and cayenne.  Spread this spice mixture evenly over the beef.  Place the meat in a large glass or plastic dish and cover.  et sit in the refrigerator for 4 days.  On the third day, sprinkle the meat with the salt.

To cook, let the meat sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.  Preheat a stove top griddle or a large cast-iron frying pan and preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  Sear the fillet on the griddle, or in the pan, until brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes.  Transfer the meat to a roasting pan and roast in the oven until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the fillet registers 120 degrees.  (I let it go higher, as suggested by the butcher’s recipe).  Let the meat rest on a carving board, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes, then slice thin.  Serve with hot-sweet mustard.

PENNE WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO (Giada De Laurentiis)

12 ounces penne pasta
1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (Packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.  Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped.  Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl.  Stir in the Parmesan.

Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten.  Season the pasta, to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

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Printable recipe for Pasta

The first time I had shrimp and grits was in the early 80′s at a small restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina called Crooks Corner.  As it turns out this was not just any restaurant and not just any dish.  Crook’s Corner was the birthplace of shrimp and grits. The dish has been copied all over the south and has made its way onto menus from New York City to Sante Fe, New Mexico.  The original chef, the late Bill Neal, caught the attention of Craig Claiborne who wrote about Shrimp and Grits and the Southern menu in The New York Times. Crook’s Corner is “sacred ground for Southern foodies”.

Today under the leadership of Chef Bill Smith, many of the original recipes of Chef Neal are still served.  Chef Smith has added many of his own signature southern classics, but the shrimp and grits recipe has remained the same.  We love it.  But over the years David, my in-house shrimp and grits guru, has combined recipes from several sources including Tyler Florence, Martha Nesbit of Savannah, GA, and Slightly North Of Broad restaurant in Charleston, SC.  I’m going to let him take over from here.

Penny asked me stop at the grocery store and pick up some milk and orange juice.  I put the milk and juice in the cart and then took a stroll past the seafood case to see what Ingles had to offer that day, and there they were, some of the most gorgeous 10-15 per pound shrimp I had ever seen. Visions of shrimp and grits immediately flashed through my mind.  By the time I checked out, I had in my cart a package of the shrimp, packages of bacon and andouille sausage, a package of stone ground grits, a hunk of sharp cheddar, and some scallions.  The check-out girl looked at the shrimp and said, “Boy, those are some nice looking shrimp.”  I nodded and said, “Yeah, I know…I just came in here for some milk and orange juice until I saw those shrimp.”

This recipe uses both bacon and andouille sausage for the fat component, and the grits are cooked in milk instead of water, a la Tyler Florence, and  include cheddar cheese, a la Martha Nesbit.  Tyler actually cooks his grits in a mixture of whole milk and heavy cream, but in an effort to lighten things up a bit, I used Smart Balance skim milk which almost tastes like 2%.  Stirring in grated cheddar cheese at the end makes a deliciously rich bowl of grits.

We are traveling right now.  We have been visiting friends on Nantucket Island for the daffodil festival.  I hope to have some awesome pictures to share with you soon.  In the meantime, here is David’s recipe for Shrimp and Grits.

SHRIMP AND GRITS

For the grits:
4 cups milk (We use Smart Balance Skim Milk)
1 cup stone-ground grits
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

For the shrimp:
3 strips of bacon cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound andouille or spicy Italian sausage, cut in chunks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 to 3 bay leaves
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Pinch cayenne pepper, adjust to personal preference
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 green onions, sliced

For the grits:
Place a 3-quart pot over medium-high heat.  Add the milk.  Slowly whisk in the grits.  When the grits begin to bubble, turn the heat down to medium low and simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.  Allow to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and thick.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter and cheese, thin it out with a little extra milk if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the shrimp:
Place a deep skillet over medium heat and coat with a little olive oil.  Add the bacon and cook until done.  Remove bacon to a paper towel.  Add the onion and garlic; saute for 2 minutes to soften.  Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until there is a fair amount of fat in the pan and the sausage is brown.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to create a roux.  Slowly pour in the chicken stock and continue to stir to avoid lumps.  Toss in the bay leaves.  When the liquid comes to a simmer, add the cooked bacon and the shrimp.  Poach the shrimp in the stock for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are firm and pink and the gravy is smooth and thick.  Add the cayenne pepper and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper; stir in the parsley and green onion.  Spoon the grits into individual bowls and add the shrimp mixture on top.  Serve immediately.

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