Reputation Makers

[NeroW]

I do a pork tenderloin with roasted-like pears and a sauce that has Buttershots in it (among other things). My friends like any food that has booze in it, to them, this is novel--and they get to drink the rest of the bottle. I also do quite a lot of gravlax for the construction guys at work. They brought back several sides of salmon for me a few years ago after a fishing trip, and now I am inundated with the stuff.

[Suzanne F]

NeroW -- what's "Buttershots?"

[NeroW]

Buttershots is Butterscotch Schnapps. Sounds weird, I know. The original recipe called for pear brandy, which was prohibitively expensive and which no one would drink afterwards; being practical, this made no sense to me. So I subbed Buttershots. Later, I discovered a few other people sub this same thing for pear brandy.

[hjshorter]

Baking powder biscuits. I think they're one of the reasons my husband married me. Whenever I serve them they're gone before they have time to cool down.

A potato salad with fresh orange juice and dill, and an orzo salad with ginger oil and apricots. I have brought these to innumerable parties and never have anything to take home afterwards.

[Suzanne F]

Pretty please, Heather, can you give a little more detail about that potato salad? :salivate: We had a thread on potato salad some time ago, but I don't believe anyone mentioned adding oj and dill.

edit: Here's that potato salad thread

Edited January 21, 2003 by Suzanne F (log)

[hjshorter]

Pretty please, Heather, can you give a little more detail about that potato salad?  :salivate:  We had a thread on potato salad some time ago, but I don't believe anyone mentioned adding oj and dill.

edit: Here's that potato salad thread

Sure! The recipe is from Penelope Casas' Tapas. I'll look it up and add it to the thread. It's fabulous!

Edited January 21, 2003 by hjshorter (log)

[Suzanne F]

There could be a copyright problem with posting it. But now that you've told where it can be found, I'll have a look. Thanks.

[Adam Balic]

I rarely cook the same thing twice for guests, so no signature dish. But I do cook a side dish, that goes well with a number of things or even as a simple meal in it self.

Beans with sage, garlic and New olive oil.

Soak beans over night.

I usually use Cannelloni beans or some of the smaller Tuscan white beans, but Borloti beans and chickpeas work well, although they don't have the creamy quality of Cannelloni beans.

Place beans (~250 gm) in a good heavy based pot that has a close fitting lid. Earthernware is perfect, but enamelware is what I mostly use.

Place enough water in pot to cover beans with about and inch of water. Add six garlic cloves (whole) and 10 sage leaves (add more or less as is you want). Put in 100 ml of very good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Heat until simmering point then turn down to lowest heat setting. Cover with parchment paper and place on the lid.

Cook for about 3.5 hours. Do not turn the heat up higher to speed things up as it will break up the beans. Check beans after two hours, as they take different lenghths of time to cook depending on the type of bean, storage, age etc etc.

Beans should be in very little water at end (none really) and be whole, but extremely creamy on the inside. Season with salt and pepper add this point. Garlic should have disintergrated, but if not either remove or mash and mix through beans.

Becareful with handling the beans as they will break easily.

Great served with pork or game, even chicken. Also great on some toasted bread.

I always pour over some New season EVOO, just before serving, but this is difficult to get so use you best EVOO. In effect what this recipe is, is "Bean Confit" and it is very good.

[helen jackson]

Roasted Garlic Soup with a small filet of Seared Turbot placed on the top

Would you share your roasted garlic soup recipe. I have never been able to make one as good as I have had at restaurants.

My impress the guests is

duck marylands with roasted beetroot, kumara (sweet potato), crispy potato and sauteed spinach with a verjuice, ginger and garlic reduction

dessert has to be quince tart - the whole house smells fragrant.........

Helen

[oraklet]

guests mostly rave about the pizzas and the very rustic rogan josh. and are impressed by homemade stock, pasta, saltimboca, bread and cappuccino. and keep asking for recipes for the parfaits. somehow, most of friends and family have come to think i'm a good cook. they're flat wrong, though.