Appetizers at Bloomingdale's Medinah Temple

Right before New Year's Eve, I gave a cooking demonstration at Bloomingdale's Medinah Temple. Given the season, I thought it appropriate to give folks some appetizer ideas. The following are the recipes that I demonstrated.

Crab Puffs
Makes 28

INGREDIENTS:
Puff Pastry Cups:
1 14-ounce package of all-butter puff pastry such as Du Four, defrosted for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator
1 egg
Crab Mix:
8 ounces crabmeat, picked over for shells
1/3 cup good mayonnaise, preferably Hellman’s
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 pinch cayenne
½ teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup chopped scallion greens
Finely-grated parmesan cheese, preferably parmiggiano-reggiano, for dusting

METHODS:
Puff Pastry Cups:
Preheat oven to 400º F. On a well-floured, cool surface, unfold the puff pastry sheet. If necessary, roll it out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Cut the pastry into 28 rounds with a floured 1 ½-inch fluted cutter. Chill for ½ hour or until firm. With a floured ¾-inch fluted cutter, cut the center out of 14 of the rounds. Mix the egg with a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the bottom rounds with the egg wash. Center the top rounds on the bottom rounds and brush with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Let cool on a rack.
Crab mix:
Mix the crabmeat, mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne, paprika and scallion greens together in a medium-size bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serving: Fill the well of the pastry cups with crab mix. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until lightly browned, approximately 5 minutes.

Proscuitto & Honey-Mustard Spirals
Makes approximately 30

INGREDIENTS:
1 14-ounce package of all-butter puff pastry such as Du Four, defrosted for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator
Flour for rolling, if necessary
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons clover honey
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
4 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese, preferably Parmiggiano-Reggiano
1 egg

METHODS: Preheat oven to 400º. Mix the mustard and honey in a small bowl. On a well-floured, cool surface, unfold the puff pastry sheet. If necessary, roll out to 1/8-inch thickness on a well floured. If necessary, roll pastry to a 1/8-inch thickness. Take care not to flatten out the edges. Trim uneven edges. Spread the honey-mustard mix evenly over pastry to about ¼ inch from the edge. Cover with prosciutto and cheese on top. Roll up lengthwise. Refrigerate for a half hour or freeze until ready to use. If frozen, allow to defrost in the refrigerator until soft enough to slice, approximately 1 hour. Mix the egg with a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the roll with the egg wash. Cut log crosswise into ¼-inch slices and put the slices onto a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Puff Pastry Straws
Makes approximately 20

INGREDIENTS:
1 14-ounce package of all-butter puff pastry such as Du Four, defrosted for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator
Flour for rolling, if necessary
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese, preferably Parmiggiano-Reggiano
A pinch of cayenne pepper
1 egg

METHODS: Preheat oven to 400º. Mix the mustard and honey in a small bowl. On a well-floured, cool surface, unfold the puff pastry sheet. If necessary, roll out to 1/8-inch thickness on a well floured. Take care not to flatten out the edges. Trim uneven edges. Spread the mustard on the half of the surface. Sprinkle cheese and cayenne pepper on top of the mustard. Fold the clean side over the cheese. Slice into ¼-inch slices lengthwise. Take the end of one slice and carefully twist in opposite directions. Place on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet, pressing down each end to prevent the straw from unrolling. Repeat with remaining pieces. Chill the straws in the freezer for about an hour. Mix the egg with a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the straws with the egg wash. Bake until golden, approximately 15-20 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tartlets of Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraiche & Capers
Makes 15

INGREDIENTS:
1 package filo tartlets, baked according to the manufacturer’s directions
8 ounces smoked salmon
¼ cup crème fraiche
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

METHODS: Cut the salmon into ¼-inch slices. Put a dollop of crème fraiche into the bottom of the tartlet. Top with salmon and garnish with capers.


Tartlets of Brie & Pear Drizzled with Local Honey
Makes 15

INGREDIENTS:
1 package filo tartlets, baked according to the manufacturers directions
8 ounces brie at room temperature, sliced into bite-size pieces
½ pear, sliced ¼-inch thick, each slice cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons honey

METHODS: Put one piece of brie and one piece of pear in each tart shell. Drizzle with honey.

Asian Chicken Tartlets
Makes 30

INGREDIENTS:
2 packages filo tartlets, baked according to the manufacturer’s directions
1 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast half
6 tablespoons natural peanut butter
1 garlic clove
1 1 ½-inch piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 drops of Tabasco
2 scallions, sliced diagonally

METHODS: Place the chicken breast in a small saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook until a meat thermometer registers 165º F. Begin testing after 15 minutes. Cool in poaching liquid. To make sauce, put the peanut butter, garlic clove, ginger, lemon juice, soy sauce, water and Tabasco into the bowl of a food processor or a blender and process until smooth. If thick, add an additional tablespoon of water. Shred the cooled chicken and add to peanut sauce. Fill each tartlet with chicken and top with a bit of the scallions.

Sweet Potato Chips with Cranberry-Shallot Chutney & Smoked Duck Breast
Serves 30

INGREDIENTS:
Terra Spiced Sweet Potato Chips
1 smoked duck breast
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon port (optional)
Kosher salt abd freshly ground pepper to taste

METHODS: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the shallots and cook until golden. Add cranberries, sugar, water, vinegar and thyme sprig and cook until the cranberries have burst and the chutney is thickened. Season to taste. Thinly slice the duck breast. Top sweet potato chips with a piece of duck and a dollop of chutney.

Beet Chops Topped with Blue Cheese Mousse & Peppery Greens
Serves 15

INGREDIENTS:
1 box beet chips, such as Papa Lenas
½ pound blue cheese, preferably Maytag, at room temperature
½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream
Peppery microgreens, sprouts or small greens, such as arugula

METHODS: Mix together the softened cheese and the crème fraiche or sour cream. Top each chip with a dollop of mousse and with a peppery green.

Radishes Topped with Goat Butter
Serves 15

INGREDIENTS:
4 ounces goat butter, softened
2 tablespoons mixed chopped herbs (such as basil or tarragon, chives, chervil or parsley)
1 bunch radishes, stemmed and cleaned
Coarse sea salt for garnish

METHODS:
Mix together butter and chopped herbs. Slice radishes thinly and soak in cold water. Dry slices and top with goat butter. Garnish with coarse sea salt.

Apples Cups with Green-less Waldorf Salad
Makes 36 cups

INGREDIENTS:
Apple Cups:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 apples
Salad:
1 ½ cup walnuts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 apple
6 ounces aged cheddar
¼ cup good mayonnaise, preferably Hellman’s
2 teaspoons good apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped

METHODS:
Apple Cups: Preheat oven to 200º F. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar dissolve completely. Cool. Slice whole, unpeeled, apples horizontally (through the core) to 1/8-1/16-inch thick. Dip each slice in sugar syrup. Place slices on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet and cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until pliable and light brown. Fit each slice into a non-stick mini-muffin cup to form a cup. Let dry.
Salad: Heat butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and add walnuts. Cook until golden. Let cool and coarsely chop. Peel apple and dice. Dice aged cheddar. In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add apples, walnuts, cheddar and parsley. Fill cups with salad.

Family Dinner at Greater Chicago Food Depository Kids Cafe

When you volunteer as much of your time as I do for a non-profit, it has to be a labor of love. If it isn’t, inevitably, the work that you do for it will become just that: work. Even when you do love what you do, you can get so caught up in the small stuff that it becomes draining. So it’s wonderful when a project presents itself that is challenging, inspiring and clears out all the cobwebs.

Back in March, at Family Farmed Expo, I met Michael Meltzer the Manager of the Children’s Programs of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. We arranged to meet shortly thereafter to discuss the possibility of Purple Asparagus putting together programming for the Food Depository’s Kid’s Cafes. The Kids Cafes are an initiative of America's Second Harvest, the nation's food bank network, which is administered locally by the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Through the Kids Cafe program, the Greater Chicago Food Depository partners with after-school programs to provide a healthy and appetizing meal for kids after school.

While a great cause and a great opportunity, I was apprehensive about our involvement. Purple Asparagus’ mission is to bring families back to the table and the Kids’ Cafes served children between 12 and 18 – the age when kids want absolutely nothing to do with their parents. Michael gave our contact information to one Kids Café on Chicago’s south side. Phone calls were exchanged, but no connection made. He then put us in touch with one of the newer members of the program: Corazon Community Services.

Corazon Community Services is a “settlement house” program providing a variety of programs to youth and families in Cicero. Adam Alonso, the program’s executive director, is young, professional and dynamic – a person who has that unique ability to inspire and relate to teenagers. When I met with Adam and his youth program director, Ricardo Aguiñaga, it was clear that their program was pretty special. I was particularly impressed by the fact that they had purchased real dish, glass and flat-ware for the kids to eat with while they were at the center. The reusable wares were the inspiration for our family dinner project: helping a small group of the kids who come to the center cook dinner for their families.

The plan was simple: I would meet with 15 of the kids to decide upon a cuisine and come up with a rough menu. The only cuisine off limits would be Mexican as most of the kids were of Mexican descent. Purple Asparagus would shop for the food and would cook it with them in the 3 ½ hours between school and the dinner’s start: 6:30. Reservations were taken and, during the event, the kids would serve as hosts, servers or cooks during the early parts of the meal. During the main course, they would eat with their families.

When I met with the kids a week before, they surprised me turning down the somewhat familiar Chinese and Italian and instead choosing to make an Indian meal – a decision that was ironically appropriate. While shopping on Devon, I learned that our dinner was held during Diwali, the Indian harvest fest. The meal was remarkable. The kids, while inexperienced, were hard-working and willing to learn. Within that short 3 ½ period, we produced a feast that I would have been proud to serve to a client. This is the menu that we served:

Menu:

Snacks

Pappadums with Tamarind & Cilantro Chutneys
A Pair of Toasted Cashews with Two Freshly-Ground Curry Powders

Appetizer

Keralan-Style Grilled Shrimp
Homemade Samosas

Main Course, served buffet style

Saag Gosht
The Spice House “Tandoori” Chicken Served with Raita
Vegetable Biryani
Basmati Rice
Flour Tortillas (as a stand in for Naan)

Desserts

Homemade Pistachio Kulfi
Mango Hedgehogs
Sugar-Coated Fennel Seeds

Dinner was served with Iced Chai

Second to working with the kids, the best part of this meal for me was when I realized and was able to articulate the similarities of Indian and Mexican cuisine, from raw ingredients (cilantro, tamarind, mangoes) to techniques (horchata/chai, the use of chiles, the reliance upon rice and flatbreads).

Recipes:

In developing the recipes for our dinner, I relied heavily upon Julie Sahni’s book for Williams-Sonoma.

Aloo Samosa

Ingredients:
6-8 baking potatoes, about 2.5 lbs. total, unpeeled and quartered
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups cooked peas, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cup water
½ cup cornstarch dissolved in 1 cup water
1 quart vegetable oil

METHODS: Boil potatoes until very soft. Drain and when cool enough to handle, peel and mash in a bowl. Add coriander, cayenne, pepper, lemon juice, turmeric, salt and 2 tablespoons oil. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add the potato mix and dry-fry until the potatoes are lightly browned approximately 7-8 minutes. Fold in peas and mint. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Add all of the oil and the water a little at a time while stirring with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 1 minute. Cover with a floured cloth or plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Roll the dough into an 18-inch rope. Cut into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball and flatten into a patty. Roll the patty into a 6-inch circle. Cut the circle in half. Brush half of the straight edge with the cornstarch mix. Form a cone by bringing the halves of the straight edge together; pinch the seam to seal. Holding the cone with the open end toward you, stuff it with 3 heaping teaspoons of the filling. Brush the edges of the open cone with the cornstarch mix and pinch the edges together to enclose the filling. Repeat. Heat oil to 350 º F in a large kettle. Fry about 5 minutes or until golden brown

Keralan-Spiced Shrimp

INGREDIENTS:
3 lbs. shrimp
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon turmeric
pinch of cloves

METHODS: Mix peeled and deveined shrimp with next 7 ingredients. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in sauté pan and cook onion until golden. Soak wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes. Skewer the shrimp and cook on a hot grill.

Saag Gosht

INGREDIENTS:
½ cup vegetable oil
4 ½ pounds lamb shoulder cut into cubes
9 yellow onions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely grated ginger
3 tablespoons minced garlic
6 tablespoons coriander
3 tablespoons paprika
1 ½ teaspoons cayenne
1 ½ cups plain yogurt
6 canned tomatoes, finely chopped
4 ½ cups water
4 ½ teaspoons salt
3 hot green chilies, minced
3 cups packed chopped spinach, fresh or frozen
1 ½ cups cilantro

METHODS: In 6 tablespoons of oil, brown lamb in a hot pan in batches. Add remaining oil and sauté onions until golden brown. Stir in ginger, garlic, coriander, paprika, cayenne and yogurt and cook until moisture has almost completely evaporated. Return meat to pan and add tomatoes, water, salt, chilies and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer until the meat is tender approximately 2 ½ hours. Add spinach and cook until heated through, approximately 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

Iced Chai
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:
2 cardamom pods
1 1-inch pieces of cinnamon
2 cloves
2 cups water
2 cups milk
1½ tablespoons sugar
½ tablespoon loose Jasmine tea leaves

METHODS: Lightly crush spices. Combine them with water and milk and simmer, uncovered for about 2 minutes. Add tea and sugar and cook for about 1 minute longer. Strain and let cool. Serve over ice.


Vegetable Biryani

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups basmati rice
6 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups vegetable broth
2 cups chopped onions
4 teaspoons peeled and grated ginger
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch cayenne
1 cup water
2 medium carrots, sliced into ¼-inch slices
4 cups small cauliflower florets
2 medium bell peppers, diced
2 canned tomatoes, diced
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted for 1 minute in a microwave
2/3 cup raisins
1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas

METHODS: Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, sauté the rice stirring to coat each grain with ghee. Add broth, saffron, turmeric, salt and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350º F. Heat remaining ghee in a large saucepan and sauté the onions until softened. Add ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cayenne and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup of water, carrot and cauliflower. Cover, reduce heat and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook until the vegetables are tender. Butter a baking dish. Spread half of the rice in it. Cover with vegetables and top with remaining rice. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

We’re so looking forward to the next installment in our family dinners. Who knows what we’ll do next! Stay tuned.