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Featured
Recipes Welcome Inn |
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Beef Also known as New
England Boiled Dinner, tender corned beef is simmered with cabbage, potatoes,
turnips, parsnips, carrots and onions and is then served with freshly grated
horseradish and rye bread. A
traditional Saint Patrick’s Day feast for Irish Americans and also for anyone
who feels Irish! Chicken A
specialty of Cajun cuisine, fresh chicken is cut up and sautéed with ham,
sausages, mushrooms, onions and bell peppers, and then is steamed in a
casserole of tomatoes, rice and tangy spices.
A great dish for Mardi Gras. Seafood Jumbo shrimp are
simmered in a spicy tomato sauce and served over rice. A specialty of And for dessert,
featuring . . . Cel’s Recipe Box |
Bar Open
ChefBilly
recommends . . .
Fill a tall glass with crushed ice.
Add the juice of one orange, the juice of one-quarter lemon, and one and a half
ounces brandy. Add one-half ounce of Triple Sec and stir well. Float one-half
ounce Galliano liqueur on top and serve with a sprig of fresh mint. A ChefBilly original.
2 ounces brandy (E&J or
Christian Brothers), 1 ounce each sweet and dry vermouth
(Gallo), dash of Angostura bitters. Pour over ice in chilled Old Fashioned
glass, stir well and serve. This is ChefBilly's all-time favorite cocktail!
You don't hear of these too much
anymore. When I ordered one in
2 ounces Scotch whiskey (Stewart's,
Clan MacGregor, or Haig), 1
ounce each sweet and dry vermouth (Gallo), dash of
Angostura bitters. Pour over ice in chilled Old Fashioned glass, stir well and
serve.
2 ounces bourbon whiskey (Jim Beam,
Jack Daniel’s), 2 ounces sweet vermouth (Martini & Rossi), dash Angostura
bitters. Pour over ice in chilled Old Fashioned glass, stir well and serve with
maraschino cherry and a little of the cherry juice. Be careful, these are
potent!
I served these once at a party in
To serve six: 12 ounces gin (Beefeater,
Gordon's), 4 ounces dry vermouth (Martini & Rossi). Stir in a chilled glass
pitcher with plenty of ice. Strain into short, stemmed "cocktail"
glasses over a stuffed, green olive. Individual serving: 2 ounces gin and a
scant ounce of dry vermouth. Note: the "dryness" of the martini is a
matter of taste and controversy. The less vermouth used, the drier the martini.
I have heard of martinis so dry that the cork from the vermouth was merely
dipped into the gin.
2 ounces of your favorite liquor
(Scotch, bourbon, brandy, gin, vodka), optional dash of Angostura bitters. Pour
over ice in a tall, chilled glass, then top with club soda, seltzer water,
ginger ale or your favorite soda. A twist of lemon is nice in this. Important
note: do not use "diet" sodas with artificial sweeteners in alcoholic
drinks. Artificial sugar gives your drinks a cheap taste.
A drink "straight up" is
served without ice and is meant to be sipped slowly and savored. In many
countries it is thought that this is the only way to serve fine whiskey,
brandy, or vodka. You would not dilute the flavor of fine wine with ice, and
neither should you dilute fine liquor. Here is your chance to bring out your
best stock and show it off. When a drink is served in this manner, the glass is
important. Choose one that is wide enough for the aroma of the drink to waft
up. Brandy is often served in a large, warmed snifter. Vodka is always served
ice cold. Allow about 2 ounces of liquor per serving.
Something lighter .
. .
2 ounces brandy (E&J or
Christian Brothers), 2 ounces orange juice, dash of Angostura bitters. Pour
into tall glass over crushed ice, stir well and serve. Very refreshing!
In a tall glass, mix the juice of
one fresh orange, the juice of one-quarter lemon, and one teaspoon powdered
sugar. Add one and three-quarters ounce brandy and one-half ounce Triple Sec.
Fill glass with crushed ice and stir well.
You may splurge on your favorite
single-malt Scotch for this one. 2 ounces Scotch whiskey (Glenlivet,
The Famous Grouse). Pour over ice in chilled Old Fashioned glass, stir well and
serve.
A favorite of the ladies, my Aunt
Harriet's favorite drink. Pour 2 ounces Cutty
2 ounces chilled vodka. Pour over
ice in a tall glass and fill with orange juice. Stir well and serve.
Make this in a short glass, because
grapefruit juice is so tart. 2 ounces chilled vodka. Pour over crushed ice in
an Old Fashioned glass; fill with grapefruit juice. Stir well.
ChefBilly reminds
you . . .
Vodka should always be chilled.
Store the bottle in the freezer; the alcohol in the vodka will prevent it from
actually freezing. Also, handle chilled bottles with care, for they sweat and
get very slippery.
"Shaken, not
stirred . . ."
insisted James Bond. Any
non-carbonated drink may be made in a cocktail shaker, which provides a fancy
presentation. It is also a matter of taste: cocktails shaken with ice will be
colder and more diluted. To concentrate the flavor, strain shaken drinks into
chilled glasses with little or no ice. Whether shaken or stirred, thorough
mixing is essential to a delicious cocktail.
2 ounces each sweet and dry vermouth
(Gallo, Martini & Rossi). Pour into chilled Old Fashioned glass over plenty
of ice and stir well. Rub a zest of lemon all around the rim of the glass and
toss it in. The lemon is important: it greatly enhances the flavor of the
vermouth. This is a delicious drink, a ChefBilly classic.
Make
Vermouth Evening (above). Float an ounce of gin on top.
.
In
This is a very popular before-dinner
drink in
is good in many drinks. To properly
make a lemon zest, cut a strip of peel about a quarter inch wide and an inch
long from a fresh lemon. To do this, use a small, sharp knife, or a "lemon
zester," and cut only the thin yellow outer peel
from the lemon; the white rind beneath it is bitter. Twist the zest to release
the essential oils; rub the zest all over the rim of the glass and toss the
thoroughly bruised zest on top of the ice in the drink. You should smell an
appetizing aroma of lemon above the cocktail.
This drink is so delicious that
it should be illegal. It used to be.
Lightly mist tall glasses with water
and place them in the freezer for at least ten minutes. When you remove them,
they should cloud and turn white with frost. Fill with crushed ice. To each,
add the juice of half of a fresh lime, a half-teaspoon powdered sugar and two
ounces of gin. Stir well. Top with ice-cold tonic water and stir gently. These
are a big hit at any party!
Place beer mugs in freezer for at
least twenty minutes; when you remove them, they should frost. Fill with your favorite
brew. ChefBilly prefers the taste of beer from kegs or bottles; avoid cans.
Golden lager is delicious and is best ice cold. You may wish to sample some of
the darker varieties slightly chilled or at cool room temperature.
Your beer mug or glass must be
scrupulously clean if the beer is to froth properly. If you like lots of foam,
pour from high above the glass, but remember, the beer may taste flat
underneath. If you like less foam, pour the beer gently down the inside of the
tilted glass or mug. If you like no foam at all, lightly salt the glass before
pouring. This is for people who enjoy a highly effervescent taste in their
beer, which is similar to drinking beer directly from the bottle.
Ice in beer?
Is not as strange as it may seem.
While living in
As the evening wears on, you may
wish to switch to one of the excellent nonalcoholic brews on the market today.
They are surprisingly good. Try Sharp’s.
ChefBilly
reminds you . . .
to drink responsibly. Overindulgence
can ruin the party. And never drink and drive.
ChefBilly will not attempt to
recommend a particular champagne; the choice of brand
is dictated by personal taste and pocketbook. But you do not have to break the
bank; relatively inexpensive
Today, the familiar champagne glass
is tall, narrow, and tulip-shaped, permitting full view of the bubbles as they
dance their way from the bottom to the top. But years ago, champagne glasses
had wide and shallow saucers on long stems, allowing the aroma and bubbles to
burst up to the face. My mother has an old collection of these, made from
ornate crystal etched in intricate patterns. The oldest and most interesting
have hollow stems, which show off the champagne bubbles as they rise from the
narrow base to the wide rim. If you are lucky enough to have old glasses like
these, they truly add to the glamour of the champagne cocktail. And always make
sure that the glasses are well chilled!
Decades ago, it seemed that every
party was like Frank and Dean's at the Sands Hotel. Not so today! You don't
have to have liquor to have fun. So for the happy peppy people who don't imbibe
. . .
ChefBilly
recommends . . .
Fill a tall glass with ice, then
halfway with orange juice. Top with "Sprite" soda pop and a twist of
lime. This is ChefBilly's favorite nonalcoholic cocktail. The combination of
the orange with lemon-lime soda makes it very light and refreshing.
Cola is now "more American than
apple pie"; its sweet and unique flavor is enjoyed by almost everyone. I
hardly know a crowd of youngsters who do not live on it. Always keep some on
hand; stock up when it's on sale. I find the "diet" variety even more
light and refreshing than the classic. Sugar-free is also guilt-free.
Best served in a tall glass with
plenty of ice. Hint: a squeeze of lime is delicious in cola and lends a more
"adult" taste.
ChefBilly recommends that ice be
freshly made from good-tasting water. Ice that has been sitting in the freezer
too long can pick up refrigerator odors and flavors such as cucumbers, garlic and
onions. If your tap water tastes like well water or chlorine, make your ice
from distilled or bottled water. Distilled water makes beautiful, crystal-clear
cubes. Drinks taste best without a dash of sulfur.
Large ice cubes last longer and
dilute drinks less than small ones. ChefBilly's pet peeve: automatic icemakers
that produce small cubes with holes in them. They can turn good drinks into
watery ones in a few minutes.
For a novelty, try making ice from
fruit juice and serving with soda.
For this you will need an electric
juicer that grind fruits and vegetables and extracts the juice by centrifugal
force. Many food processors have such attachments. Clean but do not peel a
bunch of fresh carrots and pass them through. You will be surprised how much
juice you get and how sweet and delicious it is. Chill and serve in small
glasses. Fresh carrot juice is so good that you may want to savor it without
ice. Added benefit: this drink is packed with vitamins and carotene, which
contribute to good health.
ChefBilly says .
. .
While most wine is made from a
single fruit--the grape--a vastly greater variety of flavors exists in the
natural world of fruit and vegetable juices. Apples, oranges, grapefruit,
mangoes, and countless others provide us with ever-changing symphonies of
taste. Experiment with your favorite kinds and combinations. Take note of how
natural juices make you feel, the boost in energy, the improvement in health.
An electric juicer may be the best investment you ever make: it could change
your life.
Today, many people do not know that
old recipes for lemonade call for boiling, which produces a richer and more
interesting flavor. Combine two cups water and one cup sugar and boil for about
ten minutes. Remove from heat and add about one-half cup freshly squeezed lemon
juice with pulp (no seeds). Chill. To serve, pour over ice in tall glasses
(strain if you do not like pulp) and dilute to taste with cold water or club
soda.
Note: this method is also a convenience,
because the lemon "syrup" may be made in advance, kept in the
refrigerator and used as needed.
Make like lemonade, substituting
freshly squeezed orange juice for the lemon. Or, for a very bright flavor, use
one-third cup frozen orange juice concentrate in place of the fresh juice. If
you like a tart taste, try combining orange and lemon, or adding pineapple
juice.
Fruit Nectars
Apricot, peach, and mango nectars
are available canned and make delicious cocktails any time of the day. Chill
well and serve without ice in small glasses. For a great smoothie, liquefy half
a banana with a cup of your favorite nectar in a blender.
Welcome Inn
Bienvenue . . .
The Chef is In . . .
No day is ever
the same at ChefBilly's, and what better time for a party than chilly
midwinter, on the day when the groundhog offers the first hope of spring (if he
doesn't see his shadow).
It is fitting,
then, that we celebrate the hog.
For the
beginning cook . . .
ChefBilly has told me that there is
no better recipe for the beginning cook than baked ham. Ham is easy to make,
nearly foolproof, and almost everyone likes it, the perfect choice for the
beginner's company meal. Ham is appropriate for any holiday, any occasion, be
it birthday, graduation, Christmas, Easter, or the 4th of July. Ham is
versatile, can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and lends itself to
countless recipes for leftovers. Sometimes called "the refrigerator
friend," ham is often kept on hand to give wonderful flavor and aroma to
soups, stews, and casseroles. For large gatherings, no matter what else is
served, ham always finds its way to ChefBilly's buffet table. He believes it is
the first company feast he learned to cook.
A child could do it
. . .
A NOTE ON HAMS: Hams come in a wide
variety of sizes and types, and usually have been smoked or cured. This means
that they are already fully or partially cooked. Carefully follow the label
instructions for storage and heating. Some dry-cured, "country" hams
and small canned hams require no refrigeration, but most smoked hams and large
canned hams should be kept in your refrigerator after you buy them.
A curious thing for the uninitiated
is that you will see big, smoked hams in the market that say "Fully
Cooked" on the label, yet you must bake them for hours in order to make
them edible. I knew a bachelor who bought such a ham and tried to slice it,
unheated, for lunch, and nearly broke his wrist. It would be much like trying
to slice granite. Once baked, however, such hams become tender and slice easily
whether hot or cold. Canned hams are usually ready to eat and can be chilled
and sliced straight from the tin. Check the label instructions. Although canned
hams can also be heated and served warm for dinner, a word of warning: canned
hams quickly lose moisture when baked. If overheated, they can become dry and
excessively salty. For your company dinner, canned ham will do in a pinch, but
a whole or half smoked ham with bone in is much the best choice.
Watch also for what are called
"dry-cured" or country hams. These are very good, but require an
involved boiling and baking process that may not be suitable for the beginner.
Such hams are richer and saltier than regular hams and, say some, are an acquired
taste.
ChefBilly's recipes are meant to
offer tips and suggestions he has gained from experience.
Spiral-sliced hams, available from
most butchers and supermarkets, are an excellent choice for a party. These are
whole or half smoked hams with bone in that have been mechanically pre-sliced,
yet hold together for baking. These hams are simple to make, and usually come
with a glaze that is brushed on during the last hour or so of cooking. To
serve, just cut the pre-sliced pieces where they join at the center, and put
the slices onto a warm platter.
An eight-pound half ham will serve
eight people generously and provide you with leftovers.
METHOD: follow package instructions.
Remember that the ham is, usually, already cooked. Your main goal is to heat it
through without drying it out. If it is a half ham, ChefBilly likes to place it
cut side down on a piece of parchment paper in a roasting pan to hold in
the juices. Choose a pan that is slightly larger than the ham, no more; too big
a pan can contribute to the ham's drying out. Cover the pan with heavy-duty
aluminum foil and seal tightly around the edges. Preheat oven to 325°F (unless
your instructions suggest a different temperature). Position oven rack near the
bottom. For an eight-pound ham, bake for one hour, then remove from oven and
take off the foil.
You will notice a fair bit of ham
juices in the pan. Remove these to a heatproof container and reserve. They are
too salty to use as a sauce, but can be used in small quantities to flavor
soup, gravies, and stews. Stir into scrambled eggs before cooking for a
delicious flavor. Refrigerated, ham juices turn into a beautiful, clear,
fat-free gelatin that will keep for weeks. Use in place of salt.
If your ham came with a glaze,
prepare it according to package directions before removing the ham from the
oven. If the directions call for liquid to make the glaze, use apple juice,
orange juice, or beer instead of plain water. And don't make the glaze too far
in advance, or it may thicken excessively. If this happens, heat gently and add
more liquid. Glaze should have the consistency of thick honey. Brush the glaze
all over the exposed surface of the ham. If your ham did not come with a glaze,
pack dark brown sugar all over the ham, carefully using your hands or a large
spoon. Use as much sugar as you need to cover the surface of the ham about
one-eighth inch, and pour a half-cup of fruit juice into the pan to keep the
sugar from burning.
Insert a meat thermometer into the
thickest part of the meat and return the ham, uncovered, to the oven. Bake
about one more hour, brushing with additional glaze once or twice. Check the
thermometer carefully. Do not let it exceed the recommended temperature for
doneness according to package directions. If your ham came fully cooked (which
most spiral-sliced hams do), this is 140°F. If the ham came "partially
cooked," it should be baked to an internal temperature of 160°F to
completely cook the meat.
Hint: many packaged hams instruct
you to bake them longer than necessary. Fifteen minutes per pound, or two hours
total for an eight-pound ham, is usually more than enough. Check the
thermometer: it is your final judge of doneness. Overcooking will dry out your
ham, which is the worst thing that could happen in this recipe.
Place your finished ham on a
beautiful platter, spooning a little of the pan drippings over the top. For an
attractive presentation, garnish with Romaine lettuce leaves. Then parade your
beautiful ham, glistening with its golden glaze, in front of your guests, and
carve at the table. And smile with pride . . .
Your first
ChefBilly recipe has already made you great!
Suggested accompaniments: niblets corn or corn on the cob, Giant Potato Pancake, and
ChefBilly's Candied Sweet Potatoes.
Beverages: Beer, hard cider or apple
cider. A sweet port wine would be excellent against the saltiness of the ham.
Men love ham.
Perfect for Super Bowl Sunday!
And try the
following sweet sauce on your baked ham or leftover ham slices. NEW from ChefBilly . . .
Recently, ChefBilly ran out of
the hog renderin’s he usually uses to make gravy, so
he grabbed some cans from the root cellar and went to work. In a few minutes and maybe by accident he
came up with the best hog sauce ever! It
is the talk of everyone at the
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons sweet butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 15-ounce can sliced pineapple
with juice
½ cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon each ground cinnamon
and cloves
additional orange juice
Method:
In a medium saucepan, melt
butter, add brown sugar and heat over low flame until sugar melts. When it is bubbly, scatter the pineapple
slices on top and gradually stir in the juice until sugar is dissolved and
liquid is smooth. With your spatula,
break up the pineapple slices into quarters.
Combine cornstarch, spices and ½ cup orange juice in a small bowl. Slowly stir into the pineapple mixture until
smooth. Let the sauce come to a gentle
simmer; it will become thickened and clear.
Gradually add additional orange juice until sauce is of desired
consistency, like thick cream. You may
have to add about ½ to 1 cup more orange juice.
I like to reheat leftover ham
slices right in the sauce. If you have
some jellied juices from your baked ham, add about ¼ cup of them to the sauce,
too, for additional flavor.
SERVES 4-6 as a sauce for ham or
roast pork. This simple sauce has an
unforgettable flavor!
--ChefBilly
We sing the whole, smoked ham. There
are as many kinds as aged, fine wines, with as many subtle nuances, from as
many rare and far-off farms as vineyards are they found. The true ham lover may
spend a lifetime deciding upon his favorite, and the purist will insist that it
be whole, bone in, uncut, and glorious.
If you are ready to try to bake a
whole ham, it is little more involved than the half, spiral-sliced ham, above.
But be forewarned that a whole ham may weigh fifteen pounds or more and will
require considerable investment of money. Also, unless you are serving a crowd,
you may have more leftovers than you can handle. A whole ham this size should
serve at least twenty people.
Prepare:
ChefBilly's Glorious Ham Glaze
Mix together one cup dark brown sugar,
two teaspoons Coleman's mustard, and one-half teaspoon each ground cinnamon and
cloves. Over low heat, add about a quarter cup of apple, orange, or pineapple
juice to get a spreadable consistency.
Place the ham fatty side up in a
shallow roasting pan and stud with whole cloves, if desired. Bake uncovered at
325°F to an internal temperature of 140°F for a fully precooked ham, about ten
to twelve minutes to the pound. Partially precooked hams will require longer
baking to a temperature of 160°F. Watch the temperature carefully. About one
hour before the end of the estimated roasting time, drain most of the juice
from the pan and score the top of the ham in a grid pattern using a small,
sharp knife. Spread with ChefBilly's Glorious Ham Glaze, or pack with dark
brown sugar. Return to oven. When the ham is done, let it rest at least fifteen
or twenty minutes before carving.
Ahead of time note: a ham this size
will keep warm for two hours covered loosely with aluminum foil and kept in the
turned-off oven.
By now, your house should smell
glorious and every dog in the neighborhood should be barking. Serve your ham to
your glorious guests with plenty of warm biscuits, horseradish, and rye bread.
Other suggestions: ChefBilly’s South of the Border Corn, or ChefBilly
Succotash.
And take a bow . . .
Don't throw away that ham bone!
ChefBilly would throw a fit!
When you get near the end of the
ham, the dried-up ham bone and meat can still turn into something succulent. Get
yourself a bag of Jack Rabbit yellow split peas and follow the instructions on
the bag for Split Pea Soup. Your leftover scraps will make the best soup
imaginable.
ChefBilly's Candied Sweet Potatoes
This is the
stuff dreams are made of . . .
People have traveled to the
Spread the hot sweet potatoes in one
layer in a large, deep, buttered skillet and let cool. Dot with one stick
(one-quarter pound) sweet, unsalted butter and sprinkle with one cup light
brown sugar. Drizzle with one-quarter cup dark corn syrup and one-quarter cup
maple syrup.
Shortly before serving, place the
skillet over low heat. As the butter and sugar melt, gently turn the potatoes
to coat. Keep the potatoes in whole pieces; do not break them up into mush.
When the syrup begins to bubble and caramelize and the sweet potatoes are
heated through, serve.
Children love these mashed on their
plates.
SERVES 8 generously.
ChefBilly's South of the Border Corn
Delicious with
ham.
Chop: 1 medium onion, 1 medium green
bell pepper, and 1 medium red bell pepper. If you like a hot taste, finely chop
1 Jalapeno pepper too.
Gently sauté these vegetable in 1
teaspoon each butter and olive oil until almost tender, about 10 minutes.
Add: 1 16-ounce package frozen
kernel corn (or an equal amount of drained, canned corn), 1 8-ounce can tomato
sauce, 1 teaspoon mild chili powder, and a half teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.
Cover and simmer until corn is tender to your liking, about five minutes.
Smokin' Hot South of the Border Corn: If you like it
hot, use more Jalapeno, hot chili powder, and add a
teaspoon or more
ChefBilly
reminds you . . .
Always be kind
to someone who is in charge of your food.
In deep saucepan, cover 16 ounces
frozen baby lima beans with boiling water. Return to boil, cover saucepan, and
simmer gently until beans are very tender, about 20 minutes. Watch the pot:
lima beans produce a "slime" which boils over easily. Lower
temperature as needed. If water boils away, add more boiling water, making sure
to keep the beans covered with water until done.
Drain. Add 16 ounces frozen kernel
corn (or drained canned corn), and pour in 1½ cups milk or cream. Return to simmer.
Continue to cook very gently, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender
and the milk or cream is mostly absorbed into the lima beans, about 10 more
minutes. Season with ½ tsp. white pepper. Just before serving, add 2 Tbsp
butter and 3 slices American cheese. Fold the melting cheese into the
succotash.
SERVES 8.
It is a big help if you use a food
processor for this one.
Coarsely grate: peeled
Heat a large, 12-inch heavy-bottom
or cast iron skillet on top of the stove. It helps to use one that can later go
into an oven. Coat the bottom with ¼ cup canola oil and continue to heat until
almost smoking. Add potatoes, pressing down to make a firm layer covering the
entire bottom of the pan.
Cook over medium high heat until
this giant "pancake" has browned well on the bottom. Do not attempt
to turn it or disturb it before it has browned or it may stick and fall apart.
Hint: when the edges look crusty brown and begin to pull away from the sides of
the pan, the potatoes are usually ready to turn.
Method: shake the skillet and loosen
the pancake with a spatula. When it is moving and is definitely free from the
bottom, flip it over, being careful not to splash hot oil on yourself. A safe
method is to slide the pancake onto a pizza pan, invert another pizza pan over
it, and turn both pizza pans over. Then slide the turned pancake back into the
hot skillet.
Brown well on the second side,
adding more canola oil if the pan seems dry. The finished pancake should be
crisp on the outside, incredibly moist and tender on the inside. May be kept
warm in the oven. Sprinkle generously with salt before serving.
The whole pancake makes a glorious
presentation with ham. To serve, cut the potato pancake into wedges like a
pizza. (Remedy for disaster: if the pancake falls apart while you are trying to
turn it, finish off frying the pieces separately and they are still very good.
Serve like individual pancakes and act like they were meant to be that way.
--ChefBilly)
ChefBilly's Famous Creamed Spinach
Even
children love spinach prepared this way.
Have ready: 16 ounces (1 LB) frozen
chopped spinach, cooked according to package directions and well drained.
Finely chop: 1 medium onion.
In a large skillet, gently sauté the
onion in 1 Tbsp each of butter and olive oil until tender but not brown, about
five minutes.
Add: 3 Tbsp flour. Stirring
constantly, continue to fry the mixture over low heat until the flour is very
lightly browned, about 1 minute.
Blend in: ½ cup milk and stir until
slightly thickened. Stir in the spinach.
Fold in: 1 cup sour cream.
Season with: ½ tsp white pepper and
¼ tsp nutmeg (preferably freshly ground).
Optional: add 1 Tbsp dried dill or ¼
cup finely chopped fresh dill for a Mediterranean flavor.
Heat through but do not overcook at
this point or the sauce may scorch or curdle. The sauce should be thick, creamy
and slightly runny.
SERVES 6 as a hot vegetable.
Nutmeg is a great kitchen companion
and is easily grated fresh. Simply take a whole nutmeg clove and rub it briskly
on the fine edge of a cheese grater. Or, use a small, special "nutmeg
grater" available in many specialty shops. No need to even wash the grater
afterwards. Because nutmeg goes with almost anything, it does not matter if any
leftover grains fall off into something else. You can grate a quarter teaspoon
or more of fresh nutmeg in a matter of seconds.
Freshly ground nutmeg is much
preferable to the canned. It gives incomparable flavor to white sauces and to
dishes made with ground meat. Nutmeg is the secret ingredient of many Italian
sauces. In a traditional Italian home, you will find whole nutmeg cloves on the
cupboard shelves ready to grab and use. They are said to bring good luck.
Mushrooms and spinach are a classic
combination.
Prepare Creamed Spinach, above, but
after frying the onions add:
½ LB sliced fresh mushrooms and an
additional 1 Tbsp butter.Raise the heat to medium and
fry the onion-mushroom mixture until the mushrooms begin to brown and exude
their juice, about 3-4 minutes.
Clear a space in the middle of the
pan by scraping the vegetables to the sides. Add another 1 Tbsp butter and
begin frying the flour in the clear area. As it begins to brown add the milk,
stir in the vegetables and proceed with the recipe.
Easy Creamed Spinach and Mushrooms:
Simply add a can of sliced mushrooms, drained, to the Creamed Spinach recipe
above. Fold in the mushrooms with the sour cream and heat through. The canned
mushrooms are, in fact, surprisingly good.
Creamed Spinach with Mushrooms and Cheese
A hearty main course for a
vegetarian meal.
Prepare Creamed Spinach and
Mushrooms, above, adding ½ LB crumbled feta cheese at the end. Warm through
until the cheese just begins to melt. You may substitute Swiss, which is also
delicious with spinach.
Good served over toast or garlic
bread.
Prepare Creamed Spinach (without the
mushrooms), above, seasoning with 2 Tbsp dried dill. Fold in ½ LB crumbled feta
cheese and ½ LB (8 oz) creamed cottage cheese. Let the mixture cool to room
temperature and fold in 2 beaten eggs.
Prepare a partially baked 10-inch
Crisco pie shell according to instructions on Crisco can (or use prepared pie
shell of your choice). Fill with the spinach mixture and bake at 375°F for
about 30 minutes, or until piecrust is golden brown and filling has set. NOTE:
the filling, even when set, will be sticky.
You may have enough filling left for
another small pie. The filling is also delicious stuffed in phyllo
(filo) pastry, which may be purchased frozen and has
instructions on the box for stuffing and baking.
Superb!
Coming soon: ChefBilly's incredible
recipe for deep-dish Greek spinach pie.
A few suggestions
for leftover ham:
Cut 8 thick slices from a baked ham,
about 4-oz each. Fry the slices gently in 1 Tbsp each butter and olive oil
until very lightly browned on each side. Arrange eight slices of buttered toast
in a single layer in a lightly buttered, shallow baking dish. Top each slice
with a piece of the fried ham and about ¼ cup of warm Creamed Spinach or
Creamed Spinach with Mushrooms (recipes above). Place a thin slice of Swiss
Place the baking dish a few inches
beneath a 400°F broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted and
bubbly. Serve at once.
SERVES 8. Good with beer. Excellent
for company lunch.
Jambon au
When ChefBilly was in
Put 2 Tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
in a measuring cup. (Arrowroot gives a clearer sauce.) Gradually fill to the
1-cup mark with good port wine, stirring to make smooth. Set aside.Cut 8 thick slices from a baked ham, about 4-oz each
(or use ham steaks). Gently sauté them in 1 Tbsp each butter and olive oil
until lightly browned on each side. Pour in 1 cup of good canned beef consommé
(
Simmer a minute or so, thinning with
more beef consommé if the sauce seems too thick. Optional touch: 1 cup of
peeled orange segments may be added at the end.
This tastes as good as some recipes
that use involved, deglazed sauce bases. Serve with Giant Potato Pancake
(recipe above) or with rice. Serves 8.
Prepare the recipe for Ham with Port
Wine, above, substituting orange juice for all or part of the port wine. This
makes a very delicious sauce even without the use of wine.
Ham Slices with Port and Cream
For people who prefer a creamy
sauce:
Prepare Ham with Port Wine, above.
Increase the amount of arrowroot or cornstarch to 3 Tbsp. Add one cup of cream
or half-and-half with the port wine at the end and heat and stir until
thickened. Season with ¼ tsp black pepper. You may also add a can of sliced
canned mushrooms (drained) or some previously sautéed fresh mushrooms with
their juice. Omit orange segments.
You will have lots of creamy,
delicious wine sauce to serve over boiled potatoes or rice.
Ham with Onions, Mushrooms and Cream
This recipe raises leftover ham to
the level of cuisine.
Thinly slice: 1 large onion.
In a large, deep skillet, sauté the
onion in 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil until tender but not brown, about
10 minutes.
Add: 3 Tbsp flour. Stir and cook
over low heat until the flour is slightly brown, about 2 minutes.
Gradually add: 2 cups milk, ½ cup
canned beef consommé and ½ cup good port wine. Stir until thickened and bubbly.
Season with ¼ tsp each black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.
Stir in: ½ pound or more small,
whole, fresh mushrooms. Let them simmer in the sauce a minute or two. Don't
worry, they will be cooked.
Add: 8 thick slices of leftover baked
ham, ham steaks, or about 3 cups of cubed leftover ham. Heat through.
Serve over crusty French bread in a
soup bowl or over toasted English muffins or plain toast. Also good over rice
or buttered noodles.
SERVES 8.
Make the above recipe for Ham with
Mushrooms, Onions and Cream. Increase the amount of milk to three cups and omit
the consommé and the port wine. Season with plenty of nutmeg, to taste.
Line a large, deep, buttered baking
dish (about 9 x 13 inches) with buttered toast or noodles. Pour the recipe over
all. Sprinkle with ½ pound grated Swiss
Bake at 350°F until cheese is
browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
SERVES 8. Excellent with spinach on
the side.
In the preceding
recipes, the beginning cook has already learned some basic cooking techniques,
and how complex recipes evolve from simple ones.
ChefBilly
reminds you . . .
to taste
carefully while cooking. Every good chef tastes his or her creations along the
way and carefully corrects for seasoning. Feel free to experiment with spices
and amounts. No recipe can anticipate individual preferences. The greatest
French chefs have asserted, "To each his own taste."
No recipe can determine exactly how
your sauce will turn out. Variables such as the freshness of ingredients, the
amount of water exuded from your vegetables, and even the weather can affect
the texture of your finished sauce.
TOO THICK? Thin with whatever
liquid(s) the recipe calls for, gradually stirring them in. This is also a way
to adjust the flavor, by choosing which liquid to add.
TOO THIN? The easiest way to thicken
a sauce after it has been cooked is by adding cornstarch that has first been
dissolved in a little liquid. Stir in gradually until desired thickness is
reached. Chinese chefs often keep a mixture of half water, half cornstarch
ready at all times by the stove to finish their sauces.
SALT? ChefBilly always adds salt
toward the end and only if it is needed. For example, ham being salty in itself
needs little or no additional salt. Taste your sauces carefully and salt to
your liking. But remember, once added, the salt cannot be removed. ChefBilly's
pet peeve: restaurant chefs and fast food cooks who use far too much salt. Food
made from quality, flavorful ingredients does not need to be oversalted. Often, the excessive use of salt is an attempt
to improve the flavor of mediocre cooking, a "cheap fix" for a bad
meal.
ChefBilly's Sweet and Sour Pork Chops
This recipe evolved from a wonderful
Italian dish of sweet and sour onions, which I often matched with grilled
meats. Here, the onions and pork chops marry together in a delicious sauce. The
vinegar marinates the chops as they simmer, for a moist, fork-tender result, and
the blending of brown sugar, garlic and soy lends an unforgettable caramel
flavor.
Pork is excellent for any occasion.
It is lean, relatively inexpensive, and of consistent quality. This dish of
sweet and sour pork chops has become a family favorite. It is easily prepared.
Ingredients:
4 large butterfly or loin pork
chops, about ½-inch thick (leave fat on)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium sweet yellow onions, thinly
sliced
4 large cloves garlic, coarsely
chopped
1 Tbsp white sugar
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp Kikkoman (Japanese) soy sauce
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp dark balsamic vinegar
½ cup apple juice
2 large, firm apples, peeled, cored,
and cut into eighths (wedges) (optional)
Method:
Pat chops dry. In a large skillet, fry
the chops in the olive oil over medium heat until nicely browned on both sides,
about 10 minutes. Remove the chops to a side platter, leaving the fat and
browned bits in the skillet. Add onions to the skillet, and when they begin to
sizzle, reduce heat to low. Fry gently until they are soft and translucent,
about 10 minutes, adding white sugar for the last couple of minutes. Add the
garlic and fry 2 minutes more. Do not burn the garlic, or your sauce will taste
bitter. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar;
stir and bring to a simmer. Return chops to pan, sprinkle with pepper, and
spoon onions and sauce over the top of the chops. Add apple juice. Cover the
skillet tightly and simmer over very low heat for about 1 hour, turning chops
twice during this time.
About 20 minutes before end of
cooking time, add optional apples and let them simmer with the chops until they
are almost tender.
Turn off heat and keep covered until
ready to serve. To reheat, just bring back to a gentle simmer.
SERVES 4. Serve with boiled sweet
potatoes and steamed cabbage.
Oriental version: Add 1 tsp grated
fresh ginger or ½ tsp dry to the sauce and serve with rice.
Orange version: Substitute orange
juice for the apple juice and orange for apple segments, adding the orange
segments just long enough to heat them through. Thicken the sauce with about ¼
cup orange marmalade
CHEF'S TIP: The
combination of brown sugar, soy sauce and garlic adds a unique and interesting
flavor and is the professional secret of many "gourmet" sauces.
Experiment with this combination in your own cooking! Especially good with
mushrooms sautéed in butter and in oriental recipes.
What we call
"Mardi Gras" in the United States is also known as
"Carnival" in much of the world, from the colorful and famous
Carnival of Brazil to the lesser known but very exciting "Winter
Carnival" of Québec, Canada. All of these involve a period of feasting and
celebration prior to Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten fast.
"Mardi Gras" is French for "Fat Tuesday," in reference to
the last day of feasting before Lent. "Lundi
Gras," or Fat Monday, is celebrated the day before Mardi Gras. Carnival
roughly coincides with celebrations that were held in Ancient
ChefBilly
presents some recipes in keeping with these celebrations.
Reaction to the first ChefBilly
website has centered on the cocktails. So by popular demand, here are some
drinks that really perk the appetite:
ChefBilly's simple Bloody Mary (no
need for a mix):
2 oz vodka, 4 oz tomato juice, 1 tsp
freshly squeezed lemon juice, ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce, dash Tabasco sauce.
Put in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a large Old Fashioned
glass and serve with a small wedge of lemon and a short celery stick. These are
very appetizing.
Nonalcoholic version: substitute
more tomato juice for the vodka. Very delicious. In fact, ChefBilly prefers it.
Chill a cocktail glass well. Combine
in a cocktail shaker: 1 tsp powdered sugar, the juice of ½ lemon (strained), ½
raw egg white, 2 oz bourbon. Shake with plenty of ice and strain into the
cocktail glass. Decorate with a cherry and a slice of orange.
For
my friend Al:
Cosmopolitan and dry:
Keep a large cocktail glass in the
freezer. Chill all ingredients: 3 oz gin, ½ oz dry vermouth. Shake with ice and
strain into the frozen glass. Serve with a large zest of lemon. May also be
served "on the rocks", over ice, in a chilled Old Fashioned glass.
Wow!
Add a couple of pearl onions to the
finished "Altini," above.
For lovers of Tequila:
Substitute your favorite Tequila for
the gin in the "Altini", above. Serve with a green olive.
Freeze a large cocktail glass. Dip
the rim of the glass into freshly squeezed lime juice and then roll the outside
of the rim in salt, coating it well.
In a cocktail shaker, combine: 2 oz
Tequila, 2 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec, 2 oz freshly
squeezed lime juice, ½ tsp powdered sugar. Shake with ice and strain into the
salt-rimmed glass.
Shake with ice: 2 oz vodka, 1 tsp
powdered sugar, 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice. Strain into a chilled
cocktail glass. Also good in a tall glass over crushed ice.
These are traditionally made in a
silver mug, but you may substitute a large Old Fashioned glass. Chill well.
Muddle in the chilled vessel: 4
sprigs of fresh mint, 1 tsp powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp water. Fill with crushed ice
and add: 3 oz Jack Daniel's
Stir vigorously, allowing the glass
to frost. Serve with a straw and more sprigs of fresh mint on top.
Some recipes inspired by the spicy
city of
Prepare about 3 pounds of fresh
mussels for cooking. Fill your clean sink with cold water and dump the mussels
in. Let soak for a few minutes. Quickly scrub each mussel with a vegetable
brush. Throw away any that are wide open (they are probably dead) or that feel
very heavy (loaded with sand). If any stringy "beard" is still
attached to the shells, scrape it off with a sharp knife. Toss mussels as they
are cleaned into a colander and rinse again. If you see sand in your sink, soak
and rinse the mussels again until they are sand-free.
In a large, deep skillet or
casserole that has a lid, sauté 1 finely chopped onion in 1 Tbsp each butter
and olive oil until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add about 4 cloves of
chopped garlic and continue to sauté gently about 2 more minutes. Do NOT EVER
brown garlic or it will taste bitter.
Add: 1 16-oz can of chopped tomatoes
with juice (Hunt's brand is very good) and 8 oz tomato sauce. Very good but
optional: add ½-cup dry white wine. Bring sauce to a boil. Season with ½ tsp
black pepper and 1 tsp dried basil (or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil). Add the
mussels. Cover tightly and let steam over medium heat. You may shake the pan
from time to time but do not open or you will let the steam out and frustrate
the cooking process. After five minutes, take a peek; when mussels have opened
up they are done. Cooking should take less than ten minutes. It is very
important not to overcook mussels or they will become tough.
Remove the mussels with a slotted
spoon to a large serving bowl. Let the sauce settle a moment, then gently pour
it into another saucepan. Watch carefully; if there is any sand left from the
mussels it will be in the bottom of the pan. Stop pouring when you see sand and
it will not go into your finished sauce.
Quickly reheat the finished sauce
and add 1 Tbsp butter. Taste for seasoning. You may want to add more pepper, or
some
Serve the mussels over rice or
pasta, spooning some sauce over each portion. You will find that the sauce has
an absolutely delicious seafood flavor. Very good with Angel Hair noodles. For
a complete meal, serve with fish that may be steamed in the same sauce in which
you made the mussels. Superb. Good with salad on the side.
SERVES 4 GENEROUSLY.
The taste of the
ocean . . .
--ChefBilly
A hallmark of good cooking is
simplicity, the natural taste of quality ingredients. This simple recipe is one
of my favorite ways to prepare shellfish.
--ChefBilly
Briefly rinse 1-1½ pounds large,
fresh, raw shrimp in their shells. Drain and set aside.
In a large, deep skillet or
casserole that has a lid, sauté 1 finely chopped onion in 1 Tbsp each butter
and olive oil until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add about 4 cloves of
chopped garlic and continue to sauté gently about 2 more minutes. Do NOT EVER
brown garlic or it will taste bitter.
Add: 1 16-oz can of chopped tomatoes
with juice (Hunt's brand is very good) and 8 oz tomato sauce. Very good but
optional: add ½ cup dry white wine. Bring sauce to a boil. Season with ½ tsp
black pepper and 1 tsp dried basil (or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil). In a
separate skillet, melt 1 Tbsp butter in 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.
When the butter is bubbling, toss in the shrimp. (You may wish to do this in
front of your guests, with a flourish.) Toss the shrimp around and fry until
the shells begin to turn pink, about two minutes. Then scrape all of the
shrimps with their butter and oil into the tomato sauce.
Bring to a simmer. Cover and let
bubble gently about 5 more minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK or shrimp will lose their
fresh flavor and tender texture. They may, however, be left covered on the
turned-off burner to keep warm.
Serve over rice or pasta. Very good
with hot French bread. To eat the shrimps, crack each back, pull off the legs,
and then pull the meat from the shells with your fingers. Use plenty of
napkins.
Admittedly very messy, but
delicious. You may make the recipe with shelled or tail-on shrimp, but it is
the shells that give the sauce its wonderful seafood flavor. (Some chefs shell
their own raw shrimp, then simmer the shells in the sauce separately and strain
them out. But this is a lot of work.) --ChefBilly
SERVES 4.
ChefBilly's pet peeve: recipes
that tell you to cook shrimp too long. "I have seen recipes for shrimp
gumbo that tell you to cook them for two hours or more," said ChefBilly,
waving a spatula. "By then, if they have not disappeared, the shrimp will
have lost all the soft texture and elusive sweetness that make fresh shrimp a
rare treat."
ChefBilly's gettin'
mad!
More recipes from
When I was in graduate school, every
February my French Canadian friends would talk some of us "Yanks"
into going to Winter Carnival in Québec. I will always remember the drive
through the rolling countryside north of
In a saucepan, gently sauté 1
chopped, medium onion in 1 Tbsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil until soft but not
brown, about 5 minutes. Add one clove finely chopped garlic and sauté 2 minutes
more.
Add 1½ pounds of lean, ground pork.
Stir and fry gently until it turns white, about 5 minutes. Season with: 1 tsp
salt, ½ tsp pepper, ¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp mace, and ¼ tsp cayenne
pepper.
Gradually add: 1½ cups chicken stock
into which 1½ Tbsp cornstarch has been dissolved. Stir and simmer gently about
5 more minutes until thickened.
Prepare one recipe Crisco crust for
a two-crust pie (or use a pie crust recipe of your choice). Line an 8-inch pie
pan with half the dough, fill with the pork mixture (let it cool a bit first),
and top with the rest of the pie dough. Crimp edges and poke air vents in the
top of the pie.
Bake at 425°F in the middle of a
preheated oven about 30 minutes, until the pie is golden brown. Let cool 15 or
20 minutes before slicing, but serve warm.
Tourtière is traditionally served
with chow chow, a tomato-pepper preserve (hard to
find in
Tourtière is also good made with
half beef and half pork, or with pork sausage substituted for some of the pork,
but this is not traditional. –ChefBilly
You say it's your
birthday?
Birthdays are a time for unique
celebration, because they are the holiday especially meant for YOU!
Birthdays bring back warm and happy
memories of childhood. For me, one of those memories is the chocolate cake that
follows. Yes, here it is by popular demand, the ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE-LOVER'S
CAKE, rich, moist, velvety, loaded with dark chocolate flavor!
No one is quite sure where this
recipe came from, although it has been a family favorite for generations. It
was originally handed down by my Grandmother Jean Gordon McDonald, who was from
Quick, easy, and inexpensive to
prepare, the recipe reflects the thrift of the Depression-era 1930s. But do not
let the economy of this cake fool you: anyone who has ever tasted it returns to
this recipe again and again, as I hope you will. It is a birthday favorite.
We call it:
Ingredients:
½ cup Crisco1½ cups sugar2 squares
Baker's unsweetened chocolate (2 ounces)2 eggs, well beaten1 3/4 cups sifted cake
flour½ tsp salt1 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Method:
1) Melt chocolate over hot water in
a double boiler.
2) Cream Crisco with a large mixing
spoon and gradually add sugar.
3) Add well-beaten eggs and melted
chocolate.
4) Sift flour, salt, and baking soda
together three times. Add alternately to creamed mixture with milk. Add vanilla
at the end.
5) Bake in moderate oven (350°F) for
40 minutes. You may bake this cake as two round 9-inch layers or in one square
10 by 10-inch pan.
6) Test with a toothpick inserted
into the center of the cake. When the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is
done.
FROST with a white butter-cream or
recipe of your choice, or for the ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE-LOVER, we recommend the
following:
Traditionally used on McDonald's
Chocolate Cake.1) Melt 4 squares (4 ounces) Baker's unsweetened chocolate and 3
Tbsp butter over hot water in a double boiler. Cool to tepid.2) Measure into a
large mixing bowl: 3 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, 7 Tbsp milk and
1 tsp vanilla. Beat with electric mixer until fluffy. Add cooled chocolate
mixture and beat again until smooth. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until
the right consistency to spread.
DELICIOUS!
SERVE McDonald's Chocolate Cake for
your birthday with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And for the ULTIMATE, ULTIMATE
CHOCOLATE-LOVER, my Grandmother Jean used to (believe it or not) ladle each
piece of cake with homemade chocolate sauce. I believe she used the recipe on
the Hershey's cocoa box, which has a wonderful cocoa flavor.
But I prefer
white cake . . .
Well here it is, the counterpart to
McDonald's Chocolate Cake, my Grandmother Jean's White Cake. This is another
recipe rumored to have originated in the mansions of
1/3 cup Crisco (or equal parts
Crisco and butter)1 cup granulated sugar2 eggs, separated½ cup milk1½ cups cake
flour
2¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp real vanilla (the best you can
get)
Cream shortening, add sugar
gradually and beat well. Add yolks of eggs (well beaten) and beat again. Add
milk, flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Beat until light. Whip egg whites
to a stiff froth and fold lightly into the batter.
Pour into two, lightly greased,
round 9-inch layer pans, or fill greased cupcake tins halfway. Bake in a
moderate (350°F) oven 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. (Cupcakes
may take a bit less time.)
For a 10-inch square pan, double the
recipe and bake about 40 minutes. For a wedding cake, adjust the amount of
batter to fill the number of pans required. Multiple layers should be supported
on tiers.
Spread with white buttercream frosting, below.
McDonald's Chocolate Cake is also
delicious with white buttercream frosting. In fact,
some people prefer it. Following is the recipe we traditionally use, the
smoothest, creamiest, richest vanilla frosting we know of. The proportions are
similar to those given on the Domino Confectioners Sugar box.
1 pound (1 regular 16-ounce box)
Domino Confectioners 10-X (powdered)
sugar
1 stick (¼ pound) soft unsalted
butter
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp real vanilla extract (best
quality you can get)
3 or 4 Tbsp milk
Cream 1/3 of the sugar with the
butter and salt in a large mixing bowl. Then beat in remaining sugar, 2 Tbsp of
the milk and the vanilla extract with an electric mixer. Gradually add enough
of the remaining milk to reach a firm but smooth spreading consistency (not all
of the milk need be used). HINT: have your bowl, beater, and ingredients
chilled. The butter should be soft enough to beat but not too mushy or your
frosting will be too soft to spread properly. The finished frosting should
cling firmly to a knife without falling off. If frosting is too soft, chill
before spreading on the cake.
Yield: enough frosting for 2 9-inch
layers or 1 10-inch square cake.
Something
lighter . . .
While men are notorious for their
love of chocolate, many women prefer a lighter cake. My mother has always
enjoyed a light sponge cake with fruit and cream for her birthday. This is one
of her favorites:
The one drawback for this cake is
that it must be assembled the day it is served, or it will go soggy. You may,
of course, make the sponge cake ahead.
Sponge cake:
5 eggs, separated
1½ cups flour
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla
Beat egg yolks with sugar until very
light and fluffy. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites alternately with sifted
flour. Fold in vanilla and lemon zest. Pour into two buttered and floured
9-inch round pans. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out
clean. Let cool, remove cake from pans.
Cream filling:
2 cups whipping cream, well chilled
4 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
2 Tbsp cold water
In a teacup, soak the gelatin in
water 5 minutes without stirring. Then place the cup in some simmering water
until the gelatin is dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set the cup of gelatin
aside and let cool to room temperature, but do not chill.
In an electric mixture, whip the
cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. (It helps to have your bowl and
beaters well chilled.) Continue beating, adding the gelatin mixture and then
the sugar and vanilla, and beat until stiff. The finished mixture should cling
to a spoon without falling off easily.
Assembly:
1 pint fresh, shapely, whole
strawberries, cleaned
1 package (8 ounces) frozen sliced
strawberries, thawed and drained (reserve juice)
Sponge cake
Cream filling
Strawberry jam (about 4 ounces)
Rum and/or brandy (optional)
Place first layer of cake on a
serving dish. Sprinkle with ¼ cup reserved strawberry juice and 2 Tbsp optional
brandy or rum (or both). Spread with ¼ cup strawberry jam (thinned with juice
or rum if it is too thick to spread easily). Cover with half the drained,
frozen strawberries and about 1/3 of the cream filling. Place the second layer
of cake on top. Repeat sprinkling of ¼ cup strawberry juice and 2 Tbsp brandy
or rum, and spread with ¼ cup jam, the rest of the drained, frozen
strawberries, and 1/3 of the cream filling. Use the remaining cream filling to
coat the sides of the cake and pipe an attractive border around the top
(optional). NOTE: this recipe makes a lot of cream filling and not all of it
need be used.
Dip whole strawberries in strawberry
jam so they are shiny. Carefully decorate the top of the cake with the whole
strawberries, sticking them stem-side down into the cream. Use as few or as
many strawberries as you like.
Refrigerate the cake until ready to
serve.
For a more elaborate version, cut
each sponge cake sideways into two layers and assemble a four-layer cake. For
an easier version, use store-bought sponge or angel food cake.
THIS CAKE lends itself to many
variations. You may use different kinds of fruit (pineapple is fantastic!),
different kinds of jams (apricot good with pineapple), and flavor the cream
with liqueurs or extracts. You may also use custard or pudding in place of jam
between the layers for a very English version.
--ChefBilly
ChefBilly is an
Internationalist . . .
The Caravan travels in search of cuisine from around
the world.
From time to time, ChefBilly travels
abroad to converse, confer, and otherwise hobnob with his fellow chefs, vowing
that at what time (if any) he does return to the Inn he will bring back new and
exotic recipes.
And sometimes the recipes come to
him . . .
ALERT: CHEFBILLY IS LOOKING FOR A
RECIPE FOR CANADIAN BUTTER TART PIE.
Today, the Caravan takes you on
journeys through . . .
In the next
edition . . ..
ChefBilly will
continue to bring you easy and delicious recipes from around the world.
As the ChefBilly
website expands, it will offer tips, anecdotes, products and recipes for
occasions throughout the year. Browse the ChefBilly website as a resource for
food and fun! Future segments will provide more suggestions to make your
parties great! For our featured products and services, don’t forget to visit The Resource Center. In a hurry for a bargain? Go
straight to Hot Shots.
Copyright © 2003 by William Gordon
McDonald
Index
Cocktails
Nonalcoholic
Groundhog Day
Creamed Spinach with Mushrooms and Cheese
Ham Slices with Port and Cream
Ham with Onions, Mushrooms and Cream
Carnival
The Second Round
Mardi Gras
Québec Winter Carnival
Birthday
Saint Patrick’s Day
Easter
A Greek Tradition
Bill’s Country-Baked White Bread
ChefBilly’s Secret Salad Dressing
Kostas’s Tomato and Feta Omelet
Caravan
Mother’s Day
Chicken!
ChefBilly’s Orange Chicken Baked with Onions
ChefBilly’s Oven Fried Chicken
Greek-Style
Rotisserie Chicken
Barbecue!
Harvest
Bill's
Let's-Win-the-Super-Bowl Pork Roast
Cel’s Recipe Box
General Information
Products and Services for
Enhanced Living
