Cooking Club

In late 2006, I started going to a cooking club a friend of mine organizes. He gets people together about once a month. Before the meeting, everyone submits recipes, we vote on the ones we'd like to try and then everyone gets together to make them. I don't go every month, but this page shows the recipes from the months I have been there along with my impressions of the things we prepared.

March2007CookingClub

February 22, 2007

Host: Phil

Theme: Recipes from www.rachaelray.com.

Sweet Red Chowder with Leek, Corn and Crab

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

March 2007

Phil's Impression: This was my favorite dish of the night. When we made it, it was a little bit spicy and I can't figure out why.

FOUR SERVINGS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

2 large baking potatoes--peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

2 leeks, split lengthwise and sliced 1/2 inch thick

4 ribs celery with leafy tops, chopped

1 bay leaf

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Half of a red bell pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup dry sherry

One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth

One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 cups frozen corn kernels

12 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for pieces of shell

2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning (2 palmfuls)

Fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a generous handful)

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped chives

Grated peel of 1 lemon or orange

Oyster crackers, for serving

1. In a soup pot, heat the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until it renders fat and crisps at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, leeks, celery and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the red bell pepper and thyme, then stir in the sherry and reduce for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, corn, crabmeat and Old Bay Seasoning and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Combine the parsley, chives and lemon peel and sprinkle over the chowder. Pass oyster crackers around the table.

Kal-iflower Stoup

Rachael Ray

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

August-September 2006

Phil's Impression: Tasty, though not as good as the soup above.

4 SERVINGS

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 3 turns of the pan

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

1 large onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary (about 5 sprigs)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large head cauliflower (about 2 ½ pounds)- quartered, cored and chopped

2 jarred roasted red peppers—drained, patted dry and chopped

6 cups chicken broth

1 pound kale, stems stripped off and discarded and leaves thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste

Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, to pass around the table

4 onion rolls, toasted until crusty and cut into 1-inch-wide sticks

1. Heat the EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, onion and garlic as you chop them; season with the rosemary, salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften a bit, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the peppers and chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil. Add the kale to the pot by the handful, letting each handful wilt before adding the next. Season with the nutmeg and cook for 5 minutes, then adjust the salt and pepper.
2. Ladle the stoup into bowls and sprinkle with the grated Pecorino Romano at the table. Pass around the crusty onion-roll sticks for dunking.

Seared Sea Scallops with Linguini in a Herb and Wine Sauce Recipe

courtesy Rachael Ray

Phil's Impression: A reasonably tasty dish, though my impression of it might be somewhat jaded because the really spicy chicken kind of overpowered this.

1/2 pound linguini

1 pound sea scallops

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling

3 tablespoons butter, divided

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 springs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup seafood stock or clam juice

25 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a handful

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1. Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring up to a boil for the pasta. Once at a boil add some salt and cook pasta to package directions. Hold off on starting the scallops until you drop your pasta.
2. Remove the mussel from the scallops then with a paper towel pat them dry and season them with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 turn around the pan and 2 tablespoons of the butter. When butter melts into oil, add scallops. Brown scallops 2 minutes on each side, then remove from pan and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
4. Add an additional drizzle of olive oil to the skillet and add the garlic, shallots, crushed red pepper flakes, thyme, a little salt and pepper. Reduce heat a little and saute garlic and shallots 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine to the pan and free up any pan drippings. Reduce wine 1 minute, then add seafood stock. Continue to cook for about 1 minute. Add the basil, parsley, lemon zest and juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, shake and stir the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the cooked linguini and cook for about 30 seconds, just to combine and let the pasta soak up the sauce.
5. Divide the pasta between 2 serving plates and top with reserved scallops.

Grilled Chipotle-Rubbed Chicken Legs with Cracked Corn & Scallion Polenta

Phil's Impression: Spicy! And really good. Some of the people in kitchen while this was being cooked couldn't handle the spices in the air!

1 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on, whole chicken legs, thigh and drumstick still attached

2 tablespoons ground chipotle powder, if you can't find chipotle powder, use chili powder and increase the amount of cumin to 2 teaspoons

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon grill seasoning

1/2 tablespoon salt

Vegetable or extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) for drizzling

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup whole milk or reduced fat milk

1 cup quick-cook polenta, found in Italian foods or specialty food aisles

1 10-ounce box frozen corn, defrosted

2 to 3 tablespoons honey

5 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons cold butter

1. Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium.
2. In a bowl, combine the chipotle powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, grill seasoning and salt. Coat the chicken legs in the chipotle mixture, rubbing it into the legs. (You can also do this the day before, the morning of or a half-hour before you want to cook them.)
3. When you are ready to cook them, drizzle the chicken pieces with a little vegetable oil or EVOO and transfer them to the grill. Cook, turning frequently, for 15-25 minutes, or until cooked through and there is no pink left inside. If the leg moves freely and is jiggly-wiggly from the thigh, the chicken is done. Remove to a platter and cover loosely with foil. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving.
4. While the legs are grilling, start the cracked corn and scallion polenta: In a medium-size saucepot over high heat, bring the milk and chicken stock to a boil. (If you're cooking outside, get this mixture heating up before you get the legs on the grill.) Once at a boil, pour in polenta in a slow steady stream while whisking constantly. Add the corn and honey to taste, and cook until thick. Remove from heat and add the scallions and butter, stirring to combine. If the polenta gets to thick, loosen it up with some more chicken stock or milk.

Wilted Spinach with Currants and Pine Nuts

Silvana Nardone

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

February-March 2006

Phil's Impression: Good, though we had so many other flavors for this meal that we deliberately chose to not put too many spices into this one.

4 Servings

Prep Time: 5 min; Cook Time: 5 min

This was served with Sliced Steak with Brunello Sauce at Rachael's wedding.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup dried currants

1 large bag of prewashed spinach (10 ounces)

Salt

Juice of half a lemon (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, pine nuts and currants and cook until the pine nuts are slightly browned, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the spinach and toss with tongs until wilted. Season the spinach with salt. Remove the pan from the heat, drizzle the spinach with the lemon juice and serve.

No Time for Dessert!