Mustard-Soy Glazed Salmon with Brown Sugar and Ginger page 11

Salmon is like a blank artist’s canvas. Who could have known that salmon would become so popular? It has such a rich, satisfying flavor and it complements every single ingredient in all cuisines. So salmon is a bit of a chameleon. You are limited only by your imagination and culinary aptitude. I like salmon first of all because every place I shop carries at least one choice, wild and/or farmed, so it is easy to pickup on the way home. I don’t like looking for unusual ingredients unless I have lots of time. The almost-Asian marinade here ended up being one of my favorites. They are all ingredients easily in my pantry: soy sauce, Dijon, ginger, brown sugar. I love minimal prep, 5 to 10 minutes at most. This recipe fits that criteria–I can glance at the list of ingredients and toss it all together. The reward is that the salmon flavor and texture is enhanced, not overpowered, and there is a different flavor than if I made the salmon plain with some lemon. I dont know what it is about the alchemy of salmon and brown sugar, but it is an A plus winner. This is also a favorite since it was a gift from one of my dearest friends, who has the same palate choices that I do.

Chicken Piccata page 52

Chicken Piccata is one of my all time favorite dishes. Again I love that it utilizes pantry items: lemon, parsley, capers, chicken broth. The sauce is thin so there is no worry about excess fat. It cooks insanely quickly, in the blink of the eye. Pounding the chicken breast in a heavy plastic freezer bag changed my life; no more messing with the pieces of parchment on a cutting board. I have never met anyone who didn’t like a piccata unless they were vegetarian, and even then I suspect they might love it. Everyone in my family-mother, sisters–all make this recipe, so it is well tested.

Ravioli with Mushrooms and Sweet Peas page 157

When I wrote Weeknight Cooking, I took advantage of including recipes that I make for myself and/or that came from my family. I first made this recipe in the 1980s for a quick dinner out of Martha Stewart’s first Quick Cook book, which is still one of my favorite books from her. The combination of the peas and mushrooms was one I come back to over and over. I then started to make it in large batches for catering jobs. It was wildly popular. A recipe is really alive when you love it so much you make it over and over. Again a very fast dish to prep and prepare with pasta being very economical. Keep a few packages of the fresh ravioli, now a staple in the supermarket cold section by the butter, in the freezer.

Cobb Salad page 242

I have a passion for crispy cold main dish salads and eat them all year round, which is why I dedicated a full chapter to them, and Cobb is the one that reigns supreme. I like to keep an assortment of vegetables in the fridge for making salads. I shop once a week for leafy greens, and then complement with canned beans, bacon, crumbled cheese, an assortment of chopped fresh vegetables, deli meats. For some reason the raw with the protein added is perfect for my metabolism and I don’t even need bread. I will even wash the greens one day and have bags ready to use immediately, since nights even washing produce is even too much. A main dish salad is a sure thing when a friend comes over for dinner. I use a homemade ranch style dressing on my Cobb. Then I use it on small side salads or tossed greens the rest of the week. Always keep a jar of salad dressing in the fridge designed to last you one week. If you don’t have a good dressing, you might skip the salad altogether, since dressing makes the salad lip smacking good.

Open-Faced Hot Turkey Sandwiches with Tarragon Gravy page 270

One of the greatest coups of the poultry industry was their decision to market turkey parts instead of just whole turkeys. When I grew up turkey was a strictly holiday meat. I waited for it all year long. The whole roast was eaten one day, stuffed of course, with all the predictable accompaniments. Then the next day, hot turkey sandwiches, and the next turkey soup. It was a massive undertaking in the kitchen and a time commitment. Turkey is no longer relegated to the winter holidays; it is an all season meat. Hot open faced sandwiches of all types is the next big rage in the culinary world. For good reason. A sandwich is an entire meal, nutritionally complete and satisfying. Now a hot turkey sandwich is less than half an hour away with pre-sliced turkey breast and a delicious package of gravy doctored up slightly with a dash of licorice-scented tarragon, one of my mother’s tips since she is always looking to use her homegrown tarragon. I make some type of composed sandwich for dinner once a week.

Lamb Navarin by Allerina & Glen MacLarty

Braised young lamb is the basis for this very classic French ragoût with spring vegetables, known as a la printaniere. Julia Child in The French Chef Cookbook (Knopf, 1968) devoted her sixty-fourth TV show to navarin.  She recommended stew meat made from a combination of the breast, for fat and texture; shoulder, for lean solid pieces; short ribs, for texture and flavor; and neck, for texture and sauce consistency.  She also sprinkles the stew meat with sugar as it cooks; you may do so if you like.  The baby vegetables are worth searching out any time of year; try a farmer’s market or specialty produce stand  Serve from the crock with hot French bread and butter, or with a side of mashed potatoes.  Julia says don’t forget to enjoy it with a glass of Bordeaux or Beaujolais.

Overview

• Slow Cooker: Large round or oval

• Setting and Cook Time: HIGH for 1 hour, then LOW for 6 to 7 hours; vegetables are parcooked, then finished in slow cooker last 30 to 60 minutes
• Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
• 3 pounds lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 3-inch chunks
• 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 cups chicken, lamb, or beef broth
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour kneaded into 2 tablespoons unsalted butter for thickening
• 2 bunches baby carrots (14 to 16 carrots, about 10 ounces–not from a bag), peeled and root trimmed with 1/2 inch of the stem
• 1/2 pound baby turnips (10 to 12), peeled and left whole or halved
• 1 pound asparagus, bottoms snapped off and cut diagonally into 2-inch lengths
• 1 cup fresh (about 3/4 pound unshelled peas) or thawed frozen petite peas
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and brown the lamb on all sides over medium-high heat; transfer to the slow cooker.  Add the onion to the skillet and cook a few minutes to take the raw edge off; add to the crock.  Add half of the tarragon, the broth, and wine.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour.
2. Reduce the heat to LOW and cook until the lamb is very tender, about 6 hours.
3. Add the kneaded butter (beurre manie) in pieces to the cooker and stir until thickened.
4. In a small pot of boiling water, parcook the carrots and turnips separately 5 minutes each; add to the crock with the rest of the tarragon, the asparagus, and peas.  Cover and cook on LOW until the vegetables are cooked, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer.  Season with salt and pepper.

Excerpted from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann copyright 2002, used by permission by The Harvard Common Press.