Blini

inspiration: Blini is a very traditional Russian dish that is typically served during the Spring, but is wonderfully delicious all year round.  With so many options for what you can serve with it and also the size you can make the pancakes, it's extremely versatile and can be served as a brunch dish, an appetizer, an hors d'oeuvre, and even a main course for dinner.  We love to serve it with traditional savory accompaniments like caviar and smoked salmon as that brings back delicious childhood memories for Kyra.  Decadent and very luxurious, these blini are worth the extra steps in making the batter and a treat every time we make them.  Serve them with a chilled shot of Russian Standard vodka and enjoy!

ingredients:

• 5.5 cups flour
• 5 cups whole milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 package dry yeast

method: In a large bowl, place 2 cups of warm water and add the package of dry yeast and pinch of white sugar.  Let the yeast sit for a few minutes till it begins to activate and bubble slightly.  Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until smooth.  Cover the bowl with a cloth and place in a warm part of your kitchen for about 1 hour.

After 1 hour, add the sugar, egg yolks, melted butter, and salt and mix till smooth.  Add remaining 2.5 cups of the flour and the milk in alternating stages until the batter become smooth again.  Cover the bowl with the cloth and set aside again to let the batter rise for 1 hour.

In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites till stiff peaks.  Fold the egg whites into the batter mixture and set aside again, covered with a cloth to rise about 1 more hour.

After 1 hour, the batter is now ready to cook.  Melt some butter on a hot griddle and pour a thin amount of batter till it makes about 5 inch diameter blini.  Cook on both sides and place in a warm oven till ready to serve with the toppings/fillings.

Classic savory blini accompaniments: Smoked salmon, caviar, sour cream, finely chopped hard boiled eggs, finely chopped scallions, melted butter, fresh dill sprigs.

entertaining notes: The cooked blini can be made and stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days to be reheated later in an oven.  The blini can also be cooked and frozen for up to 1 month to be reheated later. (Please note that this batter, since it contains yeast, can not be stored in a sealed container as it will explode from the gas pressure)

Yields: Makes about 30 -34, 5 inch diameter blini. One person can eat about 2-4 blini with accompaniments as an entree.

Tuscan White Bean Dip

inspiration: We love a great, vegetarian, healthy option for an appetizer while our guests are arriving and we're finishing preparing the dinner.  The recipe that we came up with has fantastic flavor and freshness and will leave your guests excited for dinner instead of filled up with no room for the main attraction.  The flavors are Tuscan, but can be changed up to suit your palette and menu.

ingredients:

• 2, 15 oz. cans of white cannellini beans, drained
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1.5 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil

method: Place 1.5 cans of the white beans, garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary leaves, lemon zest and juice, and the olive oil into a food processor. Pulse several times to combine so the mixture is just smooth but still has some texture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add remaining 1/2 can of beans and pulse just a few times to incorporate.

Serve with toasted baguette slices, belgian endive leaves, or vegetables.

entertaining notes: Can be made ahead and stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before serving.

Yields: About 3-4 cups of dip.

Baked Shrimp Scampi with Cocktail Sauce

inspiration: We pay a little homage to the delicious yet retro Shrimp Cocktail with these.  The flavor is reminiscent of the Italian classic Shrimp Scampi with the addition of cocktail sauce for that traditional pairing.  The result is a sweet shrimp morsel with the flavor turned way up!

ingredients:

• 1 lb. jumbo shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• cocktail sauce (home-made or store bought)

method: Preheat oven to 425.  Combine shrimp, garlic, thyme, zest, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss to combine.  Lay shrimp out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the shrimp are just turned pink and look opaque.  Plate and serve with your favorite cocktail sauce.

Serves 4-6 people as an appetizer

Mushroom Puffs

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inspiration: These adorable, little puff pastry nuggets were morphed from a recipe we found and loved for Mushroom Tartlets.  We took the base idea from the Tartlets and combined them with the more traditional method of Russian Piroshki which are larger and more like puff pastry pockets.  Since they are so tasty, we kept serving them at dinner parties as hors d'oeuvres and each time felt they were too big and so much work.  After a few trial runs and many many versions, we found that doing them this way allowed for more of a bite sized piece and a lot less effort for the hosts.  All in all, these are such a hit at parties and can be stuffed with virtually anything once you get the method down.

ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs. white cap mushrooms, sliced (about 25-30 mushrooms)
• 1 lb. portobello mushrooms, sliced (about 3 large caps)
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped (about 1 large)
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 tbsp. sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. truffle oil (optional, for increasing the mushroom-y flavor)
• 1 - 1.5 cup panko
• 5-6 eggs (3-4 for binding and 2 for egg wash)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package puff pastry, thawed and ready to use

method: Saute mushrooms, onions, garlic, and thyme in butter and olive oil till very brown and cooked well, about 25 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the vinegar.  Allow to cool thoroughly and once cool, chop finely, and add the parsley and truffle oil.  Add the panko and 3-4 of the eggs to bind together, till it looks more like sausage meat and you can easily form the mixture into a log without it crumbling.

Dust counter surface and roller with flour and roll out each sheet of puff pastry dough into 3, 5x10" sheets.  Place mushroom mixture in a log down the middle of the long part of the sheet.  Egg wash one long end of the sheet and roll into a log.  Refrigerate or freeze till set or until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 425 (convect if possible).  Cut logs into 1" pieces, slightly on a bias.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchement paper so they are crowded but not touching.  Egg wash the pieces (with just egg, no water) and place in the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes or until nice and golden brown and cooked.

Yields about 48 pieces

Steak Tartare with Crostini

inspiration: Hands down the best Steak Tartare in New York City in our opinion is at Blue Ribbon Brasserie in Soho.  Theirs is served with many accompaniments like cornichons, mustards, capers, shallots.  Our inspiration came from their taste, but we decided to combine everything together.  The result - a very extravagant and decadent appetizer that is perfect for a Holiday or Special Occasion.  It's traditionally served with Crostini (recipe below) but we opted for these great flat bread crackers for drama.

ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. ground beef sirloin from your favorite butcher (and mention it will be eaten raw)
• 1 tbsp. shallot, minced
• 1 tbsp. capers, minced
• 2 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
• 4 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. hot sauce (like Franks or Tabasco)
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. olive oil (and more for crostini)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 egg yolk (optional)
• 1 baguette, sliced and toasted for crostini or your favorite cracker

method: In a large bowl, combine the beef, shallot, capers, parsley, dijon, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Refrigerate till just ready to serve.  Once ready to serve, plate in a serving bowl, or as we did above with ring molds.

Crostini: For the crostini, preheat the oven to 400.  Slice a baguette or chiabatta and place on a baking sheet in one layer.  Brush each slice with a scant amount of olive oil.  Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the crostini are just light brown.  Let cool completely and store in an air tight container or freezer bag till ready to use.  Note: can be made 2 days in advance.

Serves 4-6 people