Filert of Beef With Fennel And ALmond Sauce

This is another recipe I brought back from France.  Europeans have such a great repertoire of sauces to accompany meat dishes which makes their food so unique but simply delicious.  Again I have translated the recipe with a program on the computer.

Filet of Beef With Fennel Served With Almond Sauce

Sauce:

3 cloves garlic 

50 g blanched almonds

100 g green pitted olives

1 teaspoon capers

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

4 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt, pepper, chili powder

1/2 bouquet oregano

 1/2 bouquet basil

Fennel:

2 fennel bulbs

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon butter

2 bay leaves

Salt and Pepper

3/4 cup white wine

10 cherry tomatoes

Meat:

4 slices of filet of beef

Sea salt

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Cracked pepper 

2 Tablespoons butter

2 sprigs rosemary

***

Directions:

Peel and chop the garlic, chop the almonds and bake 45 minutes in  1 1/4 cup of water. Reduce then puree garlic, almonds, olives, capers and lemon juice in a blender. Gradually incorporate the device makes a pasty consistency. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of meeting chilli powder. Finely chop and add oregano and basil.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Clean and cut the fennel into thick slices or quarters. Heat the olive oil in a pan baking, brown the fennel 2 to 3 minutes sprinkle with sugar, stir briefly and let caramelize. Add the butter and bay leaves, salt and pepper. Deglaze pan with white wine. Place the pan in the middle of the oven and simmer vegetables covered for 1 hour. Wash and halve the tomatoes, leave out the fennel.

Meanwhile salt and brown the beef fillets 1 to 2 minutes on each side in a cast iron pan in olive oil on stove.   Pepper fillets, add the butter and rosemary. Finish cooking the meat over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes basting constantly with melted butter.

Let fillets stand a few minutes on a warm plate tented with foil.  Serve with fennel and sauce of olives and almonds. Accompany this dish with mashed potatoes or classic au gratin potatoes.

Vegetables In Spicy Cream Sauce

Vegetables In Spicy Cream Sauce

I added this sauce to the vegetables I served on Christmas Day. It was a winner. Don't let the word spicy fool you. The sauce did not have heat.

*

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

*

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1 cup half & half

10 whole cashews

2 tablespoons ketchup

*

1 tablespoon butter

1 1-inch cinnamon stick (not ground)

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

Pinch ground cloves

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 cup cauliflower florets (about 5 ounces)

1/2 cup peas (shelled fresh or thawed frozen)

1 medium carrot, cut julienne

6 ounces green beans, trimmed, sliced diagonally (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup water - make certain water is needed. I did not add it.

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

***

Directions:

Toast cumin and coriander in a small skillet over medium-low heat until aromatic, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plate.

*

Heat vegetable oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

*

Transfer to blender. Add cumin and coriander, 1/2 cup half & half, cashews and catsup. Blend too consistency of thick cream sauce.

*

Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add cinnamon cardamom, and cloves and cook until aromatic, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add tomato and cook 1 minute. Add all remaining vegetables and stir-fry 3 minutes. (Add water if needed) Add raisins, salt, cayenne pepper, cream sauce and remaining 1/2 cup half & half. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)

Beef Tenderloin With Bourbon Pecan Beurre Brun

Beef Tenderloin With

Bourbon Pecan Beurre Brun

The French are known for having one of the more complex and time consuming cuisines, however they have given us one of the simplest and quickest sauces possible with their classic Beurre Brun, which is literally browned butter. A splash of bourbon and some crunchy pecans make this Beurre Brun even more intriguing while still letting the tenderloin be the focal point of the dish. Serve with boiled fingerling potatoes and some wilted spinach.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. beef tenderloin

(Whole piece, not fillets)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup bourbon

1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted

Directions:

Season tenderloin generously with salt and pepper. In a thick-bottom saute pan (that just fits the meat) heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Carefully place beef in oil and brown well on all sides, about 9 minutes. Be sure not to burn the bottom of the pan as this pan will be used to make the sauce.

Place the browned beef in a baking dish (set saute pan aside) and continue cooking beef in a 400 F oven to desired doneness. Use a meat thermometer for proper internal temperature, medium is 140F.

Pour excess grease out of saute pan, turn off the heat and add bourbon and sage to the pan. Over medium high heat reduce the bourbon by half, about 2 minutes.

Add butter and pecans and a pinch of salt, and cook over medium-low heat until the butter melts; continue to cook until the milk solids in the butter begin to toast and turn golden brown. Take off the heat immediately so as to not burn the butter. Carefully warm through just before serving.

Remove cooked beef from oven, let rest for 8 minutes covered with foil. Slice into 4 pieces and serve with butter drizzled overtop. Serves 4

Chocolate-Caramel Ice Cream Sauce

Chocolate-Caramel Ice Cream Sauce

This is the third recipe published in the San Diego Tribune of November 30 in the Food section as a suggestion for a gift.

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 ounces dark semi-sweet chocolate, Hershey's Special Dark or Lindt, finely chopped.

*

Directions:

In a 2 quart saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Without stirring, melt over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally. When the sugar is melted, increase the heat to high and boil until it turns golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.

*

Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the cream with a wooden spoon. Be careful as the caramel will bubble up when hit with the cream. Reduce the heat to low and cook the sauce, stirring constantly, until it thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt and chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth. If desired, add the nuts and / or bourbon, rum, or Kahlua at this point. When cooled but still pourable, transfer sauce to jar. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Makes one 12 ounce jar.

Pecan Pudding

Pecan Pudding

Low-Calorie and Gluten Free

This is a lighter, low calorie version of the ever popular Southern Pecan Pie with the flaky crust. For an even faster preparation you can make this in one large dish and spoon it into four smaller ones before serving. If you have any leftover pudding, you can puree it in a blender and serve it as a sauce for pancakes and waffles.

***

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

2 tablespoons cool water

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated skim milk

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

***

Directions:

Place chopped pecans in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until well toasted. Watch carefully as they burn easily. Set aside.

*

Soften the gelatin in the cool water. Meanwhile, combine milk, butter and brown sugar in a saucepan and slowly bring just to the boiling point over medium low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the softened gelatin and vanilla. Allow mixture to cool slightly.

*

Place 1 tablespoon of toasted pecans in the bottom of each small ramekins or custard cups. Divide the milk mixture equally among four cups. Divide the milk mixture equally among the four cups. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.

Rosemary Rubbed Pork Tenderloin With Blackberry Wine Sauce

Rosemary Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

With

Blackberry Wine Sauce

***

Boursin Polenta (Monday)

***

I attended a fun cooking class with a great instructor. The title was "Wine Country Entertaining". I must say I enjoyed all of the recipes except the dessert. I am not a fan of commercial angel food cake. I will pass along the recipes from this class for you to enjoy.

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

rosemary sprigs

***

Directions:

Trim pork of all fat and silverskin. Combine garlic, rosemary, and olive oil. Rub all over the pork and let stand for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Can be marinated day before.

***

Wrap in plastic wrap or but use no salt in marinade as it will dehydrate meat. This marinade contains no acid to "cook" the meat.

***

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the pork. Cook only to brown on all sides 6 to 8 minutes total. The instructor said 2 minutes on each side rotating four sides. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and roast 25 to 30 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 155 degrees. Let stand 8 minutes before slicing on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices.

Note 155 degrees is ideal internal temp. 160 degrees is disaster zone. Always use a meat thermometer. Serves 4 to 5

***

Blackberry Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

2 cups Zinfandel wine

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter. cut into four pieces and chilled

***

Directions:

Place berries (still frozen if using), wine and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. Strain sauce pressing on berries to extract as much juice as possible. Return to saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk in butter, a piece at a time, until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Once butter is added sauce should not boil again. Serves 4 to 5

Cranberry, Ginger and Orange Chutney

Cranberry, Ginger and Orange Chutney

It seems when the weather cools I begin to think of holiday gatherings and recipes for the meals. Since one family member is a vegetarian I always try to think of accommodating her with adequate but complete choices. I found this recipe for chutney which my favorite store Trader Joe's can never keep in stock. I hope you too will enjoy this with your Thanksgiving meal and turkey.

Ingredients:

2 large naval oranges

2 pounds fresh cranberries

1/2 cup water

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup minced fresh ginger

Salt and freshly ground pepper

***

Ingredients:

Using a sharp knife; peel the oranges, removing all of the bitter white pith. Working over a bowl, cut between the membranes to release the sections. Squeeze Re juice from the membranes into the bowl. Cut the orange sections into 1" pieces.

In A large saucepan, combine the cranberries and water with 1/4 cup of orange juice from the bowl and bring to a simmer over a moderate heat. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have popped, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar, both sugars, the ginger, and the orange juice from the bowl and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until thick, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly, then season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lemon Sauce With Spring Vegetables

Lemon Sauce With Spring Vegetables Backyard Lemons Averaging 2/3 Cup Juice Each

My Source of Lemons And Juice Oranges

***

Vegetable are picture perfect in the markets at this time of the year. I serve artichokes with melted butter which is not the healthiest idea. This sent me searching for an alternative choice. This is my choice for a sauce to use with asparagus, artichokes, green beans, fava beans, or fresh spring peas.

Lemon Sauce With Spring Vegetables

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter

1 1/2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken stock

2 lemons

2 egg yolks

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Assortment of hot cooked vegetables

***

Directions:

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and continue to cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in 3/4 cup chicken stock. Return to heat and cook, whisking continually until the mixture boils and thickens. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 3 minutes, then remove from heat.

***

Zest the lemons, then squeeze 1/4 cup of juice. In a small bowl, whisk half the zest with the juice, the egg yolks and the remaining stock. Slowly whisk this mixture into the sauce. Return to the heat and cook until just heated through. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Strain, then season with salt and pepper and add remaining zest.

Mango Chutney

Mango Chutney

I prepared the Curry Chicken Burgers with Bismati Rice Recipe of April 20, 2010) and Naan (bread) for our Dinner. Being the frugal person I am, I thought the difference in the price of chicken breasts verses ground chicken breasts was $4.00 per pound. Now how difficult can grinding a chicken breast be? I must admit it was time consuming until I got it figured out that any tendons would block the grinding disc. For the difference of $6.00 for the one and one-half pounds, I still would grind the chicken breasts. I served a sour tofu instead of sour cream to reduce cholesterol. It was very tasty and difficult to distinguish from sour cream. The Mango Chutney certainly was the condiment that made the dish!

***

I would highly recommend that you use the Mango Chutney recipe the next time you plan to prepare pork, poultry, or fish. It is so worth your effort.

Mango Chutney

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 cup mango, peeled and cut into 3/4" pieces

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 1/2 Tablespoons golden onions

2 teaspoons crystallized ginger, finely chopped

1/4 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds, whole

pinch of red pepper flakes

***

Directions:

Combine sugar and vinegar in a 2 quart saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, until syrupy and slightly thickened, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir occasionally during cooking.

This chutney is great on poultry, pork, chicken and fish. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloins With Fresh Cranberry Compote

Stuffed Pork Tenderloins with 
Fresh Cranberry Compote

This recipe is shared by the LCBO.

For a festive meal, serve this dish with roast potatoes, squash and green beans almandine. Both the compote and stuffed loins can be prepared earlier in the day.

Cranberry Compote:
⅓ cup finely diced red onion

2 tbsp water

2 cups fresh cranberries, divided

¾ cup dry red wine

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large apple or almost-ripe pear, peeled and grated

2 tsp freshly grated ginger

1 cinnamon stick

Roast:
3 tbsp butter
⅓ cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage,or 1½ tsp dried
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
¼ tsp each of salt and freshly groundblack pepper
½ cup chicken broth
4 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs
2 large pork tenderloins, each about 1 lb
1 tbsp peanut or canola oil
¼ cup cranberry compote
2 tbsp maple syrup

***

For compote, combine onion and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile cut ½ cup of cranberries in half; set aside. Stir remaining cranberries, red wine, sugar, apple and ginger into onions. Add cinnamon stick. Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Adjusting heat as needed, briskly simmer mixture, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir in reserved cranberry halves; simmer another 5 minutes. Cool, cover and refrigerate until needed. (Compote can be made 2 to 3 days ahead.)

For roast, heat butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until bubbly. Add onions; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in herbs, salt and pepper; remove from heat. Add broth and bread crumbs; toss until evenly coated. (Crumbs feel moist, not wet.)

Lay tenderloins on cutting board; remove any surface fat or silver skin. Cutting only halfway into meat, slice length of each loin. Open up like a book. Lay a piece of plastic wrap underneath and over top; use smooth side of a meat pounder or bottom of heavy skillet to pound loins until about ¾ inch thick.

Cut-side up, firmly press stuffing onto loin. Then top with other loin, cut-side down towards stuffing. Use cooking twine or silicone bands to bind together at each end and on either side of centre point. Firmly stuff any dislodged filling back into meat. (Stuffed loin can be covered and promptly refrigerated for up to half a day.)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat oil in a large, ovenproof frying pan over medium heat until very hot. Sauté stuffed pork in frying pan until browned, about 5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile mash measured compote with a fork; stir in maple syrup. Spread about half over pork top. Place roast, still in frying pan, on centre rack in oven. Roast, uncovered for 20 minutes; spoon remaining glaze over top. Continue roasting for 20 minutes or until thermometer shows 140°F.

Remove roast from oven to stovetop; immediately cover with foil. Rest 15 minutes to complete cooking. Temperature rises to 160°F during this rest. Then cut away strings; slice roast about ¾ inch thick. Serve with cranberry compote.

Serves 6

Masala

Masala

Masala pronounced mah-sah-lah is a sauce usually associated with Indian cuisine. I was first introduced to masala served with lamb at the restaurant Metro Kathmandu in San Francisco.

Masala can refer to a simple combination of two or three spices or a complex blend of 10 or more spices. The principal spice blend in India is Garam Masala. The variations are countless and depend on the cook and the dish being seasoned.

***

This is my favorite version of Masala.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups chopped onions

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

1 cup plain yogurt

***

Directions:

Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onions; saute until deep golden, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and all spices; stir 1 minute. Cool to lukewarm. Puree tomatoes with juices and yogurt in processor until almost smooth. Add onion mixture; puree until almost smooth. Season masala to taste with salt and pepper.

Masala can be made 1 day ahead. Prepare to the point of adding the tomatoes, cover and refrigerate. Reheat and add yogurt and serve. Makes 8 servings

Basil Pesto

Basil Pesto

I am sharing what I believe to be an authentic Italian pesto recipe since my teacher was our daughter Mary who lives in Milano and makes the most mouth-watering pasta dishes! You gauge the ingredients according to the amount of basil you have or the amount of sauce that you need.

Ingredients:

Pine nuts

Fresh basil leaves

Olive oil

Salt

Garlic is optional. I do not use it.

***

Directions:

Toast the pine nuts which gives them an enhanced flavor. I have a small teflon skillet which I use over a low heat. Pine nuts have a high oil content so the heat must be low. Stir often to keep from burning. Pine nuts can be toasted in the oven also but do keep a close eye. Allow toasted nuts to cool completely.

***

In a food processor place basil leaves (a couple of handsful) with some olive oil. Use just enough olive oil at first that will allow the leaves to be chopped fine. As you keep the food processor on, add enough olive oil to make a thick paste. Add the pine nuts and now you can gauge the amount of olive oil you need to make the pesto to the proper consistency. (I would compare the proper consistency to that of cake batter.) Add salt to taste. Keep in a sealed jar and refrigerate until ready to use. I might say it is best if used fresh but will keep a few days in the refirgerator without loosing the quality. It will seperate when it sets in the jar but just stir to emulsify.

***

You may never used commercial pesto again!

Joyce's Fig Sauce

Joyce's Fig Sauce

Saturday I went grocery shopping with our daughter-in-law in Redwood City, CA. A tradition in many California Food Stores is to provide samples of seasonal items or new products. As we passed the cheese counter, we noticed a block of Blue Cheese with Fig Sauce set out for sampling. As we stopped to sample we met a most delightful lady and of course we struck up conversation. She shared she made a fig sauce which was much better than the commercial sauce offered. I am sure you have guessed the conversation continued. Actually the conversation didn't end briefly but not until we had exchanged email addresses and she had the blog information.

***

Today I was thrilled to receive an email from Joyce. Joyce sent the recipe for her fig sauce. To make it more special is the fact that Joyce created this recipe. It does not use pectin to make it firm like preserves so we call it sauce. Lucky for those who have a fig tee or for those who have a friend with a fig tree. Lucky is the person who meets Joyce and has a new friend ... that is me!

***

JOYCE'S FIG SAUCE

Joyce uses the Tupperware 8 cup measuring pitcher:

Ingredients:

8 heaping cups of figs mounded even

6 cups sugar (using same measuring pitcher)

6 lemons squeezed, adding juice and pulp

***

Directions:

Joyce combines the three ingredients and brings it slowly to a boil, cooking it for about one hour then turning it down and lets it simmer. 

Remember cooking it longer does not make it thicker. It does not include pectin. It is called sauce, not preserves.

Entrecotes Au Poivre Vert ..... French Title For Strip Steaks with Green Peppercorn Sauce

                                        

                                                                                                                             Strip Steaks With Green Peppercorn Sauce

With a given choice most people who dine out prefer to order a steak when dining in a fine restaurant.  
Great steaks are easily made at home with the addition of a tasty sauce. The sauce requires 20 to 25 minutes to prepare. Keep a warmed plated with steaks in the oven on a very low setting as to not continue cooking the steaks.

Ingredients:

Four 1" thick strip steaks

salt

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 finely chopped shallots

1 1/2 cups ruby port

2 cups beef stock

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup rinsed and coarsely chopped brine cured green peppercorns

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

salt to taste

***

Directions:

Season four steaks (about 2 1/2 lbs. total wt.) with salt to taste. Place on a plate, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove steaks from refrigerator and set aside at room temperature to let rest for one hour.

***

Heat 1 Tablespoon e.v. olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Pat steaks dry; add 2 steaks to skillet. Cook flipping once, until well browned and medium rare, 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining steaks. Remove skillet from heat.

***

Remove skillet from heat and add 2 finely chopped shallots; stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups ruby port.; bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook until the mixture is reduced to about 1/4 cup, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 2 cups beef stock; boil until syrupy, 10 to 12 minutes. It is important to first reduce the port and then add 2 cups beef stock; boil until syrupy, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; whisk in 1 cup heavy cream. Return skillet to medium heat and boil until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup coarsely chopped brine cured green peppercorns, 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar and salt to taste. Pour sauce over steaks. Serves 4

Aioli ..... The sauce served with so many foods, ..... Pasta, seafood, vegetables and whatever food is complimented with the flavor.

Aioli

Thursday evening after arriving in San Diego we decided to stop at our favorite "haunt" for dinner. Don loves calamari and I prefer oysters. Don asked for aioli with his calamari. The restaurant didn't serve it. It is so simple to make but such a great sauce.

***

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon salt

8 to 12 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise

1 slice white bread, whetted and squeezed dry

2 large egg yolks, room temp.

2 cups extra virgin olive oil, room temp.

juice of freshly squeezed lemon

about 1 Tablespoon boiling water

***

Directions:

Make a paste of salt and garlic with pestle and mortar. Add softened bread and pound to amalgamate. Now add yolks and continue pounding to get a thick golden paste. Transfer to food processor. With machine running drizzle in half of olive oil. Next add the lemon juice and continue processing until all of the oil has been slowly added and the aoili is dense, glutenous and glossy. Finally add the boiling water.

***

Note; Unless I need the full recipe I make the sauce by halving the recipe. With the uncooked egg yolks, I store for only a day or so in refrigerator.

Zabaglione ..... A Traditional Warm Italian Dessert and also used as a sauce with fruit and also cakes.

ZABAGLIONE

Our daughter and son-in-law and granddaughters from Milano arrived for a brief stay. They took a cruise to the islands of Hawaii prior to their visit. They came with the gift of a cookbook. I decided this traditional Italian dessert would be appropriate since they brought the recipes.

Ingredients

Lady Fingers

1/2 cup flour, sifted

1/2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted

pinch of salt

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 egg whites

Castor sugar for dusting

Sabayon

9 egg yolks

2/3 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 cup Marsala

1/2 cup white wine

***

Directions:

Lady Fingers:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Sift the dry ingredients for the Lady Fingers together. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and almond extract together until thickened. Whisk the egg whites to a soft peak. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in the egg whites. Place the mixture into a piping bag or cookie press and pipe 3 to 4 inch long fingers onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until dry and light golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Dust with Castor sugar and finish cooling.

***

Sabayon:

Place the egg yolks and sugar over a double boiler for the Sabayon and whisk for 10 to 15 minutes until tripled in volume and thickened. Continue to whisk slowly adding the Marsala and white wine.

***

Serve the Sabayon warm in a footed sherbet with a lady finger. Garnish with fruit if desired. A slice of star fruit is a nice compliment.

Spinach And Bacon-Stuffed Pork Loin With White Wine And Rosemary Cream Sauce

Spinach And Bacon Stuffed Pork Loin With White Wine Cream Sauce This pork roast is my "all time favorite" pork roast recipe for entertaining because it is not only delicious but has a beautiful presentation. It does go together fast and easy. Just sit back and let the compliments roll!

***

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, diced

2 shallots, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1-10 ounce package spinach, trimmed

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

3 to 4 pound single boneless pork loin

1/2 teasoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

***

White Wine and Rosemary Cream Sauce

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup whipping cream

salt and freshly ground black pepper

***

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

***

In a large frying pan over medium high heat, fry bacon until crisp. Drain off fat. Reduce heat to medium and add shallots and garlic. Saute for 1 minute or until translucent. Add wine and spinach and saute just until wilted. Transfer to bowl and let cool.

***

Meanwhile place pork with fat side up on a cutting board. Starting at right side and knife parallel with board, cut pork almost in half stopping about one-half inch to left side. *I find at this point it works best for me to roll the roast where the cut is vertical rather than horizontal and I can see the bottom edge that I do not want to cut through. Place the freshly cut sides down on the cutting board. Your roast now looks like two small "humps". Starting from the center cutting toward each outside edge but not all of the way through again, cut each half again stopping about one-half inch from that outside edge. You should be able to flip each cut toward the outside edge giving you one long piece of pork in four "segments" but all attached. If you need to even any thick spots of the roast, lay a piece of waxed paper over the meat and use a mallet, heavy pan or fry pan and pound the meat. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

***

Spread cooled spinach mixture evenly over over cut side of pork, leaving about 1 inch at one side bare. Starting opposite bare edge, tightly roll up jelly-roll style and tie with kitchen string. Heat clean frying pan over high heat until hot heat until hot. Add roast fat side down, then sear on all sides. Place in roasting pan; set frying pan aside. Roast the pork, uncovered 50 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 155 to 160 degrees and a hint of pink remains in the pork. Place on a cutting board and tent with foil and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

***

To make sauce, heat reserved frying pan over medium heat. Add any juices from roasting pan and bring to a boil. Add shallots and rosemary and saute f0r 2 minutes or until soft. Add wine and bring to a boil, stirring. Add cream and boil until slightly reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Serve slices of roast drizzled with sauce.

Fresh Tomato Sauce For 1/2 Pound Spaghetti ..... It is so easy and also freezes well.

Fresh Tomato Sauce For Pasta

Ingredients:

2 lbs. very ripe tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

3 Tablespoons olive oil

About 1 teaspoon salt

10 basil leaves

***

Directions:

Core and halve tomatoes. Remove seeds (either scoop them out with a spoon or hold in your hand and squeeze out the seeds) and cut the tomatoes into 1/2 dice. Set aside.

***

Thinly slice garlic. In a 10 to 12 inch frying pan over low heat, cook garlic in olive oil until it is soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

***

Add tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt and increase heat to medium high. Cook until tomatoes give off their liquid and start to bubble. Reduce heat to medium-low or low, so the sauce gently simmers. Cook uncovered and undisturbed, until oil separates from the sauce and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes.

***

Meanwhile, chop basil. When sauce is done, stir in basil and add salt to taste.

Pesto And Aoili ..... Two Sauces To Enhance The Flavors Of The Foods You Prepare!

Pesto

Mary and I made this sauce with fresh basil left over from the dinner party of Saturday night. Nothing is better than fresh pesto, what a flavor!

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves

3/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less)

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Directions:

Place basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, salt and about 1/4 cup olive oil in food processor. Process with pulses being careful not to over process. Add remaining olive oil slowly to make a nice sauce. You want the ingredients well mixed with very tiny pieces of the basil leaves appearing as specks in the sauce. The ingredients should not be macerated.

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Pesto can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator but should have a thin layer of olive oil covering the level surface which will prevent discoloration.

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How to use Pesto:

Cook pasta in salted water and when cooked al dente, drain, and toss with Pesto. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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We like the pesto on sliced tomatoes with sliced fresh mozzarella cheese.

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Aioli

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon sea salt

8 to 12 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise

1 slice white bread, wet with water and squeezed dry

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups olive oil, room temperature

juice of freshly squeezed lemon

about 1 tablespoon boiling water

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Directions:

Make paste of salt and garlic with pestle and mortar. Add softened bread and pound to amalgamate. Now add yolks continue pounding to get a thick golden paste. Transfer to food processor. With motor running, drizzle in half of olive oil. Add the lemon juice and continue processing until all the olive oil has been added and the Aioli is dense, glutenous, and glossy. Finally add the boiling water.

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Uses: Many European cooks serve Aioli with meat, pasta, and crudities. These two sauces, Pesto and Aioli, are the primary sauces in an European kitchen and are frequently found in the recipes.

Romesco Sauce

Romesco Sauce

Dress up those grilled vegetables with this sauce or serve it with fish!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup toasted almonds

1 slice white bread, torn in pieces

2 gloves garlic

4 grilled Roma tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 Tablespoons sherry wine vinegar

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Directions:

In the bowl of a food processor, add almonds, bread, and garlic. Process until nuts are ground. Add the four grilled tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, and the vinegar. Process until the consistency of a paste. Cover sauce and chill.