The Rake Magazine

Category: Food and Drink

  • Chinese Coleslaw

     

    Salad Ingredients:

  • 1 pound bag shredded cabbage with carrots
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced
  • 1 package chicken ramen noodles, broken
  • 1 small package sliced almonds

    • Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • chicken flavor packet from the ramen noodles

    • Method:
    Brown the noodles and almonds in frying pan with a little oil. Mix the green onions and cabbage together and add the noodles. Prepare the dressing and pour on top.
     
    Serves 6 to 8
     
    C. McGee’s Deli
    C. McGee’s Deli
    3

  • Meat Pie by the French Guy

     

    Ingredients: 

    • 1 pound puff pastry dough
    • 17 ounces ground beef
    • 1/2 onion, diced
    • 9 ounces button mushroom, sliced
    • 7 ounces plus 2 tablespoons water
    • 4 fluid ounces veal stock, reduced
    • 1 ounce flour
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 egg

    Note: you will need 12, 6-inch aluminum tart
    shells.

    Method:
    Mix the flour and 7 ounces of water
    together. In a pot, combine the ground beef, mushrooms, veal stock,
    Worcestershire sauce, and flour/water mixture. Let simmer over medium-low heat
    for 1 hour. Remove from heat and let cool.

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out
    the dough. Cut 12 8-inch circles and 12 6-inch circles. Place an 8-inch circle
    in a tart shell and fill up to 2/3 full with meat mixture. Make the egg wash by
    lightly beating the egg yolk and remaining water. Brush a 6-inch dough circle
    with egg wash and place on top of the pie. With a scissors, cut an "X" in the
    center of each pie. Place pies in oven and cook until the top is golden
    brown.

    Pair with a Beaujolais Nouveau 2005.

    Serves 12

     

    Brit’s Pub and Vincent – A Restaurant
    Brit’s Pub and Vincent – A Restaurant
    3

  • Morel Mushroom Risotto

     

    Ingredients

    • 1 small onion, diced
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 1 cup morel mushrooms, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon thyme, fresh
    • 1 cup Arborio rice
    • 4 to 5 cups water or stock
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
    • 1/4 cup cream
    • 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
    • 1/4 cup white wine
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Method
    Saute onions,
    garlic, morels, and rice in hot pan with olive oil and butter, until rice just
    begins to brown. Deglaze the pan with the wine and soy sauce. Continue to add
    stock or water until rice is soft. Stir frequently. Add the cream and cheese
    last. Let rest for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning and consistency as
    needed.

    Can be served as a side dish or as a main course.

     

    Bayport Cookery
    Bayport Cookery
    3

  • Risotto ai Funghi Porcini

     

    Ingredients:

    • 1 ½ cups rice (arborio or medium grain white rice)
    • 1 ¾ cups Porcini mushrooms, whole
    • ½ cup butter
    • ¼ cup onion, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 cup vegetable broth
    • ½ cup dry white wine
    • ½ cup milk
    • ¼ cup Pecorino (Sardo or Romano), grated
    • 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped
    • dash of salt and pepper

    Method:
    Add onion
    to the olive oil in a medium sized pan and sauté for a couple of minutes on
    medium heat. Add all the butter except a small piece (set it aside for later
    use).

    After butter melts, add crushed mushrooms. Crush the mushrooms by
    hand or tear into little pieces. Sauté on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring
    occasionally.

    Add milk, dry rice and salt. Stir slowly until it is hot
    (do not allow to boil). Add wine and let it evaporate. Be careful as there may
    be a little flame when adding the wine.

    In another small pan, bring
    vegetable broth to a boil. When the rice has absorbed all the liquid in the pan,
    add vegetable broth. Stir slowly until the rice is cooked. Just before the rice
    is done, add the parsley and turn off the heat. Add the small piece of butter
    set aside and add pepper to taste. Serve with Pecorino on the side.

    Serves 4 to 6

     

    Alycia’s Southern Italian Tours
    Alycia’s Southern Italian Tour
    3

  • Polpettone di Maiale

     

    Like “Le lasange”, meatballs vary from region to region. In Campania the
    secret is in the pine nuts and raisins. Buone
    feste!

    Ingredients:

    • 1 pound ground pork
    • 1/2 to 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
    • 2 to 4 eggs
    • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
    • 6 tablespoons pine nuts
    • 2 tablespoons raisins, diced
    • 1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely cut
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • dash of salt and pepper
    • 1 to 2 cups red wine
    • 1 quart tomato sauce

    Method:
    After beating
    2 eggs, add cheese, ½ cup of bread crumbs, a dash of salt and pepper, and
    parsley. Mix well. Add mixture to ground pork. Use your hands to mix the
    ingredients well. When the mixture has the correct consistency, add pine nuts
    and raisins. Form meatballs either round or in the shape of an egg.

    Note: when preparing meatballs, it is important to obtain the correct
    texture. You don’t want them too wet or dry. If they are too wet, add some more
    bread crumbs. If they are too dry, add an egg white.

    Add olive oil to a
    pan and heat. When oil is hot, place meatballs in the pan and cook on one side
    until a crust is formed. Then, very slowly turn the meatballs from side to side
    so the entire ball has formed a hard crust. Add red wine to the pan and let it
    evaporate.

    When all the wine has been cooked off, add tomato sauce,
    cover, and bring to a boil. Leave at a boil for a couple of minutes and then
    reduce heat to low. Keep loosely covered and simmer for an hour.

    Serve
    with pasta or crusty Italian bread.

     

    Alycia’s Southern Italian Tours
    Alycia’s Southern Italian Tours
    3

  • Baked Butternut Squash

     

    Ingredients:

    • 2 butternut squashes, peeled and de-seeded
    • 1 4-ounce package Boursin cheese
    • 8 ounces heavy cream
    • 1 whole egg
    • 3 ounces mozzarella cheese
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Method:
    Mix
    cheeses, cream, and egg. Ladle just enough cream mixture to lightly coat bottom
    of pan. Layer peeled squash on mixture. Repeat this step, layering cream mixture
    and squash until gone. Season each layer with salt and pepper. Sprinkle top with
    mozzarella and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 min. until tender. Cool for at
    least 10 minutes before serving.

    Serves 4 to 6

     

    Afton House Inn
    Afton House Inn
    3

  • Spring Ginger Mussels

     

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 pounds fresh black mussels, cleaned
    • 1 ounce ginger, diced
    • 1 1/2 ounces garlic, chopped
    • 1 1/2 ounces shallots chopped
    • 1 ounce tamari soy sauce
    • 2 ounces vegetable oil
    • 1 ounce chives, chopped
    • 2 ounces unsalted butter
    • 3 ounces seedless cucumber, diced
    • 1 ounce quality sake
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Method:
    Warm a
    large sauté pan or skillet to medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, shallots,
    vegetable oil, and cucumbers. Sauté for 1 minute. Add mussels. Deglaze pan with
    sake. Add butter and tamari soy sauce. Cover until mussels are open. Toss chives
    and serve in a big bowl.

    Serves 4

     

    Afton House Inn

     
    Afton House Inn

    3

  • Truffle Hunt

    Which camp are you in?

    A: Truffles are earthy little pungent gifts from the ground that should be prized and savored in a meaningful and creative dish.

    B: Truffles are overrated bits of hype that chefs use to glam their menus while hiding their technical failings.

    Honestly, sometimes I’m in both camps at the same time. I remember my first truffle dish: it was a creamy and soft celery root soup with a black truffle shaving that I had at Gramercy Tavern. Beautiful and subtle, the flavors were never ostentatious or showy. On the other side of the spectrum, I later ate truffle and foie gras ravioli at Ca L’Isidre in Spain. It is one of those taste-memories that I carry with me and is recalled everytime I even smell truffle oil. Lucky me.

    But I do recognize the trend of using truffle oil and truffle butter as being a little too easy. Yes, it brings the flavor to the home cook without all the fuss, of that I am glad. I just can’t abide certain chefs who think that it should be a feature in every dish, found on the menu of a recent restaurant visit at least twelve times. It looks foolish and amature.

    Anyhoo.

    Today and tomorrow you will be able to buy authentic Italian tuffles sourced by the Urbani family. Friday from Noon to 6pm at Byerly’s in Edina and Saturday from 9am to 3pm at Byerly’s in St. Louis Park. The gems will be sold in .03 pound increments at market price.

    I might just grab a cup of coffee and go to watch the bum rush … if it happens.

  • The Last Bite

    I’ve been thinking about the ride home, post dinner party. I think I’ve come up with the perfect parting gift.

    I imagine my guests, driving away after a full evening of good food and good wine, inevitably deconstructing the night and sort of relishing the fact that they won’t have to do dishes when they get home. Sometimes, if they’ve had enough wine over the course of the evening, they’ll sit in the car with that rather stale mouth-feel, not really wishing for more food, but for a different taste.

    That’s why I’m sending everyone away with brownies.

    Dessert at my table isn’t usually an elaborate affair, most of the pomp and circumstance go into the dinner. After a very simple dessert course, there’s usually more wine or port or scotch or sometimes cheese. You never leave my house with that overly sticky, sweet feeling you get after many giant restaurant desserts.

    So just one square of these densely moist brownies should do the trick. With the help of some seasonal spices and a gentle cayenne kick, they easily cut through the staleness and give one last, perfect bite.


    Brownie Bites
    1 cup white whole wheat flour
    1/4 cup all purpose flour
    1 cup Dutch processed cocoa
    4 tsp. cinnamon
    1 tsp. ginger
    1 tsp. nutmeg
    1 tsp. cloves
    1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
    1 tsp. baking powder
    1 tsp. salt
    1 cup granulated sugar
    1 cup dark brown sugar
    3/4 cup vegetable oil
    4 eggs, slightly beaten
    1 tsp. vanilla

    Preheat oven to 350º. Whisk all dry ingredients together in mixing bowl. Add oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir well. Pour into greased 13x9x2 pan and bake on middle rack for about 35 minutes. Tester knife should come out clean. Let cool and dust top with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

  • Midtown Global Market: Two Trips

    pinata.jpg

    This is the week to check out the Midtown Global Market … I know you’ve been meaning to get back there.

    Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday:
    Anyone can give out Snickers or Double Bubble, don’t you want to be the cool Halloween House that gives our Chupa Chups or Pocky sticks? Check out the global candy selection and treat your little tricksters to tamarind candies or spicy chile sweets from Fiesta in America. Show up on Wednesday with your tots and trick-or-treat the shops or get in on the pinata action.

    Thursday – Sunday:
    Now that the silly holiday is over, you can turn your attentions to the proper planning of the Feast. Lori Callister’s Farm in the Market is celebrating their expansion. Sign up for your fresh turkey, check out their new deli and cheese section, register for prizes and sample local meats, cheeses, deli salads, crepes, wine and beer! Saturday will feature cooking demos by Mike Phillips of Craftsman (11:30 – 1pm) and Ken Goff (1pm – 2:30), formerly of The Dakota.