RECIPE: In honor of Spring and fresh strawberries, REC: Boccone Dolce from Sardi's...

RECIPE:
M

michael-in-phoenix

Well-known member
...by way of Vincent Price and his wife (at the time) Mary. I posted this on Gail's awhile back and just can't resist posting it here.

***************

A lurking swapster sent me an email

requesting a copy of this recipe. She had

read about my infatuation with my Vincent

Price Cookbook, and had lost this recipe

from it. When I looked it up, I found it

was from Sardi's Restaurant, circa 1965:

Boccone Dolce

Preheat oven to very slow (250 degrees).

MERINGUE:

4 egg whites

salt

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

FILLING:

hot water

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate pieces

3 tbsp water

3 cups cream

1/3 cup sugar

1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

MERINGUE LAYERS:

Beat until stiff: 4 egg whites, a pinch of

salt and 1/4 tsp cream of tartar.

Gradually beat in: 1 cup sugar and continue

to beat until the meringue is stiff and

glossy.

Line baking sheets with waxed paper, and on

the paper trace 3 circles, each 8 inches in

diameter. Spread the meringue evenly over

the circles, about 1/4 inch thick, and bake

in the very slow oven for 20 to 25 minutes,

or until meringue is pale gold but still

pliable.

Remove from oven and carefully peel waxed

paper from bottom. Put on cake racks to dry.

FILLING

Melt over hot water: 6 ounces semi-sweet

chocolate pieces and 3 tbsp water.

Whip: 3 cups cream until stiff. Gradually

add: 1/3 cup sugar, and beat until very

stiff.

Slice 1 pint fresh strawberries

PRESENTATION

Place a meringue layer on serving plate and

spread with a thin coating of melted

chocolate. Then spread a layer about 3/4

inch thick of the whipped cream and top this

with a layer of the sliced strawberries.

Put a second layer of meringue on top,

spread with chocolate, another layer of the

whipped cream and sliced strawberries, then

top with a third layer of meringue. Frost

sides smoothly with remaining whipped

cream. Decorate top meringue layer in an

informal pattern, using remaining melted

chocolate squeezed through a pastry cone

with a tiny round opening. Or you may

decorate with whole ripe strawberries.

Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

 
Lovely! How does this slice? With a serrated knife? and what is this infatuation with

the cookbook? Is it really special and worth finding? I love cookbooks.

 
More strawberry stuff...REC: easy and unusual cooked strawberry cake/cobbler

Quick Strawberry “Cake”
From my sister-in-law…who is not a cook!
About 6 servings

3 cups fresh sliced strawberries
5 Tbsp orange juice, preferably fresh squeezed
1 ¼ cups sugar, separated
1 cup flour
½ cup milk
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Serve with vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter 8-9 inch square baking dish. Arrange strawberries in bottom and pour the juice over it. With a wire whip, blend 1 cup sugar, flour, milk, butter, baking powder, and salt until smooth. Spread over fruit. Mix remaining ¼ cup sugar with cornstarch and vanilla, Crumble/sprinkle over batter. Carefully pour boiling water over batter and bake immediately until golden brown…about 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes and serve, warm, with a topping of ice cream.

It’s perfect to pop in the oven just as you’re sitting down to eat. I don’t know how it is re-heated or cold…there’s never any left!

It’s called a “cake” but I think it’s more like a spring time light cobbler. It spoons out and is pretty running but VERY delicious.

 
As long as we're on the subject - Here's my favorite recipe for Strawberry Bread...

This bread is very strawberry-ey, and will only be as good as the strawberries you use, so make sure you use ripe, sweet strawberries!

STRAWBERRY BREAD

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped (make sure the strawberries are sweet)
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (1/2 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 F (325 F for dark pans). Lightly grease a loaf pan.

In small bowl combine strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar. Set aside for 1 hour. Drain; reserve liquid and strawberries in separate bowls.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix eggs, butter, vanilla, remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, and reserved liquid from berries.

Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the liquid mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the strawberries.

Pour the batter into loaf pan, and bake in the middle of the oven for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack around 15-20 minutes; then invert loaf directly onto wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: For muffins, preheat oven to 400 F. (375 F for dark pans). Spoon into greased muffin cups and bake 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.

posted by Kricket - ORB
edited by Meryl

 
I make this every year since you first posted it, Michael. I do it in tarts since

neighbors and friends actually ask me when I'm going to make them.
It has become my absolutely favorite strawberry recipe and I will continue to say thank you, every year, for posting it!

 
I remember that you especially enjoyed this recipe Cyn. Glad you still do...

...and the tart idea sounds wonderful.

I assume you are making the same thing only smaller? Could you elaborate a bit?

Thanks,

Michael

 
I either use a serrated knife or a regular one dipped in hot water between...

...slices.

The cookbook is 'A Treasury of Great Recipes' by Vincent and Mary Price. It is a collection of recipes and annecdotes from the famous restaurants of the day, circa 1965. The actor and his wife were wonderful cooks, art collectors and cookbook authors.

You can find copies of this cookbook on ebay, alibris, etc., from $20 on up, depending on date of issue and condition. It is a very interesting 'read' and the recipes are very typical to the era.

Michael

 
Here's another of my favorites from the book: REC: House Bread

I first posted this on Gail's back in March of '96 (sheesh, that's 10 years ago!?) and it is still a favorite in our house.

****************

Would you believe Vincent Price....
...the actor, may he rest in peace, wrote a
few great cookbooks in his time? This recipe
is one I simply couldn't live without. It's that
good! Please don't be fooled by how simple the
ingredients list is...this is one special recipe!

I found it in the book "A Treasury of Great
Recipes" by Mary and Vincent Price, published
in 1965. It is what he called his "house
bread" and my family insists we keep a supply
as our "house bread" too! I use a Kitchen Aid
myself, so here is the recipe as I've adapted
it.

Vincent says (and I agree!) it has a taste
and texture very close to real French bread.
For a special treat, serve it warm with garlic
butter and chopped parsley and chives. Goes
great with Dungeness crab, mustard mayonnaise
and an Italian Soave white wine. ENJOY!!!

HOUSE BREAD

1 package of active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (120 - 130 degrees)
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
5 cups all-purpose or bread flour

Baking sheet lightly buttered and dusted
with yellow cornmeal

Melted butter
small bowl of icewater

Place 2 cups of flour in the bowl and add the
ginger, salt and sugar. Mix with the flat
beater on low until well mixed. Then add yeast
and mix again.

Add the warm water and slowly increase mixing
speed to med. high and mix until batter is
smoothe, about 2 min.

Add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time
until the dough becomes a shaggy mass too dense
for the flat beater. Change to the dough hook.

Keep adding flour with the dough hook on #2
until the dough forms a ball and cleans the sides
of the bowl. Knead under the dough hook 8 to
10 min. until the dough is smooth and elastic,
adding sprinkles of flour to keep the dough
from sticking.

Place in a warm bowl coated with soft butter,
turn once to butter the top, cover with plastic
wrap and let rise until double.

Punch down, knead a few times to work out the
air bubbles and form into one large, or two small
loaves, french bread style. Place them on the
cookie sheets coated with butter and dusted
with cornmeal. With a sharp knife,
slash the loaves across the top with a few
diagonal cuts. Brush the loaves with ice water
using a pastry brush. Place the loaves in a
warm, draft-free place and allow to rise until
doubled.

Pre-heat oven to very hot (450 degrees).
For a great crust, place a pan of boiling water
on the bottom of the oven and brush each loaf
with melted butter.

Bake in the very hot oven for 7 minutes, then
reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 35 to
45 minutes longer.

Cool on a rack and enjoy!

 
Michael, I remember you raving about this book at Gail's...

I've never seen it, and my cookbook collection is already too large, but you have almost convinced me to buy it sight unseen. Do you still think it's fabulous? Can you give a quick overview and list the names of your top 10 recipes from it? Thanks!

 
The cookbook is very 'dated'. If you're looking for new and exciting...

...recipes you will not find them here. It is a huge book, once described by a swapper who owns a copy as "gastro-porn". It has big photos of the restaurants, photos of Mr. Price, and copies of the menus from each of the restaurants profiled. Very fun to see Lobster Thermador for a whopping $4.98!

I don't cook from it often. I do find inspiration from some of the recipes, but it is simply restaurant faire from the '60's.

I make the 'House Bread' often. Boccone Dolce when strawberries are in season. Blender Hollandaise is from Mr. Price's chapter on 'blender magic'. He also includes a chapter on his own favorite recipes.

I've linked to a copy on ebay that has photos of the cover and some interior pages as well. Should give you a good idea of what to expect.

Michael

http://cgi.ebay.com/A-Treasury-Of-Great-Recipes-Cookbook-By-Vincent-Price_W0QQitemZ4629809693QQcategoryZ378QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 
Most of my books, with the exception of...

Joy and Julia and the Congessional Club Cookbook are newer, so I'm quite tempted. I've been feeling a little retro lately. Thanks for the link. It looks like it might make it into my collection in the near future. Will definitely make the Boccone Dolce, too!

 
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