Sunday is Mother’s Day, the day Mom can relax, put her feet up, enjoy a good book and look forward to brunch or dinner in a restaurant or at home. We never go out on Mother’s Day because it’s too hectic, restaurants are too crowded and the wait is long even if you have a reservation.
This year, Edward and I will toss a bagel and smoked fish brunch in honor of my 89-year-old mom, Berthe. My sister Sandy will join us. We may take a ride if the weather behaves, or perhaps visit a museum. For more than 20 years, the culinary responsibilities for holidays and birthdays have been mine. Berthe does not cook anymore, but she is a big help in the kitchen. She also likes to leaf through my new cookbooks.
Still, there are those moms who love to cook, and can’t wait to read the latest cookbooks or purchase the newest appliance or cookware. Spring is a big season for cookbooks and there has been a plethora of titles from which to choose. I also recommend two books that were published several months ago.
Celebrate! Cookbook: 43 Celebrations, 350 Recipes by Sheila Lukins ($19.95, Workman Publishing, paperback, full-color photographs) was published late last fall.
Lukins is one of my favorite food writers because she always gives an unusual twist to a recipe and all her recipes are easy to follow. Celebrate! covers every major American holiday and ethnic ones as well. She also gives menus and recipes apropos for dinner for two, a new job, a pool party or a housewarming. Each menu includes suggestions for wine and music. Her menu for a Mother’s Day luncheon is a delight.
Italian cucina is still number-one in America and two new books in the genre have just been published. Rome, at Home: The Spirit of la Cucina Romana in Your Own Kitchen by Suzanne Dunaway ($29.95, Broadway Books, hardback, with colorful whimsical illustrations) is a delightful read by a woman who has lived on and off in the Eternal City for more than 30 years.
"Eleanora’s Kitchen: 125 Fabulous Authentic Italian-American Recipes" by Eleanora Russo Scarpetta ($29.95, Broadway Books, hardback) is peppered with family stories and easy-to-prepare recipes.
David Rosengarten’s newest delicious endeavor is It’s All American Food: The Food We Really Eat, the Dishes We Will Always Love ($29.95, Little, Brown, hardback, line drawings), a tribute to the multiethnic dishes that have become an important part of the American way of life. Rosengarten salutes Philly with recipes for cheesesteaks, scrapple, roast pork sandwiches, hoagies and soft pretzels, and offers a tribute to the Pennsylvania Dutch.
Here are recipes from these recommended books.
Cucumber Soup with a Crunch
From Celebrate! by Sheila Lukins
Ingredients:
5 seedless cucumbers, peeled
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 cups basic chicken stock
8 cups plain nonfat yogurt
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 large radishes, cut into 1/4-inch dice, for garnish
Directions:
Cut four of the cucumbers into 1-inch pieces and place them in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, broth, 6 cups of the yogurt, 1-1/2 cups of the mint and the lemon juice. Process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. (If using a blender, prepare the puree in batches.)
Whisk in the remaining 2 cups of yogurt and 1/2 cup mint. Season with salt and pepper. Chill, covered, for two to three hours.
Cut the remaining cucumber into 1/4-inch dice and toss with the radishes. Divide the soup among eight bowls. Top each with the cucumber-radish mixture and serve immediately.
Serves eight.
Note from Phyllis: Seedless cucumbers are also called English cucumbers. They are long, narrow and wrapped in plastic.
Penne All’Arrabbiata (Angry Quills)
From Rome, at Home by Suzanne Dunaway
Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 or 2 small dried red hot peppers, depending on their heat, crushed
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups tomato sauce or canned plum tomatoes, drained and crushed
1 pound penne (smooth, not with grooves, although some people prefer them)
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet, add the pepper and garlic and cook until barely golden, about two minutes. Add the tomato sauce or tomatoes (they should sizzle when they hit the oil) and stir well to mix. Simmer over low to medium heat until the sauce is shiny and thick, about 15 minutes.
Cook the penne in boiling water until al dente, drain well and toss with the sauce.
Divide the pasta and sauce among four plates. Top with chopped parsley.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: Dunaway says no cheese is served with this dish and although she prefers to garnish the pasta with chopped parsley, it is not authentic.
Marinated Grilled Baby Lamb Chops with Fresh Mint
From Eleanora’s Kitchen by Eleanora Russo Scarpetta
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Italian
2 dried hot red peppers, finely chopped or crushed, or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
2-1/2 to 3 pounds baby lamb chops
Lemon wedges
Directions:
Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Pour the mixture into a flat baking dish or into a zipper-sealed plastic bag. Add the lamb chops. Coat the chops with the marinade, seal tightly and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or a grill pan to medium.
Place the chops on the grill and pour a little bit of the marinade on the chops. Grill the chops for three to four minutes on each side. When the chops are almost done, drizzle the remaining marinade on top. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Serves four to six.
Note from Phyllis: Serve the lamb chops with a fresh green salad.
Strawberries Romanoff
From It’s All American Food by David Rosengarten
Ingredients:
1 pint strawberries, washed, stemmed, cut into quarters, reserving 4 whole berries for garnish
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons triple sec or Cointreau
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix the strawberries with the sugar, orange juice, triple sec or Cointreau and orange zest. Let stand, covered, in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Remove the berries from the refrigerator. Whip the cream to soft peaks, then gently fold into the softened ice cream. Gently fold the strawberries into the ice cream mixture.
Serve in martini glasses or wine glasses. Garnish with reserved strawberries.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: This recipe was created by the late Mike Romanoff, who owned the legendary Romanoff’s restaurant in Los Angeles.
