The Wines of Napa and Sonoma
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large onions -- halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry Marsala
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Buttery Cornmeal Pastry
6 ounces Gruyère cheese -- coarsely shredded (1 1/2 cups)
Directions
In a large skillet, melt the butter in the vegetable oil. Add the sliced onions,
cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 12 minutes.
Uncover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very
soft and well browned, about 45 minutes longer; add a little water as necessary
to prevent the onions from sticking. Add the Marsala and cook until nearly
evaporated. Season the onions with salt and white pepper and transfer them to a
medium bowl.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out
the Buttery Cornmeal Pastry to a 13-inch round, 1/8-inch thick. Wrap the dough
around the rolling pin and fit it into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a
removable bottom. Run the rolling pin over the rim to trim off the overhang.
Prick the bottom with a fork and refrigerate until chilled, at least 10 minutes.
Line the tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in
the center of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the edge is golden and the
center is nearly set. Remove the foil and weights, cover the edge with foil and
bake for 5 minutes longer, until the shell is cooked through and golden.
Sprinkle the Gruyère into the tart shell and spread the onions on top. Bake for
10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the onions are sizzling. Let cool
for 15 minutes. Unmold the tart, cut it into wedges and serve warm.
Ingredients
8 6 inch flour or corn tortillas
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 onions -- cut into thin slices
2 green bell peppers -- cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 pounds skirt steak -- cut into 2 pieces
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 pound Roquefort or other blue cheese -- crumbled (about 1 cup)
Directions
Heat the oven to 350°. Stack the tortillas and wrap them in aluminum foil. Warm
in the oven for about 15 minutes.
In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat.
Add the onions, peppers, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring
occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Light the grill or heat the broiler. Coat the steaks with the remaining 1
tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the black
pepper. Grill or broil the steaks for 3 minutes. Turn the meat and cook to your
taste, 2 to 3 minutes longer for medium rare. Let rest in a warm spot for 5
minutes. Cut the steaks diagonally across the grain into thin slices.
Roll the steak slices, onions and peppers, and Roquefort in the warm tortillas
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos husked -- rinsed and halved
2 large garlic cloves
1 large jalapeño halved lengthwise -- stemmed and seeded
1/4 cup packed cilantro
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound shredded cooked chicken (3 cups) -- at room temperature
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese (6 ounces)
1/2 cup farmer cheese (4 ounces)
1 scallion -- sliced
One 6-ounce bag tortilla chips (8 cups)
1/4 cup sour cream
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°. In a blender or food processor, puree the tomatillos,
garlic, jalapeño and cilantro until smooth. In a large saucepan, heat the oil
until shimmering. Add the cumin and coriander and cook over high heat until
fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the tomatillo puree, bring to a boil and cook until
the sauce loses its bright green color, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with 3/4 cup of the pepper Jack, the farmer
cheese, scallion and half of the tomatillo sauce; season with salt and pepper.
In another bowl, toss the tortilla chips with the remaining sauce.
Spread half of the chips in an 8-by-11-inch baking dish; top with the chicken
and cover with the remaining tortilla chips. Don't pack the chips down. Dollop
the sour cream over the chips and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup of pepper
Jack. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is browned. Serve at once.
Ingredients
1/3 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic -- chopped
1 Pinch ground cloves
1 Pinch ground cinnamon
1 Pinch cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
3/4 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 turkey cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds in all)
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Directions
Grind 1/4 cup of the walnuts to a powder in a food processor. In a small
saucepan, melt the butter over moderately low heat. Add the onion; cook until
translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds
longer. Stir in the cloves, cinnamon, cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Add
the flour and stir to combine. Whisk in the broth and simmer until starting to
thicken, about 3 minutes. Add the ground walnuts and simmer 1 minute longer.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, Parmesan, and parsley.
In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Season
the turkey with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Cook the turkey
cutlets until just done, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve with the walnut sauce,
sprinkling the additional nuts over the top.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour -- plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup hot skim milk
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening -- chilled and cut up
2 cups unsulphured dried apple slices (7 ounces)
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
Vegetable oil -- for frying
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix the flour with the salt and baking powder. In a large
bowl, combine the hot milk with the shortening and stir just until nearly
melted; there should be a few pea-size pieces of shortening left. Add the flour
and stir with a fork just until a dough forms. Gather the dough and knead until
smooth. Roll the dough into a 6-inch log, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until
chilled, at least 2 hours.
In a medium saucepan, combine the apples with the water and bring to a boil.
Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very
soft and the liquid has been absorbed, about 45 minutes. Add the brown sugar and
mash with a fork or potato masher until blended. Stir in the raisins and let
cool.
Cut the log of dough into 12 even pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
Working with half of the balls at a time, on a very lightly floured surface,
roll out each ball to a 6-inch round. Brush the edges with water. Mound 2
heaping tablespoons of the apple filling on the lower half of each round. Fold
the dough over the filling to make a half-moon, leaving a 1/2 -inch border;
press the edges to seal. Using a lightly floured fork, crimp the edges
decoratively. Transfer the pies to a large, lightly floured baking sheet and
repeat with the remaining balls of dough and filling.
In a large skillet, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil over moderately high heat
until shimmering. Cut a tiny piece of dough from one of the pies and add it to
the oil. When the dough browns, add as many pies as will fit comfortably and fry
over moderate heat, turning once, until golden brown all over, 3 to 4 minutes.
Drain the pies on paper towels and fry the rest. Serve the fried apple pies
immediately.
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