Eating Across America ~ Roots Bistro Goumand in West Islip, NY

If you are looking for the perfect restaurant ....look no more!  Roots has adeptly combined ambiance and casual comfort with ambrosial food presented so artistically food,  that YOU TOO will find yourself asking who the artist is?  Add going with a very dear friend and you have the ultimate dining experience!

After a quick glance at the menu YOU TOO will detect a hint of French influence with dishes like Moules Frites  and Poussin en Cocotte  however YOU TOO will find selections to satisfy everyone's palate... like spicy Chicken served on brioche, Roots Royale Burger or a enjoy a twist to the traditional BLT served with Lobster and caramelized bacon.  

Featured below is their superb Spring salad filled with hand- carved vegetables ~ rainbow carrots, pickled beets, cucumber, marinated heirloom cherry tomatoes, caramelized kale dressed  with a lemon oil and banyuls vinaigrette and  Parmesan crisp!

"Toques" off to Executive Chef Philippe Corbet and Chef James Orlandi and the owners of Roots! 


Country Comfort Cookbook Review ~  the ultimate ("fondamental") experience in farm to table dining!

Tuesday's Tip ~ Nuts and Seeds

Anytime you come across nuts or seeds (such as almonds, hazelnuts,  pumpkin  or sesame seeds), regardless if the recipe is for a savory dish or a sweet dessert, I always recommend toasting them. Nuts and seeds contain an exuberant amount of natural oil, which, when heated, will be extracted and produce a golden color and strong aroma.
This task, however, does require caution, as nuts are one of the most commonly burnt items in professional kitchens.
I would not advise adding additional oil or butter to the pan, as the natural oil that is released when heated is all that will be necessary to gently toast the nuts. Below are two methods for toasting:
• Spread the nuts or seeds in a single layer on a sheet tray, and place in a preheated 375ºF oven for 2 to 10 minutes depending on their size.
• Spread the nuts or seeds in a single layer in a sauté pan. Toast on the stove top while constantly stirring or flipping them (if the nuts stay in one place in the pan over direct heat, they will scorch or burn rather than toasting evenly).
 
Never crush or chop the nuts before you toast them. Only do so after they have toasted and cooled. When chopped ahead of time, the inconsistent shapes and sizes will cause them to toast unevenly, and the smaller fragments will burn while the larger ones do not get enough color. This will make your entire mixture taste bitter.
 
You should also never toast two or more different varieties of nuts or seeds in the same pan at the same time. Each is a different size, and will require different cooking times. As such, always toast different nuts and seeds in separate pans.
 
Nuts and seeds are often quite costly, especially in a professional environment. Because of this, I always instruct my cooks to toast them in separate small batches. This way, if you do, in fact, burn them, you will not lose the entire stock, and the monetary damage will not be as severe. 

The cooking time varies depending upon the size and shape of the nuts and seeds, as well as the heat source and temperature. Because  there are several variables, it is difficult to say exactly how long they will take to toast, but what is an absolute surety is they do not take much time, at all. I frequently check them in 2-minute increments
until well-toasted. You will often smell the scent in the air when they are ready. Halfway through the cooking process, I will often rotate the pan to avoid unevenly cooking due to “hot spots” in your oven. I also use a heat-resistant or flat metal spatula to flip the nuts or seeds often to ensure even color. Chef Nicole Roarke

Country Cooks Across America ~ Coffee Cake

This recipe was shared with us by our dear family friend, Fernanda.  It's become one of our favorites. I  know you'll love it too! 

Cake

2 sticks unsalted  butter, soften 

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda 

Filling

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2/3 cups sugar

4 TBL. cinnamon

1 cup ground almonds (or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 375. Toss filling ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  Sift flour sugar, baking soda and baking powder into a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl mix together butter,  eggs, sour cream and vanilla.  Add butter mixture to the flour mixture and mix until combine.  Generously spray the bottom and sides of a bundt pan with baking spray. Pour in half of batter, sprinkle 3/4 of the topping, fill with remaining batter and finish with rest of the topping. Bake for 40 minutes.

 Catering tip! Bake in a 9x12 pan (makes it easier to cut into 2 inch square pieces) 

The Weekend Cook ~ Beefsteak Tomato, Red Onion, and Mozzarella Platter with Basil Drizzle

This dish is typically seen with balsamic vinegar drizzled on
top. Now I only serve it with this tangy dressing that my
friend Chris shared with me.
Serves 6–8
Dressing
½ cup good-quality mayonnaise
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
15 "fresh" large basil leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salad
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1–2 (16 oz.) logs fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Dressing
Place all the dressing ingredients, except the oil, in a food processor and blend. While blending, slowly pour in the oil. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, stop blending, pour into a separate container with a spout, and reserve.
Salad
Assemble the platter by alternately arranging tomatoes, red onions, and mozzarella. Immediately before serving, drizzle the sauce over the platter.

Eating Across America ~ Osteria Laguna in NYC

I LOVE starting  with  a salad ... true confessions ...I  LOVE when someone else is slicing and dicing and I  get to enjoy the results!.... I LOVE a restaurant that features not only a large variety of salads but one which offers salads that  you can substitute for a meal by giving you the option of adding  a protein.   If you are trying to make healthy choices or you want to eat light .... a good salad can be oh so satisfying!

Today I tried the Arugula Heirloom Tomatoes with Grilled Prawns, Carrots and Roasted Beet Salad drizzled with lemon dressing.  The menu boasts, "A Taste of Venice in Midtown".... after eating this salad it brought me right back to eating in Italy... where everything is prepared simply and is lightly dressed! It was absolutely delicious. 

The menu features an equal impressive selection of Risottos like Saffron Duck Ragu with Orange Zest and even more types of specialty pizzas to choose from.  Broccoli Rab with Sweet and Spicy Italian Sausages caught my eye.

 If you are a follower of my blog, you know that I am wooed by the ambiance.... again you are taken to Venice....as you are seated in a country dining room at rustic farm style tables.

Country Comfort Cookbook Review ~ you too will transported by good food and a charming ambiance.

Maureen's Kitchen ~ Smithtown, NY

People come from miles around and stand in long lines to eat at a nostalgic "cow" themed diner.  You will feel like you stepped back in time.... but who doesn't love a big homemade breakfast to feast on? Here you will find all the favorite traditional dishes  you'd expect as well as daily black board specials to tantalize the foodie in all of us! That's how they are set apart.

Enjoy an omelet made with breakfast sausages, sauteed red peppers and creamy fotina cheese served with toast and home fries. Seasoned just right. Or wholesome multi-grain berry pancakes.

Country Comfort Review ~ hearty breakfast and lunches!

Tuesday's Tip ~ How to Prepare Avocadoes

Removing the buttery, rich, green flesh of an avocado may seem daunting if you have never done it before, but this method makes it rather easy.
Stand the avocado upright on a cutting board. Using a large chef’s knife, cut downward through the top until your knife reaches the large pit in the center (do not remove your knife and allow the avocado to fall to its side). While holding the knife in place, spin the avocado around so the knife continues to cut the entire way around the pit. Remove your knife.
With one hand on each side, twist the avocado in half. In one half of the avocado, you will see the large center pit. Lay this half skin-side-down on your cutting board with the pit facing upward. 
Carefully whack your knife into the middle of the pit. The blade should remain in the pit while you twist the knife (this should loosen the pit so that when you pull your knife out, the pit should be attached to the blade of the knife). Carefully remove the pit from the blade and discard.
You can take a large, metal spoon and simply scoop the flesh out of each half. Or, you can “score” the flesh with the tip of your knife by making several vertical cuts and then several horizontal cuts through the flesh of the avocado (this will make a cross-hatch cut, like a tic-tac-toe board). To remove the scored flesh, either scoop out with a spoon or, if the avocado is very ripe, you can simply squeeze the skin, and the flesh will come out.
If you are making a guacamole or looking for a smooth consistency of avocado, you can sprinkle with a coarse ground salt (such as kosher salt), and mash with a fork.
Avocados are extremely prone to browning when exposed to air. To avoid this natural oxidation, add a citric acid such as lime or lemon juice to the cut avocado or guacamole.
When storing, press a layer of plastic wrap directly against the cut avocado or guacamole, and then add an additional piece of plastic wrapped tightly around the storage container or bowl (this is an extra prevention measure taken to preserve the bright green flesh and avoid oxidation).
If you would like to see this demonstrated click here.

As seen in our cookbook Country Comfort: Cooking Across America

Country Cooks Across America - Carolina Sour Cream Pound Cake

"Since moving to South Carolina, I feel that the most Southern item that I have had the privilege to enjoy (besides great barbecue) is pound cake. Pound cake is everywhere in the South, and this recipe is from a dear friend, whom I have had the honor to meet since moving here. The top and side crust on this pound cake is crisp and crunchy—it is the perfect balance to the moist crumb of the cake. It is delicious and very different from my grandma’s  Northern pound cake". Chef Sherri Beauchamp

Yields: 2 loaf pans

2 sticks (1⁄2 pound) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
6 eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
 

Preheat an oven to 325°F. Cream butter and sugar together, and then add sour cream. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Alternate adding the dry mixture and eggs, one at a time, to the cream mixture, beating after each one. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Pour into "spray-paper-spray" pans*, and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

*  Spray bottom  and sides of pan generously with baking spray, place parchment paper on bottom of pan (cut to exact size) Spray bottom and sides of pan again. 

Story and recipe is taken from  Country Comfort: Cooking Across America cookbook. 

Eating Across America @ Black Pearl in Newport, RI

Just couldn't resist waiting for a table to try the award winning clam chowder served at the Black Pearl!  
Perfect texture and perfectly seasoned.... after a spoonful you too will know why they have a chowder that has become a signature of Newport.  You can easily find it canned to bring home.  If you are not a chowder lover but want to try something warm ... their chili  might be the next dish on the menu to earn an award winning title!

Cafe Zelda ~ Newport, RI

Blue striped wallpaper draws you into the quaint nautical theme at Cafe Zelda.   Great eatery on Thames....we started with an app of Warm Gorgonzola Sour Dough   - a  delicious grilled bread served with a creamy gorgonzola cheese dipping sauce... if you love blue cheese - you're in for a treat!  Most of our table selected the chef's specialty  "Chicken Fried" lobster.  Who could resist.... this light tempura battered lobster  served with  creamy cole slaw, garlic mash and a sweet lobster sauce with generous chunks of lobster meat?
Country Comfort Review ~ good local food

The Weekend Cook ~ Pastry Crust

My Mom, "Lena T. Raiser" prided herself on baking everything from scratch.  Some of my fondest memories are waking up on  a Sunday morning to find a home baked pie which include her  flaky pie crust.  The ground nuts give it another dimension!  

¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1½ sticks unsalted butter (sweet cream butter)
5 tablespoons ice water
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon fresh orange or lemon zest
⅓ cup walnuts, finely chopped

Mix flour, salt, sugar, and zest in a bowl or a Cuisinart. Cut in butter by pulsing, using the blade until crumbs have formed. While the Cuisinart is running, add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, through the chute. Once the dough has formed into a ball, remove and place in wax paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour before rolling out.
Fill and bake as directed (you do not have to grease the pie plate).

Appears in Country Comfort: Harvest Cookbook

Tuesday's Tips ~ Making Compound Butter

To see how to make Compound Butter click here
Classic compound butters are made with chopped herbs, minced shallots, roasted garlic, citrus zest, roasted peppers, sliced olives, sundried tomatoes, toasted nuts, cheese (such as gorgonzola or Parmesan), honey, maple syrup, caramelized onions, and/or freshly cracked black peppercorns. It is a simple way to customize the flavor and texture of an otherwise unsalted butter. This can be served with just about anything, including freshly baked bread, roasted vegetables, and pan-seared meat.

To make your own compound butter, remove the whole butter out of the refrigerator and cut it into pieces (if you are making 1 stick, then cut into 8 tablespoons; for a whole pound, cut all 4 sticks into 32 tablespoons). This will spread out the surface area of the butter so it will soften faster. Set aside and allow the butter to come to room temperature (do not melt the butter). While the butter is softening to a spreadable consistency, prepare your other ingredients (any and all combinations of ingredients should always be fully cooked and cooled before combining with the room-temperature butter).

Place the fully softened butter into a standing mixer, and whip the butter with the paddle attachment until a smooth consistency is reached. Then add your ingredients and mix until fully combined. If you do not have a standing mixer, you can place the fully softened butter into a mixing bowl, and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until smooth. Fold in the remaining ingredients until combined.

Compound butter can be served in a small bowl at room temperature. To store the compound butter, tightly roll it into a log with waxed paper and/or plastic wrap, and then twist the ends closed. Store in the freezer. When needed, simply cut a medallion straight from the frozen log, and then remove the waxed paper and/or plastic wrap. Serve immediately; the butter will begin to melt over hot food.

Country Cooks Across America ~ Whoopie Pies

I  LOVE making whoppie pies! Everyone is always impressed by them but the fact of the matter is they are really easy to make!  I especially enjoy coloring the filling to coordinate with the occasion … these are Robin’s blue for Spring! One of my favorite saying is, “ Sharing recipes makes lasting memories!” This recipe brings two of my dearest friend to mind, Lorraine, who shared the whoppie pies with me and Carol who shared the Mock Butter cream!

Yield: 20 pies

For Cakes

2 cups AP  flour

½ cup cocoa powder (Droste Brand or Ghiradelli’s)

1 ¼ tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt (set aside).  In a small bowl stir together buttermilk and vanilla (set aside). In the bowl of a mix master, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy  (about 3 minutes). If using a hand mixer, beat about 5 minutes (scrape sides often). Beat in egg until well combined.

Reduce to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture in thirds, until batter is smooth.  *Begin and end with the flour mixture.

*Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop up batter and level off with knife (this will give you consistent shaped cakes). Place each mound about 2 inches apart. Bake approx 12 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool.   NOTE: these can be made 3 days ahead, stored in an air-tight container, at room-temperature, separate layers of cakes with wax paper.

For Filing

Mock French Butter Cream

1 lb. sifted confectioner’s sugar (sift before measuring **)  

¼ lb. Crisco

½ lb margarine (good quality)

¼ cup cold water

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

¼ tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat for 15 minutes.  Place in piping back with large bore tip and pipe a generous amount in the center of one side of the cooled whoopie pie and cover with another one. OR  use your favorite butter cream recipe.  Fill a few hours before serving and refrigerate. 

See other recipes featured in Country Cooks Across America 

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