Monday, January 6, 2014

NYE, a little late


Lets back up a few days…

I am running from the kitchen to the closet for a quick stir of the risotto then to dig through my clothes for anything sequined; I dash back in to flash fry eggplant then step into my red suede heels. My fingers are stained with berries and I have meringue in my hair, but I have a good 10 minutes before I am supposed to be anywhere with 3 dishes in hand. I always enjoy the hustle and our plans to both dine with close friends and stop by a party at husBen’s boss’s house in between our appetizer and main provide me adequate track for the few hours left of 2013.

It’s New Years Eve, after all.

Looking back, that night was an absolute blur. No wonder I lost touch with temperance and all adherence to moderation. Honestly, wherein our busy lives are we supposed to practice such virtue, when the clock requires of us a constant mad dash (true concern of a self-acclaimed workaholic)?

Moral virtue is formed by habit (according to Aristotle* anyway) therefore in order to possess self-control, I must repeatedly exercise self-control; through this action, I become a person of stronger will. Simple enough, eh? Note the importance of the mean/moderation here: 

“First of all, it must be observed that the nature of moral qualities is such that they are destroyed by defect and by excess. We see the same thing happen in the case of strength and of health, to illustrate, as we must, the invisible by means of visible examples: excess as well as deficiency of physical exercise destroys our strength, and similarly, too much and too little food and drink destroys our health; the proportionate amount, however produces, increases and preserves it. The same applies to self-control, courage, and the other virtues: the man who shuns and fears everything and never stands his ground becomes a coward, whereas a man who knows no fear at all and goes to meet every danger becomes reckless. Similarly, a man who revels in every pleasure and abstains from none becomes self-indulgent, while he who avoids every pleasure like a boor becomes what might be called insensitive. Thus we see that self-control and courage are destroyed by excess and by deficiency and are preserved by the mean.”

These words harbor great truth for me in 2014. I approach a year more dichotomous than any yet: almost complete freedom (in these last months of medical school) then my first real job (residency starting in July). I suppose I can begin practicing that virtue-building moderation in anticipation of the struggles to come next time I am in front of a bowl of risotto or a flute of champagne…

*excerpt from Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics




NEW YEAR’S EVE


Caroline made the most stylish menus

Prosciutto-wrapped Shrimp with barbeque sauce



the shrimp and Caroline's avocado pesto

20 extra large shrimp, shelled and deveined

10 slices thin prosciutto, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons barbeque sauce

olive oil, salt, and pepper

flat parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. After peeling and deveining the shrimp, brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt (just a touch) and pepper. Wrap each shrimp with one piece of prosciutto and arrange on a baking sheet. Brush each shrimp with barbeque sauce on one side. Place in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove, flip the shrimp and brush the opposite side. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Turn oven to broil on high. Place shrimp under broiler for 1 minute or until prosciutto is crisp (watch this step carefully). Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Lemon and Eggplant Risotto
From Yotam Ottolenghi’s PLENTY


absolutely fabulous

2 medium eggplants

½ cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

7 oz good quality risotto rice (I used Arborio)

½ cup white wine

3 ¼ cups hot vegetable stock (use the highest quality you can find) 

grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ tbsp butter

½ cup Parmesan

black pepper

½ cup shredded basil leaves (I julienned about 4 leaves)

Start by burning one of the eggplants: pierce eggplant with a sharp knife in a few places. Put it on a foil-lined tray and place directly under a hot broiler for 1 hour, turning a few times along the way (the eggplant will deflate and the skin should burn and break). Remove eggplant from oven and cut a slit down ithe center in order to scoop out the soft flesh. Chop roughly and set aside.

Cut the other eggplant into ½ inch dice. Heat up 1/3 cup of the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant dice in batches until golden and crisp. Transfer to a colander and sprinkle with salt.

Put the onion and remaining oil in a heavy pan and fry slowly until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes. Turn up the heat and add the rice, stirring to coat it in the oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine (it should hiss) and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until nearly evaporated. Turn the heat down to medium.

Now start adding the hot stock to the rice, a ladleful at a time, waiting until each addition has been fully absorbed before adding the next and stirring all the time. When all the stock has been added, remove the pan from the heat. Add half the lemon zest, the lemon juice, grilled eggplant, butter, most of the Parmesan and ¾ tsp salt. Stir well, then cover and set aside for 5 minutes.

Taste and add more salt if you like, plus the black pepper. To serve, spoon the risotto into shallow bowls and sprinkle with the diced eggplant, the remaining Parmesan, the basil and the rest of the lemon zest.

Myra's Pavlova With Fruit




thanks for the recipe Mom!

4 large egg whites

1 cup sugar
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. white vinegar
½ Tbsp. cornstarch (corn flour)
Topping
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
Fresh fruit: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, passion fruit, blueberries, or other fruit of your choice tossed in 1 tablespoon cognac and 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You are going to mound the whipped egg whites on the parchment paper and bake. You can draw a 5-inch circle on the paper to make it easier to gage the size. Be sure to turn the paper over so that the pencil lines are not coming in contact with the egg whites.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until they hold soft peaks. Start adding the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat, on high speed, until the meringue holds very stiff and shiny peaks. The meringue should feel smooth, not gritty. Beat in the vanilla extract. Sprinkle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and, with gently fold in with a spatula. Spread the meringue on parchment paper in a circle with a well in the center. You will place the whipped cream and fruit in here right before serving.
Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the outside is dry and is a very pale cream color. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. (The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch, if gently pressed, but as it cools you will get a little cracking and you will see that the inside is soft and marshmallow.)
The cooled meringue can be made and stored in a cool dry place, in an airtight container, for a few days.
Just before serving gently place the meringue onto a plate. Whip the cream in a mixer with a whisk attachment and sweeten with sugar and a dash of vanilla. Mound the pavlova with soft whip cream and then arrange fruit on top. Garnish with mint. Serve immediately.

No comments:

Post a Comment