Individual Fresh Berry Gratins with Lemon Zabaglione

We both agreed, this would be a fantastic dish to serve at a shower or party in mini portions.

Words of Wisdom from Cook's Illustrated:

When making the zabaglione, make sure to cook the egg mixture in a glass bowl over water that is barely simmering. Glass conducts heat more evenly and gently than metal. If the heat is too high, the yolks around the edges of the bowl will start to scramble. Constant whisking is required. Although we prefer to make this recipe with a mixture of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries, you can use 3 cups of just one type of berry. Do not use frozen berries. A broilerproof pie plate or gratin dish can be used in place of the individual gratin dishes. To prevent scorching, pay close attention to the gratins when broiling.

.

FORMULA:

.

Berry Mixture
3 cups mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries; strawberries stemmed and halved lengthwise if small, quartered if large), room temperature (see note)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Pinch table salt
.

Zabaglione Topping
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest , finely grated
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream , chilled

.

PROCESS:

FOR THE BERRY MIXTURE: Toss berries, sugar, and salt together in medium nonreactive bowl. Divide berry mixture evenly among 4 shallow 6-ounce gratin dishes set on rimmed baking sheet. Set berries aside to release juices while preparing zabaglione.

FOR THE ZABAGLIONE: Whisk egg yolks, 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, wine, lemon juice, and zest in medium glass bowl until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water (water should not touch bottom of bowl) and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is frothy. Following photos below, continue to cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is slightly thickened, creamy, and glossy, 5 to 10 minutes (mixture will resemble hollandaise and form loose mounds when dripped from whisk). Remove bowl from saucepan and whisk constantly for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Transfer bowl to refrigerator and chill until egg mixture is completely cool, about 10 minutes.

.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack 6 to 7 inches from heating element and heat broiler. Combine light brown sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons granulated sugar in small bowl.
.

In large bowl, whisk heavy cream until it holds soft peaks, 30 to 90 seconds. Using rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into cooled egg mixture. Spoon zabaglione over berries and sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over zabaglione; let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, until sugar dissolves into zabaglione.

.

Broil until sugar is bubbly and caramelized, 1 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Pastel de Tres Leches

This recipe is from the "Kitchen Queen" herself, Martha. I made it for Oliver's birthday a couple of years ago and it became an immediate favorite. It is cake soaked in milk, so if you have texture issues...this isn't for you.

FORMULA:

1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), melted and cooled, plus more for pans
6 large eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

PROCESS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan. In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine egg whites, baking soda, and salt, and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.

.

Add yolks to the whites, and beat until completely combined. With the mixer running slowly, add sugar until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold in butter.
Sift 1/4 cup flour on top of the mixture, and fold in to combine. Repeat with the remaining flour, folding in 1/4 cup at a time. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack.

.
About 5 minutes before the cake is done, whisk together the three milks, and set aside. As soon as the cake is removed from the oven, pour the milk mixture over the entire cake. The cake should absorb all the liquid within 3 to 5 minutes. Set cake aside, and let stand until cool. Cover cake well, and transfer to the refrigerator to chill, at least 5 hours or overnight.

Mama's Meatballs

From Chef Rocco Dispirito's mama. These are wonderful to make ahead and freeze, that way you have them on hand for pastas and sandwiches.

FORMULA:

1/3 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped fine
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground veal
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

PROCESS:

Place the chicken stock, onion, garlic, and parsley in a blender or food processor and puree.

In a large bowl, combine the pureed stock mix, meat, bread crumbs, egg, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, red pepper flakes, and salt. Combine with hands until mixture is uniform, do not overmix.

Put a little olive oil on your hands and form mixture into balls a little larger than golf balls.

Pour about 1/2 inch of extra virgin olive oil in straight sided, 10-inch-wide saute pan and heat
over medium-high flame. Add the meatballs to the pan, working in batches if necessary, and brown meatballs, turning once. This should take about 10-15 minutes.

Grape and Feta Salad with Rosemary

Fresh, different, and delicious.

FORMULA:

1/3 pound feta cheese , crumbled coarse
1/2 pound black grapes or red grapes, halved and seeded, if necessary
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 1/2 quarts mesclun or any mix of baby salad greens, rinsed and dried
1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar (red wine vinegar works too)

PROCESS:

Mix cheese, grapes, and rosemary in medium bowl. Add oil; toss to coat. Sprinkle generously with pepper.

.
Toss mesclun with vinegar in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt. Arrange on large serving platter or individual plates. Top with cheese mixture and serve.

Deeply Chocolate Gelato

We would like to thank Ina Garten for this one; it is pretty amazing and unbelievably dark.

FORMULA:

2 1/4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 extra-large egg yolks
2 tablespoons Mexican coffee flavor liqueur (like kahlua)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Large pinch kosher salt
8 chocolates, roughly chopped, optional (or any other mix-in you would like to add)

PROCESS:

Heat the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar in a 2-quart saucepan, until the sugar dissolves and the milk starts to simmer. Add the cocoa powder and chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour into a heat-proof measuring cup.

Place the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and very thick. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Pour the egg and chocolate mixture back into the 2-quart saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. A candy thermometer will register about 180 degrees F. Don't allow the mixture to boil!

.

Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and stir in the coffee liqueur, vanilla, and salt. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard and chill completely.

.

Pour the custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. Stir in the roughly chopped chocolate, if using, and freeze in covered containers. Allow the gelato to thaw slightly before serving.