Gini's Cookbook (2011)

More from the Amateur Gourmet is a continuation of The Amateur Gourmet, published in 2006. Like its predecessor, it strives to lessen the complexities of gourmet cooking for the everyday cook. It contains recipes that can be prepared just as easily in a small and limited cooking space as in a large state-of-the-art professional kitchen. A few are so effortless that one marvels at their actual simplicity. Again, as in the original, the section on Tips and Techniques provides shortcuts, making the complex dish eminently do-able.

Each page offers the home cook an insight into the world of gourmet cooking, turns the kitchen into an art studio and makes creative cooking an everyday event instead of a mundane boring same old same old. The discerning palate knows good food and really doesn't care if the food served is prepared by a rank beginner, a non-professional cook, or a highly paid chef. All that matters is that the dish taste good and provide the diner with pleasure.

Gini & Amy's Cookbook (2006)

A cookbook for the gourmet chef in all of us, with only one goal—the elimination of frustration. Culinary basics, concise guidelines, time-saving techniques, helpful tips, and invaluable appendices round out the collection of 700+ recipes in The Amateur Cookbook.

Amy Page and I first met in a pastry shop on the main street of the Ile Saint-Louis in Paris. It was a chilly, rainy evening, and both of us were wearing the same navy blue raincoat and carrying identical black umbrellas. At the counter, we both ordered two slices of quiche Lorraine and four small palmiers. Simultaneously, we burst out laughing.

“We could be taken for sisters!” we exclaimed.

From this chance encounter came a magical friendship and The Amateur Gourmet.

Sometimes in the world of fiction, a character takes off and the author loses control. So it is with me and Amy Page in the Witness series of romantic mystery novels: Witness on the Quay (2005), Witness at the Bridge (2006), Witness in the Square (2006), Witness by the Church (2007), and Witness from the Café (2010). Amy is the protagonist in these novels, and she is writing a cookbook, a project that many of her friends thought she’d never finish because of her constant additions and revisions. Even I began to despair of having her find the last period. Fortunately, it just so happens that I share Amy’s love of cooking and interest in all things culinary. Moreover, unlike Amy, I’m not at odds with the demands of publication donkeywork: editing, formatting, alphabetizing, indexing, and proofreading. It was only natural that I take over and make Amy’s cookbook real, proving once and for all that creations of the imagination exist in our concrete everyday reality.

Ten New Quick Tips

• To chill a gelatin mixture quickly, place it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
• To soften cream cheese, unwrap the block, microwave on Medium (50%) 1 minute and let stand 1 minute before using.
• To crisp crackers, place on paper towel, microwave on Medium (50%) 30-45 seconds.
• Bake bar cookies on a foil-lined baking sheet. If the recipe calls for a greased pan, grease the foil.
• Do not thaw frozen phyllo shells before filling them.
• 1 ounce dried mushrooms = 1/2 cup rehydrated mushrooms.
• 4 shallots = 1/2 cup onion.
• To microwave corn on the cob, wrap husked ear in plastic wrap and microwave on High 1 minute per ear.
• To liquefy crystallized honey, microwave on High 15-30 seconds.
• To soften a stick of butter, let it stand at room temperature 15 minutes or place it in the microwave on Low (30%) 90 seconds.

Six New Recipe Shortcuts

• Peppered Bacon: use thick sliced bacon; place slices on waxed paper and press coarsely ground black pepper into each side; fry and drain on paper towels.
• Coconut Rice: replace one-half of the water used to prepare Jasmine rice with coconut milk. Variation: when rice is cooked, stir in 1/2 cup chopped almonds.
• Spicy Shrimp Appetizer: marinate peeled cooked shrimp in hot chili oil or a package of b-b-q sauce for wings. Variations: sauté peeled shrimp in vegetable oil and toss with hot chili oil or a package of b-b-q sauce for wings and serve over coconut rice; use scallops.
• Snow Peas: place in bowl, pour boiling water over peas, and let stand 5-8 minutes; drain.
• Topping for Congealed Salad (fruit or vegetable): mix together 8 ounces softened cream cheese + 1 cup whipped cream or 1 cup commercial whipped topping. Variation: add 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.
• Flavor whipped cream by adding 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules or 2 tablespoons cocoa powder or 1/2 teaspoon pure extract (almond, maple, peppermint, or rum).

Three New Recipes Thai Vegetable Stir-Fry

4 green onions, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 large carrot, julienned or 1 cup parboiled baby carrots
2 celery sticks, sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Stir-fry vegetables in oil until crisp. Mix together and add to vegetables:

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup water

Bring to boil. To serve: sprinkle with 1/2 cup chopped peanuts and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds. Variations: add to vegetables 1/3-1/2 pound sliced mushrooms; use one package (16 ounces) frozen mixed oriental vegetables.


Crab and Shrimp Au Gratin

1/2 pound lump crabmeat
1/2 pound medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, and halved
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter + 4 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Sauté green onions in 3 tablespoons butter. Off heat, add parsley, salt, pepper, cream, and milk. Heat. Off heat, add crab, shrimp, and brandy. Mix well. Divide among 4 ramekins. Top each with 1/4 cup cheese. Dot each with 1 teaspoon butter. Bake in preheated 375° oven, 12-15 minutes. Again, top each with 1/4 cup cheese. Heat until cheese melts. Variations: use 1/4 pound shrimp + 1/4 pound cooked scallops; use just 1/2 pound crabmeat.


Havarti Potatoes for Two

Coat a small 8” x 8” dish with vegetable spray. Layer 4 times:

2 potatoes, sliced very thin
flour
dill
sliced Havarti cheese

Pour 1 cup cream over layered potatoes. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Cover. Bake in preheated 350° oven, 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Note: Recipe may be in a 13” x 9” dish.

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