LA CHAIR DE CRABE SAUCE RAVIGOTE
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 hard cooked egg, finely grated
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon anise extract
Salt and pepper to taste
18 ounces king crab meat
Lemon slices and parsley sprigs for garnish
Combine all ingredients except crabmeat in mixing bowl or blender; beat or blend thoroughly. Divide crabmeat into six equal portions and place in stemmed sherbet glasses. Pour dressing over. Garnish each with a lemon slice and sprig of parsley. Makes 6 servings.
---
TORTONI MOUSSE
4 sheets gelatin (see note)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon rum extract
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup drained fruit cocktail
2 cups whipping cream
Toasted coconut and maraschino cherries for garnish
Place gelatin sheets in top section of double boiler; add cold water to cover and set aside for a few minutes to soften. Drain off water. Place top section over boiling water in bottom section of double boiler till dissolved.
Meanwhile, combine sugar, beaten egg yolks and milk in saucepan. Place over low heat and cook, stirring frequently, till mixture comes to a boil. Cook about a minute longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add flavorings. Working quickly, add gelatin to custard mixture. (use a whisk to avoid lumps.) Fold in drained fruit; cool to room temperature.
Whip l 1/2 cups cream to soft peaks. Gently fold into custard mixture. Turn into oblong two-quart baking dish, or spoon into individual long-stemmed sherbet glasses. Chill several hours. Just before serving, whip remaining cream and place a dollop atop each serving. Trim with toasted coconut and cherry. If using baking dish, cut into squares to serve. Makes 10 servings.
(Note: Gelatin sheets are available, six per package, at Hansa Importhaus, 2718 Lorain Avenue.)
---
DECEMBER 1974
APPETIZER HAM LOAF
2 pounds ground cottage ham (see note)
2 scallions with tops, minced, fine (scant 1/4 cup)
1 pound ground pork
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 eggs
Brown sugar and pineapple rings for garnish
1/4 cup light cream or half-and-half
In large bowl, combine all ingredients except pineapple and brown sugar. Mix lightly but thoroughly and shape into 3 loaves. If desired, sprinkle brown sugar over bottom of each of three 7 x 3 x 2 1/4-inch loaf pans. Top with 2 pineapple rings, placed side by side or make your own design. Place ham loaf on top of pineapple. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Pour off fat. Cool 1/2 hour in pan. Turn out and cool 1/2 hour longer. Wrap in foil and chill thoroughly or freeze.
To serve, let guests cut their own slices. Offer party rye alongside. Note: Floyd Fike buys all his pork products at Dohar Lovasky in the West Side Market. When not busy, they will grind .the cottage ham upon request.
---
COCKTAIL SPINACH LOAF
3 pounds ground chuck
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 pound ground pork
4 eggs, beaten
2 packages chopped spinach, cooked and squeezed dry
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 large onion, grated or minced very fine
3/4 teaspoon summer savory
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (or more)
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
Combine ingredients in large bowl; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into four loaves and place each in a 7 x 3 x 2 1/4-inch pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, pouring off fat twice during last 20 minutes. Cool 1/2 hour in pan. Turn out and cool 1/2 hour longer. Wrap each loaf in foil and chill thoroughly or freeze if made ahead. To serve, cut into 1/4-inch slices or allow guests to slice their own. Serve with assorted party breads.
---
STUFFED MUSHROOM CAPS I
50 medium size mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Italian-flavor fine dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon summer savory
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, coarsely grated
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Butter or margarine
1/2 cup finely snipped celery leaves
Wash mushrooms and gently pat dry with towel; pull out stems and chop or grate coarsely. Place mushroom caps on jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.
To make filling, combine chopped stems, bread crumbs, onion, celery leaves, cheese, oil and seasonings; mix lightly, but thoroughly, adding a bit more oil if necessary to bind ingredients. Place one rounded teaspoon of mixture in each mushroom cap. Dot with butter. Refrigerate if made ahead.
To serve, bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or till heated through. Slip under broiler just till slightly crusty on top. Makes 50.
---
BLEU CHEESE DIP
1/2 pound bleu cheese, finely grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 cups dairy sour cream
1 scant tablespoon liquid onion
Dippers: Raw broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes on skewers, celery sticks, carrot sticks and green pepper strips.
Early in the day, combine bleu cheese, sour cream and seasonings; let stand at room temperature. Serve with raw vegetables (noted above). Makes 3 1/2 cups.
---
PARTY QUICHE
2 medium onions (not large, rings will be too large)
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 teaspoons instant blending flour
6 slices thick-slice bacon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 frozen 9-inch pastry shell, unbaked
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup grated Gruyere or Emmenthaler cheeses, mixed (or good Swiss)
Few grains of freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs
Judicious pinch cayenne pepper
Peel and slice onions, separating into rings. Saute gently in butter just till soft and golden. Dice bacon into 1/2-inch squares (no smaller). Fry slightly to release some fat (pieces should still be quite soft); drain thoroughly.
Sprinkle bottom of frozen pastry shell with half the onions; top with half the bacon and then 1/2 cup grated cheese, distributing ingredients evenly. Repeat layers using remaining onions, bacon and cheese. To make custard, combine eggs and cream in bowl; beat well.
Add flour and seasonings and beat till thoroughly blended. Pour over ingredients in pastry shell. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or till custard is set. It will still appear slightly soft in the center. Cool 30 minutes. Cut into small wedges and serve on cocktail plates. Makes 12 servings.
---
WATER CHESTNUT MEATBALLS
3 pounds ground chuck
1 cup milk
1 pound bulk sausage
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups fine dry breadcrumbs (plain or Italian-flavor)
3 cans (5 oz each) water chestnuts, drained and grated
2 medium onion, grated or chopped in blender
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon savory
1 teaspoon thyme
Combine ingredients in large bowl; mix lightly but very thoroughly. Shape into cocktail-size meatballs. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or till baked through. Using slotted spoon, transfer meatballs to chafing dish or casserole. Serve hot. Makes about 200 meatballs.
---
DILL VEAL BALLS
1 pound ground veal (see note)
4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon dill weed 1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 teaspoon kitchen bouquet
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup milk
1 beaten egg
Combine ground veal, bacon, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, salt and dill weed; blend thoroughly; shape into cocktail-size meatballs.
In large skillet, dissolve bouillon cube in 1 1/2 cups water. Add kitchen bouquet. Turn meatballs into skillet and bring mixture to boil. Cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, turning meatballs once.
With slotted spoon, lift veal balls to serving dish and keep warm. Blend cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water. Stir into broth in skillet. Cook and stir over low heat till sauce thickens. Pour over veal balls. Serve hot. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen meatballs.
(Note: Ground veal is available at several stands in the West Side Market for about $1.50 per pound.)
---
CAVIAR MOUSSE
1 jar (4 oz) red caviar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Melba toast and crackers (not salty)
Press caviar through a fine sieve. Soften gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes in small saucepan. Place over low heat till dissolved. Cool slightly. Combine sieved caviar, onion, lemon juice, salt and sour cream, blending well. Add gelatin. Gently fold in whipped cream. Turn mixture into an oiled 4-cup ring mold. Chill till firm.
To serve, dip mold into warm water for a few seconds. Run knife or spatula around edge. Unmold onto chilled platter. Surround with melba toast or crackers. Serves 50 nicely.
---
CREAM CHEESE FRUITCAKE
1 1/2 cups mixed candied fruit OR 1/2 cup each candied pineapple, red cherries and green cherries
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 eight-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Lightly grease two 9 1/2 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans. Line bottom with wax paper. Set aside.
Combine candied fruits and nuts. Sift flour and baking powder; sprinkle 1/4 cup over fruit mixture, mixing well.
Cream butter and cream cheese thoroughly. Gradually add sugar, creaming till light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each.
Add sifted dry ingredients in two parts, beating till smooth. Stir in fruits and nuts, mixing till ingredients are evenly blended
Turn batter into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or till cake pulls away from sides of pan. Remove from pan and cool on rack.
Wrap thoroughly cooled loaves in foil or clear plastic wrap and store at least one day in refrigerator before slicing. Makes 2 fruitcakes.
Cake may also be baked in a Teflon-lined bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Makes 1 cake.
---
FEBRUARY 1975
SOLE ALBERT
3 fresh Dover sole, about 1 pound each (flounder may be substituted)
1 tablespoon dry tarragon
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
1 pound unsalted butter
About 1 1/2 cups imported dry vermouth
3 whole shallots, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 lemon
Clean, wash and dry fish. Remove head and fin. Make small slit in tail and grasp skin, pulling it away from flesh in the direction of the head. Repeat on other side. Remove tail. Melt 3/4 cup butter in an ovenware dish large enough to hold the sole placed side by side. Add shallots, parsley and tarragon, distributing evenly over bottom of dish.
Melt 1 cup butter in another pan; dip side of sole formerly covered with white skin in butter, then in bread crumbs. Place sole, breaded side up, in baking dish. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour in enough vermouth to half-submerge fish without wetting bread crumbs, about 1 1/2 cups. Pour another 3/4 cup melted butter over sole. Bake in preheated 425-degree oven for 30 minutes.
Remove fish from oven and arrange neatly on hot platter trimmed with Duchess potatoes. Or serve with plain boiled potatoes. Keep warm while finishing sauce.
Reduce juices in pan to just under 2 tablespoons. Remove from heat and stir in remaining melted butter, whisking vigorously so as to obtain a light, frothy sauce. Add a few squeezes of lemon; check the seasoning. Pour some of the sauce around the sole; serve the remainder separately. Serves three.
---
SALTIMBOCCA ALLA ROMANA
16 small veal cutlets
2 eggs
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper
Fresh or dry sage
6 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
16 thin slices prosciutto ham
16 slices Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup dry white wine
Using mallet, flatten veal cutlets to slightly less than 1/4-inch thick. Beat eggs and milk together. Dip pieces of veal into mixture and lay flat on plate or cutting board. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each with a small leaf of fresh sage or substitute a pinch of dry sage.
In large fry pan, heat oil and butter till hot. Add veal and saute two minutes. Turn and top each with a slice of prosciutto ham, followed by a slice of Mozzarella; add wine. Cover and cook over low heat for three minutes.
Transfer to heated plates. Spoon on remaining sauce. Makes eight servings.
---
SUKIYAKI
1 pound boneless rib of beef
1 small bunch celery cabbage
1 1/2 large onions, peeled
1 cup yum noodles, boiled in water 1 minute and drained
3 bunches scallions, cut on diagonal into four-inch lengths
1/2 cup small whole fresh mushrooms
1 cup water
1/2 cup sake
1/2 pound fresh bean curd, cubed
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup drained, sliced bamboo shoots
4 eggs, washed and free of cracks (optional)
Ask butcher to slice meat into 1/8-inch thick slices. Or place meat in freezer for two hours, then slice using sharp knife. Cut into strips, one-inch wide.
Wash celery cabbage; pat dry. Stack several leaves on top of each other and roll up like a fat cigar, about one inch in diameter; slice rolls on the diagonal. Repeat, using remaining celery cabbage. Cut onion in half lengthwise, then into crosswise slices, about 1/2-inch thick. Slice scallions diagonally into four-inch lengths. Prepare remaining ingredients as indicated. Arrange all ingredients on platter, creating an artistic arrangement of textures and shapes.
Combine soy sauce, water, sake and sugar in electric skillet; heat to simmering point. Using chopsticks or slotted spoon, place onions, scallions, bean curd, bamboo shoots and one third of the meat into hot mixture, cooking to desired doneness. Watch carefully, as foods will cook quickly. Remove from skillet and serve to guests immediately, while cooking cabbage, yum noodles and remaining meat.
To serve, have each guest break egg into individual small cup; beat lightly with fork or chopsticks. To eat, dip cooked food into egg for added flavor and to protect tongue. Makes four servings.
---
THE INN'S TURTLE SOUP
1 pound green turtle meat, frozen NOT canned
1 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) pickling spice
l grapefruit, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 carrots, pared
1 orange, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, excluding leaves
1/2 medium onion
2 tablespoons roux (see note)
4 hard-cooked eggs
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) dry sherry
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) brandy
Salt and pepper to taste
Measure 1 1/2 quarts water into medium-size kettle. Add turtle meat and pickling spice. Cover and simmer one hour.
Remove turtle meat from stock; strain stock to remove pickling spices and return to kettle. Using coarse disc, put turtle meat, carrots, celery, onion and hard-cooked eggs through food grinder. Add ground ingredients to turtle stock along with tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer 20 minutes.
Add chopped grapefruit and orange. Stir in roux to thicken and cook another 10 minutes. (To avoid lumps, mix a little hot soup with roux, then stir into kettle.) Add sherry and brandy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve piping hot with a shaker of sherry on the side if desired. Makes eight whole-meal servings (1 3/4 cups each) or 14 before-dinner servings (one cup each).
(Note: To make roux, melt 1/4 cup butter in small saucepan. When hot, stir in 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring constantly over low heat till flour is thoroughly cooked and mixture begins to color. Measure two tablespoons for soup. Use remainder to thicken gravy, soups and sauces.)
---
TOURNEDOS OF BEEF MARCO POLO
Marco Polo Sauce:
6 strips bacon, diced
2/3 cup A-l sauce
1 cup minced onions
2/3 cup Escoffier Sauce Robert
1 cup minced celery
1/2 unpeeled lemon, ground or finely minced
2 scallions, minced
1 small leek, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon horseradish
I bottle (12 ounces) chili sauce
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon roux
In skillet, saute bacon, onion, celery, scallions and leek till tender. Add soy sauce, chili sauce, A-l and Escoffier sauces; simmer one hour. Add lemon, curry powder, horseradish and beef stock, stirring till blended. Add roux and cook, stirring occasionally till thickened.
Wild Rice:
1/2 cup minced onion
1 1/2 cups wild rice, washed and drained
1 tablespoon bacon fat
1 1/2 cups beef stock
Combine ingredients in 1 1/2-quart casserole or baking dish. Cover and bake in preheated 375-degree oven for 40 minutes.
Garnish:
3/4 cup each drained bamboo shoots, bean sprouts and sliced water chestnuts
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup butter
Combine vegetables and butter in saucepan. Place over low heat just till heated through. Do not brown.
Tournedos;
8 beef tournedos, six ounces each
Butter
Saute tournedos in enough hot butter to generously coat bottom of frying pan. Cook to desired doneness.
To serve, place equal portions of cooked rice on each of eight warmed dinner plates. Place tournedo on bed of wild rice. Cover lightly with Marco Polo Sauce and top generously with garnish. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Makes eight servings.
---
MOO SHOO PORK
Pancakes: (Peking Doilies) 2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup very hot water
Measure flour into bowl. Add water very slowly, using a wooden spoon to blend thoroughly, making a heavy dough. Cool. Divide dough into eight equal portions; using a rolling pin, roll each portion into a thin pancake, about six inches in diameter. Cook over low heat, in ungreased skillet, just long enough to dry out. Refrigerate if made ahead. To use, stack pancakes on rack -over pan of boiling water till heated through. (Pancakes will become pliable.)
Filling:
2 ounces lean pork
1/2 ounce dried golden needles. soaked in water 1/2 hour and drained
Cornstarch
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup canned mushrooms, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
Few dashes pepper
1/2 ounce dried tree ears, soaked in water 1/2 hour and drained
Dash sesame oil
1/3 cup fresh sliced scallions
Slice pork 1/4-inch thick. Cut slices into strips one-inch long and a 1/4-inch wide. Sprinkle strips lightly but evenly with cornstarch.
Heat oil in wok or medium-size skillet, preferably with sloping sides; add pork and beaten eggs to hot oil and, using large spoon, toss over high heat just till meat is cooked through. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon. Pour off oil. Add cabbage, mushrooms, coarsely chopped tree ears and golden needles, which have been drained on paper towels to remove excess moisture; add seasoning and cook over high heat till cabbage loses its crispness. Return pork mixture to skillet; add scallions and seasonings. Cook just till pork is heated through. Remove from heat. Spoon equal portions of filling onto each of eight hot pancakes. Fold bottom fourth of pancake over filling. Then fold sides over so that they overlap, completely enclosing filling. To eat, pick up filled pancakes with fingers, open end up. Makes four generous servings, two pancakes each.
