Baby Weiners

Baby wieners are always nice at a cocktail party.  You just need a pungent sauce and toothpicks or skewers for people to enjoy them. Here are two sauces – though there are many many others that you can make. Use good Kosher baby wieners.

Red Currant Jelly and Mustard Dip

3/4 cup red current jelly

1/4 cup prepared hot mustard

Any good hot mustard will do, but I like a strong German mustard with seeds

1 pound baby weiners.

• Melt the jelly over low heat until smooth. 
• Stir in the mustard until you have a smooth sauce. 
• Add the baby weiners and let them simmer in the sauce. 
• Serve in a fondue dish with skewers, or on a chafing dish with toothpicks.

 

Grape Jelly and Barbeque Sauce

1 cup grape jelly

1 cup barbeque sauce

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 pound baby weiners

• Melt the jelly over low heat until smooth. 
• Stir in barbeque sauce, honey and soy sauce. 
• Add the baby weiners and let them simmer in the sauce. 
• Serve in a fondue dish with skewers, or on a chafing dish with toothpicks.

Algerian Eggplant Jam

I have never been to Algeria and what I know about that North African country has been largely gleaned through the works of Frantz Fanon. There was a handsome Algerian human rights activist I knew many years ago, but sadly it never got beyond my fantasizing about the possibilities.

This eggplant spread has a jam-like consistency. It is made all over North Africa, but this version, with garlic, cumin and lemon juice is considered to be one of the most flavourful. Serve it with pita.

3 middle-sized eggplants (approximately 3 pounds)

salt to taste
7 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
1½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/8 teaspoon harissa pepper, freshly ground

½ teaspoon cumin (or more to taste)
3 - 4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped  parsley
3 lemon wedges

• Preheat oven to 375º Fahrenheit. 
• Cut the stems off the eggplants.  Using a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife, peel the skin in 1/2 inch wide strips vertically down each eggplant so you get a striped effect. 
• Slice each eggplant horizontally into 1/2 inch slices. 
• Place in a colander and salt each slice.  Let stand 30 minutes, then rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.  
• Brush a baking sheet with 3 tablespoons of the oil. 
• Lightly brush the eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons oil and place in a single layer on the baking sheet. 
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until the slicesd are light golden brown on both sides. 
• Transfer the eggplant to a bowl or a large mortar, and mash with the garlic, paprika, cumin, water and cayenne. 
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. 
• Add the mashed eggplant and fry very slowly, turned occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until the moisture evaporates. 
• Stir in the lemon juice and cook 1 minute longer. 
• Taste, and season with salt and pepper, if needed. 
• Place the eggplant on a platter and garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. 
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Salmon Rosettes with Mustard Sauce

In 2001, Laura Leoncini worked with Socially Responsible Business in Geneva and helped interpret for a young indigenous Argentine woman in the Youth Summit in Durban. She sent me this recipe and wrote: “Here is my contribution. It has no nationality. It is a starter. I have tried it and it is superb.” I have made this several times and agree – it is indeed superb.  Makes 30 starters.

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons dry mustard

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon white wine

½ teaspoon coarse salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon horseradish

250 grams smoked salmon

pumpernickel bread

bunch of chives, chopped

• In a bowl, mix together the mustards, sugar, wine, salt, pepper, dill and horseradish. 
•  Cut the bread and salmon into 30 pieces, each about the same size. 
• Spread the mustard sauce on the cut pumpernickel. 
• Put a piece of smoked salmon on each piece of bread. 
• Sprinkle with chopped chives.

Serve with white wine.

Artichoke Cheese Squares

Margaret Austin of Marysville, WA, USA sent me this recipe in 2001. She wrote: "This is a favorite recipe of artichoke fans. If I bring it to a potluck or a gathering, it is always eaten very quickly." I have made this many times with the same result.

1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 eggs, well beaten
14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
     -- do not use marinated hearts
1/4 cup coarse breadcrumbs
8 ounces Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese (or a combination of both), shredded
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

• Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil
• Combine eggs, artichokes, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Add the onions and garlic to the artichoke mixture.
• Spread in a buttered 7 x 11 inch baking pan.
• Bake at 325° Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.
• Cool for 10-15 minutes.
• Cut into squares and serve.

Hawaiian Poke

My very good French friend Dominique, who just spent a year in Hawaii working with indigenous Hawaiians, sent me this recipe to post. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds excellent...a little bit like ceviche. As Dominique is now on her way to Peru, she may want to send me a Peruvian ceviche when she  is there and see how it compares.

Poke (pronounced poké) is served as munchies with a drink, with greens for a light lunch or before dinner as an appetizer.  It requires extra fresh fish, easily found on the islands of course! Most Poke are made with some variety of tuna fish. Here in Oahu they generally use white, red and yellow fin tuna (called Ahi). I am not sure what can be found elsewhere else but many people make poke with other types of fish because tuna is expensive. The fish needs to be sliced thick enough to cut into small cubes.

Now for the fun part:  you have to massage the slice of fish before cutting it. A Hawaiian massage is called “lomi-lomi”. It is gentle but deep and “souple”. (I recommend that you practice first on your partner before doing it on your fish.)

Choose a thick slice of extra fresh fish.

Cut it into small cubes (1 cm x 1 cm)

The Marinade: 

There are as many marinades/dressings as there are gourmet cooks and here, all cooks have their own secret recipes – but in general, the marinade is made of  water, oil and either soy sauce, vinegar or lime juice, plus spices, crushed nuts, fresh herbs etc…

Here are some of the recipes I tasted and can recommend!

1.  Sprinkle with soy sauce, sesame seed oil, Hawaiian chili peppers cut into tiny pieces (best fresh but dry is ok as long it is crushed) and Hawaiian salt (the pink one is best but black is fine as well). Add water - the quantity depends on the amount of fish you are using. Be aware that the salt and the soy sauce might make the marinade too salty for some people. The key is to serve poke in lettuce leaves. It also looks quite pretty served this way.

2. You can also make the marinade with olive oil, thyme, garlic, rosemary and plenty of lime juice. Crushed Hawaiian chili peppers add a welcome little kick. Add some water but not too much.

3. Sprinkle with crushed seaweed, salt and crushed macadamia nuts  --if macadamia nuts are not available, use crushed salted cashews -- plenty of freshly ground black pepper, sesame oil and balsamic vinegar. Do not use soy sauce with this marinade because of the high salt content of the nuts. Add water to make quite a liquid marinade (the seaweed will soak up much of it.

4. Crushed garlic, green onions sliced finely, Hawaiian chili peppers and plenty of lime juice. Add a bit of water, sesame seed oil and Hawaiian black salt (black is for the color combination but pink works just as well). This one is my favourite!

Present in a dish with lettuce or greens. Fresh baby spinach goes really well.

Pick at the Poke with a toothpick!

I think tequila might go really well with Poke but… it is hardly a Hawaiian drink and to tell you the truth I never tried!

Let me know how you like it!