mascarpone

Root-A-Toot-Toot-A-Baga: Rutabaga Puree

12 Jan 2012
rutabaga

Rutabagas are delicious. Especially this Rutabaga Purée with Brown Butter & Mascarpone. Let's just get that out of the way right now. Because no matter what I say about rutabagas from here on out, they're delicious. I love (and respect) them.

But you have to admit, rutabagas have a funny sounding, cartoonish name. The kind of name Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn or some other rascally Loony Tunes character might root-a-toot-toot about. So, you see, it's easy to make fun of them. Besides, rutabagas are silly looking too. Really silly looking. I'm sorry but it's true.

Let me tell you a funny story. I was in the market recently, checking out with just a few items. I hadn't bothered to get a basket and was sorta balancing a few awkward items in my hands. Oh, and I had a great big rutabaga tucked under my arm too. When it came time to pay, the cashier pointed under my arm and asked, “What’s that?” 

“A football”, I said. Well she laughed so hard she almost cried. At first I thought to myself, rather smugishly. "Gosh I'm funny". Then I realized it wasn't me that was so funny, she wasn't laughing at me. It was the rutabaga that had tickled her funny bone so completely.

Take a look, it's true– rutabagas are big ole monstrosities. The dirigibles of the veg world. The sheer audacity of their size, only adds to their irony. Because rutabagas aren't just delicious and hilarious. Nope. Rutabagas are really, really cheap. Meaning not only do they get laughed at, these root-vegetable monsters are often relegated to filler, whose only purpose is to bulk up a casserole, or stretch out some watery soup. But I bet if you'd just stop laughing long enough to taste a rutabaga you'd root-a-toot-toot too! GREG

 

Sippity Sup Continues »
Tags: | 14 Comments

Rutabaga Purée with Brown Butter & Mascarpone

Rutabaga Purée with Brown Butter & Mascarpone
By jgreghenry Published January 12, 2012
Prep time: 30
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 4 T unsalted butter
  • 1 large shallot, peeled & coarsely chopped
  • 1 large rutabaga (about 2 pounds), peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 t coarse salt, pluse more to taste
  • 1 c chicken stock
  • 1 T fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
  • 1 pn freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 4 T mascarpone cheese

Directions

Heat a large, heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter. As it begins to melt, start swirling the pan frequently and watching the butter carefully. You will notice the butter will get foamy, and then the milk solids will begin to brown. Once that starts, remove skillet from heat. Smell the butter; it should have a nutty aroma, and be caramel in color.

Add the shallots and rutabaga. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Add stock and thyme leaves. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Purée vegetable mixture with mascarpone in a food processor until smooth. Season with pepper. Reheat if necessary. Garnish with more thyme leaves.

Source: inspired by Martha Stewart Living

A Mighty Special Mac with Mascarpone, Fontina and Lobster

26 Jan 2011
Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Ok. It’s time to take a culinary exhale. Because after the frenzy of holiday cooking we have all been through I feel it’s time to get back to basics. Something comforting and familiar. Something that just makes you want to cuddle up with the one you love. Something like Mac & Cheese!

In fact a simple dish like Macaroni and Cheese is exactly what I am craving. But simple can be elegant and it can be creative. So I have decided to take old-fashioned Macaroni and Cheese, and rev it up a notch. First I plan to use the very best cheese I can get from Wisconsin. And while yummy yellow cheddar makes a great Mac & Cheese, I have another idea in mind.

I think I’ll add chunks of lobster, as well as creamy mascarpone. It's more seafood friendly than cheddar. Besides, this combination really helps this familiar, everyday food assume the comfort and luxury of cashmere!

To put my plan in motion I turned to my cookbooks for guidance. But none of the recipes came close to my fantasy of what the dish should be. I wanted chewy pasta suspended in molten cheese, with a chewy, golden-brown cheesy crust on top. And plenty of perfectly cooked lobster tail. I guess I'll need to develop my own recipe.

One of the best recipes I have ever used for Mac & Cheese comes from Martha Stewart. She starts with a flour-based roux and adds cheese. She calls it Macaroni and Cheese 101. And I gotta admit it’s pretty close to perfection. Except one thing. It relies on cheddar. Now I love cheddar, but feel it may be a bit strong with the delicate flavor and texture of lobster.

Sippity Sup Continues »
Tags: | 21 Comments

Ricotta Mascarpone Cheesecake with Orange Scented Rhubarb Compôte

By jgreghenry Published October 22, 2009
Prep time: 90
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 12 T unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1.75 c sugar, divided
  • 1.75 c flour, divided
  • 1.25 c yellow cornmeal
  • 0.5 t salt
  • 1.5 lb ricotta cheese, room temperature
  • 0.5 lb mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 lemon, zest only
  • 1 orange, zest only
  • 1 T vanilla
  • 3 c orange scented rhubarb compôte (see recipe section)

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and 1/2-cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, cornmeal, and salt. Mix these until well combined. Press the mixture on the bottoms and up the sides of a 10” x 3” spring-form pan. Do not worry about keeping the top edge perfect. It will add to the rustic appeal. Place the pan into the oven, and bake until lightly golden, 20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack completely before proceeding. Reduce the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the ricotta and mascarpone in a large mixing bowl. Stir them until as smooth as possible with a rubber spatula. Stir in the remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar and the remaining 1/2-cup flour into the ricotta. Stir until well incorporated. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla, orange and lemon zest, and salt. Sir until just combined. Do not over mix. Pour batter into the prepared cornmeal shell. Place in oven on center rack. Bake for about 70 minutes, until a light golden color. Make sure the center is fairly firm, and the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. At this point turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to sit in there another hour to hour and a half. This will help it from cracking. Still some cracking is inevitable and, again, part of the rustic appeal. After that, remove the cake to a wire rack to cool completely. Then cover the pan and move it to the refrigerator at least 2 hours but overnight is better. When ready to serve, remove the cake gently from the spring-form pan. You may serve the compôte in a bowl next to the cheesecake or spooned over the top. But do not spoon the fruit on top until immediately before serving.

Notes:

serves 12

Insalata Primaverile di Fruta e Pomodoro

tomato fruit salad
By jgreghenry Published September 21, 2009
Prep time: 30
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb interesting tomatoes:grape, cherry, red, orange, yellow, green, zebra, and heirloom
  • 1 c seedless green grapes
  • 1 c strawberries, cut into bite sized chunks
  • 1 orange, zested and cut in segments
  • 1 lemon juice and zest
  • 1 T balsamic vinegar
  • 0.25 c fresh basil leaves
  • 0.25 c fresh mint leaves
  • 0 drizzle of honey
  • 1 pn salt
  • 0 handful of toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
  • 0.5 c mascarpone, at room temperature
  • 0.5 c plain yogurt

Directions

1. Cut the tomatoes in bite-sized pieces. Add the grapes, strawberries, orange and grapefruit segments. 2. Add the orange and lemon zest, the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, herbs and honey. Mix well and let it sit for 1 hour in the fridge so the flavors can marry and the juices combine. Stir well a couple of times. 3. Beat the mascarpone until fluffy, adds the yogurt, and drizzle with some honey. 4. Sprinkle seeds on the salad and serve with a dollop of the mascarpone yogurt, drizzle some more honey if you wish and throw some breezy mint leaves on top. Welcome spring!

Notes:

serves 4 Source: This recipe come from Just Call Me Marta