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Now my dad will be the first to tell you that he doesn’t like shrimp. Most shrimp recipes I propose are usually met with that reminder and a change of subject. But this one caught his eye for some reason.

We made it early one afternoon so we could get good light for a photograph, and then had to taste it. We kept tasting it, and tasting it, and then we had to call my mother over because we were well on our way to eating the whole pan. The only thing I wish we had at the time was some crusty Italian bread to dip in the sauce.

Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1 Tbsp minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill 1 to 1 1/4 pounds medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (can leave tails on), thaw if frozen Pinch of salt, more to taste Pinch black pepper, more to taste 3 ounces feta cheese (about 2/3 cup, crumbled)

Method

1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.

2 Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the juices thicken a bit.

3 Remove from heat. Stir in the herbs, shrimp, feta cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Place pan in oven and bake, uncovered, until shrimp are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.

Serve immediately. Serve with crusty French or Italian loaf bread, pasta, or rice.

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Recipe adapted from Eat Smartby Taunton Press Fine Cooking.

“Have I got the best recipe for you!” my friend Tomas announced, upon his return from a trip to photograph vineyards in Italy. “It’s an Irish beef stew,” he added, “and it’s the best thing I’ve ever had.” Apparently the chef at one of the wineries Tom was visiting prepared this stew for Tom, based on a Bon Appetit recipe, with the main difference being the substitution of Guinness (a very dark beer) and excellent red wine for some of the beef stock the recipe called for. Always eager to try new recipes with friends, I made my way to Tom’s house and we cooked this up together for his family. As I suspected, the addition of Guinness and red wine makes all the difference.

Irish Beef Stew Recipe

Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 1 hour, 50 minutes Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

Please use beef chuck stew meat that is well marbled with fat. Lean stew meat will end up too dry.

Save prep time by prepping the onions, carrots, and potatoes while the stock with beef is simmering in step 2.

Ingredients 1 1/4 pounds well-marbled chuck beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks 3 teaspoons of salt (more to taste) 1/4 cup olive oil 6 large garlic cloves, minced 4 cups beef stockor broth 2 cups water 1 cup of Guinness extra stout 1 cup of hearty red wine 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons butter 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups) 1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups) 2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots (3 to 4 carrots, can substitute some of the carrot with parsnips) 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method

1 Sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt over the beef pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large (6 to 8 quart), thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Pat dry the beef with paper towels and working in batches, add the beef (do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam and not brown) and cook, without stirring, until nicely browned on one side, then use tongs to turn the pieces over and brown on another side.

2 Add garlic to the pot with the beef and sauté 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the beef stock, water, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to the lowest setting, then cover and cook at a bare simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

3 While the pot of meat and stock is simmering, melt the butter in another pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots. Sauté the onions and carrots until the onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Set aside until the beef stew in step 2 has simmered for one hour.

4 Add the onions, carrots, and the potatoes to the beef stew. Add black pepper and two teaspoons of salt. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off any excess fat. Transfer stew to serving bowl. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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Molasses Spice Cookies Recipe

Yield: Makes 18 large cookies.

Preparation time: 30 minutes.

Ingredients 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons of baking soda 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling cookies 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup unsulphered molasses

Method

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice together in a bowl and set aside.

2 Use an electric mixer and beat the butter for 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed. Add egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.

3 Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

4 Place remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with 2 Tbsp of dough each time, roll dough into 1 3/4 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.

5 Bake until the outer edges of the cookies begin to set and centers are soft and puffy, about 11 to 13 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks .

Note: do not overcook. The centers of the cookies should be somewhat soft and spongy when you take them out of the oven, otherwise they will end up hard and dry.

Optional Glaze

When cookies have cooled, lay out over a sheet of wax paper. Sift 1 1/4 cups of confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar) and then whisk with 2 Tbsp of milk until smooth. Dip spoon into glaze and dribble over cookies.

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Thumbprint cookies are one of those classic cookies that seem to make an appearance at any event regardless what the occasion is. I think it’s because they combine so many things people love: buttery cookies, nuts, and jam. How much more homemade can you get?

Feel free to get family and friends involved with this recipe and do it in an assembly line. It’s a great recipe that’s perfect for any party or get together as people can customize cookies with their favorite nuts and jams or jellies. Just turn up the music, get your hands a bit dirty, and have a baking party!

Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

Yield: Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Ingredients 1 cup of butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces), room temperature 1/2 cup of sugar 2 eggs, room temperature 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract Pinch of salt 2 cups of flour 1 cup of chopped nuts (optional) 3/4 cup of your favorite jam Parchment paper

Method

1 Cream the butter and sugar on high speed for about 3 minutes.

2 Separate the eggs. Add the yolks and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. If using nuts place the egg whites in a shallow dish on the side and whisk them until bubbly and frothy (the egg whites will be used to keep the nuts on the cookies).

3 Add the flour and salt. Mix until just combined. Place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350F.

4 Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. If using nuts, dip the balls into the egg whites then roll them into the nuts until covered. Place the balls on parchment lined cookie sheets.

5 Press down with your thumb to make a small well in the center of the cookie. Do not press too hard or the cookie will fall apart. Fill with 1/2 teaspoon of jam.

6 Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly firm. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet to firm up before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

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Chocolate Ganache Torte Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 1 hour Yield: Serves 20.

Ingredients

The Shell

The Filling

The Sauce

Method

1 Prepare the crust. Chop/process the wafers and pecans until fine, add enough melted butter to press this into the spring-form pan (along the bottom and halfway up the sides). Bake in oven at 350°F for 20 minutes, put aside.

2 While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In double boiler melt the butter and then add the chocolate. When chocolate is swirl-able, slowly add the whipping cream, stirring slowly, until mixture is blended and smooth. Pour mixture into the prepared shell. Refrigerate for at least four hours.

3 Prepare the sauce before serving (the sauce, served warm, should accompany the torte, served cold.) Melt butter over fairly high heat. Add sugar until saturated (the heat must be high enough for the sugar to dissolve; when no more will dissolve, the solution is saturated). Stirring only occasionally, let the mixture “burn” just enough to turn into a rich caramel. Add the cream, stirring briskly until well blended and smooth. Strain if necessary for smoothness.

One nine-inch torte has been known to serve twenty adults, so be careful…

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Note from Rob:
This torte was conceived by Freshfields restaurant in West Cornwall, CT. Astoundingly, they give away recipes, and I was merely brave enough to have asked for it. – RHK

Links:
Michael Ruhlman writes about ganache