Well I didn't make it to Paris due to illness of DH. Postponed to April 30. So I worked on menu ...

E

elaine

Well-known member
for luncheon for about 24 "ladies" next Friday.

I have limits due to some of them not eating dairy products and the fact that I will not have help for some of the time.

I am going Italian casusal and here's what I have settled on

Antipasti- as many of those I find time to make on morning of

antipasti wraps

cauliflower popcorn

marinated olives (before)

sardinian hard boiled eggs

mushrooms

Primi -Soup - chickpea,spinach, mushroom

Secondi - veal caccatore

Sicialian chicken w. Lemon,Mint and Almonds

Slow Roasted tomatoes

Salad - Romaine lettuce with dressing

Polenta - maybe cut up rounds if time allows

Dolce

Here I have caved in and am making the Nick

Magliere mousse that I have been dreaming about.

It will be okay if I make another bunch of non

dairy things.

So far I have a lemon,almond and pear tart

and cranberry cappuccino Biscotti.

I do need help with desserts/cakes I am even willing to give up the mousse (it will wait for Passover since everyone here is on a diet!!)

if it is really out of line.

I should add that these ladies are eaters and I do need a few more desserts. Maybe more biscotti and then some....

Any recipes that anyone wants I would be happy to post.

TIA

Elaine

 
Second thoughts on dessert. Maybe coffee and orange granita instead of the mousse but I still ...

need another cake. I think I like this better -
lighter and maybe easier.

 
And REC: Cornmeal Almond Biscotti. These were a hit at the class I taught Thursday. I still have

dough and once-baked loaves in the refrigerator becuase I demo'ed it in stages. I'll be baking up lots of them today:

CORNMEAL ALMOND BISCOTTI

From Classic Home Desserts by Richard Sax.
Makes about 4½ dozen biscotti

1¾ cups whole unblanched almonds
½ cup (1 stick) cold lightly salted butter (or use unsalted butter with a pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbs. anisette liqueur
1½ Tbs. anise seeds
1½ cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
½ cup cornmeal
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper, or generously butter the baking sheets.

Scatter the almonds over another baking sheet and toast until dark-medium brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack; leave the oven on. Chop enough of the almonds to measure ¼ cup. Set both the chopped and whole almonds aside.

Cream the butter with the sugar using an electric mixer just until combined, no longer. Add the eggs and mix until blended. Add the anisette liqueur, anise seeds, 1¼ cup of the flour, the cornmeal, baking powder, salt and all of the almonds; mix until combined and the nuts are distributed. Stir in enough of the remaining ¼ cup flour so the dough comes together and is not sticky (the dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl).

Working on the prepared baking sheets, shape the dough into 4 or 5 long logs, each about 1 inch wide and ¾ inch high.

Bake until the dough is set and beginning to turn pale gold at the edges, about 13 minutes. Remove the baking sheets to a wire rack and cool for 5 to 10 minutes; leave the oven on.

Cut the biscotti into even slices about ½ inch wide. Arrange the slices, cut sides up, on the baking sheets. Return to the oven and bake the biscotti again until very lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the biscotti to a wire and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container. (These biscotti keep well.)

 
This may be it - found it in my files:

SICILIAN CHICKEN WITH LEMON, MINT AND ALMONDS

INGREDIENTS:

1 chicken, cut into serving pieces
10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh mint leaves
Juice of 3 lemons
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine the chicken, garlic, 2/3 cup of the mint, the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a plastic container. Cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight, or up to 2 days. Remove chicken from marinade and wipe dry. Reserve the marinade.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Add the chicken legs, thighs and wings; saute 20 to 25 minutes, turning several times. Add the breast pieces and saute for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the chicken and keep warm.

Discard the fat in the pan, then add the wine and cook over high heat until reduced by half, stirring to incorporate the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth and reserved marinade and cook over high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup. Taste for seasoning, then pour the sauce over chicken.

Garnish with almonds and the remaining mint.

Serves 4

By Marlena Spieler - From San Francisco Chronicle

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/04/FDG83LG6D41.DTL

 
Some ideas: Florentines, Cannolis, Italian Love Cake, Tiramisu, Italian Shortbread With Almonds and

Jam by Cincy Mushet (have the recipe if you're interested - had great reviews)
Torta Cioccolata (Italian Chocolate Almond Torte) by Alice Medrich - had great reviews - have recipe if interested - no dairy products in this one

 
Yes that is it. My copy posted by Evelyn of Athens (I know many... remember her so well ) states..

that is was the Wining Recipe for 1994.

 
Wish I could help but we don't have anything like vanilla wafers here and I really want to ...

go with something w/o dairy in it. But the biscotti sound great and I will definitely make these.

 
I am getting great ideas. I don't know myself why I put ladies in quotes...

there is something to think about!! The guest of honor is 75 and the youngest (my granddaughter)
is 4.

 
Here ya go: Chocolate Almond Torte - Alice Medrich

TORTA CIOCCOLATA (ITALIAN CHOCOLATE-ALMOND TORTE)

From Alice Medrich: "The soul of simplicity, this jewel of a chocolate dessert was inspired by Claudia Roden's torta di mandorle e cioccolata in her magnificent Book of Jewish Food. The torte is rich and quite sophisticated, yet simple to make. Lots of ground, rather than melted, unsweetened chocolate and plenty of almonds folded into egg whites (no yolks) produce a uniquely moist, rich torte with a nutty texture but without the dense heaviness you might expect."

From the poster at kitchenmusings: "...Note that the unsweetened chocolate is roughly chopped and further ground up with the almonds, this gives it a very interesting texture. I made mine on a ¼ baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. That way you can lift it out and cut it up like brownies..."

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (5 oz) unblanched or blanched whole almonds
7 ounces good quality unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
7 large egg whites (1 cup), room temperature
¼ tsp. cream of tartar

Optional:
Powdered sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
Sweetened whipped cream for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 °F. Grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Combine the almonds, chocolate, ½ cup of the sugar , and the salt in a food processor and pulse until the almonds and chocolate are very finely chopped but not completely pulverized. Set aside.

In a clean dry bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand-held mixer and a large bowl, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until soft, moist peaks are formed when the beaters are lifted. Gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar and continue to beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry. Add one-third of the nut mixture to the egg whites and fold in with a large rubber spatula until nearly incorporated. Fold in half of the remaining nuts , then fold in the rest of the nuts.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake until the torte is risen and golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, or with a little melted chocolate, 25 to 30 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and invert the cake onto the rack. Remove the bottom of the pan and then the parchment liner. Turn the cake right side up and cool completely. Cover or wrap tightly, and store for up to 3 days at room temperature.

To serve, transfer the cake to a serving plate . Dust with powdered sugar or cocoa, and serve slices with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

Serves 10.

From Alice Medrich’s Pure Dessert

http://kitchenmusings.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/12/torta-cioccolat.html

 
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