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January 27, 2013

Italian Sausage Stew

The stew must rest in the fridge overnight. You are not allowed to serve it on the day you make it, hear? I have no idea what will happen if you do, but this is just so darned good, you will not ask questions. A double boiler is a good thing to reheat the stew in, and shallow soup plates are better than deep bowls for serving.

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image: blogs.southshorenow.ca

Italian Sausage Stew
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

1 pound sweet Italian sausages (not hot)
1 12-ounce can V8 Juice
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups broccoli florets
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Cut the sausages in half, squeeze out the meat, cut it into small pieces, and chuck the casings. Cook the sausage in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until browned, about 5-7 minutes; discard the fat, if any. Transfer the sausage to a Dutch oven or other large, heavy-bottomed pot, add the V8, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and simmer for 10 minutes more.

Add the potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, and Worcestershire. Simmer until everything is tender, 30-45 minutes. Let stand in the fridge overnight before serving.

Serves 6.

January 3, 2013

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Technically, you can’t call a cup of cocoa “hot chocolate,” because cocoa is made from cocoa powder and hot chocolate from a hunk of chocolate. Fat content figures into it, too. But do we care?

Make this good hot drink with Mexican overtones and see what people call it when they ask for refills.

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image: loveandhomemaderecipes.com

Mexican Hot Chocolate
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
3 cups milk
1 heaping teaspoon grated fresh orange zest
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream, for garnish

Melt the chocolate with 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Gradually stir into the melted chocolate. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest, almond extract, and vanilla.

Return the pan to low heat and warm gently; do not boil. Using a stick blender or an eggbeater, beat the hot chocolate until frothy. Pour into cups or mugs and garnish with whipped cream.

Serves 4-6.

December 19, 2012

Oyster Stew

Every Christmas Eve, we fix a sumptuous soup dinner, starring the elegant oyster. Yes, there’s cream and butter. The road to sumptuosity is paved with cream and butter. Come on! It’s Christmas!

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image from tasteofhome.com

Christmas Eve Oyster Stew
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
3 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 pint shucked fresh oysters, drained (reserve the liquid)
2 cups homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 cups light cream or milk

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and saute the celery, bell pepper, and onion until the onion is limp and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the oysters, reduce the heat to low, and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until their edges curl.

Stir in the reserved oyster liquid, stock or broth, and salt and white pepper to taste and heat gently. Heat the cream or milk in a separate small saucepan, then add it to the oyster mixture.

Don’t expect the stew to be thick. We’re talking oysters and cream here, and we like it fashionably thin. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

October 22, 2012

Scalloped Salmon

From Cook & Tell’s portfolio of comfy, friendly standard family recipes comes this perfect weeknight supper dish. Glazed carrots, scallions and peas make nice accompaniments.

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Scalloped Salmon
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

Butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 Tablespoons dried
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
15 ounces salmon, cooked and flaked or 1 15-ounce can red salmon
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 cups herb-seasoned croutons or stuffing mix
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9-inch pie plate.

Combine the milk, stock or broth, eggs, celery, parsley, onion, and mustard in a large bowl. Add the salmon, cheese, and croutons or stuffing and stir to blend. Transfer the pie plate and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. For the last 5 minutes of baking, arrange the tomato slices in a ring on top of the scalloped salmon. Sprinkle with the chives and parsley and serve hot in wedges.

Serves 6.

October 5, 2012

Hot Apple Sundaes

Susan Delaney-Mech, consulting food chemist to Cook & Tell (well, she’s a chemist, she likes to cook, and she’s a subscriber), dreamed up this topping for glorious autumn sundaes. Ladies and gentlemen, it may sound like just apples and maple syrup, but let me tell you, something wonderful happens in the oven. Call it chemistry. Use only McIntosh apples; they turn properly slurpy in the designated time.

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image: mainelyapples.com

Hot Apple Sundaes
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

5 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and diced
3 Tablespoons pure Maine maple syrup
1 quart vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350°.

Put the diced apples in an 8-inch square baking dish. Stir in the maple syrup. Cover and bake for 1 hour, or until the apples are soft.

At serving time, dole out the ice cream into six bowls or sundae dishes. Ladle the hot topping over the ice cream and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

September 25, 2012

Hot-Tip Corn Bread

All dressed up with a gift jar of hot pepper jelly and no place to go? Has Cook & Tell got a hot tip for you! For the wary but willing, here’s a slightly racy corn-bread adventure you can feel free to write home about.

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image: everydaydutchoven.com

Hot-Tip Corn Bread
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

3 Tablespoons butter, plus more for the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup hot pepper jelly
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 400°. Butter an 8- or 9- inch square baking pan.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, chili powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Melt the 3 Tablespoons butter and jelly together in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the jelly mixture, buttermilk, and eggs to the flour mixture and mix just until moistened. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until the corn bread springs back when gently pressed in the center. Serve hot.

Serves 9.

September 1, 2012

Lobster Stew

Second only to a hot boiled lobster in the affections of true lobster lovers is a bowl of lobster stew. All you need for the genuine article, the stew that steams out of Maine home kitchens, is this recipe shared by Ellie Hastings, which was given to her by a friend in 1938.

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image: roadfood.com

Lobster Stew
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
2 cups cooked lobster meat, cut into medium chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups half-and-half or light cream
2 cups milk

Melt the butter in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat and sauté the lobster until the butter picks up its red color, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to start, then the half-and-half or cream and milk. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

The stew tastes best if chilled in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours before serving. Reheat over low heat (do not boil) and serve.

Serves 4.

August 21, 2012

Chocolate-Glazed Turtle Cookies

These fudgy, brownie-like cookies are made in a waffle iron! They’re especially fun to make in the summer, when the thought of turning on the oven doesn’t turn you on.

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Maxine Perry’s Chocolate-Glazed Turtle Cookies
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter
2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped almonds or pecans
1/4-1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Chocolate glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat the waffle iron.

Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in the sugar and remove from the heat. Cool briefly, then whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the flour, almonds or pecans, and chocolate chips.

Drop by scant Tablespoons onto the hot waffle iron, three or four at a time, depending on the size of your waffle iron. Don’t try to smooth them out—you want raggedy edges. Immediately close the waffle iron and bake for 45-60 seconds. Do not overbake! Make ‘em fudgy!

Lift off gently with a fork, cool on a rack, and glaze. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Chocolate Glaze
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
Pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup light cream or half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the butter, sugar, chocolate, and a dash of salt in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted. Put the cornstarch in a small bowl and stir in the milk, blending well to avoid lumps. Add the cornstarch mixture and the cream or half-and-half to the chocolate mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened like a pudding.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Immediately spoon a generous gob of glaze over each cookie, because it sets fairly quickly. In a real hurry? Put a tray of glazed cookies in the fridge for super-quick setting.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

June 27, 2012

A Place Apart

Dear old Gus is gone, and along with him, our beloved noontime haunt. Known variously as “the alley,” “the Pavilion,” “Gus’s,” “the CozyCove Café” (Cook & Tell’s code name for it), it was the place for a good no-fuss sandwich, some fries, and a piece of Em’s homemade pie for lunch. It was open every summer from the Fourth of July to Columbus Day since Gus started working for his father at the age of eighteen around 1920. The place was the definition of low-key. This, the first article in a continuing series that kept the story going through the years, introduced readers of C&T around the world to a precious piece of Americana.

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This is going to be an odd restaurant review. Not that the restaurant is odd, although it isn’t exactly ordinary, either. The odd thing about this review is that I’m not supposed to tell where the place is. It’s all right to come upon the place by accident, and a little word of mouth is tolerated. Gus never advertises. Even the reporter for the local weekly is under strict orders to avoid any mention of the place in her neighborhood news column. This a distinct hardship on the reporter, because a lot of neighborhood news is hashed over at Gus’s place.

The point is, artistry in sandwiches is his specialty, and he does not wish to sacrifice good service for the sake of a full house. Watch the furrow form over his eyebrows when nine people come in all at once. He can handle them, all right. It’s just that some of the artistry goes out of it when you become a pair of hands cranking out sandwiches. The menu is not extensive: hamburgers, hot dogs, BLTs, grilled cheese, the usual others. Sometimes we recognize the lettuce in a crabmeat roll, because we would bring it from our garden as often as possible. You’ll probably pay a different price each time you order a pickle to go with your sandwich, because the canny sandwich man sells them by the pound, not the piece.

For dessert, Gus’s wife Em makes apple, blueberry, and rhubarb pies that he cuts in sevenths. With a yardstick flailing the air he circumnavigates the pie, his thumb positioned somewhere between the three-and four-inch mark. Sixths or eighths would never do. Where’s the entertainment value in three or four swift whacks?

Gus’s place doesn’t even look like a restaurant. No sign identifies the old white clapboarded building set on pilings at the edge of one of the prettiest little harbors on the Maine Coast. It takes a minute to figure out where you are, once you get inside for the first time, too. There are two bowling lanes (with hand-set candlepins), a gleaming wooden counter with eight revolving stools, some wooden booths, and a few ice cream parlor chairs and tables, all original with the place.

The nostalgia down at Gus’s is not coy. The place is just so fetchingly out of step that it may actually be marching backwards. A platoon of regulars has been bringing up the rear every summer for well over fifty years, keeping their drums silent. So if Gus is suddenly swamped with new business and it gets out that I had anything to do with it, I will of course deny everything.

Watch for more stories from Gus’s, with his menu and favorite recipes….

June 23, 2012

Barbecued Salmon

Gather around, boys and grills! Light ‘em up and let’s get cookin’! Pam Pingree from Alaska sent in this winner. Cook & Tell spent a lot of time trying to figure out what made her barbecue sauce special. Hint: nutmeg.

GrilledSalmon
image: americas-harvest.com

Barbecued Salmon
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

1½ pounds salmon fillets, skin on
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared mustard (any kind)
1 small onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
Barbecue sauce (see recipe below)

Preheat the grill.

Sprinkle the fleshy side of the fillet with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and spread on the same side of the fillet.

Cook the fillet, flesh side down, on a covered grill for 7 minutes. Keep a squirt bottle of water at the ready for flame dousing, in case of drippy mayonnaise. Turn the fillet flesh side up. Scatter the onion rings over the fish and cover it lightly with foil. Grill, covered, for 15 minutes more, or until the flesh flakes with a fork. Serve with warm Barbecue Sauce.

Serves 4.

Barbecue Sauce
2 cups ketchup
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or more to taste
½ teaspoon seasoned salt (Lawry’s, lemon-dill, or your favorite)

Combine the ingredients in a medium bowl, cover, and heat in the microwave until warm. Stir and serve on the side.

Makes a little over 2 cups.

December 17, 2011

Swedish Toast (Skorporr)

Sometimes Santa just wants a nice, comforting goodie to go with his glass of milk: not too sweet, but sweet enough; not too spiced, but spiced enough, like biscotti, only Swedish, and more ethereal. This is it, from one of Cook & Tell’s Christmas elves. Cardamom is the clue that we’re speaking Swedish here.

skorpor
image: abreadaday.com

Swedish Toast (Skorporr)
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1¼ cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the sour cream and eggs and mix well. In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and nutmeg. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix well. The dough will be sticky. Spread the dough in the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack.

When the cake is completely cool, preheat the oven to 325°.

Cut the cake, in the pan, lengthwise into thirds and then crosswise into ¾-inch-wide slices. Lay the slices cut side down on two ungreased cookie sheets and bake until lightly toasted, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. Store in a covered jar for 1 week or in the freezer for 1 month.

Makes 4 dozen toasts.

November 23, 2011

Hot Sausage Stuffing

This Thanksgiving, try making Betsy Allport’s Hot Sausage Stuffing!

Kitchen-Parade-2009-Nana's-Sausage-Stuffing-400-710269
image: kitchenparade.com Continue reading “Hot Sausage Stuffing” »

November 14, 2011

Cranberry-Raisin Pie

“Ferdie Plante ran a seasonal art gallery over in the Harbor for years and would occasionally lure me in to talk cooking. One August, I left the “e” off his last name when I printed one of his recipes in the newsletter. By the end of the season, he’d gotten over it and began telling me about his favorite pie, but he agreed to hand over the recipe only if I would promise to spell his name correctly.”—Karyl Bannister

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image: mygreatrecipes.com

Cranberry-Raisin Pie
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

¾ cup sugar, plus more to sprinkle on the crust
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
¾ cup light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons grated fresh orange zest
3 cups fresh cranberries
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons (¼ stick) butter
Pastry for a double-crust
9-inch pie
Milk for brushing the crust

Combine the ¾ cup sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan and mix well. Stir in the corn syrup, ½ cup water, and the orange zest and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the cranberries, raisins, and walnuts. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the cranberries pop, 3-5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, but do not stir. Cool.

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Roll out one crust and line a pie plate. Trim, leaving a ½-inch over-hang. Fill with the cranberry mixture. Roll out the top crust, cut vents, and fit it on the pie. Seal and crimp the edges. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and juice bubbles out of the pastry vents. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6-8.

October 19, 2011

Butternut Squash, Apple, and Stilton Soup

You can combine almost anything with butternut squash and come up with a hit. A tangy apple and some smooth Stilton, the blue blood of cheeses, play a surprising harmony to the satiny melody of butternut squash. Any blue cheese will do, I suppose, but why settle?

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image: elleninamerika.com Continue reading “Butternut Squash, Apple, and Stilton Soup” »

August 20, 2011

Black-Eyed Susan Deviled Eggs

“I don’t think I’ve ever deviled an egg before the middle of June or after Labor Day, and isn’t that stupid? But then, maybe not. Maybe some things just taste better when you’re sitting outdoors on a blanket, or indoors when the windows can be wide open. I’ve hidden an optional secret in each egg and called in Major Grey to flavor the yolks. But he’s not the only chutney maker. Use whatever brand, or homemade version, you wish.”—Karyl Bannister

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image: food2.com Continue reading “Black-Eyed Susan Deviled Eggs” »

July 29, 2011

Beet and Orange Picnic Salad

Every proper picnic needs a bit of fancy fork work. We nominate this tasty-tangy beet salad. We love cold beets captured in a jellied ring, tossed with macaroni and mayonnaise, or, as here, spiffed up with unexpected accompaniments. For picnic preparation, pack the dressed beets and onions in a plastic container, the lettuce leaves and walnuts in separate plastic bags, and bring a small can of mandarin oranges and a can opener. You will look so clever when you put it all together.

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image: celebrationsathomeblog.com Continue reading “Beet and Orange Picnic Salad” »

July 23, 2011

Fancy Iced Tea

This is the perfect brew for weddings, lawn parties, and assorted special events and warm-weather occasions when a lot of people are going to be thirsty. For just a few, halve the quantities and you’re all set to enjoy a picnic and an afternoon tea party on the back porch, with a few glasses left over for cool breaks from gardening chores.

iced-tea
image: eteaket.co.uk Continue reading “Fancy Iced Tea” »

June 28, 2011

Cold Broccoli Side Dish

Must a cooked vegetable side dish always be served hot? Time’s up. Time to cook broccoli and serve it up not warm, not at room temperature either, but as cold as Greenland’s icy mountains.

This recipe certainly deserves Cook & Tell’s AAA rating!

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image: coffeebeansandcurryleaves.blogspot.com Continue reading “Cold Broccoli Side Dish” »

June 19, 2011

Cold Creamy Borscht

Once we opened the picnic season with the launch of my husband’s canoe on Love’s Cove, across the road. I was not allowed to paddle, because I’m supposed to be a lady of leisure (but not until I’ve made the lunch and cleaned up the kitchen). We pushed off from shore and pulled up at one of the uninhabited islands nearby, sat on a log surrounded by ocean and blue sky, and shared peanut butter sandwiches on whole wheat bread and tin cups of cold borscht. I based my borscht on a recipe from a free Columbo yogurt booklet.

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image: about.com

Cold Creamy Borscht
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

2 15-ounce cans sliced beets, with their juice
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill or ½ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1½ cups plain yogurt
2 Kirby cucumbers (the bumpy kind for pickling), peeled, seeded, and diced for garnish, if desired

Put the beets, onion, sugar, dill, salt, pepper, and lemon juice in a blender jar and blend until smooth. (You’ll probably have to do the blending in two batches.) Pour the puree into a large plastic container with a cover. Stir in the yogurt until well mixed. Chill thoroughly. Pack in your cooler with a separate container of the diced cucumbers to distribute evenly over each cup or bowlful as a garnish. Serve cold.

Serves 6.

June 6, 2011

Savory Scallops Baked in Shells

The more you talk with the best Maine cooks, the more infinite seem the ways with the tasty scallop. Cook them unceremoniously in crumbs or cream, or dress them up in Sunday best, like this. Place smaller portions in more shells and serve them as hors d’oeuvres. Oven-safe scallop shells are available in gourmet shops and kitchen boutiques.

Ada-Scallopsimage: kunstdame.com

Continue reading “Savory Scallops Baked in Shells” »