Fall colors might be beautiful
outdoors, but not on my birthday
cake, for crying out loud!
By Cynthia Bowan
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Autumn in Pennsylvania is a beautiful time of year. Sometimes, it seems that the seasons change almost overnight. Autumn starts with a chill in the air. Then, with gathering momentum, pomegranates, new apples and apple cider, and cranberries begin to fill grocery store shelves. Gourds, pumpkins, squashes and pots of mums in a full spectrum of colors displace warm-weather fruits and vegetables.
Almost overnight, it seems that we go from running around in short sleeves, and the next day, Ta-Da! Winter clothes are being brought out of hibernation. You really don’t know how to dress as you leave the house in the morning!
We celebrated grandson Micah’s birthday on the 9th, Jon’s birthday on the 16th and mine is coming up on the 30th. So, weeks before the "official" start of the holiday season, our family celebrates. With Holly’s birthday in November, and Mark’s in December, the celebrations continue, tumbling into each other, it seems, like dominoes.
Last year, my husband Merrill and youngest daughter Bethany surprised me on my birthday with a great Chinese take out dinner. But it was the birthday dessert that really made my day. An apple pie! Bought, of course, but class bought apple pie (it had a sassy attitude….let your imagination wander)!
When I was growing up, my birthday cake almost invariably held Halloween or harvest decorations on it—like the one with a cornucopia filled with flowers of dark orange and dead brown shades. I hated that particular cake most of all. Fall colors might be beautiful outdoors, but not on my birthday cake, for crying out loud! I wanted girly cakes like the ones I saw in bakery windows or my mother’s food magazines. When I was younger, that meant cakes with little ballerina figurines on them. As I grew older, the cake I wanted was a work of art with exquisite flowers on in. I
went through a pink phase, but then discovered how much I loved soft purple colors… I think it was the fascination of cakes that started me on my love affair with recipes, cooking and food in general.
Years later, when my husband was serving in the Navy at Parris Island, I took classes from a Wilton Chef. I started out making cakes for my family, branched out to baking for friends, and then worked in a local bakery for a couple years. From there, the journey took on a life of its own – trite words perhaps, but true. I joined gourmet groups, collected cookbooks, began teaching classes in cake decorating, candy making, bread baking – whatever. I even had a catering business – Original Cyn’s! Our small local weekly newspaper had been running a cooking column by a
local older woman who died. It just so happened that the lifestyles editor was a friend of mine, so I called Ann and asked her if she had anyone to replace that much-loved lady.
Ann was thrilled, because otherwise, she would have to do a column herself and she had no desire to write anything more with her schedule. So, in March 1986, I began writing A Cook’s Tour, which was renamed Family Fare a few years later, in order to better address what the columns were about. I’m still writing that column after all these years. The columns are about relationships – families, friends, places, restaurants and well, my culinary adventures, so to speak. Just like this column, the recipes are a vital part and reflect back on the story or article I share.
Do I ever run out of an idea? Well, yes, I have senior moments and writer’s (cement) block sometimes. Run out of recipes? Not with the number of cookbooks I have collected over the years – and which I have no idea as to the total…and that’s a good thing, because my darling husband already built me a couple large bookcases and doesn’t really think there is room for more in our family room.
I moderate several recipe exchange lists- daily food newsletters, and more than are listed on the home page for this column! But because of all my writing, I have friends all over this country, and some very dear ones around the world. So my theory in a previous chef2chef column that food brings all people together is a proven one.
One of our family customs is that the birthday person gets to choose what their dinner will be. We’ve had some interesting meals this way over the years. For a while, each of the boys picked steak and wild rice…a good meal, but boring when it is three times a year for a few years.
So since my turn is now coming up, I decided to put together a dream meal, perhaps one with more than one dessert choices (GBG), but most assuredly, recipes I would love to have on my special day, and of course, I share the recipes with you. I hope you will Enjoy! the following, and as always, CYH – consider yourself hugged.
Fresh Tomato Salad
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 tomatoes, 1/2-inch dice
1 head lettuce, shredded
In a small bowl whisk together onion, oil, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce,
sugar, salt, basil, thyme and pepper. Place the tomatoes in a medium bowl. Pour dressing over salad; toss lightly to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve on shredded lettuce. Serves 6
Salmon in Phyllo
2 lbs. Salmon fillet, skinned and boned and cut into 8 portions
Juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
8 sheets phyllo dough
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Fresh dill for garnish
Creamy Dill Sauce (recipe follows)
Marinate salmon in lemon juice and dill for about 20 minutes. Season with salt
and pepper; rub the spices in well. This can be done several hours ahead of time.
Preheat oven to 375F. Take a sheet of phyllo dough. Combine melted butter and mustard and brush lightly over the phyllo. Put a strip of salmon at the long end of the dough. Fold phyllo over salmon and roll up. Two inches from the end of the sheet, tuck the sides in toward the middle. Finish rolling and place roll on buttered baking sheet, seam side down.
Repeat with remaining salmon strips. This step can be done and hour ahead and
refrigerated. Combine egg yolk and heavy cream and brush pastry with this egg wash. Bake until phyllo is puffed and browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.
At serving time, put pastry on a heated plate, garnish with dill and serve.
Creamy Dill Sauce
2 T. dry white wine
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2/3 c. heavy cream
2 T. chopped fresh dill
1 T. Chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat (or use the skillet in which the fish was cooked). Add the wine and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Add the cream. Simmer until well combined and cream has reduced slightly. Stir in the dill and parsley. Taste for seasoning.
This sauce is excellent with all sorts of fish, especially if you use the pan in which the fish was prepared and scrape up the bits to get extra flavor. Makes about 2/3 c. sauce.
Asparagus Del Carlo
1 bunch fresh asparagus
4 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh parsley, minced (optional)
1/2 cup Olive oil
1/2 cup Wine vinegar
1/2 cup Soy sauce
1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
Snap the asparagus to length and rinse well. Boil a pot of water. When
it reaches a rolling boil, put the asparagus in. Watch the pot closely,
and as soon as the water starts to boil again remove from heat and drain
immediately. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle the garlic over it, and
pour about 1/2 cup of olive oil all over asparagus, followed by about
1/4 to ½ cup wine vinegar and about 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1/4 cup
teriyaki sauce. Mix well and marinate for 15-20 minutes. Excellent hot
like this, or chill overnight and use as a cold salad.
Perfect Rice
2 c. long grain rice
2 c. cold water
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
3-4 T. butter
1 tsp. or so dried parsley (can use fresh)
Combine all ingredients in baking dish. Cover with foil and bake in 350F oven,
30-35 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and rice cooked. OR, cover with plastic
wrap, and microwave on high for 15-18 minutes, depending on your oven. Serves 4
as a side dish.
Variations: add 2 T. olive oil instead of butter, and 1 c. chopped tomatoes (or
halved cherry tomatoes).
Add your 1 c. choice of: diced chicken, turkey or ham.
Add chopped bell peppers, any color <G>.
Add 1 sm. pkg. frozen peas or green beans. I like to add a little tarragon with
French Green beans...
Dark Chocolate Crème Brulee
Yield: 8 Servings
3 c Whipping cream
12 oz Semisweet chocolate
1 Tbsp Instant espresso powder
10 Egg yolks
3 Tbsp Coffee liqueur
8 tsp Sugar
1/2 c Whipped cream
4 Strawberries, halved
Stir cream, chocolate and espresso powder in top of double boiler over
simmering water until mixture is smooth. Blend yolks and liqueur in
large bowl. Whisk in half of chocolate mixture. Return mixture to
double boiler and stir until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Strain mixture into a
bowl. Divide mixture among eight 3/4 cup ramekins. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours.
Preheat broiler. Sprinkle the top of each custard with 1 tsp. sugar. Broil 2 inches from heat source until sugar caramelizes, watching carefully about 30 seconds. Refrigerate until cold.
Spoon whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe rosette of cream atop each dessert. Garnish with strawberry halves and serve.
Cheesecake Fondue
1 c. half-and-half
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon peel (not the white part)
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
dash nutmeg
"dunkings"
Heat half-and-half in the fondue pot to simmering. Cut cheese into 1/2" cubes
and add to the pot, stirring until blended into cream and melted. Add remaining
ingredients. Bring to table and set over low heat.
For dunking, use cubes of angel food or pound cake, apple slices, strawberries
or fresh pineapple. Makes about 4 servings.
Belle Aurora Dessert
For each serving:
Quality French Vanilla Ice Cream
Fresh fruits, cleaned, sliced or diced
Belle Aurora Sauce
Place serving of ice cream in dish, top with fruits. Top with spoonfuls of the sauce.
Belle Aurora Sauce
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 c. cream
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
slivered almonds
Combine butter, flour, cream, and sugar in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until smooth and creamy, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in extracts. Pour hot over fruit. Top with slivered almonds. Cover and chill well before serving.
Passion Politan
Makes 1 cocktail
1 ½ oz. Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay Passion Fruit rum
2 oz. cranberry juice cocktail
Splash of lime juice
Splash of triple sec
Grenadine, to taste (optional)
Add rum, cranberry and limes juices and triple sec to shaker. Shake vigorously
with ice; strain into glass. Drizzle inside of glass with grenadine, allowing it
to fall to the bottom.
The Original Chocolate Martini
from the Sapphire Princess cruise ship
5 parts Stoli Vanilla
1 part White crème de Cacao
fresh mint for garnish
white and dark chocolate
Add both liquors to a shaker with enough ice to cover the liquid. Shake gently
to crack the ice. Strain into a 6 oz. martini glass. Garnish with mint.
Optional: To duplicate the onboard presentation of this popular drink, the
Princess bar staff recommends melting a small amount of white and dark
chocolate. This can then be swirled around the inside of the glass and placed in
the freezer for a short time to set before pouring the spirits.
By Cynthia Bowan
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Fresh Tomato Salad | Salmon in Phyllo with Creamy Dill Sauce | Perfect Rice
Asparagus Del Carlo | Dark Chocolate Crème Brulee | Cheesecake Fondue
Belle Aurora Dessert | Passion Politan | The Original Chocolate Martini
