Mashed Potato Casserole

Mashed Potato Casserole

Ingredients: 

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, and more for the pan
6 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups sour cream
1 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons finely chopped chives
⅔ cup bread crumbs
⅔ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

See Note below

Directions:

Lightly grease a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan. 

In a large pot, bring the potatoes, 4 quarts water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil. Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. 

Mash potatoes with 10 tablespoons butter, sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Mash in the chives. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Spread potatoes into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate for up to three days.   See Note below.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, bread crumbs and cheese. Mix together until it forms coarse crumbs. Crumbs can be refrigerated for three days. 

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the potato casserole and bake until golden and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes.

Note 2 beaten eggs added to the cooled potatoes will make the potatoes rise like a soufflé.

Greek Style Sauce, Tziki

Jessica Emily Marx for The New York Times

Serve this yog

Ingredients:
1 cup Greek-style yogurt, preferably whole milk yogurt (8 ounces/225 grams)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 large lime), more to taste
½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
1 garlic clove Sumac optional


Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, mint, oil, lime juice, salt and 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Use a rasp grater to finely grate garlic into the bowl. Stir, taste and adjust salt and lime juice as needed. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days.

Tips
To make Persian cucumber yogurt, stir in 1/2 cup minced, peeled cucumber (about 1/2 Persian cucumber), 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro and 1 tablespoon finely chopped dill. Serve alongside grilled chicken, fish or lamb. Thin with a little water and drizzle over sliced tomatoes for a simple salad.
To make carrot raita, substitute 3 tablespoons cilantro for mint and add 1/2 cup peeled, grated carrot (about 1 small carrot) and half a small jalapeño pepper, minced. Sizzle 1 tablespoon cumin seeds in 1 tablespoon ghee or neutral oil until seeds begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir into yogurt. Serve with lamb or vegetable curries. Spoon atop spicy chickpeas, basmati rice, or roast salmon. Thin with a little water and drizzle over roasted beets, carrots and fennel.

Lasagna

Lasagna

Ingredients
Sauce
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium red onions, finely diced
2 large cloves minced garlic
8 ounces pancetta, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups good red wine, preferably Italian
2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
¾ pound ground sirloin
¼ cup freshly grated pecorino Romano
2 eggs
10 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only, washed and dried
2 large whole cloves garlic
½ cup flour
1 pound Italian sausage, a mix of hot and sweet

Lasagna
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
2 extra-large eggs
2 cups freshly grated pecorino Romano
½ cup chopped parsley
1 pound mozzarella, grated
16 sheets fresh lasagna noodles, preferably Antica Pasteria 

Directions:
For the sauce, heat 1/2 cup oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or kettle over low heat. Add the onions, minced garlic and pancetta, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until the onions are wilted. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Raise heat slightly, add the wine and cook until it is mostly reduced, about 20 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pan, and add their juice. Add the tomato paste and 2 cups lukewarm water. Simmer for 1 hour. 

Combine the sirloin, cheese and eggs in a large bowl. Chop the parsley with the whole garlic until fine, then stir into the beef mixture. Season lavishly with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until all the ingredients are well blended. Shape into meatballs and set aside. 

Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dust the meatballs lightly with flour, shaking off excess, and lay into the hot oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides (do not cook through) and transfer to the sauce. 

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, pecorino Romano, parsley and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. 

Remove the meatballs and sausage from the sauce, and set aside to cool slightly, then chop coarsely. Spoon a thick layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan. Cover with a layer of noodles. Spoon more sauce on top, then add a third of the meat and a third of the cheese mixture. 

Repeat for 2 more layers, using all the meat and cheese. Top with a layer of noodles, and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella evenly over the top. 

Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Blueberry Muffins

Jordan Marsh's Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

½ cup softened butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup milk
2 cups blueberries, washed, drained and picked over
3 teaspoons sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375.

Cream the butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.

Crush 1/2 cup blueberries with a fork, and mix into the batter. Fold in the remaining whole berries lightly coated with flour.

Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners, and fill with batter. Sprinkle the 3 teaspoons sugar over the tops of the muffins, and bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.

Remove muffins from tin and cool at least 30 minutes. Store, uncovered, or the muffins will be too moist the second day, if they last that long.

Pungent Parsley And Caper Sauce

Pungent Parsley And Caper Sauce

Ingredients:

1 ounce Italian or French bread, crusts removed

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, Champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove, halved, green shoot removed
1 cup, tightly packed, flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon mint or basil leaves
2 tablespoons capers
1 hard-boiled egg yolk
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
freshly ground pepper

Directions:Combine the bread and vinegar, and toss together. Let sit for 10 minutes, then tear the bread into small pieces.
Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic. Once it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the herbs to the processor, and pulse several times until contents are finely chopped. Add the bread, capers and egg yolk to the bowl, and turn on the processor for about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides, then turn on again and add the olive oil in a slow stream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chicken in Mustard Sauce

Chicken In Mustard Sauce

INGREDIENTS
8 5-ounce chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups water
1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

*

PREPARATION:
Sprinkle the meat with the salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, brown the chicken for one-and-a-half minutes on each side.
Mix in the onion and continue cooking for one minute.
Sprinkle the flour on the chicken pieces, turning them so that all the pieces are coated. Cook one minute to lightly brown the flour.
Add the water and stir to dissolve the flour until the mixture comes to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the skillet and boil gently for five minutes.
Remove the meat to a serving platter and keep warm.
Cook the sauce to reduce it to about one-and-a-half cups. Mix the dry mustard with the Dijon mustard and stir until smooth. Stir the mustard mixture into the sauce and heat, but do not allow the sauce to boil after the mustard has been added.
Place the chicken pieces in the sauce and warm over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes to develop the flavor.
Serve the chicken with the sauce, steamed rice and green beans.

Almond-Walnut Thumbprint Macaroons

Almond-Walnut Thumbprint Macaroons

These cookies are less sweet and chewier than many traditional nut macaroons. The recipe is from Eileen Dangoor Khalastchy, an 86-year-old cook and baker.  Ms. Khalastchy has tinkered with the recipe, substituting walnuts for some of the almonds and adding an egg yolk to the traditional whites.

                                         *

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups blanched almonds 

1 ½ cups walnuts 

1 scant cup sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cardamom 

1 large egg 

2 egg whites 

1 cup of rose water, optional 

½ cup good quality raspberry jam, or 1/2 cup 

   shelled pistachios

                                        *

Directions:

Put the almonds in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until mostly powdered with a few crunchy bits remaining, about 15 pulses. 

Transfer to a large bowl. Put the walnuts in the food processor and pulse until mostly powdered. Add the walnuts to the almonds. 

Add the sugar, cardamom, egg and egg whites to the bowl and, using one hand, mix to combine. Cover with a towel and let the mixture sit for at least 8 hours or overnight to dry out a bit.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour rose water or 1 cup of water in a small shallow bowl. Dampen your hands with the rose water and scoop up about a tablespoon of the dough at a time, pressing it into walnut-size balls. Place the macaroons on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart and flatten them slightly. Use your thumb to make a small indentation in the middle of each. 

Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then remove and put either 1/4 teaspoon of the raspberry jam or a pistachio in each thumbprint. Rotate the pans and continue baking for 10 more minutes or until golden and firm. Cool to room temperature on the baking sheets and serve or freeze.

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies

Maple Shortbread Bars

Maple Shortbread Bars

Ingredients:
For The Crust:
2 cups flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled

*

For The Filling:
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
⅔ cup real maple syrup
2 eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon maple extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans

*

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. For crust, combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut butter into slices, and cut in with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. 

Press into bottom and half an inch up the sides of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Cool on rack.

For filling, combine all ingredients except pecans, and mix until smooth. Pour into cooled crust. Distribute nuts evenly over top. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool on a rack before cutting.
Yield 39 bars 3" X 1"  

Royal Scotch Shortbread

Royal Scotch Shortbread

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted flour

½ cup sifted powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup cool butter, cut into chunks 

*

Preparation: 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 

Sift the flour, sugar and salt together. Add the butter and use your hands or a pastry cutter to combine until the mixture is crumbly. Work into a ball and knead briefly. 

Pat into a 1/4-inch sheet on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cut the dough into 2-inch diamonds.

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Immediately recut the cookies. Separate carefully and cool on a rack. 

Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container, with wax paper between each layer for up to 6 months. Defrost 30 minutes before serving.

Classic Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies

Classic Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies

This is a melt in your mouth butter rich cookie.  Do not over handle the dough 

Ingredients:
1 vanilla bean
16 tablespoons butter at room temperature
⅔ cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup finely ground almonds
24 whole almonds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scrape the insides from one inch of a vanilla bean into a large mixing bowl. In same bowl, cream butter with sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Add flour and ground almonds and beat until mixture is well combined.

On a floured surface roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch rounds and place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Press 1 almond into center of each cookie and bake about 20 minutes, or until very lightly colored. Remove to rack and cool.  Yield: 24 cookies