by Buck on December 28, 2009
As the Holiday feasting eases back to simpler meals I like to review the supporting items we served that had broad appeal and received enthusiastic praise. The accompaniment that received consistent favorable comment was the potato dish we served at a dinner for 20 people before Christmas.
That was our recipe for Scalloped Potatoes-Patate Al Forna
This recipe has an Italian flare that makes the simple potato into a special accompaniment to your dinner. Give Patate Al Forna a try. Your family and guests will love it.
Scalloped Potatoes Baked in Milk
Ingredients:
2 ½ lb potatoes (Yukon Gold preferred)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup sour cream blended with 3 tbsp Milk
½ tsp salt
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup milk
Preparation
Step 1. Boil potatoes till half cooked. About 20- 30 minutes
Step 2. Drain , cool completely, peel and cut into ¼ inch slices
Step 3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Step 4. Butter a baking dish that will hold the potatoes (1 tbsp butter)
Step 5. Spread a layer of potatoes in the dish-dot with butter – some salt-spread some thinned sour cream and then sprinkle a small amount of Parmesan on top
Step 6. Repeat the layering process until all potatoes are used
Step 7. Dot the top with remaining butter and Parmesan Pour milk over the potatoes
Step 8. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes on the top rack of the oven
Step 9. Remove foil and continue baking until golden brown on top ( about 5 minutes)
Step 10. Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
After thoughts:
Make sure the foil is tightly wrapped. Evenly distribute the butter, salt, Parmesan and sour cream on the layers
I originally got this recipe from The Classic Italian Cookbook by Julia Della Croce. Julia seems to be a popular name among the classy teachers who helped spur our interest in elevating the quality of meals we were serving our guests as well as our daily family fare. Julia Della Croce’s book can be found at Amazon The Classic Italian Cookbook (Classic Cookbooks)
by Buck on December 23, 2009
About 30 years ago we had a small party on a dock in South Jersey and hired a local caterer to put together a few starters for the gathering. One of the suggestions was a 4 layer Mexican dip. My reaction was negative but thankfully overridden by my wife who was the main organizer. She said I was a bid staid and was simply reacting because I didn’t know Mexican food or for a matter of fact knew no one of Mexican heritage. Both were true observation so I said OK. I agreed to go with the dip as my first tiny exposure to things Mexican.
I’m glad I agreed because the 4 layer was a hit and we have since made it our own through the years with additional layers and it is always a winner no matter the theme of our party. So you can be assured, if you use our 7 layer dip at your next event it will be well received and probably a real hit.
7 layer Mexican Dip
For starters here are the layers
1st. Back and Pinto Bean mixture( recipe follows below)
2nd. Guacamole
3rd Sliced green onions
4th. Sour Cream sprinkled with Chili powder
5th Diced fresh tomatoes
6th Sliced Black Olives
7th Mexican Cheese Blend, Shredded
Bean Mixture: Drain and rinse
1 can of black beans
1 can of pinto beans
Puree beans.
Then sauté ½ cup chopped yellow onion and 2 cloves of garlic in olive oil
Add pureed beans, ¼ cup chopped cilantro and 1 cup of picante sauce.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes then let cool
Preparation:
In a shallow bowl:
Spread the bean mixture
Top with prepared guacamole
Then sliced green onions
Next spread 1 cup sour cream and sprinkle with chili powder
Add a layer of diced fresh tomatoes
And sliced black olives
Finish with a generous sprinkled layer of shredded Mexican cheese blend
Serve with a combination of blue and white corn tortilla chips
Our serving bowl is a shallow 12 inch diameter solid green colored bowl with a brown lip. It has a Mexican or Native American appearance.
My knowledge of Mexican food has improved over the last 30 years and now living in Colorado has exposed us to the colorful culture of the folks that shared and were important participants in the settlement of this great part of America.
by Buck on December 22, 2009
We recently entertained 26 people for dinner with friends who live in our canyon. The size of our party is limited by parking spaces available in the snow covered canyon and the size of space in our home to entertain. Our Christmas dinner party is smaller than those we held when we lived in the East but I think is even more enjoyable. The smaller party gives us the opportunity to spend time with each guest in the course of the evening.
Planning the evening and the menu is a critical aspect of every entertainment for a large group of people. We served from a buffet and made sure that cutting food with a knife was not needed for any item. People sitting in a chair or on a sofa are not comfortable balancing a plate on a knee while cutting beef and having a conversation.
The menu we planned worked well and several items might be additions to your party that will please your guests.
Our Christmas Dinner Menu
Hors d’ oeuvres
Brie en Croute
A Seven Layer Bean Dip
Tapenade
Entrée’s
Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Swedish Meat balls
Hickory Smoked Ham thinly sliced with small hard rolls freshly baked
Tiny Polish dill pickles, horseradish sauce and Dijon mustard as condiments
Desserts
Mango Mousse
Sweet potato Cheese Cake
Chocolate Brownies
Notes:
There are links to a number of the recipes that have been previously featured in Buck Cooks
The Olive recipe given in the link was expanded for the party to include some Feta cheese, cilantro, sun dried tomatoes and capers. We served it surrounded by small slices of a crusty artisan bread
The brownie recipe is one that is not ready to be released yet by the in-house baker(not me) She uses several different chocolate types and combines ingredients when I’m not around.
The desserts always disappear completely. The cheesecake and mousse are reportedly raved about by guests in their drive all the way home.
by Buck on December 17, 2009
Christmas is a time for entertaining. Most everyone is in a good mood waiting for Santa and even in less than robust economic periods, Christmas is a chance to regroup with family and friends for hopes of a prosperous New Year.
We are making the preparations for our annual Christmas party with our mountain canyon neighbors. Thirty invitations went out and most everyone will be able to come. I will save the 2 main courses as a post for next week so that they will remain a surprise on Saturday night.
The Mango dessert is a special one that we have used before and there is never any left for the next day. An English expatriate friend generously shared this recipe and we have used it several times as the finishing touch on a special meal.
Mango Mousse
Ingredients:
1 30 oz can of mango pulp, sweetened
2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
½ cup boiling water
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups plain yoghurt
¼ cup sugar
1 cup whipped heavy cream
Preparation:
Step 1. mix the mango, vanilla and sugar in a bowl
Step 2. whip gelatin in boiling water till there are no lumps
Step 3. add gelatin to mango mixture-stir
Step 4. continue stirring while adding yoghurt
Step 5. Fold the whipped cream into the mixture
Step 6. put into the fridge to set
Step 7. Garnish with canned Mandarin oranges
Note: We have a ceramic serving bowl which is a decorative addition to the presentation and we prepare the Mousse in that bowl. The whipped cream is best prepared in a stainless, chilled bowl and folded into the mango mixture as the last step. This is a definite, absolute winning, dessert. We thank Carol for sharing the recipe. This dessert will send your guests home thinking” I’ve got to get that recipe”. Buck Cooks is where they can now find it.
