Labor Day Grilling—Easy and Delicious

Posted on August 28, 2014 by brosbottom

Like Memorial Day and July 4^th that precede it, Labor Day is a holiday celebrated casually. For the last of that triumvirate of summer fêtes, most cooks (and I am certainly one of them!) will be pulling out grills, cooking burgers, steaks, chops–you name it–over open flames. I’m especially excited about my menu this year since I’ve been fine-tuning a recipe for grilled pork tenderloins and plums served with a verdant summer salad.

Nothing could be easier. The tenderloins are marinated in a simple mixture of balsamic vinegar, soy, and canola oil with generous seasonings of fresh ginger, garlic, and black pepper. If you have enough time, it’s best to marinate the meat overnight, but in a pinch you can let it rest for several hours. Grilled over a hot fire, the meat needs 20 to 25 minutes until fork tender and the flesh blush pink. During the last few minutes, juicy plums, quartered and skewered, are cooked quickly alongside until slightly charred.

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Pizza Inspiration from My Farmers’ Market

Posted on August 21, 2014 by brosbottom

Every Saturday morning in the summer and fall, you’ll find me at my local farmers’ market. Although our market is small, what it lacks in size it makes up for in variety and quality. On a recent visit to our block-long food bazaar, I spotted “ratte’ potatoes (a French fingerling beloved by French chefs). Nearby a cheese vendor displayed wedges of tomme Normande (made in the style of celebrated French “tomme” cheeses). At a yogurt stand, the dairy farmer offered creamy pots of yogurt scented with New England maple syrup. I also found okra in hues of purple and green, a rainbow assortment of heirloom tomatoes, and most surprisingly, boxes of mild Japanese shishito peppers (slim, green peppers from 3 to 4 inches in length.) I can never resist the lure of such interesting fare, and fill my basket with purchases to try at home. The recipe for the delicious vegetable pizza featured here was inspired by one of these shopping forays.

A thin-crusted pizza round (purchased at Whole Foods) was spread with sautéed onions, and topped with shavings of a robust tomme de Savoie. Next, lightly pan-fried baby zucchini or yellow squash (either works equally well) are alternated with sliced plum tomatoes in a spoke pattern atop the onions. They are sprinkled with more cheese and sliced shishito peppers. Seasonings of oregano, red pepper flakes, and a hint of balsamic round out the flavors. Continue reading →

Sharing a Recipe from Sunday Casseroles

Posted on August 14, 2014 by brosbottom

Photo by Susie Cushner

This week marked the official launch of my newest book, Sunday Casseroles. I shared this news on Facebook, and can’t begin to thank all of you who sent me good luck notes and congratulations! Like all the books I’ve written, this one was the work of many–assistants who cooked with me daily to create the recipes, testers who offered invaluable critiques, and the talented team at Chronicle Books who edited, designed, and produced this beautiful collection. Oh, and, the gorgeous photos are the work of talented photographer, Susie Cushner!

To celebrate the publication, here’s a recipe for Shrimp Baked in Coconut and Lime Rice, perfect for hot August weather. It’s easy–count on just a little chopping and juicing. It’s also intensely colorful–rosy-hued shellfish, bright orange mangoes, and verdant specks of cilantro form a heavenly color combo. And, it has an interesting flavor profile—hot and spicy accents are paired with cooling and refreshing ones! Add a salad of summer greens tossed in a lime and honey dressing, and for dessert serve scoops of icy cold sorbet with fresh berries and your favorite cookies.

Shrimp Baked in Coconut and Lime Rice
For this delectable dish with Southeast Asian accents, jasmine rice is cooked in coconut milk, which provides a hint of sweetness to the casserole. Lime juice and zest counter with a citrus note, while fish sauce provides a salty tang, and serrano pepper and ginger offer a Continue reading →

You Don’t Have To Be Southern to Like Okra!

Posted on August 7, 2014 by brosbottom

Okra at the Amherst Farmers’ Market

If you’re one of those who cringe when you hear the word “okra,” then you should have a look at Virginia Willis’ Okra. Published this spring just in time for cooks to take advantage of this summer crop, this slim volume is filled with recipes that will convince “okra doubters” that when cooked properly, okra is not “slimy or gummy” but rather a delicious vegetable.

In Okra, the author addresses the fact that people either love or hate okra. “It’s a contentious vegetable,” she proclaims. But to all those who think they don’t like this versatile ingredient, she says, “They just haven’t met the right okra!” To make her point she follows up with a sampling of recipes with both Southern and international accents.

Like Virginia, I grew up in the South in Tennessee, right next to her native Georgia, and have fond memories of delicious okra dishes that my mother prepared during warm weather months. Sliced okra, coated in cornmeal, then fried in bacon drippings until crisp and golden, was a favorite as was shrimp and okra gumbo served over rice.

Anxious to cook from this book, I’ve prepared Oven-Fried Okra several times—it’s easy Continue reading →

Delicious Last-Minute Tomato and Onion Confit

Posted on July 31, 2014 by brosbottom

My son, Mike, is a talented cook, and during our family’s summer vacation, he and I teamed up to prepare the evening meals. Often we went to the market, chose what looked good, and decided how we’d use if after returning home. That was certainly the case with a colorful tomato and onion confit we whipped up one night.

A cache of plump, ripe summer tomatoes, a mound of garlic heads, and a bag of onions, were the inspiration for a simple but vibrant tomato and onion garnish. We chopped the onions into large pieces, sautéed them until golden, and then added tomatoes and a hefty accent of pressed garlic. Cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper added heat and color to our mélange. We served this quick confit with couscous and grilled Moroccan merguez sausages (easily found in France where we were staying). Back home I substituted lamb chops marinated with the same spices used in the confit with equally delicious results. Continue reading →

A Fresh Market Salad for Hot Summer Days

Posted on July 24, 2014 by brosbottom

In Brittany a few weeks ago, my husband and I had just finished gazing at a sweeping view of the Atlantic Ocean from Cap Fréhel (one of the most visited and certainly one of the most gorgeous sites in that region of France) and wanted to have lunch. If we had blinked our eyes as we drove down a narrow country road, we would have missed La Ribote, a small (think 25 seats) restaurant. The menu announced that the cuisine was prepared with local ingredients, and even listed the names of their suppliers, including fisheries and farms. The single waitress waltzed through the room carrying platters of mussels and oysters, but it was the large bowls mounded high with an incredible salad that caught my eye. Continue reading →

Semilla—A Favorite Restaurant on Paris’ Left Bank

Posted on July 17, 2014 by brosbottom

Interior Semilla

Semilla Kitchen Team

The French have an original expression for describing restaurants they are particularly fond of. They call them coups de coeur–heartthrobs. Paris by Mouth (a site I use repeatedly when in the City of Light for terrific restaurant, wine, and pastry reviews) even goes so far as to put a bright pink heart by the names of establishments they deem worthy of this honor. Semilla, a popular eatery located in the St Germain area on the Left Bank is my newest heartthrob. (It’s also the recipient of one of those little pink hearts from Paris by Mouth!).

My husband and I have dined in this lively bistro four times this year, twice during our Continue reading →

When the Side Dish Takes Center Stage in Brittany

Posted on July 9, 2014 by brosbottom

My husband and I have left Paris with our son and his family to spend a few days on the northern coast of Brittany. We’ve rented a house with an incredible view of the Atlantic, marveling each time we gaze at the ocean through its picture windows. Although the sun has been out almost every day, brisk winds have kept us from spending time on the pristine beaches.

Boucherie (the butcher’s)

So, we’ve turned to cooking instead, taking advantage of the many marchés and food stores in the area. Huge artichokes (a specialty of Brittany), plump cherries, juicy peaches, and sweet melons are temptingly displayed, and, of course, there’s plenty of seafood—oysters, mussels, crab, lobsters, cod, and monkfish, caught fresh and sold the same day. We’re enjoying Bordier butter (one of France’s most celebrated butters and another specialty of the region) as well as local cider.

Bordier Smoked Salt Butter

We’ve bought chicken, sausages, and beef for grilling, and fresh white fish fillets for sautéing. And for sides we’ve made simple salads and a special curried rice scented with crème fraîche and summer herbs. In fact, this golden-hued rice has been so versatile that we’ve paired it with our entrees for the past three days. Continue reading →

Big Book of Backyard Cooking EBook –Big Sale

Posted on July 1, 2014 by brosbottom

I have some exciting news to share! My Big Book of Backyard Cooking will be featured across a variety of e-book retailers for $3.99 (and at many of these for much less)! during the month of July. Chronicle Books, runs a special monthly online event called Chronicle Eye Candy. For a very limited space they choose only a few e-books to be sold at greatly reduced prices, and The Big Book of Backyard Cooking is a selection for July.

It’s a perfect time to feature Backyard Cooking as this is the 10th anniversary of its publication. My students tell me that they use this collection that is filled with over 250 recipes devoted to easy, mouthwatering dishes over and over again during the summer.

Favorites include Lamb Chops with Roquefort, Figs and Rosemary, Chili-rubbed Sirloins with Guacamole Salsa, and Goat-cheese Stuffed Turkey Burgers. Among the seasonal sides, you’ll find Corn on the Cob with Lime Butter, Vidalia Onion Rings with Rosemary, and Sesame and Ginger Cole Slaw. Sweet endings showcase Daiquiri Cheesecake, Lemon Pecan Cake with Lemon Sauce, Caramel Almond Squares, and Chocolate Mint Brownies.

Backyard Cooking as its name implies is a big book so what could be better than an e-book copy that is available with a quick click. To whet your appetite, I’m including the recipe for the Chicken with Mango, Tomato, and Kiwi Salsa featured on the cover.

You can order the book from the following e-retailers: Kindle, Nook, Apple iBookstore, Google Play, Kobo, or Bookshout

Continue reading →

Asparagus Star in A Delicious Soup

Posted on June 26, 2014 by brosbottom

What I love about cooking in France is that the French are real sticklers for using seasonal ingredients. There’s no way you’d see asparagus in their groceries in the winter. (In my supermarkets at home, sadly I don’t have to look hard to find non-local asparagus from Chile displayed throughout the cold weather months.) In Paris bundles of the long, sleek spears appear only in late spring and early summer. And what a glorious scene they make— verdant-hued stalks, tender, petite wild asparagus, and snowy- hued white varieties take center stage at les primeurs (produce stores).

Since arriving several weeks ago, I’ve taken advantage of this bounty. At first, I used the stalks as a side to sautéed lamb chops or roast chicken, but then I got more imaginative and included them in a delicious brodo. Continue reading →

Betty Rosbottom

Food Writer, Cookbook Author, Cooking Teacher

Category Archives: Food News