Popcorn Possibilities for Oscar Night!

Posted on by
3

Oscar Popcorn 1For as long as I can remember (since I was 9 and was allowed to stay up past my bedtime!), I’ve been in front of the television on Oscar night!. And when the 88th Academy Awards Show gets underway this Sunday, I plan to continue the tradition. From the red-carpet segment to the sign-off several hours later, I’ll be glued to the screen and cheering for my favorites. Even though critics seem to be favoring “The Revenant,” either “Spotlight” or “The Big Short” are my choices for best picture.

No Oscar night would be complete without popcorn. Can you imagine watching the awards without a bowl of America’s favorite movie food at your side? If you want to get creative with those popped kernels, here are a few easy and tempting ways to season them.

  1. Melted unsalted butter, finely grated Parmesan, and sea salt
  2. Melted unsalted butter, sea salt, and coarsely ground black pepper
  3. Olive oil, crushed dried rosemary, and sea salt
  4. Truffle oil (this is a slight extravagance, but so good!) and sea salt

Use as much or as little of the ingredients as you like, tossing the popcorn until you are pleased with the balance of flavors.

If you want a printable ballot to compare your choices to the Academy’s you’ll find one here.

 

 

 

 

A Good Book and Some Warming Food

Posted on by
Reply
Fresh pineapple and blueberries
Discussion of Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
Crisp Oatmeal Thins with Orange
The table of treats
Grilled Cheese Tartines with Balsamic Sauce

It was a freezing 9 degrees! and snowy when I hosted my book club this week. Undaunted by the weather, our group, almost unrecognizable dressed in their winter gear, arrived on time. I had ready warm tea, steaming espresso, and a small spread of treats to help defrost them!

A basket of paper-thin oatmeal crisps, a plate of cashew brownies (from my Valentine post last week), and a bowl of fresh pineapples and blueberries were set out. However, it was the grilled cheese tartines that were everyone’s favorite. Continue reading →

Chocolate Indulgence for Valentine!

Posted on by
Reply

Chocolate Cashew Brownies 1 3744x2978When it comes to food, Valentine’s day might just be my favorite holiday, for, like countless other gourmands, I am a bona fide chocoholic. I keep extra dark chocolate bars in my cupboards, breaking off squares for a “fix” after weeknight meals. My eye zeroes in on the word “chocolate” on any dessert menu. And, for my latest book, Soup Nights, over a third of the recipes in the desert chapter are prepared with some type of chocolate.

One such dessert, Chocolate Cashew Brownies with Chocolate Crème Fraîche Glaze, is what I am making for Valentine this year. Rich and decadent, these confections are prepared with semisweet chocolate, plenty of butter, and a touch of crème fraîche. And, in place of more traditional nuts (think almonds, pecans, walnuts), these call for cashews. The recipe is my version of one for French brownies that I spotted in France a few years ago. Continue reading →

Roasted Cod with Belgian Endives Inspired by a Paris Restaurant

Posted on by
2

Roasted Cod and Belgian Endive 3 3630x2787Last month in Paris, I booked dinner at Semilla, a favorite Left Bank restaurant of mine. Every dish my husband and I sampled that night was beautifully prepared, but the one that stayed in my mind for days afterward was the roasted cod and Belgian endives.

The dish included fresh turmeric as well as seeds from passion fruit, neither of which was available in my local groceries. So, I made a few adjustments, using ground turmeric as a rub for the fish and replacing the passion fruit with lemon juice. Although not identical, this stateside version rivaled the French one in freshness and in taste. My husband, who is not a fan of pan-roasted fish, actually stopped between mouthfuls to declare the dish a winner. Continue reading →

Sunday Roasts Featured on Chronicle Eye Candy

Posted on by
2

EyeCandy_FEB_SundayRoasts

Hello Readers,

I’m excited to let you know that Sunday Roasts has been selected as a Chronicle Eye Candy book for the month of February.  That means that you can purchase an E-copy of the book for $3.99 or even less using any of the six e-retailers below.

How great to have this book which features a year’s worth of delicious roasts and sides! available digitally on your favorite device. Want an idea of the many delicious recipes available? My post last week for Old Fashioned Pot Roast was straight out of the book!

 

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005W9Q8AA?creativeASIN=B005W9Q8AA&linkCode=w01&linkId=I4UC62ZKUG6TBXYK&ref_=as_sl_pc_ss_til&tag=chronbooks02-20

Apple iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sunday-roasts/id473942887?mt=11

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sunday-roasts-betty-rosbottom/1111618237?ean=9781452110479

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Betty_Rosbottom_Sunday_Roasts?id=AF2vrRZdd7wC&hl=en

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/sunday-roasts

Bookshout: https://bookshout.com/ebooks/sunday-roasts

Old Fashioned Pot Roast for Cold Weather Cooking

Posted on by
Reply

Old Fashioned Pot Roast with Rich Pan Sauce 1 2757x1910Flying into Boston last week after a long stay in Paris, the first thing I noticed was how much colder it was. Winds were adding a blustery touch to the already freezing temperatures. When we arrived at our son’s house for the night, he had prepared a warming shepherd’s pie of root vegetables and beef topped with mashed potatoes. By the time we got to Amherst the next day, I was craving more robust dishes like this to stave off the cold. Coincidentally, my assistant Barb emailed a welcome home note, and mentioned that she was using a recipe of mine for old-fashioned pot roast, a hearty food to counter the season’s chill.

This pot roast is a favorite of mine. An inexpensive cut–a boneless chuck roast– is rubbed with crushed rosemary, basil, and red pepper flakes for extra flavor, then seared in hot oil. Next, the roast is slowly cooked several hours in the oven in an aromatic mixture of beef stock, red wine, tomatoes, and vegetables. In place of flour, some of those cooked Continue reading →

Eating Lighter In Paris

Posted on by
8

Haricots Verts, Pear, and Shaved Fennel Salad 3 3918x2944Foie Gras, truffles, mushrooms, chestnuts, sausages–you’ll find these winter staples on restaurant menus throughout Paris at this time of year. And, since my husband and I have been eating out almost every night while here, we have indulged far too often in these rich specialties, We’ve savored foie gras and mushroom soup at Prémices in the 9th, tried pan-seared foie gras at Semilla in the 6th, sampled risotto with truffles at Les Fables de la Fontaine in the 6th, sipped cream of lentil and sausage soup at Anicia in the 6th, and enjoyed guinea hen with chestnuts at Le Casse-Noix in the 15th. After that gastronomic tour de force, we needed to lighten up, so for lunch  recently I prepared a slimming yet delicious salad.

At the market, I found tiny haricots verts, and then picked up a ripe pear, a Belgian endive, and salad greens. The beans were blanched, the pear thinly sliced, the endive chopped and then all combined with the greens. I dressed this mélange in a refreshing lemon and shallot Continue reading →

Soup Cooking in Paris

Posted on by
Reply

Broccoli Soup with Curried Creme Fraiche 2As 2016 arrived, my husband and I rang in the new year with good friends here in Pairs where I cooked a meal in the tiny but efficient kitchen of our apartment rental. Of course, since I’ve spent the entire last year working on Soup Nights (to be published this fall) I included a soup in the menu, and chose a long time favorite.

Broccoli soup with Curried Crème Fraiche is so versatile that you can serve it any season of the year. It’s a snap to assemble, takes only 15 minutes to simmer atop the stove, and is light yet totally satisfying.  I buy packaged broccoli florets (a big time saver), sauté them with chopped leeks, and then simmer them in chicken broth until tender. The vegetables are then pureed and seasoned with a hint of cayenne pepper. However, it’s the crème fraîche scented with curry powder that is the secret to this dish’s vibrant flavor. The cream is swirled into the puréed mixture and also used as a garnish. Continue reading →

Three Quick Appetizers for Ringing in 2016 in Paris

Posted on by
8

Arriving in Paris for our annual winter visit this week, we wondered how we would find the city after a year of devastating events. We unpacked and then walked through our “quartier” happy to see familiar sights. People were busy catching buses and cabs, buying their newspapers, and yes, sipping coffees outdoors in cafes during a spell of mild weather. And, Parisians everywhere were buying their favorite foods to celebrate the new year. I’ll be cooking dinner for friends on New Year’s Eve, so I too was in many of the food shops. The scene at the Grande Epicerie (the incredible grocery store at Le Bon Marché department store) was as frenetic as ever, with shoppers stocking their carts with foie gras and champagne–traditional fare for this season.

As I was planning our menu for December 31, I came across several appetizers perfect for a New Year’s Eve celebration– Pistachio Goat Cheese Grapes, Blue Cheese and Almond Stuffed Dates, and Smoked Salmon with Lemon Crème Fraîche. All are chic enough for this special night, but simple and quick to prepare.

Happy 2016 and may this new year be filled with peace around the world, and with joy and good health for all!

 

Last-Minute Gifts from the Kitchen

Posted on by
10
Orange Spiced Pecans
Orange Spiced Pecans on the baking sheet
Diana’s Chocolate and Almond Toffee
The toffee as it is just starting to turn golden
Chocolate glazed toffee with crushed walnuts ready for the refrigerator
Chocolate Honey Sauce with Fleur de Sel
Melted chocolate, honey, and butter for the Chocolate Honey Sauce

If you are not one of those organized cooks (and I am certainly not this year!) who already has all their holiday baking and cooking completed, here are three easy recipes for homemade gifts of food that you can prepare at the last minute.

None call for hard-to-find ingredients and each requires 15 minutes or less of prep plus a few minutes more to bake or extra time to chill. Chocolate Glazed Toffee, Orange Spiced Pecans, or Chocolate Honey Sauce with Fleur de Sel would each make a thoughtful present for a host or hostess, or for teachers, neighbors, friends, or others whom you’d like to remember during the season of giving.

The nuts and toffee can be packaged in cellophane bags, tins, or coffee mugs, while the chocolate sauce is best in a glass container. Wrap in ribbons and add a personal note and that’s it. Homemade with love—the best kind of holiday gift!