RECIPE INDEX

Phil’s Favorite Food

Blog Entries

Index by Category (as of July 5, 2013)

This is a list of recipes posted on Phil’s blog, Phil’s Favorite Food. Each recipe shows the date of posting so it will be easier to find. These can all be accessed and downloaded at philsfavoritefood.blogspot.com

Drinks

Bloody Marys                                                              Feb 5

Creamsicles                                                               Feb 5

The Authentic, Traditional Mint Julep                       May 2

Champagne Cocktail                                                Jun 27

Hors d’Oeuvres

Bar Nuts (Phil’s Nuts)                                                 Jan 16

Roasted Eggplant Dip (for Chicken Curry)              Jan 30

Artichoke Squares                                                      Feb 1

Jim’s Olive Tapenade                                                 Feb 24

Curried Cheese Spread                                              Mar 3

Rice Krispie Squares                                                  Mar 5

Creamed Mushroom Bruschetta with Onions            May 10

Mexican Appetizer                                                       May 13

Cucumber Pickles with Cheese and Rye Bread        May 20

Marinated Olives                                                         May 21

Olive Tapenade                                                           May 22

Pate                                                                             May 23

Caviar with Cream Cheese                                        May 28

Gala Cocktail Dip                                                        Jun 9

David’s Artichokes                                                      Jun 13

Soup and First Courses

Cold Curried Apple Soup                                            Jan 17

Corn Chowder                                                                        Feb 3

Melon Carpaccio                                                         Mar 4

Tomato Aspic                                                              Mar 13

Cold Tomato Soup with Cucumber and Melon          Mar 15

Easy Oysters Rockefeller                                           Mar 20

Minted Pea Soup                                                         Mar 22

Nancy Hernke’s Onion Soup                                      Mar 24

Watermelon Salad                                                      May 24

Senegalese Soup                                                       Jun 8

Pasta e Fagioli                                                            Jun 11

Cold Asparagus, or Zucchini, Soup                            Jun 12

David’s Artichokes                                                      Jun 13

Red Pepper Soup                                                       Jun 14

Butternut Squash Soup with Star Anise and Shrimp Jun 16

Gazpacho (five recipes)                                             Jul 2

Salads and Dressings

Vinaigrette Dressing                                                   Jan 24

Ina Garten’s Green Salad Vinaigrette             Jan 24

Raita (for Chicken Curry Dinner)                                Jan 29

Sweetheart Salad                                                       Feb 14

The Best Caesar Salad Ever, No Kidding                  Mar 8

Chicken Salad Veronique                                           Mar 10

Aunt Nola’s Boiled Dressing                                       Mar 11

Chicken Salad a la Danny Kaye                                 Mar 12

Peggy’s Sweet and Sour Dressing                            Mar 16

Cobb Salad                                                                 Mar 28

Watermelon Salad                                                      May 24

Smoked Turkey and Wild Rice Salad                         Jun 17

Meat

Beef Stew                                                                   Jan 19

Bill Blass’s Meatloaf                                                    Jan 20

Meatloaf, Maple Glazed                                               Jan 21

Country Style Sausage and Fried Apples                   Feb 7

Moroccan Lamb Stew with Prunes                            Feb 11

Lemon and Ginger Pork Roast                                   Feb 12

Beef Bourguignon                                                       Feb 16

Sauteed Pork Chops                                                  Feb 21

Veal Marsala                                                               Feb 28

Saltimbocca                                                                Mar 1

Pineapple and Molasses Spareribs                            Mar 2

Roasted Pork Loin with Fig Sauce                             Mar 6

Choucroute a l’Alsacienne                                          Mar 23

Dinah Shore’s Meatloaf                                               Apr 2

Chili                                                                             Apr 7

Hot Dogs (with Pate)                                                  May 29

Chicken and Turkey

Chicken Cutlets                                                          Jan 25

Chicken Curry                                                             Jan 26

Chicken Stew with Italian Sausage                            Feb 1

Chicken Cacciatore                                                    Feb 25

Chicken with White Wine and Tarragon                     Feb 25

Turkey Tetrazzini                                                        Feb 27

Chicken Marsala                                                         Feb 28

How to Cook Chicken, Roasting, Poaching               Mar 9

Chicken Marengo                                                        Mar 25

Curried Chicken and Shrimp                                      Mar 26

Grilled Chicken Breasts                                              Apr 9

Perfect Roast Chicken                                               May 11

Seafood

Curried Chicken and Shrimp                                      Mar 26

Salmon Mousse with Dill Sauce                                 Apr 9

Mussels with Parsley and Garlic                                Apr 13

Crab Imperial                                                              Apr 17

Tartar Sauce, or Remoulade                                      Apr 18

Scallops with Leeks and Pernod                                May 3

Eggs

M & J Egg Casserole                                                  Feb 6

Cheese Souffle                                                           May 8

Bacon and Egg Pie                                                     May 14

Sue Ray’s Breakfast Casserole                                 May 15

Breakfast Casserole                                                   May 16

Cowboy Christmas Breakfast                                                May 17

A Simple Frittata                                                         Jun 3

Side Dishes and Vegetables

Corn Pudding                                                              Jan 22

Asparagus                                                                   Jan 23

Hashed Browns                                                          Feb 8

Tomato Pudding                                                         Feb 13

Haricots Verts in Mustard Sauce                                Feb 14

A Riff on Side Dishes                                                  Mar 14

Scalloped Potatoes (Gratin)                                       Mar 19

Fennel Potato Gratin                                                   Mar 19

Chunky Applesauce                                                    Mar 21

Comfort Carrots                                                          Mar 29

Barb’s Baked Mushrooms                                          Mar 30

Succotash                                                                   Mar 31

Brussels Sprouts                                                        Apr  1

Another Corn Pudding                                                Apr 12

Broiled Tomatoes                                                       Apr 15

Peperoni                                                                      Apr 20

Sweet Potato Spears, Molasses and Horseradish    Apr 23

Cooking Sweet Corn                                                   Jun 7

Fresh Peas and New Potatoes                                  Jun 10

Creamed Corn with Onions                                        Jul 1

Bread, Rice and Pasta

Basmati Rice (for Chicken Curry)                              Jan 28

Nann (for Chicken Curry)                                            Jan 29

Classic Macaroni and Cheese                                   Feb 17

Barb’s Mac and Cheese                                             Feb 17

Ina Garten’s Mac and Cheese                                    Feb 17

Mark Bittman’s Mac and Cheese                                Feb 17

Giada de Laurentiis’s Mac and Cheese                      Feb 17

The Ultimate Mac and  Cheese                                  Feb 17

Lasagna with Sausage                                               Feb 18

Easy Cheese Lasagna (Weight Watchers)               Feb 19

Bert’s Vegetable Lasagna                                           Feb 19

Bert’s Tomato Basil Sauce                                         Feb 19

Nick and Tony’s Penne with Vodka                            Feb 22

Spaghetti Carbonara                                                   Feb 23

Noodles with Carrots and  Dill                                    Mar 27

Wild Mushroom Lasagna                                            Apr 3

Pasta with Four Cheeses                                           Apr 10

Jenny’s Keugel                                                            Apr 11

Baked Rice                                                                 May 4

Pan Bagnat (sandwich)                                              Jul 5

Dessert

Macaroons with Ice Cream                                         Jan 24

Cardamom Pound Cake (for Chicken Curry)             Jan 31

Fresh Fruit                                                                  Feb 9

Tiramisu                                                                      Feb 26

Pistachio-Crusted Cheesecake                                 Mar 18

Warm Fruit Compote                                                  Apr 4

Alexander’s Apple Cake                                              Apr 5

Apple Brown Betty                                                      Apr 6

Chocolate Amaretti Cake                                            Apr 8

Sweet Potato Pie                                                        Apr 12

Ginger Pound Cake                                                    Apr 14

Sableuse                                                                     Apr 16

Pie Crust, Foolproof                                                    Apr 21

Derby Pie                                                                    Apr 22

Grandmother’s Key Lime Pie                                     Apr 24

Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart                                   Apr 25

Cherry Tortoni                                                             Apr 26

Chocolate Flan                                                            Apr 30

Pernod Flan                                                                May 1

Uncle Dutch’s Pineapple Pudding                              May 5

Katherine Hepburn’s Brownies                                   May 6

$1000 Peanut Brittle Cookies                                     May 7

Rum Raisin Rice Pudding                                          May 9

Strawberry Short Cake                                               May 12

Hummingbird Cake                                                     May 25

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies                              Jun 15

Oatmeal Pecan Cranberry Cookies                           Jun 18

Strawberries Romanoff                                              Jun 20

Summer Pudding                                                        Jun 26

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar                          Jun 28

Oranges in Marsala                                                    Jun 29

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake                               Jul 3

Other

Condiments for Chicken Curry Dinner                       Jan 28

How to Hard Boil Eggs                                                Feb 6

How to Segment Fruit                                                 Feb 9

Hints for Making Brunch Easier                                  Feb 10

Giada’s Bechemal Sauce                                           Feb 17

To Do Ahead                                                               Mar 8

Mom’s Pancakes                                                        Apr 19

A Riff on a Dinner Party                                              May 24

PAN BAGNAT

This is a kind of French sandwich that can be filled with a variety of ingredients and can be made ahead - as a matter of fact, should be made ahead - and is great for a picnic. Mine here is a little Italian in flavor - the bread is made with olive oil so that seems appropriate - but use your imagination and make any combination you like.

PAN BAGNAT

4-6 servings

1 14-inch long ciabatta loaf, split in half lengthwise

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and black pepper to taste

2 6-oz cans tuna, packed in oil, drained

1/4 c sliced pitted olives

8 anchovies, chopped

1 T drained capers

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 red (or yellow or orange) bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

white wine vinegar, as needed

1 large, ripe tomato, thinly sliced

7 basil leaves

1. Drizzle bread with oil and season with salt and pepper

2. Break tuna into chunks and spread over bottom of bread. Scatter olives, anchovies and capers over tuna; top with onions and bell pepper. Drizzle with more oil and sprinkle with vinegar, to taste. Lay tomalo slices over sandwich. Drizzle lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Tear basil leaves over sandwigh and cover with other bread half.

3. Wrap sandwich tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and cover with a dish towel. Weight sandwich down with something heavy (books, or heavy pots work well) for 3-4 hours at room temperature, flipping the sandwich halfway through. Unwrap, slice crosswise and serve.

Note: I've learned that to release the oils in basil, you simply put a leaf in one hand and clap it with the other. Ciabatta is a thin, oblong loaf, and essential to this recipe. It's easily found in most grocery stores with a baker division (like Eddie's).

LEMON POPPY SEED POUND CAKE

I've posted a number of recipes for pound cake but this is one of my favorites. I guess pound cake originally used a pound of butter, a pound of flour and a pound of sugar. But this one uses buttermilk and olive oil. I think it's probably healthier to eat than the original. But I'm sure it tastes just as good. The recipe comes from the New York Times, which often has great recipes  in their Wednesday Food Section.

LEMON POPPY SEED POUNDCAKE

serves 6

butter, for greasing the loaf pan

1 3/4 C flour, more for pan

zest of 2 lemons

1 C sugar

1/2 C buttermilk

3 T plus 4 t lemon juice

3 large eggs

1 1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/4 t fine sea salt

2/3 C extra virgin olive oil

1 t poppy seeds

1/2 C confectioners' sugar

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch loaf pan.

2. In a bowl, combine lemon zest and sugar and rub with your fingers until it looks like wet sand. Whisk in buttermilk, 3 tablespoons lemon juice and the eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk dry ingredients into the batter, then whisk in oil and poppy seeds.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan  until warm to the touch, then turn out onto a baking rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Turn cake right side up .

4. Whisk together remaining 4 teaspoons lemon and the confectioners' sugar. Use a pastry brush to spread glaze evenly over top and sides of cake. Cool completel before slicing.



FIVE RECIPES FOR GAZPACHO

These recipes are all basically the same - tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil and some basic liquid, some with water, some with tomato juice. This first one, from the NY Times, makes 8-16 servings (depends on how hungry your friends are, and whether you serve this as a main course or as an appetizer) and requires making first and holding overnight.

RECIPE # 1

serves 8-16

1 C chopped peeled tomatoes

1 C chopped peeled red onions

1 C chopped green pepper

1 C chopped English cucumber

1 1/2 t chopped peeled garlic

1 1/2 t kosher salt

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1/4 C tomato paste

1 T white wine vinegar

1/4 C plus 2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T fresh lemon juice

3 C tomato juice

sprig of fresh thyme

1. In a large non-reactive mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. The next day remove sprig of thyme. Using a blender, puree remaining ingredients until smooth. For a smoother texture, the soup may be strained. Refrigerate soup until well chilled. Ladle soup into chilled bowls and serve.

RECIPE #2

serves 6

This next recipe calls for jalapeno peppers as well as cayenne and softens the whole thing with whipped cream at the end. An interesting change, but a version I would serve only to those who liked hot stuff!

 

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced

3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, diced

1 small red onion, diced

2 jalapenos, minced

1/4 C Sherry vinegar

3/4 C virgin olive oil

salt and cayenne pepper to taste

tomato juice, if necessary

whipped cream for garnish

finely chopped mint for garnish

1. Mix together cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and onion. Add garlic, jalapenos, vinegar and olive oil. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.

2. Place mixture in a blender, puree, then strain. Add salt and pepper and, if mixture is too thick, some chilled tomato juice. Garnish with whipped cream and chopped mint, folded in.

RECIPE #3

serves 8-10

This one feels like a healthy lunch, with salad and croutons. From Ina Garten, who loves garlic. So you'd better love it too (or cut down on the quantity).

2 hothouse (English) cucumbers, halved and seeded, but not peeled (remove the plastic)

3 red bell peppers, cored and seeded

8 plum tomatoes (so you can make this in the winter, when these are always good)

2 red onions, not too large

6 cloves garlic, minced

6 C tomato juice

1/2 C white wine vinegar

1/2 C good olive oil

1 T kosher salt

1 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

1. Rough chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1 inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!

2. After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, bomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer it sits, the more flavor it develops.

Note: Sacramento brand tomato juice has the most flavor and makes a huge difference in the the final product.

RECIPE #4

serves 6

And here, one from Mark Bittman, who claims to know How to Cook Everything. He claims there is no "correct" recipe for gazpacho and that any cold soup with vegetables and vinegar qualifies. However, this one, with the usual ingredients, is conventional, fast and fresh-tasting.

about 3 lb ripe tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

1 red or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, peeled if desired, seeded and roughly chopped

2 English cucumbers, peeled and roubly chopped

4 slices good stale white bread (about 4 oz) crusts removed

6 C cold water.

1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, peeled (he doesn't like it as much as Ina Garten)

1/4 C sherry or good wine vinegar, or to taste

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Croutons (which you can buy, or use stuffing) for garnish (optional)

1. Mince a bit of the tomato, pepper, and cucumber for garnish and set aside. Soak the bread in 1 cup of the water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water.

2. Place the bread in the container of a blender of food processor with the remaining tomato, pepper, cucumber, and water, as well as the garlic and vinegar, process until smooth, then add the olive oil slowly, with the machine running.

3. Season with salt and pepper and regrigerate until ready to serve; the flavor will improve over a few hours. Before serving, check seasonings again. Garnish with reserved tomato, pepper and cucumber and, if desired, grnish with croutons.

Note: if the tomatoes are not ripe, don't try this. Use the plum tomatoes recommended in recipe #3

Oh, and one more from Julee and Sheila, who claim gazpacho could have come from India or China and that what we think of as gazpacho is really eaten more by Americans than by the Spanish. They claim they even throw a little vodka in this one so it becomes a kind of bloody mary. Ole!

RECIPE #5

serves 8-10

1/2 C red wine vinegar

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

6 large ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with their juice

1 1/2 C canned tomato juice

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 onions, coarsely chopped

2 large shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 large cucumbers, coarsely chopped

pinch cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 C fresh chopped dill

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, reserved fresh tomato juice, canned tomato juice and eggs.

2. Puree the vegetables in small batches in a blender or food processor, adding the tomato juice mixture gradually to keep the blades from clogging. Do not puree completely; the gazpacho should retain some of its crunch.

3. Stir in the cayenne, salt and pepper and dill. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.

4. When you are ready to serve, stir the soup, taste and correct the seasonings, and ladle it into chilled bowls or mugs. Add vodka at your own risk!

Out of all these versions, I'm sure you can create one of your own. I would skip the eggs and bread, cut down on the garlic and be sure to use ripe tomatoes. I'd also skin the tomatoes, which can be easily done by cutting an X in the end of the tomato opposite the stem end, and immersing the tomato briefly in boiling water. Then the skin peels easily from the cut X. When I do this, I hold the tomato with a kitchen fork all through the process. This prevents waiting until the tomato is cool.

CREAMED CORN WITH ONIONS

This is an old Cooper Family recipe, easy to make and a good way to use left-over corn on the cob. Start by slicing the cold corn off the cob into a shallow bowl. (If you have a Bundt pan, place the corn cob end on the hole in the center and slice down. The kernels will fall into the pan.) Use the back of the knife to scrape the corn milk off the cob, letting the juice/milk gather in the bowl. This has lots of flavor and while you don't get much, what you do get will add to the corn flavor of the dish. Chop some onion (to taste, as they say) and saute in butter in a heavy, or non-stick, skillet over medium heat until transparent. Add the corn and some light cream (to satisfy taste and consistency) and heat thoroughly but lightly, stirring constantly for only a few minutes. If you cook it too long, the corn will be tough. If you want to be festive, you can add some chopped pimentos for color and taste. That simple. Serve.