I thought I wanted to get some 'insider' tips on good ideas for all occasions!
Okay, I had the opportunity to pick up three autographed books “Martha’s Entertaining a year of celebrations” for my daughters ( big Martha Stewart fans).
In the good old days, recipe books were more than just that, they showed you how to display and run an event. One of the things I love about this book is the fact that it incorporated how each culinary delight is presented, when and with what. Probably what caught my attention was her first chapter which had two of my favorite expressions: breakfast and blueberries. None of the recipes are at all difficult, but the choice of ingredients and the setting makes the most of everyday fare. If you were to throw together a dinner party at the last minute, this is the book to consult.
Of course, having a signed copy is always special.
One of the little secrets I have found in having a larger cut of lamb taste terrific is to boil it prior to baking, grilling or barbecuing it! Boiling ( or simmering) and a little physical treatment is a much better tenderizer than acid treatments ( like citrus) or enzyme pastes ( like pineapple, kiwi or papaya ) which reduce lamb to mush.
Have you ever wondered why you must sear your meat? Most people like to claim it ‘locks in the juices’ of the meat prior to inclusion in a stew, which is partially true. However, in the history of culinary science there is a much better reason… the seared meat becomes more flavorful in what is referred to as the Maillard Reaction. (In 1912, chemist Louis-Camille Maillard in an attempt to reproduce biological protein synthesis discovered the reaction. The flavor is determined by the type of amino acid affected at about 309 degrees, which is significantly above boiling… which is why we sear meat prior to placing meat into a stew… or the meat is virtually flavorless.).
The nice thing about searing a boneless leg of lamb is that you can sear both sides. Having the inside seared has a big advantage in transmitting additional flavors to the stuffing! I also sear the meat prior to boiling, then stuff the leg of lamb, ti it off , then roast!
the right stuffing sets off the dish perfectly and adds its own flavors to the course.
You may find that your stuffing might be too large for the leg of lamb, or the meat has shrunk a bit… well, place the stuffing in a ‘soup sock’ and wrap the meat around it as best you can. One advantage of the soup sock is that you can dip it into a liquid mixture of your choosing… chicken broth, butter and rosemary is one option.
Tender, moist and delicious with a nice spicy honey glaze on this wonderful lamb from Superior Farms.
Click on the picture to read the article on Cal Coast News
I think it was Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev who said something about “placing a porcupine in someone’s pants.” If you haven’t tried it, it is such great fun! That is, fun for you , but not for them!
Bringing Ann Coulter into the heartland of radical academia is just like that. Although I am not sure that Osama Bin Laden ever spoke at Cal Poly (at least officially), I do remember seeing a disturbingly high number of pictures of him there.
Probably what caught my attention was her first chapter which had two of my favorite expressions: breakfast and blueberries. None of the recipes are at all difficult, but the choice of ingredients and the setting makes the most of everyday fare. If you were to throw together a dinner party at the last minute, this is the book to consult.
Of course, having a signed copy is always special.
