Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

I’m going to a Luau this weekend.   I’ve been asked to bring Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.  Say, what? . . . . I had never heard of this before.  But indeed Hawaiians like to serve macaroni salad as a side with sticky rice along with their pork.  And don’t even think about cooking it al dente.  The whole premise behind the dish is to cook the macaroni to death (they call it fat macaroni).  This allows the seemingly large quantity of mayonnaise and milk to absorb into the pasta making it creamy.

It is a very simple recipe with few ingredients; just macaroni, mayonnaise (it has to be Best Buy or Hellman’s), milk, brown sugar, cider vinegar, shredded carrots, celery and scallions.  But the simple ingredients unite to make a creamy, slightly sweet and sour salad with the crunch of carrots and celery.  Deceptively easy and good.  It is perfect with pork.

The luau is being held at fellow blogger Larry’s Almost Heaven South dockside pavilion where several bloggers have joined forces to roast a pig.  At least that was the last word I had.  It may be just parts of the pig for all I know.  But I do know that we bloggers and spouses will have a grand time.  Here are scenes from last year’s event.  Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  This salad would be a great side for anything you cook on the grill.

HAWAIIAN MACARONI SALAD (Epicurious via Cook’s Country)

2 cups whole milk, divided
2 cups mayonnaise (Best Buy or Hellman’s), divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 scallions, sliced thin
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 celery rib, chopped fine

Whisk 1 1/2 cups milk, 1 cup mayonnaise, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper in bowl.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.  Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta and cook until very soft, about 15 minutes.  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add vinegar and toss until absorbed.  This prevents the vinegar from curdling the milk.  Transfer to bowl.  Cool pasta 10 minutes, then stir in dressing until pasta is well coated.  Cool completely.

Add Scallions, carrot, celery, remaining milk, and remaining mayonnaise to bowl with pasta mixture and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour or up ro 2 days.  Serve.

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I have made so many variations of chicken strips.  The first one was the one that my Mother loved.  I blogged about it here.  That was a few years ago.   Oven baked chicken strips are great, but sometimes I just want to fry them in a little oil.  Deep fat you are calling me!  Can’t help it.  I know, I know, . . . .  It is better to get along with less fat, but sometimes a nice crispy chicken piece cooked in oil is worth it.  This idea works for me.  The original recipe that gave me the idea appeared on Road Trip with G. Garvin on the Food Network.  While visiting Austin, Texas he ate at a diner that served flattened pork tenderloin pieces breaded in crackers, corn meal and flour.  They were deep fried and served as a sandwich on a bun.  I happened to have a pork tenderloin in the freezer, so the next night I duplicated the recipe without the bun.  It was not deep-fried, but cooked in a puddle of hot oil.  The pork was awesome.  It had implications for other dishes.

We loved the pork tenderloin cutlets so much that I decided to try the same method with chicken strips.  The secret to the breading on this dish is to put the dredged chicken strips in the freezer for 15 minutes before you fry them.  The breading adheres perfectly and after frying in 2-inches of hot oil,  the chicken strips come out perfectly cooked and crisp

What is not to love about this chicken?  My Mother would have approved.  She loved fried chicken.  But I have to say that, in spite of the brief saute in oil, these chicken strips are probably less caloric than most fried chicken.  Dipped into a sweet and sour sauce there is nothing better.

CRACKER CRUMB CHICKEN STRIPS

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts (About 3)

24 Ritz crackers (Crushed in a baggie with a rolling pin)
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/8 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk

Cut each chicken breast into 6 strips.  Combine crackers, cornmeal, flour and seasonings in a large bowl.  Beat egg and milk is separate bowl.  Dip each breast strip into egg mixture and then into crumbs.  Coat well on all sides.  Place each breaded strip on small baking sheet.  Place baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  Pour canola oil to a depth of about 1 to 2 inches in a large frying pan.  Heat oil.  Cook the chicken strips in batches until golden brown on all sides.  Drain and paper towels.  Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

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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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