Polenta Cupcakes With Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup polenta, medium ground
1/2 teaspoon gray salt
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups sugar, plus a pinch for whipping egg whites
6 eggs, separated
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 lemons, zested
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 cups mixed berries (raspberry, blueberry, blackberry)

Preparing the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 cupcake pans with 12 paper muffin cups each. Sift together the flour and baking powder and stir in the polenta and salt.

In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. With the mixer running add the egg yolks, 1 at a time. Beat in the milk, vanilla, and lemon zest. With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until just incorporated.

In a clean, dry bowl whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add a pinch of sugar while the whites are mixing. Add half of the whites to the mixture and beat with the paddle. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the remaining egg whites with a spatula to incorporate air and lighten the batter.

Spoon the batter into the lined muffin molds to fill the cups about 2/3 full.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center. Cool the entire pan on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing the individual cupcakes. Cool the cupcakes completely to room temperature before frosting.

Combine mascarpone with the confectioners' sugar and beat together with a whisk until combined. Ice the cupcakes and decorate with the berries.

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes

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Meatballs And Polenta

Ingredients for the meatballs:
1/2 baguette, crust removed
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
1/2 bunch basil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
4 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup ground pinenuts
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms
2 pints vine-ripened small tomatoes
1 medium ball fresh mozzarella

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the polenta:
1 quart chicken stock
1 1/2 cups finely ground cornmeal
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 T whole butter
Pinch sea salt

Preparing the meatballs:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Break the baguette in pieces and soak in a bowl with milk for 10 minutes until the bread is soft. In a second bowl mix the beef and pork together. Twist up half the parsley and the basil into a little pile, roughly chop it and add to the meat. Add garlic and mix thoroughly with your hands. Squeeze the milk out of the bread and add it in small pieces. Add eggs, Parmesan, ground pinenuts, salt, and pepper and mix everything together thoroughly. Shape the meatballs into large patties then roll them in the bread crumbs.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat until it begins to smoke slightly. Fry the meatballs to seal the crust, flip them over so both sides are done. Transfer to a large baking dish.

Add a splash of oil to pan and fry the mushrooms on a low heat until they start to caramelize. Cut the tomatoes in 1/2 and hand-crush them into a separate bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and a few cranks of fresh cracked pepper and mix. Add to the mushrooms. Let everything simmer together and reduce slightly for about 10 minutes. Pour the tomatoes and mushrooms over the meatballs. Shred the remaining basil and parsley and the mozzarella over it. Drizzle with olive oil and add a few cranks of pepper. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes.

* * * * *

Preparing the polenta:
In a large saucepan bring the chicken stock to a slow simmer. Quickly whisk the cornmeal into the stock and lower the temperature to keep it from splattering. Stir in the cream, parmesan, butter, and salt. Turn off the heat and keep in a warm place until the meatballs are ready.

Serves 6

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Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache Cake

Ingredients for the cake:
6 large eggs, separated
pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 13-ounce jar of Nutella
1 T Cognac
1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the ganache:
4 ounces whole hazelnuts
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 T Cognac
4 ounces semisweet chocolate

Preparing the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. In a large bowl (preferably metal), whisk the egg whites and salt until stiff. In another bowl, cream the butter and Nutella, then add the Cognac, egg yolks, and ground hazelnuts. Fold in the melted chocolate.

Add a large scoop of the beaten egg whites to the chocolate batter, and mix gently until well combined. Fold in the remaining whites, one-third at a time, very gently but thoroughly. Pour into springform and bake for 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting tester, which should come out mostly clean; lightly pressing finger into top to check for a slight bouncing-back; and observing edges beginning to separate from pan. Let cool completely, in pan, on a rack.

Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet, or roast in a hot oven for about 4 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Let cool completely wrapped in a towel after toasting and rub to remove the skins.

Chop chocolate, and add to saucepan with half and half and Cognac over medium-low heat. Once chocolate is melted and components are combined, whisk until mixture reaches desired thickness, then cool. Remove rim of cake pan and pour cooled ganache over, spreading lightly to create a smooth, shiny surface, and apply hazelnuts all over.

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Curried Chicken And Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken breast, roasted and cubed
1 carrot, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T all purpose flour
2 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas
6 to 8 cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 T red curry paste
1/3 cup of coconut milk
1/3 cup of chopped cilantro
juice of half a lime
salt and freshly ground pepper

herbed biscuits or dumplings

Garnish: Dry roasted peanuts or cashews, chopped
* * * * * *

Ingredients for dumplings:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons butter
3/4 cup milk

Optional: Ground coriander and/or ground ginger, chopped cilantro

Preparing the pot pie:
Saute the onions and carrots in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper until soft.

Add the flour and saute a few minutes to cook out the rawness. Add the chicken broth and heat until it starts to thicken.

Add the red curry paste and coconut milk and stir until incorporated.

Add the mushrooms and peas and cook for a few more minutes.

Add the chicken, cilantro and lime juice just to heat a few minutes before serving.

Cut a biscuit in half and ladle some of the stew over the bottom half of the biscuit. Top with the other half of the biscuit, garnish with a few more cilantro leaves, chopped nuts, and serve.

* * * * *

Preparing dumplings:
Combine ingredients. Drop by teaspoonfuls on top of boiling stew. Cover tightly and steam for 12 minutes.

Serves 3

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Herbed Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 to 10 pieces, plus 2 T, melted
1/2 cup cold non-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
1 cold egg
1 T finely chopped sage or chives
1 T chopped parsley

Preparing the biscuits:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds, or until combined. Scatter the cold butter pieces over the top and mix on medium-low speed for about 1 minute, or until the butter is broken down and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, cream, egg, and sage until well combined. With the stand mixer on low speed, pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Mix for 10 to 15 seconds, or just until the dough comes together. (There will still be some loose dry ingredients at the bottom of the bowl.)

Unscrew the bowl from the stand mixer. Using your hands, gather the dough together and turn it over in the bowl so that it picks up the loose dry ingredients. Turn the dough a few more times, until all of the dry ingredients are mixed in.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and pat it into a 1-inch-thick round. Using a 3-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out biscuits and place them on a baking sheet. Gently recombine the dough scraps, pat into another 1-inch-thick round, and cut out more biscuits. Repeat if necessary; you should have 8 biscuits total. At this point, the biscuits can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 week.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the biscuits are entirely golden brown. If baking frozen biscuits, add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time. Remove, place the pan on a wire rack, and let cool. In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter and parsley. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter while they are still warm.

Makes 8 biscuits

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Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients for grits:
2 cups uncooked white coarse-ground grits
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup unsalted butter

* * * * *

Ingredients for the shrimp sauce:
1 pound unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp (2 8/31 count)
4 thick hickory-smoked bacon slices, diced
6 T unsalted butter
1 medium-sized Vidalia onion, diced
1/2 poblano pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 T all purpose flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Madeira
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1 green onion, chopped

Preparing the grits:
Bring 7 cups water to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in grits; reduce heat to medium, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 hour or until tender. Fold in cheese and 1/4 cup butter.

* * * * *

Preparing the shrimp sauce:
Peel shrimp; devein, if desired.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons of drippings in skillet.

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in hot drippings in skillet. Reduce heat. Add onion, poblano pepper, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add shrimp; cook, stirring often, 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt and next 2 ingredients; toss to coat.

Sprinkle flour over shrimp mixture; toss. Add broth and next 2 ingredients. Cook just until shrimp turn pink, stirring to loosen particles from skillet. Stir in bacon and parsley. Serve over grits with green onion.

Serves 6

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Roman Chicken

Ingredients:
4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs
2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1 T fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 T capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh flatleaf parsley leaves

Preparing the chicken:
Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

Serves 6

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Labor-Intensive But Worth It Minestrone

Serve with a good artisanal bread.

Ingredients:
8 cups of stock
4 roasted tomatoes, chopped
2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
1 1/8-inch-thick slice prosciutto, about 1/4 pound, optional
1 onion, chopped
2 to 3 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves roasted garlic (from roasted tomato recipe), recipe follows
1 red chile pepper (Fresno or Holland), finely chopped or thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound small potatoes, chopped or 1 cup small pasta
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained
1 (15 to 15.5-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
5 ounces fresh, thin green beans, cut into thirds
1 small head escarole or small bundle chard, shredded
lemon zest
parmesan cheese, shredded, for topping

Preparing the minestrone:
Set aside or prepare the stock and roasted tomatoes.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat, add extra virgin olive oil, a couple of turns of the pan. Add the prosciutto and stir a couple of minutes. Add the chopped onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and chile pepper, season with salt, and pepper. If using potatoes, add them here. If you are using pasta, heat a second medium pot of water to a boil for the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Cool the pasta and drizzle with a touch of extra virgin olive oil. Cover and store separately from the soup. Cover the pan and sweat the vegetables 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, prepared stock and prepared tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil and add the green beans. Bring the soup back to bubbling, then turn off the heat and cool the soup before refrigerating.

To reheat the soup: Place the soup over medium-high heat. Crisp the bread in a warm oven. When the soup comes to a boil, stir in the cooked pasta, escarole, and a little lemon zest. Turn off the heat when pasta is warmed through. Serve the soup in shallow bowls and top with cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and crusty bread.

Serves 4

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Roasted Tomatoes For Minestrone

Ingredients:
24 ripe organic vine tomatoes or large plum tomatoes
several cloves garlic, crushed
extra virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling

Preparing the tomatoes:
Heat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Arrange the tomatoes on a baking sheet or baking sheets in a single layer. Scatter the garlic among the tomatoes, dress with extra virgin olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes until they burst and skins split and begin to char, about 30 minutes. Cool the tomatoes until cool enough to handle and peel. Place the tomatoes in a bowl.

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Stock For Minestrone

Ingredients:
1 large rind trimmed from a hunk of parmesan cheese
herb bundle of several sprigs each fresh thyme, parsley and rosemary, tied
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 ribs celery, sliced on angle
2 carrots, sliced on angle
peeled rind of 1 lemon
2 fresh bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
12 cups (3 quarts) water

Preparing the stock:
Place the cheese rind, herb bundle, onion, celery, carrots, lemon rind, bay leaves, chicken stock, and water into a pot and bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer at least 1 hour, and then remove the rind, herb bundle, and vegetables with a slotted spoon or strainer.

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