Blood Oranges.

Ingredient Spotlight: Blood Oranges | Williams-Sonoma Taste
Next time you’re making a salad or dessert with oranges, reach for blood oranges instead.
Store them at room temperature for several days or refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to 3 weeks.
Prep tips: Before peeling a blood orange, squeeze it between your palms or roll it on a countertop, pressing down firmly. This will make the orange a little juicier and easier to peel. To juice it, cut the orange in half and use a juicer or reamer to extract the liquid. You may also remove the zest from an orange or segment it before using in a recipe.
Uses: Savor the unique flavor of blood oranges by eating them fresh, either segmented or sliced in salads and salad dressings or as a topping for a dessert.
They are also delicious in preserves, such as a compote or marmalade (see a recipe below).
Recipe:

How to Make the Perfect Crepe.

How to Make the Perfect Crepe | Williams-Sonoma Taste
Sweet Crepes

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
Melted unsalted butter for greasing pan

Prepare crepes according to the directions below. Serves 4.

Peperonata.

Peperonata from "Divina Cucina" blog.
Or Tuscan Bell Pepper-Red Onion Stew.
Notes:
For the pureed tomatoes, you can use a puree of fresh peeled and seeded tomatoes that have been briefly cooked to concentrate their flavor, or canned whole tomatoes that you've blended with their juices. (Canned tomatoes are often the better choice, since they are usually top-quality.)
If you make this with beautiful, ripe summer bell peppers, they should provide enough sweetness to balance the small amount of vinegar.
If your peppers are less sweet and the peperonata tastes a little too tart, add a tiny bit of sugar, a pinch at a time, until the flavor is balanced.

Don't brown the onion, just let it soften to a pale golden colour.
The texture of the peppers and onions should be silky and soft enough to crush between your fingers.
The stew will mellow when left in the fridge for a day or two.

4 large bell peppers, cut into 1 inch strips
4 large red onions, peeled and cut in half and into slices
olive oil
salt
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs red or white wine vinegar.
4 Tbs capers

Drizzle a little olive oil in a large skillet.
Add the peppers and onions.
Sprinkle with salt (this will bring the liquid out of the veggies.)
Cover and let cook until the peppers and onions have become soft.
Add the sugar and vinegar.
Turn up the heat and caramelize the vegetables.
Taste for the correct balance of sweet and sour.
I use regular white sugar and wine vinegar.
Add the capers, stir and turn off the heat.
This is great hot, but best the next day at room temperature.

More recipe and a word of caution:
- Skillet Steak Peperonata Recipe | Leite's Culinaria
A word of caution:
Don’t use green bell peppers in this peperonata.
We know, some of you love your green bell peppers.
And that’s very nice for you.
But red, yellow, and orange bell peppers have a distinctly different flavor profile, one whose sweet notes meld marvelously with the other ingredients here.
The rather unique smack of green bell peppers? Not so much. Trust us.

- Peperonata (Sweet Bell Peppers With Olive Oil, Onion, and Tomatoes) | Serious Eats
Notes:
For the pureed tomatoes, you can use a puree of fresh peeled and seeded tomatoes that have been briefly cooked to concentrate their flavor, or canned whole tomatoes that you've blended with their juices. (Canned tomatoes are often the better choice, since they are usually top-quality.)
If you make this with beautiful, ripe summer bell peppers, they should provide enough sweetness to balance the small amount of vinegar.
If your peppers are less sweet and the peperonata tastes a little too tart, add a tiny bit of sugar, a pinch at a time, until the flavor is balanced.

- Peperoni in padella (Angelina's Fried Peppers) | Memorie di Angelina
Take it from Angelina:
Don’t be shy with the oil.
You need to use a lot of oil to get the right flavor and consistency for this dish.
Make sure that all the vegetables glisten; if not, add more oil.
And use olive oil—no other oil will do.
You can remove the excess before serving if you want a lighter dish.
Many recipes for fried peppers call for adding a bit of fresh tomato or tomato purée. I’m not partial to either of these variations, but that’s a matter of personal preference.
Whatever other ingredients you decide to add to your fried peppers, be sure that you cook the peppers until they are actually done.
The Italian way with vegetables is to cook them until they are completely tender—not crisp-tender as in Asian stir-fry or trendy North American cooking.
This is particularly important for peppers; they have a completely different taste when they are raw, which some people have described (charitably if you ask me) as ‘tangy’.

- Nigel Slater's classic peperonata recipe | Life and style | The Guardian
The trick
The peppers must be sweet and ripe.
Don't brown the onion, just let it soften to a pale golden colour.
The texture of the peppers and onions should be silky and soft enough to crush between your fingers.
The stew will mellow when left in the fridge for a day or two.
The twist
I'm not sure I'd risk incurring the late Mrs David's wrath by introducing any twists, but it is worth noting its uses beyond that of an antipasto.
I have served it on both soft and toasted polenta, used it as a pasta sauce and even stirred cooked penne through it before baking it with a few slices of mozzarella on top.
Drained of its liquid, this recipe makes a splendid stuffing for sourdough sandwiches.
You could ring the changes with tarragon instead of the basil or even coriander leaves, as long as you don't call it peperonata.
I have used the last dregs from a dish as a pizza topping with surprising success.

- Peperonata | Williams-Sonoma
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Spicy Corn Soup.

Spicy Corn Soup | Williams-Sonoma

Serves 4.
Ingredients:
3 bacon slices, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 poblano chili, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes
3 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Cook the bacon and vegetables
In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until it begins to crisp, about 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.
Add the onion, celery, chili and garlic to the bacon drippings in the pan and sauté just until lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes.

Simmer the soup
Increase the heat to medium-high, add the milk, cream and potatoes and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the corn and red pepper flakes and simmer until the corn is tender, about 5 minutes.

Puree the soup
Transfer about 2 cups of the solids to a blender or food processor and process to a smooth puree.
Return the soup to the pan and reheat to serving temperature.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, garnish with the bacon and serve immediately.


Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Soup, by Georgeanne Brennan (Oxmoor House, 2006).

Blueberry–Cream Cheese Custard Pie.

Blueberry–Cream Cheese Custard Pie | Williams-Sonoma Taste
For the crust:
2 cups (7 oz./220 g) graham cracker pieces, crushed with a food processor or rolling pin
2 Tbs. sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the filling:
1/2 lb. (250 g) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 lb. (250 g) fresh blueberries (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbs. water

Preheat an oven to 325°F (165°C).
Have ready a 9-inch (23-cm) pie pan.

To make the crust, in a bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt.
Add the melted butter and stir until blended.
Pat the crumb mixture evenly into the pan and up the sides.
Bake until slightly firm, about 8 minutes.
Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.

To make the filling, using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, 1/4 cup (3 oz./90 g) of the sugar and the vanilla on medium speed until thoroughly blended and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat until well blended.
Pour the filling into the crust and spread evenly.

Bake until the custard is just set, 25 to 30 minutes.
Let cool on a wire rack for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the blueberries, 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) water and the remaining 1/4 cup (3 oz./90 g) sugar.
Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring once, until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the cornstarch mixture.
Return to medium-high heat, bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and let cool until lukewarm, about 30 minutes.

Spoon the berries over the custard. Refrigerate the pie for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours before serving.
Serves 8.

OR:
- - The Best Blueberry Pie Recipe | Serious Eats

Steak and White Beans.

The recipe featured here takes this method a step further:
- it calls for letting the meat rest twice before serving.
At first glance you may think this will dry out your steak because it’s actually cooked twice, but it’s a technique many steakhouse chefs use and they, if anyone, should know how to cook a perfect steak.

“The sequence of initial high-heat sear, long rest and oven finish allows the tasty juices to remain in the meat while the heat migrates slowly toward the center in what is known as residual-heat cooking,” says Brigit Binns, author of The Cook & The Butcher. “I’m convinced that once you try this method, it will become part of your cooking repertoire.”
The T-bone and porterhouse are steaks of beef cut from the short loin (called the sirloin in Commonwealth countries).

Pan-Roasted Porterhouse Steak
T-Bone steaks and Porterhouse steaks are the same.
The Porterhouse is just a larger version of the T-Bone because it is carved from the larger portion of the tenderloin.
A Porterhouse is the "King of the T-Bones".

1 porterhouse steak, about 700g and 3cm thick, patted dry
1 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Rub both sides of the steak with the 1 Tbs. oil.
Let stand at room temperature for 1 to 1⁄2 hours.

Heat a large, ovenproof fry pan over high heat until it is very hot, about 3 minutes.
Season one side of the steak generously with salt.
Add enough oil to the pan to coat the bottom and reduce the heat to medium-high.
When the oil is shimmering, use tongs to place the steak, salted side down, in the pan and let cook without moving it for 2 1⁄2 minutes.
Season the top with salt, turn the steak over and season with pepper to your liking.
Cook for 2.5 minutes more.
Transfer to a rack set over a plate and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 218°C.
Return the steak to the pan, place in the oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the steak, away from the bone, registers 57°C to 60°C for medium-rare, about 12 minutes, or to your desired doneness.
Transfer to the rack and let rest, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes.

Cut the sirloin away from the bone on one side and the filet section on the other.
Cut across the grain into thick slices.
Arrange on plates.
Serve at once, passing oil at the table for drizzling.
Serves 2 or 3.

Serving suggestion:
Serve with Warm White Bean Salad:
Cook beans with tomato, red onion, minced garlic, basil, parsley, olive oil and vinegar.
Stir gently and season with salt and pepper.

In the United Kingdom, steak is typically served with chips (french fries), fried mushrooms and a fried tomato.
Other vegetables such as peas, carrots or a green salad can also be served.
English mustard and ketchup are condiments sometimes used.
The country has a long history of beef eating and was once known for its beef and beef cooking methods, earning the English the mildly offensive nickname, "Les Rosbif" from the French.
Note:
Williams-Sonoma. - Sonoma, California, US.
"Chuck" Williams (October 2, 1915 – December 5, 2015) was the founder of the Williams-Sonoma company and author and editor of dozens of books on the subject of cooking.
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Chuck’s Favorite Bittersweet Chocolate-Ginger Molasses Cookies.

Chuck Williams at 99: Celebrating the Pleasures of Cooking | Edible Legacies:

Recipe: Chuck’s Favorite Bittersweet Chocolate-Ginger Molasses Cookies

Chuck loves fine dark chocolate and down-home molasses cookies with equal fervor. To make him happy with every bite, I tweaked one of his own spiced cookie recipes to include decadent swirls of bittersweet chocolate. Feel free to play around with the spices to suit your own tastes (but Chuck would tell you “don’t skip the cardamom—it’s very important”). In the photo, Chuck is sharing the cookies with ZeBot Zebra, a culinarily curious zebra who teaches kids to explore the magic of food.

Ingredients:

12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup mild molasses
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract (Chuck loves Nielsen-Massey)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cardamom
About 8-oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate, melted

Directions:

Prepare the baking sheets
Preheat oven to 180C. Line 2 baking sheets with silpats.

Mix the dough
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy. Add the egg, vanilla and molasses and beat until smooth. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice or allspice. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until blended.

Bake the cookies
Drop tablespoonful-sized scoops of the dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Press down in a crisscross pattern with a fork (dipping in water as necessary to keep dough from sticking). Bake until the cookies are browned and firm to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes. Drizzle melted bittersweet chocolate over the cookies, then let cool completely. Makes about four dozen cookies.
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Chuck Williams, Carrot Soup with Coriander.

Chuck Williams (Born: October 2, 1915 (age 99))-The founder of gourmet chain Williams-Sonoma:

Carrot Soup with Coriander.

To honor the birthday of our founder, Chuck Williams, we are preparing one of Chuck’s classic recipes in our stores today: Carrot Soup with Coriander. The ground coriander and chopped cilantro give this soup its wonderfully bright, fresh taste.

1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 lb carrots (12-14), peeled and cut crosswise into ½ inch thick
1 baking potato, 8-9 oz, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon ground coriander
4 cups (32 fl oz) chicken stock
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups (16 fl oz) milk, or as needed
freshly ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons dry sherry
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. When hot, add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring, until beginning to change color, 20 – 30 seconds. Add the carrots, potato and ground coriander and sauté, stirring a couple of times, for 2-3 minutes. Add the stock, sugar and salt and raise the heat to medium-low, cover partially and continue simmering until the vegetables are soft when pierced with the tip of a knife, 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, process the vegetables in small batches with their stock until smooth (the soup may be made ahead to this point, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days).

Return the puree to the saucepan and add 2 cups milk and pepper to taste. Place over medium heat and heat almost to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasonings. If the soup is too thick, add milk as needed to thin. Just before serving, stir in the sherry to taste.

To serve, ladle into warmed soup bowls. Top each bowl with a spoonful of sour cream and sprinkling of cilantro. Serve at once

Serves 6

Source: Merchant of Sonoma

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Shepherd’s Pie.

Recipe Roundup: Comforting Casseroles | Williams-Sonoma Taste:
Shepherd’s Pie Cottage pie or shepherd's pie is a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato, there is no definitive recipe.

I did with 0.5kg ground round beef/the mince - I got two of these dishs of Pie.

There is original recipe:
1 kg. boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm.) chunks (I did with 0.5kg ground round beef)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil
8 Tbs. (125 g.) unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup (60 g.) all-purpose flour
3 1/3 cups (840 ml.) beef broth
2/3 cup (160 ml.) dry white wine
2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
3 1.5 kg. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
About 1/3 cup (80 ml.) heavy cream, warmed
1 cup (155 g.) fresh or thawed frozen peas

Preheat the oven to 165 degrees C. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. In a large ovenproof pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the lamb, turning, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

In the same pot, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic, cover and cook, stirring, until the carrots are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the flour and stir well. Gradually stir in the broth and wine. Add the rosemary. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the pot bottom. Return the lamb to the pot, cover, place in the oven and cook until the lamb is tender, 1 1/2 hours.

About 30 minutes before the lamb is ready, oil a 3-qt. (3-l.) baking dish. In a saucepan, combine the potatoes with salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain well. Return the potatoes to the pan and stir over medium-low heat for 2 minutes to evaporate the excess moisture. Cut 3 tablespoons of the butter into pieces and add to the potatoes. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes while adding enough cream to create a smooth texture.

Season the lamb mixture with salt and pepper, stir in the peas, and pour into the prepared dish. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly on top. Cut the remaining 1 tablespoon butter into bits and use to dot the top. With the oven still at 165 degrees C, bake until the top is lightly tinged with brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

My version:

- Brown mince beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove ground beef from skillet using a slotted spoon; reserve 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Reduce heat to medium.

- I make mine with a twist by stirring mashed roast garlic through the potato, to be honest I normally make it with two bulbs of garlic because I’m a bit of a garlic fiend, but if you are pushed for time skip the garlic and just make the mash, it will taste just a good.
First things first, get the garlic in the oven! Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6.

Slice the top off the garlic bulb just enough so that each of the cloves is exposed and place on a roasting tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with a some sea salt. Place in the oven to roast for 40 minutes or until soft and tender. When the garlic is cooked, remove the roast cloves from their skins and mash with the back of a fork.

- Top meat with Kale Chips!

- Give the topping an extra sprinkle of ground black pepper with cheese and bake in the oven for several mins until the top is starting to brown and the mince is bubbling up around the edges (when did heat up - when warmed dish the next day).

Another handy tip to remember is that once you have assembled the shepherd’s pie to the point just before you put it in the oven you can actually freeze the pie and cook from frozen if you fancy prepping a few in advance!

Shepherd’s pie dauphinois. By Mary Berry!

This variation on the classic shepherd’s pie has a layered topping of potato and cream instead of mash.
Serve with a green vegetable.
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