Grilled Fontina Cheese and Rapini Sandwich

Grilled Fontina Cheese and Rapini Sandwich
Duskie Estes and John Stewart

INGREDIENTS:
2 bunches rapini
3 Tablespoons olive oil
½ red onion, julienned
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Chili flakes  
Kosher salt
8 slices rustic bread, ½-inch thick
12 ounces fontina, thinly sliced
4 Tablespoons butter, softened  

METHOD:

Blanch rapini in a large sauce pot of salted boiling water, about 2 minutes, then strain. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and add the strained rapini. Return to the heat and add the chili flakes and salt. Mound 4 slices of bread with the rapini, top with cheese and remaining slices of bread. Rub butter on the outsides of the bread and saute in a large skillet over medium heat until golden on both sides and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side.

  Adapted by StarChefs.com

  Yield: 4 Servings

Prep time: 7 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

  Round Out the Meal:
With thinly sliced roasted potatoes sprinkled with salt and malt vinegar.

  Kid Friendly:
Omit chili flakes.

  Wine Pairing:
A Syrah such as Peterson.

White Bean and Sausage Chili

White Bean and Sausage Chili
Serves 4

By Duskie Estes and John Stewart

INGREDIENTS:


2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound sausage (Chefs Estes and Stewart prefer black pig)  
6 poblano peppers, diced
3 red onions, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
6 cups stock
4 cups cooked white beans  

METHOD:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, peppers, onions, celery, carrots and garlic, and cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the chili powder, oregano, coriander, cumin and salt, and saute for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock and beans, and simmer 20 minutes.

   Adapted by StarChefs.com

  Yield: 4 Servings

Prep time: 7 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

  Round Out the Meal:
With pasta.

  Kid Friendly:
Omit the chili powder.

  Wine Pairing:
A Zinfandel such as the Martinelli from Jack Ass Vineyard.

Tortelloni Pistachio

Tortelloni Pistachio
Serves 4


By Joseph L. Maulo

INGREDIENTS:


24 cheese tortelloni
4 Tablespoons butter
½ cup pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
1 large shallot, diced
½ cup dry white vermouth
1 pint heavy cream
½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano  
Salt and pepper

METHOD:

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water to al dente then drain.

Heat butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup pistachios and cook for 1 minute. Add the shallot and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and add the vermouth. Return to heat and reduce by half. Add the cream and cook until lightly thickened. Add the pasta and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the cheese and remaining 1/4 cup pistachios.

  Adapted by StarChefs.com

  Yield: 4 Servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

  Round Out the Meal:
With a Caesar salad.

  Kid Friendly:
Omit the vermouth.

  Wine Pairing:
A Chardonnay such as Rodney Strong.

Pumpkin Ginger Nut Muffins Recipe

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Filed under Bakery

The weather across the country is finally starting to act like fall (what was it with the 90° temps in NY and Chicago in October?). We in Northern California are getting our first batch of rain for the season, perfect weather for staying inside and baking muffins. What I love about these quick bread pumpkin muffins is that they are so easy to throw together, and so hard to mess up. You can mix everything by hand with a wooden spoon, don't need an electric mixer. Baking soda and eggs are the leavening agents, so you don't have to worry about old baking powder that refuses to rise. The one cup of pumpkin purée can come from a can, or from leftover baked squash, any winter squash will do - butternut squash, acorn, pumpkin - they'll all work. If you don't like nuts, keep them out. If you like raisins, add them in. The ginger gives the pumpkin a nice spicy kick, but if you don't like ginger, skip it. This pumpkin muffin recipe is very flexible. Serve freshly baked, warm, and if you really want to be indulgent, with a little butter, once you've broken them open.

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup pumpkin purée
1/3 cup melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
2 Tbsp well chopped candied ginger

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.

2 Mix the pumpkin, melted butter, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Fold in the candied ginger and chopped nuts.

3 Spoon mixture into a prepared muffin tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, it's done. Cool on a rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

Frozen Corn

How to Freeze Corn on the Cob

What You Need:

14 cups	fresh corn on the cob, approximately 24-30 ears of corn
3/4 cup	sugar
1/8 cup	salt
7 cups	water
	Plastic sealable freezer bags

Preparation for Freezing Corn:

Peel back the husk removing it from the corn cob.
Break or cut off any excess corn stalk.
Remove the thin silk that runs along the kernels of the corn. Remove excess silk with a vegetable brush or with a damp paper towel.
Remove kernels by standing the ear of corn upright on a cutting board or inside a pan that can be used to catch the corn as it is cut off. Using a sharp utility or chef's knife, cut the kernels straight down along the corn cob to free numerous rows of kernels at the same time.
Place 14 cups of prepared corn into a large stock pot. Add sugar and salt.
Slowly pour in 7 cups of water. Adjust amount of water to just cover corn. Stir.
Bring corn mixture to a boil. Boil 1-5 minutes to desired tenderness.
Allow corn to cool. Spreading corn onto a large cookie sheet will cool the corn quicker.
Scoop corn into a plastic sealable freezer bags, include a small amount of the remaining water mixture in each bag. Flatten corn filled bag and place in freezer. Tip: With a permanent marker, write the date the bag of corn was frozen for future reference.

Hendrick's Sidecar

INGREDIENTS
2 oz. Hendrick's Gin
½ oz. Triple Sec
½ oz. Lemon or Lime Juice

PREPARATION
Combine all the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice, mix well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a cucumber slice.

Gin Fizz

Gin Fizz
3 ounces gin
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
2 tablespoons [fresh] lemon juice
1 tablespoon [fresh] lime juice
3 or 4 ice cubes
club soda

Combine all ingredients except the soda in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a [12 oz] highball glass and fill with soda. Serves one.

Blended Vodka Daiquiris with Lime and Mint

Blended Vodka Daiquiris with Lime and Mint
3-1/2 cups ice cubes
1 cup frozen limeade concentrate (do not thaw)
3/4 cup vodka
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

Blend the first four ingredients in a blender until mixture has a
smooth, slushy texture. Divide among six champagne flutes or slender
glasses. (This is a must! It makes it more fun to drink the daiquiri in
fits and starts.) Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Re: Chicken-Apple Wraps

On 9/30/07, John Beeler <johnbeeler@gmail.com> wrote:
> Chicken-Apple Wraps
> Serves 4
> Matthew Murphy
>
> INGREDIENTS:
> 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
> 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
> ½ cup finely diced celery
> 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
> Half a green apple, peeled and grated
> ¼ cup finely chopped chives
> 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
> Salt
> Freshly ground black pepper
> 4 slices Cheddar cheese
> 2 whole wheat wraps
>
> Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallots and
> celery for 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes, stirring
> frequently, or until chicken is completely cooked through. Remove from the
> heat and stir in the apple, chives and mayonnaise. Season to taste with
> salt
> and freshly ground black pepper. Put the sliced cheese on the wraps, spoon
> the warm chicken-apple mixture on top, roll up and slice each wrap in half.
> Serve immediately.
>
> Adapted by StarChefs.
>
> Yield: 4 Servings
>
> Kid Friendly:
> This is kid friendly!
>
> Wine Pairing:
> A crisp Chardonnay such as the Stratford 2002 Russian River Valley
> Chardonnay.
>