So I Started the Day with My Chef Pants on Backwards…

June 12, 2013 - Posted in Baking, Boston Foodie Tours, Flour Bakery + Cafe, LauraRaposa, The Foodsmith, Uncategorized

…which set the tone for my first day of the week at Flour.

Simply stated, I was a total spaz yesterday. Not only did I lack sleep, my routine was altered, and now I’m worried I’ve morphed into a perimenopausal cat.

Working on maybe 5 hours of sleep, I drove — in a downpour — into Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood instead of taking a seat on the 5:40 a.m. train out of Greenbush into South Station. My driving had nothing to do with the rain. Twas because I had a paying gig — a corporate Boston Foodie Tour — beginning at 5:30 p.m.

During the crazy day, I zested and juiced three boxes of limes but didn’t remember to strain the juice until two hours later. Oops.

And if that wasn’t enough, I thought I thoroughly cleaned the deli slicer after I waged war with a crate of oranges for candied orange peel. But I neglected to take out the big blade for cleaning, according to the oh-so-patient assistant pastry chef Sarah Murphy.

I apologized — in Portuguese — to the savory kitchen worker who used the slicer after me. I think that may have helped my case. Oh, and the rondeau that I chose to deposit the orange slices was too small.

I was ready to go home and it wasn’t noon. But at least I wasn’t the only one out of sorts. The large Hobart mixer groaned to a halt in the morning causing much brioche drama. In the end, bakers Trevor and Erin shuttled the mise en place over to Flour 1 in the South End to mix it up there. Misery loves company? You’re not kidding.

Flour’s Sticky Bun

Not to belabor my boneheadedness, but I measured and re-measured everything, and asked directions twice much to the amusement of the younger, non-addled co-workers. (Just wait until you’re over 5o, girls.) I also cut up sticky buns for bread pudding and didn’t pinch a piece. Because the way things were going, I’d probably choke on a pecan.

When it was quitting time at 4 p.m., I couldn’t wait to leave. I got in my car and felt like a good cry, but I didn’t have the energy. I had to put on a show for 17 corporate types who Adrienne Bruno and I were going to take on a Boston Foodie Tour in the rain.

Hi. I’m Laura.

Thankfully, there were Old Town Trolleys, umbrellas provided by the Hyatt in Downtown Crossing and a group of hungry business bigs who spent the day cooped up in a conference room.

“I thought this was a walking tour,” said one woman who was ready to bounce. (Walk from the Hyatt to Scampo in the Liberty Hotel in driving rain? No.)

By the end of the night, the folks were damp, but sated from Lydia Shire‘s lobster pizza, elk and buffalo sliders at Savenor’s, Beacon Hill Chocolates, J.P. Licks ice cream and a sample of Curly Cakes‘ cupcakes.

I dragged myself home, ate a bowl of Kashi 7-Grain Nuggets, washed down a few Advil and went to bed.

My next day at Flour is Thursday — if they’ll have me. I will remind myself of the old military mantra: Fail to plan, plan to fail. I will have a notebook, my pants will tie in the front, I will get enough sleep and, dammit, I’ll be on that 5:40 a.m. train. Meow.

Goin’ Native

June 10, 2013 - Posted in Baking, Dessert, LauraRaposa, The Foodsmith

Finally, these native beauties have returned to my local farm stand!

Native strawberries from R & C Farm in Scituate

Now, what to do with them….

Should I make ice cream? Or shortcakes? Or mix them with rhubarb for a pie?

Perhaps spoon them into cereal or concoct a strawberry seltzer.

I simply cannot make up my mind. Maybe I’ll just eat the first strawberries of the season right outta the box!

Act II, Scene 1: Flour, Sugar and “Ronda”

June 5, 2013 - Posted in Bakery, Baking, Dessert, Flour Bakery + Cafe, LauraRaposa, Restaurants, The Foodsmith, Uncategorized

The Second Act of my life began yesterday at 6:50 a.m. when I entered the doors at Flour Bakery + Café with a smile on my face and chef’s pants in my tote bag. I left 11 hours later with the same smile, dirty chefs pants and a sense of pride.

Sadly, I could barely walk. And I forgot to “clock out” – a task not required of me in the previous 30 years at the Boston Herald since I was on the clock all the time.

During my first day as a 51-year-old apprentice in the Fort Point bakery, I zested and juiced 96 limes then juiced another 48. After that, I sliced a large case of Sunkist naval oranges on a deli slicer for candied orange peel.

And finally, I ran slabs of brioche through a sheeter nicknamed “Ronda,” dusted the dough with sugar, cut it, coiled it for sugary Bretons then jockeyed for space in the packed freezer for my sheet pans. (I must work much faster the next time. The Bretons were proofing too much before I could get the sheet in the freezer!)

Bretons

Also, I had to clean the sticky slicer after I finished with it (albeit gingerly) and give Miss Ronda — her manufacturer is Rondo, but apparently she arrived in Boston before the Celtics point guard — a good scrub. Thankfully, from my years of pedicures, I knew that sugar was a good exfoliator…

In between my duties, which were each crossed off a list on The Clipboard when finished, I gulped ice water out of a deli container, stole 15 minutes to eat my favorite grilled chicken sandwich out on the loading dock with Chef Jeff, sampled a Cornmeal Lime Cookie offered by former apprentice Megan and willed my out of shape body to keep m o v i n g.

All the bakers, young, thin and mostly female, were friendly and happy to answer questions, but serious about their tasks. In fact, in the early morning, there’s little talking in the way back of the house as everyone checks The Clipboard upon arrival, gathers their mise en place and dives into work.

The Clipboard, when not on its hook on a rack near my station, was assistant pastry chef Sarah Murphy‘s‘ third appendage!

Flour’s Pain Aux Raisins

While zesting, I watched Trevor make Steve’s favorite Pain Aux Raisins that I’ve made from Flour’s first baking book. I was jealous as I watched him run the brioche through a smaller sheeter instead of rolling out the dough.

“I wish I had one of those at home,” I said, my head gesturing toward the sheeter. “It’s certainly easier than rolling it out.”

“Do you have a pasta maker,” he asked. “Use that. The dough won’t be as wide, but you can use it.”

Brilliant.

The operation in the Fort Point provides the other three bakeries – South End, Cambridge and Back Bay – with most of the cafés’ products and makes all the desserts for the South End restaurant Myers + Chang.

So Flour 2, as it’s known, rocks from 4 a.m. when the bread bakers get in until 9 p.m. when production ends.

Yesterday, owner Joanne Chang, popped in to chat up her managers and the staff as well as taste a new breakfast sandwich. I’ve been a big Joanne fan since Flour opened near the old Herald in 2000. I’ve interviewed her dozens of times and follow her on Twitter and Facebook. OK, I’m a groupie.

Joanne Chang working in the Flour 2 bakery.

Joanne Chang works in the Flour 2 bakery.

In fact, a few days after my retirement from the Herald, I shot her an email to ask if I could apprentice in the bakery.

“We’re delighted to have you,” Joanne told me yesterday as I sliced oranges. “How are you?”

“Sticky and delighted to be here,” I laughed, thanking her again for the opportunity.

I wasn’t lying. I was overjoyed.

Tomorrow, I will do a few things differently. There will be Advil in my bag and I’ll try to jam orthotics into my clogs to quiet my screaming left ankle. I will remember to clock in and out.

Five a.m. can’t come soon enough…

UPDATE: I was told Thursday that I do not have to clock in and out because apprentices are not paid employees. Apparently, the baker that showed me the ropes on Tuesday wasn’t aware that we’re not “on the books.” I was a little disappointed…

For the Love of Lemons…

May 29, 2013 - Posted in Baking, Cake, Dessert, LauraRaposa, The Foodsmith

How much do I love lemons?

Mmmm. Lemons!

If I have a choice of a sweet made with chocolate or lemon, the fruit wins every single time.

If I’m cooking and I think the dish needs “a little something,” it’s usually lemon or lemon peel.

And of all the people on TV, “30 Rock” funnygal Liz Lemon is my hero for many reasons but mostly because she “lizzes,” “snarts,” wears Spanx and identifies with Ina Garten the Barefoot Contessa “whose husbands only comes home on the weekends, and she spends the rest of her time eating and drinking with her gay friends.” If only…

Liz Lemon and her healthy appetite

So today, faced with rain and an early evening visit to meet a friend’s new baby boy, I felt the need to bake. And who, I ask you, would refuse homemade brownies, especially dense fudgey ones from Joanne Chang‘s Flour cookbook or a recipe from the fine folks at King Arthur Flour? Like, no one? (OK, maybe I would, but only if there was a lemon bar offered as well.)

But while my pantry is stocked to the max with Callebaut bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate, I couldn’t find a few ounces of unsweetened chocolate anywhere. So instead of cutting back on the sugar, using semi-sweet and playing those bakers’ percentage games, I scrapped it. When baking sweets to give way, the last thing you want to do is experiment.

But while flipping through my King Arthur Baker’s Companion, a paper flew out that was fortuitously nestled in between a recipe for old school Vanilla Pound Cake and another for Lemon-Glazed Lemon Pound Cake. Oh, hello, there!

Lemon-Glazed Lemon Pound Cake!

Thankfully, I had everything in house, including King Arthur’s special Fiori di Sicilia flavor — a combination of vanilla and citrus.

If you’re loopy over lemon like me, you must have a bottle of this in your fridge. While it’s yummy in cakes, it makes an over-the-top frosting. In fact, the coconut-lemon cupcakes I made for Easter disappeared so quickly, I never had a nibble!

Today’s lemon pound cake recipe made two loaves — one to give away and the other for, well, moi.

Now, as Liz would say, before we shut it down, somebody bring me some ham…

If in Brooklyn, It’s Casa Calamari!

May 27, 2013 - Posted in LauraRaposa, Pizza, Restaurants, The Foodsmith

There are some pizza joints that demand return visits. We vow a return to the place by the bus station in Rome, but closer to home, there’s Leo’s Casa Calamari in Brooklyn.

The Casa never disappoints — except that one time in 2011 that it was closed after a fire broke out in the ventilation ducts and sent six firefighters to the hospital. We sat in our car — doubled-parked on Third Avenue — in silence and disbelief at the “CLOSED” sign in the window. Now, where were we going to eat before our long drive back to Boston???

A happy customer!

We didn’t. We just couldn’t. After a stop for bread and biscotti at Paneantico Bakery a few blocks down, we blew out of Bay Ridge and didn’t stop for food until Exit 8 in Rhode Island. After the Casa, that panini at Panera Bread was just sloppy seconds.

Later that year, I lamented the loss of our Third Avenue pizza joint when I interviewed noted Brooklynite Tony Sirico, aka “Paulie Walnuts” of “The Sopranos” fame.

“I know that place,” he said, noting my distress. “They’ll be back. Don’t you worry.”

Buoyed by Sirico’s words, we returned to Casa Calamari this weekend, after paying our respects at historic Green-Wood Cemetery. There were new booths, tables and chairs, a wood bar and three flat-screens tuned to ESPN, but it still retained a little of its throwback feel. And the pizza was still outstanding.

Instead of calamari, we started with bowls of pasta fagioli made with tiny white beans and broken pasta, the tomato broth sopped up with a slice of scali bread. So good.

And then our piping hot pizza arrived. Even our waiter was excited about it.

“Look at this, huh,” he said, dropping the pan on its table stand. “You’re gonna love it.”

For our triumphant return, we chose a Sicilian-style Vegetalia — sauteed broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, oven-roasted tomatoes, mozzarella and a tomato-basil sauce. The crust was perfect.

We did love it, even though my husband would have preferred some sausage or pepperoni on his pie. And we’ll love it some more today for lunch after a day digging in the dirt.

Grazie, Casa Calamari! See you next trip…

Leo’s Casa Calamari, 8602 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11209 (718) 921-1900

Let’s Get Fired Up for Memorial Day Weekend!

May 23, 2013 - Posted in Grilling, LauraRaposa, Seafood, Shrimp, The Foodsmith

Memorial Day, the official start of summer here in New England, demands a backyard barbecue. It’s time to drag the Weber out of the cellar and get your fire on!

Weber Grill

While burgers and hot dogs usually kick off the summer grilling season, I have been known to get a little crazy and skewer up some shrimp. It’s a little luxe, takes minimal prep and guests go ga-ga. So, why not?

I usually make a play for the 13-15 count colossal, peeled and deveined shrimp in the freezer case and whip up a marinade the morning of the Q. One hour before serving, combine thawed and washed shrimp with the marinade in a big Ziploc bag and skewer them before grilling.

WARNING: If you do this step any earlier, the shrimp will “cook” in lime juice and you’ll end up with seviche!

Alternatively, if you have a large tin foil pan and more than enough marinade, you can skewer the shrimp first, then pour in the marinade. But I find with more than 2 pounds of shrimp, many of the little guys don’t get a good bath.

For the marinade, I typically use extra virgin olive oil, lime juice or lemon juice, lots of garlic, some fresh herbs, lemon or lime zest, salt, pepper and a minced jalapeno.

Grilled Shrimp a la Nicholas

But last weekend when I cooked for a crowd, I played outside the box with the Thai hot sauce called sriracha — a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt –- so my shrimp would have a more exotic bite. And it did!

MARINADE FOR 2-4 LBS. OF COLOSSAL SHRIMP (13-15 count):

1 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 c. fresh lime juice (from 12-16 limes depending on the size)

2-3 T. lime zest, depending on your taste

10 garlic cloves, chopped

1-2 T. sriracha

¼ to ½ c. cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

2 t. salt

1 t. ground black pepper

Add all ingredients to a blender and whirr. Taste, then and add more heat, garlic, lime zest or salt if you prefer.

One hour before cooking, add the marinade to thawed shrimp in a large Ziploc bag or skewer the shrimp (don’t crowd!), place in a large tin foil fan and pour marinade over the skewers. Make sure each one gets a good bath! (If you go with the marinade-in-a-bag plan, skewer the shrimp from just before start of the tail end through fat part.)

TO COOK:

With the grill on high, place shrimp skewers on the grill, being careful not to crowd them. Turn after one minute. The colossal shrimp cook fast – around 3 minutes total. They’ll be pink and ready for eating. If you think the shrimp could stand another minute on the grill, take them off. They will continue to cook on the platter. It’s called “carry-over cooking.”

I served this shrimp with jasmine rice with diced mango and scallions, roasted asparagus and a watermelon-strawberry lemonade.

Now…. get grillin’!

This article is also posted in betterafter50.com.

My Kinda Kid!

May 19, 2013 - Posted in Boston Foodie Tours, Cooking for Children, eggs, LauraRaposa, Little Foodies, The Foodsmith

I’m used to finicky kids.

Mellie, 5, doesn’t like tomato sauce or chocolate, but she and her 3-year-old sister, Paige, can devour a plate of fried calamari (sans hot pepper rings) in record time. Ren, also 3, and Elias, 5, like Nonni‘s turkey soup one day, then push it away the next, saying they prefer the canned stuff.

And then there’s 17-year-old Nicholas who won’t eat anything with ricotta cheese but will vacuum up 2 pounds of cocktail shrimp like George Costanza in “Seinfeld.” (Remember ‘Hey, George, the ocean called. They’re running outta shrimp?’ That’s my nephew.)

So imagine my surprise when a 1-year-old tot from Wisconsin, joined our Back Bay Boston Foodie Tour the other day with her parents and tasted EVERYTHING.

The Tiny Cheesehead sampled Mother Juice‘s watermelon concoction, a bite of Roxy’s Grilled Cheese‘s Mighty Rib sandwich, cubes of raw milk cheeses at Bacco, freshly-made burrata at the Copley Square Farmers’ Market, homemade crackers at Turner Fisheries and lobster popover at Towne Stove & Spirits. And she got downright giddy at Georgetown Cupcakes along with the rest of us.

Did I mention she was a year old? Last week, we had 16 high school kids, 95 per cent of whom wouldn’t eat tomatoes which put on a damper on two of our stops.

The only time the baby fussed was on the walk between food stops! Finally, I had to ask her mom, “Is there anything she won’t eat?” After noodling that over for a second, she finally said, “EGGS!”

“I’ve scrambled them with butter, poached them, and made them all kinds of ways but she won’t eat them,” said frustrated Mom.

I knew I liked this kid, as I am anti-ovum myself. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I can’t be in the same room with egg salad. And I get very judgmental about people who own portable deviled eggs carriers (just ask my mother).

The toddler’s mom asked me with a look of desperation — as we walked to Flour to sample a lamb sandwich — if I thought her wee one would grow out of her egg-loathing phase.

I told her I never did, but that didn’t mean her little lady couldn’t love a deviled egg one day. Until then, I said, enjoy sharing your lobster popover…

Boston Bites Back at Wicked Awesome Night at Fenway Park!

May 16, 2013 - Posted in Uncategorized

Ming Tsai and Ken Oringer grab a laugh before Boston Bites Back. Boston Herald Staff Photo by Matt Stone

Last night, Boston chefs Ming Tsai and Ken Oringer organized what I consider one of, as we say, the most wickedest awesomest nights at Fenway Park to benefit the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

More than 100 chefs took over the concessions area at the iconic home of the Red Sox , dishing out their specialties — everything from melt-in-your-mouth pasta dishes to cupcakes , cheese and funky soft serve — to 5,000 supporters at Boston Bites Back, a fundraiser for the One Fund Boston. The beer taps constantly flowed as they do during Sox games, but I heard there were also some veddy special cocktails being shaken up on the concourse especially for the 21+ event.

Upstairs, in the EMC Club, victims of the Boston Marathon bombings such as Adrianne Haslet-Davis, a ballroom dancer, had a big smile on her face as she shook hands and chatted up chefs.

(from left) Chefs Jody Adams and Jeremy Sewell, pose with Adrianne Haslet-Davis and her hubby, Adam. Boston Herald Photo by Abby Peterson

Later, one VIP — “Footloose” star and Stoughton dancing pro — Kenny Wormald told a friend that speaking to the upbeat Adrianne was one of the most inspirational moments of his life. No doubt.

Also in the EMC Club where the $1,000-per-ticket crowd hung out, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis was a reluctant rock star as admirers lined up to shake his hand or snap a photo. Downstairs on the concourse first responders, many in uniform, were getting the same celebrity treatment. It was a sight to behold.

Now, during my 30-year career at the Boston Herald, I attended countless, memorable Opening Days and extra-innings playoff games at Fenway. I chased celebrities up the ramp for their take on the “Idiots'” World Series run in ’04 and again in ’07. Crashed a lot of luxury boxes, too.

And then there were dozens of random charity events, including one called “Monster Chef ” when my team won the cooking throwdown in the EMC Club. Yes, I still have my trophy.

The Track Gals and our TV producer Ian Barrett at Monster Chef.

But last night, everyone was in high spirits for the best of reasons — even me, Mrs. Misanthrope, who volunteered to check in guests to the VIP party. I slapped on my biggest smile when a certain soccer player needed a kick in the pants for his rudeness. Or when Mr. Big asked me what he could do with his umbrella. (This is Fenway, not the Four Seasons!)

And then there was the young, floppy-haired dude who greeted me with, “I’m here and I’m on the list” as if I should know him on sight. I opted out of the requisite blank stare — because of the charitable spirit of the night — and asked, “And you are???”

It was kind of a thrill, actually, but I didn’t Bite Back. I asked in a much kinder way than that Vanity Fair flunkie who said the same to Gayle and me years ago at a post-White House Correspondents’ Dinner bash. (After we told him that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler had given us his tickets, he huffed, ‘Just LEAVE.’ So we did. In Steven’s limo.)

Over the past few weeks, many Boston celebs donated to the online auction. Ben Affleck, who is the host of “Saturday Night Live” this week, sent me a box of signed “Argo,” “The Town” and “Good Will Hunting” memorabilia.

Wellesley homey John Slattery of “Mad Men” fame had AMC send a signed script while US Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman threw in a one-hour, private gymnastics lesson since she is in LA prepping for next week’s “Dancing with the Stars” finals.

And props to “Person of Interest” cop Kevin Chapman who lugged a big bag of DVDs, a cast-signed poster and a signed canvas directors chair (sans frame) to the Boston Bites Back bash. That cache should be up on the on-line auction soon.

The benefit sell-athon, run by Charity Buzz, ends on May 30. Bid early, bid often. It will make you smile!

When Life Gives You an Extra 2 Dozen Eggs…

May 3, 2013 - Posted in Cake, Dessert, eggs, LauraRaposa, The Foodsmith, Uncategorized

make an angel cake!

I said I would only take one dozen off his hands when our friend, Fred, called to say one of his paddle tennis partners — who owns a farm in Dover with 300 chickens — off-loaded three dozen on his bachelor buddy.

“I already bought eggs this week,” I told him. “But I’ll take a dozen off your hands.”

Far be it from me to say no to fresh eggs. Of course — because he knows me — Fred showed up at my door with two dozen Dover ovum. And, true to form, I took them. He looked so pathetic standing on the porch with his gray egg crates…

Now what?

My first thought was macarons since the cookies require lots of egg whites and, more importantly, I could finally use that macaron mat I made Steve buy me in that little gourmet shop in Paris. (He thought I got my fix at E. Dellerhin, but he was sadly mistaken.)

But sadly, after checking out the notes on egg whites in Les Petits Macarons, I found “aged” egg whites are the best for making this chi-chi French confection. Apparently, the fresh variety of whites make for a “less solid egg structure that can cause the macarons to crack or not take shape properly.”

Gong. Next.

Of course a frittata is always good (and needs plenty of eggs). Forget hollandaise sauce, especially after that call earlier this week from my doctor about my cholesterol. Ditto for the ice cream custard base. And then it hit me: Angel Cake!

Eggs

The recipe I found on epicurious.com from a November 2001 issue of the late, lamented Gourmet magazine, seemed perfect — 1-1/2 c. egg whites from 11 or 12 eggs (yay!); 10-x sugar, cake flour, salt, cream of tartar, granulated sugar and vanilla were available. To boost the flavor, I added an extra teaspoon of almond flavor since my go-to angel cake bakery — Scialo’s County Bakery in Seekonk — tastes of almond.

The result was tasty and the crumb was good, but it was not as light and airy as it should be. I’m chalking that up to over-whipping the egg whites. The batter was quite stiff when it went into the removable bottom tube pan, and I wasn’t prepared for the big rise, then fall of the cake when it came out of the oven.

Of course, as the old saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.” And I do have another dozen eggs…

UPDATE: Undaunted, I made an angel cake for Mother’s Day with “aged whites” and superfine sugar instead of granulated. I was quite pleased with the results. Finally. It was served with strawberries and raspberries (slice the strawberries, toss in a little 10-X sugar for sweetness and gloss, add raspberries) and vanilla bean ice cream. There was one small piece left…but not for long!

Yummies for Mummies? Check out my Mother’s Day Lunch on betterafter50.com!

May 3, 2013 - Posted in Beef, LauraRaposa, Mother's Day, Side Dishes, Soup, The Foodsmith, Uncategorized

Years ago, treating Mom at a restaurant on Mother’s Day was a way to get her out of the kitchen. We’d get dressed up in our Easter clothes and sip Shirley Temples while Mom ordered her baked stuffed shrimp or prime rib.

Yellow Gazpacho

But now that the novelty of restaurant dining has gone the way of French tableside service, what would please Mom more than a home-cooked meal prepared by her family?

I wish I could tell you my mother lounges by the pool sipping a mojito on Mother’s Day while I take charge of the meal, but it’s not in her DNA. So I prepare most of the meal in my own kitchen (read: where I am in control) before the family converges on her house for Sunday lunch.

Here’s a suggested Mother’s Day menu that you can begin to prepare the day before you fete Mom. Finish off with a bakery-bought angel cake with sliced strawberries – or any dessert your brother can manage!

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho with Garlic Croutons*

Marinated Flank Steak*

Orzo with Dried Cherries and Almonds*

Roasted or Grilled Asparagus

Warm rolls or French baguette

For libations, start off the lunch with a festive sparkling rose wine with the gazpacho and move into domestic Cabernet Sauvignon with the entrée. If wine isn’t Mom’s thing, a fruity pitcher of iced tea never fails.

And since I know there are many, many mothers reading this post, feel free to forward this menu to the kids…

YELLOW TOMATO GAZPACHO WITH GARLIC CROUTONS

3-1/2 lb. yellow tomatoes, cored and halved crosswise

¼ c. dry white wine (sauvignon blanc is a good choice)

¼ c. rice wine vinegar

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 medium yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped

½ c. Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped

½ t. garlic, minced

2 to 3 T. fresh lime juice

1 t. Tabasco sauce

Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

½ c. sliced green scallions or chopped chives for garnish

Garlic Croutons (recipe follows)

Working over a fine sieve set over a bowl, remove the seeds from the tomatoes. Strain the juices. Pour ½ c. of juices into a small glass measure and add the wine, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.

Working in batches, puree the tomatoes with the cucumbers, yellow pepper, onion and garlic in a blender until smooth, adding a little of the tomato juice mixture to each batch.

Pass the gazpacho through a fine sieve and season with lime juice, Tabasco, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled.

Garnish with the scallions or chives and serve with the Garlic Croutons.

The gazpacho is best made a day ahead and refrigerated. When ready to serve, mix the soup well.

Serves 8.

GARLIC CROUTONS

Olive oil or olive oil cooking spray

16 slices of ¼-inch thick baguette slices

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves cut in half

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet then oil the parchment. Arrange baguette slices on the sheet then lightly oil or spray the bread.

Rub the garlic clove over each side of the bread. Toast in the oven until lightly browned. Usually this takes less than 10 minutes. Flip them over at the halfway point. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

Serve with the Yellow Tomato Gazpacho.

MARINATED FLANK STEAK

2 or 3 flank steaks or London broil (allowing for ½ lb. per person)

1-1/2 c. olive oil

½ c. soy sauce

½ c. honey

5 medium garlic cloves, minced

¼ c. red wine vinegar

1 medium onion, chopped

1 T. fresh ginger root, chopped

Trim any excess fat from the steaks. In a large pan, preferably non-metallic, mix all the marinade ingredients. Place steaks in the pan or pans and turn over to fully coat with the marinade. Alternatively, place the steaks and marinade in a jumbo Zip-Lock instead of the pan.

Cover and refrigerate 12 hours. Turn the steaks over at the 6-hour mark.

When it’s time to grill, get a good hot fire going. Shake off the excess marinade and grill the steaks medium-rare (5 or 6 minutes per side) or until the internal temperature reaches 130 to 140 degrees.

Do not baste the meat as this tends to drip into the fire and lower the heat. It also can cause flare-ups because of the oil.

Take the steaks off the grill, let rest for 10 minutes and then carve across the grain on the diagonal.

Serves 8 to 10.

ORZO WITH DRIED CHERRIES AND ALMONDS

2 c. orzo

½ t. crumbled saffron threads

1 t. turmeric

1 T. freshly grated orange peel

4 T. fresh orange juice

Salt to taste

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil (may need as much as ½ c.)

2/3 c. dried cherries

4 T. sliced almonds, toasted

2 small scallions, tender green part only, sliced thin on the diagonal

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add orzo, saffron and turmeric. Boil for 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain and refresh under cold water.

In a small bowl, stir together the orange zest, fresh orange juice and sat to taste. Add the oil in a stream, whisking until the dressing is emulsified.

In a large bowl, toss the orzo, drained well, with the dressing and stir in the cherries, almonds and scallions. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 8 to 10.

* Recipes courtesy of The Foodsmith at lauraraposa.com.