Orange Coriander Sangria

This is a sure-fire crowd pleaser adapted from "Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean"
by Ana Sortun; Chef/owner of Oleana Restaurant in Cambridge via The Recipe Files. This is seriously addictive and a tad bit stronger than your average sangria.

• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1 cup fresh squeezed orange jucie (use the best oranges you can find)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups dry, floral white wine like a Verdejo or a  Chenin Blanc from the Loire (should be a fairly decent wine but doesn't have to be pricey)
• 1 cup cognac or extremely good brandy
• 1 cup sparkling water
• A splash or two of Cointreau (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar or turbinado sugar, for rimming the glass
• 1 or 2 oranges for slicing

Toast the coriander seeds over medium-high heat in a saute pan until fragrant. Remove one teaspoon of the seeds and set aside.

Add the orange juice and sugar to the remaining seeds and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and throw mixture in a blender pitcher and cover. Infuse the syrup for fifteen minutes to a half hour.
Buzz the syrup in the blender and strain into a pitcher. Add the rest of the ingredients, orange slices and ice. Add more orange juice and/ or sugar to taste if it's too strong.

For rimming the glasses: Finely grind reserved seeds in a spice grinder and mix them with the two tablespoons of  brown or turbinado sugar or a combination of the two sugars together.

servings: 8

Bacon and Cabbage Soup

In Ireland, boiled bacon and cabbage is a domestic staple. The bacon is usually a "collar" or shoulder, a moderately marbled cut with less fat than American bacon but a bit more than Canadian. The ingredients are boiled together and served with potatoes and a parsley cream sauce.

• 1 (1/3-pound) piece Irish bacon (available at specialty foods shops) or Canadian bacon
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 5 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 Turkish bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 small head Savoy cabbage, cored, thinly sliced, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Additions: white beans, carrot, celery, fresh thyme or rosemary

In small saucepan, combine bacon and cold water to cover. Cover, bring to boil over moderate heat, and skim foam from surface. Reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes. Drain and cool, then cut into 1-inch chunks. Set aside.

In 6-quart heavy stock pot over moderate heat, melt butter. Add onion and sauté, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add potatoes and sauté 2 minutes. Add stock, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to moderately low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add cabbage and simmer 5 additional minutes. Discard bay leaves. Working in 3 batches, in blender purée soup until smooth (using caution when blending hot liquids). Return to pot, stir in bacon, and rewarm if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

From Epicurious, adapted from chef Paul Flynn of The Tannery in Dungarvan, Ireland.

Ruth Reichl's 70s Pumpkin Soup

This isn't a soup, actually, it's more like a gratin baked right inside the pumpkin. I was 21, and I didn't care that it was incredibly rich. Today I mix the cream with chicken broth (about a cup and a half of cream to about a cup of broth). It's STILL pretty much of a heart-stopper but it's irresistible.

Another helpful hint: If you brush the outside of the pumpkin with oil, it will look better when it emerges.

Go out and buy a fairly small pumpkin with a flat bottom. Cut off the top, as if you were going to carve a jack-o-lantern, and hollow it out. Spread the seeds out and dry them to eat later.

Now get a good loaf of French bread, slice it and toast it lightly. Grate a goodly amount of one of the Swiss cheeses (Emmenthaler, Gruyere or Appenzeller). Layer the toast and cheese inside the pumpkin until it's almost fill. Then fill the pumpkin up with cream. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg, replace the top of the pumpkin and bake in a 300 degree oven for about 2 hours.

Bring the whole pumpkin to the table. When you serve it be sure to scoop out the pumpkin flesh with the cheese and the cream. Serve with a light second course.

From Mmmmmmmm: A Feastiary

White Bean Salad

I call for a citrus olive oil in this recipe (I used the ruby grapefruit olive oil from O Olive Oils. Orange or Lemon would likely be nice as well (and more readily available). In a pinch, an alternative would be to use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil along with some citrus zest.

• 2 big handfuls baby spinach, washed and dried
• 2 cans white cannellini beans (or freshly cooked equivalent)
• 2 handfuls walnuts, toasted
• a couple glugs of citrus-flavored olive oil
• a small splash of champagne vinegar
• a few pinches fine-grained sea salt
• a bit of crumbled cheese (manouri, goat cheese work nicely)

Rinse and drain the beans. If you like your bean salad on the warm side, my shortcut for heating them up is to run them under hot water (saves having to wash a pot).

In a large bowl combine the spinach, beans and walnuts. Add the olive oil, a splash of champagne vinegar, and salt. Toss gently but make sure you get everything nicely coated. Sprinkle a bit of cheese on top and enjoy.

Serves 4.

from 101 Cookbooks

Salmon Roasted in Butter

Be sure to preheat the butter or oil, along with a little bit of the herb, in a roasting pan in a hot oven. This preheating causes the fish to sizzle the instant it's set into the pan, so that it browns before it overcooks. If you start the fillet in a cold pan, it will simply turn a dull pink and will not brown until it is as dry as chalk.

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
  
• 4 tablespoons minced chervil, parsley or dill
  
• 1 salmon fillet, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  
• Lemon wedges
  

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the butter and half the herb in a roasting pan just large enough to fit the salmon and place it in the oven. Heat about 5 minutes, until the butter melts and the herb begins to sizzle.

2. Add the salmon to the pan, skin side up. Roast 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, then peel the skin off. (If the skin does not lift right off, cook 2 minutes longer.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn the fillet over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper again.

3. Roast 3 to 5 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fillet and the degree of doneness you prefer. Cut into serving portions, spoon a little of the butter over each and garnish with the remaining herb. Serve with lemon wedges.

Variations: The basic recipe can easily be varied. An equal quantity of extra virgin olive oil can be substituted for the butter, and 2 teaspoons basil or thyme leaves or 2 tablespoons marjoram leaves for the dill, chervil or parsley. Or peanut oil can be substituted for the butter (with a teaspoon of dark sesame oil for flavor if you like) and cilantro or mint for the dill, chervil or parsley; with this version, use lime instead of lemon.

Time 15 minutes

Makes Yield 4 to 6 servings

From The Minimalist (Mark Bittman) in NY Times

Menu: Week of Aug 23

provisions needed: corn, romaine, spinach, shallot, zucchini, feta, mozz, unsliced bread

• shrimp with orzo, white beans, lemon, tomato; zucchini with parmesan
• grill beef/turkey burgers + bread salad + corn
• steak salad with spinach, blue cheese, blueberries, shallot, feta/oven fries
• meatball calzone + salad
• Kielbasa grilled with bell peppers and bread over salad

LUNCH

• Grain salad with sausage, mushrooms, chard, walnuts
• White chicken chili

on hand: grapes, mushrooms, green beans

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo

The Barefoot Contessa's version calls for a lot of fresh dill and parsley; I used a smaller amount of fresh oregano and rosemary instead. Feta on the side.

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• Good olive oil
  
• 1/2 pound orzo or mini farfalle
  
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
  
• 1.5 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
  
• 3/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  
• 1 small cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
  
• 1/4 cup small-diced red onion
  
• Grated Parmesan and/or feta cheese, large diced
  

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!

Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Makes 4 servings plus leftovers

Adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home, via Food Network