Ah, summer. Relaxing on the pool deck with a pitcher of summer cocktails. Summer brunch that starts with a fresh mimosa or bloody Mary. Or a full-fledged cocktail party at a friend’s beachside garden at sunset. Summer and refreshing cocktails seem made for each other. Every host should know how make at least three or four summer cocktails.

Lately, craft cocktails and infused cocktails have become popular, and I have the utmost respect for mixologists, who – much in the same way that chefs are challenged to come up with new food menus each season – are tasked with dreaming up intricate, interesting cocktails. So today I’m tipping my toque to bartenders across the land and, in homage to them, sharing some of my favorite cocktail recipes. They’re all refreshing, different and flavorful – just what you want for a party for two or lots more. Happy summer sipping!

Many cocktails call for Simple Syrup. Make up a large amount and keep it in the refrigerator. Here’s the recipe:

4 cups sugar

4 c ups water

1 ounce proof vodka for preservation (optional)

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir gently until the sugar dissolves and simmer for one more minute. Add the vodka, us fusing. Transfer to a clean bottle or container. Simple Syrup keeps refrigerated for up to a month. This recipe yields one quart.

Strawberry Rhubarb Sangria

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)

1 orange, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered

4 cups (32 ounces) chilled seltzer

1 bottle (750 ml) chilled sparkling wine, such as Champagne or Prosecco

Ice

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, add rhubarb. Transfer mixture to a medium heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a pitcher or large bowl, combine orange juice, orange, and strawberries. To serve, add cooled rhubarb mixture, seltzer, sparkling wine, and ice.

Sex on the Beach

(for one cocktail)

1 measure peach schnapps

1 measure vodka

2 measures fresh orange juice

3 measures cranberry and peach juice

ice and crushed ice

dash lemon juice orange peel piece to decorate

Shake the peach schnapps, vodka, orange juice and cranberry and peach juice over ice until well frosted. Strain into a glass filled with crushed ice and squeeze on the lemon juice. Dress with the orange peel.

Mann-Full-O’–Trouble Punch

(from Shake, Stir, Pour by Katie Loeb. Quarry Books. $24.99)

This drink is named after an historical colonial tavern in Philadelphia. It yields about 1 ½ gallons, enough for about 48 fine-ounce pours. Great for a party on the back porch.

2 quarts cranberry-pomegranate tea, brewed and cooled

1 bottle cognac

1 cup Grand Marnier liqueur

½ cup apple brandy

½ cup cranberry or pomegranate juice

½ cup sweet vermouth

2 cups hibiscus syrup (recipe below)

½ cups sugar dissolved into lemon juice

2 ½ cups fresh lemon juice

48 ounces ginger ale

Mix together all ingredients except the ginger ale in a large container. Divide into 3 approximately half-gallon batches. Place each batch into a punch bowl and add 16 ounces of ginger just before serving wo the punch doesn’t go flat. To serve, ladle punch over ice into a wine glass. Garnish with a lemon slice or hibiscus flower on a pick.

Hibiscus Syrup

6 cups water

3 cups loosely packed, dried hibiscus flowers

5 cups sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Bring water to boil in a large pot and remove from heat. Stir dried hibiscus flowers into the water gently. Cover and allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Strain out the hibiscus flowers. Bring hibiscus water back to a simmer and add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and spice, stirring until incorporated. Store in refrigerator for up to a month.

Bee’s Knees

¼ cup hot water

1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms

¼ cup honey

6 tablespoons gin

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix hot water and dried lavender blossoms in a bowl. Let steep 5 minutes; be careful not to over-steep or mixture will taste soapy. Whisk in ¼ cup honey. Strain into another bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the honey syrup, gin and lemon juice; strain into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into 2 chilled martini glasses.

Chihuahua Oyster Shooter

(from Shake, Stir, Pour by Katie Loeb. Quarry Books. $24.99)

8 jalapeno peppers

12 sprigs cilantro, rinsed and bruised

1 bottle (1.75 L) vodka

Place the peppers and cilantro into a large jar. Top iwht the vodka. Cover and allow to infuse for up to 72 hours. Strain and funnel into a clean bottle for storage. Keep refrigerated. To make the shooter, place a shucked oyster in a shot glass and top with 1 ounce of the infused vodka. Add a tiny splash of tomato juice you want to.

F&M

Andalusia, Flannery O’Connor’s home in Milledgeville, Georgia has become a popular attraction. The writer died at age 39, but interest in her life and works is soaring.

MILLEDGEVILLE, GA.- Her home is called Andalusia, a name often associated with Spain and gypsies. Visitors flock to place where Flannery O’Connor, one of the more gifted American authors lived and worked. The grounds are lovely, part of the bucolic landscape in this middle-Georgia town that was once Georgia’s capital. There’s still a peacock out back but no sign of her famous rooster alleged to have been trained to walk backwards. O’Connor’s bedroom reveals some aspects of her disability and suffering: crutches and a wheelchair she required until she reached her final year at age 39.

There was a tall ancient magnolia near the house bearing a single lovely blossom.

Flannery O’Connor’s life and works are enjoying a revival. I literally started my year at the January Key West Literary Festival where a day was devoted to her work. I imagined a picnic with her at Andalusia, near the ancient magnolia tree. The spread included tomato aspic, potato salad, pan-fried chicken, pickled beets, fresh corn muffins, baked cauliflower and coconut cake. All served with two chilled wines, Chablis from Burgundy and a nice rosé from Provence.

A fragrant magnolia glowed like a star in the Southern sky from Flannery O’Connor’s ancient tree on the grounds of her home called Andalusia.

Andalusia is no less a shrine of Southern Gothic literature than Faulkner’s Rowan Oak in Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner once told an interviewer that the South “is all I know.” A gifted writer trapped in a doomed body, O’Connor reminded the world that she was spiritually connected to Georgia’s fertile soil. “Southern writers are stuck with the South, and it’s a good thing to be stuck with,” O’Connor once said. “If my characters speak Southern, it’s because I do.”

Leaving Andalusia launched an inspired journey, beginning with Milledgeville’s old governor’s mansion and the former state capitol of Georgia, striking architectural wonders where the Marquis de Lafayette was honored with a huge barbecue, reportedly the largest food event in the new nation. General Sherman quartered there for a few days on his March to the Sea, taking time to hold a mock repeal of Georgia’s secession resolution adopted on the eve of the Civil War.

Al fresco dining is a popular feature at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee.

Irony abounds in this part of America. Cities named after the Founding Fathers, Revolutionary War heroes, and U.S, Presidents were also fiercely involved in the Civil War, and some paid a huge price for being part of the Confederacy. Madison, described by one magazine as America’s most beautiful small town, lives up to its reputation. The sidewalks of nearby Greensboro inspire walking and window-shopping. It’s home base for Carey Williams, the accomplished raconteur who is editor and publisher of The Herald-Journal, a family-owned weekly newspaper. The door is open and Williams, almost on cue, will share stories about New York Yankee great Mickey Mantle, his friend who lived at nearby Lake Oconee. Also a novelist, Williams was close to the late Lewis Grizzard, the humor columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Laughter and shared stories with Williams might earn a visitor a jigger of mellow peach brandy. Origin unknown.

Eatonton was the childhood home of Alice Walker (“The Color Purple”) and Joel Chandler Harris, the author of Uncle Remus stories and the inspiration for Disney’s first hit movie, “Song of the South.” The museum is energized by Georgia Smith’s presentation that includes her leading guests in singing “Zippy-Do-Dah.” A very bright woman, Miss Smith, as she is called, glosses over nothing about slavery and comfortably shares her fascinating African-American heritage.

One of the country’s top outdoor music events, The Blind Willie McTell Blues Festival honored the native of Thomson, Georgia with songs and genuine Georgia barbecue.

Blues legend Blind Willie McTell is honored annually at Thomson, Georgia’s “Blind Willie McTell Blues Festival.” Blind Willie sang for years on Atlanta sidewalks for a quarter per song and didn’t live to see his musical legacy immortalized by perhaps the best song recorded by The Allman Borthers, “Statesboro Blues.” Concert headliner Buddy Miller sang “One More River to Cross,” a tribute the late Levon Helm that blended well with fresh air, genuine barbecue and cold beer.

The Laurel and Hardy Museum in Harlem, Oliver Hardy’s childhood home in Georgia is a popular stop for tourists.

Laurel and Hardy, the great comedy team that inspired actors including Jackie Gleason and Art Carney have a solid Georgia connection. The lovely village of Harlem was the birthplace of Olivier Hardy and the town’s museum is exceptional. The tall water tower features caricatures of the two fabled actors. After a tour of the Augusta Canal and the Augusta museum, I freshened up at the city’s luxurious Partridge Inn. A stay in Augusta, home of The Masters Golf Tournament is an opportunity to dine at The Bee’s Knees, a tapas restaurant where carafes of sangria are omnipresent.

Widely considered as one of finest examples of authentic Southern cooking, The Blue Willow Inn located in Social Circle, Georgia is famous for their fried green tomatoes and peach cobbler. The food is outstanding, confirming that fresh and local are priorities. The Blue Willow Inn cookbook belongs in every kitchen library.

Lunch is a ritual at the legendary Blue Willow Inn located in Social Circle, Georgia, famous for its Southern cooking, particularly fried green tomatoes.

Food and wines are delicious culinary adventures, but not every meal must be fancy.  A relaxed early breakfast with friends at Eatonton’s Crooked Pines Farm featuring fresh food served family style with lots of good coffee momentarily trumped memories of gourmet dining. Simplicity and natural beauty are divinely bundled at the Trappist Monastery in Conyers, Georgia, a place dedicated to silence, meditation, study and spiritual purity. And the monks bake heaven-inspired bread.

Two North Carolinians, journalist Lynne Brandon and television producer/host Carl White visit with Brer Rabbit in Eatonton, Georgia.

The magnolia is often a symbol of feminine sweetness and beauty.  A “steel magnolia” refers to the delicate yet strong nature of some Southern women who have endured hardships but were able to rise above them. I’ll return to Andalusia next spring and visit that magnolia tree, hoping to see another solitary blossom.

F&M

Doc Lawrence is a veteran travel, food, wine and spirits journalist. Contact him at: editors@docsnews.com.

]]> http://mycookingmagazine.com/gourmet-highway-a-magnolia-at-andalusia/feed/ 0 http://mycookingmagazine.com/summer-veggie-dishes-from-a-famous-family/ http://mycookingmagazine.com/summer-veggie-dishes-from-a-famous-family/#comments Sat, 08 Jun 2013 16:30:17 +0000 admin http://mycookingmagazine.com/?p=5705 By Anna Dantoni -

Don’t be fooled into thinking that Food: Vegetarian Home Cooking by Mary McCartney, is just another book by a celebrity offspring cashing in on a famous pedigree (her parents being Paul and Linda McCartney and her younger sister, the fashion designer Stella McCartney) because this easy-to-use cookbook is the real deal whether you are a vegetarian or not. It’s just delicious food.

Mary McCartney is both an accomplished professional photographer and has been a vegetarian since babyhood growing up in a family where tempting meatless meals were a central feature of everyday life. She has both the kitchen techniques and a stack of family recipes making her ideally suited to produce a cookbook of vegetarian meals that will appeal to both adults and children. The fact that she took all the photos for this book is a lovely bonus for the reader.

McCartney’s photographs – mostly of finished dishes, fresh vegetables, her famous family and children in farm and garden settings – are beguiling and go a long way in making you want to carry this book into the kitchen and get started. The author also includes stories about the background of many of the recipes in the book and they always include her mother, Linda, who has been her inspiration for many things, food being just one of them.

Mary McCartney (L) with her famous father.

Food:Vegetarian Home Cooking would make an excellent gift to a young family committed to exploring a vegetarian lifestyle but it’s also a useful manual for the omnivore eater because so many of the soups, casseroles, and appetizers pair well with meat and seafood entrees. Here are four of my favorite recipes from Food. Doubtless, you’ll claim others.

Haloumi Barbecue Skewers

½ recipe barbecue sauce (see recipe below)

2 small onions or 8 small shallots

2 red peppers

2 medium zucchini

7 ounces haloumi cheese

8 pre-soaked wooden or metal skewers

Make a half quantity of the barbecue sauce. Peel the onions and chop into quarters lengthwise through the root. If using shallots, just peel. Remove the seed from the peppers and discard and cut into 8 pieces. Next, cut the zucchini and haloumi cheese into 8 pieces. Prepare the skewers by alternating the chunks of haloumi with the peppers, onions or shallots and zucchini; 2 pieces of each ingredient per skewer. Brush the assembled skewers with a generous amount of the barbecue sauce on all sides. To cook, place the skewers under a hot broiler for about 10-12 minutes, turning often, until cooked and golden. Alternatively, you can cook them in the oven at 350-degrees for 10 minutes. Or gill them on a preheated grill.

Barbecue Sauce

2 cups tomato ketchup

juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons mustard, French Dijon

1 ¼ cup vegetable or light olive oil

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Either refrigerate for later use or brush on the vegetable skewers.

Eggplant Wraps

(serves 4)

2 medium/large eggplants

2 tablespoons sunflower oil or light olive oil

1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs

14 ounces spinach

16 sun-dried tomato pieces, marinated in oil

3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted in a hot dry pan

5 ounces sharp Cheddar, cut into 16 slices

pinch sea salt

black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. You will need a large non-stick baking sheet. Cut the woody top off each eggplant and discard.. Slice each eggplant lengthwise into 8 pieces about ½ inch thick. Mix the oil and herbs together in a small bowl. Lightly brush each slice of eggplant with the herby oil on both sides. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and lay as many pieces of the eggplant in the pan as will comfortably fit. Fry each side until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Wash the spinach in cold running water, then toss it in a hot medium dry saucepan until wilted and drain off excess liquid. Now, assemble each wrap by taking 1 slice of the cooked eggplant and placing a little of the wilted spinach on one side then lay a piece of sun-dried tomato on top, sprinkle on a few toasted pine nuts and top with a slice of cheese. Fold the eggplant over to form the wrap, then place on baking sheet. Repeat until all 16 wraps are assembled and laced side by side. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

Asparagus Summer Tart

1 store-bought refrigerated pie crust

2 tablespoons vegetable or light olive oil

4 medium red onions, thinly sliced

large bunch fresh asparagus (about 1 pound)

5 ounces good melting cheese such as Gruyere cubed or grated

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325. Roll out pastry to about ? inch thick and lay it on a baking sheet to fit the edges (about 12×8). To blind back the pastry crust, lay parchment paper onto the rolled pastry and then spread baking beans or rice on top to weigh it down. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the paper and beach and bake again for 5 minutes until pastry is lightly golden but not fully cooked. For the filling, eat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pan and fry onions on low heat until soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes. To prepare the asparagus, clean all the spears under cold water and then snap or cut off just the woody ends. Boil in just enough water to cover for 2 minutes. they should be undercooked as they will finish in the oven. Spread the caramelized onions evenly over the pastry crust and then arrange the asparagus over the onions. Sprinkle on the cheese and season with pepper. Bake the tart in the over for about 15 minutes or until pastry is golden and the cheese is bubble. Cut into portions and serve.

Zucchini and Lemon Spaghetti

7 ounces spaghetti

3 tablespoons light olive, plus more for drizzling

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 ½ teaspoons fresh sage, chopped

1 ½ teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, plus more for serving

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

zest of ½ lemon

sea salt or black pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente. Drain in a colander, drizzle with a little olive oil and then mix slightly to coat. Set aside in the colander. In a pan pour in 3 tablespoons olive and heat over medium heat, then add the zucchini and sauté for 5 minutes, before adding the garlic and herbs and mixing well. Sauté for a couple more minutes. Return the cooked spaghetti to the pan and heat through, then mix in the cheese and lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Serve with a little more grated cheese if your wish.

(Food: Vegetarian Home Cooking by Mary McCartney. Sterling Epicure,$29.95)

F&M

Eyeing me lunching on pita chips, Chef Judi slid a book under my chin. I thought it was to catch the crumbs but no, it’s a cookbook. It’s titled No Girls Allowed. It’s subtitled A Cookbook For Men. Manly as I am, and an expert in all things, she still suspects that if it weren’t for the existence of Mrs. Philips I would starve.

To further check, Chef Judi quizzes me about my cooking skills. Guessing she means “cooking” is more than boiling water, I explain my superb can-opening abilities, also noting that I’m also quite facile at locating a take-out window. And, I’m excellent at making reservations.

When alone, I secretly page through the cookbook. Here’s what I found: No excess verbiage. Author Greg Ford doesn’t talk to you like the village-cooking idiot that I am. One recipe per page and clearly titled as to what’s to be produced. Ingredients are listed down one column and step-by-step instructions down the other. Easy read. No “inside Chef World” words and none of those glamor photos that will make my first attempt look like composta al dente.

The chapter leads are fun: “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” That’s a quote from Julia Child. Eleven chapters in all. Reasonable number of offerings per chapter such as the Breakfast, Soups and Salads chapters = eight, Meats = twelve and so on. He’s even got four non-booze drinks that sound drinkable. Seems a bit strange but there are six sandwich “recipes.” Hmm. Plus, barbecue and Mexican chapters and more.

For desserts, a pie, a cake to overcome your flour-phobia, a custard and a cookie and six ice creams. Yes, the ice-cream is home-made so obviously you need to have an ice-cream maker. Bought or borrowed, he notes. You think he’s sending you out to Benjamin and Jerome’s in the final chapter?

Greg Ford also adds a suggested spice collection and he clarifies cooking units of measure on page 131. Teaspoons to cups, cups to pints. Hey, really, do you know how many teaspoons make a tablespoon?

Insights:

• How to microwave corn-on-the-cob and still have it edible.
• How long to properly hard-boil an egg. Plus four more ways to cook eggs.
• A pancake that “puffs” up.
• You don’t cook most hams. They’re already cooked. “You warm them up.” OK, so you knew.
• He did show me how to make Bechamel sauce. But who doesn’t know that?. Me.
• Suggestions of what goes well with what.
• OK, once he said “salt and pepper to taste”. Whose?
• And his homemade barbecue sauce? Also to taste.

Despite my high level of culinary expertise, plus only third grade reading skills, note here that I’m on record that this cookbook is worth owning. And ignore the title, it IS for girls too. Caveat: A major omission for this Vermont person was NO mention of using real maple syrup on French toast, or waffles, or pancakes. Treason. On the other hand, no grits either. Whatever they are. But the author does live far west in Utah. Looks as though his quote of “hard-to-botch” appears to be accurate. Will advise.

Reuben Sandwich

(Serves 4)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 can (16-ounces) sauerkraut, drained well

Butter

Fresh sliced sourdough, French or rye bread

10 ounces Swiss cheese

8 ounces sliced deli corned feef

Thousand Island dressing (in a bottle, grocery shelf)

Add mayonnaise to sauerkraut and mix. Butter one side of each piece of bread.

Heat frying pan to medium heat. Preheat sauerkraut in microwave for a minute or so. Put slice of bread, butter side down, in pan. Put slices of cheese on bread first, then meat, then sauerkraut, and some Thousand Island. Put other slice of bread on top, butter side up. Cook at low-medium heat. Watch that bread does not burn. It’s easy to burn. When bottom side is brown and cheese is melted, flip and cook until the second side is brown. Drizzle Thousand Island dressing on top of sandwich.

Dan’s Favorite Casserole

(serves 6-8)

1 (14-ounce) package Pepperidge Farm Stuffing. Blue package.

½ cup butter

2 cooked chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

1 jar (4-ounces) pimentos

1 (7-ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

1 (12-ounce) frozen petite peas

Turn on the oven to 350-degrees. Melt butter in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour stuffing mix in baking dish and stir. Save ? and set aside (you’ll need it for topping). Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over stuffing mix. Sprinkle the reserved stuffing mix on top, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes in 350-degree pre-heated oven.

(No Girls Allowed by Greg Ford. Front Table Books.)

F&M

Strawberries Romanov

Need some inspiration to come up with a delicious summer dessert that will win you culinary fame – at least through the last bite? Why not put together a summer dessert repertoire based on custom creations named after famous people. You master both culinary techniques and a bit of world history at the same time. Here are four to get you started. Bet you can come up with others.

Strawberries Romanov is a light summer dessert named after the Romanov family, the imperial dynasty (1613 to 1917) that was the last to rule Russia. During their long and turbulent reign Russia became and remained a major European power and produced famous and infamous rulers such as Ivan The Terrible, Peter The Great and Catherine The Great. The dynasty came to a tragic end on July 16, 1918 when deposed czar Nicholas II, his wife and their five children were executed in the cellar of a house in Ekaterinburg where they were being held prisoner by the revolutionaries. The monarchy ended. But, during more happy times spent in lavish summer palaces, Russian nobility enjoyed every kind of exotic food available from the West and East. Strawberries Romanov was just one. There are many variations on the recipe, but this one was always the personal favorite of the great gourmand, writer and teacher James Beard. As you can see, Beard’s recipe is written in a conversational style.

Strawberries Romanov

serves four

(from Beard on Food, by James Beard. Alfred Knopf, 1974.)

Hull 1 quart of ripe strawberries. Sprinkle with sugar to your liking. Then add the grated rind of 1 orange, approximately ? cup orange juice, and ½ cup port wine. Let the berries stand for several hours in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap.  Just before serving, remove the berries and place in a serving dish with some of the juice. Whit 1 ½ cups heavy cream, flavor with sugar and vanilla and a few drop of port. Toss the berries with this cream and serve at once with slices of delicate pound cake or tiny sugar cookies. This is a superbly good dessert that does justice to the long and joyous strawberry season.

Nellie Melba

Peach Melba is named after Nellie Melba, an Australian singer (whose real name was Helen Mitchell) who was the reigning operatic soprano of her day. She was born in 1861 and died 69 years later from blood poisoning after a face lift that went terribly wrong. If you travel to Australia today, you’ll see Nellie Melba’s face on the $100 dollar bill. Before her ill-fated face lift. Nellie Melba sang at Covent Garden, The Metropolitan Opera House in New York and all across Europe where she was a genuine media superstar. When the singer was given a dinner in her honor by the Duke of Orleans at the Savoy Hotel in London in 1893, a variation of this dessert was created in her honor by the legendary chef Auguste Escoffier. It’s a lovely summer dessert and not difficult to make. Resist making your guests sing for their supper or for this dessert.

Peach Melba

(from Nigella Lawson)

Peaches:

3 cups water

3 1/2 cups sugar

1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

8 peaches

Raspberry sauce:

3 cups raspberries

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

To serve:

1 large tub vanilla ice

Put the water, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla pod into a wide saucepan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Bring the pan to the boil and let it bubble away for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to a fast simmer. Cut the peaches in half, and if the stones come out easily then remove them, if not then you can get them out later. Poach the peach halves in the sugar syrup for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Test the cut side with the sharp point of a knife to see if they are soft, and then remove them to a plate with a slotted spoon. When all the peaches are poached, peel off their skins and let them cool (then you can remove any remaining stones). If you are making them a day in advance then let the poaching syrup cool and then pour into a dish with the peaches. Otherwise just bag up the syrup and freeze it for the next time you poach peaches.

To make the raspberry sauce, liquidize the raspberries, confectioners’ sugar, and lemon juice in a blender or a food processor. Sieve to remove the pits and pour the puree into a jug. To assemble the Peach Melba, allow 2 peach halves per person and sit them on each plate alongside a scoop or 2 of ice cream. Spoon the raspberry sauce over each.

Baba au Rhum dessert (FoodNetwork.com)

Baba au Rhum is named for the fictional character in The Thousand and One Nights, Ali Baba. The man who gave this dessert its exotic name was a king of Poland, Stanislas Leszczy’nski, who improved upon a sugar cake by steeping it (while still warm) in rum. It was so delicious, he named it after a book character he admired. This is not a complicated dessert to make, but it requires a lot of ingredients and several steps. Making this dessert takes time and a bit of trouble. Commit to it on a day when you have very little else to do. The results will delight your guests or family. Baba au Rhum is a classic and it deserves to be.

Baba au Rhum

(from Ina Garten)

1/3 cup dried currants

1 tablespoon good dark rum

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup milk

1 package dry yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Rum Syrup, recipe follows

3/4 cup apricot preserves

1 tablespoon water

Whipped Cream, recipe follows

Anna Pavlova

Combine the currants and rum in a small bowl and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush a 5-cup (6 1/2 by 3 1/2-inch) tube pan or kugelhopf mold with the melted butter. Be sure to coat every crevice of the pan. Heat the milk to 115 degrees F and then pour it into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir in the yeast and sugar and allow to sit for 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, first add the eggs, then the flour, salt, and remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater to form the dough into a ball. It will be very soft. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Drain the currants, fold them into the dough with a spatula, and spoon into the prepared pan. Smooth the top, cover the pan with a damp towel, and allow to rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and make the rum syrup.

Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then tap it out of the cake pan onto a baking rack set over a sheet pan. Pour all of the rum syrup very slowly onto the warm cake, allowing it all to soak in thoroughly. Amazingly, the liquid will be absorbed into the cake, so be sure to use all of the syrup. Heat the preserves with 1 tablespoon of water until runny, press it through a sieve, and brush it on the cake. Serve with whipped cream piped into the middle of the cake plus an extra bowl on the side.

Rum Syrup:

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup good dark rum

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a 4-cup heat-proof measuring cup and allow to cool. Add the rum and vanilla and set aside.

Whipped Cream:

2 cups (1 pint) cold heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don’t overbeat, or you’ll end up with butter!

Pavlova Dessert

Pavlova is a feather-light sweet treat named for the legendary Russian ballerina Anna  Pavlova (1881-1931), probably the most famous ballerina in the world – during her lifetime and now. In 1926 when Pavlova was on a world tour, she performed in New Zealand where the smitten chef at the hotel in Wellington, created this dish for her. He was probably inspired by her performance in Swan Lake since the frothy white meringue of the dessert could reference her feathered costume. It was the white swan costume that Pavlova asked to be prepared for her as she lay dying. And she wanted the music from the ballet played too.

Pavlova

(from Martha Stewart, serves six)

4 large egg whites, room temperature

Pinch of salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1  1/4 cups heavy cream, whipped

10 passion fruits, for serving (optional)

4 bananas, for serving (optional)

Mixed berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, boysenberries, or blackberries, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Using an 8-inch bowl as a guide, trace the perimeter of the bowl onto a sheet of parchment paper. Transfer parchment paper, pencil side down, to a baking sheet. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt together until glossy peaks form. With mixer running, add sugar in three additions, beating until meringue is stiff and glossy. Sprinkle in cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla; gently fold to combine. Mound the meringue in the center of the 8-inch circle. Using a spatula, evenly spread meringue out towards the edges. Transfer baking sheet to oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 250 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let meringue cool completely in oven. When meringue is cool and completely dry, top with whipped cream and desired fruits.

F&M

Casual neighborhood summer picnics in the backyard or on the pool deck or down by the lake are a traditional feature of summer. And they are always more fun if you’re prepared with a dish to make when the invitation arrives. This time of year it’s a fine idea to have three or four crowd-pleasing dishes in your repertoire that you can put together the day before or the morning of a picnic. Ideally, your recipes should take advantage of local seasonal produce. Here are some that will work just fine.

Tomato Salad Tonnato

(Field to Feast by Pam Brandon, Katie Farmand & Heather McPherson. University Press of Florida. $28).

This riff on a classic Nicoise salad can easily be doubled or tripled and looks beautiful on a platter. Some of the ingredients can be cooked ahead of time, but cut the tomatoes and assemble the salad just before you close the door behind you as you leave for the picnic.

1 pound (2 large) ripe tomatoes

6-ounce can oil-packed tuna, undrained

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 anchovy fillets

1 tablespoon capers

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried basil

½ teaspoon coarse salt

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bill or red-tipped lettuce leaves

4 hard-cooked eggs, cut in half

2 cups sliced cooked potatoes

1 cup cooked green beans

8 large kalamata olives

Core tomatoes and cut into wedges, set aside. Remove 1 cup of tuna and set aside. Combine oil, vinegar, anchovies, capers, oregano, basil, s alt, paprika, pepper and remaining tuna and its oil in food processor. Process until smooth; set dressing aside aside. Line serving platter with lettuce leaves. Arrange eggs, potatoes, green beans, olives, tomato wedges and reserved tuna on lettuce. Spoon dressing over salad and serve.

Sombrero Chicken Salad

(The Life of the Party by the Junior League of Tampa. Serves 5, but this recipe can easily be doubled. And, you can do it ahead of time. Leaves you more time to get dressed for the picnic or potluck summer dinner).

Cilantro Lime Dressing

½ cup lime juice

? cup vegetable oil

¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

Salad

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

3 green onions, chopped

2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

¾ cup corn kernels, cooked

8 ounces pasta, cooked

Mix the lime juice, oil, cilantro, cumin, salt and garlic in a large bowl. Pour half of the dressing over the chicken in a glass bowl. Marinate the chicken covered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Combine the tomato, green onions, jalapeno chiles, black beans, corn and cooked pasta with the remaining dressing in a bowl. Mix well. Grill the chicken for 10 minutes, basting with the marinade for the first 3 minutes. Discard the marinade. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Add to the salad, tossing to mix well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Asian Chicken Pasta Salad

(This chilled beauty serves 10 and can be made a day ahead. It’s easy to double is you’re feeding a big crowd. This one could be the hit of the picnic and become known as your signature dish, so don’t share the recipe.)

16 ounces spaghetti

1 rotisserie chicken (cooked from the supermarket)

½ cup soy sauce

¼ olive oil

1/4 teaspoon chili oil

1 cup light mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

? teaspoon Oriental sesame oil

½ tablespoon chili oil

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, not thawed

1 red bell pepper, chopped

½ cup shredded carrots

3/4 cup chopped snow peas

? cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and let stand until cool. Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding skin and bones. Toss the pasta, soy sauce olive oil and ¼ teaspoon chili oil in a bowl. Mix the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sesame oil and ½ tablespoon chili oil in a bowl Add the mayonnaise mixture to the pasta mixture and mix well. Stir in the chicken, frozen peas, bell pepper, carrots, snow peas and cilantro. Chill, covered until serving time. The flavor of this salad is enhanced if prepared one day in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

Broccoli Salad

(Serves 6 but this recipe can be doubled. And this one you can do several hours ahead but the flavors meld as this salad sits in the refrigerator. Shop your local farmstand or farmer’s market for the ingredients).

1 bunch broccoli

1 cup diced celery

1 cup lightly salted peanuts

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup raisins

Dressing

¾ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sugar

3 tablespoons vinegar

Separate broccoli into flowerettes and chop. Combine with other salad ingredients, add dressing and refrigerate.

Blue Grass Berries

(Use fresh berries. This dessert recipe can be doubled or tripled according to the crowd.)

1 cup blackberries

1 cup raspberries

1 cup blueberries

1 cup strawberries

Juice from ½ lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons Wild Turkey bourbon

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use. Spoon over store-bought pound cake or vanilla ice cream or both. This is the best summer dessert ever.

F&M

With the summer season in high gear and grills firing up all across America, I thought I’d share some of my favorite chef tips for how to throw a great grilling party at home. First rule is to be smart and let the grill do the work. Make all your food – from appetizers to dessert – grill friendly.

Next, prep in advance so you can enjoy your own party. Buy your ingredients ahead of time, make sure to read your recipes thoroughly and make as much food as possible well before the party starts. If you’re grilling burgers, for example, make the patties a few hours ahead and then keep them refrigerated or chilled in a cooler until you’re ready to throw them on the grill.

Don’t limit your menu to burgers, ribs and steak and chicken when you’re hosting a grilling party. I’ve learned that you can grill pretty much anything, including fish, dessert, fruit and pizza (see recipes below). The possibilities are endless, so have fun, impress your guests and make your party memorable.

One last tip: Be creative and have your party décor match the menu. I enjoy coming up with pretty details – informal bouquets of garden flowers from the farmer’s market, drinks in Mason jars, vintage plates and patterned napkins – are all elements that make the party feel personal and special. Food and ambience combined make the perfect party. And whether it’s your backyard or a beach barbecue under the stars, make sure to relax and have fun! Your good energy will be contagious.

Grilled Margherita Pizza

1 pound plum tomatoes or 1 (28- to 32-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing

6 ounces mozzarella, coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)

Pizza dough or 1 pound thawed frozen pizza dough, divided and formed into 2 balls

Flour for dusting

6 to 8 medium fresh basil leaves, torn

Special equipment: a 22 1/2-inch charcoal kettle grill and a charcoal chimney; a gas grill; or a well-seasoned 10- to 12-inch ridged grill pan

Make sauce and prepare cheese:

If using fresh tomatoes, cut an X (just through skin) in each, at end opposite stem, and immerse in boiling water for 10 seconds. Transfer to cold water with a slotted spoon, then peel.

Seed and chop tomatoes (fresh or canned).

Simmer tomatoes, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until very thick and reduced to about 1 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

Toss together mozzarella and remaining tablespoon oil.

Form pizza rounds:

Do not punch down dough. Gently dredge 1 ball of dough in a bowl of flour to coat, then transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Holding 1 edge of floured dough in the air with both hands and letting bottom touch work surface, carefully move hands around edge of dough (like turning a steering wheel), allowing weight of dough to stretch round to roughly 7 inches in diameter. Lay dough round flat on floured surface and continue to stretch by pressing dough with your fingertips, working from center outward to edge, stretching it into a 9-inch round. Transfer to a large floured tray and make another round in same manner, then place it next to other round. Lightly rub a long sheet of plastic wrap with flour, then invert loosely over pizza rounds and let them stand to puff slightly while preparing grill, 10 to 20 minutes.

To prepare charcoal grill:

Open vents on bottom of grill and on lid. Light a heaping chimney of charcoal and pour it evenly over 2 opposite sides of bottom rack (you will have a double or triple layer of charcoal), leaving clear a 9-inch-wide strip in middle (for grilling over indirect heat).

Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds.

To prepare gas grill:

Preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate.

To grill pizzas by either method:

Remove plastic wrap from both rounds of dough and lightly brush dough with some oil. Carefully flip dough rounds, oiled sides down, with your hands onto middle of lightly oiled grill rack and brush top of each with oil. Grill crusts, uncovered, until undersides are golden brown (rotate them if 1 side of grill is hotter than the other), 2 to 3 minutes on gas grill or 4 to 6 minutes on charcoal grill.

Flip crusts over with tongs and a spatula and top each crust with half of tomato sauce, spreading evenly over dough and leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over sauce and grill pizzas, covered with grill lid, until undersides are golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes on gas grill or 5 minutes on charcoal grill. Scatter basil over pizzas.

Grilled Salmon with Basil Aioli

Basil aioli:

2 large egg yolks (preferably organic)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 anchovy fillets, minced (1 1/3 teaspoons)

1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon warm water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon (generous) hot pepper sauce

Salmon:

Olive oil (for brushing)

1 2 1/2- to 3-pound skinless salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick)

For basil aioli:

Whisk egg yolks, basil, garlic, anchovies, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in medium bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons oil a few drops at a time, then gradually whisk in remaining oil in thin stream. Whisk in 1 tablespoon warm water, lemon juice, and hot pepper sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

For salmon:

Prepare barbecue (high heat). Brush grill rack with oil. Brush salmon with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill salmon uncovered 5 minutes. Using 2 large spatulas, carefully turn fish over. Grill until fish just begins to flake in center, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer salmon to platter. Arrange blistered baby zucchini, baby pattypan squash, and grilled tomatoes around salmon. Serve with aioli.

Perfect Grilled S’mores

Graham crackers (store-bought or homemade)
Jumbo marshmallows (store-bought or homemade)
Good-quality chocolate, chopped

Place one marshmallow and some chopped chocolate on top of a graham cracker; place a second graham cracker on top to create a sandwich. Wrap in foil and place on grill; heat until marshmallow is gooey and chocolate is melted. Enjoy right away.

F&M

A rub is a blend of coarsely ground spices that are mixed together and rubbed on meat using your hands. The rub is applied to the outside of the meat or poultry creating a light coating that flavors the meat while it cooks. Rubs are common in nearly all cuisines but especially those in which cooking over open fire is popular. Rubs are especially popular during grilling season. Many cooks develop their own signature rubs and guard them as family secrets. The basic three rubs below could be your starting point for your own secret family recipe.

Using a dry rub your your meat or poultry is an alternative to a marinade before grilling. You mix up the rub and then massage it into the meat. Then cover the meat with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Take the meat out 15 minutes before grilling so it can come to room temperature. Then, you’re ready to cook.

These three rubs will make all you grilling meats pop with flavor as the spice blend infuses the meat or poultry while grilling, smoking or even broiling. My three basics for the summer season include pork, chicken and steak, although I often mix a variation of two different rubs. Fish on the grill is different and needs only high quality olive oil, dried lemon or orange peel and perhaps oregano, pink Himalayan sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. If you make too much rub for the meat or poultry you have on the platter, no worries. Store the rub in an air tight container at room temperature. You’ve got a head start on your next meal.

Pork Rub

1/2 cup sugar in the raw

2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon granulated onion

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon allspice

Chicken Rub

4 tablespoons granulated dry orange peel

3 tablespoons dried sage

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

4 tablespoons paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

3 tablespoons lemon pepper

2 garlic cloves minced

Steak Rub

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons mustard powder

2 teaspoons ground coffee

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon ground cloves

F&M

Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald once lived here in this quiet residential section of Montgomery, Zelda’s hometown. The interior has many of her paintings and family artifacts exhibited.

MONTGOMERY, Alabama—Timing is everything. On the eve of the release of the new movie of “The Great Gatsby,” I’m standing in the living room of the home where the author of the classic novel once lived. America remains fascinated by F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, enjoying tales of the “Lost Generation,” glimpses of life through the Woody Allen movie, “Midnight in Paris,” and the new best-selling novel, “Z,” a wonderful tale about Zelda, the muse of the jazz age and the world’s first flapper.

Two very beautiful women represent the South in the world’s imagination. Scarlett O’Hara is fictional while Zelda Fitzgerald was as real and vibrant as she was talented. During my time in her hometown and region, she became my inspirational tour guide, a transformational journey where she led me into Alabama’s living culinary, visual and performing arts heritage. Marked by unspoiled fertile land and pure water, this is Americana, the childhood home of Harper Lee, Truman Capote, Hank Williams, Nat King Cole and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Zelda Fitzgerald was an accomplished artist. Her “Mad Tea Party,” a watercolor, has earned critical acclaim.

My official responsibility was to judge a wild game cook-off and tour much of Alabama’s Black Belt Region, an impressive stretch of outdoor recreation, small towns and cultural opportunities defined in part by omnipresent dark fertile soil. The hundreds of miles traveled allowed for food enjoyment from fine dining in Montgomery to small cafes and diners along the rural pathways with time in between for festivals, live theater, a Civil War battle re-enactment and a poignant moment, the conclusion of a search for the grave of my great, great grandfather, one of the victims of the tragic conflict 150 years ago.

Zelda with husband Scott.

More than a celebrated femme fatale, Zelda Fitzgerald was an accomplished artist and writer who embraced the freedoms and excesses of an era making her the quintessential liberated woman and unchallenged queen of the Jazz Age. She lives forever in the many characters in her husband’s books and short stories. Without Zelda, many have said, and there would never have been “The Great Gatsby” and Daisy Buchanan.

The Deep South is more resistant to change than other parts of the country and the experiences in today’s Montgomery and other cities I visited aren’t much different than they were when Zelda frolicked around town with her childhood friend Tallulah Bankhead, meditated in Oakwood Cemetery (where Hank Williams is buried) and dined in the restaurants or attended plays and concerts, sometimes performing as a gifted ballet dancer.

Self-portrait, Zelda Fitzgerald.

The Montgomery home of America’s most celebrated romantics is now the Fitzgerald Museum, containing some of Zelda’s paintings, family photographs, Scott’s daily ledger and important correspondence with other literary giants like Ernest Hemingway. Montgomery is the city and culture that shaped Zelda, the girl with the gypsy name who remains an iconic figure among women. Men were drawn to her, but at a great price. An oracle should have warned: “Beware! You have only your heart to lose.”

Derk’s Filet & Bar has a fine wine retail shop and a hot bar with at least seven entrée items surrounded by racks of boutique beers. Packed for lunch with diners enjoying fresh local grown vegetables and Southern-style main items, everything is just a few feet away from an impressive selection of wines including a favorite of Zelda and Scott, Sauternes, a regal white wine from Bordeaux.

Zelda’s father was a prominent Supreme Court judge in Alabama and I often serve as a judge for non-legal matters, primarily food and wine competitions. Judging the tasty dishes found at the Alabama Wildlife Federation / Alabama Army National Guard Tri-County Wild Game Cook-Off prompted my vote in favor of the Alabama Black Belt Adventures win for Best Overall that included a spectacular dish, House Cured Wild Hog with Jalapeno Cheese Balls.

Life was a stage for Zelda and while enjoying “The Hallelujah Girls,” at the Red Door Theatre in Union Springs, I could envision her in one of the lead roles that required a feisty but alluring woman. The comedy, with homage to Zelda’s ambitions, acknowledges that time is precious, and if you are going to achieve dreams, act when opportunity appears or everything will slip away.

Scene from “The Great Gatsby,” the highly anticipated remake of the American classic. Courtesy of Warner Brothers.

Favoring vodka with lemonade while Scott preferred gin cocktails, Zelda defied the stereotype of Southern women, eschewing the docile and accommodating role in favor of the uninhibited Daisy Buchanan of “The Great Gatsby.^” Zelda was the embodiment of all things modern and fresh, inspiring her husband to write, “I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity and her flaming self-respect . . .”

My final moments in Montgomery were dancing to the John Lennon song “Imagine,” and as stars were falling on Alabama, I was somehow in step with Zelda or her literary twin Daisy. I understood what Scott Fitzgerald meant when he wrote, “Sometimes I don’t know whether Zelda and I are real or whether we are characters in one of my novels.”

It’s not often you get a dance with a genuine flapper who wrote below her high school photograph, “Why should all life be work, when we all can borrow. Let’s think only of today, and not worry about tomorrow.”

F&M

Doc Lawrence is a veteran travel, food, wine and spirits journalist. Contact him at: editors@docsnews.com.

]]> http://mycookingmagazine.com/gourmet-highway-zelda-angel-from-alabama/feed/ 5 http://mycookingmagazine.com/best-ever-chill-out-soups-of-spring/ http://mycookingmagazine.com/best-ever-chill-out-soups-of-spring/#comments Sun, 05 May 2013 21:51:37 +0000 admin http://mycookingmagazine.com/?p=5565 By Jeanette Carlson -

Mangos

The warm days of Spring are here proclaiming fresh local fruits and vegetables of the season. It’s time to visit those farm stands and farmers’ markets and gather up ingredients for the first course of your next dinner party – cold soup. Beautiful colors, delicate flavors, creamy or silky texture and garnishes that can become the signature of your table, cold soups can make you next meal memorable.

Treat your soup with respect and chill your soup bowls. And remember to pair the right wine with your soup. Here are three of my favorite chilled soups (and accompanying wines) that wonderfully express the exuberant flavors of the season.

Chilled Mango Soup

Serves 6

Chilled Mango Soup

(from Field To Feast by Pam Brandon, Katie Farmand and Heather McPherson)

This particular book celebrates Florida farmers, chefs and artisans. The mango soup recipe comes from Miami’s Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and the garden’s sister outpost, the 20-acre Fairchild Farm which cultivates (among other things) 500 mango varieties some of them with names such as Bombay, Carabao or Carrie. Use whatever variety of mango that is available to you for this clean-tasting and palette-refreshing soup that is ridiculously easy to make.

2 large ripe mangos, peeled, but from the pit and chopped

½ teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated

½ tablespoon fresh lemongrass, finely minced

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped for garnish

Blend mango until smooth in a blender or food processor. Combine with ginger, lemongrass and chicken stock in a large bowl. Stir well. Stir in yogurt and refrigerate. Before serving, garnish with cilantro. Serve with a Riesling wine.

Chlodnik

Serves 6

(from Potluck at Midnight Farm by Tamara Weiss)

This lovely book celebrates the foods and people of Martha’s Vineyard with recipes and stories. This chilled soup, Chlodnik (it means cold in Polish) is from the kitchen Gloria Levitas, an anthropologist who specializes in the cultural analysis of food. Chlodnik is a perfect first course at dinner, but it makes a pleasing lunch when served with a sandwich. The Lilly Pulitzer pink color of this soup is festive and so happy.

2 beets, scrubbed pr peeled and quartered

1 cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise and seeded

1 carrot, peeled and cut into chunks

1 green apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

1 clove garlic, minced

2 scallions, finely chopped

8 ounces plain yogurt

16 ounces buttermilk

½ teaspoon sour salt (or 1 teaspoon lemon juice)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon sugar or honey

3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

3 radishes, finely chopped

2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped

Place the beets in a saucepan and cover them with water. Salt the water and bring to a boil. Cook covered for about 20 minutes over medium heat until tender. Remove the beets with a slotted spoon. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Put the  beets, reserved cooking liquid, cucumber, carrot, apple, garlic and half of the scallions in a blender or food processor and mix until liquefied. Add the yogurt and buttermilk and mix again, until well combined. Next add the sour salt, sea salt and sugar. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Mix again. Chill. To serve, ladle the chlodnik into soup bowls and sprinkle with dill, chopped radishes, remaining scallions, and eggs as a garnish just before serving. You can also top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream. Serve with a chunk of fresh-baked rye bread and a glass of Rose wine.

Cold Tomato and Zucchini Soup

Serves 8

Cold Tomato Soup

(from The Culinary Institute of America Book of Soups)

This garden-fresh soup, much like gazpacho, is a great way to make use of a bounty of fresh vegetables and herbs. If time permits, make it a day ahead of serving to allow the flavors to blend. Don’t store it more than two or three days because tomatoes can sour quickly.

1 ¼ pounds plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped coarsely (about four cups)

2 cups tomato juice

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 red pepper, seeded, ribs removed and coarsely chopped

½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup fresh basil

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 ½ tablespoons drained, prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic, chopped

vegetable broth as needed

Tabasco sauce to taste

Salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

½ cup croutons (homemade or store bought)

Combine all the ingredients except the broth, Tabasco, salt, pepper and croutons in a blended or food processor and process in batches if necessary. Process in short pulses to a coarse puree. Pour into a bowl. If soup is too thick, thin it slightly with broth. Season with the Tabasco, salt and pepper. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve in chilled bowls, garnished with croutons. Serve with Zinfandel or Sangiovese wine.

 F&M