In Wickwood's Kitchen ...

TARTE FLAMBÉE
 
I was reminded of this Burgundian thin crusted pizza with the fluffy cheeses and topped with Proscuitto during a visit to The Modern restaurant located, of course, at The Modern Museum in New York. Its’ quite addictive. When it is served piping hot….well, the first time you make it, you’ll need to plan to make a meal of it along with just a green salad, so hard is it to stop eating. Restraint may prevail the next time you try it, making it possible to serve as an hors d’oeuvre..

Serves 8 for lunch, 12-16 as an hors d’oeuvre.

1. To make the crust dough, stir the yeast and water together in a large mixing bowl and and let rest until foamy, 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, oil, and whole wheat flour. Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in 3 cups of the bread flour. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until smooth and satiny, 5 to 7 minutes. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a linen towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1½ hours).
2. Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté slowly until very soft and just beginning to color, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mash or beat together the goat cheese, ricotta, and sour cream until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs until thoroughly combined. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.
4. When ready to assemble, preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 15x12 inch baking sheet.
5. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a rectangle slightly larger than the baking sheet. Transfer carefully to the pan, letting the edges of the dough hang over the pan edges. Crimp the overhanging crust to form an irregular edge higher than the sides of the pan. Pre-bake for 8-10 minutes.
6. Spread the cheese and egg mixture evenly over the surface of the dough. Then scatter the sautéed onions evenly over the cheese. Tear the prosciutto into irregular shreds and scatter over the top of the tarte. Bake the tarte in the center of the oven until the crust is golden brown, the cheese set, and the prosciutto pieces have become crisp, 35-40 minutes. Cut the hot tarte and serve at once.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two 15x12-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine the water and butter in a medium-size saucepan and bring to a boil. When the butter is completely melted, remove from the heat and gradually stir in the flour until smooth. Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the batter is quite thick and is pulling away from the sides of the pan 3-4 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat again and beat in the eggs (you can use an electric hand mixer), one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the mustard and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Fold in the Gruyere and any other flavor options.
4. Drop the batter by rounded heaping teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Brush the top of each with a little milk and dust lightly with Parmesan.
5. Bake the gougere until puffed and golden brown 15-20 minutes. Serve warm, on a tray. The gougere may also be baked ahead and reheated in at 350°F oven for 5-6 minutes just before serving.

SHRIMP SAUSAGE & RED PEPPER AIOLI
 
A light Spring hors d’oeuvre or luncheon that always surprises!

1. Make certain that all of the ingredients and the bowl are well chilled before starting and plan to work quickly.
2. Place the shrimp and scallops in a food processor, and puree. Add the egg yolks and pulse until well blended. Transfer to a medium-size mixing bowl and set in a larger bowl of ice.
3. Gently fold in the Low-Fat Blend, potato flakes/starch. And herbs a little at a time, until blended and smooth. Add the paprika, salt and pepper. Cover, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. When the mixture is well chilled, removed from the refrigerator and place the bowl on a flat work surface. Tear off an 8-inch piece of plastic wrap. Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture in a strip in the center. Fold the plastic wrap over the mixture, rollup to make a 2-3 inch sausage, and twist the ends. Repeat until all of the mixture is used. Chill sausages as you work.
5. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan fitted with a steamer, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Keep the sausages chilled until you steam them; you will need to do this in batches.
6. Place several sausages in the steamer and steam for 9-10 minutes, until firm and cooked through. When all the sausages are steamed, remove the plastic and serve warm. Alternatively, they may be chilled and served.

*Note: Low-Fat blend is made by mixing equal amounts of low fat cottage cheese and low fat yogurt together in a blender until smooth. Please, do not use a food processor.

RED PEPPER AIOLI

This is a terrific low fat way to enjoy Aioli anytime. Serve with seafood, crudités, spread atop crostini, stirred into a soup, or as a salad dressing ingredient.

1. Place the potatoes and chicken broth in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until all the broth evaporates.
2. Place the roasted red peppers in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
3. While the potatoes are still hot, add them to the pureed pepper and process; gradually add the garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, tasting periodically, until the desired flavor is achieved and the ingredients are pureed. Add cayenne and salt to taste. Cool, covered at room temperature. Refrigerate until served.
 

Cooks Notes ...

Pimentón de la Vera

Spain’s Smoked Paprika Pimentón de la Vera has become one of my best cooking “secret ingredients.”  It’s the ground pepper “Capsicun” originally from Central America and brought to Spain by Columbus. The Extremadaran “La Vera” region of Spain  produces a particularly high quality smoked paprika with a subtle underlying hot kick!  I find I could use Pimentón almost everyday – in stews, sauces, ratatouille, pastas, with beans and sausages, and simply sprinkled onto roasting potatoes.  It’s that addictive!  The flavor is smoky-spicy and most intriguing – giving a new deep dimension to classic recipes.  www.zingermans.com 

THE BEST VERY BERRY SHORTCAKE
 
Our secret for the most luscious shortcake is to puree some of the berries – spark it with lemon and orange juice and let the berries and puree marry at room temperature. Then, when we're ready for dessert, the biscuits must be piping hot, the berries warm and juicy and the cream icy cool! It’s perfection! This serves 4 or more depending on how hungry!
 
Berries:
• 2 quarts ripe strawberries, cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces (approx. 6 cups cut berries).
• 2 oranges, juice only
2 lemons, juice only
• 4 - 6 tablespoons sugar, depending on the sweetness of berries.
• 2 pints blueberries
• 2 pints raspberries
• 1 pint blackberries

Softly Whipped Cream:
• 2 pints heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 - 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup sour cream

Biscuits:
• 2 1/3 cups "Bisquick, original
• ½ cup milk
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. Several hours prior to serving, trim and cut strawberries and place in a bowl.
2. Remove 2 cups of strawberries and one pint of raspberries and place in blender. Add (hand squeezed) juices of lemons, orange and 4 tablespoons of sugar, taste for sweetness.
3. Pour puree over cut strawberries-add blueberries and taste for sweetness. Set aside at room temperature.
4. In a medium mixing bowl (with or without beater) whip the cream until it has soft peaks. Add the vanilla, and sugar to taste. Whip just one minute more. Fold in the sour cream, cover and chill until ready to serve.
5. 20 minutes prior to serving, preheat oven to 425°F.  Ready ungreased baking sheet. Add raspberries and blueberries to berry mixture.
6. Place all biscuit ingredients (in order) into a medium mixing bowl and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
7. Drop 4 large or 8 smaller biscuits into even amounts onto baking sheet. Bake 11-15 minutes (depending on size) on middle rack in oven. Golden brown is desired doneness.
8. When biscuits are done, immediately place 1-2 biscuits, as desired in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Ladle berries and juice over hot biscuits.
9. Top with a generous dolling of Softly Whipped Cream.
• Note: I don’t wash berries as they absorb so much water. But clearly, remove any leaves, mold or dirt.

The Foodie Fat Pack
 
Ever wonder why some of your favorite chefs keep encouraging you to cook with lard, mountains of butter, and large amounts of salt? Especially, as you watch them grow wider and wider? Are they of another world? Well, yes. And, finally, even Batali is saying “you can’t eat a large portion of a pig and loose weight”.
 
Long ago we learned that you needn’t rely on fat solely for flavor. Fresh and dried herbs, spices, citrus, vinegars, cooking methods ... there are so many ways to add flavor without adding fat. And, most importantly to be conscious when you do add fat, of the quality and quantity you’re using. Then use the minimal.

To be in the know, be sure to read Michael Pollan’s newest book “In Defense of Food” to understand what has happened to our food supply and how to eat today. As he says, “eat locally, eat less, and eat mostly plants.” Most of us are rethinking how to eat for the rest of our lives.