Todat Dishing: Spaghetti and Meatball Skewers

                                            

Saw these cuties on Pinterest and although they appeared labor intensive, I made them for a cocktail party.

Use whatever meatball recipe you prefer and make the meatballs about 1 1/2 inch diameter. Remember these are one bite skewers and the entire amount must fit into your  mouth without the fear of choking.

Cook the spaghetti el dente. I committed the sin of rinsing the pasta because it gets too sticky to work with otherwise. Just don't over rinse though.

Use your imagination to find ways to get the pasta to nestle nicely atop the meatball and stay there. I knotted the pasta over and over until it held together then gently lowered it over the skewer and on to the meatball. It worked well and none of the pasta fell off the meatballs,  even during transport.
                                           

                                                                                    

 Sauce can be introduced in a number of ways. The skewers can rest on a dollop of sauce or sauce can be drizzled over the completed skewers. For me, the easiest and perhaps most efficient way is to serve a bowl of sauce next to the serving platter.

Let me remind you again, these are labor intensive but they offer a new twist on skewers and certainly on spaghetti and meatballs. For the record, the reviews were 100% positive and for me, worth the effort.

Today Dishing: Fig and Olive, Chicago

If you're wondering where the beautiful people brunch on Sunday mornings, the answer is Fig and Olive. This two-story restaurant  recently opened at 104 E. Oak Street and is the latest addition to other locations in New York City and California.

Photo courtesy of Google.

                                             
Our Sunday brunch experience began with the valet directing us to allow 30 minutes to have our car retrieved after brunch. That seemed a bit extreme but we thought it  little inconvenience for the wonder we were about to experience.

A gal waiting with us for the elevator turned out to be the "elevator girl" who didn't greet us or acknowledge us, and as it turned out pressed the wrong elevator button, depositing us at the wrong floor. There are only two buttons on the elevator so this seemed a curious error.

However when the elevator doors opened on the wrong floor, a beautiful, bright, modern, open-air room faced us. We were quickly ushered upstairs to the correct dining room which also shared the same feel as the floor below.

We waited several minutes in a herd of people in an area used by wait staff directly outside the elevator. It felt like we were part of a cattle call. Next we were seated at what was in our estimation the worst seat in the house because of the constant traffic behind us from people exiting the elevator.

These few missteps were not going to detract from what we knew would be a stellar experience.

The cocktail menu is filled with inventive choices. We opted for the Fig and Walnut Julep, which is delicious and I highly recommend it.

The menu boasts of eleven crostini's, one sounding more delicious than the next. The six we ordered were plated well, were inventive and fresh. We did feel that some herb was overused resulting in a "one-note" taste.

The oysters were good but lacked in presentation.

The Crab Cake Eggs Benedict was disappointing in almost every aspect except the egg (yes, one egg) which  although cool, was cooked perfectly.  The crab cake was devoid of lump crab consisting of only white meat and was it deep fried??? The hollandaise, barely visible on the plate, topped a piece of crostone bread, that was simply impossible to cut.

The South of France Poached Eggs with Salmon served with cool eggs also did not please.

In a restaurant the caliber of which Fig and Olive presents itself, a stellar burger must be available, not the one currently offered. The presentation is weak but still better that the burger itself.

In all fairness, this was only the second Sunday brunch was  offered, leaving hope that the many kinks will be worked out.

Perhaps the clueless "elevator girl" is more envisioned that we thought. Letting people off on the second floor to wait for a table would be much more civilized than waiting in no-mans-land outside an elevator on the third floor.

Hopefully, the beautiful people will demand more than a lovely space to see and be seen. It will be a long time, if ever, before we return, which was also the sentiment  two ladies leaving expressed rather loudly.

Today Dishing: Peach Cobbler

Every 4th of July I keep one tradition alive  by making peach cobbler. My family has grown to expect this summer treat and was disappointed not to get it  this year because I was visiting my son in Texas on the 4th.

With peaches in season and on sale in most grocery stores, this is the perfect time to make this delicious dessert.

This recipe is from Bon Appetit and is probably twenty years old. Trust me, it is worth the time and effort.

PEACH COBBLER
8 servings

FRUIT
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
5 pounds peaches, pitted, cut into 1 1/2 inch wedges
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup instant tapioca
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace
pinch of salt

BISCUITS
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup sour cream

FOR FRUIT
Position rack in lowest third of oven, preheat oven to 425  degrees. Grease 10x14x2" baking dish with 2 tablespoons butter.
Place peaches in large bowl.
Add sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, lemon peel, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; toss gently.
Let stand 10 minutes. (can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature)

FOR BISCUITS
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate) NOTE: I don't use a processor, instead I do it the old fashioned way with a pastry fork and my "clean" hands.
Add sour cream and blend just until soft dough forms.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead just until no longer sticky, about 30 turns.
Roll dough out to thickness of 1/2 inch.

Cobbler before baking

                                 
Cut out stars, or whatever shape you choose using floured cookie cutters.
Transfer fruit mixture into prepared dish.
Top mixture with star shaped biscuits, spacing evenly.
Bake until juices bubble and thicken and biscuits are deep golden brown, about 50 minutes.

                                                

(NOTE: It has never taken 50 minutes in my oven, it's more like 35 minutes.)
Cool cobbler slightly.
Sift powdered sugar over biscuits.
Serve warm with ice cream.
                                                    

Yum.

                                    

 



   

Today Dishing: Pots de Creme

These Sur la table espresso mugs solved my years long search for cute pots de creme vessels. Ramekins work just fine but lack the flair that pots de creme deserves.
                                                                             
Plenty of pots de creme recipes exist on the internet. I was intrigued when I found this recipe in my personal recipe box, written in my handwriting. I have no recollection of where or whom this came from but I tried it and the result was deliciously chocolatey. And the effort required was minimal.

 

POTS de CREME
makes 4-6 servings depending on the cups used.

2/3 cups semi-sweet chips (I used 54% dark chocolate cut into pieces)
1 cup half and half
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons rum
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat chocolate and half and half in a pot, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted.
Cool slightly.
Beat remaining ingredients together and gradually add to chocolate mixture.
Pour custard mixture into cups.
Place custard cups in a shallow roasting pan.
Pour hot water into the pan so it reaches halfway up the sides of the cups.
Bake until custards are almost set in centers, about 30 minutes.
Carefully remove cups from the hot water and let cool.
Cover cups with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Add whipped cream before serving.

A mint leaf and chocolate shavings top off the whipping cream for a delightful presentation.

                                          

Today Dishing: Lemon-garlic Grilled Portobellos with Burrata and Tomatoes

Yesterday I saw this recipe in the Chicago Tribune's "Good Eating"section and in that I planned on grilling chicken for dinner, I thought I'd give this a go.

The recipe suggests substituting ricotta for the burrata but  I used fresh mozzarella  because I had it on hand and it worked quite well.

The finished product received rave reviews and I look forward to making it again using burrata or ricotta.

Mushrooms,onions and tomatoes cook on the grill.

The finished product, made with mozzarella.

 Lemon garlic grilled portobellos with burrata and tomatoes
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
Ricotta makes a nice substitute for the burrata; you'll need 2 tablespoons per mushroom cap.
¼ cup olive oil
Grated zest and juice from 1 small lemon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
6 large (about 1 1/2 pounds total) portobello mushrooms, each 4 inches in diameter
1 medium red onion, cut into 4 thick slices
6 small ripe tomatoes or 3 medium
Half of an 8-ounce container burrata cheese
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil and fresh chives
1. Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium heat. Mix oil, lemon zest and juice, mustard and salt in a small bowl.
2. Gently twist the mushroom stems off the caps. Lightly brush the caps, stems and onion slices with the oil mixture. Grill stems and onion slices directly over the heat, turning once, until golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.
3. Add caps to a cooler section of the grill, gill side down. Cook, 2 minutes. Flip; brush with oil mixture. Add tomatoes to grill. Grill until smooth side of mushroom caps are golden and tomatoes are warmed and softened a bit, about 3 minutes. Remove from grill; place mushroom caps on a serving platter. Use a small serrated knife to cut the tomatoes in half or slices.
4. Chop grilled stems and onion; put into a small bowl. Season with a teaspoon or two of the remaining oil mixture. Divide the filling among the mushrooms caps. Top with a portion of the burrata and two tomato halves or slices. Sprinkle generously with fresh basil and chives. Serve while warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition information per serving: 186 calories, 14 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 16 mg cholesterol, 12 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein, 275 mg sodium, 3 g fiber