DustyLu: March 2012

I was so excited when I got my hardcover copy of the beautiful and delicious Romantic Prairie Cookbook

by Fifi O'Neill photographed by Mark Lohman. When I opened it I immediately became inspired. Romantic Prairie Cookbook is like no other cookbook I have ever seen,

packed full of 192 pages of yummy, mouth watering recipes.

I was so giddy when Fifi O'Neill asked me to be a part of Romantic Prairie Cookbook

and to share a few of my families favorite recipes.

Many of you know how amazing Fifi O'neill is and how her talent is endless.

I LOVE to cook. I come from a long line of chefs in a big Italian family.

Quick story for my new readers

My beautiful nona Rosa, my stunning mother, Carmen, my older brother, Alberto and my sister, Donna,

are all chefs in our family. I don't want to come across as being arrogant or that I am bragging but, I am really proud of my family, sometimes it was a bit intimidating being in our kitchen.

I then decided to go to culinary school and refine my skills.

Culinary school can be expensive, so in order for me to

go, I exchanged cleaning services for my

education. I am not frivolous and value working hard for what you want in life.

Ironically, my teacher, Ceclia DeCastro, was the same teacher that

taught my brother at UCLA 20 years ago.

Every Monday for 6 hours and 8 grueling months later I graduated.

When I got the news that Romantic Prairie Cookbook made The Splendid Table I was so happy for Fifi and knew it was only a matter of time before it would happen. Then, Fifi told me that they

where going to feature my recipe for Salmon. I was so happy and honored.

The Splendid Table is part of American Public Media, which is the second largest producer and distributor of public radio programming and the largest owner and operator of public radio stations in the nation, reaching 15.4 million listeners each week.

Check out The Splendid Table and you can see peek of the review below.

Every Wednesday morning, get a new recipe, as well as tips, tricks and advice from Lynne Rossetto Kasper.
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Printable version of this recipe

March 28, 2012
Dear Friends,
This week's recipe is a shout-out to spring. It comes from Fifi O'Neill's The Romantic Prairie Cookbook, a lovely collection of farm-to-table dishes that celebrate flavorful ingredients and home cooking.
A mix of fresh herbs and olive oil comes together in a bright, fresh-tasting sauce for wild salmon fillets. If you've already dusted off your grill for the season, use it now; otherwise, a grill pan on the stovetop works as well. When we tested the recipe, we had some dressing left over. We stirred in a little non-fat Greek yogurt and served it as a dip for crudités the next night.
Also hot off the press is the revised edition of Vegetables by James Peterson, author of seven James Beard Award-winning cookbooks. In keeping with the early spring theme of this week's newsletter, we feature James's recipe for Rhubarb Gratin with Vinegar and Sugar -- an unusual and more savory departure from the sweet dishes we usually associate with rhubarb.
Have a good week,
Lynne

SALMON WITH HERB DRESSING
From The Romantic Prairie Cookbook: Field-Fresh Recipes and Homespun Settings by Fifi O'Neill (CICO Books, an imprint of Ryland Peters & Small, Ltd., London and New York, 2012). Copyright © 2012 by Fifi O'Neill. Photography copyright © 2012 by Mark Lohman. All rights reserved. Used with permission of the publisher.
Serves 2
Lulu Tapp knows that wild salmon is a much better option than the farm-raised type, as it does not contain any food coloring or additives. The accompanying herb and honey dressing gets its summery zest from lemon juice, its kick from a touch of garlic, and its heat from a hint of jalapeño.

2 6-ounce/170g thick salmon fillets

Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Vegetable oil for the grill

Few grape (baby plum) tomatoes, halved, to garnish

Fresh dill sprigs, to garnish

For the Herb Dressing:

1 medium garlic clove

1/4 small jalapeño pepper, diced

1 cup/50g fresh cilantro (coriander)

1/2 cup/25g fresh mint

1/4 cup/10g fresh flat-leaf parsley

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon honey

3/4 cup/180ml extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and ground black pepper

For the Tomato Topping:

1 cup/170g grape (baby plum) tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup/60ml extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. First make the herb dressing: put the garlic and jalapeño pepper in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
2. Add the herbs, lemon juice, and honey. With the food processor running, drizzle in the oil slowly. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Make the tomato topping: gently toss the grape tomatoes, 1/4 cup/60ml olive oil, chopped chives, and lemon juice together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. Prepare the salmon. Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Drizzle each salmon fillet with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spray the grill with vegetable oil.
5. Add the salmon to the hot grill. Sear each side for 4 minutes. (Do not try to move it too soon or it will stick.) Loosen gently with tongs, and set on plates.
6. Spread the herb dressing around the fish and dollop the tomato mixture on top. Garnish with a few grape tomatoes, and little sprigs of fresh dill.

RHUBARB GRATIN WITH VINEGAR AND SUGAR
From Vegetables: The Most Authoritative Guide to Buying, Preparing, and Cooking with More Than 300 Recipes by James Peterson (Revised Edition Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., 2012). Copyright © 2012 by James Peterson. All rights reserved. Originally published in the United States by William Morrow and Company, Inc., New York, in 1998.
Makes 4 side-dish servings
When preparing the rhubarb, be sure to remove all the leaves and discard them as they are poisonous. The pectin in the rhubarb causes this gratin to thicken as it cooks.

5 stalks rhubarb, leaves removed, stalks cut into 3-inch lengths

1/4 cup sherry vinegar, plus more as needed

1-1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup water, plus more as needed

Salt and freshly grated black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Spread the rhubarb in a baking dish just large enough to hold it in a single layer. Add the vinegar, sprinkle over the sugar, and add the water. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until the liquids form a glaze on the bottom of the baking dish, about 30 minutes. If the baking dish runs dry before this, add a little more water or vinegar. Serve hot.
A Word about Rhubarb: To start out with a warning, never eat rhubarb leaves, and don't eat a whole lot of raw rhubarb stems. They contain oxalates that can cause significant irritation; eating the leaves can be fatal. On that cheery note, most of us don't remember rhubarb as the first fresh thing to come into season in the early part of spring. It is usually associated with sweet ingredients (such as sugar or maple syrup) probably because of its bracing acidity.

Copyright © 2012, Lynne Rossetto Kasper.
All Rights Reserved

Fifi just keeps on coming out with more and more inspiration.

I can not express enough how wonderful Romantic Prairie Cookbook by Fifi O'Neill is

and that for you foodies, chef's and cooks out there it is a must have in your culinary

library.

You can now purchase Romantic Prairie Cookbook on Amazon.

It has been awhile since I have done a giveaway so
In honor of this beautiful book, I am giving one lucky reader
a signed copy of Romantic Prairie Cookbook.
Post about it on your Blog, Facebook and or Twitter, come back
and tell me you did.

I will be back soon with and amazing interview and

a simple Easter vignette.

Have a wonderful day,

Lulu

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"I am grateful for my life."