Veteran cooking teacher Carole Kotkin is the manager of the Ocean Reef Cooking School in Key Largo. She co-hosts ''Food & Wine Talk'' from 11 a.m. to noon Mondays on WDNA 88.9 FM, and is the co-author of MMMMiami-Tempting Tropical Tastes for Home Cooks Everywhere (Henry Holt). She is a founder of the American Institute of Wine and Food's South Florida chapter and a charter member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the Miami chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier.
E-mail her at ckotkin@miamiherald.com.
When we had a vacation home in the North Carolina mountains, I adored blueberry picking with my family. There was always a race to see who could fill their container first and another race home to bake those berries into pies or muffins.
DESSERT LIME PIE WITH BLUEBERRY COMPOTE A purchased graham cracker crust will work in this twist on Key lime pie, but the dessert won't be as pretty.
TECHNIQUE
Few seafoods bring to mind the taste of the sea as readily as mussels. These meaty mollusks are also a pleasure to cook -- a quick burst of heat will open them, releasing natural juices that form a ready-made sauce.
MAIN DISH MUSSELS IN ASIAN BROTH Serve with plenty of crusty bread or pasta, and set an empty bowl on the table for the shells. Pour the same wine in which the mussels were cooked -- any crisp, medium-bodied, somewhat acidic white. A 2006 Pine Ridge Carneros Chardonnay would be a good choice.
TECHNIQUE
If you're firing up the grill for dinner, keep it going for dessert. Pineapple was made for grilling. Direct heat caramelizes its natural sugars with scrumptious results.
DESSERT GRILLED PINEAPPLE WITH HONEY-LIME SAUCE 1 ripe pineapple ¼ cup honey 1 teaspoon grated lime zest ¼ cup fresh lime juice
TECHNIQUE
Quesadillas, Mexico's fun take on grilled cheese sandwiches, can be as simple or sophisticated as you want. The basic quesadilla is nothing more than cheese wrapped in a tortilla and heated until melted inside and crispy outside.
MAIN DISH GRILLED CHICKEN AND CORN QUESADILLAS 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 large red onion, chopped (about 2 cups) 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
TECHNIQUE
French fries, once the snack of fast food restaurants, are now on every sort of menu. Chefs are sprinkling them with sea salt, grated cheeses such as Gruyère, aromatics like olive or truffle oil -- and sometimes all of those at once. They're so good you wonder if you should skip the appetizers entirely and tuck into a big stack.
SIDE DISH AUTHENTIC GARLIC FRIES 2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes, scrubbed 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic ¼ cup olive oil
TECHNIQUE
The homey flavors and textures of chicken pot pie take people back to their youth, even if the pie was a frozen Swanson TV dinner. This delicious culinary staple has been around for nearly 600 years when scraps of pastry covered stews made of rabbit, fowl and boar.
MAIN DISH CHICKEN POT PIE The bright, crisp acidity of a Maso Canali Pinot Grigio, 2007, pairs nicely with creamy pot pie. 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
TECHNIQUE
To the uninitiated, spiky artichokes with their fuzzy chokes may seem like more trouble than they are worth. Artichoke lovers know differently.
SIDE DISH PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO AND ROMANO STUFFED ARTICHOKES 2 artichokes, trimmed and cooked, with stems peeled (see story) ½ cup plain dried bread crumbs
TECHNIQUE
Lamb shanks have symbolic importance on the Passover Seder plate, but they also make a delicious entree for the holiday -- or for any festive meal.
MAIN DISH BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH RATATOUILLE SAUCE For Passover, serve the shanks over polenta or mashed potatoes. At other times noodles or couscous make delicious accompaniments. Pour the same wine in which you cooked the shanks -- something robust and full-bodied, like a Paul Dolan 2005 Zinfandel.
TECHNIQUE
Mustard is a lot more than a bright yellow condiment to smear on hot dogs. There are hundreds of varieties, all made from the seeds of a plant in the cabbage family that is native to India and China.
GLAZE GINGER MUSTARD GLAZE This glaze, adapted from Joan Nathan's The New American Cooking (Knopf, $35), would elevate the simplest salmon patty. Nathan brushes it on Union Square Tuna Burgers, made by combining 1 ½ pounds coarsely ground yellowfin tuna fillet, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard and ½ teaspoon cayenne. Form into 4 patties, season with salt and pepper and sauté in olive oil over medium-high heat for 3 or 4 minutes per side, until...
TECHNIQUE
My bread epiphany came in a phone call from my daughter Linda, who never bakes bread. ''Mom,'' she said, ``you've got to try this recipe. It will change your life.''
BREAD NO-KNEAD BREAD 1 ½ tablespoons rapid-rise yeast 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt 3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees)
TECHNIQUE
People around the world have enjoyed olive oil's rich flavor and aroma for at least 6,000 years. Today, dozens of brands are on supermarket shelves, and consumers are becoming as choosy about their olive oil as they are about fine wines.
SOUP TOMATO BREAD SOUP (Pappa col Pomodoro) 1-pound loaf country-style bread 3 pounds Roma tomatoes (or two 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, drained)
TECHNIQUE
The Ancient Maya thought of it as the nectar of the gods, and Europeans revered it as a symbol of wealth and power. Rich and soul-satisfying, hot chocolate is a delicious way to say ``Be My Valentine.''
BEVERAGE SPICED HOT CHOCOLATE I adapted this recipe from Lincoln Carson, corporate pastry chef for the Mina Group. It is served at Bourbon Steak at Fairmont Turnberry Isle in Aventura with orange-flavored churros.
