Culinary
Secrets with
The Hills
Comfort Food
By Maralyn Hill and Brenda Hill
January is a month that brings a feeling for heavier
dishes and comfort food and sips that make your toasty.
We’re
featuring:
Brenda's Blue
Cheese Comfort Bites
Carriage House Duck Confit & Pumpkin Ravioli
Maralyn’s Liqueur Ice
Cream
Caipirinha
Brenda's
Blue Cheese Comfort Bites
My mother
served these simple blue bites as appetizers at our New
England Saturday night suppers in the days of yore. I will
not reveal when that was. Mom let me help her make them
(very easy) and serve. Makes 40 - they go fast on a winter
eve.
Ingredients:
1 can (10
biscuits) refrigerated biscuits
1/2 cup butter (one could use margarine)
3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese. (We love the Oregon blue
cheese best)
Directions:
Remove
biscuits from package and separate onto a large greased or
sprayed baking pan.
In a small pan (or carefully in the microwave) simmer the
butter and blue cheese until melted, stirring when
necessary.
Pour over biscuit pre-cut pieces.
Pre-heat oven, (375-400) and then bake until done,
approximately l0-l2 minutes. They will be a golden, honey
color.
Serve at once on a tray on a white linen cloth napkin or
towel.
My parents
drank those delicious l940 cocktails, old fashions, Tom
Collins, martinis and manhattans. However, these blue cheese
bites work best with an icy, cold beer, ale or lemonade for
the wee ones. This simple recipe is great for impromptu
guests as the ingredients are often found in the fridge.
What a way to begin the New Year.
Carriage
House Duck Confit & Pumpkin Ravioli
With Toasted Pecans, Porcini Mushrooms Butter, Shaved
Monchego Cheese and Tarragon.
When we
are back in historic Jacksonville, Oregon, we will head
straight to the Nunan Estate, a short walk from the town
center. Then we will spend at least a week enjoying the
charming village, many fine restaurants and a winery that
captured my old fashioned heart. Chef Tim Keller impressed
the Hill Team who devoured Tim's amazingly delectable duck
at the Carriage House Restaurant. Chef Keller is one of the
finest chefs from Northern California, and now a rising star
in Southern Oregon, Tim creates culinary magic in the newly
opened -open kitchen, right before our eyes. Here is Chef
Tim Keller original recipe from the Nunan Estate & Carriage
House Restaurant
Duck Confit
Ingredients:
4 each
duck legs (rinse & pat dry)
2 T Kosher salt
1 T chopped parsley
1 T chopped thyme
5 cloves garlic
½ ground pepper
1 T whole star anise
½ t ground fennel
Pinch ground coriander
Little garlic puree
Directions:
Rub duck
with salt, parsley and thyme. Refrigerate and air dry for
24 hours.
Lay duck in oven safe pan and cover with duck fat (or canola
oil) and cook at 190' for10 ½ hours. Cool and refrigerate.
The next day, sear skin side down until crispy.
Season with fennel, coriander, garlic, star anise, cracked
pepper and a pinch of salt.
Bake until garlic is cooked.
Pumpkin Ravioli
Ingredients:
1 small
ripe pumpkin
1 T Chopped shallot
½ T thyme
2 T butter
1 ½ T brown sugar
1 t ground fennel
1 t curry
Fresh sheet pasta
Directions:
Cut
pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds.
Season with above ingredients and roast at 300 or lower
temperature for a longer period, until very soft.
Run cooked pumpkin through a fine sieve or tami.
Adjust seasoning as needed.
Cut circles of pasta sheets, fill with pumpkin and egg wash
to close.
Cook in boiling salted water until ravioli float.
Season with beurre noisette (brown butter), Porcini
mushrooms, toasted pecans,
Tarragon and Monchego Cheese.
Maralyn’s
Liqueur Ice Cream
After all the serious holiday cooking many did, now is a
time to enjoy a quick ending for the dessert. I learned in
making this since the 60’s (before low-fat or fat free ice
cream), that the better ice cream does not have as much air
whipped into it and is a better choice. The low-fat and
fat-free ice creams do not work well.
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
½ Gallon
good vanilla ice cream
½ to 1 Cup Liqueur (Originally, I used Crème de Mint or
Kahúla. Now, I learned any flavor works and I am partial to
Baileys or Chambord).
Garnish
Directions:
Put all of
ice cream (softened or soften in microwave for 3 minutes) in
large mixing bowl or food processor.
Beat a couple of minutes until a mushy consistency.
Pour in liqueur and mix a minute or two until completely
mixed. (At this point your ½ gallon will be about 1 quart as
the air has been removed).
Pack in a container and put back in freezer until ready to
serve.
Serving:
Put ½ cup
in each glass (I prefer a martini glass)
Garnish with something that compliments the liqueur. I use a
raspberry for light flavors, some toasted almonds or chopped
pecans for heavier flavors.
Easy and fast.
Caipirinha
Our
cocktail for this month is from northeastern Brazil. We took
it from page 118 our book, “Our Love Affairs with Food &
Travel.” I usually prefer wine or a Kir Royale before
dinner. Early in my visit to Fortelaza, my hosts convinced
me to try a Caipirinha instead. After one glass, I was
hooked for the trip. When one of my business acquaintances
subsequently visited me, she brought a bottle of the liquor
to make the drink.
Ingredients:
1 part
pinga (aguardente or cachassa—distilled sugar cane) or
substitute a good vodka
¼ part lemon juice or substitute a tangerine, lime or orange
for variety.
1 to 3 teaspoons sugar
Ice
Directions:
Blended
with a lot of ice and serve or
Mix and serve over ice cubes.
These can sneak up on you so drink them carefully.
Enjoy!
We hope
you are enjoying our monthly columns and we are always happy
to attempt to answer questions you may have.
Need Help in the Kitchen or Behind the Bar? Email Maralyn &
Brenda your Questions –
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