Mother's Raspberry Spring Thaw

Anyone who knew my mother would agree- nobody was a better home cook with the exception of perhaps her mother. In fact my grandmother and her sister owned a bakery in Detroit many years ago. And when Grandma came to stay with us…oh my…. those pastries after school! And her homemade noodles AND her pie crusts. Melt. In. Your. Mouth.

Years later, after we moved to Florida, my mother found some extra time on her hands and she became totally addicted to cooking classes; it makes me smile when I think of it because she probably should have been giving them not taking them! Anyway, Mother never lost her love of the culinary arts and my sister and I inherited her interest.

Pretty much right in the middle of her cooking class frenzy, this recipe made its initial appearance on our table. I think it was originally called Strawberry Spring Thaw- but Mother made it once with raspberries and loved it so she renamed it. Sometimes it’s such fun to make these really old fashioned desserts- they don't even try to be cutting edge- they stand alone- the best of the best. This is one you can make with a hand tied behind your back ( and a nice strong mixer) in no time at all. And freeze it way ahead of serving.

Raspberries are divine right now so use fresh but you can substitute frozen if you want. You could also use strawberries. If you use raspberries and don’t like the seeds, you could puree and then strain them. I don’t find the seeds bothersome in this recipe so I skip that step. Here's the thing: the crunchy nut topping makes this dessert.. I can’t get enough of it; luckily, it’s a generous amount.

When ready to put in the freezer, I use a springform pan but a rectangular pan would be fine. I’ve always thought it was a super ending for a ladies luncheon ( or Valentine’s Day) but it’s also great fun at 4th of July barbecues… serve it on a pretty white plate and add some blueberries for a pretty red, white and blue effect.

Raspberry Spring Thaw

Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 pints raspberries or one 10 ounce package frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Method:
In a large baking pan stir the melted butter, brown sugar, flour and nuts with a fork. Bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool. After about 10 minutes, crush the pieces with a fork to make a nice crumb consistency.

Beat whites to soft peaks, gradually adding 1 cup sugar. Add berries, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat on high speed until triple in volume. Fold in the whipped cream.

Spread all but 1/2 cup of the crumbs in a pan of your choice, top with raspberry mixture, sprinkle with remaining crumbs and freeze. ( To puree raspberries, process in processor and force through a sieve. If you sieve, use 2 pints fresh raspberries or two 10 ounce frozen packages.)

Good Things Come In Small Packages

Is sea bass one of those fish we're not supposed to eat? It’s confusing. And no wonder. First it was the “in” fish; then environmentalists got the word out about overfishing and sustainability. As a result, many chefs banned it from their menus. Now once again it's on menus everywhere AND in Gourmet magazine where I found this recipe so I'm guessing it’s OK to eat. Right?

I do love fish- any kind – cooked any old way, but I’m always on the lookout for unusual recipes. And I am not much for sauces, especially when I am watching calories. I want something simple, fast, lo-cal and delicious- yet something spectacular enough to serve to company. That’s the trick. Elegant enough for company without appearing like a skimpy diet dinner.

Well, here's a winner. Gourmet’s May 2009 issue has one of their “quick kitchen” recipes called Sake Sea Bass in Parchment. It looked like such a fun presentation and after reading the ingredients I didn’t see how it could go wrong. (Unless someone’s going to tell me I bought illegal fish from Whole Foods- which I greatly doubt.)

Since I found this recipe I've made it again and again. It's addictive. It’s perfect for dinner serving one or two as well as great fun for company. Just add a salad, a veggie and you’re done. Lovely.

Sake Sea Bass In Parchment

(Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, May 2009)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sake

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon grated peeled ginger

1 teaspoon sugar

6 (6 ounce) pieces skinless sea bass fillet (about 1 inch thick), any bones removed

1/2 cup sliced scallions

6 (12 to 15 inch) squares white parchment paper and kitchen string

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°. Put a baking sheet on the bottom rack.

Stir together the sake, soy sauce, ginger and sugar in a bowl.

(If fish fillets are more than 4 inches long, fold the ends under.)

Place a fish fillet in the center of each piece of a parchment square and season very lightly with salt. Working with one fillet at a time, sprinkle each portion of fish with scallions and then spoon some of the sake sauce over the top, holding two corners of the parchment paper to stop liquid from spilling out.

Gather the corners of each piece over the fish to form a pouch, leaving no openings and tie tightly with string.

Repeat with the other portions.

Place on the hot baking sheet and bake until fish is cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cut the string, open carefully and enjoy! Serves 6.

Fun With Granita

Most of us like to end a meal with something sweet. A cake. A tart. Pudding. Ice Cream. But for those of you who are willing to wander into the icy terrain of granitas, you're gonna love this post.

Here's why: you just can’t beat it for a summer treat. It’s Italian. It’s gorgeous. It can be sweet. It can be savory. It can be peppery hot, tart or just about anything in between. Use any fruit as a base – add some sugar and wine or liqueur for flavoring; how about cranberry with vodka? Lemon infused with rosemary? Spoon berry granita into melon halves. Chocolate granita served with cookies. Serve it in your prettiest glasses- martini, margarita, even glass coffee cups, if you have some.

And you can’t beat a savory granita. How about: a spoonful of wasabi granita on top of fresh oysters…. cucumber granita dropped into gazpacho…shrimp cocktail sauce granita served with shrimp. Always so simple to make, anyone can do it- it’s the flavors you decide to combine that make your granita individual.

Here are the basic instructions. They are the same for sweet or savory:

Pour your mixture into a 13"x 9" metal baking pan. Cover with cling wrap and place in a freezer. Freeze until icy around sides, but not solid (about half an hour). Using a fork, stir icy portions into middle of pan. Return to the freezer. Repeat this step, stirring edges into center every 20 to 30 minutes, for about 1 1/2 hours. Using a fork, scrape granita into serving glasses or bowls. Use your choice of garnishes.

Some of my sweet granita favorites:

Coffee Granita: (If you have house guests, leave out the cognac and serve this for a breakfast first course with a spoonful of whipped cream.)

Ingredients: 2 cups warm espresso; ½ cup sugar; 2 tablespoons cognac; 1 teaspoon lemon zest.

Method: Dissolve the sugar in the warm espresso, add remaining ingredients and freeze according to basic instructions. Garnish with a mint leaf and some shaved chocolate.

Chocolate Granita: (For the chocoholic)

Ingredients: 4 cups water, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2/3 cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use MarieBelle) . Optional: 1 tablespoon amaretto, kahlua or cointreau.

Method: In this recipe, heat the water and stir in the other ingredients until dissolved. Cool first and then freeze using the basic instructions. I like a bit of whipped cream on top of this one.

Blood Orange Granita: (The color divine, the taste ambrosial.)

Ingredients: 3 cups blood orange juice; 1 cup water; 1 cup sugar

Method: Heat the water and dissolve the sugar. Add the blood orange juice, bring to room temperature and freeze according to basic instructions.

Pineapple/Buttermilk Granita: (An unusual but delicious change of pace.)

Ingredients: 2/3 cup sugar; 2 cups buttermilk; 3 tablespoons minced fresh mint; one 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, with juice.

Method: Add sugar to the buttermilk and stir until dissolved. Stir in the mint and pineapple and freeze according to basic instructions. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Savory Tomato Granita: (An ultra chic first course for any summer meal)

Ingredients: 2 pounds ripe tomatoes; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; 3 or 4 basil leaves, chopped.

Method: Chop the tomatoes and place in a bowl with all the other ingredients except the basil. Let macerate all day or overnight. Blitz in a blender in batches and then strain through a fine sieve. Add the chopped basil leaves and freeze according to the basic instructions.