SUNDAY
Grilled NY Strip Steaks | Twice-Cooked Mushrooms | Parmesan Risotto with Peas
What a FABULOUS weekend! I can’t believe it is Sunday {already}. I feel like I was picking up Michael in Sausalito just this afternoon {but that was Friday afternoon}. Michael leaves in the morning for Southern California {again} tomorrow…let the games begin!
But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Today was another gorgeous winter day here in the Bay area…clear sunshine & temperatures in the mid-60’s. I always pull up the weather forecast when I make my weekly menus so I had an “inkling” that today was going to be nice. Let’s take the cover off of the grill...
Not so fast! Tonight’s feast begins with the dessert…Lemon Cake. It is the dish that takes the longest to prepare. The original recipe {linked above} is from Barefoot Contessa, as adapted by the Smitten Kitchen, and well, I have adapted it further. I chose this dessert tonight because I thought a slice of this cake would be wonderful with a cup of tea while watching Downton Abbey!
Lemon Cake {adapted from Smitten Kitchen & before that Barefoot Contessa}…
- 1 stick {1 cup} butter-flavored shortening
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup grated lemon zest
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- confectioner’s sugar for dusting {optional}
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease & flour a bundt pan.
- Cream shortening and sugar in a bowl using a hand-held mixer for about 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Mixing at medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, followed by lemon zest.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine ½ cup lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to butter and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes {until a knife inserted into the center of cake comes out clean}.
- When cake is done, remove from oven & let cool for 10-15 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire cooling rack. Let come to room temperature.
- When cake is completely cooled, sprinkle with sifted confectioner’s sugar. Slice & serve.
While the cake bakes…
Prepare the Parmesan Risotto with Peas. I am SO excited about this recipe!! I have been preparing risotto “the traditional way” for years…standing over a pot for an hour slowly adding simmering broth to the rice. Ina Garten’s recipe produced a PERFECT risotto with NO tending!!! The recipe is so easy…follow it exactly!
At this point, the steaks should be removed to a platter or cutting board and allowed to come to room temperature {seasoning only with kosher salt & freshly ground pepper}. The mushrooms will provide an additional layer of flavor so keep the steaks “pure”…
Meanwhile…the Mushrooms!
Twice-Cooked Mushrooms {adapted from Frédéric Anton via Patricia Wells, The Paris Cookbook}
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound brown button mushrooms…cleaned, trimmed & sliced
- 1 pound shiitake mushrooms..cleaned, trimmed & sliced
- Sea salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- Finely ground white pepper to taste
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over moderate heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, season lightly with the sea salt & sauté just until they begin to render their juices ~ 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a platter to drain.
- Wipe out the skillet with several paper towels. Melt the butter over medium heat and return the mushrooms (NOT including any of the accumulated liquid} to the skillet. Add the sherry and stir. Season lightly with sea salt & fine white pepper. Cook for 2 minutes more. Remove skillet from heat & serve.
Frédéric Anton says: “Always cook mushrooms twice: Once to release their liquid, then again to intensify their flavor”.
The only thing that could make stemming & trimming this many mushrooms “fun” is great conversation with your husband and a glass of wine while you work…
The only thing left to do is light the candles {the children set the Sunday dinner table about an hour ago}…
- 1 stick {1 cup} butter-flavored shortening
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup grated lemon zest
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- confectioner's sugar for dusting {optional}
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease & flour a bundt pan.
- Cream shortening and sugar in a bowl using a hand-held mixer for about 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Mixing at medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, followed by lemon zest.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine ½ cup lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to butter and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes {until a knife inserted into the center of cake comes out clean}.
- When cake is done, remove from oven & let cool for 10-15 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire cooling rack. Let come to room temperature.
- When cake is completely cooled, sprinkle with sifted confectioner's sugar. Slice & serve
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound brown button mushrooms...cleaned, trimmed & sliced
- 1 pound shiitake mushrooms..cleaned, trimmed & sliced
- Sea salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- Finely ground white pepper to taste
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over moderate heat until shimmering.
- Add the mushrooms, season lightly with the sea salt & sauté just until they begin to render their juices ~ 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a platter to drain.
- Wipe out the skillet with several paper towels.
- Melt the butter over medium heat and return the mushrooms (NOT including andy of the accumulated liquid} to the skillet. Add the dry sherry & stir.
- Season lightly with sea salt & fine white pepper.
- Cook for 2 minutes more. Remove skillet from heat & serve.
