If you’re wondering what Mariah Carey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Sandler, Alec Baldwin, Liam Neeson, Jimmy Fallon, Kevin Costner, and P. Diddy are eating this Memorial Day, it might be something that Andrea Correale, the founder and president of Elegant Affairs, has whipped up. Correale counts such stars as well as corporations like Ralph Lauren, Amazon, American Express, American Heart Association, and Cirque du Soleil among her clients.
She started her own company at 16 after working in a variety of jobs at a local country club. Initially she hoped to earn enough money to buy a car. She not only got the car but also was set on a career path. Correale received her training at the Hotel and Restaurant Management program at New York Institute of Technology and then founded Elegant Affairs, a full service off-premise catering and event planning company in the Hamptons, Long Island and New York City.
Besides the following recipes, Correale also shares some of the latest in food trends which can easily be incorporated into Memorial Day entertaining.
This being the fruit best, it works that cobblers are trending. Correale says you can serve blueberry, apple, peach, cherry, or any type of fruit cobbler you’d like simply à la mode — oversized and baked or deconstructed in a glass or jar.
Andrea with Kevin Costner.
For condiments, peppers are totally in starting with sriracha and other unique hot sauces. Correale says the hotter the better and also, when they’re available at farmers’ markets—salted shishito peppers.
It’s not really corn on the cob time yet, but if you can find some, Correale suggests a corn on the cob bar where besides roasted or steamed corn, there’s every topping imaginable: flavored butters, spreads, herbs, cheese, bacon, and spices.
Gluten-free and vegan anything and everything.
People want fresh food, it doesn’t need to be fancy.
“It’s much more about the quality of the ingredients, and the freshness,” says Correale, than it is about overabundance.”
Watermelon Pizza
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
1 large watermelon
5 cups vanilla frozen yogurt
3 cups fresh raspberries
3 cups fresh blueberries
Cut watermelon into 8 thin slices, to create your “crust”.
Spread a layer of vanilla frozen yogurt on top of each watermelon slice.
Add berries as your toppings and serve immediately.
Red Velvet, Berry and Cream Parfaits
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cups fresh blackberries or raspberries
8 inch red velvet cake
Bake a red velvet cake in an 8-inch pan, using your favorite recipe, and let it cool.
Combine cream cheese, and sugar in a bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat on a medium-high speed until creamy.
Add in the heavy cream and mix on low speed, until the mixture has a pudding-like consistency.
Line the bottom of your glasses or dessert cups with
cake and a layer of cream. Add another layer of cake, followed by another layer of cream, then add in a
layer of berries. Repeat these layers until you fill your glass or desert cup.
Refrigerate for at least one hour, and garnish each serving with a cookie or pastry of your choice.
Rick’s new two-hour special premieres June 7, 2021 on public TV stations nationwide
A new two-hour public television special features travel expert, author, and host Rick Steves as he shares his favorite European destinations to visit as soon as travel is once again possible. From offbeat and romantic to picturesque and restorative, these locations offer inspiration to travel lovers who have spent the past year dreaming of their next vacation when the global pandemic ends. Co-produced and presented by American Public Television (APT), the leading syndicator of content to public television stations nationwide, Rick Steves Europe Awaitspremieres June 7, 2021 (check local listings).
Peleș Castle in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. Photo: Rick Steves’ Europe
“When the time is right, Americans will rekindle their travel dreams, and Europe will greet us with a warm and enthusiastic welcome,” says Rick. “Europe Awaits is my dream itinerary: places away from the hubbub, places made for embracing life, and places that are good for the soul. It’s good to dream ̶ and once we emerge from this pandemic, it will be even better to travel.”
Journey (virtually that is) with Rick Steves as he recounts his recommended travel itineraries, a sure delight for both European travel aficionados and novices alike. As usual, Rick’s ability to immerse himself in fascinating destinations pays off for viewers as his presentations create a real understanding of what makes a place so fascinating including its history, culture, food, sights, and people.
In this show, Rick showcases:
– The rich history and cuisine of Sicily; – Mykonos, the romantic Greek island in the Aegean Sea; – Rustic and historic Porto, in Portugal’s northern region;
– Majestic English country views in the Cotswolds; – An authentic taste of la dolce vita in Tuscany; – andRomania, overflowing with vibrant traditional folk life.
“We are proud to be Rick Steves’ public media partner for more than three decades, presenting his insightful and enriching programs as he explores our world,” notes Cynthia Fenneman, President and CEO of APT. “Rick Steves Europe Awaits is a timely and relevant special that sparks our travel imagination from the safety and comfort of home.”
The seaside at Cefalù, on the north coast of Sicily. (Photo: Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli)
About Rick
A popular public television and radio host, a best-selling guidebook author, and an outspoken activist Rick encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel. He is the founder and owner of Rick Steves’ Europe (RSE), a travel business with a tour program that brings more than 30,000 people to Europe annually.
RSE is designed to inspire, inform, and equip Americans in creating European trips that are
Rick lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington, where his office window overlooks his old junior high school.
About Rick Steves’ Europe, Inc.
TV-still-1001-rick-trinity-college.tif
Rick Steves’ Europe (RSE) inspires, informs, and equips Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. Guided by Rick’s value-driven vision, his company brings tens of thousands of people to Europe annually on organized tours, producing a wide range of travel content including a best-selling guidebook series, popular public television and radio shows, a syndicated travel column, and a large library of free travel information at ricksteves.com.
RSE’s mission is built around the idea of social responsibility, and it empowers several philanthropic and advocacy groups, including a portfolio of climate-smart nonprofits that it funds through a self-imposed carbon tax.
Rick Steves in his early years of exploration.
Rick Steves Europe Awaits is a production of Rick Steves’ Europe, Inc., American Public Television, and Detroit Public Television. Visit ricksteves.com for additional information.
Select pledge thank-you gifts for Rick Steves Europe Awaits include exclusive access to a live virtual event and Q&A session hosted by Rick from his home in Seattle, WA; DVDs of Rick’s speaking engagements; anthology sets of the Rick Steves’ Europe series; “For the Love of Europe,” a 400-page collection of Rick’s favorite people, places and experiences; and the “Europe’s Top 100 Masterpieces: Art for the Traveler” coffee table book.
Mykonos by Rick Steves.
About American Public Television American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations. Founded in 1961, APT distributes 250 new program titles per year and more than one-third of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. APT’s diverse catalog includes prominent documentaries, performance, dramas, how-to programs, classic movies, children’s series and news and current affairs programs. Doc Martin, Midsomer Murders, America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, AfroPoP, Rick Steves’ Europe, Pacific Heartbeat, Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television, Legacy List with Matt Paxton, Front and Center, Lidia’s Kitchen, Kevin Belton’s New Orleans Kitchen, Simply Ming, The Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, James Patterson’s Kid Stew and NHK Newsline are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service and distributes Create®TV — featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming — and WORLD™, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.
About Detroit Public Television Serving Southeast Michigan, Detroit Public TV (DPTV) is Michigan’s largest and most watched television station, with the most diverse public television audience in the country. DPTV is the state’s only community-licensed station, meaning it operates independent of any educational, government or other institution. Its funding comes solely from the community. Each week, more than two million people watch DPTV’s four broadcast channels, and nearly 200,000 people listen to its radio station, WRCJ 90.9 FM for classical days and jazzy nights. In addition, DPTV is building the next generation of public media with a rapidly growing digital presence, which now reaches more than half a million unique visitors through its website, YouTube channels and social media platforms each month. Visit DPTV.org.
Where’s Rick?
Join Rick as he travels across the world and web with an exciting itinerary of virtual events.
MAY 24: Iran: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Pacific | Register for Free
MAY 26: Bellingham City Club: Rick Steves on the Future of Travel 12:00 p.m. Pacific | Register for Free
MAY 31: Monday Night Travel: Europe’s Eccentric Art 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Pacific | Register for Free
JUNE 7: Monday Night Travel: Europe Awaits! 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Pacific | Register for Free
JUNE 15: World Affairs Council of Tennessee: A Conversation with Rick Steves 7:00 p.m. Central | Buy Tickets
JUNE 17: WJCT: An Evening with Rick Steves 7:00 p.m. Eastern | Register for Free
Amy Zitelman takes tahini, a ground sesame paste used in making hummus, to the next level in her new cookbook, The Tahini Table: Go Beyond Hummus with 100 Recipes for Every Meal(Agate 2021; $29). Zitelman, CEO of Soom, a Philadelphia-based company that makes tahini products, is part of the ever expanding hummus craze. You don’t have to think that far back to remember when hummus, the Arabic word for chickpeas, was just a plain Middle Eastern chickpea dip usually served with warm pita bread. Now hummus, whose historic roots go back to 13th century Egypt where the climate and soil are just right for growing chickpeas, comes in more than 20 flavors such as beet, roasted red pepper, basil tomato, and chipotle.
The world hummus market, according to Market Research Future, is forecast to grow at a rate of nearly 13% per year until 2027. That’s a lot of chickpeas. But Zitelman, who founded Soom Foods with her sisters Shelby and Jackie, wants it to be more than an ingredient for just one single dish no matter how popular it is.
The three sisters formed Soom after a trip to Israel where they tasted a carrot cake made by Jackie’s mother-in-law. It was so delicious that they wanted to make it back home in the U.S. but couldn’t find the type of tahini needed. Since then, Zitelman has been named to Forbes magazine’s “30 under 30” class of 2018 and their products featured in the New York Times and food magazines such as Bon Appetit and Food & Wine. Soom specializes in tahini products such as their single source origin premium tahini and Soom Chocolate Sweet Tahini though they’ve also added another Middle Eastern ingredient– Silan Date Syrup–a natural sweetener made exclusively with dates from the Jordan Valley. They source their sesame seeds from the Humera region of Ethiopia that is considered the prime place to grow them.
The cookbook, co-authored with award winning writer Andrew Schloss, rifts on various ways you can used tahini which makes a great substitute for eggs, mayonnaise, cream, and cheese. Vegan and kosher, Soom’s tahini is also gluten, paleo, and dairy free. Divided into seven chapters– tahini basics, savory and sweet sauces, hummus and other dips, breakfast, main dishes, sweets, sandwiches, salads, and sides– Zitelman has created easy recipes for each category. Included are the carrot cake recipe that started it all that Zitelman describes as super moist and rich with the tahini giving it a nutty aftertaste. Another plus, because using tahini reduces the amount of oil in the recipe, cake never gets greasy the way many carrot cakes do. There’s also chicken schnitzel, sugar cookie that’s similar to, according to Zitelman, a classic peanut butter cookie crossed with shortbread.
Sesame seeds date as far back as 5000 BCE to India says Zitelman.
Her goal is to make tahini with its ancient roots a favorite of American home cooks. If that sounds farfetched, consider the increasing popularity for condiments such as Tabasco, Sriracha and pesto as well as a variety of flavored mayonnaise, barbecue sauces, and mustards.
Tahini Chicken Schnitzel
Serves 4
2 cups Creamy Tahini Vinaigrette (below)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon harissa seasoning or other dried hot pepper seasoning, divided
4 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs or cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
Mild vegetable oil, such as grapeseed, for frying
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, dill, or thyme (optional)
Mix the tahini vinaigrette, cumin, and ¼ teaspoon of the harissa in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup (one with a handle and a spout). Pour half of vinaigrette mixture into a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag and set the rest aside.
Flatten the chicken breast halves by pushing down on the thicker parts with the flat of your palm, until each piece of chicken is no more than 1 inch thick at its thickest part. Try to make the thickness the same for each piece to keep the frying time consistent. Put the chicken in the bag with the vinaigrette mixture. Seal the bag, leaving an inch open at the corner, and squeeze the empty parts to force out any air. Zip it fully closed. Massage the bag to disperse the liquid all around the chicken and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour; longer (up to 24 hours) is better.
About 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve, mix the breadcrumbs and all-purpose flour, salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon of harissa on a plate.
Set a wire rack on a rimmed sheet pan or on a sheet of aluminum foil beside your flour plate. Designating one hand for only the dry flouring and one hand for only the wet chicken, use the “wet” hand to lift one piece of chicken from the marinade, allow any excess to drip back into the bag, and put the chicken in the flour.
With your “dry” hand, flip the flour all around the edges of the chicken. Without touching the wet parts, use the same hand to flip the chicken over. Keep flipping until the chicken is well coated. With the same dry hand, lift the chicken and shake it gently to remove any loose flour, then transfer it to the prepared rack. Repeat this process with the rest of the chicken pieces, remembering to use your designated hands to prevent battering your fingers.
Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and fill with 1 inch of oil. Warm until an instant-read thermometer registers 355°F, about 5 minutes. (If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test the temperature by sticking the end of a wooden spoon into the middle of the oil. If bubbles form within a few seconds, it’s up to temp.) Turn the heat down to medium-low. Set a clean wire rack over another sheet pan or sheet of foil next to the stove.
Gently slip the breaded chicken into the hot oil, being careful not to splash. Fry until golden brown on the bottom side, about 3 minutes. (If it’s still not brown at 5 minutes, turn up the heat a little.) Flip the chicken pieces over and fry on the other side until browned, about 3 minutes more. Be patient when frying. Rushing will make the crust too dark and hard. We’re going for a lightly golden and delicately crisp crust.
Drain the chicken on the clean rack for a few seconds, then transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle some of the reserved vinaigrette mixture over the chicken and serve the rest on the side. Scatter the herbs (if using) over the top and serve right away.
Creamy Tahini Vinaigrette
Makes about 1¾ cups
⅓ cup premium tahini paste
2 tablespoons brown or Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced with coarse sea salt
½ cup ice-cold water
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Whisk the tahini, mustard, garlic, water, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. It should be the consistency of a creamy salad dressing, like ranch.
Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Tahini Sugar Cookies
Makes 30 cookies
6 tablespoons (3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup premium tahini paste
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons raw sugar, such as demerara or turbinado, and/or sesame seeds (optional)
Set two oven racks near the center of the oven. Turn the oven to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Beat the butter, tahini, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until just combined. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
Mix the flour and baking soda in a small bowl, then stir the flour mixture into the batter until it is no longer visible.
Scoop the batter with a 1-tablespoon measure and arrange as mounds on the prepared pans, about 1 ½ inches apart. You should be able to fit 10 cookies per sheet. Wet your hands and flatten the mounds so that each is about ⅜ inch thick. Sprinkle the tops with the raw sugar or sesame seeds (if using).
Bake until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 10 minutes, switching the pans between racks halfway through. Cool the cookies on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. When the pans are at room temperature again, form the remaining batter into cookies and bake in the same way.
Store in a closed container at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Reprinted with permission from The Tahini Table by Amy Zitelman, Agate Publishing, November 2020.
“My grandmother used a lot more sour cream and lots more butter and sugar,” says Guy who started cooking from scratch when she was 14 because that’s when she went vegan.
Guy in EJC Studio, the food photography studio she shares with Eric Harrison and their cat Christopher. Courtesy of Bostonia, Boston University.
“I had to figure out a way to veganize all the things everyone else in my family was eating,” she says. “My experimental approach to cooking is a consequence of thinking outside the box with recipe development from a very early age.”
Guy, author of the popular blog, Chocolate for Basil, looks at her book not only as stories of her life told in recipes but also as inspirational.
Christopher the Cat after one too many cookies. Courtesy of EJC Studio.
“I want to inspire black women to reclaim their kitchens, diets, bodies, and personal power,” says Guy, who contributes recipes to the New York Times.
The following recipe is reprinted with permission from Black Girl Baking by Jerrelle Guy, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018.
Apple Cider Monkey Bread
Egg-free, vegan option
Makes 1 loaf
Dough
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
¼ cup warm water, at 115°F
2 tsp active dry yeast
3–3½ cups white whole wheat flour, divided
½ tsp salt
¾ cup warm milk
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ cup softened butter
Apple cider coating
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup applesauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
4 tablespoons softened butter
Apple glaze
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons applesauce
5 tablespoons packed brown sugar
Pinch of salt
To make the dough, add the brown sugar to the bowl of warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the top, and let it bloom until a cap of foam forms on the top, 5 to 10 minutes.
In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine 2½ cups of the flour and the salt. Mix on low speed, pouring in the warm milk, apple cider vinegar and bloomed yeast mixture. Add about ½ cup more of flour and knead until all the flour is mixed in, then add the butter and mix until the butter is completely worked in. Add extra flour gradually just until the dough comes off the sides of the bowl. You may not need all the flour. Take the dough out of the bowl and place it in a clean, oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp clean kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm, dark place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
To make the coating, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, salt and butter in a bowl. Oil a Bundt pan and drizzle 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 ml) of the coating on the bottom of the pan.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down in the center to release the air. Pinch off about 1½-inch balls from the dough, roll it into a ball and submerge it in the coating. Place the drenched ball into the Bundt pan. Continue until all the balls are coated and arranged in the pan. If there is any leftover coating, drizzle it
over the top of the dough. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
To make the glaze, melt the butter, applesauce, brown sugar and salt together in a saucepan on the stove top or in a bowl in the microwave. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center of the oven.
Remove the plastic from the risen monkey bread, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cooked through, and it passes the toothpick/skewer test. Remove the monkey bread from the oven and carefully flip it out onto a serving tray while hot. Drizzle it with the apple glaze, and serve warm
VEGAN OPTION: Replace the butter with virgin coconut oil, at room temperature, or dairy-free butter, and make sure the milk is plant-based.
For more recipes and information, visit Guy’s website.
The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, America’s highest railway takes passengers to the 14,115-foot summit where the song “America The Beautiful” was written starting this May.
The round trip aboard one of only two cog railways in the U.S. begins and ends at the new Manitou Depot and features an expansive passenger platform and viewing deck for photographs and two retail stores with snacks and beverages. Perched at the top amidst stunning views is the new fully accessible, environmentally sustainable, $60 million-plus Pikes Peak Visitor Center. Here to help visitors learn about their surroundings are digitally interactive displays that bring the history, significance and geology of the mountain to life.
There’s more adventure as well including hiking, biking, and such trail experiences as hiking on the 13-mile Barr Trail up to Pikes Peak and then riding the train down or taking the Cog up and biking down the 19.5 mile from the summit on a guided excursion.
“The Cog is an important part of Colorado and the West’s heritage,” said Ted Johnston, assistant general manager of the Railway. “We’re excited to re-open the railway for the public to experience and enjoy this scenic American adventure that has such a rich history. We’ve been working on this project for three years, and we are very excited to take our first trains and passengers up the mountain.”
Originally built in 1891 and owned and operated by The Broadmoor since 1925, this historic railway is the highest railroad in America, the highest cog railway in the world, one of Colorado’s top attractions, and one of the nation’s most unique experiences. Since October 2017, it has been undergoing a $100 million renovation of its tracks, cogs, railcars, and depot to create a new and improved journey to the summit.
Aerial shot of Cloud Camp courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Travelers who would like to ride the Cog and make their visit even more memorable may stay at The Broadmoor and take advantage of the historic hotel’s one-night package offer, which includes classic accommodations (upgrades available), Cog Railway train tickets for each person on the package, a commemorative gift, plus suites available at 25% off published rates. The rates start at $640.00 per night, based on double occupancy.
In celebration of the 130th anniversary of the Railway this June 30, The Broadmoor and Pikes Peak Visitor Center will host a celebratory event and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the historic site.
It includes two championship golf courses, an award-winning spa and fitness center, nationally recognized tennis staff and program, 19 retail boutiques and 17 restaurants, cafes and lounges. Other activities include falconry, mountain biking, hiking, rock-climbing tours, fly-fishing, Wild West Experiences and more.
The BROADMOOR Wilderness Experience properties are three unique, all-inclusive boutique facilities that highlight an authentic Colorado experience while offering mountain rustic luxury along with The Broadmoor’s legendary service. In addition, The Broadmoor owns and manages three attractions that include the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Seven Falls and the Soaring Adventure zip-line courses.
To Get There: Colorado Springs Airport, 15 minutes from the resort, offers over 4,900 seats a day for passengers via Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier and United. Denver International Airport, 70 minutes north of Colorado Springs, hosts more than 1,600 national and international flights daily with connections to worldwide destinations. Door-to-door shuttle or sedan service from both airports is available through Gray Line.
The Ranch at Emerald Valley courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Cost: To experience the scenic 9-mile journey to the 14,115 foot National Historic Landmark of Pikes Peak may now purchase tickets online for dates and times this spring and summer. The cost for standard admission is $58.00 for adults and $48.00 for children 12 and under for advance e-ticket purchases or $59.50 at the depot ticket window. Guests may select specific seats on the train by upgrading to the reserved seating option for $68.00 for adults and $58.00 for children.
The fall and winter schedules and seasonal holiday experiences will be announced soon. Visitors interested in updates can sign up to receive email alerts on the Cog’s website.
Credited with popularizing Spanish cuisine in Great Britain. His cookbook, Basque (Hardie Grant 2021; $22.95), is a great way to explore the beautiful Basque region of Spain.
“The Basque Country is feted across Spain, and indeed the world, for its culinary creativity,” says Pizarro. “It has more three Michelin-starred restaurants than anywhere else, and I can understand why – there are so many local products that you can be inspired by here.”
Chicken Stewed in Cider & Apples
“My inspiration for this dish, as with many of my recipes, came from seeing the ingredients together,” says Pizarro. “When I see them, I just have to create a plate of food. When we were in Astarbe in a beautiful cider house, I saw the chickens hopping around the apple trees, and that was it.”
The Astarbe Experience includes a restaurant and an assortment of wonderful foods and tastings of their ciders.
Serves 6
olive oil
1 free-range chicken (1.8–2 kg/4 lb–4½ lb)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 apple, peeled, cored and halved
2 onions, finely sliced
2 bay leaves
6 sage leaves
1 cinnamon stick
500 ml (17 fl oz) cider
400 ml (13 fl oz) fresh chicken stock
25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter
3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 8 pieces
1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar
75 g (2½ oz) sultanas
Preheat the oven to 160ºC (320ºF/Gas 3).
Heat a layer of oil in a large casserole dish. Season the chicken inside and out and brown all over in the casserole dish. Set aside and put the halved apple inside the cavity.
Add the onions to the casserole and fry for 10 minutes to soften. Return the chicken to the pan and add the herbs and cinnamon.
Pour in the cider and bubble for a few minutes, then add the stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and transfer to the oven to cook for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat a little oil and the butter and fry the rest of the apples with the sugar until golden and caramelised. Add the sultanas and toss in the buttery juices. Add to the casserole about halfway through the cooking time.
Remove the lid of the casserole and turn up the oven to 220ºC (430ºF/Gas 7). Cook for 10 minutes more to brown the top of the chicken, then serve.
Photo by Laura Edwards.
Sautéed clams with garlic, lemon & parsley
“Clams are popular all over the world as they are so versatile,” says Pizarro about this wonderful dish. “When you are planning to cook for more than a couple of people, this is something that you must consider; ingredients and dishes your friends will love but are also quick prepare, so that you don’t spend the whole time at the stove.
“You can boil some pasta with this for a really easy lunch, and add some chilli for an extra kick.”
1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) fresh palourde clams, cleaned few sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped
handful of finely chopped flat-leaf
parsley
Heat a little oil in a deep heavy-based stockpot. Fry the garlic and lemon slices for 30 seconds, then increase the heat to high, tip in all the clams and cover with a lid. Cook for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the clams have all opened (discard any that refuse to open).
Add the lemon juice and herbs and serve with lots of crusty bread to mop up the juices.
Photo by Laura Edwards.
Pan-fried hake with sautéed wild chanterelles & sage
“Hake is one of the most sought-after fish in the Basque Country,” says Pizarro when sharing this recipe. “I really don’t know why it’s not as popular here in the UK, particularly as it’s plentiful – I think most of the catch from the sea here goes to Spain!
“In my family, our favourite way of cooking hake is a la romana, or Roman
style, which means that it’s battered.
“In this recipe, I bring two big flavors together, the sage and the mushrooms, but they complement the fish very well.”
Serves 4
olive oil 2 French shallots, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed few small sage leaves 300 g (10 1⁄2 oz) chanterelles, cleaned
100 ml (31⁄2 fl oz) fresh fish stock sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 hake fillets (175 g/6 oz each)
Heat a little olive oil in a pan and gently fry the shallots for 5–10 minutes until really soft. Add the garlic and sage and cook for 30 seconds, then increase the heat and add the mushrooms. Fry for 4–5 minutes, then add the stock and bubble for a couple of minutes. Season and set aside.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan with a little bit of oil. Add the hake skin side down and cook for 4–5 minutes until almost cooked through. Flip over and cook for 30 seconds more.
Put the cooked hake, skin side up, into the pan with the mushrooms. Cook for a minute or two more, then serve.
Recipes excerpted with permission from Basque by José Pizarro published by Hardie Grant Books, March 2021.
To Celebrate His Birthday and Cinco de Mayo, Dwayne Johnson and his Teremana Tequila are Thanking Everyone For Supporting Their Local Restaurants by Picking Up the Check for their Guacamole
Starting May 1st, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and his ultra-premium small batch tequila, Teremana, will launch “Guac on the Rock”, an initiative to encourage people around the country to go and support their local restaurants. From May 1st through May 5th, Johnson’s Teremana will reimburse restaurant goers for their guac, up to $1,000,000 of guac, when they purchase guacamole with any Teremana Tequila cocktail. The initiative, aimed at encouraging people to dine out however they feel most comfortable – dining inside or outside at the restaurant or for take-out, will help spur consumer confidence and generate millions of dollars of additional revenue and tips for restaurants and its servers hard-hit by the pandemic.
“No better way to celebrate my 397th birthday, than with all of us helping our favorite local restaurants get back on their feet, all while drinking some Teremana and enjoying our favorite guacamole. I want to help get people safely back into our restaurants, bars and hotels. This is an industry close to my heart and one who normally gives all of us so much support year-round. These people need our help and support to get back in business,” says Johnson. “Let’s go help them out, enjoy some amazing drinks and food and say thank you for all they do. And let everyone know that The Guac’s on The Rock!”
Consumers 21 and over who purchase a Teremana cocktail with an order of guacamole will be reimbursed up to $10—whether they dine in or take out (in some states legal rules vary due to state laws). To locate restaurants that carry Teremana ultra-premium, small-batch tequila, head to the Find Us page at Teremana.com.
Additional Information:
Consumers upload their itemized receipt by heading directly to guacontherock.com or by scanning the unique QR code in the restaurant
Reimbursement will be up to $10 per person for a single guacamole order and will be capped nationwide at $1 million dollars of guacamole purchased
Once approved, funds will be transferred directly to the customers Venmo account
Offer valid from Saturday, May 1st, 2021 – Wednesday, May 5th 2021
Participants must be aged 21 and over and a resident of the United States
Open to legal residents of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District Of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, And Wyoming, who are twenty-One (21) years of age or older at the time of participation.
Teremana is an ultra-premium, small-batch tequila crafted at the highest peaks of the Jalisco highland mountains. With two expressions, a blanco and a reposado, its name translates as ‘spirit of the earth,’ from the Latin word ‘terra,’ meaning earth, and the Polynesian word ‘mana,’ meaning spirit. Only made from fully mature, naturally sweet agave slow roasted in small traditional brick ovens and distilled in handmade copper pot stills, Teremana has quickly become the tequila of the people.
When I first met Lisa Caponigri, it was at Tosi’s, the 75-year-old restaurant with a fantastic Italian garden in Stevensville, Michigan when our mutual friend Don-Nee German invited us to dinner. Don-Nee knew I wrote about food and Lisa, who lives in South Bend, Indiana had just written “Whatever Happened to Sunday Dinners,” her fond recollections of when people gathered at the dinner table every Sunday night. It sounded super, filled with recipes created by Lisa or passed down through the generations in her family, it reflected her Italian heritage.
For some reason life was so busy, that neither she nor I connected to talk about her cookbook. Flash forward to now and Lisa has written a second book, “This is Sunday Dinner: 52 Seasonal Italian Menus” published by Sterling Epicure.
“I decided to divide this book into four seasons and four regions,” says Lisa, who spent her childhood in Naples, visiting her grandmother in Sicily during the summers, and also spent two years outside of Milan and ten years in Florence where she worked for Gucci and also traveled to Piedmont in winter. “Italians have had to eat seasonally. You just buy from the farmer’s markets—I had one in my neighborhood–and use the ingredients available there.”
According to Lisa, farmers’ markets abound in almost every neighborhood and each one carried vegetables and other food specific to the area where they’re established.
“We have vegetables in Sicily that they don’t grow in Tuscany,” she says, noting the differences between American supermarkets where so many vegetables and fruits are always available, even if not the same as locally grown and in-season offerings.
The chapters in her book, Winter in Piemonte, Spring in Campania, Summer in Sicily, and Autumn in Tuscany showcase the local foods of those areas during specific seasons through a series of 5-course menus Lisa crafted for each. The recipes are very simple, something that isn’t always typical for Italian cookbooks, and each can be enjoyed by cooking the entire menu or picking dished that most interest you.
For example, in Spring in Campania, Menu 44 includes Torte di Risotto (Risotto Cakes), Zuppa di Spaghetti Spezzati (Broken Spaghetti Soup), Giambotta con Uove Fritte (Giambotta with Fried Eggs), Insalata del Nonno (Grandfather’s Salad), and Albicocche in Miele or Apricots in Honey. As elaborate as the menu sounds, each individual recipe is easy to make.
“So simple and so many recipes–I’ve never seen a recipe for an orange cake like the one in the book,” she says about Torta Napoletana di Aranci con Glassa di Arance, the Neapolitan Orange Cake with Orange Glace (Spring in Campania: Menu 22) that has more words in the title than it has ingredients or in the instructions.
To make cooking even easier, she now has four of her sauces available at Whole Foods stores in Indiana. Called Lisa’s Italian Sunday Sauces, she uses all organic ingredients and only San Marzano tomatoes—what she says are the only tomatoes we use in Italy for sauces. Her Three Meat jarred sauce, based on her Neapolitan grandmother’s recipe, is the only three meat sauce bottled in the United States and is perfect for such dishes as lasagna.
“My Classic Red sauce is my Sicilian grandmothers recipe, my Vegetable Primavera is an invention of mine that I started making when my children were small so they would be eating veggies in their sauce and not know it,” she says. “It contains fresh organic carrots, organic sweet onions, organic celery, fresh herbs and spices. This sauce is wonderful on pasta but also with chicken and fish. My fourth is my Creamy Vodka which I perfected while living in Tuscany. It’s tomato based with cream, vodka and just the right amount of crushed red pepper.”
While Lisa knows how to cook the traditional Italian dishes we’re all familiar with—after all she learned from her grandmother—she says there’s so much more to Italian food than we might typically eat in the U.S.
“So many people go to Italy and take cooking classes and I wanted to explore that in the book,” she says, explaining why she included so many unique recipes.
She describes both of her books as being not only about good food but also about lifestyle and tradition.
“It’s about gathering those you love in the kitchen and cooking together, eating together, and building memories together,” she writes. “These are traditions that never grow old, that never go out of tyle. They’re classic, timeless—what memories are made of.”
Lisa has lived in South Bend for the last decade.
“We’re the quintessential Italian family, we never move far from each other,” she says. “All three of my children live nearby and my 97-year-old mother lives next door,” she says.
But she still gets back to Italy, finding that despite all the years she lived or visited there, each trip teaches her more and more about the country and the food.
The following recipes are from “This is Sunday Dinner.”
Torta di Pomodoro/Tomato Pie
For the Pasta Salat a (Pastry Dough):
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup grated fontina cheese
For the Tomato Filling:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon Sicilian sea salt, fine
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups Roma tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons unbleached flour
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
To make the dough: Place flour, butter, salt, and garlic into a large bowl, and mix together until it forms a coarse dough. Drizzle in some of the cold water and stir the dough gently with a fork until it comes together. (Add a bit more water, if needed; it’s better to have dough that is slightly wet than too dry.) (The dough may also be made in an electric mixer or a stand mixer.) Separate the dough into 2 balls, one that is approximately 3/4 of the dough and one that is about 1/4 of the dough. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 15–30 minutes at room temperature.
In a large frying pan, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook the onion and garlic until they are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the flour, stirring the mixture to thoroughly incorporate the flour. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
Roll out the larger ball of dough and line a 9–9 1/2-inch pie pan with the dough. Pour the filling into the pan. Roll out the second ball of dough into a rectangle, and then cut it into 1/4-inch strips to form a lattice on top of the tomato filling. Bake the pie in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes.
Broken Spaghetti Soup/Zuppa di Spaghetti Spezzati
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
8 cups vegetable broth
1 herb bundle (1 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley and 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied together)
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a 6- to 8-quart pot, melt the butter and heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until translucent. Add the broth and bring it to a medium boil. Add the herb bundle to the mixture and let it cook for 5 minutes. Then, remove the herb bundle.
When the broth comes to a medium boil, break the spaghetti into 1-inch pieces and drop them into the broth. Add the pepper. Cook for 7 minutes. Serve with warm focaccia or Italian bread.
Neapolitan Orange Cake with Orange Glaze/Torta Napoletana di Arance con Glassa di Arance
1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the cake pan
2 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Juice of 2 oranges (approximately 1 cup)
Zest of 2 oranges
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch cake pan.
Melt the butter in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Set the melted butter aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, and 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the melted butter and slowly stir in the flour, baking powder, orange zest, and 1/2 cup of the orange juice. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.
To prepare the glaze: In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of orange juice and the remaining 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar. When cake has cooled, place it on a cake platter and drizzle the orange glaze on top of the cake.
Lisa’s Tip
I like to poke holes in the cake with a toothpick before I glaze it, so that some of the glaze goes into the cake as well.
Chicago’s Randolph Market is coming to Southwest Michigan’s Harbor Country and teams up with Fernwood Botanical Garden with a great summer event for those who love vintage and antiques, home and fashion design, styles throughout the decades, and collectibles.
This year will mark the eighteen year when the Randolph Street Market kicks off its 2021 summer season in Harbor Country in Three Oaks, Michigan over Memorial Day Weekend. Saturday May 29thand Sunday May 30th, from 10am until 6pm EST.
Photo courtesy the Randolph Street Market.
Whether you’re in the mood to buy or just explore, the curated displays of art and antiques, vintage and Modern treasures, and hand-crafted goods from 40 chosen dealers from Los Angeles, Nashville, Cape Cod, St. Louis, Michigan, Chicago, and Northwest Indiana is sure to delight.
“Our Chicago venue is undergoing renovation. Instead of missing a summer of fun and excitement, we’re taking the show on the road. Three Oaks is a natural — so many of our Randolph regulars have houses in the area plus there’s a huge untapped market in Michiana for a great market event,” said Sally Schwartz founder of the Randolph Street Market.
Photo courtesy the Randolph Street Market.
Just north of downtown Three Oaks, a historic village with a quaint downtown and a trendy food vibe, the market takes place at 16860 Three Oaks Road/ North Elm Street. Entrance fee is $5 per adult; children under twelve free. Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance for guaranteed entrance at RandolphStreetMarket.com.
One dollar of every ticket purchased goes to support Fernwood Botanical Garden in Niles-Buchanan, Michigan. The 105-acre Fernwood, nestled on the St. Joseph River, is a lovely tract of virgin forest, prairie, gardens, an intricate railway garden and visitor center with a gift shop, all interspersed with walking woodland, riverside, and garden trails.
Photo courtesy the Randolph Street Market.
More market shows will be held June 19th and 20th, July 3rd and 4th, August 7th and 8th, and September 4th and 5th. The Randolph Street Market, an internationally recognized event, was named as one of USA Today’s, “Top 10 American Flea Markets,” and “An Authority on Stylish Living,” by Sophisticated Living Magazine. It’s been featured in Travel & Leisure, the Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, and the Guardian and is a renowned destination for antique collectors, merchandisers, designers, stylists, fashionistas, and set decorators alike.
Katie Quinn wasn’t content to just enjoy a chunk of the English classic Montgomery’s Cheddar, a hunk of crusty bread with a soft inner core from Apollonia Poilâne, or a glass of Nebbiolo, the grape variety from Northern Italy’s Piedmont region known for its strong tannins, high acidity and distinctive scent.
Katie Quinn working on a goat farm in Somerset, England. Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/TheQKatie
Instead, living in New York she had worked her way up from being an NBC page to her dream job as an on-camera host at Now This News, she found herself back home recuperating in Ohio after sustaining a traumatic brain injury in an accident. With time to ponder, her avid curiosity led her to ask a question—“how can I love these great foods–bread, wine, and cheese without knowing how they’re made?”
Of course, many of us would be content just to pour another glass of wine and slice a gooey piece of Brie, but Quinn couldn’t leave it there.
For some of use, including me, the realization that cheese and bread are as much a part of fermentation as wine is a revelation. It takes a little more connecting of dots to realize that cheeses are fermented dairy products and bread ferments through the use of yeast.
“I realized that there was a story to be told,” she says. “I could have just nerded out as a history geek to write the book, but I wanted to really experience the process of fermentation and how it creates these foods we love. I wanted this to be an immersive experience.”
And so in her newest cookbook, Cheese, Wine, and Bread: Discovering the Magic of Fermentation in England, Italy, and France(William Morrow 2021; $22.63 Amazon price), we follow Quinn on her all-encompassing road trip as she embarks upon an in-depth exploration of all three necessary food groups. She became a cheesemonger at Neal’s Yard Dairy, London’s premiere cheese shop. But that was just the start in her cheese career. Soon, she was working on a goat farm in rural Somerset where she describes the cute critters as just smart enough to be obnoxious. It was during her exploration that she discovered the role British women play in cheesemaking (you have to try her recipe for Cheddar Brownies which she’ll be demonstrating at her upcoming virtual book launch this Tuesday, April 27—see below for details on how to sign up).
Next she’s hanging with Apollonia Poilâne of Paris’ famed Poilâne Bakery, apprenticing at boulangeries in Paris learning the ins and outs of sourdough, and traveling the countryside to uncover the history of grains and understand the present and future of French bread and global bread culture. Next stop Italy, where she gives readers an inside look at winemaking with the Comellis at their family-owned vineyard in Northeast Italy and visits vintners ranging from those at small-scale vineyards to large-scale producers throughout the country. Taking a side road, so to speak, she discovers her great grandfather’s birth certificate and become eligible for dual citizenship. So entranced with the country, she and her husband Connor decided to make their home in the Puglia region in southern Italy.
Quinn, an author, food journalist, YouTuber, podcaster, and host, describes herself as having a real appetite to explore. A great storyteller, she also shares recipes such as Zucchini Carbonara, Tortellini in (Parmigiano Reggiano) Brodo, Ciambelline al Vino (Wine Cookies), and Walnut and Raisin Rye Loaf, which are interspersed through the book.
Cost: Book and shipping: This ticket includes a signed copy of the book and shipping – Shipping within USA only (THE BOOK WILL BE SHIPPED IN ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE EVENT). $44 or Book and Ticket with pick-up at Anderson’s Naperville store. $34.
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (I like pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds)
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sprigs of parsley, for garnish
Fill a large pot three-quarters full of water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Add a generous amount of coarse salt (the adage “It should taste like the sea” is a good gauge of how much). Cook the spaghetti for 2 minutes less than the instructions on the package for al dente. (You don’t want it to be completely cooked because it will continue cooking in the red wine later.)
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until the garlic becomes fragrant. Pour the wine into the pan with the garlic and stir. Remove from the heat while the pasta finishes cooking.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
Add the pasta to the pan with the wine and garlic over medium heat and stir. Cook, occasionally stirring gently, for 2 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and has absorbed most of the wine, taking on a plum hue.
Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the cheese and nuts. Stir in a tablespoon (or more) of the reserved pasta water; its starchiness mixes with the fat in the cheese to create a silky coating on the noodles. Finish with the nutmeg, season with salt and pepper, and stir to incorporate well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if you think the dish is asking for it.
Serve garnished with parsley and topped with more cheese and enjoy slurping down the drunken noodles.
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