Never Judge a Book By the Cover...

One of the nicest perks about writing a food blog is that many major publishing houses contact you to ask if you would be interested in reviewing a new book that they have published and tell your readers about it. Sometimes I agree to do the review, other times if I don’t think my readers will enjoy the topic, I decline. There is never any compensation involved; I just do it for the fun of it and to keep a finger on the pulse of what’s new in the world of food. Once in a while, a request comes along that is a little out of the ordinary.

I was recently asked if I would look at a new book that was being published by Harper Collins, called More Than Words Can Say by Robert Barclay. The book is what I would categorize as a romance novel with a historical flare to it…what on earth would that have to do with a food blog. When I contacted the company, they said that there were some recipes in the book. I thought, why not?

 I always do cookbooks so this will be a little different. I received my copy of the book while I was out of town and didn’t get to it for a few days. Once I picked it up, I didn’t put it down until I finished. I don’t know why it intrigued me, maybe it was all the references to Syracuse, New York, or the fact that the author was from Upstate, New York, and that I guess after living here so many years, I am now an Upstate, New Yorker myself (albeit, I’ll never give up my Brooklyn roots.)

The book takes place in the 1940’s and in the present day through a series of flashback. Chelsea Enright inherits a cottage in the Adirondacks from her grandmother Brooke. She has no interest in the cottage and tells her grandmother’s attorney that she just wants to sell it. He tells her that her grandmother left a letter for her to read before making any decisions, and so she does. After the contents of the letter are revealed to her, she goes up to the cottage to check out the contents of the instructions left in her grandmother’s letter, thus uncovering some family secrets that she had known nothing about. In the course of staying in the cottage, she meets her new neighbor and tremendous changes take place in her own life as well. I don’t want to reveal too much more without giving away the entire plot.

However, in the course of discovery, she also received a copy of a handwritten cookbook of her grandmother’s from her mother. She takes the book with her as she embarks on her journey to uncover the person that was her grandmother. Her grandmother was an accomplished artist and cook. She kept a record of her recipes, naming them after prominent people involved in World War II, which also sets the background for the flashbacks. Chelsea begins to learn about her grandmother through her journal and her cookbook and begins to use the recipes and her discoveries to forge a new life for herself. Although, there are not too many recipes in the book, those that are there are intriguing. In fact, I am going to make the MacArthuroni this week. Who could turn down a great Mac and Cheese?

This book would make a great beach read, a great book club selection, and a great idea for a fun progressive dinner. I urge my readers to get a copy of the book, share it with a few friends, and then to a progressive dinner based on a forties theme party. Dress up in clothes from the forties and bring a recipe to share from that time period – perhaps discuss a family member that you had that was involved in the war, a grandmother who had a favorite recipe from the time, We all need an excuse to party today, but with the economy being what it is, money is tight – very much like the times described in the book…become creative and make your own recipes from your past and just have some fun with this – you won’t be disappointed.

 Here is a link to the book: Here are two recipes from the book that you might want to try as well:


MacArthuroni and Cheese Of all the recipes listed here, this one is the most surefire favorite. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like a nice dish of macaroni and cheese! This recipe is especially good, because it’s made with two kinds of mushrooms and Gruyère cheese. Just be sure to not skimp on the Gruyère, and use only good quality mushrooms. During World War II, General MacArthur made his famous pronouncement, “I shall return!” Make this dish correctly, and your guests will “return” repeatedly for second (and maybe even third) helpings!

 Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes Serves 6–8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Good olive oil
½ pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced into ½-inch pieces
½ pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons cream sherry
Kosher salt
1 pound pasta, such as cavatappi
3 ounces white truffle butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 quart whole milk, scalded
12 ounces (4 cups) Gruyère cheese, grated
8 ounces (2½ to 3 cups) extra-sharp cheddar, grated
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
1½ cups fresh white bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.

Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) sauté pan, add the mushrooms, and cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are tender. Add the sherry and continue to sauté for a few more minutes, until the sherry is absorbed. Set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until al dente. Drain well. While the pasta cooks, melt the truffle butter in a large (4-quart) saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the white sauce is thickened and creamy. Remove from the heat and add the Gruyère, cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and the nutmeg.

 Combine the pasta, sauce, and mushrooms in a large bowl and pour into a 10-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish. Place the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until they’re minced. Add the bread crumbs and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the crumbs over the pasta and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown. Serve hot.

MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY. Copyright ©2012 by Robert Newcomb. All rights reserved.

Roosevelt’s Roast

Back when rationing was in effect, it was difficult to acquire all the ingredients for this one, named after FDR. But these days, it’s a snap! The trick with this one is the proper preparation of the bourbon-and-mushroom sauce. Don’t let it simmer too long, or you’ll run the risk of burning it. But do it right, and it will be worthy of serving at the White House!

Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Serves 4–6

2 to 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil, for searing
¼ cup coarse sea salt
¼ cup coarse cracked black pepper
1 whole beef strip loin, trimmed with some fat remaining

Bourbon-mushroom sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 300˚F.

Add the oil to a sauté pan. Season the meat on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes each side. Place the meat on a sheet tray with a rack. Roast the meat for 30 to 40 minutes. Crank the oven up to 450˚ F and roast for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until crust forms and meat is nicely colored. When done, allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. In a small bowl, reserve the drippings for the bourbon-mushroom sauce.

A+ AUTHOR INSIGHTS , EXTRAS & MORE . . .
Bourbon-Mushroom Sauce

5 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup onion, finely diced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup bourbon
3 cups beef stock
Salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until nicely browned. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer. Before serving with the beef, add the reserved juice to the mixture.

MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY. Copyright ©2012 by Robert Newcomb.  All rights reserved.

Why Order Out when You Can Easily Cook It In Your Own Kitchen - Fabulous Chinese Pepper Steak

(Chinese) Pepper Steak

We have been out of town on vacation and I didn't have a chance to do much grocery shopping. When faced with what to make for dinner, I thought, let's order out.  My husband loves Chinese food, so I thought okay, that's what we'll do.  Then I thought, I'm tired of eating out...in fact, I even took my crock pot to our time share because I hate to eat out all the time. Why order out, when you can make the same food in a short period of time in your own kitchen.  I did a fast run to the grocery store for some flank steak and some peppers, and in less than an hour had the most delicious Pepper Steak ready to be placed on the table.  You can do it too, at half the cost of takeout!  Give it a try. The secret is in the prep work!

I was in a little bit of a hurry so this is not in my usual format, so bear with me...but it's all here and so easy to do. The complete recipe is at the bottom of the post. I had already done some of the prep work when I started to take pictures - sorry about that :(

Here are some of the things you will need.  I used a bag of Success Rice 

as well, because I was lazy and in a hurry...

Peel and slice the onions into rings; set aside. 

Wash and cut the peppers into rings; set aside. I added the orange pepper into the recipe 

because I felt it could use another pepper. You can use any color peppers that you want to, 

but I think the recipe needs 4 peppers.

Take 9 tablespoons of the soy sauce and put it into a large plastic container for the marinade. Crush 4 cloves of the garlic, and add to the soy sauce. Add 1 tablespoon of the rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoon of sherry, and 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar, ginger, and cornstarch.  Mix well.  Add the meat, and stir to coat thoroughly.  Let marinade about 1 hour or so.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, place the remaining 9 tablespoons of soy sauce, the remaining tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 

remaining 3 tablespoons of sherry, and the remaining 3 whole cloves of garlic and set aside.

In a very large sauté pan or wok, heat about 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil 

I just gave it a few turns around the pan - you don't want to much or it can be overpowering

with about 2-3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil.  

You don't even need to coat the whole pan - just enough to get the onions started.

Add the onions and cook until they start to soften. 

Sprinkle with the teaspoon of granulated sugar, 

and a little garlic salt to taste.

Continue cooking until they begin to caramelize and turn a nice rich brown. 

Remove to a plate and set aside.

 In the same pan, add all the peppers, 

sprinkle with a little garlic salt if desired, 

and sauté until they are softened and browned slightly on the exterior sides.

 Remove from the heat, and set aside.

Place about half of the meat into the same pan and 

stir fry quickly until they are nicely browned, 

this will take about 4-5 minutes, 

remove from the heat. 

Continue cooking the remaining meat until it is the same way. 

Remove the garlic from the soy sauce mix.

Cook your rice.

Add the rest of the meat back to the pan, 

then add the peppers and onions back into the pan. 

Add any of the remaining marinade mix, 

and the soy sauce mixture that you set aside earlier.  

Cook for a few minutes to reheat everything and stir well to get everything coated with the sauce.  

The rice is almost ready.  I toss it with about 2 tablespoons of

unsalted butter before serving.

Toss in the peanuts, (I add them because I

love Chicken and peanuts and thought, "Why Not?"

It was a great addition! You don't like peanuts, leave them out.

 and stir once again to coat the peanuts.  

Confucius say "Better than any Chinese Restaurant 

Pepper Steak and you can actually see the meat."

 Serve over white rice. 

Yummy, I am salivating already....

By the way, don't judge the serving size by my plate, the

others heaped it all over the dish - gastric bypass has a way 

of slowing you down...

Delish!

Pepper Steak (Pepper and Onion Stir Fry)

Elise Feiner

2 – 2 ½ pound flank steak – have the butcher cut it into thin strips for stir fry or cut it yourself, against the grain into small thin pieces

2 large sweet onions, peeled and cut into circles

1 green pepper, cut into rings, seeds removed

1 red pepper, cut into rings, seeds removed

1 yellow pepper, cut into rings, seeds removed

1 orange pepper, cut into rings, seeds removed

7 large cloves of garlic, divided

18 tablespoons of soy sauce, divided

2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, divided

6 tablespoons sherry, divided

6 tablespoons (brownulated if possible) brown sugar, divided

2-3 teaspoons ground ginger

¼ cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Garlic salt to taste

Sesame Oil – about 2 teaspoons

Vegetable oil – about 2-3 tablespoons

¼ - ½ cup dry roasted peanuts, optional

Peel and slice the onions into rings; set aside. Wash and cut the peppers into rings; set aside. I added the orange pepper into the recipe because I felt it could use another pepper. You can use any color peppers that you want to, but I think the recipe needs 4 peppers.

Take 9 tablespoons of the soy sauce and put it into a large plastic container for the marinade. Crush 4 cloves of the garlic, and add to the soy sauce. Add 1 tablespoon of the rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoon of sherry, and 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar, ginger, and cornstarch.  Mix well.  Add the meat, and stir to coat thoroughly.  Let marinade about 1 hour or so.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, place the remaining 9 tablespoons of soy sauce, remaining tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, remaining 3 tablespoons of sherry, and the remaining 3 whole cloves of garlic and set aside.

In a very large sauté pan or wok, heat about 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil with about 2-3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil.  Add the onions and cook until they start to soften. Sprinkle with the teaspoon of granulated sugar, and a little garlic salt to taste.

Continue cooking until they begin to caramelize and turn a nice rich brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.  In the same pan, add all the peppers, sprinkle with a little garlic salt if desired, and sauté until they are softened and browned slightly on the exterior sides. Remove from the heat, and set aside.

Place about half of the meat into the same pan and stir fry quickly until they are nicely browned, this will take about 4-5 minutes, remove from the heat. Continue cooking the remaining meat until it is the same way.  Add the rest of the meat, then add the peppers and onions back into the pan.  Remove the whole cloves of garlic from the marinade mix. Add any of the remaining marinade mix, and the soy sauce mixture that you set aside earlier.  Cook for a few minutes to reheat everything, and stir well to get everything coated with the sauce.  Toss in the peanuts, and stir once again to coat the peanuts.  Serve over white rice. 

Serves 3-4

Note: As with most of my recipes, I recommend doing all your prep work in advance.  It makes it so much easy to put the dish together when everything is cut and prepped and right at your fingertips. This is a very quick meal to make once all the prep work is done.

The soy sauce is quite salty, so you may want to use just a little garlic salt, but I think the peppers and onions always need a little salt when sautéing.  I put just a tiny bit of unsalted butter when preparing my rice for this dish and add nothing else to the rice so it picks up the soy sauce, and helps decrease the saltiness of the soy sauce.  You can also use low sodium soy sauce if you prefer.