Incomplete Reporting

Being a tennis fan, I was watching Tommy Robredo and Marat Safin match yesterday and viewed some outstanding shots made by both players. I was particularly impressed how Safin seemed to have his demons under control. At least as of late.

However, about midway through the match, up jumped the devil. Safin was not playing particularly well at the moment, tossed his racket a couple of times and was given a warning. A little later the demons reappeared, broke his racket, went to the sideline to retrieve a new one and slammed the broken racket into the signage under his chair.

Thereafter, the demons seemed to disappear mainly because Safin improved his play. Then in the 5 set game 14 with the score 7-6 (no tie breakers at Roland Garros) Robredos was serving score love-30. Robredos served and the ball was called out. Safin approached the mark and over ruled the line call. Robredo served out and won the match.

Later that day I was watching CNN Headline News who showed the demonical episode twice within 2 minutes. Nothing was said of the line over rule.

Seems to me that if CNN only reports the bad stuff - that which sells - they then sully not only the reputation of whom they are reporting but also themselves making their reporting questionable.

Love to hear from you.

Lemon Meringue Pie

My sweetie loves things lemon. Lemon chicken, lemon and almond tart and now a new addition, Lemon Meringue Pie. Alton Brown of FoodTV recently made a lemon meringue pie.... my first attempt at making the crust and filling with his recipe were not satisfactory....a soggy crust and a soupy center.

First, let me recap the crust. Alton uses a combination of butter and lard. He also refrigerates the crust several times along the way. ( Note: This dude is a food geek and has some compelling scientific reasons for cooking food his way. We chatted at the recent House Wares Show at Chicago's McCormick Place. I mentioned that he appeared a little off the wall on his Food Channel cooking show... he replied "maybe more than a little".)

I like the combination of the butter and lard because of the flakier result in the crust. Alton's recipe calls for cooking the crust less than 25 min. at 375°F. I prefer to cook the crust for 40 to 45 min. at 400°F. Wash with egg & water and return to the oven for another 7 to 8 min.

Alton's crust recipe, except for baking time: Oven @ 400°F. Three ounces unsalted butter and one ounce chilled lard, cut into pieces. Place 1 cup of flour into food processor, add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar (Pinches are normally about ½ teaspoon). Add butter and pulse 5 to 6 times. Add lard and pulse another 3 to 4 times. Mixture should be somewhat granular. Remove lid and add about 3 to 4 Tbsp. ice cold water. Pulse again until mixture just comes together in the bowl.

Place on a floured surface and roll into a 10" to 11" circle. Place dough into a 9" pie plate. Puncture surface with a fork. Cover dough with parchment paper and fill with dough weights, such as beans. Bake for 35 to 40 min. Remove from oven and take the beans and paper out of the shell (save beans for next time). With an egg wash, brush the entire surface and bake for 7 to 8 min.

I adjusted his filling for the pie and used only 1/3 cup of lemon juice instead of 1/2 cup. The lesser amount of juice makes the filling a bit more solid... and it gives the pie the right amount of lemon flavor for me.

Click the title to view recipe.

Grilled Chicken

Spring temperature edged briefly above 70° this past week and there was a mighty rush for outdoors, esp. grilling outdoors. After a loooong winter, the storm windows come off and I turned on the gas and fired up the barbie.

Today's offering is about as easy as can be for the dining table: grilled chicken rubbed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

First, butterfly the chicken by removing the backbone. Place the chicken on its breast and run a sharp knife along both sides of the back bone to remove it. An alternative would be to use kitchen scissors. Slightly split the breast bone to make the chicken lie flat. Find the joint between the leg and thigh and slice half way through. This will ensure that the dark meat will cook through.

You can remove the shoulder bones that stick up by cutting them at the joint. To make it easier to cut up after cooking, turn the chicken over, run a paring knife along each side of the wishbone. Place your thumb on the top of the bone and remove. Recently I talked my daughter in LA thru this butterfly thing...several call-backs later, she informed me that the butcher would do this for free. That's an option.

Rub your choice of oil, olive or vegetable, all over the chicken. Season well with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Place skin side up on medium grill for 15 minutes. If the flame is too high, you may experience flame ups so keep a bottle of water handy along with the beverage of your choice - mine is homebrew. Turn every 15 minutes until done. A 3½ to 4 pound bird will take about an 40 to 45 minutes. The skin will be browned and crisp.

Remove from the grill and cut into serving pieces.

Lemon and Almond Tart

A lemon tart - isn't that redundant? It might be but this one with an almond flavored pastry has just the right balance of tart and sweetness. I came across this recipe about 20 years ago in Cook's Magazine. Significant changes have been made to the crust but not to the filling.

The original pastry called for almond paste which was hard to find at that time. I substitute Orgeat syrup, available at any liquor store. Use only 3 tablespoons if you are using the syrup. Also, I use unsalted butter for better control.

The pastry is easiest made in a food processor. After all ingredients for the pastry are added to the processor, pulse until a ball is formed. Since it is a sweet dough, it is immediately available to shape. Roll it to the size of your fluted, removable bottom pie tin and press into all flutes. The pastry should be the same height as the pan.

I like to bake the pastry for about 20 minutes weighted by beans on top of wax paper. Remove the wax paper and beans, wash with an egg + 1 tablespoon water, whisked, and bake for an additional eight minutes.

Add the filling and bake for 22 minutes or until filling is set. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Click the title to get the recipe.

Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

A roast chicken with a crisp, seasoned skin takes little time and effort to prepare and the outcome is a wonderfully delicious all-in-one-pot meal. Peel some root vegetables and roast for 1½ hours.

Lots of recipes for a roasted chicken leave the final product with a so-so appearance and not so appetizing skin. The kind of skin that you want to remove. I like to roast my chickens at temperatures above 400°F and sometimes start them at 450°F + for 15 minutes or so just to get the proper texture of skin, crispy. This crispy skin is hard to resist.

In this recipe, the chicken shares the roasting pan with whatever root vegetables you want to use, is turned twice during the first 30 minutes and maintains a roasting temperature of 425°F. We like fennel (anise root) and use it most times. Carrots and potatoes are a staple. Experiment with onions and parsnips. If you want to brown the vegetables more evenly, stir them after 45 minutes.

Fresh oregano is best but dried is also acceptable. If using fresh, double the quantity.

Click here or the title to get the recipe.

Steak au Poivre

We have been enjoying steak au poivre, a French version of steak with peppercorns, for many years. However, in the beginning many years ago in Atlanta, my consistency of producing an outstanding sauce was spotty.

Steak au Poivre is a rib eye/shell steak, about 1 1/2" thick. A one pound tenderloin can also be used. Cracked pepper corns are pressed into the meat on both sides, then sauteed in oil and butter. Julia Child and Jacques Pépin update the dish by using a mixture of black, green, white and Jamaican peppercorns, which is really allspice. The steaks are then removed from the pan and kept warm. Shallots are sauteed for 30 seconds, cognac added and flamed to remove the alcohol. Many recipes next call for a well-flavored stock. My success using a flavored stock was limited.

After some research I made a brown veal stock/demi-glace. A demi-glace is a rich veal stock reduced to a gelatin like consistency. Once finished and cooled it can be sliced, wrapped in plastic wrap and then wrapped with aluminum foil. It can then be frozen and stored for months. According to Jacques Pepin it will keep almost 'indefinitely' without spoiling. I make a batch about every 1 1/2 years. Now my Steak au Poivre has the wonderful, elegant sauce that it so richly deserves.

The addition of a tablespoon of butter in the sauce is the last step. Spoon over the steak, sprinkle liberally with chopped parsley and serve. Bon Appetit!

Tuna and Olive Salad

As a kid I remember my mom's frequent tuna salad. Open can and over load with Kraft Miracle Whip. I've eaten this same recipe countless times in restaurants, or the stuffed tomato variation. Never knew there was another way, that is until I saw Sara Moulton's Tuna and Olive Salad Sandwich on FoodTV/Gourmet. It's tuna salad with tasty zip... and only 1/4 cup of mayo.

Click on the title to get Sara's recipe, tho' I've modified it a little. I like roasted peppers - charring the skin, letting the pepper steam in a closed container for 10 minutes and peeling. Then remove the core and veins and finely chop. Recipe calls for 1/2 cup but I use the entire pimento along with the juices, about one tablespoon. I think the peeled pepper adds a smoother flavor.

Sara calls for mayo. I like Hellmann's rich flavor. Make sure you use Kalamata olives, not the bland California type. I use any bread or eat it right out of the bowl. Can't go wrong.

Click here or the title to get the recipe.