Perfect Chicken Wings

Perfect Chicken Wings
By: Cliff

6 chicken wings, soaked in buttermilk for at least an hour

Dip in homemade bread crumb mixture:
Rice Krispies
French’s Fried Onions
Garlic seasoning
Dry Barbeque seasoning
*Pulsed in food processor until fine

Cover baking sheet with non-stick foil. Place breaded chicken wings on sheet and sprinkle with additional dry barbeque seasoning.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (not convection or it will burn). Cook chicken wings for 50 minutes, turning over after 30 minutes, and pouring melted butter (about 2 Tablespoons) over to crisp. Chicken wings will be crunchy, and a bit black, but great flavor, especially if dipped in pre-made blue cheese dressing!

Serves 2 (3 wings each)

Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Vegetables
By: Rosanna

A lot of variations of vegetables can be used here. This is a basic guideline.

Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Fresh vegetables:
(3) red potatoes, washed and quartered
(1) yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into big chunks
½ red onion, large sliced
Yellow squash, rinsed, and cut into big chunks
Green zucchini, rinsed, and cut into big chunks

Pour olive oil (about 1-2 Tablespoons) over vegetables on lined baking sheet. With clean hands toss the vegetables in the olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, flipping once or twice.
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Just potatoes:
2 red potatoes (per person), washed and quartered
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chives
Kosher salt and black pepper
Garlic seasoning (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil. Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning occasionally to prevent burning on one side! Serve with ranch or ketchup if desired.

Soft Caramels

Soft Caramels
By: The Culinary Institute of America

Flourless cooking spray for greasing
2 cups superfine baking sugar
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup whole or low-fat milk
Large zest strips from ½ orange
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
½ cup light corn syrup
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Cut 2 9x16-inch rectangles of parchment paper. Lay one strip of the parchment in the baking pan, pressing it to the bottom and sides. Lightly coat the parchment with cooking spray. Lay the second parchment rectangle across the pan in the opposite direction to form a cross. Press the parchment to the bottom and sides of the pan and lightly coat with cooking spray. You should have a few inches of paper overhang on each side of the pan.

Combine the sugar, cream, milk, zest and vanilla bean in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture begins to boil, add the corn syrup while continuing to stir. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a medium golden brown, 245 degrees on a candy thermometer, the firm ball stage.

Pour the mixture immediately into the prepared pan, remove the vanilla bean and orange zest and cool to room temperature. Using greased kitchen shears or a greased sharp knife, cut into squares.

“Caramels should be very smooth and rich, the result of adding the cream, butter and corn syrup to sugar as it cooks. These soft candies can be cut into a variety of simple shapes. Wrap them individually in twists of waxed paper or colorful cellophane and stack then in tins or boxes for gift giving. Check in craft stores that carry cake and candy making supplies for wrappers and boxes.”

Semolina Pizza with Fresh Herbs and Goat Cheese

Semolina Pizza with Fresh Herbs and Goat Cheese
By: The Culinary Institute of America

Pizza Dough:
3 ½ cups bread flour plus extra as needed
½ cup semolina flour (can be found at most supermarkets in their bulk bin area)
1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
1 ½ cups room-temperature water
3 Tablespoons olive oil plus extra for greasing
2 teaspoons salt
Cornmeal for dusting

Topping:
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, cut into thin slices
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
Freshly ground pepper
5 oz fresh goat cheese crumbled or crumbled feta cheese
4 Tablespoons freshly ground parmesan cheese
6 sun-dried tomatoes, drained, sliced thin, then cubed

To prepare the dough, combine the flours and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the water, olive oil, and salt and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is quite elastic but still a little sticky, 4 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Fold the dough gently, cover, and let rest until relaxed, 15-20 minutes, before cutting it into 2 equal pieces and rounding into smooth balls. Cover the dough and let rest another 15-20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Prepare 2 baking sheets by scattering them with cornmeal.

To shape the pizza dough, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, working with one piece at a time, press the dough into a disk of even thickness, stretching and turning the dough as you work or using a rolling pin. Continue until the dough is an evenly thick 12-inch round.

Transfer the dough rounds to the cornmeal-scattered baking sheets. Drizzle each pizza with 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil, then scatter with the remaining topping ingredients. Drizzle an additional 1 Tablespoon olive oil over each pizza and bake until golden brown around the edges, 10-12 minutes. Serve at once.

“This was a huge hit with former culinary students. The olive oil offers a fresh alternative to a tomato base and is a healthier option. The goat or feta cheese cuts down on the amount of fat compared to using traditional mozzarella cheese. Love the dusted cornmeal on the bottom of the dough!”

Raisin Bread with a Cinnamon Swirl

Raisin Bread with a Cinnamon Swirl
By: The Culinary Institute of America

4 ½ cups flour plus extra as needed
2 teaspoons dry yeast
2 cups whole or low-fat milk, boiled and cooled to room temperature
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup raisins
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Vegetable oil for greasing
Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 2 Tablespoons cold milk or water)
Cinnamon sugar (1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with 1/3 cup granulated sugar)

Combine the flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the milk, butter, sugar, eggs and salt and mix on low speed for 4 minutes. In the last minute of kneading add the raisins. In the last 30 seconds add the cinnamon, kneading just long enough to create a swirl. The dough should be slightly soft.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour (I’ve preheated an oven to 200 degrees, then turned off to cool down a bit while I make the dough. By the time the dough is ready for this stage the oven is the perfect warm environment, and since it is off it doesn’t cook the dough!). Fold the dough over gently. Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes before transferring it to a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 2 equal pieces and round each into a smooth ball, pulling the outer layer taut and pinching together the excess dough at the base of the ball. Place seam sides down on a lightly floured surface, cover, and let rest until relaxed, 15-20 minutes.

Lightly grease 2 loaf pans.

On a lightly floured work surface, stretch each piece of dough into an even rectangle. Brush the dough lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (as if you were making cinnamon roll dough). Fold each short end of the rectangle in about 1 inch. Roll the top end of the dough toward the center and press the seam closed with your fingertips. Continue to roll the dough into a cylinder and seal the seam with the palm of your hand. Gently roll the cylinder back and forth until it is about 11 inches long and even thickness.

Place each cylinder of dough, seam side down, into a prepared loaf pan. Brush the loaf lightly with egg wash. Let the dough rise in a warm place, uncovered, until the dough fills the pan and springs back slowly to the touch but does not collapse, 1 ½- 2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Gently brush the dough with egg wash again before baking. Bake until the loaves have a brown crust and the sided retain their structure when pressed, 25-30 minutes. Immediately remove the bread from the pans and let cool completely on wire racks before slicing and serving.

“Wonderful technique. Yummy with butter, powdered sugar dusted on top with warm maple syrup!”

Culinary Definitions:

Almond Paste as defined in Food Lover’s Companion
“A mixture of blanched ground almonds, sugar and Glycerin or other liquid. Almond extract is sometimes added to intensify the flavor. Almond paste is used in a variety of confections and is less sweet and slightly coarser than Marzipan. It should be firm but pliable before use in a recipe. If it becomes hard, it can be softened by heating for 2-3 seconds in the microwave. Once opened, it should be wrapped tightly and refrigerated. Almond paste is available in most supermarkets in cans and plastic packages. Bitter-almond paste is used to flavor the famous AMARETTI cookies.”

Arborio Rice as defined in Food Lover’s Companion
“The high-starch kernels of this Italian-grown grain are shorter and fatter than other short-grain rice. Arborio is traditionally used for Risotto because its increased starch lends this classic dish its requisite creamy texture.”

Caper as defined in Food Lover’s Companion
“The flower bud of a bush native to the Mediterranean and parts of Asia. The small are picked, sun-dried, and then pickled in a vinegar brine. Capers range in size…which can be as large as the tip of your little finger. Capers are generally packed in brine but can also be found salted and sold in bulk. Capers should be rinsed before using to remove excess salt. The pungent flavor of capers lends piquancy to many sauces and condiments; they’re also used as a garnish for meat and vegetable dishes.”

Chiffonade as defined in Food Lover’s Companion
“Culinary, it refers to thin strips or shreds of vegetables (classically, sorrel and lettuce), either lightly sautéed or used raw to garnish soups.”

Clarified Butter as defined in Food Lover’s Companion
“This is unsalted butter that has been slowly melted, thereby evaporating most of the water and separating the milk solids (which sink to the bottom of the pan) from the golden liquid on the surface. After any foam is skimmed off the top, the clear (clarified) butter is poured or skimmed off the milky residue and used in cooking. Because the milk solids (which make butter burn when used for frying) have been removed, clarified butter has a higher smoke point than regular butter and therefore may be used to cook at higher temperatures. Additionally, the lack of milk solids prevents clarified butter from becoming rancid as quickly as regular butter. It also means the butter won’t have as rich of flavor.”

Demi-glace as defined in Food Lover’s Companion
“A rich Espagnole sauce, which is slowly cooked with beef stock and Madeira or Sherry until it’s reduced by half. The result is a thick glaze that coats a spoon. This intense mixture is used as a base for many other sauces.”



Evaporated Milk as defined in Food Lover’s Companion
“This canned, unsweetened milk is fresh, homogenized milk from which 60% of the water has been removed. Vitamin D is added for extra nutritional value. It comes in whole, lowfat and skim forms; the whole-milk version must contain at least 7.9% milk fat, the lowfat has about half that and the skim version ½ percent or less. As it comes from the can, evaporated milk is used to enrich custards or add a creamy texture to many dishes. When mixed with an equal amount of water, it can be substituted for fresh milk in recipes. Evaporated milk is less expensive than fresh milk and is therefore popular for many cooked dishes. It has a slightly caramelized, “canned” flavor that is not appreciated by all who taste it. Canned milk can be stored at room temperature until opened, after which it must be tightly covered and refrigerated for no more than a week. When slightly frozen, evaporated milk can be whipped and used as an inexpensive substitute for whipped cream.”

Rustic Peach Galette

Rustic Peach Galette
By: The Culinary Institute of America

Single refrigerated pie dough crust
1 can sliced peaches, drained
2 green granny smith apples, cored, peeled and cut in ½ inch cubes
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup crumbled ladyfingers or graham crackers crushed
Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 2 Tablespoons cold milk)
2 Tablespoons sugar

Roll the pie dough out into a 10-inch round.

Toss peaches and apples with lemon juice, granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Transfer the dough round to a parchment paper-lined (very important) baking sheet. Sprinkle with the ladyfinger crumbs or crushed graham crackers, in the center of the dough, leaving the border unfilled. Brush a 1-inch perimeter of the dough round lightly with egg wash. Fold the dough edges in toward the center, over the fruit, pinching and folding it to seal the edge and create a pleated border. “Beautiful effect.”

Brush the pleated edge of the pastry lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until pastry is golden brown and the peaches hot and juicy, about 25 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and cool on the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature for up to 3 days.

“Fabulous warm with vanilla bean ice cream. Great texture. Easy transfer to serving plate. Cliff and I devoured half of the plate in one serving!”

Old World Strawberry Chocolate Cake

Old World Strawberry Chocolate Cake
By: Jo-Anne Clark Brown

1 ½ cups sifted cake flour
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup cocoa, sifted
1 Tablespoon instant coffee powder (optional)
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
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2 Tablespoons sugar
1 quart fresh strawberries, halved
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Chocolate Glaze:
3 squares semisweet chocolate
3 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder (optional)
1 Tablespoon gutter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
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2 cups sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping such as cool whip
Whole strawberries for garnish

Lightly oil two 8-inch round cake pans. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine flour, 1 ½ cups sugar, cocoa, instant coffee powder (optional), baking soda, and salt. Add the butter, 2/3 of the buttermilk, and the vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining buttermilk and eggs. Beat 2 minutes more. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Cool the layers on a wire rack.

In a large bowl sprinkle 2 Tablespoons sugar over the strawberries.

In a heavy saucepan melt the chocolate with the water, coffee powder (optional), and butter over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the sugar. Add a little hot water if necessary to make a medium thin glaze.

Place one cake layer on a serving platter, and cover with half of the strawberries. Drizzle with half the glaze and top with half the whipped cream. Repeat with second layer. Garnish with whole strawberries.

Serves 8-10.

Strawberry Chocolate Mousse

Strawberry Chocolate Mousse
By: Jo-Anne Clark Brown

2 (1oz) squares of semisweet chocolate
3 Tablespoons hot water
8 oz cream cheese
1 Tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup milk
2 cups (1 pint) whipping cream
2 Tablespoons superfine baking sugar
2 cups sliced strawberries

In a saucepan with a heavy bottom or in a double broiler melt the chocolate in the hot water over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool.

In a medium bowl beat half of the cream cheese with confectioners sugar until well blended. Add the milk and beat until blended. In a separate bowl whip the cream until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar and continue to beat until stiff. Do not overbeat. Mix 2 cups of the whipped cream into the creamed cheese mixture, then mix in 1 cup of the sliced strawberries. Transfer to a soufflé dish or dessert bowl. Chill.

Beat the remaining cream cheese until fluffy. Blend in the melted chocolate and remaining whip cream. Cover the chilled strawberry-cream cheese mixture with the chocolate mixture. Chill completely for about 4 hours. Serve with the remaining sliced strawberries and additional whipped cream if desired.

Serves 6-8.

Strawberry Soufflé

Strawberry Soufflé
By: Jo-Anne Clark Brown

2 ½ cups fresh strawberries
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
4 eggs; whites separated from yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar; divided
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream

Prepare a 4-cup soufflé dish.

In a blender puree the strawberries on high speed for 30 seconds.

In a small bowl soak the gelatin in cold water until softened.

In the top of a double broiler beat the egg yolks and ½ cup sugar until lemon colored. Add the lemon juice and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes until thickened. Add the gelatin and stir until dissolved. Cool. Stir in the strawberry puree. Add 2 drops of red food coloring to tint a delicate pink.

In a large bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add ¼ cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff.

In a separate bowl whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold the meringue and whipped cream into the strawberry mixture. Pour into the prepared soufflé dish. Chill for about 3 hours until firm.

Decorate individual servings with a whole strawberry.

Serves 6.