Good Morning.
Today is the funeral for President George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral in Washington. In the spirit of the season I will
concentrate on the fact that George 41 was a class act, as was his wife, and not get into comparisons with anyone currently
in office.
The family has, for many years, divided its time between their homes in the Houston area and the compound at Kennebunkport, Maine, so today's menu reflects those two locations. 41 enjoyed either a beer or a vodka martini before dinner so pour one or the other and raise a glass. If you have a dog, give him or her an extra cookie. Sully, 41's dog, did yeoman service and will now take care of the wounded veterans at Walter Reed. The picture of the dog napping beside 41's flag-draped coffin in Texas is one of the most poignant photos ever taken, and Sully was taken to the Capitol rotunda yesterday to pay his respects. That dog totally rocks.
We begin with Tex-Mex Corn Chowder.
1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 16 oz. package frozen corn, thawed
2 cups of your favorite salsa
1 can chicken or vegetable broth
8 oz. cream cheese at room temp
1 cup whole milk
Saute the onions in butter in a pot. Stir in the flour, chili powder, and cumin. Add corn, salsa, and broth. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. In a bowl, slowly add 1/4 cup of the liquid to the cream cheese and mix well. Now add this mixture, along with the milk, to the soup in the pot. Stir thoroughly but don't boil.
Now we're off to the rocky coast of Maine where 41 was perhaps most at home. For an entree we suggest Lobster Newburg. This amount will make six servings.
1/3 cup butter
2 tbsp. flour
2 cups Half and Half
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 cups lobster meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup dry sherry
Dash of kosher salt
Melt butter in a large skillet and stir in the flour. Cook for two minutes, stirring. Gradually add the cream and stir until the sauce thickens. Add a small amount of the sauce to the egg yolks and stir to blend well but don't let them scramble. Now add them to the sauce and keep stirring for another minute or two. Add the lobster, sherry, and a dash of salt. Heat but don't boil.
Serve the Newburg over puff pastry patty shells available in the frozen section and prepared according to package directions.
You can use any seafood with this sauce to make a dish that will be almost as scrumptious.
Lobster Newburg has an interesting history that has nothing to do with Maine. A guy named Wenburg, a sea captain, introduced his version of the dish to a chef in New York but there was some sort of disagreement with the restaurant manager who removed the item from the menu. The chef then changed the name, simply by rearranging the first three letters, from Lobster Wenburg to Lobster Newburg and started serving the dish again.
Staying with Maine, we suggest a Blueberry Walnut Salad to accompany the Newburg. Blueberries are big in Maine.
1 10 oz. package salad greens - no Romaine at the moment
1 pint blueberries, rinsed, drained, and picked of any little stems
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup crumbled Feta
Combine ingredients in a salad bowl and toss with a vinaigrette made with 1/8 cup orange juice, 1/8 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Use only enough to moisten
but not soak the salad.
And back to Houston for Tex-Mex Chocolate Cupcakes.
2 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup boiling water
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and soda, and salt. Mix well. In another bowl, combine milk, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla with a mixer. Add the wet ingredients gradually to the flour mixture until well blended. Carefully and slowly add the boiling water. Beat all of this together on high speed for a minute. Line a cupcake pan with liners. Scoop mixture into the liners about 2/3 full. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick. Frost with the following:
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp
Dash of salt
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
Dash of cayenne pepper
Cream the butter and salt with a mixer. Add powdered sugar gradually and mix well. Add cocoa powder, vanilla, and just
a titch of cayenne and mix again.
I watched the movie Chocolat again over the weekend and drooled over the confections that were often flavored with a hint of chili powder or cayenne for a little kick. The recipes in the movie had originated with the Mayans and traveled with one of the heroine's ancestors to France. Apparently they also made their way through Mexico and into Texas.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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