My Easter Menu and REC

Just finished the do-ahead stuff. I'm doing a really easy crunchy
cheese puffs and crab au gratin as appetizers, the latter served with
water crackers. The Meal will be spiral cut glazed ham from Nueske's
which we're test driving this year. Thanks to another poster, we tried
their bacon and it was awesome, so we thought we'd give their ham a
try. Side dishes are a variation of potatoes au gratin, found some
fabulous looking asparagus at the market this morning which will look
dandy under some hollandaise sauce, homemade Parker rolls, the
obligatory deviled eggs, and a sorta salad/relish tray of marinated
kalamata olives, artichoke, onion, red bell pepper and button
mushrooms. Dessert is a new recipe I'm trying: Upside-Down
Butterscotch Apple Sour Cream Cake. Have an excellent French rose for
the main course (Tavel 2004), a nice Cabernet Sauvignon for those who
do not care for rose (Simi 2003) and for coffee and dessert, a rather
nice Syrah (San Simeon 2001). A few of the recipes follow:

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Crab-Meat Gratin

(Note: for Easter dinner, I am making one large serving in an
ovenproof casserole dish.)

appetizers, fish and seafood

2 tablespoons minced carrot
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon, crumbled
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 pound fresh lump crab meat, picked over (; about 1 1/2 cups)
fresh lemon juice to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat broiler. Butter 4 small ramekins and set aside.

In a small heavy saucepan cook carrot, celery, and bell pepper in
butter over moderate heat, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth, vermouth or
wine, and tarragon and boil mixture until liquid is reduced to about 1
tablespoon. Add cream and boil sauce until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in crab meat, lemon juice, 1/4 C. Parmesan cheese and salt and
pepper to taste and divide mixture between four ramekins. Sprinkle
remaining Parmesan over crab mixture and set ramekins in shallow
baking pan. Broil gratin about 4 inches from heat 2 minutes, or until
bubbling and golden, and serve with toasts.

Contributor: Gourmet

Yield: 4 small svgs.

Preparation Time: 45 mi

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Crunchy Cheese Crisps

appetizers

1 cup potato chips; finely crushed
1 cup cheddar cheese; finely shredded
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick); softened
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
pinch cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Shape into
3/4" balls. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and flatten slightly.
Bake for 8 - 10 mins or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack.

Contributor: Cooking for Two Magazine

Yield: 8 - 10 servings

Preparation Time: 25 mi

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Potato Gratin With Mustard And Cheddar Cheese

(Note: I think this dish is much better without the breadcrumbs.)

vegetables

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 pound cheddar cheese; white, grated
1/4 cup flour
5 pounds russet potatoes; peeled, thinly slice
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs
and stir until crumbs are golden brown, about 10 mins. Cool crumbs.
(Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and let stand at room
temperature.)

Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 400F. Butter
15x10x2" (4 qt.) glass baking dish. Mix thyme, salt and pepper in
small bowl. Combine grated cheddar cheese and flour in large bowl;
toss to coat cheese. Arrange 1/2 of potatoes over bottom of prepared
dish. Sprinkle 1/3 of thyme mixture, then 1/3 of cheese mixture over.
Repeat layering of potatoes, thyme mixture and cheese mixture 2 more
times. Whisk chicken broth, whipping cream and mustard in medium bowl
to blend. Pour broth mixture over potatoes.

Bake potatoes 30 mins. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over. Bake until
potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, about 1 hour longer. Let
stand 15 mins. before serving.

Contributor: Bon Appetit

Yield: 12 servings

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Marinated Olives, Red Pepps Art. Hearts/Rooms

salads and salad dressings

1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons basil; chopped
1 tablespoon parsley; chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic; minced
1 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard
1 9 oz. pkg. frozen artichokes; drained well
; halved lengthwise
1 large red bell pepper; cut into matchsticks
4 ounces small button mushrooms; quartered
1 small onion; thinly sliced
3/4 cup Kalamata olives; pitted, quartered

Whisk first 6 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Add vegetables and
olives. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and
refrigerate at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Can be made 1 day
ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature 30 mins.
before serving.)

Transfer mixture to bowl and serve.

Contributor: Bon Appetit

Yield: 6 servings

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Upside-Down Butterscotch Apple Sour Cream Cake

desserts

cake
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup baker's sugar (superfine sugar) or; regular sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 golden delicious apple; peeled, cored, finely cho
butterscotch-caramel apples
6 tablespoons (3/4 s unsalted butter
1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/3 cup butterscotch morsels
2 8 oz. golden delicious apples; peeled, halved, cored, cu

For cake:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in medium
bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth.
Gradually add sugar and beat until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla;
beat until blended. Beat in flour mixture, then sour cream. Stir in
chopped apple. Set aside while preparing butterscotch-caramel apples.

For butterscotch-caramel apples:
Melt butter in 10-inch-diameter nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium
heat. Add brown sugar and butterscotch morsels; stir until melted and
smooth and mixture is bubbling, about 2 minutes. Add apple slices to
skillet and cook until golden brown, using tongs to turn slices, about
3 minutes per side (there will be a lot of liquid in skillet). Remove
skillet from heat and let cool 3 minutes. Using tongs, arrange apple
slices in skillet in concentric circles or other pattern.

Carefully spoon cake batter in small dollops atop apples in skillet.
Using offset spatula, gently spread batter evenly to edges of skillet
(batter will seem to float on top of apples and pan juices). Bake
until cake is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out
clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in skillet 10 minutes. Run knife around
edges of cake to loosen. Place large platter atop skillet. Using oven
mitts or pot holders, hold platter and skillet firmly together and
invert, allowing cake to settle onto platter. Serve cake warm.

Test-kitchen tip: If your nonstick skillet doesn't have an ovenproof
handle, wrapping the handle in two layers of heavy-duty foil witll
make it
oven safe.

Contributor: Bon Appétit March 2006

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"Most vigitaryans I iver see looked enough like their food to be
classed as cannybals."

Finley Peter Dunne (1900)

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"
.

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