Spring 2008
Country Kitchen
Finger food with flair for watching flicks... Fair food for St. Pat... A spiced up chili
Pop's Irish Soda Bread
If family movie night on March 17th includes The Quiet Man, this wee bit of sweet pleasure will make you feel right at home. It goes quite nicely with a pint of Guinness, or a pat of butter. Recipe from James B. Cleary ("Pop"), born in County Kerry Ireland.
Makes 1 9-inch round loaf
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease one 9-inch cake pan
In a medium size bowl combine:
- 3 cups flour
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
In a second medium size bowl combine:
- 1½ cups raisins
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
One cup at a time, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon until a pasty dough forms. Transfer dough to prepared pan. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 60 minutes. Cool. Turn out onto a cooling rack. Serve with butter, jam or marmalade.
Chef Rudi's Spicy Peanuts
A great snack for movie night, Make them ahead of time, they will keep for up to three weeks in a tightly covered container.
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning or chili poweder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups dry-roasted peanuts
Take a heat-resistant plate and line it with a few paper towels. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large heavey skillet over medium heat. Add Cajun seasoning and cayenne and mix. Cook mixture for only a few seconds.
Add the peanuts and cook for 2 minutes, stirring the entire time so nothing sticks to the bottom of the skillet.
Remove peanuts from pan onto towel-lined plate. Serve warm or at Room temperature.
Chicken Drum — starring Apricot and Garlic Glaze
Great for the end of winter, these glazed drumettes made in the oven offer up the deep glazed flavor and finger-licking instincts of the barbeque season. Recipe courtesy of Rudi Sodamin, Master Chef for Holland America Line.
- 1 cup apricot nectar (find it at your favorite local or on-line specialty food store)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ Serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds chicken drumettes (about 16), skin removed
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except the parsley and chicken. Mix marinade well.
Arrange the drumettes in a single layer in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, basting occasionally. The chicken should no longer be pink and the sauce should be nicely glazed. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Good Dill Hunting
A good dill dip is hard to find. But if you search the high seas, you'll never find a better one than this from Rudi Sodamin, Master Chef for Holland America Line. Nautical- themed movie optional.
Makes 2 cups
In a medium size bowl combine:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup prepared mayonnaise (if you make homemade mayo, use that!)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 6 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 6 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
In a non-reactive bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, dill, and parsley. Use a whisk to blend. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Flip not Flop Dip
Great for a large group of people, say catching the Oscar Ceremony chez vous. This is a classic veggie dip with a few surprises. Recipe courtesy of Rudi Sodamin, Master Chef for Holland America Line.
Makes 3 cups
In a medium size bowl combine:
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 cups sour cream
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise (if you make homemade mayo, use that!)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- dash of celery salt
- dash of white pepper
- dash of dried onions
- 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
- 3 green scallions, freshly chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 round country-style bread loaf, top sliced off and loaf hollowed out
In a medium skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook, stirring for two minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
Add the sour cream to the spinach and mix. Add mayonnaise, mustard celery salt, white pepper and dried onions. Stir until well combined. Stir in water chestnuts and scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
To serve, stir the dip, then spoon it into the hollowed out bread. Arrange bread cubes, crackers or fresh cut vegetables around the dip.
Chic-Flick Chickie Chili
It's a hot, spicy chili good enough to cry over. Better still, you can make it the day before you serve it. Recipe courtesy of Rudi Sodamin, Master Chef Holland America Line.
Makes 4 servings
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, roughly chopped or ground
- 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 4-ounce can green chile peppers, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 15-ounce cans white navy beans, drained and rinsed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- 1 cup tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, chile peppers, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes
Stir in the beans and simmer for 10 minutes more. Season to taste.
To serve, divide chili among 4 bowls and top with scallions, grated cheese, chopped tomato and jalapeño slices.
Tear-Jerker Brownies
Depending on your selection of film, you might need a box of tissues on hand, and plenty of chocolate into which to drown your sorrows. This brownie is so rich, it will make you forget the weep fest. If you really need to, you can even eat it with a spoon. Recipe courtesy of Rudi Sodamin, Master Chef Holland America Line.
Makes 16 squares
- 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, plus a little extra for greasing the pan
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 3 extra large eggs
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 13 ounces caramels, unwrapped (about 45)
- 1/3 cup evaporated milk
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
- Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter.
Place the chocolate, butter and shortening in the top of a doubleboiler set over 1 inch of simmering (not boiling!) water. Whisk until the chocolate is smooth and without lumps. Remove the mixture from the heat; set aside. Keep the water in the bottom of the doubleboiler simmering while you do the next step.
In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until pale in color, about 5 to 10 minutes, stopping several times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. With a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour over the batter, and fold it in just until mixed (do not over mix this one!)
Pour three-fourths of the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for six minutes. Meanwhile, place the caramels and evaporated milk in the top pot of the doubleboiler and place it over the still-simmering water. Melt and stir until well combined.
Sprinkle partially baked brownies with the chocolate chips and nuts. Pour melted caramel mixture over the top, then spoon the remaining quarter of the brownie mixture over the surface.
Bake for 30 additional minutes. Set the hot pan on a wire cooling rack. Let cool almost completely. Cut into 16 squares, place on a serving platter, and dust with confectioners' sugar.
