← Older posts

New York versus New England: A Match Made In The Kitchen

This year’s Super Bowl pits two great communities (NBC has to be thrilled) against each other in America’s greatest annual sporting event. Here in the northeast, there are other subtle undercurrents; one of which is that your grandfather and maybe even your father remembers rooting for the NY Giants and quarterback Y.A.Tittle, when the “Boston” Patriots team was still in its infancy.

And while you can find an endless supply of Super Bowl party menu ideas online, this years Giants vs. Patriots match up does invite some dramatic regional contests — recipe ideas that bring the competition from the gridiron right into your living room.

What first comes to mind is the epic New York-New England chowder rivalry. In Boston, clam “chowdah” is sort of white. In New York, clam chowder — that would be Manhattan clam chowder — is sort of red. The former has a cream base, the latter a tomato/vegetable base. Recipes for either abound online and both chowders can be made easily in advance, and they go great with a small handful of oyster crackers and some crusty bread and butter.

Another great Boston-New York bout would have to involve the battle of the hot dogs. Not long ago, no self-respecting Greater Boston family would think of serving anything but franks, beans, brown bread and coleslaw on a Saturday night. Meanwhile, thinking frankfurters and New City, you could decide on the Coney Island Hot Dog—the all-beef hot dog in a hot-dog bun topped with some all-meat, bean-less chili, chopped white onions, and a couple squirts of yellow mustard. But then some egghead at your Super Bowl party might point out correctly that the Coney Island Hot Dog was actually invented in Jackson, Michigan in 1914 by George Todoroff.

A Brooklyn purist suggests that the Empire State’s hot dog contender for this match-up calls for nothing less than a Nathan’s Famous-style dog: an all-beef hot dog, in a bun, topped with fresh sauerkraut and brown mustard—that’s it.

Thirstiness will certainly ensue, giving you the perfect reason to pit any number of craft brews from each local against each other in a tag team format. In this corner, from the City of Boston: Sam Adams Winter Lager and Harpoon’s UFO Pale Ale. And in this corner from the Empire State, Brooklyn Brewery’s East India Pale Ale and a special treat well worth searching for: Brewery Ommegang’s limited edition “Adoration” Winter Ale, a dark, malty, high gravity brew sold in wired-cork 750ml bottles.

And for dessert? This one’s easy. A classic New York Cheesecake vies for the attention of your guests’ taste buds with a Boston Cream Pie, which is in reality a cake originally created by Armenian-French chef M. Sanzian at Boston’s Parker House Hotel.

So there you have my Super Sunday’s culinary match-up: the Big Apple versus the Hub! Whatever you decide to serve, keep it simple, and make as much as you can before game time —no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen once the action begins. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 ET on NBC.

Poinsettia Cocktail

There are several different recipes for the Poinsettia, a crisp, refreshing holiday or any day cocktail. Some substitute Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec for the vodka. Others add the orange liqueur along with the vodka. But the ever present and must ingredient is certainly the cranberry juice for its subtle yet unmistakable pucker and its floral red. We like ours served in Champagne flutes.

• 1 part vodka
• 1 part Champagne/sparkling white wine
• 2 parts cranberry juice
• 1 long, thin orange peel strip to garnish

Assuming you will be sharing this libation with a number of select guests, it really helps to get all of the ingredients and the waiting Champagne flutes severely chilled before you begin to pour. First add the cranberry juice and vodka into a glass, mix well. Then, just before serving, gently top this mixture with the bubbly. Garnish with the orange peel. In a pinch for flutes, this drink works nicely in large wine glasses over crushed ice, as well. Merry merry.

Salade Framboise en Gelée

a.k.a. Molded Raspberry Salad

Before you wrinkle your nose at the prospect of a raspberry mold, a story. I loved to listen for reactions from our catering clients, who when asked to consider a molded raspberry salad, would say, “I don’t think my guests would like it…it’s too ‘salade ordinaire.’” To which I’d reply “pas du tout!” And having prevailed upon them to try it, everyone at the party ooh’d and aah’d over this delightful “salade extraodinaire.” I finally changed my tactics and began suggesting our special-recipe Salade Framboise en Gelée. Now they all say, “Yes, that sounds like a wonderful salad.” Presentation is everything!

•  6 oz. raspberry Jello
• 1½ cups boiling water
• 2 pkgs frozen raspberries
• 1 13½ oz can crushed pineapple
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 cups sour cream

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; add fruit and salt. Pour 1½ cups of mixture into mold (or 6-8 cup glass dishes) and chill quickly, until firm. Spread 1 cup of sour cream over chilled gelatin. Spoon ½ of remaining gelatin over top layer with remaining ingredients. Chill several hours. Repeat…spread remaining 1 cup of sour cream over chilled gelatin; then spoon the remaining mixture over the already chilled mixture. Chill until set/firm and serve.

 

Whipped Spiced Sweet Potatoes With Brown Sugar

“I’m no school boy but I know what I like.” Brown sugar and sweet potatoes dancing with lemon, orange, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg — a major twist on the classic sweet potato theme. This recipe rocks out on Thanksgiving.

•  Six 8-oz. red-skinned sweet potatoes
• ½ cup packed golden brown sugar
• ¼ cup butter, room temperature
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp grated orange peel
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¾ tsp ground allspice
• ¾ tsp ground nutmeg

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Pierce sweet potatoes in several places with a fork and place on rimmed baking sheet  Bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 55 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut potatoes in half. Scoop out pulp into large bowl; discard peel. Add brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, grated orange peel, ground cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Using an electric mixer, beat until mixture is smooth; season with salt and pepper. Mound sweet potatoes in serving bowl.

Baked Cranberry-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Another exciting and delicious way to enjoy the unique flavor of freshly harvested New England cranberries along with native pears and pecans. Basic sweet potatoes are a favorite of ours, but this advanced sweet potato creation can easily steal the show at Thanksgiving dinner.

• 8 8-oz. red-skinned sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 4 tsp butter
• 2 large firm but ripe pears, peeled, cored, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 4 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
• 4 tsp packed golden brown sugar
• 2 tsp plus 1½  tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tsp salt

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line baking sheet with foil.  Pierce potatoes in several places with a fork and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork, about 55 minutes. Cool slightly. Meanwhile, place cranberries in small bowl and pour hot water over to cover them. Let stand 5 minutes to soften. Drain well. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pears and sauté until tender and golden—about 4 minutes. Stir in cranberries, pecans, ginger, and brown sugar and sauté one minute. Mix in 2 tsp of vinegar and ½ tsp salt. Cut off top ¼ of each potato lengthwise; discard tops. Using fork, gently mash pulp inside each potato.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Melt remaining 2 Tbsp of butter in small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in remaining 1½ tbsp of vinegar. Drizzle about 1 tsp butter-vinegar mixture into each potato; mix with fork to blend. Mound cranberry mixture in sweet potatoes. Serves 8.

Silver Palate Potatoes

A professional catering trick of the trade, these mashed potatoes can be made ahead of time and reheated so it makes a wonderfully portable treat whenever a pot luck event or family gathering is on the calendar. You can substitute lower-fat dairy products to balance its comfort-food appeal with a guilt-less lower calorie offering.

• 9 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• ¾ cup sour cream
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the diced potatoes in a large saucepan and add water to cover. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer over medium heat until tender. Drain and place in a mixer bowl. Cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces and add to the potatoes. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the sour cream. Season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or reheat in a buttered casserole at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Maple Glazed Carrots

We confess that maple glazed root vegetables may seem to be a recurring theme here at Churchill Events, but this recipe has a sparkle all its own when surprising spices and flavors arrive to mingle convivially with the carrots.

• 1 (1-pound) bag carrots; peel and slice into 1-inch lengths (or use baby carrots)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp orange juice (fresh squeezed if possible)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp salt

Place all the ingredients in a medium/heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender and the sauce becomes a shiny glaze, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve.

Butternut Squash Bisque

You could feed a small army with this recipe—a small army with impeccable tastes that is. As professional caterers who are very mindful of heart-healthy dining, we’d point out that this elegant and delicious bisque relies almost totally on the squash for its marvelous flavor. (Butter per serving: 0.133 oz—not bad!)

•  10 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut up into 1” chunks
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 cups leeks (white part) chopped
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2-3 quart chicken stock or apple cider
• ¼ tsp each of salt and fresh ground pepper

Melt butter in large pot. Add leeks and orange zest and sweat for 5 minutes (sweating is like sautéing at a lower temperature just to coax out the flavors— do not allow to color). Add the squash, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and sweat for 10 minutes more. Add sufficient chicken stock to completely cover the squash and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Pour soup into blender and purée until smooth. Add more stock if needed. Yield: approximately 30 6-oz portions.

Molly Campbell’s Beef & Apple Stew

As the autumn leaves drift by your window, and the temperature begins to cool, this family favorite comes into its own as a signature fall entrée. Some simple mashed potatoes, or oven-warmed crusty bread (or both) and your hearty red wine are about all this wonderful stew requires to cap off a crisp autumn day of football and leaf raking.

• 2 lbs. lean stew beef into 1½ inch cubes
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp paprika
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 large onion cut into quarters
• 2 cups apple juice
• 2 medium apples
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 3 large carrots sliced
• 1 small turnip cut into ½ inch sticks
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Combine flour, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and paprika and shake meat cubes in a bag. Heat oil in heavy skillet; add meat and brown. Add onions and apple juice; bring to a boil. Turn down heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour.

Peel, core, and slice the apples. Add to stew with celery, carrots, etc.; cover and simmer one hour.

Apple Pie In A Bag

• Unbaked 9” pie shell
• 2 ½ lbs. cooking apples
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup plus 2 tblsp. all purpose flour
• ½ tsp nutmeg or cinnamon
• 2 tblsps. lemon juice
• ½ cup very soft butter
• Large brown paper bag

Preparation: In large bowl toss apples with a mixture of ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 tblsps. flour, and the cinnamon until each apple piece is completely coated.  Fill pie shell with apple chunks, piling high in the center of the pie.  Sprinkle them with lemon juice. Then thoroughly mix ½ cup each sugar, flour, and the butter into a soft paste; spread over the top of the piled apple chunks. Lean the bag on its side and slide the pie inside, leaving the end open. (With some bags you have to cut some of the length off, so that the bag remains open and you can see the contents through the oven door.)

Cooking: Set bag and pie on rack in the center of oven and bake 1 hour at 400, or until the pie is done and nicely browned. Remove pie from oven and let cool 5 to 10 minutes before carefully removing from the paper bag.

← Older posts