Guest Starring, Sara

Sara was a founding member of the supperclub. And, we were lucky to have her. The thing I liked best, was that Sara was a cool and competent cook. Imminent roux disaster? You wanted her on your side, manning the wooden spoon. Sweet tooth bothering you at night? Sara could prescribe a dessert. And if you wanted to tackle something that might be a bit intimidating? You could always look to Sara for some inspiration. She churned out paella with mussels and scallops and chorizo and whatnot else without batting an eye. Maybe she was a complete blubbery mess inside, but who could ever tell? I sure couldn't. Now that she has moved all the way to the East coast, we no longer directly benefit from her chocolatey-confections. But, she was sweet enough to send some recipes from supperclubs past — complete with cooking notes in her own words. My favorite to this day, is her Dad's Brandy Old Fashioned, followed closely by the gazpacho made with farmer's market veggies. Both have that crisp and refreshing quality that goes perfectly with all this beautiful, resort weather we've been having.

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Brandy Old Fashioned [Wisconsin Version]
2 shots Brandy [some people use Whiskey]
Juice of a 1/4 to 1/2 orange [do NOT substitute orange juice]
3-4 dashes of Angostura Bitters
1 tsp or less of sugar
Club or white soda, such as 7UP or Sprite [do NOT substitute diet soda]

Fill short tumbler with ice [not a highball]. Squeeze the juice onto the ice. Add the bitters and the sugar. Pour the soda over it all. Mix well with spoon. Garnish with remaining orange slices.

Source: Sara’s Memory; from watching her Dad make them ALL the time
Supper Club: Yo’ Mamma’s Favorite at Angie's

Notes: This is different from versions I have seen in cocktail manuals; it must be a Wisconsin thing. Technically, I think one is supposed to muddle the Brandy with the OJ and sugar, but this way works fine too.
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Gazpacho
6 cups coarsely chopped tomato (about 3 pounds)
1 (32-ounce) bottle low-sodium tomato juice*
2 cups coarsely chopped peeled cucumber (about 2 medium)
1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper
1 1/4 cups finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion**
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon olive oil#
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon basil-flavored vinegar#
1 tablespoon rice vinegar#
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Cover and chill.

Cooking Light
Supper Club: The very first supperclub, Picnic at Molly's

Notes: This is best in August when everything is in season. This recipe I copied from Cooking Light but made the following adjustments:
*Tomato juice from TJ’s worked well.
**I just used a white onion for color
#I could not find basil-infused vinegar, but TJ’s had this basil infused oil that I substituted for this vinegar and for the olive oil which worked well. I then used regular white vinegar instead of the rice vinegar.
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Oriental Salad
1/3 cup rice or cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons sunflower seed kernels
2 (5-ounce) packages Japanese curly noodles (chuka soba), crumbled#
8 cups shredded napa (Chinese) cabbage
2 cups shredded carrot
1 cup thinly sliced green onions

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spoon mixture into a bowl. Cover and chill.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add almonds, sunflower kernels, and noodles; cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, tossing occasionally. Spoon mixture into a large bowl*; cover and chill. Add vinegar mixture to noodle mixture; let stand 15 minutes. Add cabbage, carrot, and onions, tossing to coat.

Cooking Light
Supper Club: Asian at Stephanie's

Notes:
*They aren’t kidding, this makes a LOT.
#I usually just omit the noodles; it is too much effort and messy. If I want to use noodles, I just use a little bit of ramen noodles which are cheaper and easier to find. The salad tastes better the longer it sits in the dressing.
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Monkfish Wrapped in Banana leaves with Ginger, Cilantro, Chile, and Coconut Milk
4 large banana leaves or vine leaves*
A little olive oil
2 fresh red chiles
2 sticks lemon grass, outer leaves removed, centers finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 good handfuls fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 limes, juiced and zested
1 (400 milliliter) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
A drizzle fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 heaped tablespoons finely sliced fresh ginger
4 (6 to 8 ounce /170 to 225 gram) pieces monkfish (can use other more abundant white-fleshed fish, such as Pacific mahi mahi, farmed striped bass, or farmed catfish)**
4 rosemary sprigs or bay leaf sticks, to secure#

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C/gas 8).

To make the banana leaves more pliable, hold for a few seconds over a gas flame. Leaving aside the fish and herb sticks, pound the rest of the ingredients in a pestle and mortar to make a thick paste and spoon a little onto each banana leaf. Place the fish on top and then spoon the rest of the paste on the top. Bringing the sides in and spiking it with a rosemary sprig or bay leaf stick to secure it. This will look lovely and it is natural, but I have been known to use a clothes peg or string to hold it all together. It won't be a perfect seal but this allows it to breath and steam, letting the flavors infuse, so gutsy and tasty. Put the parcels on a tray and bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

I serve the individual parcels on plates at the table and let my friends dissect them. When opened, the fragrant steam wafts up and smells fantastic. Serve with plain boiled rice to mop up the juices, that's all it has to be. End of story, done, lovely.

Food Network; The Naked Chef
Supper Club: Hawaiian at Sara's

Notes: *I found the banana leaves in the frozen food section of Cub Foods on Elston; apparently they cater to Latinos. I did not have luck finding the leaves in Asian Markets.
**I think I used grouper. Anyway, it has to be a “meaty” whitefish.
#I used kebab skewers.
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Sweet Sour Beans
One onion, cut fine
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter
Dash of salt and pepper

Heat the above ingredients and add one quart of cooked green or yellow beans

“Our Favorite Recipes” by the Ladies of St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church in West Bend, WI. Originally published 1949.
Supper Club: Ok, so I never made this one. This is better than the side dishes I made for you.

Note: I generally cut this in half and add one pound of cooked beans
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Tiramisu Anacapri
1 cup cold water
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk*
1 (1.4-ounce) package sugar-free vanilla instant pudding mix**
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) tub frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed#
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur)
1 tablespoon instant espresso or 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
24 cakelike ladyfingers (2 [3-ounce] packages)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, divided

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Cover surface with plastic wrap; chill 30 minutes or until firm.

Remove plastic wrap, and add cream cheese. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Gently fold in whipped topping.

Combine hot water, Kahlúa, and espresso. Split ladyfingers in half lengthwise. Arrange 16 ladyfinger halves, flat sides down, in a trifle bowl or large glass bowl. Drizzle with 1/2 cup Kahlúa mixture. Spread one-third of pudding mixture evenly over ladyfingers; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cocoa. Repeat layers, ending with cocoa. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Cooking Light
Supper Club Theme: Italian at Angie's

Notes: *I can never find this so I just use the fat-full version.
**I can never find this size, so I just buy the 3 oz full-fat version, and guess-add 1.5 oz. to the water. If after chilling, the result is not firm, the end result will be goopy.
#The end consistency is better if you add the Cool Whip frozen.
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Black Forest Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake
cherry topping:
2 cups pitted dark sweet cherries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch

crust:
1 1/3 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 9 1/2 cookie sheets). Pre-crushed Oreos work well, too; it is available next to the pre-made pie crusts. If you use them, though cut down on the amount of sugar you add.
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted
1 large egg white
Cooking spray

filling:
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
36 dark sweet cherries, pitted and halved

To prepare the cherry topping, place 2 cups cherries in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Combine the pureed cherries, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour cherry topping into a bowl; cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the crust, combine crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, and egg white in a bowl; toss with a fork until well-blended. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 300°.

To prepare the filling, combine sour cream, milk, and cheeses in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and eggs; beat well. Stir in minichips. Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 300° for 50 minutes or until almost set (center will not be firm, but will set up as it chills). Turn oven off; cool cheesecake in closed oven 40 minutes. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Spread cherry topping over cheesecake. Top with cherry halves. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Cooking Light
Supper Club: I don’t think I actually made this for a supper club, but it is REALLY GOOD, Especially in July when the Michigan cherries are ripe.

Notes: I follow this recipe exactly. It is labor intensive, but worth it.