Monthly Cooking Thread - June 2019

[Jamestown1630]

Freeper Lizma2 requested an appetizer thread last month; and since appetizers are one of my two favorite things to cook, I’m happy to oblige. I’ll repost some of my favorites and a new one I’ve found, and hopefully others will have contributions.

This pastry 'Sunflower' - or 'Tarte Soleil' - is visually beautiful, but not that difficult to make. You can do it with a wide variety of fillings, and sweet or savory.

Here’s a recipe from ‘Italian Food Forever’

http://www.italianfoodforever.com/2016/07/sunflower-spinach-puff-pastry-tart

and from ‘Entertaining with Beth’, a video showing the technique:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIF-6CFsYxk

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A couple of decades ago, when chef Jean Georges introduced his Seared Scallops with Cauliflower and Caper-Raisin Sauce, it became a great hit here in DC, and I guess everywhere he had restaurants; and I think it's still a favorite. It’s a little fussy to make, but a wonderful combination of flavors:

https://www.foodwine.com/food/special/jeangeorges/raisin.html

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One of my standbys – great with drinks – are these Cheese and Olive Puff Balls. I’ve made these without olives for those who don’t like them, and they’re still a hit. As with anything, the better the cheese you use, the better the dish; but this is usually a hit even with standard supermarket cheddar. (I think this recipe may go back to the 1950s):

Olive Cheese Puffs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 Cups grated, sharp Cheddar Cheese

¼ lb. Butter (one stick from a pound)

1 cup of Flour, salted to taste (I usually don't use salt; the olives and cheese are enough)

pinch of Cayenne

Jar of Pimento-Stuffed Olives

1.Blend together in a food processor the grated cheese, butter, and flour.

2.Process until dough comes together in a ball.

3.Chill, covered, for about 20 minutes before forming puffs. (You don't want it to get too hard. When I've tried making the dough the day before and doing the balls the next day, it's been very subpar. You want to make the balls the same day that you make the dough, and chill just a bit, to get it firm enough to handle well.)

4.Pinch off a ball of dough, about an inch in diameter, and pat it into a thin disc in your palm; then place an olive in the middle. Pinch up the dough to cover the olive, and roll between your palms until smooth. (Or, dough can be rolled out to ¼ inch thickness, cut into 2 inch squares, and each square wrapped around an olive - but that's too much trouble for me, and usually results in too much dough.)

5.Place puffs on a cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes. ( I usually use parchment paper on the sheet.) Then remove to a wire rack to cool.

(To freeze unbaked, freeze on cookie sheet and remove to freezer containers when hard. When ready to bake, allow 3-5 minutes extra baking time.)

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This recipe for something called 'Mushroom Julienne' could be an actual dinner course, or an appetizer, depending on how you present it. I love watching this elegant, joyful Armenian lady on the YouTube 'Heghineh Cooking Show’:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ4CTmb5gGo

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

This month, Appetizers!

(If you would like to be on or off of this monthly cooking-thread ping list, please send a private message.)

-JT

[lizma2]

You are an angel!!! Busy tonight. Get back to you in the morning. Thank you for running my favorite thread!!!!

[umgud]

That looks so good and so easy, you could prolly FEDEX me one.

[leaning conservative]

Hey JT, always a huge treat to see your thread pop up. To me it’s like a little family who all love cooking & sharing. A refuge from all the craziness in life.

The olive puffs sound so delicious!

A friend made this extremely simple treat years ago:

Take herbed goat cheese & put a lump in the middle of a crescent roll. Roll up & bake. They are great warm or at room temperature. They are delicious! Also a great side with a salad.

[Fungi]

An elaborate mushroom duxelle.

[Jamestown1630]

My experiences with FedEx haven’t been that great recently :-(

But there are a lot of Overnite Express services, now.

What will you send me back?

[Jamestown1630]

Well, it looks delicious. So does she :-)

[Jamestown1630]

I would like that. My husband always says that any goat cheese makes him feel like he’s licking an actual goat :-)

[umgud]

I was razzing you, but the possibilities are endless.

[Jamestown1630]

:-)

[SkyDancer]

Need some ideas for upcoming 4th. of July fun.

[Jamestown1630]

Well, there are a lot of drinks with ‘sparkler’ in the name.

And then there’s the ubiquitous American Flag Sheet Cake, made with blueberries and red berries - strawberry or raspberry; but here’s one that’s a little different:

https://www.landolakes.com/recipe/16620/american-flag-cake/

[SkyDancer]

Hmmm - was also looking for those finger type apetizers eaten before the big meal - doing dogs, German sausage, BBQ wings; stuff like that.

[Jamestown1630]

You want little toothpick appetizers. Just put American Flag picks on ‘em:

https://www.bhg.com/recipes/appetizer/toothpick-appetizers/

(I’m always looking for appetizers that incorporate fresh veggies and fruit - so many parties are just too heavy on the doughy stuff.)

[SkyDancer]

Already have them and Thanks!

[Liz]

Love your appetizer recipes, JT. Why not have an all appy dinner party? These look nice on an appy table.
A very pretty presentation. Of course, you have all the ing necessary. Check your cupboards.

MIXED ITALIAN BRUSCHETTA

ING long thin French baton bread •400 g tin butter beans, drained •Small handful of fresh mint, shredded •Zest and juice of ½ lemon •2tb evo, pomegranate seeds or use chp olives, •5oz cherry tomatoes, quartered •7oz mozzarella bocconcini, halved •tb fresh basil pesto •2 tb chp fresh basil, •Small handful arugala • freshly shaved Parmesan • roasted red pepper slices •2 tb black olive tapenade

PREP Cut bread in 24 diagonal slices; toast in batches.

TOPPINGS Mash mint, zested/juiced lemon, olive oil. Season/stir in pomegranate seeds or chp olives. Set aside.
Stir cherry tomatoes, mozzarella bocconcini, pesto and basil.

ASSEMBLY spoon Topping on six toasts; garnish w/ pomegranate seeds. Top six w/ mozzarella mixture;
top six with rocket, bresaola and Parm. Drizzle / evo.

FINAL six get slices of roasted pepper, bit tapenade, basil leaf.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Thanks for the ping! That pastry looks amazing!

My husband’s new favorite - stuffed mushrooms. Use white mushrooms, clean, remove stems and trim those, then chop. Mix the chopped stems with some chopped green onion and saute. Then add sausage like Jimmy Dean pork, saute that with the other until done. Then stir in some ... goat cheese :-) and a little Parmesan. Preheat the oven to 350, put the filling into the mushroom caps and position them closely together in a casserole dish or skillet, pour in some Marsala and maybe white wine, and bake.

[MomwithHope]

I don’t have a picture but stuffed jalapenos is a favorite here. Use the biggest ones you can find or grow. Clean well cut in half and remove all seeds. Mix a pound of cooked Jimmy Deans original pork sausage or something similar, 1 package of cream cheese, and 1 cup of parmesan. If you mix these while the cooked sausage is still warm it will mix more easily. Stuff the pepper halves and then wrap each one in a half slice of bacon. Bake at 350 until the bacon looks done. Make twice as many as you think you will need.

[leaning conservative]

Ha! My husband, the few times I’ve made these will pick out half the cheese. Which I of course hover up ; ) I’m like, eat the d*MN thing!