Written by Gail Cohen | 02 March 2010

Ingredients

1 small head of cabbage
4 tbs. butter
3 tbs. of vegetable broth
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp. flour
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Chop the cabbage and set aside. In a large pot, melt 2 tbs. of the butter. Add cabbage and toss. Add vegetable broth and simmer until cabbage begins to wilt, about 20 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg, flour, salt, and pepper. Add remaining butter, and toss until melted. Serve hot.

Yield: serves 2-4

Written by Gail Cohen | 01 December 2009

Yield: 1-2 dozen

Ingredients
1 cup of organic raw sugar
1/2 cup of butter (soft)
1 egg
3 tbs. of molasses
2 cups of flour (sifted)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. of ginger
1 tsp. of cinnamon
1/2 tsp. of nutmeg
1/4 tsp. of salt
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
2-4 tbs. of lemon juice
cooking  spray

Directions for Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and molasses. Add flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Roll dough into small balls and place on cooking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Lemon Glaze Frosting - directions
In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Spoon over cookies.

Written by Carole Bumpus | 01 October 2009

Recently I was asked to accompany a group of WWII veterans on a tour commemorating the 65th anniversary of the 2nd D-Day on the southern shores of France near St. Tropez (August 15th). I flew to Nice, France to join eight veterans from the 3rd Infantry Division and their families for the two-week tour.
Each day of the tour, we traveled from one village to another—twenty-five in all, from St. Tropez to Strasbourg—following the veterans’ original ‘trek of liberation’. At each stop, villagers flooded into the streets throwing kisses, giving hugs and celebrating ‘the liberators’ of their country. Even children came out in throngs, dressed in traditional costumes offering their own hand-written letters as gifts to the men who gave their families freedom. The refrain we heard again and again was, “We will never forget; we will forget that you came to a foreign country to set us free.” “We will never forget that you liberated us from tyranny.” “France will never forget.” Who would have guessed that our dear veterans would be celebrated like the ‘conquering heroes’ that they were in 1944?
Along with all of the speeches and award ceremonies traditional foods and regional wines were shared. Following the final grand reception held in the regal City Hall of Strasbourg, officiated by the mayor, vice-mayor and members of Parliament, another extraordinary meal followed. You are now the recipient of one of those traditional recipes, a light, yet savory seafood stew, a form of ‘chaudrée’, or chowder, which incorporates a delicate balance of seafood, vegetables and milk/cream.

Seafood and Vegetable Chaudrée

(Serves 6-8)
1 dozen washed clams and/or cockles
1 dozen de-bearded, washed mussels
1 lb. white fish, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 lb. Golden Yukon potatoes, cubed
1 cup of shelled fava beans; 1 cup of carrot slices; 1 cup of cauliflower ‘florets’
1 chopped medium onion or the white of a leek, chopped
2 cups of half/half
2 cups of 1% milk
2 cups bottled clam juice
1 bay leaf
a sprinkling of tarragon
2 T butter; salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and dice potatoes (with skins left on). Place in a small pot of boiling, salted water. Simmer for about eight minutes.
In a separate pan, place half/half, milk, 1 cup of the clam juice and the bay leaf in a pan and warm over low heat.
In a large pot, melt the butter and sauté the onion (or leek), carrot slices, fava beans and cauliflower florets. Add the second cup of clam juice and the fish. Simmer for a few minutes then add the cockles and/or clams. Simmer another eight minutes. Drain the potatoes and add to the soup, along with the warmed milk and the mussels. Simmer gently for six to eight more minutes, until the mussels have opened.
(Discard any unopened shells.) Serve in bowls. Bon Santé!

Written by Gail Cohen | 03 September 2009

From Gail’s Kitchen

Ingredients
6 fresh poblano peppers
2 cups of black beans (cooked or canned)
1 cup of corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1 cup of brown rice (cooked)
1 small red onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (lightly crushed)
6 tomatillos (husks removed)
1/4 cup of cilantro
2 tbs. fresh lime juice
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 ounces of fresh goat cheese (crumbled)

Directions
Roast poblano peppers in broiler until charred on all sides. Place in a paper bag for 15 minutes. When cooled down, cut a slit in each poblano, leaving stem in tact, and remove seeds. Set aside.
Meanwhile, place tomatillos and garlic in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about five minutes. Drain. Pureé tomatillos and garlic in a blender. Add cilantro, lime juice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and pureé. Spread enough sauce to cover bottom of 9 X 13 inch baking pan.
Sauté onion until tender, then transfer into a large bowl. Add the corn kernels, black beans, rice, remaining tomatillo sauce, remaining salt, black pepper, and toss in 1/2 of the goat cheese. Place mixture into each poblano and place in prepared baking dish. Dot with remaining goat cheese.
Cover and bake in oven at 375 degrees until heated thru, about 25 minutes. Drizzle with sauce from dish.
Yield: 3-6 servings