Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 6 vine ripened tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, whole
• 1 bunch basil, chiffonaded.
• Excellent quality extra-virgin olive oil
• Slices of sourdough baguette
• Half stick of butter
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated parmesan

Directions

Dice and seed the tomatoes and add to a medium sized bowl. Add basil, salt, pepper, and a few drizzles of EVOO. Toss gently.

Add butter to a medium fry pan.  Cook on both sides until bread is crispy and golden. Transfer to plate, rub the bread with garlic cloves. Spoon tomato mixture over grilled bread, sprinkle with cheese and enjoy!

Chef's note: These bruschetta should be prepared at the last minute.

New Year's Appetizers

Ceviche verde con pepino

·         1/2 head garlic, cloves broken apart, unpeeled

·         2-3 fresh serrano chilies

·         1 medium bunch cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off)

·         1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley (thick bottom stems cut off)

·         1/2 cup olive oil

·         Salt

·         For finishing the ceviche

·         1/4 cup fresh lime juice

·         11/2 pounds “sashimi-quality” skinless, boneless fish fillets — my favorites are Alaskan halibut, ahi tuna and Tilapia — cut into 1/2-inch cubes

·         2 Persian (baby) cucumbers, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

·         2 ripe large avocados, pitted, flesh scooped from skin and then cut into cubes

·         Lettuce leaves (butter lettuce works great here), for garnish

Make the chimichurri. Set a dry skillet over medium heat. Lay in the unpeeled garlic cloves and chiles.

Roast, turning frequently, until soft and blotchy brown in spots, about 10 minutes for the chilies and 15 minutes for the garlic.

Cool then slip the skins off the garlic, pull the stems off the chilies and roughly chop (no need to remove the seeds). Place in a food processor along with the cilantro (about 1 cup if packed), parsley (about 1 cup if packed), oil and 2 generous teaspoons salt. Process until nearly smooth (it will be pasty). Scrape into a storage container and refrigerate until serving time.

Finish the ceviche. In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice and 1/2 cup of the herb seasoning. (Cover and refrigerate the remainder for another preparation.)

Add the fish and cucumber, and stir to combine. To blend the flavors, cover and refrigerate for a half hour (for best results no more than an hour).

Taste and season with a little more lime juice or salt if you think necessary, gently stir in the avocado (save a little for garnish if you want), then serve on lettuce leaf-lined plates or in martini glasses.

Note: You’ll have more than you need of the chimichurri.  Store it in a covered container in the refrigerator (pour a film of oil over the top). It’ll keep for a month or more. I smear it on chicken before grilling or roasting it. I stir it into scrambled eggs. I add it to salad dressing and cream sauces. It’ll make your everyday cooking taste special-occasion

Christmas Ham

Toasted Spiced Ham Drizzled in Honey

Ingredients

• 1 boneless country ham
• 2 cups honey, for glazing ham
• 2 tablespoons Toasted Spice Rub, recipe follows
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
• 1 lb baby carrots
• 1 large sweet onion diced
• ½ cup chicken stock

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place ham on a cookie sheet. With the tip of a paring knife carefully score a 1-inch grid pattern around the outside of the ham. Brush the entire surface of the meat on all sides with some of the honey.

Season the entire surface of the meat on all sides with the toasted spice rub and thyme. Add about a half cup of stock to the base of the roaster. Place ham on baby carrots and onion mixture in the roasting pan.

Cook for 1 hour. Every 15 minutes, baste ham with juices that collect in the base of the roaster and the honey. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving as desired.

Toasted Spice Rub:

• 1 tablespoon cloves
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons California chili powder
• 4 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Toast the cloves, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a small, heavy pan over medium heat. (Toasting freshens spices, releases their oils, and makes them more fragrant, as well as adding a new dimension of flavor.)  Working quickly, turn on the exhaust fan; add the red pepper flakes, and toss, toss, toss, always under the fan. Immediately turn the spice mixture out onto a plate to cool.

Using a small spice mill blender or a thoroughly cleaned coffee grinder; grind only the clove, coriander, pepper, and chili flakes. Pour into a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Keep the spice mix in a glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.

                `

Eggnog

Baby its cold outside!  It’s time for fires roaring, fuzzy socks, and cuddling under a blanket.  What could be better than a nice cup of spiked eggnog?  The problem is the stuff they sell at the store is usually sickenly sweet.  Homemade eggnog isn’t hard to make and as long as you’re careful consuming raw eggs shouldn’t be a problem. Yes there is a small risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, I recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells.  Heck I bet there are more parasites lurking in that kitchen sponge of yours. 

Enjoy!

Eggnog

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 pint whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 ounces bourbon (or more…..)
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 egg whites

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.

Cook's Note: For cooked eggnog, follow procedure below.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Then return everything to the pot and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir in the bourbon, pour into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture.

Raw Oysters with Spicy Mignonette

When the holidays arrive often we want to pull out our holiday finest, whether it is our finest china, linen, or attire.  When the candles are flickering and champagne is bubbling here is something surely to impress even the toughest of in-laws.  If not to hell with them, they don’t deserve your effort anyway!

Raw Oysters with Spicy Mignonette

Scrub the oysters under cold water with a stiff brush to remove the dirt, especially in the hinge area where mud has a tendency to get trapped. Next, find a durable thick cloth and fold it over several times to create a square; this will steady the oysters as you shuck them and also protect your hand. Using the towel as a mitt, place the oyster, cup-side down in the palm of your towel-covered hand with the hinge facing you; have a small bowl handy to catch the delicious juice. Insert the tip of an oyster knife or dull butter knife as far into the hinge as it will go; don't jab it in there or you could break the shell. With gentle force, twist the knife back and forth to pry the shell open. Using the knife, cut the muscle away from the top shell, bend the shell back, and discard it. Run the knife underneath the oyster to detach it completely, but leave it in its shell. Tip out the briny liquor into the bowl and pour it back over the shucked oysters. Nestle the oysters in a bed of crushed ice, never use rock salt; you want these babies nice and cold.

·         3 tablespoons finely chopped Shallot

·         1 Scotch bonnet (also called a Habanero) stemmed, seeded and chopped fine-These are hot! So be cautious when handling peppers. (wear gloves)

·         3 teaspoons of Champagne Vinegar

·         3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – buy the fruity expensive stuff!

·         1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

·         Kosher salt and freshly course ground black pepper to taste

Whisk in a bowl and drizzle over prepared oysters, Enjoy!

Oh as a special note, if you can find just the tiniest amount of wasabi roe, OMG your mouth is in for a real treat!