What's on Zaza's Table Today? A Book

I have just finished reading In the Sanctuary of Outcast: A Memoir (P.S.) by Neal White.  Neal is from Gulfport, MS and was Publisher of Mississippi Coast Magazine in late '80's early '90's.  In fact I was featured in the Oct./Nov. '91 issue in the feature article COAST COOKS with the caption "Creative Cook With a Casual Flair", thanks to Susan Bosco.  I do not know Neal personally but we have alot of friends in common since I went to Ole Miss with people who grew up in Gulfport and during our sailboat racing days DH and I spent "bunches" of time at Gulfport Yacht Club.  Now back to the book---Neal was sentenced to prison for bank fraud (kiting checks)---he plead guilty--no trial--and Walter Gex sentenced him to 18 months to the Leper Colony/Federal Prison in Carville, LA. The book is very well written and a "good read".  I recommend it highly and again it reminds us "until you have walked in those shoes"-----and I'm not talking about just Neal's!!





 

GAZPACHO

The first time that I had gazpacho was back in the early '70's at Biloxi Yacht Club.  Ed, who was the manager was also a great cook.  He told me one on the secrets to good gazpacho is to start with a good brand name of tomatoes and the same with the tomato juice---I use Hunt's Whole Tomatoes and Campbell's Tomato Juice.  This is great even in the winter when tomatoes can be questionable.

Combined the following in a large bowl.

1 14.5 Can Whole Tomatoes, chop tomatoes and add juice
4 Fresh Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Bunch Green Onions, chopped--white and green parts
2 Medium Cucumbers, peeled and chopped
3 Ribs Celery, chopped
1 Large Can Tomato Juice

ADD TO TASTE
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Tabasco---or other hot sauce.  I used Crystal in this that I made.

Best made the day before you are going to serve so flavors can blend.  This will keep for several days.  You can half the recipe but still use the whole can of tomatoes.  A good "soup" to share with friends.

Escalopes de Veau Viennoise (Breaded veal with lemon and caper garnish)

I know I promised some more of Mom's pie recipes and I'll get back to those later but this is a recipe that I want to share---it isn't that difficult and comes together rather quickly.  As I said in my first post I lost most of my cookbooks in the storm and The New York Times 60-Minute Gourmet was one of them.  This is one of my favorites from that book.  I have made a couple of changes.  The recipe calls for the veal to be dipped in an egg wash and since DH is allergic to eggs I dip the veal in evaporated milk which works great.  It also called for hard boiled egg sieved as a garnish and I skip that.  After breading the veal I place on a wire rack and place in the refrigator until ready to cook. The most important thing about cooking veal is NOT to over cook it.  Having it cold helps control this in addition to helping the breading set up.  As I am giving to you it is for 4 servings---as you see from the picture I cut the veal into smaller pieces because I LOVE  the lemon, anchovy, caper combination, eat it, don't leave it on your plate!!! :-)  Prepare the garnish before you start cooking the veal.

1# Veal scaloppine, 4 pieces or cut as I did
     Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small can evaporated milk
   Flour for dredging
1 Cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 Cup finely chopped flat leaf Italian paraley
Thinly sliced lemon for the number of pieces of veal
Flat fillets of anchovies
Capers, drained
1/4 to 1/2 Cup peanut, vegetable or corn oil
6 Tablespoons butter

Place the veal between pieces of wax paper and pound until thin.  Salt & pepper the veal. Pour milk into a pie plate. Put flour on a large plate and the bread crumbs an another large plate.  Coat the slices of veal on both sides with the flour.  Dip the slices, one at the time, in the milk and then in bread crumbs until uniformly coated.  Press the bread crumbs in to help them adhere.  Place on wire rack and put in refreigator until ready to cook.

Arrange the thinly sliced, seeded lemon slices on a plate.  Shape anchovy fillet into round band and place on each lemon slice.  Fill each anchovy band with capers.

Heat oil in large skillet,  use 2 if necessary, and cook meat until nicely brown on both sides.  Do this quickly so as not to over cook the veal.  Place veal on platter.  Heat the butter in a skillet, swirling it around until it foams up and becomes hazelnut brown.  Do not burn the butter.  When the foam subsides, pour over the veal, garnish each slice with the lemon garnish and sprinkle with chopped parsley.  Enjoy!!!!!  Pasta, salad and good French bread completes the meal.

KARO PECAN PIE

                         3 Large Eggs
                         1 Cup Light Karo Corn Syrup
                         3/4 Cup White Sugar
                         1 Teaspoon Vanilla
                         1 1/2 Tablespoon Flour
                         1/8 Teaspoon Salt
                         1 Cup Chopped Pecans
                         2 Tablespoons Soft Butter

Beat the eggs with the corn syrup and sugar.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed.  Pour into an unbaked pie shell.  Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 1 hours or until a knife point inserted in the middle of pie comes out clean.

This has always been one of my favorite pies because it is so easy and quick to make-----Hope you enjoy it.

MiMi's Chocolate Pie

This is a picture of my Mother ( or Mimi as the grandchildren called her) and her Chocolate Pie.  Mother passed away in December 2010 at the age of 98 1/2---she was without a doubt the Queen of Pies.  I'm not sure when this picture was made but it was in the last couple of years.  Growing up we had Chocolate Pie every Saturday and probably at least one during the rest of the week.  My younger brother called it Hot Slop-slop Pie because we would cut the pie while still hot or at least warm and the filling would run over your plate.  This recipe makes one 9" pie and according to my sister don't try to double the recipe---you'll have a mess!!!!  Special equipment you will need are a deep double boiler and an electric hand mixer (not one of the hand-held blenders).  The top part of my double boiler is 4" deep and 5 1/2" around.  Mimi always made her own pie crust but I use the refrigrated ones you buy at the grocery.  This being said you can do as you chose.  You will need one baked 9" pie crust.

                                              

2 Cups Whole Milk

2 Squares Unsweetened Chocolate

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Plain Flour

3 Eggs, Separated---Yolks used in pie, Whites for Meringue

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Combine milk and chocolate in top of double boiler.  Let chocolate melt then using electric hand mixer beat to blend.  Mix the sugar and flour together in a small bowl and add slowly to milk and chocolate mixture, beating with mixer as you add a couple of spoonfuls at a time.  Cook, stirring until mixture is thick.  Beat egg yolks in a small bowl (I use the same one the sugar & flour was in).  This you will add to the chocolate mixture but before you do, stir some of the hot mixture into the eggs to cook the eggs a little before adding to mixture.  Beat in egg mixture with mixer.  Continue cooking until chocolate is very thick---stirring some.  Remove from stove and bottom of double boiler.  Add butter and let cool.  Add vanilla when cool.  Pour into cooled, baked pie shell.  Top with Meringue and bake at 375 degrees until brown--watch closely.

Meringue

3 Egg Whites

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Beat in sugar and cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff peaks form .  Place on pie and spread all the way to edge of crust.  Bake at 375 degrees until brown.

Meringue Tips

1. Separate eggs while they are cold.

2. Let come to room temperature before starting to beat.

3. Have bowl and beaters very clean and bone dry.

4. Brush the outer edge of pie crust with some of the unbeaten egg white.  This will keep the meringue from pulling away from the crust.

                                                        MY CHOCOLATE PIE



FEBRUARY------GREAT AMERICAN PIE MONTH





In celebration of Great American Pie Month and in memory of my mother who passed away in December, 2010 at the age of 98 I am going to endeavor to share with you some of her pie recipes.  My mom was a really good cook----not alot of fancy things just "good eats".  She put 3 meals a day on the table and everyone sat down together to eat and then there was the big "Sunday Dinner".  We had dessert at the noon meal which was "dinner" and again at the night meal which was "supper".  Most weeks she probably made at least 5 pies in addition to cookies and cakes.  She was most famous for her Chocolate Pie----several of the sympathy cards we received made reference to her Chocolate Pie.  I will start with the Chocolate Pie followed by Karo Pecan Pie--Lemon Ice Box Pie, Coconut Custard Pie and then whatever come to my mind.

TROPICAL FRUIT TART

TROPICAL  FRUIT TART

This fruit tart  has been one our family favorites since 1996 when it was published in Bon Appetit. You can get very creative by using different fruits and arrangeing them in your own style.  The first time I made this was for a friend's birthday and I had raspberries, blackberries and peaches in addition to the strawberries and kiwi.  Nectarines also work well.
The orginial recipe calls for kiwi, pineapple and mango but you can use whatever suits your fancy.


TROPICAL FRUIT TART

1 refrigerated pie crust, room temperture

1 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 small pineapple, peeled, halved, cored and thinly sliced
3 kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large mango, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Unfold crust and using rolling pin, lightly roll crust out a little more. Place crust in 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.  Fold overhang in;  press firmly, forming double-thick sides.  Pierce bottom of crust with fork.  Bake until golden  brown, about 14 minutes....watch carefully because all ovens don't cook the same.  Cool completely.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in whipping cream, lemon juice and vanilla.  Spread filling in cooled crust.  Refrigate until filling is firm, about 1 hour.

Arranged desired fruits atop the tart.  Stir preserves in small saucepan over low heat until melted.  Brush preserves over fruit.  Chill tart up to 2 hours.

If you don't have a tart pan, a 9 inch pie plate will work just fine.

Adrienne's Delight


Welcome to Zaza's Table---On the Gulf Coast whether it be MS, TX, LA, AL or FL time and events are often referred to as "before the storm" or "after the storm".  Until 2005 "the storm" was Camille now "the storm" is Katrina.  I lost most of my cookbooks in Katrina especially my favorite ones since they were on the lower shelves in my kitchen (we had 8 ft. of water in our house).  V, my youngest daughter of four, immediately went to Amazon and E-bay and found about 10 or 12 of them so cookbooks started arriving well before Christmas of 2005.  Cotton Country Collection from Monroe, LA was first published in 1972 and at that time was my most favorite.  I served this at the Yacht Club Christmas Sherry Party in '72 and it was a big hit.  I really had forgotten about this recipe until we were getting ready for the Yacht Club Party this past Christmas and one of the ladies requested that I make it.  Again it was a big hit!!!!!




Adrienne's Delight



12 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 envelope plain gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup silvered almonds, toasted
Grated rinds of two lemons
Saltine crackers

Have cream cheese, butter and sour cream at room temperature. Cream well and then add sugar.  Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water and then dissolve over hot water.  Add to cream cheese mixture.  Add raisins, slivered almonds and lemon rind.  Mix well.  Pour into a 1 quart mold and refrigate until firm.  Unmold and serve with Saltine crackers.

Hints
#1 Spray your mold with cooking spray to help with the unmolding.
#2 If you don't have a zester, put your lemons in the freezer for a couple
     of hours and grate on small side of your grater.
#3 Don't substitute for the Saltine crackers---it's just not the same--
     may not be elegant but they are the best.
#4 May be frozen after unmolding---just thaw and serve.
#5 Use at a cocktail party or as a dessert.
#6 Garnish with lemon curls, toasted whole almonds and parsley if desired.