De Re Coquinaria

Chocolate Krinkle Puffs

2006-12-02T22:13:00.000-05:00

After many months of neglect, I'm back to the cooking blog for the Christmas season. Last Christmas, my husband's aunt gave me several family cookie recipes, including this one from her grandmother, Grama Graves.

Ingredients

2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. milk
granulated sugar for coating

Preheat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheets.

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.

2. Cream the butter and brown sugar.

3. Beat in melted chocolate, egg, vanilla, and milk.

4. Blend in dry ingredients.

[At this point it is very helpful to chill the dough for a little while to make it easier to work with.]

5. Roll dough into balls in palm of hand, 1 tsp at a time. Roll balls in granulated sugar. Place on prepared cookie sheet. (They can be pretty close together because they don't spread during baking.)

Bake at 375 for seven minutes.

Makes about six dozen (!)

Neufchatel Cheesecake

2006-07-27T22:43:00.000-05:00

Boy, we're lazy! Haven't posted anything on here in a good long while! I recently pulled out a recipe that I discovered on the inside of a Philadelphia Cream Cheese box - the lowfat, neufchatel variety - to make for a family party. Here's a cheesecake recipe that is slightly lower fat and sacrifices absolutely no taste. I've also added in an all-purpose graham cracker crust recipe that will work with any cheesecake. And, if you want to make a chocolate crust for your cheesecake, substitute in chocolate graham crackers.

Neufchatel Cheesecake

2 packages (8 ounces each) neufchatel cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until well blended. Add the eggs; mix until blended. Pour into a ready-to-use graham cracker pie crust (6 oz. or 9") or graham cracker crust in a 9" springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Serve with any desired topping (canned or fresh fruit is especially good).

All-Purpose Graham Cracker Crust

1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

Combine all ingredients in a bowl with a fork. Press onto the bottom and sides of a greased 9" springform pan (can go up to at least 1" on the sides). No baking required - set aside for the cheesecake batter.

Parmesan Chicken

2006-05-24T12:05:00.000-05:00

My sincere apologies for not posting a real recipe for a while. I've been neglecting this blog (poor blog) in favor of my other one, but I promise to improve. Hey Juliet, now that your kitchen is clean, how about a post or two? :)

Anyway, I was reading on fellow blogger Domestic Chicky's site and she was asking about how other moms cook. Plus she has been cooking a lot of chicken recently, so I figured that I would post my tried-and-true chicken recipe, Parmesan Chicken. It is from a Taste of Home from several years ago, and everyone who has ever tasted it has wanted more.

1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
6 to 8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

In a bowl, combine melted butter, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and salt. In a plastic bag, combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Dip chicken breasts one at a time in butter mixture, then place in bag and shake in crumb mixture to coat evenly. Place in an ungreased 9x13 baking pan. Drizzle with any remaining butter mixture and sprinkle leftover crumbs and cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Not a recipe, but a reminder

2006-04-25T15:49:00.000-05:00

I can't quite figure out how to make Blogger link to my "real" blog. Of course, my "real" blog is not a Blogger account. Aha! Herein lies the problem! However, all the people who have Blogger blogs that I comment on only see this blog, and are now blogrolling it. They must be surprised when they check it out and see only recipes!

So, for the record, you can find my daily posts at:
http://www.deannascorner.com/

In the meantime, I need to find a recipe to post. I'll try and find something yummy. :)

Muffins!

2006-02-15T03:07:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of the most recent Taste of Home magazine, these two recipes are very tasty and kid-approved!

Gingerbread Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cloves. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, oil and molasses until smooth; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Makes approximately 1 dozen muffins. Serve warm with lemon curd.

Lemon Curd:
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup lemon juice
5 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir a small amount into the egg yolks to raise the yolks' temperature. Return all into the pan; bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes longer or until mixture reaches 160 degrees and coats the back of a metal spoon.

Remove from heat; gently stir in butter and lemon peel until blended. Pour into a bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap (press down onto the curd). Cover and refrigerate until serving. Makes approxminately 1 cup.

Lemon Pound Cake Muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and the extracts; beat well. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over muffins. Serve warm. Makes approximately 1 dozen.

Personal note: I have transcribed the ingredients for this recipe as it was published, but I made only half the glaze and that was more than plenty to drizzle on a dozen muffins. Use 1 cup confectioners' sugar, and 1-1/2 tablespoons (4-1/2 teaspoons) of lemon juice.

Split Pea with Ham Soup

2006-02-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

It's chilly out there! Here's another crock pot recipe that will warm you up on cold winter evenings. This particular recipe was created by my mother, and is a fantastic way to use up a ham bone and get all the meat off it. But the best part is that you can do it with a turkey ham as well. I have a 4-quart crock pot, so the recipe can be scaled back if you have a smaller one.

1 lb. dried split peas – rinsed and drained
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ham bone, or cubed ham (1 to 2 cups, depending on size of crock pot)
1 small onion, diced
4 to 5 carrots, diced
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 to 8 cups water

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook approximately 8 hours on low or until peas “break down” in soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Christmas and Gingerbread

2005-12-11T02:10:00.000-05:00

My favorite cookies during Christmas involve gingerbread. The smell, the taste - it just screams "holiday" to me. The Boys are a recipe that came with a cookie cutter (great because they are eggless and we happen to know some people with egg allergies) given to me by my mother after a trip to the scenic resort town of Ocean Shores, Washington. The Bears are from a recipe my mother has made for years, discovered in the December 1990 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, and they are the biggest hit with kids. The Spritz are a family classic - I don't remember a Christmas without them - but you will need a cookie press to make them. I use a Wilton Cookie Pro, and find that it is easy to clean and use. Happy Baking!

Gingerbread Boys

1 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light molasses
5 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. ground ginger
pinch of cloves
½ cup cold tea
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. lemon juice

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in molasses. Mix dry ingredients separately; add to molasses mixture alternately with the tea. Mix well, add the vanilla. Chill for 4 hours. Roll out to 1/8 of an inch and cut out with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 degrees on ungreased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes. Once cool, spread with frosting and decorate. To make frosting: melt the butter and combine all the ingredients together – makes about 1/3 cup.

Gingerbread Bears

1 cup margarine or butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup molasses
- Stir these ingredients over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Pour into large mixing bowl, cool for 5 minutes.

4 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. ground cloves
- Combine all these ingredients in a mixing bowl; set aside

1 beaten egg
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- Add to the butter mixture; mix well

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until combined well. Cover and chill dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.

To shape bears: make ball about ¾” to 1” for the body and a slightly smaller ball for the head. Make small balls for ears and nose. Roll logs for legs and arms – cut to size with knife. Assemble on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten head and body balls slightly and attach ears, nose, arms and legs. Press miniature chocolate chips point side up for eyes. For paws, press mini chocolate chips point side in, into ends of arms and legs. Bake at 325 degrees for about 12-15 minutes or until edges are light brown. Makes about 36 small bears.

Gingerbread Spritz

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
½ cup molasses
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, molasses and brown sugar; add egg and vanilla extract – beat well. In another bowl stir together the flour and other dry ingredients. Add to the creamed mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed. Cover and chill dough for 1 to 2 hours.

Fill cookie press with part of the dough and press on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 to 7 minutes or until set. Remove and cool. If desired, drizzle with glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, ¼ tsp. vanilla extract, 1 Tbsp. milk or enough to make glaze of drizzling consistency. Makes 4 dozen.

Holiday cheer: Linda's rum balls

2005-12-10T14:40:00.000-05:00

These were (and perhaps still are) standard fare at UVA religious studies department holiday parties during our former secretary Linda's tenure. Rumored to light with a match, although Linda says they don't. That might require more rum.

1 cup crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup nuts
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 cup rum
2 tablespoons cocoa

Mix the ingredients. Roll them into balls and then in sugar.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2005-11-14T22:51:00.000-05:00

'Tis the season for potlucks. This dish is a great one to take. It was given to me by my grandmother, who doesn't like to cook (but loves to throw parties). While the enchiladas look complicated, they are really very easy to put together and have a nice bite to them. And they can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator - just don't put the sauce or cheese on them until you are ready to bake it.

10 soft-taco sized flour tortillas
4 chicken breasts - cooked and cubed/shredded into small pieces
1 package of cream cheese (8 ounces - light cream cheese can be used, but not nonfat)
1 can mild green chiles (4 ounces)
1 can mild green enchilada sauce (19 ounces)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (additional 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese optional)

Melt the cream cheese in a saucepan on low heat with the green chiles. Add in the cooked chicken and mix well. Spoon or scoop the chicken mixture into each tortilla, spreading it out and rolling it up. Place seam side down in a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Try to distribute the chicken mixture as evenly as possible between the tortillas. Pour the can of green chile enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas, then cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the grated cheese and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, but don't burn the cheese.

The easiest way to serve this is to cut the tortillas in half horizontally (so you end up with 20 half-tortillas), and dish up directly from the casserole dish. Serves 4 to 6 people.

Cooking with alcohol, or not

2005-11-08T19:20:00.000-05:00

I like to cook with wine and other kinds of booze. You're probably thinking it's an excuse to open a bottle of wine. Not at all! I like the depth and complexity alcohol adds to the flavor of dishes. Theoretically, at least, the alcohol burns off, leaving the tannins and whatever the heck else is in wine in your entree. I can't imagine my favorite dishes without wine. That's why I cook with it. Although, sure, having a bottle of Chianti open for dinner is a side benefit, and Justin doesn't complain.

But not everyone likes cooking with alcohol. (cough! Deanna cough!) I get a lot of free preview issues of cooking magazines because, well, I subscribe (or have subscribed) to a lot of cooking magazines, and the latest, Cuisine at Home, includes a list of alcohol substitutes, which is as follows:

whine wine: white grape juice; chicken or vegetable broth; ginger ale
red wine: grape juice; cranberry juice; chicken, beef, or vegetable broth; flavored vinegar; tomato juice
brandy: white gape juice; apple juice; cherry, peach or apricot syrup
beer: chicken, beef, or mushroom brother; white grape juice; ginger ale [I think you can also substitute O'Doul's or other near-beer]
rum: pineapple juice with almond extract or molasses; vanilla extract
vodka: water; apple cider or white grape juice mixed with lime juice
sherry: vanilla extract; orange or pineapple juice; coffee

Choose whatever is most appropriate for the flavor of the dish. As a general rule, if you are using a recipe that involves other liquids, you can substitute more of those for the alcohol, as long as they are suitable for doing what the alcohol would be doing (e.g. you can saute things in wine, but not in cream). And of course there are recipes that just have to have alcohol in them, like Bananas Foster, Linda's famous rum balls (which I will post closer to the holidays), or other things you might want to light on fire.

Pear Cranberry Sauce

2005-11-03T23:32:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is three weeks away - yikes! Now, while my family has labeled me as "weird" because I hate stuffing and don't like pumpkin pie, I happen to love cranberry sauce. As a kid at large family Thanksgiving dinners, we ate the Ocean Spray jellied stuff - the kind that slurps right out of the can intact, so it looks like a jelly sculpture of the can itself. It was kind of cool. And it tasted great. Eventually, the whole berry sauce was discovered, and that tasted good out of the can and worked well as a garnish for turkey.

Then I discovered this recipe in Taste of Home (December/January 2001 issue), and my family has never looked back. It is, simply, the most delicious cranberry sauce ever. Plus, it can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator; it keeps very well.

2 - 1/2 cups cubed peeled ripe pears (about 3 medium)
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
1 cinnamon stick (at least 3 inches long), broken in half
1 package (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
1 to 1 - 1/4 cups sugar

In a saucepan, combine the pears, water, ginger and broken cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in cranberries and sugar. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 - 12 minutes or until the cranberries have popped and sauce is slightly thickened, stirring several times. Discard cinnamon sticks. Mash sauce, if desired. Cool. Cover and refrigerate. Yields about 2 to 4 cups.

Linguine alle Vongole

2005-10-28T11:12:00.000-05:00

In my recipe file, there is a hastily scribbled recipe for linguine with clams I copied from an email my mom sent me the first time I was in Rome. It has eight years of accumulated olive oil stains on it. When I made this in Rome my vegetarian roommates claimed they could hear the clams screaming. I have modified the Passion of the Clams with inspiration from Ristorante Piatti in Seattle, which does a great version of it. I don't use clam broth, which was in the original recipe, but if you don't like cooking with alcohol, you can replace the wine with it. I highly recommend the wine, though.

Ingredients:
1 lb. linguine
1/4 c. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, slivered
3-6 dried chile peppers, depending on taste
1 c. dry white wine
2 lb. small hardshell clams
2 T chopped parsley
bread for sopping up extra sauce

1. Start cooking the linguine first, because the clams don't take long to cook.

2. About six or seven minutes before you expect the pasta to be done, heat the olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold all the clams. Add garlic and peppers and stir over medium heat for a minute. Add wine and boil briskly until liquid is reduced by about half.

3. Add the clams and steam just until they're all open (you can remove them to the serving bowl as they open to prevent overcooking, as there are always a few stubborn ones).

4. Drain the linguine. Toss the clams and sauce with the pasta, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with bread.

Chinese Pork Ribs

2005-10-28T01:06:00.000-05:00

Being a mother to two small children means that sometimes, the Crock Pot is your best friend. This recipe, discovered by my mother in an issue of Quick Cooking, tastes great and is good to serve when company is coming and you don't have time to really do a lot of cooking beforehand. A little preparation in the morning and this main dish is ready to go in the evening. I like serving it with rice to soak up the light marinade that coats the ribs after cooking.

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup orange marmalade
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 to 4 pounds bone-in (or boneless) country-style pork ribs

Combine the soy sauce, orange marmalade, ketchup, and minced garlic in a bowl. Pour half of the marinade into the Crock Pot. Add the pork ribs (make sure your Crock Pot is big enough to handle the amount of ribs). Drizzle the ribs with the remaining marinade. Cook on low for 6 hours or until tender.

Tiramisu alternative

2005-10-22T14:17:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Juliet for inviting me to play on this new blog! This is a non-alcoholic cake version of tiramisu that has proven to be very popular among our group of friends. Since it can serve quite a few people, it makes a nice dessert for a party - plus the kids can have a taste. The recipe was originally published in Taste of Home magazine in the June/July 2002 issue.

Tiramisu Toffee Torte

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix

1 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature

4 egg whites

4 Heath candy bars (1.4 ounces each), chopped

Frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 cups whipping cream

1/3 cup chocolate syrup

1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons strong brewed coffee, room temperature, divided

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 Heath candy bar (1.4 ounces), chopped

Line two greased 9-inch round baking pans with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the cake mix, coffee and egg whites on low speed until moistened. Beat on high speed for two minutes. Fold in chopped candy bars. Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before moving from pans to wire racks. When cool, split each cake into two horizontal layers.

For frosting, in a chilled mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the whipping cream, chocolate syrup, 1/4 cup of the coffee and vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Frosting will be fluffy, but soupy.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate; drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the remaining coffee. Spread with 3/4 cup of frosting. Repeat twice. Top with fourth cake layer. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting. Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours. Garnish with chopped candy bar. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Serves 12-14 people.

Tiramisu

2005-10-20T17:50:00.000-05:00

I made this in vast quantities for our wedding cake, in celebration of our meeting in Rome and the tiramisu I made for a Fourth of July party at Justin's apartment almost exactly two years before we got married.

Ingredients:
1 cup espresso, cooled
1/8 cup rum
1/2 package Savoiardi biscuits or ladyfingers
2 eggs, separated
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 lb marscapone
1/4 cup amaretto or other liqueur
1 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder
(ingredient amounts are generally very flexible)

1. Find a flat serving dish, several inches deep and large enough to accomodate half the biscuits in a single layer. Pour coffee and rum into another dish and dip 1/2 the biscuits in the mixture, soaking both sides without allowing them to disintegrate. (Usually I put them all in and them flip them over immediately--that's enough time. You might have to make more espresso/rum mixture after this, or drain off some of what the biscuits soak up to have enough left over for the next layer.)
2. Cover bottom of serving dish with savoiardi. Set aside coffee-rum mixture.
3. Beat egg yolks in bowl until pale yellow. Beat in all but about 1 tsp of sugar, marscapone, and liqueur until well blended.
4. In another bowl, whisk egg whites until fluffy but not stiff (works best with a mixer or KitchenAid). Add remaining sugar and whisk until still but not dry. Fold into egg/marscapone mixture.
5. Pour half of marscapone mixture over savoiardi layer. Top with chopped chocolate. Soak remaining biscuits and place on top of chocolate.
6. Blend any remaining coffee/rum mixture with remaining marscapone mixture and spread over biscuits. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, or freeze for 2-3 hours (thaw a bit in the refrigerator before serving if you do). Sprinkle with cocoa before serving.

Makes about 4 generous servings. I quartered a recipe for 12 in The Classic Italian Cookbook by Julia della Croce.

Juliet's tomato sauce

2005-10-18T02:55:00.000-05:00

This is my version of the ubiquitous marinara. I've refined this recipe over the course of many years since I first started cooking my own tomato sauce when I lived in Rome in 1997. Several of my roommates there were vegetarians, so when I first started cooking tomato sauce, I often used sliced zucchini instead of meat (probably best added near the end of cooking so it doesn't get too soft). I usually serve it with penne. It would also work in lasagna.

1 T olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 1 1/2 lb. meat (I use ground turkey, but you can also use beef, sausage, whatever...or no meat at all)
28 oz can diced tomatoes
14 oz can tomato sauce
12 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1 T dried oregano (or less; I really like oregano)
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 bay leaf

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the garlic until your kitchen smells wonderful. Brown the meat, add the other ingredients, and simmer for at least an hour, the longer the better. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Couscous and Vegetable Salad with Orange & Garlic

2005-10-18T02:40:00.000-05:00

This is from our friend Michele, who used to be in the Berkeley classics department with Justin and is now a curator at the Getty Museum in LA. Sweet gig. This is a great salad for parties.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups couscous
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp turmeric
2 cups boiling water
2/3 cup sliced almonds
2 cups chick-peas or 1 15-oz can, rinsed and drained
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, halved, seeded and diced

Dressing:

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Grated rind of 1 orange
2 tbsp minced fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place the couscous, raisins, and turmeric in a large bowl, then pour boiling water over them and stir well. Cover with foil or a large plate and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, cover again, and let sit 10 minutes longer.

2. Stir in the almonds, chick-peas, scallions, and tomatoes.

3. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, orange rind, basil, salt and pepper and beat to blend. Pour over the couscous mixture and toss. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours, before serving. Serve mounded on leaves of green leaf lettuce.

Juliet's note: I also sometimes add a bit of grated fresh ginger.

Manifesto

2005-10-18T02:17:00.000-05:00

I am always looking for new recipes to try, and I know my friends who read girl with flat hat do too. It occurred to me that it would be fun to have a blog dedicated to posting recipes. A sort of Carnival of the Recipes, but on a smaller scale, and not a moveable feast.

I'll post recipes I like when the mood strikes me. If you want to post yours too, email me at julietschwab@gmail.com and I'll add you as a contributer to the blog.

About the title: De Re Coquinaria is the title of an ancient Roman cookbook. Coquina is Latin for kitchen--not Ciceronian Latin, but later Latin. In classical Latin, it's culina, but that looks too much like a typo of cucina, which is kitchen in Italian. Yes, I am a geek.