Culinary Crush?

I think I've developed a "culinary crush". Or, maybe it's a "culinary infatuation"? There's nothing romantic or even malicious about it (If my vocabulary serves me well, this would exclude "culinary envy" as a label). It can best be described as meeting someone with superior culinary skills, tools and entertaining flair...and hanging on her every word.

About a month ago, I was introduced to a woman who is a marketing executive at Calphalon. (http://www.calphalon.com/) Check out the "history" section of their website.

She has a tiny kitchen equipped with Calphalon pieces from every line . A few weeks ago, I got to enjoy a dinner party at her house. It was a casual barbecue but it included some fabulous salads, grilled veggies, seasoned burgers, and a gorgeous array of home baked pies and cupcakes. I was particularly entranced by the enormous cutting board on which she artfully arranged cheeses, nuts, dried fruit and crackers as an appetizer. In all honesty, the Glass City Gourmet has never even attempted entertaining for a crowd. It all looked so beautiful, and yet she did it all in one day. GASP!

Last weekend, I invited my heroine, her husband and son to join us for Thai night. After dinner, we went back to her house and she performed on the fly, with beautiful chocolate martinis and an array of fun cookies. I was tickled to be given a new "Calphalon Kitchen Essentials 6 Cupcake Pan with Silicone Liners". It turned out that while distribution is underway, this is a piece not yet available in stores. I was giddy with excitement.

As quickly as possible, I tested this in my own kitchen with a recipe for Blueberry Crunch Muffins. These muffins freeze well for up to 3 weeks.

Blueberry Crunch Muffins


Topping
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1.2 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into bits


Muffins
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 large egg
2/3 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup blueberries (picked over for stems)


To make the topping, put the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse to combine. Drop the butter on top and pulse until the mixture begins to form small, pebble like nuggets. If you don't feel like cleaning the food processor, combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and use two knives or a pastry blender to work the mixture into the crumby nuggets.

Preheat oven to 400F. Line 12 muffin tins with silcone or paper liners.

To make the muffins, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. Blend in the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mix, then drop the blueberries on to of the dry ingredients and stir until just blended, being careful not to break up the blueberries.

Spoon 1/4 c. of batter into each muffin cup and top with 1 tbs of the crunchy topping. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 17-20 minutes.


“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Savory Steak Salad

I'm not sure where the trend originated. Someone came up with the idea of combining dried fruit, nuts, bleu cheese and red onions with varieties of lettuce to create a more interesting salad . The farthest back I can go in my own cookbook colletion is to a salad with blue cheese, pear, and a walnut vinaigrette from the Silver Palate Cookbook published in 1989. I do know that once this combination hit mass production at national chain restaurants and got drowned in sweet raspberry vinaigrette dressing, it lost it's zing.


Last night, I had a few people over for a light summer dinner. I served this hearty salad, an assortment of cheeses and crackers, along with some fresh cut fruit and a glass of wine. Starting with a few ingredients I already had in my apartment, I did my best to update the unique combination of strong cheese, sweet dried fruit, and earthy nuts. I hope this leaves the McDonald's version in the dust...



Savory Steak Salad

(Serves 4)



1 - 1lb. sirloin steak (grilled or broiled to preference, and sliced into 1/2" strips
1 1/2 bags of European lettuce mix, rinsed and dried (yup, I'm a cheater!)
3/4 lb. asparagus spears (lightly cooked, and plunged in an ice bath to cool and keep the crunch)
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. crumbled bleu cheese
1/3 c. toasted pine nuts
1/4 red onion (sliced thinly into rings)
3-4 leaves of fresh basil
balsamic vinaigrette to taste
crushed black pepper

Pepper the steak on both sides, to taste, and then Broil or grill the steak to preference. While it cools for a few minutes, wash the asparagus spears. Clip off the tough ends. Bring water in a large saute pan to boil. Add asparagus spears. Turn off heat and let sit for 2-3 minutes or just until asparagus is "tender crisp". Plunge into a bath of ice water to cool and retain bright green color. Cut asparagus into 1 inch length pieces and chill. Return to the steak, and slice it against the grain into 1/2 inch thick strips. You may refrigerate until just before serving.

Toast pine nuts. I prefer to use a small saute pan over a medium flame, or spread the nuts on aluminum foil and put into a toaster oven on 325 F until the nuts get lightly browned. Remove and put in a glass cup or bowl to cool to room temperature.

Crumble bleu cheese into another small container and refrigerate. Slice the onion and store in a Ziploc plastic bag until ready to serve. Wash and dry basil leaves. Stack them on top of each other and roll it up legthwise, like a jelly roll (could also look like a green cigarette). Using a sharp pairing knife, hold the roll steady and slice every 1/8 inch starting at the tip of the leaf and ending with a slice to cut off the stem). This is easier done than typed. It is known as creating a "chiffonade" of basil. Set the basil aside. It may be refrigerated in a closed container or plastic bag until ready to serve.

When ready to serve: Rinse and dry the lettuce leaves. Place them in a large salad bowl. Add all of the other ingredients and spread evenly across the top of the lettuce pile. I started with the beef, then the asparagus, the onions, then the cherries, then the nuts, the basil, and finally the cheese. I prefer a light amount of dressing, so I tossed mine with a quarter of a cup of salad dressing and left additional dressing on the table for people to add as needed.

Salad ingredients may be prepared, and chilled, for up to 6 hours in advance of serving.


“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

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