The Other Woman Cooks

Nobody needs convincing that a juicy grilled cheeseburger is summer’s favorite All American party meal.  One juicy bite will have them belting out America the Beautiful on this Memorial Day weekend. But anyone who thinks crafting a classic burger is as easy as slapping down ground meat on a grill has another thing coming.  My spouse AKA Farmer Paul is grill master around our house. Read on for his ten top tips for making perfect burgers and start this year’s backyard cook-out season with a surefire success. 1. Buy Good Meat Ground sirloin steak or rib-eye with a meat-to-fat ratio between 75-25 and 80-20 makes the best tasting burger ever. Never assume the leanest meat is the best. It'll be as dry as cardboard by the time you're done grilling it! 2. Chill the Meat First Before you even form the patties, put the meat in the fridge for a half hour or so.  Getting it colder helps it stay fresh while you work it into The Perfect Patty. Wash your hands th...

I've done my share of being treated to brunch at a crowded eatery, standing in a long line waiting for a table with the sounds of my family's grumbling stomachs all in the name of a Mother's Day treat. Restaurants are just too damned busy on Mother’s Day and I love to cook.  Best deal of the century is that I cook, we all eat and they clean up while I sip a second cup of tea and post this recipe, adapted from last month's issue of Food Network Magazine.   Mom's Day Brunch Puff 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed 4 tablespoons chevre (goat cheese crumbles) 2 tablespoons grated swiss cheese 4 eggs 3 strips crispy crumbled bacon 2 crisp steamed asparagus spears cut into one inch pieces Fresh ground sea salt and course ground black pepper Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut the pastry sheet into four equal squares. Scrunch the corners to form 4 rounds. Place on parchment lined sheet and prick entire pas...

I have never attempted Crepes Suzette but today was Crepes Suzette Day.  Quiet Sundays are good days to try something new, there's no real pressure to succeed. I set out the simple ingredients I needed to recreate the storied and delicate classic French dessert. The usual flambe is fueled by Grand Marnier or the equivalent orange liqueur. Roadblock number one: no orange liqueur in the cupboard. There was, however, a brand spanking new bottle of Limoncello. Second problem: Don't know about you, but I'm too nervous to go starting anything on fire in my kitchen, I leave that sort of thing to the professionals. Since I'd already tossed classic out the window with the Limoncello twist, I decided to create my own non-flaming version of the sauce. Third issue: No vanilla extract but I did have almond extract. Another ad-lib. The results were astonishing! EASY CREPES SUZETTE Batter: 1 cup flour 4 large eggs 1 1/4 cup milk 1 pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon almond e...

Chocolate ganache sounds awfully intimidating. It's really just heated heavy cream poured over solid chocolate and with a pat of sweet butter melted in for richness. You can use your favorite chocolate: milk, dark or white but keep in mind, better quality chocolate equals better quality ganache. I’m fond of Guittard .  There are many good brands available. Buy the best you can afford – it’s worth it! Once you’ve tried these ganache filled beauties you’ll be hooked. Typical chocolate dipped strawberries just won't cut it anymore! CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT FILLED STRAWBERRIES 2/3 cup heavy cream 8 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate 1 tablespoon sweet unsalted butter 2 teaspoons Frangelica or other hazelnut flavored liqueur 24 large strawberries 3 tablespoons ground hazelnuts Chop the chocolate and place it in a stainless steel or pyrex bowl. Heat the cream until just simmering. Pour it over the chocolate in the bowl. Let sit for a minute. Using a rubber/silicon spatula, ...

The Other Woman Cooks: Eat your squash, it's good for you.

The rocky economy of contract negotiations and lay offs at the factory where my dad worked sent my mom back to the job market when I was a toddler. The truth is that my mother's feminism was borne more of necessity than her desire to be independent. One dish dinners were the way to go and one of my favorites was chicken and rice. Okay, so I am guilty of being a little snobby about recipes that start with a can of soup. But I loved that casserole and so came up with an alternative that has a little more sophisticated flavor but still satisfies the comfort food zone. There's a song lyric Farmer Paul and I sang to our sons when they were young, "Chicken is nice with palm butter and rice." It's a fun song, one of those catchy tunes kids like and laugh at. There's no butter in my recipe. I tend to substitute olive oil every chance I get.  I'm willing to bet folk singer Dave Van Ronk would have enjoyed this casserole just the same! CHICKEN & RICE 4 b...

The lights flickered but never went out at our house but lots of friends and family were left powerless from Saturday's Halloween Blizzard. My nearly 80 year old mother held out stubbornly for two nights wrapped in a sweater and a comforter flipping through magazines by candlelight. It took promises of hot cocoa, Captain America on DVD and the recliner. She's camping out here until her power is restored so we're making the best of it. And enjoying every bite! MOM'S APPLE CRANBERRY GINGER CAKE 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup olive oil 2 eggs 2/3 cup molasses 1/2 cup applesauce 1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce 2 1/2 cups cake flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves Dash salt 1/4 cup hot water Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch round (or square) pan using baking spray with flour. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and oil. Beat in eggs, molasses, applesauce and cra...