September 6, 2010

Fettuccine Alfredo

Filed under: Recipe — Tom @ 10:32 am

Fettuccine Alfredo

Serves 4 to 6 as a first course.

Fresh pasta is the best choice for this dish; supermarkets sell 9-ounce containers of fresh pasta in the refrigerator section. When boiling the pasta, undercook it slightly (even shy of al dente) because the pasta cooks an additional minute or two in the sauce. Note that Fettuccine Alfredo must be served immediately; it does not hold or reheat well.

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
9 ounces fresh fettuccine
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese , grated (about 3/4 cup)
1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

Instructions

  1. 1. Bring 4 1/2 quarts water to rolling boil, covered, in large stockpot or Dutch oven. Using ladle or heatproof measuring cup, fill each individual serving bowl with about 1/2 cup boiling water; set bowls aside to warm.
  2. 2. While water comes to boil, bring 1 cup heavy cream and butter to simmer in 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium heat; reduce heat to low and simmer gently until mixture reduces to 2/3 cup, 12 to 15 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
  3. 3. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water; cook pasta until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta. Meanwhile, return cream mixture to simmer over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low and add pasta, Parmesan, and nutmeg to cream mixture. Cook over low heat, tossing pasta with tongs to combine, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is just al dente and cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in reserved pasta cooking water; sauce may look rather thin but will gradually thicken as pasta is served and eaten. Working quickly, empty serving bowls of water; divide pasta among bowls, tossing pasta to coat well with sauce. Serve immediately.

May 15, 2009

German Potato Salad (Kartoffelsalat)

Filed under: Recipe — Tom @ 4:30 pm

German Potato Salad

It’s critical that the potatoes not be cooked too long. If they are, you won’t be able to slice them correctly. Remember to slice the potatoes while they’re still warm for the best results. Then take extra care when combining the potatoes and dressing. If slices of potatoes stick together without getting coated, an uneven, unattractive salad will result.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

  • 2 lbs small new white or red potatoes
  • 1 bacon slice, diced
  • ¼ cup minced onion
  • 1 ½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon celery seeds
  • ½ cup sliced radishes, room temperature

Place potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover: Cover and cook over medium heat 30 minutes or until tender. Do not overcook or potatoes will fall apart in salad. Using a slotted spoon, remove potatoes from pan; discard cooking liquid. Let potatoes cool enough so they can be handled safely.

Peel and cut potatoes into ¼ inch thick slices; place in a large bowl and keep warm. In a small skillet, sauté bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain off excess bacon fat. Add onion to same skillet; sauté until onion is tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, white pepper, vinegar and water; stir until smooth. Add mixture to bacon and onion; simmer over medium-low heat until slightly thickened.

Turn out potatoes into a medium, warm serving dish. Gently stir or fold hot bacon and onion dressing into potatoes, so potatoes slices are evenly coated with dressing. Sprinkle parsley and celery seeds over potatoes. Garnish with radish slices just before serving.

July 28, 2008

Vanilla Cheesecake

Filed under: Recipe — Tom @ 8:24 pm

Cheesecake

This is a very good recipe for cheesecake. It makes a really moist cheesecake. You can make this the night before.

Vanilla Cheesecake
(Makes one 9-inch cheesecake, or 16 servings)

Unsalted butter for preparing the pan

For the crust:
6 graham crackers or 1-cup (3 oz/90 g) graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup (2 oz/60 g) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 lb (1 kg) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (essence)
3 tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
¼ cup (2 fl oz / 60 ml) heavy (double) cream
½ cup (4 fl oz / 125 g) sour cream

For the topping:
1 ½ cups (12 oz / 375 g) sour cream
¼ cup (2 oz / 60 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (essence)
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June 16, 2008

Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies

Filed under: Recipe — Tom @ 8:49 am

Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies

This recipe comes from the Cooks Illustrated web site. These are very good and everyone loved them! Either Dutch-processed or natural cocoa works well in this recipe. These brownies are very rich, so we prefer to cut them into small squares for serving.

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June 6, 2008

Eclair Cake

Filed under: Recipe — Tom @ 9:12 am

Eclair Cake

Eclair Cake

“This is a very quick and simple no bake dessert cake. It uses graham crackers and a pudding mixture. It tastes just like an eclair, but there is enough for a crowd!! It is a great recipe for children who are learning to cook, there is no baking involved or any power kitchen tools. Just a bowl and a spoon!”

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