A Taste of LDEI’s First Regional Gathering -

On Sunday, July 19th, Los Angeles/Orange County, San Diego and Palm Springs Dames gathered at Peg Rahn’s beautiful San Clemente home for the First LDEI Regional Gathering.

As you can see from photos of the event in the Fall Quarterly online, the food looked fabulous! From all reports, it tasted devine!

Peg Rahn shared four of the recipes served to Dames that day. They appear below.

Plans are underway by the LA/Orange County Chapter to compile all the recipes from the event into a cookbook, which will be sold for a small charge. The effort is a fundraiser for the Escoffier Museum, which is in need of funds for repairs and refurbishing. Each small effort helps! Enjoy! Bon appétit!
 

Susan Slack, Quarterly.

 

Orzo and Spinach Salad
Recipe from Orange County Dame Cathy Thomas.

12 ounces uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 bunches spinach, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup slivered kalamata olives, pits removed
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch matchsticks
2 green onions, minced (dark green and white portions)
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1. Cook orzo al denté using the package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well. Combine with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl; toss to coat.

2. For the dressing, combine the lemon juice with 1/2 cup olive oil, wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, thyme, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Add to the orzo and toss.
3. Add the spinach, olives, bell pepper, green onions and capers; toss to mix well. Add the cheese and toss again. Taste and correct seasoning as needed. Divide among 8 dinner plates. Serves eight.
Cook's notes: To make this dish a main-course salad, add 12 ounces of cooked bay shrimp, just before serving.

Corn & Bean Salad

Recipe from Palm Springs Dame Lila Fulton.

2 avocados, peeled, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 serrano chile, seeded, minced
4 ears fresh corn, cut from cobs
2 cups tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
4 green spring onions, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can black beans, well rinsed
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
Fresh-squeezed juice from ½ lime

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Refrigerate until serving time. Serves 6.

Vickie's Easy Asparagus Soup with Yogurt Topping

Recipe from San Diego Dame Vickie Mogilner who suggests, “You may use almost any vegetable--I make this with everything I can think of!”

1 large shallot, diced
Olive oil, as needed
2 (10 oz.) packages frozen asparagus
1/2 baking potato peeled & diced
Chicken stock-amount depends on desired consistency
Salt & pepper, to taste

Sauté diced shallot in olive oil. Add asparagus and potato; sauté for about 2 minutes more. Cover with chicken stock and cook until the potato is done. Puree in the blender. Add salt & pepper to taste. Chill Soup. Serve each portion of soup with a dollop of topping (recipe below).

Topping
1/2 Greek yogurt
1/2 sour cream
Lemon zest
Snipped chives
Salt & black pepper, to taste

Combine equal portions of the yogurt and sour cream. Stir in the remaining ingredients, to taste. Chill until serving time. Approximately 4 to 5 servings.

Anita’s Famous, Fabulous Challah
Recipe from Palm Springs Dame Anita Manchik. It was named by her children. She says, “I serve it with a variety of homemade jams and butter topped with sea salt.

About 1 hour before starting the bread, scald 1 1/4 cups whole milk for 4 to 5 minutes in the microwave on high. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt after scalding. Melt 1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco into the hot milk. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Dissolve 1 3/4 tablespoons regular yeast in 1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees on a candy thermometer). Add a pinch of sugar.

In Kitchen Aid mixer, beat 3 eggs and 3/4 cup Baker's sugar. Add dissolved yeast and mix well. Blend in reserved cooled milk mixture. Using paddle attachment, add 3 cups King Arthur Bread flour (white) then switch to a dough hook and add 3 1/2 cups Gold Metal bread flour (white). Add additional flour (7 to 8 cups total) as needed, to eliminate stickiness, then knead 4 minutes with the machine. Be careful not to overheat the machine, you do not want to burn out the motor! Knead by hand if you prefer.

Spray a large bowl with Pam then turn out dough and form a ball. Roll dough in the bowl to cover it with oil. Cover lightly with a tea towel. Heat the oven to 200 degrees then turn it off as soon as it reaches correct temperature. Put the bowl in the oven with a hot pad under it. Let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down dough. Divide the dough in half for challah loaves. Cover the 2nd half, set aside. Take first half and divide in 3 equal pieces and 1 slightly larger piece. Keep covered. Take the 3 equal pieces and roll out to 3 equal length "ropes". Lay side by side, vertically. Pinch one end of the 3 pieces together and braid, pinching the bottom together when the braid is completed. Place entire braid diagonally on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Cover with a tea towel.

Take the 4th slightly larger piece of dough you've set side and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Braid the 3 pieces in the same way as the other braid, forming the thinner center braid, making sure the finished braid is 2 to 3 inches longer than the first braid. Put this braid down the center of the shorter shaped braid, tucking under and pinching in the ends into the bottom of the bread. Let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours with a tea towel on top. Repeat the braiding procedure with the 2nd half of the dough you have set aside.

When the bread has risen, take a pastry brush and gently brush all exposed areas with an egg wash consisting of 1 egg and 1teaspoon water, whipped. Be sure to wipe up any excess egg wash from the cookie sheet as it will burn.

Heat oven to 340 degrees. Bake bread in center of the oven on a double cookie sheet to keep the bottom from over browning. Bake 9 minutes then rotate pan and bake 9 minutes more. When baking, if top braid is browns too much, tent with a strip of foil over the top braid. Continue baking 10 to 12 minutes more until evenly golden brown.

After baking, use 2 wide spatulas to carefully remove bread to a cooling rack. Serve immediately.

The bread freezes well. Cool it completely then wrap tightly in heavy-duty foil before freezing. To serve, defrost completely in foil, heat in 350 degree for 20 minutes, unwrap and heat 5 minutes more. 
Cut in equal slices with a serrated knife or tear the bread in the traditional method of serving. Makes 2 double-braided loaves. Enjoy!!