KBKabaret

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound chicken livers, well-trimmed
• 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small garlic clove, smashed and peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons Cognac or Scotch whisky
• Freshly ground pepper
• Toasted baguette slices, for serving

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken livers, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the livers are barely pink inside, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
2. Discard the bay leaf. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the livers, onion and garlic to a food processor; process until coarsely pureed. With the machine on, add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. Add the Cognac, season with salt and pepper and process until completely smooth. Scrape the pâté into 2 or 3 large ramekins. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pâté and refrigerate until firm. Serve chilled.
3. The pâté can be covered with a thin layer of melted butter, then wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup frozen unsweetened peaches, thawed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons apricot nectar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons peach schnapps
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 3/4 cup frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
• Fresh mint leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Place peaches in container of an electric blender; cover and process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides.

2. Sprinkle gelatin over apricot nectar in a small saucepan; let stand 1 minute. Stir in pureed peaches and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat; stir in schnapps and almond extract. Chill 1 hour or until consistency of unbeaten egg white.

3. Gently fold in whipped topping. Spoon mixture evenly into 2 (8-ounce) parfait glasses. Cover and chill until set. Garnish with mint leaves, if desired.

Ingredients:

• Water (enough to cover veal roast)
• 2 White onions, quartered
• 2 Carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 3-4 garlic cloves, whole and peeled
• Green onion, 1 bunch cleaned and chopped
• Parsley, to taste
• 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
• 1-3 lbs veal eye of round roast, cleaned and trimmed of fat
• 8 hard-boiled, organic egg yolks
• 2 cans tuna fish in oil, drained and fluffed with a fork
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 generous tablespoons Dijon mustard (or your favorite kind of mustard)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 small can or jar anchovies (approx. 12 fillets)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons capers

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, bring water to boil (add enough so that it will cover the veal roast).

2. Add the vegetables, 2 tablespoons coarse salt and the veal eye of round. Bring water to a boil and let cook for approximately 1 hour, stirring the white foam that forms at the top of the pot. Turn off the stove, letting the meat cool in the broth.

3. Once cool, cut the meat in thin strips and arrange on a tray or platter (depending on when you’re going to serve it).

4. Meanwhile, put hard-boiled egg yolks, tuna and oil in a blender. Liquefy until a smooth, uniform mix is achieved.

5. Add 1 cup of broth, and continue blending. While the blender’s running, incorporate the mustard, mayonnaise and anchovies. (The consistency should be somewhere between liquid and a thick spread. If too thick, add more broth.

6. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper. (If already salted to taste, just add the pepper.

7. If you’re not going to serve the vitel toné on the same day of preparation, store in the refrigerator. Otherwise, a few hours before serving, arrange the strips of veal on the serving tray or platter you will be using, and cover with the tuna and anchovy sauce. Sprinkle with capers, and serve with the garnish of your choice.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 yellow tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 1/3 cup chopped white onion
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 4 teaspoons minced fresh dill
• 4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Directions:

Combine the cucumber and tomatoes in a blender, reserving 1/4 cup of each for garnish.
Add the bell pepper, onion, vinegar, 1 teaspoon each dill and parsley, 1 clove garlic and the sugar; puree until smooth.
Pass through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
Season with 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the croutons:
Heat the remaining clove garlic with the olive oil in a skillet over low heat.
Add the bread cubes and the remaining 3 teaspoons each dill and parsley.
Cook, stirring, until golden and crunchy, 10 to 15 minutes.
Discard the garlic.

Pour the soup into chilled bowls. Dice the reserved cucumber and tomatoes; sprinkle into the soup. Garnish with the croutons.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen strawberries
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons white sugar, or to taste

Directions:

1. Puree strawberries, milk, cream and sour cream in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Stir in sugar to taste.
3. Chill 8 hours or overnight in refrigerator before serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2.5 lbs piece boneless pork belly with skin, scored at 1/4 inch intervals all over
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons caster sugar
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 small Lebanese cucumber, stripe-peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup mint leaves
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves
• 1/4 cup Thai basil leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Wipe the pork skin dry with paper towel, then rub well all over with 1 teaspoon sea salt. Place skin-side up on a rack in a deep roasting pan, then pour in enough boiling water to come just below the rack. Roast for 2 hours, topping up the water as necessary, until the skin is crisp and the pork is tender. Allow to cool. Cut the pork belly into bite-sized pieces.
3. Meanwhile, combine the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar in a large bowl, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Add the pork, spring onion, cucumber, chilli and herbs to the bowl of dressing and gently toss to combine.
4. Divide the salad among plates then scatter with peanuts and serve.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a medium saucepot over medium-high heat, combine water, butter and salt. Heat until butter has melted and water is boiling.
3. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Stir until mixture begins to create a dough ball in the center of the pot and the dough is completely pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 2 minutes.
4. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. On low speed, add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl well after each addition and beating until the bowl feels cool (the mixture should be very smooth and silky). Add in the cheese after the last addition of the eggs.
5. Transfer the mixture to a plastic food storage bag and cut half an inch off of one corner to create a pastry bag. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, squeeze the mixture into small rounds and bake until golden brown and puffed, about 25 minutes.
6. The pastries can be made a day or two ahead of time and kept in an airtight container at room temperature. If they feel soggy when you take them out, pop them into a 400F oven for a couple of minutes until they crisp up again.

Servings: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs Red Delicious apple, peeled, cored and sliced thinly
• water, to cover the apple
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 12 bread rolls
• 6 cups milk
• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 -2 teaspoon vanilla sugar blended with caster sugar
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 cup crushed walnuts
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup sugar, extra
• 3 -4 tablespoons apricot jam
• 1/4 cup butter + 1 tb extra to coat pan
• breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325°
2. Grease an ovenproof dish using 1 tsp butter and breadcrumbs.
3. Slice apples thinly and place in cold water with lemon juice until ready to use.
4. Slice the bread rolls and mix with the milk, the egg yolks, vanilla sugar and caster sugar.
5. Place a third in the greased ovenproof dish.
6. Pour 1/3 cup of wine all over soaked rolls
7. Place half apple slices on the top and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tbs cinnamon 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup raisins.
8. Repeat layers and end with the last third of the bread on top
9. Pour last third of wine on top of entire mixture.
10. Place small dollops of butter on mixture.
11. Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes.
12. Beat the egg whites with 1/4 sugar and the apricot jam, and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes.
13. Spread egg white mixture on top of pudding (after baking) and bake for a few minutes more, until egg whites change to a light brown color.

Simply and Delicious (Simply Delicious)
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 30 min. + cooling
YIELD:12-16 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/4 cups 2% milk
• 10 tablespoons butter, cubed

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to batter; beat at low speed until smooth.
2. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter just until butter is melted. Gradually add to batter; beat just until combined.
3. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.Yield: 12-16 servings.

TIPS:

• Salted butter really brings out the flavor of this subtle classic.
• Cube leftovers to layer into a trifle with berries and cream.
• Swap almond extract for the vanilla, and serve with whipped cream and toasted almonds.