Creamy Roasted Corn Risotto

• 2-3 ears of corn
• 1 cup raw risotto rice
• 4 - 4 1/2 cups hot chicken broth
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/3 lb. creamy cheese not strong flavored (Teleme, Taleggio or Port Salut)
• 4 very fresh scallions
• Smithfield ham (optional)
• Cooked bacon (optional)
• Sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
• Tasso (optional)

Wrap each ear of corn tightly in aluminum foil. Do not remove the husks or tassels at this point. Roast them in a 450-degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, loosen the foil and let them cool until easy to handle.

While the corn is roasting, prepare risotto as follows:

Lightly brown the rice in a few TBS olive oil and butter.

Using the standard risotto technique, add hot chicken broth and wine (1/2 cup at a time), stirring until absorbed. It will take about 30 minutes for the rice to cook fully.

While preparing the risotto, you can finish processing the corn as follows:

Remove the husks and tassels. Don't rinse after roasting to preserve the roasted flavor.

Cut the tip-end off each ear so it can stand upright on your kitchen counter.

Holding the ear upright with the tip-end on the counter, cut the kernels off each ear.

Set aside the kernels from one ear.

Process the kernels from the other ear in your food processor with 1/2 cup milk until very creamy.

Cut the cheese into little cubes and cut the scallions into very thin ribbons on a sharp diagonal.

Final assembly:

Mix the creamy corn/milk mixture into cooked risotto, then add cheese and heat gently to the melting point. 2. Mix the whole corn kernels into the risotto.

Off heat, just before serving, mix in scallions and season to taste (salt, pepper, nutmeg).

Other flavor sparklers could be added at this point.

Serve immediately in warmed bouillabaisse bowls. Decorate with a sprig of basil (optional) and serve with roasted vegetables (optional).

Notes:

Corn: I prefer using sweet white corn. If find that yellow corn is too starchy for this recipe.

Risotto rice: I used Lundberg Family Farms' California-grown Arborio rice. It was cheaper than the Italian import and cooks exactly the same way. For more about their farm go to http://www.lundberg.com.

Creamy cheese: not strong flavored (Teleme, Taleggio or Port Salut)

Cutting the kernels: Cut close to the core, but not so close as to cut into the inedible portion.

Sparklers: Add a few finely chopped TBS of one of these "sparklers": Smithfield ham, cooked bacon, sundried tomatoes, Tasso

Bruschetta with White Beans and Cheese

• 1 cup dried cannellini (white kidney beans) or Great Northern beans, picked over
• 2 celery stalks, halved
• 2 carrots, halved
• 2 onions, halved
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
• 6 1/2-inch-thick slices from large crusty round loaf of white bread
• 3 garlic cloves, halved

Place beans in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover beans by 2 inches. Bring to boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans.

Return beans to same saucepan. Add celery stalks, carrots, onions, pepper, cloves and bay leaf. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. (Beans and vegetables can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Drain beans, reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid. Discard vegetables, cloves and bay leaf. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add 2 cups beans (reserve remaining beans for another use), both cheeses, 3 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons butter, rosemary, sage and reserved 1/3 cup cooking liquid. Stir until cheeses and butter melt, whisking constantly and mashing come of beans to form thick chunky sauce. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat broiler. Arrange bread on large baking sheet. Brush top of each bread slice with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Rub with cut side of garlic clove halves. Broil bread until lightly toasted. Transfer bread to plates.

Spoon bean mixture atop bread. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 can sliced pineapple in juice, drained and juice reserved
• 12 maraschino cherries (optional)
• 1 box yellow cake mix (Betty Crocker SuperMoist)
• vegetable oil as specified by box (e.g. 1/3 cup)
• eggs as specified on box (e.g. 3)

Heat oven to 350F.

Mix yellow cake mix as directed on box, using juice from pineapple instead of water, add water to make up necessary amount called for, if needed.

Melt butter and brown sugar over low heat in a 13x9 pan or iron skillet (yellow Le Cruset works well).

Place pineapple rings onto butter/brown sugar mixture in pan, and put cherries in rings. Pour cake batter on top.

Bake 42 to 47 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof serving plate; leave pan over cake 1 minute. Serve warm or cool. Store loosely covered.

Soba Noodles with Sesame Seeds

• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• salt
• 8 ounces soba noodles
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 5 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 5 scallions

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over a high heat until they look golden brown, and tip them into a bowl.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add some salt. Put in the soba noodles and cook them for about 6 minutes (or according to package instructions) until they are tender but not mushy. Have a bowl of iced water waiting to plunge them into after draining.

In the bowl you are going to serve them in, mix the vinegar, soy sauce, honey and oil. Then finely slice the scallions and put them into the bowl with the cooled, drained noodles and mix together thoroughly before adding the sesame seeds and tossing again.

Leave the sesame seed noodles for about half an hour to let the flavors develop, although this is not absolutely necessary or sometimes even possible.

From Nigella Lawson Forever Summer

Yield: 4 servings

Blondies

• 1 cup (4 ounces) pecans or walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• I teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 ounces Guittard white chocolate chips (1 cup) or chopped bar, or 3 ounces each white chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on large rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board to cool; chop coarsely and set aside.

2. While nuts toast, cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.

4. Whisk melted butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in chocolate and nuts and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.

5. Bake until top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not overbake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Be very careful not to overbake the blondies; they dry out easily and will turn hard. Start checking the oven a couple of minutes before they will be done.

Makes 36 servings

Blondies

• 1 cup (4 ounces) pecans or walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• I teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 ounces Guittard white chocolate chips (1 cup) or chopped bar, or 3 ounces each white chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on large rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board to cool; chop coarsely and set aside.

2. While nuts toast, cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.

4. Whisk melted butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in chocolate and nuts and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.

5. Bake until top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not overbake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Be very careful not to overbake the blondies; they dry out easily and will turn hard. Start checking the oven a couple of minutes before they will be done.

Makes 36 servings

Blueberry Pudding Cake

• 1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 10 oz blueberries (2 cups)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.

Stir together 1/3 cup sugar with water, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan, then stir in blueberries. Bring to a simmer, then simmer, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl.

Whisk together egg, milk, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl, then add flour mixture, whisking until just combined.

Spoon batter into baking pan, spreading evenly, then pour blueberry mixture evenly over batter (berries will sink). Bake until a knife inserted into center of cake portion comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes.

Cake can be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then kept, wrapped well in foil, at room temperature.

Serve for breakfast or dessert.

from Gourmet

6-8 servings