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Spring officially arrived a few days ago. I began to think about dishes for an early seasonal meal. Since March is International Women’s Month, I leafed through my cookbooks written by women and decided to plan a dinner using their recipes.
Bing Crosby crooned a tune called “Ac-Cen-Tchu-Ate the Positive” written by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen. He asks us to “accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative” and “Don’t mess with Mr. In-Between.” March is a month to do just that. Let’s think positive about this in-between month. To me, spring truly arrives in late April or early May.
Here are recipes for an early spring meal written by Julia Child, Lidia Bastianich, Julee Russo and Sheila Lukins who influenced and changed the way Americans cook.
Julia’s Basic Leek and Potato Soup
from “Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home” by Julia Child and Jacques Pepia
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of butter, melted
3 cups of white and pale green leeks, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
2 tablespoons of flour
6 cups of water
1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Directions:
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the leeks and onions to coat with the butter. Cover the pan, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
Uncover, sprinkle on the flour, stir and cook for five minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
While stirring, gradually pour in 1-1/2 cups of the water. Bring to a simmer. When the liquid is smooth and starts to thicken, stir in the remainder of the water. Add the potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, cover the pan, lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes.
Puree the soup and adjust seasoning.
Makes two quarts.
Chicken Scarpariello (Pollo Scarpariello)
From “Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen” by Lidia Bastianich
Ingredients:
2 small fryer chickens, each cut into 8 pieces, patted dry with paper towels.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup of olive oil, or as needed
1/2 pound of sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
10 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
4 pickled cherry peppers, cut in half and stemmed
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 cup of chicken stock
1/4 cup of fresh Italian parsley
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet. Add to the skillet as many pieces of chicken, skin side down, starting with the leg, thigh and wing pieces. Cook the chicken, turning as necessary, until golden brown, for about eight minutes. Remove the chicken and drain on paper towels.
Place the chicken in a roasting pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Repeat until all of the chicken pieces have been browned, adding a bit more oil if necessary. As room becomes available in the skillet, brown the sausage on all sides.
Remove the sausage from the skillet and add to the roasting pan. Place the garlic in the skillet and cook until golden over medium-low heat. Scatter the cherry peppers in the skillet, season with salt and pepper and stir. Pour in the vinegar, bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits from the skillet. Reduce the vinegar by a half. Add the wine and boil for about three minutes.
Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the roasting pan and stir to coat. Roast the chicken in the oven for about 10 minutes. The sauce should be sticky like molasses. Top with parsley and serve.
Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: Serve broccoli rabe, green beans or baby peas with this dish.
Mocha Mousse
From “The Silver Palate 25th Anniversary Cookbook” by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of sugar
6 tablespoons of prepared espresso or strong coffee
6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate
4 tablespoons of light cream
3 egg whites
1-1/2 cups of heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a heavy saucepan, dissolve the sugar with the coffee over medium heat.
In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, slowly melt the chocolate. Whisk in the light cream and the coffee mixture, stirring until smooth. Cool.
Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold in one-half cup of the chocolate mixture. Pour this mixture back into the chocolate mixture, folding gently.
Beat the chilled cream to soft peaks and fold in gently until totally mixed.
Pour into eight dessert glasses or a large serving bowl. Chill for four hours.
Serves eight. SPR
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