It was Oliver, after all, who generated the biggest food-related news of the night when he tasted his very first lollipop -- a grape tootsie pop. As you can see from the photo, Oliver looks remarkably like the boy from the classic 70s commercial who asked, "How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop?" See for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2xMGI-QpZw
Being only two, Oliver didn't have the stamina to finish the tootsie pop and so that age-old question remained unanswered. . . ...................Спокойной ночи
Guest ListRon
Deena
Oliver
Fred
Yvette
Amanda...sans PJ
Robert
Beto
Menu
- Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon (Yvette),Caviar and Crème Fraîche...shot of Stoli on the side (Caviar and
Stoli courtesy of Ron!)
- Wild Mushroom Pierogies - Polish Dumplings (Beto)
- Pelmeni - Siberian Dumplings (Amanda)
- Salat Olivier (Amanda)
- Persian Cucumber and Balsamic Salad (Beto)
- Russian Tea Cakes...aka Mexican Wedding Cookies (Oliver & Deena)
- Key Lime Sorbet
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Melted butter
Crème fraîche
1 (4-ounce) package thinly sliced smoked salmon
Caviar
Fresh dill sprigs
Preparation
- Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.
- Place milk and butter in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until butter melts and thermometer registers 110°F (if mixture gets too warm, cool until temperature returns to 110°F). Pour warm milk mixture into flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Whisk buckwheat batter to deflate; then whisk in eggs. Do ahead Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Transfer to large bowl. Cover; chill (may increase in volume; rewhisk before using)
- Preheat oven to 200°F.
- Heat griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush lightly with melted butter. Working in batches, pour 2 tablespoons batter for each blini onto griddle, spacing apart. Cook until bubbles form on top and begin to pop, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn blinis; cook until golden brown on bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet. Tent with foil and place in oven to keep warm while cooking remaining blinis. Do ahead Blinis can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Brush blinis lightly with melted butter and rewarm on baking sheet in 350°F oven 5 minutes.
- Arrange warm blinis on platter. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon crème fraîche atop each. Top with smoked salmon. Garnish with caviar and dill sprigs and serve.
Wild Mushroom Pierogies (Gourmet, February 2001)
Ingredients
For filling
1 cup boiling water
2/3 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 medium onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Pierogi and vareniki dough
For onion topping
1 lb onions, chopped
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
Accompaniment: sour cream
Make filling:
- Pour boiling water over porcini in a small bowl and soak until softened,10 to 20 minutes. Lift porcini out of water, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and rinse well to remove any grit. Pour soaking liquid through a paper-towel-lined sieve into a bowl and reserve.
- Finely chop onion and garlic in a food processor, then add cremini and porcini and pulse until very finely chopped.
- Heat butter in a skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook mushroom mixture, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are dry and 1 shade darker, about 8 minutes. Add reserved soaking liquid and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick, dry, and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes (there will be about 1 cup filling). Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cool completely.
Roll out dough and fill pierogies:
- Halve dough and roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface into a 15-inch round, keeping remaining dough wrapped. Cut out rounds (about 24) with floured cutter. Put 1 teaspoon filling in center of each round. Working with 1 round at a time, moisten edges with water and fold in half to form a half-moon, pinching edges together to seal. Transfer pierogies as assembled to a flour-dusted kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining rounds, then make more pierogies with remaining dough and filling.
Cook onions and pierogies:
- Cook onions in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
- Cook pierogies in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to skillet with onions. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.
Pierogi and Vareniki Dough
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading and rolling
3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
Preparation
Stir together flours in a bowl. Make a well in flour and add eggs, salt, and water, then stir together with a fork without touching flour. Continue stirring, gradually incorporating flour into well until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding only as much additional flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. (Dough will be soft.) Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature at least 30 minutes.
Salat Olivier
Serves 4-6
For the Salad: For the dressing:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast 1/2 c mayonnaise
1 large boiled peeled potato, cut into 1/2 inch dice 1/3 c sour cream
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice 1 1/2 t dijon mustard
2/3 c green peas 1 T fresh lemon juice
1 med. red apple, cored and cut into 1/2 inch dice 1/2 t vinegar
1 large dill pickle, cut into 1/2 inch dice grated zest of 1/2 lemon
2 hard cooked eggs, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 T chopped fresh dill
poach chicken in water with garlic and bay leaf (about 15 minutes), allow to cool and dice mix chicken, potato, carrot, peas. add apple, pickle, eggs and dill. mix gently to combine in a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients pour over the chicken mixture and toss gently season with salt and pepper
Mexican Wedding Cookies / Russian Tea Cakes
- 2 sticks butter (room temperature)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans – coarsely ground & toasted*
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, salt and 1/2 cup powdered sugar; beat until well blended. Beat in flour (1/2 cup at a time), then beat in pecans. Divide dough in half: form each half into a ball. Wrap separately in plastic wrap or wax paper; chill aprox. 30 minutes – 1 hour
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Wisk remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with cinnamon in a small bowl to blend mixture – set aside.Working with half of the chilled dough at a time, roll into balls (aprox. 2 teaspoons each). Arrange balls on baking sheet, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Bake until golden brown on bottom and pale golden on the top, about 18 minutes
Partially cool (3-5 minutes) on baking sheet. Gently toss warm cookies in cinnamon sugar to coat completely. Transfer coated cookies to cooling rack and repeat sugar coating.
Cookies can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.Sift remaining cinnamon sugar over cookies before serving
*To toast pecans: 10-15 minutes at 350 F in oven or in toaster oven. Toast until golden light brown.
and our favorite guest....Oliver!
Wow! I feel like I was there! Great job Beto!
ReplyDeleteRobert is the mind behind the words!
ReplyDelete