It has been awhile since my last post, the season in Palm Beach is a little nuts in this business. I have been working on some posts though, and although this one is somewhat dated, I think the recipes and sentiment are still relevant. Before the holidays, my daughter Abbie and her husband Punky came down to celebrate with us in West Palm Beach. The holiday lights were beautiful this year and it’s our first year in our new home. After living in Florida for almost 4 years, we’ve adjusted to decorated palm trees and boat parades instead of snow and cold. Although we live just across the bridge from Palm Beach Island, and I work in Palm Beach, we don’t really go there for everyday errands, but the newly renovated Worth Avenue is beautiful and a great place to take a walk and admire all the via’s and courtyards that have been updated over the summer. Abbie and I also checked out the West Palm Beach Greenmarket at the new downtown waterfront for some fresh vegetables. We are lucky enough that is within walking distance to our home.
We had some great friends over for a holiday dinner of Abbie’s famous deviled eggs, mussels, a cheese plate, Beef Bolognese, and a caprese salad with Mauricio’s burratto from Amici Market and basil from my garden.
For dessert we had poached pears and vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce.
It was a delightful evening and we can hardly wait to see the kids again when they come down to Ft. Lauderdale by-the Sea to visit the Buhr’s in January. Given the weather in Chicago this winter, I know they are looking forward to the visit as well.
Abbie’s Deviled Eggs
1 dozen eggs
Mayonnaise
dijon mustard
chopped chives
Salt and Pepper
1. Place eggs in saucepan and cover with water. Bring water to boil and cook for 8 minutes. Turn off heat and let eggs sit in the water an additional 5 minutes. Place pot in sink and slowly cool by running the water over the eggs until they are cool. Peel carefully.
2. Cut the eggs in half and scoop out the yolks. Add mayo and dijon to yolk until reaching a nice, smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle paprika on top.
Mussels with White Wine, Shallots and Garlic
Mussels may seem intimidating but they are actually really easy to cook, and not very expensive. Be sure and buy them from a good market. Rinse them off in cool water and inspect each one. Pull off the beard (the little piece that sticks out of the shell), and discard any mussels that are opened.
1-2 lb. of mussels (1 lb. should feed about 4-5 people)
1 shallot julienned
1 clove garlic minced
red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper
Chopped herbs
In a large saute pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and heat. Add the shallot, garlic and saute about 1 minute. Add the mussels, seasoning, a dash of red pepper flakes and about 1 cup of white wine. Cover the pan and cook the mussels until they have opened, giving it an occasional shake to coat them thoroughly with the wine.
Pour the cooked mussels into a bowl, top with the herbs and serve. Discard any mussels that don’t open.
Caprese Salad
Heirloom Tomatoes
Fresh Mozzarella (burratta if you want to splurge, even for half)
Basil chiffonade
Balsamic Glaze
Salt and Pepper
Burratta is a very creamy cows milk mozzarella. It is not always easy to find, but it is really terrific and worth the splurge once in a while. In West Palm Beach, it is often sold at Amici Market, on Palm Beach Island, where I work part-time a few nights a week.
Slice the tomatoes into large slices. Roll the basil leaves up into tubes and slice them across. Layer the mozzarella and the tomatoes, top with the basil and sprinkle with balsamic, good quality olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Beef Bolognese with Fettuccine
This dish is a favorite of most people and everyone has a recipe. Abbie requested this dish for a holiday meal. It’s easy to make ahead and even the pasta can be par cooked ahead to save time. It also makes terrific leftovers.
1 lb. each ground beef, veal and pork
1 can whole tomatoes in sauce
1 large onion, very small dice
1 cup carrots, very small dice
1 cup celery, very small dice
4-5 cloves garlic minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup white wine
Nutmeg
Seasoning
canola oil and butter
Heat canola oil and 2-3 tbs. butter large pot, add onion and cook until translucent. Add the carrot and celery and saute 2-3 minutes more add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add meats, season well with salt and pepper and saute until it is just no longer red. Add heavy cream and cook slowly until it is reduced away, stir frequently and completely break the meat up so it is not clumped together. Season with a pinch of nutmeg. Add the wine and simmer until it is evaporated. Add the tomatoes and break them up completely with your hands or a fork. Cook very slowly stirring occasionally for at least 2 hours. Add water occasionally if the sauce becomes dry. The key to a great sauce is the long slow cooking time. It is fine to turn this sauce off and go run errands etc. and finish it when you get home.
When sauce is done, toss with cooked pasta of your choice and serve with grated parmesan.
Poached Pears
6 small ripe pears
Port Wine
Red wine, such as burgundy
Star anise, cinnamon sticks, bay leaf
Sugar
Poached pears seems like an intimidating dish, but it is really easy to prepare, looks great and is healthy as well. I used small ripe pears from the market, any type of pear will work though. I also use port wine from the grocery store, about $7.00 a bottle. If I still need more wine to cover the pears, I add some red wine as well.
Peel the pears carefully leaving the stem end for a nice presentation.
Combine port wine and 1 cup of sugar, cinnamon sticks, bay leaf and star anise in a sauce pot , large enough to hold the number of pears you want to cook, cook until sugar is dissolved. Add the pears and cover with a piece of parchment paper to keep them submerged in the poaching liquid. Slowly simmer until pears are soft when a cake tester is inserted. If you don’t have a cake tester use a paper clip that is extended, or a sharp paring knife. Remove them from the heat and let them cool in the poaching liquid. They can remain in the poaching liquid until ready to serve, and even several days in the refrigerator.
We served these with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.
I hope you enjoyed the post, I will be posting again very soon.
-Jeanne
Ninth and Olive 