Good Morning.
We begin the evening with a beverage that was popular many years ago in the United States and still pops up from time to time. It requires a serious trip to the liquor store to purchase the ingredients as trendy drinks often do. It was originally created at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore and here it is:
THE SINGAPORE SLING
1 1/2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
1/4 oz. Cointreau
1/4 oz. Benedictine
4 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
1/3 oz. Grenadine
A dash of Angostura bitters
Combine these ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well, and strain into a large glass for yourself or two highball glasses if you're in the mood to share.
Have your Sling with WALNUT AND GORGONZOLA CROSTINI.
1 French baguette
6 tbsp. chopped walnuts
Butter
3 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola
3 tbsp. arugula, finely chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Slice the baguette diagonally into 18 1/4 inch thick pieces. In a skillet, melt the butter and saute the walnuts for a few minutes. Drain on a paper towel and set aside. Butter one side of the baguette slices and place them on a baking sheet, buttered side
up. Broil a minute or two on each side until golden and remove. In a bowl, mix the walnuts, Gorgonzola, arugula, and olive oil. Spread this mixture on the buttered side of the baguette pieces, and use a spoon to squish it so it will stick to the bread. Season with freshly ground black pepper, and broil for about 2 minutes until the cheese has melted.
This is not the most delicately crafted hors d'oeuvre, but it's yummy and easy to make.
We move on to MOROCCAN CHICKEN, not for the faint of heart.
6 tbsp. olive oil, plus a little more
3 cups sliced white onions
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 cups canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup water
3 tbsp. lemon juice
16 chicken thighs with bones but skinned
1 large eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp. fresh marjoram, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted in a pan with or without a little butter
Chopped fresh cilantro
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the seasonings and stir. Add the canned tomatoes, water, and lemon juice and bring to a oil. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in the pot - if they won't all fit, split them between 2 pots - and divide the sauce accordingly. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken, cover, and simmer for another 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush a baking sheet with a little olive oil. Place the egg plant and remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl and toss to coat. Spread the eggplant on the baking sheet and bake until soft and brown, about 25 minutes. Stir the eggplant and marjoram into the chicken on the stove and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired as well as salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and sprinkle with toasted almonds and fresh cilantro. Serves 8 people 2 thighs each.
This is a spicy, delicious dish for the adult palate. I would serve iced tea or very cold beer with it along with an ORANGE AVOCADO SALAD. Add a starch if you wish. I do not wish because I am saving room for dessert.
1 pound bacon
1 cucumber, diced
1 large can mandarin oranges, drained
5 avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. plain yogurt
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Make the dressing first. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegar, and yogurt until well combined. Taste and season with salt
and freshly ground pepper. Place bacon in a skillet and cook until crisp. Drain on paper towel and crumble. In a bowl, mix cucumber, oranges, and bacon bits with dressing you whisked up again. Carefully stir in avocado. Arrange a bed of
greens, your choice, on individual salad plates and top with a nice portion of the orange/vegetable mixture.
You could substitute tomatoes for the mandarins if you wanted, but you have tomatoes in the chicken and that's enough.
Eliminate the yogurt for a basic vinaigrette and the salad works just as well. I could eliminate almost anything except the
avocado and bacon and these two balance each other nicely: bacon raises the bad cholesterol, avocado raises the good, and
Lipitor fixes everything up.
We end the evening with PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE.
Crust:
1 12 oz. box vanilla wafers
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Combine the wafers and sugar in a blender. Place in a bowl, add the butter and mix well by hand. Press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
Filling:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 6 oz. jar creamy peanut butter
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Combine cream cheese, sugar, peanut butter, eggs, sour cream, and lemon juice in a bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth. Add the chips and beat a few more seconds. Pour the filling carefully into the crust. Bake 70 to 80 minutes in a
350 degree oven until the center is firm. Remove the cheesecake but leave the oven on. Let the dessert rest for 15 minutes.
Topping:
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar
Melt the chips over simmering water in a double boiler. Mix the melted chips, sour cream, and sugar with a mixer and spread over the rested cheesecake. Bake in the oven you left on for another 10 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate overnight.
Remove the sides of the springform pan carefully and cut into slices. Serves 16.
After a dinner party one evening many years ago, we decided to play Trivial Pursuit, mentioned earlier this week under different circumstances, and this occasion was also unique. One woman couldn't answer a single question, including the following: "What little boy refused to grow up and flew away to Never Never Land?" This gal was stumped again and finally one of the gentlemen on the scene decided to help her out. "It's the name of a peanut butter," he said, after which the woman sat for a minute until the light bulb came on, "Oh I know," she exclaimed happily. "Skippy!"
Best regards,
Elisabeth
Comments