My New Favorite Appetizer: Tuna Tapenade

Truth be told, I hate making appetizers.
Too many little things.
Sometimes a nice dip works fine. And you can always fall back on gaucamole.

But the day always comes when someone asks you to bring an appetizer to a last minute get-together that includes several Italian guests who are used to something a bit more sophisticated.

Once again, thank you Barefoot Contessa, from the bottom of my lazy heart.
Chances are good you'll have many of the ingredients at home already. Canned or jarred Italian tuna in olive oil is an excellent thing to keep in your pantry. (So is Chicken of the Sea, but that probably wouldn't work as well here.)
You could run out and get the baguette to make crostini. Or you can serve the tapenade with crackers. Nothing wrong with that.
I love that there was no actual cooking involved. Just press "pulse" on the food processor and you'll have an appetizer that will make you look all fancy with a European flair.

Tuna Tapenade Crostini
Barefoot Contessa


10-12 oz. Italian tuna, packed in olive oil

2 tsps. anchovy paste

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

2 Tbsps. chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest

2 tsps. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

3 Tbsps. freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing on bread

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives

1 Tbsp. capers, drained

salt and pepper to taste

1 French baguette, sliced

Drain all but a tablespoon of olive oil from tuna and flake the fish into food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add anchovy paste, thyme, parsley, lemon zest and garlic. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and mascarpone. Process until almost smooth.
Add the olives, capers, salt and pepper and pulse just to incorporate.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, brush the bread slices lightly with olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees, or until lightly browned. Bread can also be lightly grilled. (Or use crackers.)
Mound the tapenade on each toast, garnish with parsley sprig and serve.

Makes approx. 36 pieces

Blueberry Crumb Cake and Excuses

My poor neglected blog.
Just lying there, so eager to please, so hungry for some attention.
Its mother  author has been so, so busy.
We had a graduation.

That's the Bonus Baby over his shoulder

How that sweet little boy grew to become this big lovable going-to-college guy overnight, I'll never understand.

We had graduation parties.
And company.
We had senior awards and convocation.
Baseball playoffs.

And oh yeah, two other children.
One who needs to be driven to a ferry for her job on the island every day.
And one whose class needs a chaperone for the field trip to Boston.

So the blog got pushed to the back burner. (Get it? Back burner? It's a cooking blog.)
Enough with the excuses - let's get to the food.

I cooked lots of it these past few weeks, but the all around favorite had to the blueberry crumb cake from Barefoot Contessa. If you ever want to try something new and have it guaranteed to come out right, then you have to go with a Barefoot Contessa recipe. They always work.

This cake has a thick crumb topping that reminds me of the Entenmann's cakes we had when I was a kid. There always seemed to be an Entenmann's box in my house, that we would eat sliver by sliver, then crumb by crumb.
That seemed pretty good at the time, but this is way better. It's an easy cake to put together, and a nice one to bring to a friend.
Excellent to eat by yourself too.

Blueberry Crumb Cake
Barefoot Contessa at Home


For the streusel:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter, then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:

6 Tbsps. unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 extra-large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest (optional)

2/3 cup sour cream

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. coarse salt

1 cup fresh blueberries

confectioners' sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour (or use cooking spray for baking) a 9" round springform pan.
Cream the butter and sugar together, on high speed, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until light, 4-5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add vanilla, lemon zest and sour cream.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula, making sure the batter is completely mixed.
Spoon the batter into prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter.
Bake 40-50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely, then remove from pan to serving plate. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.

Barefoot Contessa's Country Cake

You never know when you'll have something to celebrate.

Like the fact that your husband didn't have a massive heart attack before they could get two stents placed in his artery.

Or that your kid kids finished up the year with truly excellent grades and managed to stay out of trouble.

You can celebrate anything - finishing a good book, taking a long (or any) bike ride, a beautiful day, a phone call from an old friend, a nice comment on your blog (ahem). 

The fourth of July is of course a big celebration and this cake would be perfect. I made it with all strawberries but it would be so patriotic with blueberries and strawberries, and what the hell, throw some raspberries in there too. You could even light it up with a couple of sparklers!

Please do not point out to me that this cake is not in the least bit heart healthy. I'm very much aware of that, thank you. 

It was made before the incident, when we were blissfully ignorant of Bob's blocked artery. 

It was delicious, impressive and easy to make, as are most of Ina Garten's recipes. This one comes from her book, Barefoot Contessa Parties!

The recipe makes two 8" cakes. You only use one at a time, splitting it in half. Wrap the second one in plastic and freeze for up to six months.

What are you celebrating these days?

Strawberry Country Cake from Barefoot Contessa's Parties by Ina Garten

3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 extra-large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream at room temperature

1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp. grated orange zest

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and flour two 8" cake pans, or spray with baking spray.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed, until light and fluffy. Turn mixer to medium speed and add eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream, zests and vanilla. Mix well, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda. On low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine until smooth.

Pour the batter evenly into the two cake pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 4-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then remove to wire racks to continue cooling completely.

To make the filling for one (split) cake:

Whip 1 cup heavy cream by hand or with a mixer until firm. Add 3 Tbsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.

Slice one of the cakes with a long serrated knife. Place the bottom slice on a serving platter, spread with half the whipped cream and scatter with sliced strawberries. Cover with the top slice of cake and remaining whipped cream. Decorate with strawberries.

Note: For some reason, Bob doesn't like the flavor of citrus in any of his food, so I left out the zest and doubled the vanilla. I did this because it was Father's Day. Any other day, I might have left it in.

Stir Crazy! Spring Green Risotto

Have I told you that I'm going to Italy?

I am! 

I mean we are - Bob and me. Next week, if the Icelandic volcano gods are willing.

Per favore...let me get to Italy...

The itinerary goes something like this: Florence, Cinque Terre, Lucca then back to Florence.

I am open to any and all suggestions from my dear readers who have been to any of these bella places lately.

Grazie!

So in order to get my taste buds into moda Italiano, I made risotto last night.

A lovely, luscious, incredibly rich risotto. Brimming with green spring vegetables and earthy shiitake mushrooms,  then smoothed out with a big spoonful of mascarpone.

Risotto, if you haven't tried it, is arborio rice, cooked slowly in wine and broth. It absorbs all the liquid and becomes something else entirely.  It's Italian comfort food, in all its creamy goodness. Just right for a cool spring night.

I won't lie to you. Risotto is labor intensive and may take a bit of practice to get it just right. You must continue to add more broth, then stir and stir and DO NOT STOP until each grain of rice gives way when bitten. If you still feel a hardness inside the grain when you bite into it, you are not done. 

Add more broth and stir some more.

But don't be intimidated, mia amicas! It's not a particularly difficult technique. And if you get tired of stirring, ask someone else to take it on for a few minutes. Sipping a glass of vino while you stir is also very helpful.

Spring Green Risotto adapted from Barefoot Contessa

1 1/2 Tbsps. olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsps. unsalted butter

2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

2/3 cup dry white wine

4 - 5 cups chicken stock, simmering in a saucepan on the stove

1 lb. asparagus, preferably thin

10 oz. peas, defrosted if frozen or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas

1/4 lb. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced (optional)

1 Tbsp. freshly grated lemon zest

2 Tbsps. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup mascarpone

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

3 Tbsps. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2" pieces, discarding tough ends.

Blanch in boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes, until bright green and cooked al dente. Drain and cool.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. 

Add the leeks and saute until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the vegetables and fats.

 Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles-full at a time, stirring constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, add the asparagus, lemon zest, 2 tsps. coarse salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. 

Continue cooking, adding stock and stirring until the rice is tender but still firm. This should take 30-35 minutes, but could take a bit longer. Be patient!!

If you are using the mushrooms, saute them briefly in a small frying pan, with a teaspoon of olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Add to risotto when they are lightly browned and soft.

Whisk the the lemon juice into the mascarpone in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, take it off the heat and stir in mascarpone mixture, plus Parmesan and parsley. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Mangia!

Seafood Gratin - Not Exactly Kosher

Christmas is not my holiday.
I'm Hanukkah, which we all know is nothing like Christmas.
It just so happens to fall in December, so it became a Christmas-like substitute for all the kids without a tree or stockings or Santa or blinking colored lights.

But I married a Christmas and now I do both holidays every December.
Latkes and brisket one night.
 Sugar cookies and ham the next.
Menorah lighting and light stringing.
Dreidels and advent calendars.
We are a full service family.

So when it comes to Christmas dinner, I am not a traditionalist.
Often, I'm pretty burned out by then - what with the birthday partying and marathon baking.
I don't go for the whole crown roast thing or turkey dinner redux.
The menu goes undecided until the last minute.
My husband came to the rescue this year when he ordered 6 pounds of lobster meat (full retail price: astronomical), 8 pounds of jumbo shrimp and clam chowder from a friend in the seafood biz (just another perk of living in Maine). That's a lot of seafood for a family of five plus mother-in-law.

Bob would have liked to put it all on a plate and have at it with toothpicks.
Not too festive.

Fortunately, the Bonus Baby (at ten years old she's a big fan of Food Network) and I had been watching Barefoot Contessa a few days early. Ina, my idol, made a seafood gratin that looked delicious and pretty uncomplicated. Menu accomplished.

Thanks Ina!
It was amazing. Very flavorful, elegant and not too rich. We also had my new favorite salad.

The pictures do this seafood extravaganza no justice. You'll have to take my word for it. Just wait until I finish my second helping.

You can find the recipe on Food Network's website by clicking here. The recipes on FN are easy to print out.

I made just a few changes...
-instead of individual gratins as Ina suggests, I made one in a shallow casserole dish.
-instead of halibut, I used sea scallops.
-since I forgot to buy heavy cream, I used whole milk. It seemed to make no difference, except in calories.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas/Hanukkah!

Ode to Ina and Banana Crunch Muffins

Oh Ina.
Ina Garten. How I love you.
You even have a perfect name, it's almost like "In A Garden", but it's not. You are much more subtle than that.
And your stage name is so lovely. The Barefoot Contessa . It's elegant and down-to -earth at the same time.

I love how every dish and dessert I have ever made from your cookbooks comes out perfectly.
So what if it's full of butter. Butter makes things taste so good.
And olive oil. It's good for your heart.

Your life in the Hamptons seems picture perfect.
The shopkeepers know you and save the best produce for your visit.
The cheese guy worships at your feet.
Your cadre of talented and handsome friends drop by for a special meal.
And then Jeffrey shows up on the weekend with flowers for you, just as you are pulling his favorite roast chicken from the oven and mixing up a whiskey sour.

I love watching you on Food Network.
The way you scoop flour from those huge glass containers.
The insouciant way you add a handful pinch of sea salt.
Oh to be a stand mixer in your light-filled kitchen!

You know just what to to say to make us feel at ease.
"How easy was that?" you ask rhetorically.
Easy as muffins, Ina.

Barefoot Contessa's Banana Crunch Muffins, from
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook


3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsps. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 lb. butter, melted and cooled

2 extra-large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

2 tsps. vanilla extract

1 cup mashed over-ripe bananas (2 bananas)

1 cup medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)

1 cup small-diced walnuts

1 cup granola

1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

Optional: dried banana chips, extra granola, shredded coconut.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Generously butter, or line with paper liners, 18 large muffin cups.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and blend.
Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla and mashed bananas, then add them to the flour-butter mixture.
Scrape the bowl and blend well. Don't overmix.
Fold the diced bananas, walnuts, granola and coconut into the batter.
Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each one to the top.
Top each muffin with dried banana chips, granola and/or cocnut, if desired.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool slightly before removing from the pan.

How great is that?

A Spot of Sunshine

As my dear local readers are well aware, we were blessed with another 10'' of snow yesterday. School cancelled. Don't you think the DPW should just attach a snowplow blade onto the front of the school buses and get two jobs done for the price of one? I certainly think so.

I also think we needed a little spot of sunshine in the midst of such a wintery day. So I made a Grapefruit Yogurt Cake. It smelled so fresh, tasted so light that I was momentarily transported to a warmer clime. Momentarily. Then the dog came in for something like the twelfth time, and shook off all the snow.
 
I got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen, a great recipe and food photo blog. She adapted it from Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa. If she lived in Maine, would she be the Booted Contessa?

Grapefruit Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup plain whole milk yogurt

1 cup sugar, plus 1 Tbsp.

3 extra-large eggs

grated zest of one large grapefruit

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, plus 2 Tbsps.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Grease an 8 1/2 x 2 1/2" loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
In another larger bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, zest and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into batter, making sure it's well incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester (or toothpick) placed in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice and the remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Remove cake from pan, peel off parchment paper and carefully place on rack. Pour the juice/sugar mixture over the still warm cake and allow it to soak in. Cool completely.

Make a glaze with 2 Tbsps. grapefruit juice and 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar. Drizzle over cake, so some drips down the sides.

You could substitute any citrus fruit for the grapefruit. Lime would be delicious!