Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 7, 1990 TAG: 9003061844
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SUSAN LADD LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Just as Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins tapped into the 1980s' need for high-quality take-out food for people on the go, they are greeting the '90s with a cookbook that's more attuned to staying home.
"One of the book's basic premises is that people will be getting back to the kitchen on a regular basis - not just on weekends," says Rosso, who with Lukins wrote "The Silver Palate Cookbook" and the "The Silver Palate Good Times Cook book," which together have sold more than 2.5 million copies.
That goes for Rosso and Lukins as well. Lukins, who owned a catering business, and Rosso, an advertising executive, opened The Silver Palate gourmet take-out and food shop in Manhattan in 1977. It soon became a $10 million a year business, followed by a line of packaged condiments, a Parade magazine column for Lukins and Rosso and as many lectures as they could handle.
"I found that I was getting home at midnight and leaving again at 6 a.m.," Rosso says. "You can only do that for so long. I'm 44, I just got married, and I started thinking about what is important."
Lukins and Rosso sold The Silver Palate in 1988 so they could get back to their own kitchens. They have found many others who want to do the same.
"The more I traveled, the more I heard the same thing," Rosso says. "People want to slow down. They want to enjoy these wonderful homes that they were using as locker rooms."
The Silver Palate team had always wanted to write a "back to basics" cookbook of down-home recipes. But they recognized that contemporary cooks were dealing with a whole new set of basics, including new ingredients, new techniques and a significant shift in attitudes about food.
"When we really compiled it all, we realized what we perceived eating habits to be," Rosso says. "There's an emphasis on vegetables, fish, grilling, pasta. Pizza is now a basic staple. We're cooking with a lighter hand, with not as much butter. We're basting with fruit juices instead of fat. We're using herbs and garlic rather than salt."
Instead of huge portions of meat proteins, Rosso's meals are now based on salads and starches with a small portion of protein added. One of Rosso's favorite discoveries is Yukon gold potatoes, which have a naturally buttery taste. Risotto, a slowly simmered Italian rice, is also a common staple.
Cooking your own food and knowing what's in it has become more important, Rosso says. "I've done Lean Cuisine, we all have. But it gets boring, and you don't know what's in it. And you can't spend your whole life in restaurants."
The first step in getting back to basics is simplifying your kitchen.
"Take a fresh look at your kitchen," Rosso advises. "We've gotten into the habit of buying every new gadget, and a lot of them just sit there."
Rosso put many of her gadgets under the counter - including the food processor. "I'm half afraid of the darn thing, and the only thing I really use it for is purees and soups."
Clean up your act, Rosso says, by tossing out excess ingredients that are cluttering up the pantry and refrigerator.
"I had to ask myself, `How many vinegars and mustards do I need?' I cleared away a lot of that stuff to make room for grains, beans, several different kind of potatoes and onions," Rosso says. "It does make life simpler."
Though others may regard her as a cooking expert, Rosso says she's sometimes at a loss for what to make for dinner.
"One thing I do like is going to the refrigerator and making something out of whatever's there," Rosso says.
Rosso thinks the next frontier in the culinary world is a deeper exploration of other ethnic cuisines. She's particularly interested in learning more about Russian, Spanish and Thai cooking.
"Americans have just become fascinated with flavor," Rosso says. "There are lots of cultures and cuisines that we've barely scratched the sur face. There's more to Mexican than burritos. We've got a long way to go, but once you taste something good, you can't go back to boring food."
Though she seldom uses a cookbook for cooking, Rosso claims to have read every cookbook in the Western world.
"What I like is when a real personality comes through," Rosso says. "Not the `recipes from my Aunt Fanny' kind, though. I like it when I come away feeling like I've learned something about another culture.
"One of the compliments I hear about our cookbooks is that they're friendly, people can trust them, and they're simple. That's nice."
The following recipes are from "The New Basics Cookbook" by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.
Shrimp and vegetable pasta
2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4 -inch dice
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4 -inch dice
6 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsps. chopped fresh tarragon or 2 tsps. dried
2 Tbsps. chopped shallots
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. hot chile oil (available in Asian groceries and other specialty food shops)
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets (reserve stems for another use)
1 1/2 cups cooked fresh peas or thawed frozen peas
1 lb. linguine
At least 2 hours ahead, bring large pot of water to boil. Carefully drop in shrimp and cook until just tender, 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again and place in large serving bowl.
Add bell peppers, tomatoes, dill, tarragon, shallots, red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, lemon juice, 1 cup of the olive oil and the chile oil, to the serving bowl. Toss well with the shrimp. Cover, and refrigerate.
When ready to serve, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Drop in the broccoli and cook for 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Toss peas and broccoli with the shrimp and vegetables, and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil and linguine. Cook at a rolling boil until just tender.
Drain the linguine and immediately toss with the shrimp and vegetable sauce. Serve at once. Makes 6 servings.
Black bean salad
2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked black beans
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4 -inch dice
3 scallions, white bulb and 3 inches green, sliced into 1/4 -inch rounds
2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4 -inch dice
6 Tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsps. fresh lemon juice
5 Tbsps. chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
Combine all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl and toss gently. Let the salad rest, loosely covered, at room temperature for at least one hour before serving. Makes 6 servings.
Soy-baked snapper
2 small red snappers (about 1 1/2 lbs. each), cleaned and left whole
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Asian sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Cut three slits, about 1/2 inch deep and 2 inches apart, diagonally in the sides of each fish; don't cut down to the bone. Arrange the fish in one layer in an oven-proof casserole.
Combine the soy, sesame oil and garlic in a small bowl. Stir well and spoon over the fish, making sure mixture seeps into the slits. Let fish stand, loosely covered, at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Bake the fish until it is cooked through and the skin is lightly crisp, 30 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.
Summer lemon potato salad
2 lbs. small yellow potatoes (Yukon gold, if possible), cut into 1-inch cubes
8 ozs. wax beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsps. whole-grain mustard
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
Place potatoes in a medium-size saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 10 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water; drain again.
Bring saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, and add the beans. Reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again.
Prepare the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, mustard, egg yolk, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil. Then stir in the chives.
Toss the potatoes and beans in the dressing. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings.
by CNB