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Elegant Shrimp and Artichoke
1½ pounds medium shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined
1 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, steamed, drained and coarsely chopped
6½ tablespoons butter
4½ tablespoons flour
¾ cup milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup dry sherry
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
pepper to taste
¼ pound sliced mushrooms
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
paprika
Make a white sauce by melted butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add flour and stir. Slowly add milk, then cream, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Add Worcestershire sauce, sherry, salt and peppers; stir until well combined. Layer artichoke hearts, shrimp and mushrooms in a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese then pour white sauce over all. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve over wild rice.
Serves 8.
from Food for Thought by the Junior League of Birmingham
***Eloise's note: I made this according to the recipe, and it was delicious but very rich. When I make it again for my family, I am going to Google for a lighter white sauce. Also, I doubled the amount of shrimp and stretched it to serve 10.
Ina Garten's Arugula with Parmesan
½ pound fresh arugula, washed and dried
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
½ cup good olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼-pound chunk very good Parmesan
Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour enough dressing on the arugula to moisten. Toss well and place the salad on individual plates. With a very sharp knife or a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan into large shards and arrange them on the arugula.
Serves 6.
***Eloise's note: The dressing goes a long way!
Tea Room Rolls
From Compliments Of
by the Women’s Exchange of Memphis
Makes 3-dozen+ rolls
2 envelopes dry yeast (I use Rapid-Rise)
⅓ cup warm water (slightly warmer than your body temperature – around 110°)
1 cup shortening, melted and cooled to 110°
⅔ cup sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
1⅓ cups warm water (110°)
5 cups all-purpose flour (I used a cup or two more to get the dough not to be too sticky)
melted butter
Dissolve yeast in ⅓ cup warm water. Combine shortening and sugar and mix well. Stir in yeast, eggs and salt. Mix in remaining water. Add the flour and stir until a soft dough form, adding more flour as needed.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl, turning to coat the surface. Let rise, loosely covered, for two hours or until doubled in bulk. Punch down the dough. Roll ¾” thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired size. Arrange one-inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Brush tops with melted butter and let rise until doubled in bulk.
Bake at 325° for 25 minutes.
***Eloise's note: This recipe makes a LOT of rolls. It is easily cut in half.)
Stilton Tart with Cranberry Chutney
from The Gourmet Cookbook
Pastry dough
1 cup heavy cream
1 whole large egg
2 large egg yolks
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
5 oz. chilled white Stilton cheese, rind removed and cheese crumbled
Make tart shell:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 17- by 8-inch rectangle and fit into 13 x 4 x 1 tart pan with removable bottom. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang inward and press against side of pan to reinforce edge. Lightly prick bottom and sides all over with a fork. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Line pastry shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven 20 minutes, then carefully remove foil and weights and bake until golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Cool shell in pan 20 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Make filling:
Whisk together cream, whole egg, yolks, salt, and pepper until combined.
Put tart shell (still in pan) on a baking sheet and scatter cheese evenly in shell. Slowly pour custard into shell and bake in middle of oven until golden around edge and custard is just set, 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool tart completely in pan on a rack. Cut tart into 32 rectangles and serve at room temperature, topped with chutney.
Cranberry Chutney:
2 large shallots (3 oz), coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (12-oz) bag fresh or frozen cranberries (not thawed)
⅔ cup sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
½ teaspoon salt
generous pinch dried hot red pepper flakes
Cook shallots in oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, just until berries pop, 10 to 12 minutes, then cool.
(This makes more chutney than needed for the Stilton Tart. Leftover chutney keeps well for several weeks in refrigerator and is delicious on turkey sandwiches.)
Tomato-Basil Rounds
3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup mayonnaise
Roma tomatoes, sliced thin
fresh basil, chopped
fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh baguette, sliced thin
Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, and basil. Add a little salt and pepper. Spread onto a piece of baguette. Top with a slice of tomato then sprinkle with Parmesan. Can broil or serve at room temperature.
Chocolate Lovers Cheesecake
See Farmgirl Gourmet: My Mother's Chocolate Lovers Cheesecake
***Eloise's note: I don't think mine turned out as pretty as hers and I cheated on the chocolate hearts and used store-bought in the interest of saving time. They were delicious at any rate!
I used these molds for the cheesecakes. They were very high quality and worked really well.
My husband, Robert, loves soup. He is not particular about his soup, is perfectly content to open a can of Campbell's for his lunch or dinner (though his favorite, and Will's, is my Corn Chowder).
I also enjoy a bowl of soup, especially on a cold day, but I only like homemade soup. And not all homemade soup is created equal.
This recipe for Minnesota Wild Rice Soup came from a friend of my mother's in Jackson Hole who hails from Minnesota. My mother made it for us over Christmas, and I loved it so much that I had her send me the recipe.
This is now my favorite soup, and I've made it several times since Christmas. Last night I prepared the wild rice in my pressure cooker which really saved time.
Enjoy!
Minnesota Wild Rice Soup
2 large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, baked and chopped
5 tablespoons butter
8-oz box sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
⅓ cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup fat-free half-and-half
Sauté mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Blend in flour and gradually add the four cups of chicken broth. Stir in rice and salt, then add chicken and mushrooms. Simmer about 5-10 minutes. Blend in half-and-half and heat to serving temperature (do not let soup boil after adding half-and-half).
My mom's friend Cathy added to enjoy this soup with hearty bread, seasonal fruit and some really great friends!
Cooking wild rice: Wash ½ cup raw wild rice, add rice to 2 cups water (could also use chicken broth) and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for 45 minutes until tender, not mushy. Fluff with fork and simmer 5 additional minutes. Drain any excess liquid. (In a pressure cooker bring ½ cup wild rice and 1½ cups liquid to a boil. Attach lid and bring to high pressure. Reduce heat but maintain high pressure and cook for about 22 minutes.)
Note: 1 cup raw wild rice yields about 4 cups cooked wild rice
I also want to put in a plug for my latest favorite app. My friend Bevy at It's a Golden Day told me about Paprika, which bills itself as a recipe manager. I have downloaded it on my iPhone, Mac desktop and iPad and linked them so that they stay synced through Paprika's "cloud."
Paprika has a built-in browser that makes it easy to import recipes from sites like Epicurious and Food Network, and it also has a clipboard feature for copying recipes from blogs or other online sources. I love its grocery list feature that lets you check off the ingredients you need from recipes you've selected and then makes a list that is organized by produce, canned goods, meats, etc. I usually compile my list on my iPad or computer but access it in the store via my iPhone. Emailing recipes from the Paprika app is easy as well.
You must purchase each Paprika app separately so I tried it on my iPad for a while before deciding to buy the apps for my iphone and computer too. If your eyes are better (younger) than mine, you could probably get by with just the app on your phone!
This was the picture I used for our Christmas cards this year. I was SO very happy with how it turned out!
As you might guess, getting Vivian to cooperate for a picture is quite a feat. First of all, I cannot let her have any inkling that we are going to take a picture or she will take off her clothes and climb under her bed. Secondly, getting her to wear anything other than a Dumbo, 101 Dalmatians or Curious George t-shirt and her beloved strawberry pants is a Herculean task in and of itself.
For this picture I picked Vivian up from school, and I instructed Will and Dots to clean out everything from Vivian's drawers except for a white 101 Dalmatians t-shirt and some black velveteen pants.
When Vivian and I walked in our house, I pointed out that what she was wearing was no longer clean. Vivian cannot stand the thought of her clothes being dirty, so she immediately headed upstairs to change (I have worked really hard to teach her not to begin changing her clothes until she is in her own room - again no easy task!). Vivian opened her drawer, looked at me questioningly and asked, "What happened to my clothes?" I told her they were all dirty and were being washed. That seemed to satisfy Vivian as she promptly changed into the only things left in her drawer.
I then suggested that we take Tucker for a walk. Vivian liked that idea, so we found Tucker's leash and walked with him and Dots and Will outside. It was chilly that day, and as we walked down our block, Vivian agreed to put on the sweater I had brought only because nothing else was available.
When we arrived at a park near our house (a favorite destination of Vivian's on walks), lo and behold, someone was there with a camera! I convinced Vivian that we should ask these nice people to take a picture of Tucker. Vivian was amenable to this idea and sat right down next to Tucker. She even pulled on Tucker's lips and told him to smile!
Vivian was very cooperative as the photographer snapped off pictures "of Tucker." I thought we were really pushing our luck, though, when the photographer wanted to move the kids to a second spot in the park. Vivian initially balked, but Will and Dots convinced her that Tucker needed her help for his picture and she agreed to move.
For this set, Vivian insisted that Tucker sit right in her lap and she didn't want any part of Will or Dots touching him (I was very afraid Tucker would run off, but fortunately he didn't!). It was in this second location that we got the picture above. I truly think it is one of the best pictures ever taken of Vivian.
To the uninformed observer, these pictures look natural and easy. But now you know the real story!
Notice Vivian's shoes. I had brought some dark shoes for her to wear in the picture, but she was cooperating so unexpectedly well that I dared not rock the boat by asking her to change them. The photographer kindly darkened Vivian's shoes in the picture we used for our card
My friend JoAnn asked for details on my Cooking Club's gadget exchange at our Christmas gathering. Naturally I should have posted on that right away because my feeble mind can now only remember what I brought and what I took home. {sigh}
***
I brought this salad emulsifier this year. I received one like it at our exchange last year and have loved it! It works really well and is quite therapeutic - lol. You pull the trigger and the plastic corkscrew spins around to blend the dressing. It's handy because you can store extra dressing in it and it has a spout.
This sleek expandable trivet was what I received this year. I don't have any decent-looking trivets so I have tended to use my really lovely potholders under hot dishes. This is a big improvement!
This wasn't from our gadget exchange, but I bought this can opener this fall and have LOVED it. It is very easy to use (even though it is manual, the dial turns easily) and it uncrimps the top of the can rather than cuts it so there are no sharp edges.
I had not bought a new garlic press in a really long time. I did not quite realize how decrepit my old one was until I started using this one. It works so well and is super easy to clean up.
Even more time had passed since I had bought a new box grater. The one I had dated back to my graduation from college some 25 years ago! My new one is notable for its lack of rust and its handy detachable measuring cup. I use it for making egg and olive and for grating cheese.
One last gadget that I love and use often: my immersion blender. It works great for blending soups and is so much easier and safer than pouring hot soup into a blender in batches.
Eek! I don't think I've ever gone a month without posting! Clearly I should have made a New Year's resolution to be more attentive to my blog. I will resolve to do better!
At any rate, Happy New Year! We had a great Christmas up in Jackson Hole and a nice New Year's here in Dallas. We enjoyed having Will home for a month, though he wasn't "home" a whole lot - kept all sorts of crazy hours hanging out with his high school friends. Vivian is slowly getting back into the groove of school after two weeks off. She has had several seizures over the past month, which certainly haven't helped her transition as they tend to leave her sleepy and off-kilter for a few days afterward. Dots is doing well; she is busy selling Girl Scout cookies and has finally completed the paperwork for her Girl Scout Silver Award.
Here is the recipe for the wonderful entrée we had at our December Cooking Club:
Shrimp and Wild Rice Casserole
1½ pounds mushrooms, sliced
1 small bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup butter, melted
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups cooked wild rice
1 10-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup half-and-half
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
4-ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Sauté the mushrooms, onion, garlic and bell pepper in the butter until tender. Add the shrimp and stir until shrimp turn pink. Remove from heat and stir in wild rice, soup, half-and-half, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large casserole dish. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes. Serves 10-12.
And finally, here are pictures from our January gathering:
I absolutely love the way my friend Barenda sets her table!
Barenda has so many beautiful pieces that belonged to her husband's grandmother, and she has great stories to tell about each of them. I especially covet her silver roosters and pheasant
Isn't this salt cellar exquisite?
Ellen, Priscilla, Karey and Leslie enjoy the fabulous and festive milk punch that Leslie brought
Susan keeps Thayer company as she puts the finishing touches on her Potato Soup
Jill, Barenda and me
I liked these pretty antique cups that Barenda used for our soup
Lunch is served!
We all laugh that we don't eat like this every day
Ellen wasn't happy with how her first dessert (pralines) turned out, so she made an assortment for her second effort
Menu:
French Quarter Cheese (this was really good and very pretty)
Pirate's Milk Punch (yum)
Three-cheese Drop Biscuits
Potato Soup
Crunchy Romaine Toss
Chicken Asiago with Hickory Smoked Bacon
Squash Casserole 1 (I brought this and was not impressed with it - my tip-off should have been that it was sourced from a cookbook I already own that was copyright 1977!)
Michigan Nut and Berry Bark
Oreo Balls
All recipes from Recipes Worth Sharing
