Marshmallow Sauce

So, one of the students from my last class at Macey's asked me about a marshmallow sauce. I just happen to have this one. I suspect that the original inspiration for this recipe, (which was handed down to me from my mother many years ago), came from a sort of agriculture themed theme park in Northern California called Nut Tree. They used to serve a big cup full of fruits with pineapple, strawberries, and bananas all covered in a marshmallow sauce. This sauce is pretty similar to it, as I recall, although it has been about 30 years since I was there last.
In any case, regardless of who thought of the original recipe, you'll have fun making this, and the result is unbeatable. You'll never want to use the stuff from a jar again. The marshmallow has a light, fluid texture to it, and a rich, creamy flavor. I often put in a little bit of extra vanilla, which has a lovely background flavor. Be sure to use real vanilla, not imitation. You can tell the difference by looking at the bottle it's in. If it says 'vanillin' it's imitation, and you can safely pour it down the drain. One day, I'll make a version of the recipe using vanilla beans. That sounds wonderful, if expensive.
Also, check the note at the bottom for a variation of this that I do with honey. It's also very good, and has a very different taste to it. I know a sweet young lady named Kate, the second daughter of my dear friend Doug, who is allergic to corn, and consequently corn syrup. I can't imagine how hard that must make eating for her. This honey version is a great thing for anyone with corn allergies, but still tastes incredible. I'll make the honey version sometimes, just for variety.


1 Cup Sugar
½ Cup Hot Water
⅔ Cup Corn Syrup

Cook without stirring just until firm ball (240̊ F) stage.

In a separate metal or glass bowl (not plastic) beat until stiff:

2 large Egg Whites
Dash of salt

When the egg whites are stiff but not dry, slowly pour in the hot syrup, and continue to beat until fluffy. The mixture will increase in size dramatically at this point.

Beat in:
¼ Cup Mayonnaise (scant)
1 Tbsp. freshly grated Orange (or lemon) Rind
2 tsp. Vanilla

Serve as a dip with fruits. Strawberries, pineapple, and kiwi work especially well.

Note: For the honey version of this recipe replace the first three ingredients (the sugar, water, and syrup) with the following:

1½ Cups Sugar
1¼ Cups Honey

There is no water in this version of the recipe.

Mele Con Salsa Di Lampone (Apples with Raspberry Sauce)

As custom dictates, good meals finish with a fresh fruit rather than being overwhelmed by an overly-sweet dessert. Too often we think of this as just an apple, a pear, or some other plain piece of fresh or canned fruit, but there are broader bounds of imagination in Sicily. This wonderful sweet dish is a perfect example of this. Traditionally, it is made with a raspberry liqueur called aspretto di lampone, which is made from raspberries that have been aged and fermented in fruit wood. In this recipe, though, we use a good-quality raspberry vinegar, which works easily just as well, and has the benefit of being much easier to find.
When I originally was experimenting with this recipe, I was thinking that fresh raspberries would be best. Upon reflection, however, I think that frozen berries are better. Fresh raspberries should just be eaten, not mixed with something. So go for the frozen section, and you'll pick up the benefit of probably saving yourself a buck or two.
I made this recipe for a cooking class that I taught last night, and I have to say, it was a triumph. Unbelievably good. I used Jonagold apples, and Alessi White Balsamic Raspberry Blush Vinegar. That's not the only raspberry vinegar out there, I know that Roland makes one, but it's the one that was available last night.
For the raspberry jam, home-made freezer jam or preserves would be great, but if y ou use store bought, try to get something that's not totally tanked out on sugar. The big corporate conglomorates dump lots of sugar and other stuff in there. A nice local-grown or organic jam would work nicely. Ultimately, the real goal here is to preserve the flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Raspberries (Fresh is best, but frozen is good too. See note above.)
3 T. Raspberry Jam
2 T. Sugar
1 T. freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
1 or 2 T. Raspberry Vinegar
10 medium, sweet, crispy Apples, (such as Jonagold), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped and lightly sweetened to taste

PREPARATION:

1. Use a food processor or a blender to puree the Raspberries, the Raspberry Jam, the Sugar, and the Lemon Juice.
2. Add the vinegar and blend well.
3. Put the sliced apples into a large bowl, and pour the raspberry mixture over the top. Gently mix so that all of the apples are coated.
4. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for about an hour.
5. When you are ready to serve, put some of the apples in an individual serving dish and spoon a little of the raspberry mixture over the top.
6. Top with a dollop of Whipped Cream.

Note: Alternately, if you happen to have some real Mascarpone cheese, this is a noble and proper use for that rare cheese. Instead of the whipped cream, put a small dollop of the Mascarpone on top. It is quite delightful. If you have a sweet tooth, you can even lightly sweeten the Mascarpone by mixing it with a little sugar. Use the finest sugar possible, (but not powdered sugar), and let it sit for a few minutes before putting it on the apples.

Sesame-Ginger Carrot and Sweet Pepper Salad with English Cucumbers

So, it's been just shy of forever since I last posted a recipe on here. I had a few free minutes today, it was on my mind, and my good friend Bill had just asked me to write this recipe down for him. I figured as long as I had it on screen, I might as well post it here.

In fact, creating this salad took almost as much effort as it took to remember what I did and write down the recipe. It's a wonderful, tasty salad that is great served chilled, by itself, in a separate bowl. If you have an absolutely pathological aversion to spiciness on even the most minute scale, then you can skip the Thai chili sauce, but I wouldn't recommend it. It adds a great flavor, and the slight spiciness goes particularly well with this crisp, fresh salad. In fact, if you can find a Chinese Szechuan-style pepper blend, a few shakes are great in this.

Let me know what you all think.

INGREDIENTS:
2 each Red, Orange, and Yellow Sweet Peppers
1 large English Cucumber
4 Carrots, peeled and julienned
1 T White (or Toasted) Sesame Seeds
1 T Black Sesame Seeds
Salt and Pepper to taste
Garlic Salt
Dash Chinese Five Spice Powder
¼ cup Sesame Salad Dressing
¼ cup Ginger Mandarin Salad Dressing
¼ cup Rice Vinegar
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 t Thai Chili Sauce

PREPARATION:
1. Clean the Sweet Peppers and cut into ½ in. squares
Split the English Cucumber down the middle, core it, and then split again lengthwise. Slice into ½ in. thick pieces.

2. Place the Peppers, the Cucumber pieces, and the Carrots into a large bowl, and sprinkle with Sesame Seeds, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Salt, and Chinese Five Spice Powder. Toss until well mixed, and let sit for 5 minutes.

3. Sprinkle on Sesame Salad Dressing, Ginger-Mandarin Salad Dressing, Rice Vinegar, Olive Oil, and Thai Chili Sauce.

4. Mix everything together, and taste. Adjust seasonings and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve chilled.


Note: This salad can be refrigerated and stored overnight so you can serve it the next day. If you’re going to refrigerate it for more than about 12 hours before serving, though, mix all of the solid ingredients, but wait to add the oil, dressings, vinegar, and chili sauce. Once those get added, the cucumbers will not last for long before becoming too soft.