Serves 6 to 8 as tapas. For main course, chicken parts - legs, thighs and breasts - can be used, but allow a longer cooking time.
2 pounds small chicken wings and thighs
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 whole head garlic (12 to 16 cloves)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons Spanish brandy (optional)
1/2 cup dry or medium-dry sherry
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cut off wing tips and discard. Divide each wing into two joints. Cut thighs lengthwise along the bone. Pat dry the pieces of chicken and dust with salt and pepper.
Lightly smash garlic cloves to split the skins. Set aside 8 of them, unpeeled. Peel the remaining cloves and slice them.
Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and saute just until golden, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim them out and reserve.
Add chicken pieces to the oil and fry over medium-high heat, until the chicken is browned on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Add unpeeled garlic cloves, bay leaf, brandy, if using, and sherry. Continue cooking over high heat until the liquid is almost cooked away and the chicken begins to sizzle again, 8 to 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
Serve immediately, garnished with the reserved fried garlic bits and chopped parsley.
Serves 4
2 large tomatoes
sea salt to taste (divided use)
white pepper (divided use)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided use)
1 large bunch fresh basil leaves (divided use)
1/2 of a Vidalia onion, diced
kernels from 4 ears corn
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
dried basil, optional as garnish
Slice tomatoes in 1/2 -inch-thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and pinch of white pepper. Drizzle slices with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle sliced basil leaves on top. Toss together diced onion, corn kernels, sea salt, the remaining oil and pinch of white pepper. Place in a casserole dish or clay pot. Cover and roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Toss in more fresh basil. Place tomatoes on plates, top with crab and serve corn salad on the side. Garnish with fresh or dried basil, if desired.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
4 tablespoons sea-salt crystals
1 tablespoon fresh, finely chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
6 tablespoons finely ground espresso
5 bunches fresh rosemary
4 rib-eye steaks (at least 1 inch thick)
Combine seasonings (except bunches of rosemary) and rub on steaks to create a thick crust. Soak bunches of rosemary in water for 20 minutes, then place on red-hot glowing hardwood charcoal. Grill steaks between 4 to 8 minutes on a side, depending on desired doneness.
Serves 4
1 bunch peeled asparagus spears
juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 ounces Reggiano parmesan cheese
Peel asparagus to remove the tough strands that often appear on the stalk. Toss the asparagus in lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay asparagus in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Roast at 450 degrees for about 8 to 12 minutes until just fork-tender. Remove and grate Reggiano on top. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
6 fresh peaches that are not overripe
2 ounces plus 1 tablespoon marsala (divided use)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons butter
freshly chopped mint for garnish
Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Boil the peaches in water for about 6 minutes. Remove the skin before they cool off. Toss the warm peach halves in a tablespoon marsala or other sweet wine and brown sugar. Place peach halves on grill flat side down and grill until the bottoms are slightly charred; turn and char the tops.
In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks, white sugar and 1/2 cup water. Place in double boiler over top of boiling water and beat until the mixture becomes thickened. Add butter and remaining 2 ounces of marsala. Beat until a thick sauce forms. Pour into ice-cream dishes and top with 3 peach halves. Top with mint.
Makes 12 small muffins
1 scant cup sugar
4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) margarine
2 eggs
2/3 cup flaked coconut
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
Cream sugar and margarine, then add eggs one at a time, blending between each addition. Add the remaining ingredients. Divide evenly between 12 muffin cups. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for approximately 20 minutes.
Tester Laura Reiley's comments: "I baked mine slightly longer, about 25 minutes, until the muffin surface would spring back from my touch. The resulting muffins are sweet, deliciously coconutty treats, good for a snack or for breakfast. You can change the level of sweetness by which kind of coconut you choose - an unsweetened shredded coconut will yield less-sweet muffins; the sweetened angel-flaked coconut produces sweeter, moister muffins. For a really decadent treat, these would be good frosted with chocolate or topped with some kind of tropical fruit jam."
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 6 to 8 minutes; chilling time: 2 hours
one 1 1/2 -pound fresh or frozen skinless salmon fillet, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for fillet
1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus more for fillet
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
1 bay leaf
10-ounce package European-style torn mixed salad greens
2 medium oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 recipe Fresh Orange Dressing (recipe follows)
Thaw salmon, if frozen. Cut salmon fillet lengthwise into 6 even strips. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Starting with the thick end of each strip, roll into pinwheels. Secure each pinwheel with a wooden toothpick or wooden skewer.
In a large skillet combine white wine or water, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bay leaf; bring to boiling. Add salmon. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until fish just flakes easily when tested with a fork; turn once.
Using a slotted spoon, remove salmon from cooking liquid. Discard cooking liquid. Cover and chill salmon in refrigerator at least 2 hours (or for up to 24 hours).
To serve, arrange salad greens, orange sections, cucumber slices and almonds on salad plates or in salad bowls. Top each salad with a salmon pinwheel. Spoon Fresh Orange Dressing over salads.
Makes about 1/2 cup
1/2 cup light dairy sour cream
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon poppy seed
additional orange juice as needed
In a small bowl stir first 5 ingredients together, adding additional juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency.
Per serving: 244 calories; 9 grams total fat (2 grams saturated fat); 66 milligrams cholesterol; 191 milligrams sodium; 11 grams carbohydrate; 3 grams fiber; 26 grams protein
Makes 6 servings
Preparation and cooking time about 15 minutes
4 tablespoons fruity olive oil (divided use)
18 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (16 to 20 count)
2 tablespoons sliced, blanched almonds
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
one 15 1/2 -ounce can cannellini beans, or other large white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes, soaked 5 minutes in hot water, drained
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
6 leaves leaf lettuce
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan until very hot. Add shrimp and almonds and saute quickly, over high heat, about 3 minutes, until shrimp are pink and almonds are toasted. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer shrimp and almonds to a platter, leaving any juices in the pan.
Add drained beans to the pan, along with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken stock, lemon juice, parsley and basil. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. While beans are heating, arrange lettuce leaves on each of 6 large salad plates.
Season warm beans with salt and pepper and divide among the lettuce leaves. Top each with 3 of the shrimp and some of the almonds and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, as well as any shrimp juices remaining on the platter, over the shrimp. Grind a little black pepper over the top and serve.