Tian de Courgettes au Riz (Zucchini Tian)

Genius!

This weekend is our Cookbook Club dinner. It seems like forever since we last had one, so we are all looking forward to it—especially since the book we chose is fantastic! If you haven’t had a chance to visit the Food52.com website, I highly recommend that you give it a look-see when you have a few moments. It is chock full of great recipes, but some are just that much better than the others. So much better in fact, they are genius. (See what I did there?)

Which brings me to this dinner’s cookbook selection…Genius Recipes from Kristen Miglore, Executive Food Editor for Food 52. I have talked (more like raved) about this book before. Everything in it is just that good, and if you haven’t picked up a copy you are missing out. This is a must-have for your cookbook collection. Seriously, get off the couch and go get one. If only for the Canal House Chicken Thighs with Lemon…mind blowingly good.

Our process for choosing which recipes the five of us will make for our dinner is pretty simple…usually. The hostess sends a reminder email with a few dishes she is prepared to make, and then the rest of us chime in with our choices. This time it was like playing beat the clock. We all had the same favorites, and by the time I got my lazy self to my email, mine were taken.

There are, however, recipes that I had not had a chance to try, so I am going with a couple of those. Everything I have made from this book has been fantastic, so I am not worried about this being the test run. Even if there are failures, I am confident that the rest will be so good, and we won’t starve. I expect something like 10 dishes, not including dessert. The cardiologist will be on stand-by.

My first choice would have been this tasty Zucchini Tian. It is the perfect way to try something new as the summer zucchini glut ripens. It’s originally from Julia…you can’t go wrong with Julia.

Tian de Courgettes au Riz — Zucchini Tian
Food 52 Genius Recipes
From Julia Child Read more…

Summer Panini

The Panini Days of Summer
Last weekend was crazy, and it was only the beginning of what will be a Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride of Adventure Summer for us. I am not entirely sure if I know my own name at this point. I do know that the mother of all laundry piles has gathered in the laundry room, and your guess is as good as mine as to when it will get some attention. The bright side is that the dog loves her new bed.

We have now entered what I call, The Panini Days of Summer. These are the days when there is so much going on that dinner is more often than not, something that we can slap between two pieces of bread and throw on my Panini press. Cut up a cold Cantaloupe or Watermelon and voila…dinner a-go-go.

There are so many possible panini creations. If we can, we’ll use whatever is left over from the previous night’s dinner (some left-overs just won’t work in a sandwich). It’s not unheard of for us to just use a bunch of cheese—sometimes with an apple slice or two. Left over spaghetti and meatballs? Don’t underestimate the power of a meatball panini dipped in leftover sauce. (A favorite of my son’s). July and August mean that we have tomato paninis. Although with no garden this year, we’ll have to rely on friends for that garden grown yumminess. And don’t get me started on the grilled veggie panini!

This is my favorite go-to panini, because I always have the ingredients on hand. If you are looking for more ideas for panini, take a peek at this article from Food Network with lots of great ideas.

Amy’s Summer Panini Read more…

Cashel Blue, Spinach, and Smoked Salmon Tartlets

Go Green
To most people mid-March means St. Patrick’s Day. When they think about Irish food and drink, those same people generally think of potatoes, corned beef, cabbage, lamb and Guinness.

While those ingredients are frequently featured in Irish cooking, the Emerald Isle has so much more to offer. Their cheese alone could occupy most of your time—and don’t get me started on the charcuterie. The Irish know their way around a butchery. While traveling through Ireland years ago, one of the things that surprised me most was the incredible seafood. (I’m not sure why I was surprised. It is an island after all.) The seafood…it was sensational.

Mussels, Herring, Shrimp, Cod, Crab, Haddock, Skate and Salmon (both fresh and smoked) could be found on most menus along with many other native species. Fish was mostly prepared simply but elegantly, and with obvious skill. Occasionally, if you were lucky, you could find a seafood pie. (Yes, topped with potatoes). Yum!

This year for St. Patrick’s Day, set the green beer down and do something truly Irish like these Smoked Salmon tartlets from the cookbook The New Irish Table by Margaret Johnson. You’ll be glad you did. Erin Go Bragh!

Cashel Blue, Spinach and Smoked Salmon Tartlets
Adapted from The New Irish Table by Margaret Johnson
Yields 30 Tartlets

Oak-smoked Irish salmon is often eaten simply with a squeeze of lemon and a slice of brown bread. But its flavor pairs so well with other ingredients, It’s no surprise to also find it in a paté, atop roasted potatoes, or combined with blue cheese and fresh spinach in these tartlets from David Foley, chef-owner of the Wild Geese Restaurant in picturesque Adare, County Limerick. Chef Foley fills handmade pastry cases with the mixture, but these use frozen filo dough shells. Read more…

Mushroom and Shallot Quiche

Quiche Me

This weekend is our cookbook club dinner and I can’t wait. It seems like forever since we did the last one.

This time we are cooking from one of my new favorite cookbooks, Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan. It is an entire cookbook of French comfort food. Or maybe it’s just MY idea of comfort food (mmmm…butter). The recipes are relatively easy, the food is uncomplicated, and the flavors are fabulous. It’s basically the kind of food you would expect if you were invited for dinner at a friend’s home—in Provençe. May we all be so lucky.

I have made a number of recipes from this book, and have never come across a bad one. One of my all time favorites is Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good which I love and have written about about in September of 2012.

Because the girls have been busy lately, I have decided to make the Mushroom and Shallot Quiche ‘cause I need to use up my eggs. I have always enjoyed a good quiche. They are pretty, easy to make, and a quiche is a great way to make use of the random veggies in your fridge. Paired with a tossed salad, and perhaps a glass of wine, and you have a tasty, très French lunch.

Mushroom and Shallot Quiche
Adapted from Epicurious
Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan Read more…