Volume 10, Issue 068 - April 5, 2006

Good Day ,

I hope your grill is clean!

The Culinary Institute of America has even come up with grilling recipes for breakfast. Start your day with delicacies such as Buckwheat Flapjacks with Hibiscus Honey or French Toast with Honey Orange Butter and Orange Segments fresh off the grill. And don't forget dessert. GRILLING has a chapter devoted entirely to tempting sweet confections made on the grill such as Bananas Foster Tartlets and Grilled Banana Split. GRILLING has something for everyone, both amateur grillers and self-proclaimed grilling masters.

 

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Bistecca alla Fiorentina
Grilled T-Bone Steak Tuscan Style

A final drizzle of good olive oil and a squirt of fresh lemon juice gives this steak its Florentine flavor. Each steak serves 2. To carve the steaks, cut the meat from the bone with the tip of your knife; it will separate easily and cleanly from the bones if you use short strokes and keep the blade as close to the bone as you can. Once you have cut the meat free, carve it into slices.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 T-bone steaks, 1-1/2 inches thick
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
1/4 cup minced garlic
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation:

Preheat a gas grill to high, leave one burner off. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a light coating of white ash. Spread the coals in an even bed on one side of the grill. Clean the cooking grate.

Brush the steaks with a bit of the oil and season generously with the garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary.

Grill the steaks over direct heat until marked, about 2 minutes on each side. Move the steaks to the cooler part of the grill and continue to grill over indirect medium heat until medium-rare, another 6 to 7 minutes on each side.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board or a large platter. Drizzle each of the steaks with 2 teaspoons more olive oil and finish by sprinkling the steaks with lemon juice.

Let the steaks rest for about 10 to 15 minutes before carving into slices. Serve on a heated platter or plates.

Soft Polenta

If you prefer, you can cook the polenta in the oven instead of on the stovetop. Once the cornmeal is all moistened, cover the pan and put it in a 350 degrees F oven for about 20 minutes.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1-1/3 cups coarse yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
1-1/4 teaspoons chopped thyme

Preparation:

Bring the chicken broth to a boil and season with the salt and pepper. Add the cornmeal in a stream, stirring constantly until it has been all added. Simmer, stirring often, for about 25 minutes or until the polenta starts to pull away slightly from the sides of the pot. Remove from the heat and blend in the cheese, butter, rosemary and thyme. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve very hot.

Note: For grilled polenta, pour the polenta into a greased or lined pan. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold enough to cut into shapes, at least 1 and up to 24 hours.

Cut the polenta into 12 rectangles, 3 inches by 4 inches. Cut each rectangle in half on the diagonal to make 24 triangles. Grill over direct heat until marked and crisp on the first side, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Rotate the polenta a quarter turn after about each minute of grilling time to give the pieces crosshatch marks, if desired.) Turn the polenta once and finish grilling on the second side, about another 4 to 5 minutes. Serve very hot on a platter.

The Culinary Institute of America

The Culinary Institute of America has an extraordinary offer for Spring 2006. Due to exceptional planning, the CIA has a financial aid surplus that is being passed on to students who enroll by the end of May 2006. Enroll now and receive up to $5,000.

Baked Apples Filled with Walnuts and Cream

These baked apples are perfect for a cookout in the fall. They are the kind of dessert you would want to put on the grill when you just take off your entrée. By the time you have eaten and brewed coffee, the apples are ready to eat and the smell is wonderful. If you can't find Calvados, substitute cognac or brandy.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons softened butter
8 prunes, pitted and diced small
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
8 McIntosh apples, cored
2 tablespoons calvados
3 tablespoons maple syrup, grade B
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

Preheat a gas grill to medium. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a moderate coating of white ash. Spread the coals in an even bed. Clean the cooking grate.

Combine the walnuts, brown sugar, butter, prunes and lemon zest and mix until evenly blended.

Pack the mixture into the cored apples.

Cut 8 large rectangles of foil and fold in half to make squares. Set 1 filled apple in the center of each square. Drizzle each apple with some of the calvados (less than 1 teaspoon per apple) and a little of the maple syrup (less than 1 teaspoon per apple). Pull up the sides of the foil to make a vented pouch.

Grill the apples over direct heat until soft and the juices that collect in the bottom of the pouch are a rich brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Turn the pouches occasionally as the apples cook.

Whip the heavy cream just until lightly thickened and still somewhat runny. Whisk in the remaining maple syrup.

Pour the juices from the pouches over the apples and spoon the whipped cream over the apples. Serve immediately.