Lemon Rice

This delicious rice is from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian cookbook. It is a nice variation to plain rice, and can be served with almost anything.

2 cups basmati rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
15 fresh curry leaves (basil leaves are an interesting substitute)
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (try 2 first then taste)
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

Wash the rice in several changes of water. Drain thoroughly. Combine the rice, salt, and 3 cups of water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, turn the heat down to very low, and cook for 25 minutes.

Put the oil in a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as the seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the curry leaves. Stir once and then empty the contents of the frying pan over the rice. Add the lemon juice and rind. Mix gently with a fork or slotted spoon. Mix once again when emptying into a serving dish.

Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian

Madhur Jaffrey is an Indian born actress who has found fame as a food writer. Her World Vegetarian book is a huge collection of recipes from around the world, like Morocco and Trinidad, India and Mexico, Italy and Cyprus. Some recipes are very exotic, others are simple. General information is also provided about basic methods of cooking from different parts of the world. This is one of our favorite cookbooks; you don't have to be a vegetarian to value this book.

Bar Nuts

We have some friends who serve these whenever they have a party. People claim to come to their parties just for these nuts. The recipe is from the Union Square Cafe in New York. The nuts can be made ahead of time, and reheated in the microwave or oven just before serving.

1/4 pound each peeled peanuts, cashews, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, and whole unpeeled almonds, or 1 1/4 pounds unsalted, assorted nuts
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350° F. Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a cookie sheet. Toast in the oven until they become light golden brown, about 10 minutes. In the large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter. Thoroughly toss the warm toasted nuts with the spiced butter and serve warm.

Planked Salmon

This is a great way to cook salmon on a grill, from Stan's Recipe Book. The use of a wood plank infuses a smokey flavor into the fish, plus keeps the salmon moist and reduces the chances of overcooking. We've tried different types of wood: Apple, Alder, Beech, Cedar, Mesquite, etc. Each flavors the meat differently. There are online sources for obtaining wood planks for cooking. Be sure the wood you use is untreated. Soak the plank for at least 2 hours, and make sure the plank is not placed directly over the fire, or it may burn (we've had them catch fire when we've cheated the soaking time).

1 untreated Cedar or Mesquite wood plank
1 whole salmon filet
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste and type of salt)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary

Soak plank in water for 2-3 hours. Mix brown sugar, sea salt, chili powder, and black pepper together and rub into one side (interior) of the salmon, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Preheat gas grill to 350° F and for indirect heat grilling. Place plank on the grill and let heat for 5 minutes. Spray lightly with Pam, lightly sprinkle with salt and place salmon onto plank; do not place plank directly over the lit burners. Place rosemary sprigs around fish. Close lid and grill for about 45 minutes, or until done. Internal temperature should be about 125° F.

Stan's Recipe Book

My father Stan is an excellent cook. Stan's Recipe Book is a compilation recipes he has put together over many years and has generously distributed it to family and friends. We reference it frequently. Let us know if you want a copy and we might be able to accommodate.

The Palm Restaurant Cookbook

We bought The Palm Restaurant Cookbook on a whim a couple of years ago when we were at the restaurant. I didn't expect it to be that useful - The Palm is primarily a steakhouse. However, the book has surprised us. The recipes we've tried have been excellent and not overly elaborate to make. The book does include basic methods for cooking different types of steaks, but in addition to that, there are good seafood dishes, salads, side dishes, pasta, other meats (pork, veal, and poultry), and desserts. Our favorites so far have been the Horseradish-Crusted Salmon, the Spaghettini Aglio e Olio, the blackening spice recipe, some of the salad dressings, and the Apple-Cranberry Crumb Pie. You can order the cookbook from their online store through the restaurant web site. I assume you can probably purchase them directly at any of their restaurants.

Eduardo's Rice

Eduardo makes perfect rice every time, without a rice cooker. This is how he does it. This works for either white or brown rice - note that the brown rice takes longer to cook. The recipe can be doubled or halved.

2 cups water
1 cup rice (brown or white)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter

Start by putting the water in a saucepan over high heat.

Put rice in a bowl, and rinse thoroughly by filling the bowl with cold water and stirring by hand until the water is cloudy. Pour water out, and repeat until the water stays clear. Drain. (White rice will require more rinsing than brown rice).

Once the water is boiling, add the rinsed/drained rice. Add salt and butter, and bring back to a boil. Turn stove to the lowest setting, stir the rice to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom, and cover. Do not stir it again.

Cook white rice on low for 20 minutes, brown rice for 40 minutes to 1 hour (depends on rice). The rice is done when the rice has developed holes where the steam is escaping and is making a quiet hissing sound. There should be no more water in the bottom of the pan.

Swiss Chard - Potato Soup

This is derived from something I saw on a cooking show - Lidia Bastianich was demonstrating ways to use old bread. The secret is making sure the garlic and peppers are very hot before ladling the soup into the pan with them; this draws the flavor of the spices into the soup. This is a fast way of creating a large pot of flavorful soup.

12 cups soup stock (or water)
10 cloves garlic, sliced
8 cups old (hard) bread, cut into 1" cubes
1 bunch (about 8 leaves) of Swiss chard
4 potatoes
2-5 small dried red chilis
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
parmesan cheese, optional, for garnish

Chop the potatoes, boil in a soup pot in the stock (or water) for about 10 minutes.

Cut the stems off of the Swiss chard, and cut them into small pieces and boil them with the potatoes, another 10 minutes.

Cut or tear the chard leaves into 2" to 3" pieces, add to the potatoes, add salt and continue to cook.

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a skillet or saute pan until very hot (be careful not to burn the oil). Add the garlic to the hot oil, stir for about 2 minutes, so that the garlic starts to lightly brown. Add the dried red chilis (adjust the number of chilis to your taste) and let cook on high for a few more minutes. The garlic and chilis should be very hot.

Just before the garlic gets too brown, quickly add 3 large ladles full of the stock mixture to the pan. Do it quickly to reduce splattering. This mixture should boil rapidly for a couple of minutes. Stir constantly, to bring out the flavor of the spices, then pour the garlic/chili mixture back into the large pot.

Add the bread cubes to the soup, bring to a boil, then turn heat down to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and some parmesan cheese.

Jerre's Lima Beans

This is how my mother tricked us into eating lima beans as children. I still love them. I usually reduce the butter and salt, and make this with a 1 lb bag of frozen beans instead of the 10oz package.

1 10 oz package frozen lima beans
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or 3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh)

Melt butter in a saucepan and add remaining ingredients. Cook, covered, over low heat until done (at least 20 minutes). Stir occasionally.

Horseradish-Crusted Salmon

This recipe is from The Palm Restaurant Cookbook (it's a great cookbook with a lot more than just steaks). This is a fast, easy way to cook salmon in the oven. This recipe times the cooking so that the salmon is 'opaque' in the center; you can cook it a little longer if desired and it won't dry out.

4 (7-oz) center-cut salmon filets, patted dry with paper towels
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups white breadcrumbs, from a sourdough or French loaf
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon chopped dill
4 lemon wedges, for serving
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Preheat a broiler to high heat. If you have a separate oven, preheat it to 400°.

Season both sides of the salmon filets with salt and pepper, and place them in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, horseradish, melted butter, dill, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Mix thoroughly with a fork. The mixture should be moist but not gummy. Pat enough of the breadcrumb mixture onto each filet to create a 1/4-inch crust.

Broil the filets until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pan to the hot oven, or, if your broiler is part of your oven, turn off the broiler and set the oven to 400°. Cook the salmon for 6 to 8 minutes, until firm and opaque at the center. Transfer the salmon to heated plates, place a wedge of lemon on the side, and scatter a little of the chopped parsley over the entire plate. Serve at once.