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2004

TODAY's CASES:

Dill Sauces

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kysoti" 
To: phaedrus
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2004 2:51 PM
Subject: Dilly

I would like a recipe for dill sauce for salmon.
Thanks .
Kysoti

Hello Kysoti,

See below for three.

Phaed

Grilled Salmon With Dill Sauce

6 (10 oz. ea.) salmon steaks, 1" thick
Grill for 5 minutes on each side.

Dill Sauce:

1 lg. cucumber, seeded, grated and well drained
3/4 c. sour cream
1/8 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chives, chopped
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dill
Combine above ingredients. Serve sauce in tomato or green pepper cup.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Piquant Dill Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, white part only, finely chopped, then thoroughly washed
1 jalapeno chile, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh dill, stems removed before measuring
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Melt the butter over medium heat in a saute pan. Add the leek, jalapeno, and
garlic and saute until the leeks are translucent but not brown, about 5
minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the stock. Simmer, uncovered, for 15
minutes. (Adjust heat as required to maintain simmer.) The liquid should
reduce by half. Remove from heat and let cool.

Transfer to a blender or food processor and add the dill, lemon juice, salt,
and pepper. Puree until smooth. Reserve and reheat just before serving. Stir
in the sour cream at the last minute.
---------------------------------------------
Champagne Poached Salmon
with Dill Sauce

Ingredients

Poached Salmon
6 salmon fillets (one inch thick)
12 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup champagne (or dry white wine)
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Dill Sauce
1 cup sour cream (or light sour cream)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1-2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Asparagus Bed
1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

Directions
To prepare the salmon, bring salmon fillets to room temperature.  In a large
skillet over medium heat, add the garlic and remaining four ingredients.
Place fillets in skillet and baste.  Cover and cook over low heat for 30
minutes or just until fish is cooked through.  When fish is cooked, turn off
heat and let stand while the sauce is prepared.

To prepare the sauce, whisk together the sour cream, mustard, lemon juice,
and sugar in a small bowl until well combined.  Add the chives to the
mixture and fold gently until incorporated into the sauce.  Cover and
refrigerate until ready to use.

Place one pound of asparagus in a plastic freezer bag.  Add olive oil and
oregano to the bag, seal and shake. Open the bag so there is a two-inch
opening, and microwave for five minutes.  Make an asparagus bed on a plate,
dollop some dill sauce over the asparagus, and then add the salmon to the
bed of asparagus.  Garnish with chopped fresh dill.

Jamoncillo

Jamoncillo

4 quarts milk
pinch of baking soda
10 cups sugar
1 cup pine nuts or pecans, chopped
1/2 cup ground pecans

Bring milk to boil with baking soda in a copper or
teflon saucepan. Remove from heat, and cool. Pour
half the milk into a bowl, and set aside.
Add sugar to the milk remaining in the saucepan.
Bring to a boil, and gradually stir in the reserved milk.
Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until
mixture forms soft ball (about 240 degrees on a candy thermometer).
Remove from heat, and beat
by hand or with an electric mixer until thick. If the mixture becomes
too thick, add a little water. Stir in the pine nuts.
Line a 4 inch by 6 inch loaf pan with waxed paper. Spread candy evenly
in pan, and
cool for 3 hours. Sprinkle with pecans, and remove from pan. Cut into
squares.
Makes 70 to 80 candies

Carrot Chutney

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Maggie" 
To: phaedrus
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2004 6:38 PM
Subject: Carrot chutney??

Hi, i seriously need help, because of language barrier I cant even begin to
ask any of the east indian people that I know now.. But.. about 10 yrs ago I
had moslum landlords that lived above my basement suite, and they used to
invite me upstairs to eat. they were originally from Fiji if that will help
any. They made this chutney that I have thought of for years... it was soo
simple but I dont remember exactly what they put in it.. there were of
course spice, but it was basically a tomato ketchup base and long strips of
carrot... It was sooo good, really refreshing but a lil bit spicey hot too..
PLEASE!! If you can find this recipe I would be soooo happy....

Maggie

Hi Maggie,

I could not find any Fijian carrot chutney recipes, just mango chutney. All of the carrot chutney recipes that found were from India. See below for three..

Phaed

Carrot Chutney

Ingredients

Carrots - 4 or 5 medium size.
green chillies - 5 or 6
garlic cloves - 4
sesame seeds - 50 grams
tamarind - 6 flakes.
curry leaves- 6 leaves
coriander leaves - hand full
jeera - 1 teaspoon.
urad dal - 1 table spoon
mustard - 1/2 teaspoon, urad dal - 1/2 teaspoon
red chillies - 4
oil to fry
salt to taste.

Method :

In the frying pan fry sesame seeds and jeera separately without oil and
blend them in a blender into fine powder and keep aside.
In the same pan put some oil and fry separately garlic (until golden brown)
and green chillies and tamarind, urad dal.
Keep all of them aside. cut carrots round and put hand full of coriander fry
them together in the same pan a bit.
Now grind all of them including the sesame , jeera powder in the blender.
put some water to make the paste creamy.
Take the paste from blender and put it in the bowl.
Now put some oil in the pan and put curry leaves and mustard,urad dal, red
chillies ... when the mustard starts spluttering switch off the stove and
pour that in the chutney which was in the bowl. mix well.
Now delicious carrot chutney is ready and goes very well with idli and dosa.
-------------------------
Carrot Chutney

Carrots - 1-1/2 (medium ones)
Coconut - 1 cup
Green chilli - 1
Tomato - 1
Dry red chillies - 3
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Coriander leaves - 1 tablespoon
Black gram dhal - 1/2 tablespoon
Salt - 3/4 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Hing powder - a pinch
Grate the carrots. Chop the coriander leaves finely. Chop green chilli and
tomato. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan and fry the carrot and green
chilli till they are cooked. Add tomato and fry till it gets soft. Remove
from pan and allow it to cool.
Heat half a tablespoon of oil in a clean pan and fry the red chillies and
black gram dhal till the dhal turns light brown in colour. Let it cool.

Grind coconut, salt, the fried items, and the carrot - tomato mixture into a
smooth paste adding three quarter cup of water. Heat the remaining half a
tablespoon of oil and add the mustard seeds and hing powder. When the
mustard splutters, pour into the chutney - when cold. Serve this colourful
chutney garnished with coriander leaves
-----------------------
Carrot Chutney

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups grated carrots
1 cup grated coconut
2 green chilies, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
3 red chilies
2 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. finely chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tbsp. black gram dal
Salt, to taste
1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
1 pinch asafoetida

Directions: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, fry the grated carrots and chopped
green chilies until they are cooked. Add tomato and fry till it gets soft.
Remove from pan and allow it to cool. Heat 1/2 tbsp of oil in another pan,
fry red chilies and black gram dal until the dal turns light brown in color.
Let it cool.

Grind coconut, salt, fried items and the carrot-tomato mixture into a smooth
paste adding 3 quarter cup of water. Heat remaining oil, fry mustard seeds
and asafoetida until they splutter. Remove and pour into the chutney and
garnish with cilantro leaves.

More Nipples of Venus

Capezzoli di Venere (Nipples of Venus)

Salieri Cappezzoli di Venere. Nipples of Venus. Roman chestnuts in brandied sugar. 

This is from an Italian cookbook and the author says: "These heavenly truffles are a little 
time-consuming but repay the effort. With fresh chestnuts, the truffles are richer-tasting 
than with canned. For variety, add finely chopped toasted almonds or freshly grated nutmeg 
to the truffle mixture." 

Ingredients:
6 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate 
16 oz. can whole chestnuts, or 1 1/4 pound fresh 
6 Tablespoons butter 
1/2 cup granulated white sugar 
2 1/2 Tablespoons brandy or other liqueur 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

For the chocolate coating ingredients:
14 oz. semi-sweet chocolate 
1 to 1 1/2 cups pure cocoa powder 

Method
To prepare centers, melt chocolate in a double boiler and allow to cool. 
If using fresh chestnuts, cut a cross on the flat side of each shell, put 
in a large pan, cover with cold water, and boil for 5 minutes. Remove the 
shells and inner skins. Rice the chestnuts. Cream the butter and sugar 
together until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add chestnuts and flavorings to 
the butter/sugar mixture and blend well, then stir in the cooled chocolate. 
Mix well. Roll into balls 1-1/2 inches in diameter; if mixture becomes too 
soft to shape, chill for several minutes.

To coat, melt the chocolate on a plate over boiling water; let cool. Carefully 
roll the truffles in melted chocolate, then place on a plate of cocoa powder and 
allow to dry for several minutes. Dust each truffle with cocoa and place in paper 
candy cup. Store in refrigerator.

Yield: 5 dozen truffles
----------------------------
Nipples of Venus truffles  

Makes 60 truffles 

For the ganache: 

1 pound, 3 ounces high-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped 
11/2 cups heavy whipping cream 
6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter 
2 pounds high-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped for tempering. 
1 pound high-quality white chocolate, finely chopped, for the final dip 

For the ganache: Heat the cream just to boiling and pour over chopped chocolate. 
Add softened butter and whisk together slowly until emulsified and shiny. If necessary, 
heat 30 seconds at a time if not fully melted. 
Let this mixture sit at room temperature until it thickens enough to pipe out, or stick 
the tray in the refrigerator to hasten things. 
With a piping bag and a No. 7 open piping tip, pipe onto a parchment-lined sheet. 
Chill in the refrigerator or let set up at room temperature. 
For the tempering: Melting chocolate is usually done best in a bain-marie or double 
boiler, which is just a pan of hot or simmering water, with a bowl placed over it. 
Melt about 2/3 of the chocolate. Use a bain-marie pan until the chocolate is completely 
melted, not to exceed 120 degrees. Alternatively, to melt the chocolate, place it in a 
small heatproof bowl. Then rest it over a saucepan of barely simmering water and leave 
for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until melted. 
Remove from the heat, wiping the bottom of the bowl to remove any water. Add the 
remainder of the chocolate and stir in. The added chocolate should melt down. This 
will recrystallize the chocolate, causing it to solidify. The perfect temperature 
for dipping chocolates is between 88 and 90 degrees. If the chocolate is still too 
hot, allow to cool further. If the chocolate gets too cool, the bowl can go back 
briefly on the bain-marie. You can melt chocolate in a microwave, choosing a low 
setting and after initially melting for 30 seconds, use short hits of 10 to 15 seconds 
each time to see if it has melted. 
For the white chocolate: Temper in the same fashion as the dark chocolate, but the 
bain-marie or saucepan should have very warm, not simmering water. Melting temperature 
should not exceed 115 degrees. Dipping temperature should be between 87 and 89 degrees. 
Dipping the truffles: When the ganache has set, temper the dark chocolate. With a 
tempering fork (or dinner fork) immerse one truffle into the chocolate completely. 
Remove from the chocolate and carefully shake off excess. Place the truffle on a 
parchment-lined sheet. Continue with all truffles, slowly reheating chocolate if 
necessary. Chocolate can be maintained at a constant temperature by putting a heating 
pad on its lowest temperature and placing the bowl of chocolate on top. 
Cover with plastic wrap. 
After the white chocolate is tempered, dip just the tip of the truffle in it. 
Keep in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week, but these 
are best gobbled within a few days (with help). They may be stored, tightly wrapped, 
in the freezer. To defrost, remove from freezer and let defrost still wrapped until 
they come to room temperature. This will eliminate any condensation. 
Truffles should be enjoyed at room temperature. 
Variations: the cream can be infused with coffee, vanilla beans, or tea by using 
a "cold infusion" method. This method produces a pure flavor, free from the harshness 
you sometimes get with a "hot infusion." 
Place 1 vanilla bean cut in half and scraped out into the cold cream, steeping in 
refrigerator for two days. Steep with 2 teaspoons of black or green tea for one day. 
Steep with 1/2 cup coarsely ground coffee beans for one day. Strain the material out 
and heat the cream as indicated in recipe. 

See also:
Nipples of Venus
Nipples of Venus
Nipples of Venus Again


Citrus Zest

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Herb" 
To: phaedrus
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 2:25 PM

Is there an easy method to grate lemon/lime/orange peel?  I'm not too
successful with a regular grater, unless I'm not doing it wrong.

Thanks so much.

Hello Herb,

The easiest way is to use a citrus zester, a handy-dandy little tool made specifically for the purpose. see:
Zester

If you don't want to buy one of those, here are some hints for using a regular grater:

1) Grate whole fruits. It's much easier.

2) Grate diagonally across the grater, instead of up and down.

Phaed

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