I just *have* to finally buy a trifle dish already

Blackberry-Key Lime Trifle

 
From Cook's Country, August/September 2014, at http://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/8015-blackberry-key-lime-trifle?extcode=LN14H1KAA

Why this recipe works:

To create this refreshing summer dessert, we make a no-cook pudding with fresh lime juice, sugar, cream cheese, condensed milk, and a secret ingredient: instant vanilla pudding. After the pudding has thickened and chilled in the fridge, we layer it with graham crackers and plump fresh blackberries. Decorated with fresh lime slices, this trifle makes for an impressive end to any meal.

Serves 12 

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar 

1 tablespoon grated lime zest plus 1 cup juice (8 limes), plus 5 limes sliced 1/8 inch thick 

8 ounces cream cheese, softened 

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 

1/3 cup instant vanilla pudding mix 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

12 whole graham crackers, broken in half 

1 recipe Large-Batch Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream (see below) 

30 ounces (6 cups) blackberries

 

Instructions

1. FOR THE FILLING: Process sugar and lime zest in food processor until sugar turns bright green, about 30 seconds. Set aside 2 teaspoons lime sugar. Add cream cheese to remaining lime sugar and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Add condensed milk and pudding mix and process until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With processor running, add lime juice and vanilla and process until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer custard to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thickened, about 1 hour.
2. TO ASSEMBLE: Shingle 12 cracker halves along bottom of 3 1/2-quart trifle dish or glass bowl. Arrange half of lime slices upright around bottom of dish, wedged between cracker halves and wall of dish. Spread 1 1/2 cups custard in even layer over cracker halves, followed by 2 cups whipped cream. Sprinkle 5 cups blackberries in even layer over whipped cream. Shingle 11 cracker halves over blackberries along edge of trifle and place remaining 1 cracker half in center. Arrange remaining lime slices upright around dish. Spread remaining custard over cracker halves, followed by remaining 2 cups whipped cream. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours. Just before serving, arrange remaining 1 cup blackberries in center of trifle and sprinkle top of trifle with reserved lime sugar.

Large-Batch Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream

From Cook's Country | June/July 2014, at http://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/7965-large-batch-lightly-sweetened-whipped-cream

 

Why this recipe works:

We found that chilled heavy cream is easier to whip and get to peak-form more quickly than if left at room temperature. Just a bit of vanilla extract sweetens the whipped cream but doesn't make it cloying.

Makes 4 cups 

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream, chilled 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. 
2. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes.

Cold soups

Creamy Gazpacho Andaluz 

From America's Test Kitchen Season 11: Grilled Steak and Gazpacho, at http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/6061-creamy-gazpacho-andaluz?extcode=LN14H1AAA

Why this recipe works:

The key to fresh tomato flavor in our creamy gazpacho Andaluz recipe was salting the tomatoes and letting them sit to release more flavor. We then followed the same process with the other vegetables—cucumber, bell pepper, and onion—and soaked the bread, which we used to thicken the soup, in the exuded vegetable juices. A final dash of olive oil and sherry vinegar further brightened the flavor of our gazpacho, and a diced-vegetable garnish made our creamy gazpacho recipe look as fresh as it tasted.

Serves 4 to 6 

For ideal flavor, allow the gazpacho to sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Red wine vinegar can be substituted for the sherry vinegar. Although we prefer to use kosher salt in this soup, half the amount of table salt can be used. Serve the soup with additional extra-virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, ground black pepper, and diced vegetables for diners to season and garnish their own bowls as desired.

Ingredients

3 pounds (about 6 medium) ripe tomatoes, cored 

1 small cucumber, peeled, halved, and seeded 

1 medium green bell pepper, halved, cored and seeded 

1 small red onion, peeled and halved 

2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and quartered 

1 small serrano chile, stemmed and halved lengthwise 

Kosher salt (see note) 

1 slice high-quality white sandwich bread, crust removed, torn into 1-inch pieces 

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving 

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, plus extra for serving (see note) 

2 tablespoons finely minced parsley, chives, or basil leaves 

Ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Cut remaining tomatoes, cucumber, and pepper into ¼-inch dice; place vegetables in medium bowl. Mince remaining onion and add to diced vegetables. Toss with ½ teaspoon salt and transfer to fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl. Set aside 1 hour.
2. Transfer drained diced vegetables to medium bowl and set aside. Add bread pieces to exuded liquid (there should be about ¼ cup) and soak 1 minute. Add soaked bread and any remaining liquid to roughly chopped vegetables and toss thoroughly to combine.
3. Transfer half of vegetable-bread mixture to blender and process 30 seconds. With blender running, slowly drizzle in ¼ cup oil and continue to blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain soup through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl, using back of ladle or rubber spatula to press soup through strainer. Repeat with remaining vegetable-bread mixture and 1/4 cup olive oil.
4. Stir vinegar, minced herb, and half of diced vegetables into soup and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours to chill completely and develop flavors. Serve, passing remaining diced vegetables, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and black pepper separately.

Technique
Achieving the Best Creamy Consistency
The trick to smooth, fully blended texture is all in how you add the olive oil.

BROKEN
Adding all of the oil at once prevents it from blending properly with the vegetables, resulting in a greasy consistency.

PERFECTLY CREAMY
Slowly drizzling in the oil helps the mixture emulsify, for a soup that is silky and rich—but not the least bit greasy.

 
Technique
Flavor Boosters: Salt—and Time
Because of salt’s ability to dissolve in liquids and to draw moisture out of meat and vegetable cells, it often enhances dishes in ways that go beyond just making them taste saltier. Could the length of time we salted our vegetables affect the flavor of our soup?

THE EXPERIMENT
We made two batches of gazpacho. For the first, we salted the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and green bell pepper in the recipe and let them sit for 1 hour before pureeing these ingredients with their accumulated juices in a blender. For the second batch, we skipped the salting step, but stirred in the equivalent amount of salt after we pureed the vegetables.

THE RESULTS
The vegetables that were salted for 1 hour before pureeing produced gazpacho with fuller, more complex flavor.

THE EXPLANATION
To experience any foodstuff’s flavors, our tastebuds must be exposed to its flavor molecules. But many of the flavor molecules in fruits and vegetables are not only trapped within their cell walls, they are tightly bound to proteins that also make them inaccessible to our tastebuds. Vigorously blending—and chewing—release some of the flavor molecules. But for maximum flavor extraction, salting the vegetables and letting them sit for an hour works best. With time, the salt draws flavor compounds out of the cell walls while simultaneously forcing the proteins to separate from these molecules, producing a more intensely flavored soup. Simply seasoning the soup before serving will not have the same effect.

Middle Eastern feastin'

Grilled Beef Kofte

Published July 1, 2013. From Cook's Illustrated at http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/7555-grilled-beef-kofte?extcode=LN14H1CAA

Why this recipe works:

We skipped the traditional bread panade in favor of a little gelatin to keep our kofte moist after grilling. And we added ground pine nuts for richness and to keep the kofte from being too springy.

 

Serves 4 to 6 

Serve with rice pilaf or make sandwiches with warm pita bread, sliced red onion, and chopped fresh mint.

Ingredients

Yogurt-Garlic Sauce 

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

2 tablespoons tahini 

1 garlic clove, minced 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Kofte 1/2 cup pine nuts 

5 garlic cloves, peeled 

2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika 

2 teaspoons ground cumin 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon pepper 

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 1/2 pounds 80 percent lean ground beef 

1/2 cup grated onion, drained 

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley 

1/3 cup minced fresh mint 

1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 

1 large disposable aluminum roasting pan (if using charcoal)

Preparation

1. FOR THE YOGURT-GARLIC SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Set aside. 
2. FOR THE KOFTE: Process pine nuts, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon in food processor until course paste forms, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add beef, onion, parsley, mint, and gelatin; knead with your hands until thoroughly combined and mixture feels slightly sticky, about 2 minutes. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into 5-inch-long cylinder about 1 inch in diameter. Using 8 (12-inch) metal skewers, thread mixture onto skewers, pressing gently to adhere. Transfer skewers to lightly greased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. 
3. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Using skewer, poke 12 holes in bottom of disposable pan. Open bottom vent completely and place disposable pan in center of grill. Light large chimney starter filled two-thirds with charcoal briquettes (4 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into disposable pan. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. 
4. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
5. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place skewers on grill (directly over coals if using charcoal) at 45-degree angle to grate. Cook (covered if using gas), without moving them, until browned and meat easily releases from grill, 4 to 7 minutes. Flip skewers and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat register 160 degrees, about 6 minutes longer. Transfer skewers to large platter and serve, passing yogurt-garlic sauce separately.

Skip the Burger and Try This

These kebabs take only a little longer to throw together than burgers but boast far more complex flavors and textures. For sandwiches, serve in warm pita bread.

TANGY SAUCE: Ours features traditional garlicky yogurt, plus a little tahini for added complexity.

SPRINGY YET TENDER TEXTURE: Kneading the ground meat gives the kofte a sausagelike spring, while incorporating ground pine nuts ensures that it also stays tender.

WARM SPICES: Spices added to the meat, including hot smoked paprika, cumin, and cloves, contribute heat and depth.

FRESH HERBS: The bright, grassy flavors of two other mix-ins, parsley and mint, complement the kofte’s richness.

Smoky the Bird

Smoked Chicken

From America's Test Kitchen Season 12: Backyard Chicken Dinner

Why this recipe works:

Brining chicken pieces plumped the meat with extra moisture—a boon in a grill-smoked chicken recipe, in which the meat is prone to drying out. The key to our successful Grill-Smoked Chicken recipe was the charcoal grill setup. Mounding some lit coals on top of unlit briquettes on one side of the grill allowed the heat to trickle down and light the cold coals, extending the life of the fire. Stowing a pan of water under the chicken on the cool side of the grill provided humidity that stabilized the temperature of the grill and helped prevent the delicate breast meat in our grill-smoked chicken from drying out. A couple of wood chunks gave our grill-smoked chicken all the smokiness it needed.

Serves 6 to 8 

Avoid mesquite wood chunks for this recipe: we find that the meat can turn bitter if they smolder too long. When using a charcoal grill, we prefer wood chunks to wood chips whenever possible. If using a gas grill, you will need to use wood chips.

Ingredients

1 cup salt 

1 cup sugar 

6 pounds bone-in chicken parts (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks), trimmed 

3 tablespoons vegetable oil 

Pepper 

Large disposable aluminum roasting pan (if using charcoal) or disposable aluminum pie plate (if using gas) 

2 wood chunks soaked in water for 30 minutes and drained (if using charcoal) or 3 cups wood chips, half of chips soaked in water for 30 minutes and drained (if using gas)

Preparation

1. Dissolve salt and sugar in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge chicken in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Brush both sides of chicken with oil and season with pepper.
2. For a Charcoal Grill: Open bottom vent halfway. Arrange disposable pan filled with 2 cups water on 1 side of grill and 2 quarts unlit charcoal briquettes against empty side of grill. Light large chimney starter filled halfway with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour on top of unlit briquettes, keeping coals steeply banked against side of grill. Place wood chunks on top of coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot and wood chunks begin to smoke, about 5 minutes.
3. For a Gas Grill: Use large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil to wrap soaked chips into foil packet and cut several vent holes in top. Wrap unsoaked chips in second foil packet and cut several vent holes in top. Place wood chip packets directly on primary burner. Place disposable pie plate with 2 cups water on other burner(s). Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips begin to smoke, about 15 minutes. Turn primary burner to medium-high and turn off other burner(s).
4. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken, skin side up, as far away from fire as possible with thighs closest to fire and breasts furthest away. Cover (positioning lid vent over chicken if using charcoal) and cook until breasts register 160 degrees and thighs/drumsticks register 175 degrees, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
5. Transfer chicken to cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Technique
Don't Oversmoke Your Chicken
To infuse our chicken pieces with full-bodied smoke flavor, we figured it was necessary to keep the wood chunks smoldering for the entire time that the meat was on the grill. But when the finished product tasted not just smoky, but also harsh and ashy, we wondered: Was there a limit to the amount of smoke that the chicken could take?

Experiment
We smoked two batches of chicken. For the first, we added two soaked wood chunks to the fire at the beginning of cooking; when those had burned out about 45 minutes later, we added two more soaked chunks to keep the smoldering going for the duration of cooking. For the second batch, we didn’t replenish the wood after the initial chunks had burned out.

Results
The chicken exposed to smoke the entire time tasted bitter and sooty, while the pieces that were exposed to smoke for only 45 minutes or so (about half of the overall cooking time) had just enough smoky depth.

Explantion
Smoke contains both water- and fat-soluble compounds. As the chicken cooks, water evaporates and fat drips away, eventually halting meat’s capacity to continue absorbing smoke flavor. Once that happens, any additional smoke flavor that’s not absorbed by the meat gets deposited on the exterior of the chicken, where the heat of the grill breaks it down into harsher—flavored compounds.

One round of wood chunks = Balanced smokiness

 

Technique
Smoking Chicken in a Charcoal Kettle
To produce tender, juicy, smoky chicken, we devised a three-part fire setup in our charcoal kettle. It mimics the slow, steady, indirect heat that pit masters get from a dedicated smoker, plus it avoids sooty flavors.

TWO QUARTS OF UNLIT COALS
Bank to one side of the grill with 3 quarts of lit coals piled on top to keep the fire going without it being necessary to open the lid.

A WATER PAN
Place underneath the grill grate opposite the coals to create steam, which helps stabilize the temperature and keep the meat moist. 

TWO SOAKED WOOD CHUNKS
Place on top of the coals smoldered for about 45 minutes—just long enough to infuse the chicken with smoky (not sooty) flavor.

Keen on peaches

Fresh Peach Pie

Published September 1, 2013. From Cook's Illustrated at http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/7511-fresh-peach-pie?extcode=LN14H2CAA#.

Why this recipe works:

Juicy summer peaches usually produce soupy peach pies. We corralled the moisture that peaches give off during cooking in a number of ways. First, we macerate the peaches to draw out some of their juices and add back to the filling only a specific amount. Second, we use both cornstarch and pectin to bind up what remains. Using two thickeners leaves the pie with a clear, silky texture without any of the gumminess or gelatinous texture that larger amounts of either one alone produces. Finally, we use a reliable, delicious lattice crust, the open nature of which lets moisture cook off as the pie bakes.

Serves 8 

If your peaches are too soft to withstand the pressure of a peeler, cut a shallow X in the bottom of the fruit, blanch them in a pot of simmering water for 15 seconds, and then shock them in a bowl of ice water before peeling. For fruit pectin we recommend both Sure-Jell for Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes and Ball RealFruit Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin.

Ingredients

3 pounds peaches, peeled, quartered, and pitted, each quarter cut into thirds 

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) plus 3 tablespoons sugar 

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

2 tablespoons low- or no-sugar-needed fruit pectin 

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Pinch ground nutmeg 

1 recipe Pie Dough for Lattice-Top Pie (see related content) 

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preparation

1. Toss peaches, ½ cup sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Combine pectin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons sugar in small bowl and set aside.
2. Remove dough from refrigerator. Before rolling out dough, let it sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes. Roll 1 disk of dough into 12-inch circle on lightly floured counter. Transfer to parchment paper–lined baking sheet. With pizza wheel, fluted pastry wheel, or paring knife, cut round into ten 1¼-inch-wide strips. Freeze strips on sheet until firm, about 30 minutes. 
3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Roll other disk of dough into 12-inch circle on lightly floured counter. Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto 9-inch pie plate, letting excess dough hang over edge. Ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with your hand while pressing into plate bottom with your other hand. Leave any dough that overhangs plate in place. Wrap dough-lined pie plate loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes. 
4. Meanwhile, transfer 1 cup peach mixture to small bowl and mash with fork until coarse paste forms. Drain remaining peach mixture through colander set in large bowl. Transfer peach juice to liquid measuring cup (you should have about ½ cup liquid; if liquid measures more than ½ cup, discard remainder). Return peach pieces to bowl and toss with cornstarch. Transfer peach juice to 12-inch skillet, add pectin mixture, and whisk until combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and pectin is dissolved (liquid should become less cloudy), 3 to 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, add peach pieces and peach paste, and toss to combine. 
5. Transfer peach mixture to dough-lined pie plate. Remove dough strips from freezer; if too stiff to be workable, let stand at room temperature until malleable and softened slightly but still very cold. Lay 2 longest strips across center of pie perpendicular to each other. Using 4 shortest strips, lay 2 strips across pie parallel to 1 center strip and 2 strips parallel to other center strip, near edges of pie; you should have 6 strips in place. Using remaining 4 strips, lay each one across pie parallel and equidistant from center and edge strips. If dough becomes too soft to work with, refrigerate pie and dough strips until dough firms up.
6. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of pie plate. Press edges of bottom crust and lattice strips together and fold under. Folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Crimp dough evenly around edge of pie using your fingers. Using spray bottle, evenly mist lattice with water and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
7. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is set and begins to brown, about 25 minutes. Rotate pie and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees; continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbly at center, 30 to 40 minutes longer. Let cool on wire rack for 3 hours before serving.

Secrets to a Filling that isn’t Soupy and Tastes Just Peachy

1. LIMIT JUICE: Macerating large chunks of peaches and reserving the resulting juice allows us to add only as much liquid as the filling can handle—no more.

2. ADD PECTIN (AND CORNSTARCH): A combination of pectin and cornstarch keeps the filling smooth, clear, and moist without being soupy.

3. MAKE A STICKY MASH: A bit of mashed-up peaches added to the filling acts like glue, preventing any peach chunks from falling out of a slice.

Baked red tomatoes at the Whistlestop Café

Summer Tomato Pie 

from http://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/4850-summer-tomato-pie?extcode=LN14H3KAA#.

Why this recipe works:

Our first few tests of Summer Tomato Pie made it clear that while juiciness is the strength of a good tomato, it’s the enemy of tomato pie. The wet tomatoes created a soaked, doughy bottom crust. To eliminate moisture, we salted the tomatoes and let them sit to draw out their juice. After the slices drained, we pressed them firmly with paper towels, layered them in the pie, and cut large vents in the top crust for steam to escape. Adding cornstarch to the filling and lowering the oven heat after a few minutes prevented the mayonnaise from curdling.

Serves 8 

Use our recipe for Double-Crust Pie Dough (related), or use your own recipe or store-bought dough. If using store-bought dough, bake the pie for 30 minutes after turning down the heat in step 4.

Ingredients

2 (9-inch) pie dough rounds (see note) 

2 pounds ripe beefsteak tomatoes (about 4 large), cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 cup mayonnaise 

4 teaspoons cornstarch 

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese 

4 scallions, sliced thin

Preparation

1. DRAIN TOMATOES: Arrange tomatoes on paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let drain 30 minutes, then press tomatoes with additional paper towels until very dry.
2. ROLL DOUGH: On lightly floured surface, roll 1 dough round into 12-inch circle (if using store-bought dough, you do not need to roll either crust). Transfer to 9-inch pie plate, letting excess hang over edge. Cover with plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll second round into 12-inch circle and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. ASSEMBLE PIE: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix mayonnaise, cornstarch, and 1 cup cheese in bowl until well combined. Sprinkle remaining cheese over bottom of dough-lined pie plate. Arrange third of tomatoes over cheese. Spread half of mayonnaise mixture over tomatoes and sprinkle with half of scallions. Layer with another third of tomatoes, remaining mayonnaise mixture, and remaining scallions, then top with remaining tomatoes.
4. CRIMP CRUST: Arrange top crust on pie. Press crusts together, then trim, fold, and crimp edges. Cut four 2- by 1-inch oval vent holes in top. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until crust is golden brown, about 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 3 hours. Serve at room temperature.

Keys to Crispy Crust
As they cook, juicy summer tomatoes expel so much moisture they turn pie shells sodden. Prevent slush with our three-step plan.

1. Salt the tomatoes and let them drain for 30 minutes. Then press on them firmly with paper towels to dry them.

2. Before filling the pie, sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese over the bottom of the pie shell to protect the crust from the wet tomatoes.

3. Cut oval vent holes in the top crust so steam can escape. Place on a preheated baking sheet to set the bottom crust.

Shocker

 

ham!!

Ooh . . . to use with Ina's nummy rehearsal-dinner menu

America's Test Kitchen's New England Lobster Roll
from http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/7405-new-england-lobster-roll?extcode=LN14F4AAA

Why this recipe works:

For our lobster roll, we mostly adhered to tradition—top-loading supermarket hotdog bun, mayonnaise, and lots of lobster—but we added a hint of crunch in the form of small amounts of lettuce and celery, and we added complimentary brightness with lemon juice, cayenne, and chives.

The sandwich is easy. The challenges are dealing with a live lobster and knowing when it’s properly cooked. 

 

Serves 6 

This recipe is best when made with lobster you’ve cooked yourself. Use a very small pinch of cayenne pepper, as it should not make the dressing spicy. We prefer New England–style top-loading hot dog buns, as they provide maximum surface on the sides for toasting. If using other buns, butter, salt, and toast the interior of each bun instead of the exterior.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 tablespoons minced celery 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon minced fresh chives Salt Pinch cayenne pepper 1 pound lobster meat, tail meat cut into 1/2-inch pieces and claw meat cut into 1-inch pieces 6 New England-style hot dog buns 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 6 leaves Boston lettuce 

 

Preparation

1. Whisk mayonnaise, celery, lemon juice, chives, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and cayenne together in large bowl. Add lobster and gently toss to combine.
2. Place 12-inch nonstick skillet over low heat. Butter both sides of hot dog buns and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place buns in skillet, with 1 buttered side down; increase heat to medium-low; and cook until crisp and brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook second side until crisp and brown, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer buns to large platter. Line each bun with lettuce leaf. Spoon lobster salad into buns and serve immediately.

dj's note: i couldn't handle adding ATK's how-to-kill-a-lobster instructions, because i'm a big hypocrite: i'll eat it, but i cringe from killing it myself.

get menu inspiration from http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/barefoot-contessa/600-series/rehearsal-dinner2.html.

Light ending to summer dinner parties

America's Test Kitchen's Lemon Ice
from http://www.onlinecookingschool.com/school/courses/210/topics/1759?extcode=LN14G2SAA

With so few ingredients, lemon ice is regularly plagued by the harsh and unbalanced flavors that often afflict lemon desserts. The way we see it (or taste it), lemon ice should melt on the tongue with abandon, strike a perfect sweet-tart balance, and hit lots of high notes before quickly disappearing without so much as a trace of bitterness.

For a recipe that satisfied all of these requirements, it was important to treat water as an ingredient that lends the lemon ice flavor in addition to texture. Because water accounts for nearly 50 percents of the volume of the unfrozen mixture, the type of water used has an impact on flavor. Tap water gave our ice a tinny, metallic quality. The best course of action was using bottled, spring, or sparkling water. Or, at the very least, using filtered tap water.

Salt heightened the lemon ice's flavor and alcohol's anti freezing properties countered the mixture's solidity and stiffness when frozen. Colorless, odorless vodka went unnoticed and lent the lemon ice a soft, creamy, slightly slushy texture that was preferred over the harder, coarser crystalline structure of the unspiked lemon ice.

But the single most important determinant of the texture of lemon ice is the freezing method. While you can certainly use an ice cream maker, we found that freezing the lemon mixture in ice cube trays, then processing the cubes in a food processor whose parts had been chilled in the freezer. The texture of this version comes out dense and mostly creamy, with occasional lumps. We actually found this unevenness appealing; biting into a lemony lump was like finding a peanut in a box of Cracker Jack. 

 

Total Time: 3 hours
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Active Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Make Ahead: Serve immediately
Difficulty: Easy 

Ingredients
1 Cup lemon juice from 5 or 6 large lemons
1 Cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar 

1/8 Teaspoon table salt
2 1/4 Cups water *
2 Tablespoons vodka * *

* We found that filtered or bottled water tastes best in this recipe.
* * The vodka in the recipe helps prevent the ice from freezing to hard, and helps the dish retains a loose slushy feel. But it is optional; the texture may suffer but you can prepare this recipe without it.

Tools
Medium non-reactive bowl
Rubber spatula
Whisk (see note below)

Ice cube trays
Food processor
 

Note: If making the lemon ice by hand, use a whisk to whisk and scrape the mixture every 30 minutes, until the mixture is slushy and granular, 3 to 5 hours. 

 

Preparation

1. Squeeze 5 or 6 lemons to obtain 1 cup juice.
2. Combine lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 2 1/4 cups water, and 2 tablespoons vodka in medium (at least 3-quart) nonreactive bowl. Whisk occasionally to dissolve sugar.
3. Pour mixture into 2 ice cube trays and freeze until thoroughly frozen, at least 2 1/2 hours (or up to 5 days).
4. Meanwhile, freeze medium bowl and food processor workbowl and blade for at least 30 minutes. Attach chilled workbowl and blade to food processor.
5. Working quickly, use dinner knife or paring knife to pry frozen cubes from 1 ice cube tray, letting cubes fall into chilled workbowl.
6. Pulse ice cubes until creamy and no large lumps remain, about eighteen 1-second pulses.
7. Transfer mixture to chilled bowl and freeze while processing remaining ice cubes. Serve.

Once a year

America's Test Kitchen's Sour Cherry Cobbler
from http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/428-sour-cherry-cobbler?extcode=LN14G2AAA

Why this recipe works:

Most cherry cobbler recipes just don't taste like cherries (because the cherries come from a can and are precooked), and the biscuit topping is often undercooked. We wanted our cherry cobbler recipe to be different, so we selected jarred Morello cherries if fresh were unavailable (as they are 11 months out of the year) and combined the cherry juices with red wine. To ensure nicely browned biscuits, we baked them on their own ahead of time, then assembled the cobbler and put it in the oven for a brief warming.

 

Serves 12 

Note: Use the smaller amount of sugar in the filling if you prefer your fruit desserts on the tart side and the larger amount if you like them sweet.

Ingredients

Biscuit Topping  

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)  

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder  

1/2 teaspoon baking soda  

1/2 teaspoon table salt  

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 1/2-inch cubes  

2 tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling  

1 cup buttermilk 

Cherry Filling  

4 (24-ounce) jars Morello cherries, drained (about 8 cups drained cherries), 2 cups juice reserved

 3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar  

3 tablespoons cornstarch, plus one teaspoon cornstarch  

pinch table salt  

1 cup dry red wine  

1 cinnamon stick (3-inch)  

1/4 teaspoon almond extract 

 

Preparation

1. Adjust rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, pulse flour, 6 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Scatter butter pieces over and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 15 one-second pulses. Transfer to medium bowl; add buttermilk and toss with rubber spatula to combine. Using a 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-inch spring-loaded ice cream scoop, scoop 12 biscuits onto baking sheet, spacing them 11/2 to 2 inches apart. Sprinkle biscuits evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar and bake until lightly browned on tops and bottoms, about 15 minutes. (Do not turn off oven.)
3. Meanwhile, spread drained cherries in even layer in 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish. Stir sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in medium nonreactive saucepan. Whisk in reserved cherry juice and wine, and add cinnamon stick; set saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook, whisking frequently, until mixture simmers and thickens, about 5 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick, stir in almond extract, and pour hot liquid over cherries in baking dish.
4. Arrange hot biscuits in 3 rows of 4 over filling. Bake cobbler until filling is bubbling and biscuits are deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes; serve.