Spicy Cold Celery

• 1 pound celery stalks, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons vinegar, preferably rice or cider
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili oil, optional.

1. Cut celery into 2-inch lengths. Mix with salt and sugar, and set aside. Whisk together remaining ingredients.

2. Rinse, drain and pat celery dry. Toss with dressing. Let stand in refrigerator at least 3 hours, and up to a day. Serve chilled.

by Tim Dineen

Cranberry Raspberry Sauce

• 1 12-ounce bag of cranberries, picked over
• 1 10-ounce package frozen raspberries in light syrup, thawed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup cranberry juice

In a heavy saucepan combine the cranberries, the raspberries with the syrup, the brown sugar, and the cranberry juice cocktail, simmer the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cranberries have burst and the sauce is thickened, and let the sauce cool.

by Tim Dineen

Broccoli Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• Kosher salt, to taste
• 4 heads broccoli, cut into small florets
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 8 oz. white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1½ cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 tsp. dried sage
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tsp. dry mustard powder
• ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add broccoli, and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a 9" x 13" baking dish and set aside. Heat oil and 2 tbsp. butter in a 10" skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add 3 tbsp. butter to skillet and melt. Remove from heat add bread crumbs and sage; season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Heat remaining butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add milk, mustard, and nutmeg, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream cheese, 1 cup cheddar, mayonnaise, and eggs until smooth; season with salt and pepper and set sauce aside.

3. Heat broiler to high. Pour sauce evenly over the top of the broccoli; sprinkle with mushrooms, bread crumbs and remaining cheddar. Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

by Tim Dineen

Baked Butternut Squash Polenta

Ingredients

• 1 2-pound butternut squash—peeled, seeded and sliced 1 inch thick
• 2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
• 1/3 cup(s) pine nuts
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) dried sage, crumbled
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 cup(s) water
• 2 cup(s) coarse polenta
• Unsalted butter
• 4 ounce(s) smoked Gouda, shredded 1 cup
• 1/4 cup(s) plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Arrange the squash on a large oiled baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until tender. Transfer the squash to a bowl and mash coarsely. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups.) Spread the pine nuts on a pie plate and toast in the oven for 4 minutes, until golden. Coarsely chop the nuts.

2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and sage and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, 25 minutes; add a few tablespoons of water if the onion looks dry.

3. In a saucepan, bring the 6 cups of water to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook over very low heat, stirring frequently, until tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter along with the mashed squash, pine nuts, onion, Gouda and half of the grated Parmigiano cheese. Pour the hot polenta into a buttered large cast-iron skillet. Flatten the top of the polenta slightly without spreading it to the edges; refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

4. Rub the surface of the polenta with softened butter and sprinkle with the remaining grated Parmigiano cheese. Bake in a 375° oven for 1 hour, until the top and side are lightly browned and crisp. Let stand for 20 minutes before cutting it into wedges.

by Tim Dineen

Alsatian Potato Pie

INGREDIENTS

• 3 (about 1 1/2 pounds) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• Coarse salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat side of a large knife
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium leek, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise, and washed well
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 (14 ounces) frozen puff pastry, (such as Dufour), thawed
• All-purpose flour, for work surface
• 1 1/2 cups grated Comte or Gruyere cheese

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1
Cover potatoes with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add a pinch of salt; cook until just tender, 13 to 15 minutes. Drain. Let cool.
STEP 2
Bring 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons cream, the garlic, and nutmeg to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook mixture until reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
STEP 3
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add leek; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
STEP 4
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk egg yolk and remaining tablespoon cream in a small bowl; set aside. Divide puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into two 6-by-13-inch rectangles. Set 1 rectangle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add half of the potatoes, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around and overlapping potatoes slightly. Top with half of the leek mixture and 3/4 cup cheese; season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering with remaining potatoes, leeks, and cheese. Brush edges of dough with egg wash. Cover with remaining dough rectangle; gently press edges with a fork to seal. Cut 2-inch slits lengthwise in center of crust, 2 inches apart. Brush with egg wash. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
STEP 5
Bake pie until golden brown and puffy, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Pour cream mixture into pie vents with a funnel. Bake 10 minutes more. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

by Tim Dineen

Baked Orange Cauliflower

• 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs, whisked

for the sauce:

• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp vinegar
• 1/8 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 tsp sriracha (if you find this to be too much spice, you can replace half of it with ketchup to get the orange color without affecting flavor too much)
• 1 tsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp water + 2 tsp cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Set aside whisked egg in a small mixing bowl. Set aside panko crumbs in a medium mixing bowl. Dip cauliflower pieces in egg and then roll in panko until fully coated and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You may need to use your fingers to help press on the coating to help it to stick to the cauliflower bites. Repeat until all cauliflower is coated.

2. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until coating is a dark golden brown and crunchy.

3. While the cauliflower is baking, make the sauce. Using a small saucepan, add all ingredients listed except the last set (1 tbsp water + 2 tsp cornstarch). Bring sauce to a low boil, stirring constantly. In a small bowl, completely dissolve cornstarch in water, then add to the mixture. Stir until sauce boils again and cook until sauce thickens. Drizzle sauce over cauliflower. Add fresh chopped scallions if desired.

by Tim Dineen

Butter

Making Butter

When making butter, you'll get about half as much butter as the amount of cream used, plus residual "butter" milk produced by the process. Translated, that means 1 quart (32 ounces) cream yields 1 pound (16 ounces) butter plus 2 cups buttermilk; 1 cup cream yields 1/2 cup butter plus about 1/2 cup buttermilk.

Pour the cream into a bowl, set the electric mixer on medium speed, and blend. For best results, use organic cream with a butterfat content of at least 35 percent. Most organic creams and heavy whipping cream work well.

The cream transforms first into fluffy whipped cream and then stiff peaks. These break down into soft cottage-cheese-like curds as blobs of butterfat separate from the milk. After about 10 minutes, the butter begins to stiffen and clump together and the watery milk pools in the bottom of the bowl.

At this point, stop the mixer. Carefully pour off as much milk as possible and refrigerate it. Although this "buttermilk" is not like the thick, tangy buttermilk you'll find in the market, it can be used for cooking, baking, and drinking.

Use a rubber or stiff metal spatula to press the butter and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. Add about 1/2 cup ice water to the butter and use the spatula to press the butter and water against the side of the bowl. This step, called washing, is important to keep the butter from spoiling. Pour off the cloudy liquid. Add more ice water and repeat the process two or three times until the water becomes less cloudy.

Continue kneading butter against the side of the bowl until all the liquid has been pressed out. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Monique prefers not to salt the butter until she is ready to use it.

Pack the butter in containers, wrap tightly, and cover. Or try wrapping butter in parchment paper for a touch of elegance. As a bonus, the butter won't stick to the parchment as it does to plastic wrap. For storing, first wrap in parchment, if desired, then wrap in plastic wrap or foil to make an airtight package.

Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months.

by Tim Dineen

Basic Sourdough Bread

• 5 oz whole wheat flour
• 11 oz white bread flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups purified water
• 1/4 cup starter

Instructions
Mix together the dry ingredients.
Dissolve 1/4 cup starter into purified water
Add water / starter to dry ingredients and stir until the water is incorporated.
Cover with plastic and let sit roughly 10-14 hours at room temperature (~ 68 - 72F).
Cover loosely with plastic and rest for 15 minutes.
Transfer to well floured towel or proofing basket. Cover with towel and let rise about 1 1/2 hours.
Bake in covered La Cloche or Dutch oven preheated to 500 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove cover; reduce heat to 450 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Let cool completely on rack.

by Tim Dineen