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Give the gift of time, food

Published: Wednesday, December 22, 2010, 4:59 AM

By Special to the Press-Register

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When you are stumped for the perfect Christmas gift for that special someone, consider a dish of crabmeat and goat cheese quiche.

 

By SALLYE IRVINE

Special to the Press-Register

Christmas is just a few short days away; however, you need not panic.

In the event that you have not finished all your holiday shopping, never fear. Help is at your fingertips — literally.

Here is the perfect gift for just about everyone on your list — food.

Now, I’m not talking about those seasonal sweets such as cookies, candies and cakes that we all expect this time of year (although they are indeed fun to give and get.)

I’m talking about real food. I’m talking about dinner. Everyone, at some point, wants and needs supper ready to simply heat and eat.

Supper is truly a gift. It is a gift of time as well as a gift of food — and after all everyone has to eat.

So, consider cozying up at home and cooking for the remaining folks of your list; a ready-made meal is sure to please.

The following are some truly tasty savory food gifts grand for the giving and eating as well.

This lush, luxurious quiche comes from my ultra-talented friend, Susan Carley. It is a specialty at both of her local eateries, Cream & Sugar and The Palette Café. It is divine for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

It freezes well and reheats in the microwave or in a low oven. If you don’t have the time and/or energy to create this quiche at home, it is available for sale at both locations, by the slice or whole, if ordered in advance.

Crabmeat and Goat Cheese Quiche

Makes 2 pies

Pecan Crust:

1½ cups chopped pecans

2 cups flour

2 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons butter, cold

4 tablespoons ice water

Grind pecans, flour, and salt in the food processor until fine.

Add butter to food processor until dough forms. Put dough in bowl and toss with ice water.

Press the half the dough into the sides and then bottom of 9-inch pie pan.

Repeat in second pie pan.

Bake crust in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Cool and fill. Makes 2 crusts.

Quiche Filling:

1 sweet onion, finely diced

16 ounces lump crabmeat, shells removed

32 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 ounces goat cheese

Salt and white pepper

Hot sauce

1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s

5 eggs

Sauté onion in butter. Add crabmeat and sauté until heated through.

Add Tony Chacheres. Cool. In a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle blend the cream cheese until smooth.

Add the goat cheese and seasonings then eggs, one at a time. Fold in the cooled crabmeat mixture. Pour mix into prepared pecan crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour and 15 minutes or until set and firm to the touch. Cool 30 minutes before slicing.

My sweet neighbor, Elizabeth Doyle, shared this simple, yet splendid, recipe with me. It originally comes from the cookbook, “Table of Contents,” published by the Junior League of Birmingham.

Elizabeth says that everyone she has ever given this quiche has in turn asked her for the recipe. It is dandy for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It can be frozen and reheated in the microwave or oven.

Crustless Cheese and Spinach Quiche

6-8 servings

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup pesto

5 eggs, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Press the excess moisture from the spinach.

Combine the spinach, 1½ cups of the mozzarella, cream, pesto and eggs in a bowl and mix well.

Pour the spinach mixture into a 9-inch pie pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set.

Sprinkle with remaining half cup of cheese and bake another 2-3 minutes longer, or until the cheese melts.

This filling, flavorful casserole comes from my lovely friend, JoAnn Edwards. The men in my family really love it.

JoAnn’s SnappySausage and PastaCasserole

Makes 2 casseroles, 6 servings per casserole

1 pound ground beef

1 pound mild ground pork sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 (3½ ounces) package pepperoni slices, chopped

1 (28 ounces) can crushed tomatoes

1 (26½ ounce) can spaghetti sauce

1 (16 ounce) jar mild salsa

1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained

1 (10-ounce) jar pepperoncini salad peppers, drained and sliced (optional, but tasty)

1 (16 ounce) package shell-shaped macaroni, cooked and drained

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook the ground beef, sausage, onion and bell pepper in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring until the meat browns and crumbles.

Combine the chopped pepperoni, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, salsa, mushrooms and pepperoncini in a large bowl.

Stir in meat mixture and cooked pasta. Spoon half the mixture into 2 lightly greased (11x7x1½-inch baking dishes). Sprinkle with half the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.

Top with remaining pasta mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake an additional 5 minutes.

Note: Unbaked casseroles may be frozen for up to 3 months (freeze topping cheese separately). Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Santa Fe Soup is an easy, pleasing hearty soup perfect for a chilly evening.

It makes a heap so there is plenty for sharing. The recipe, from “Food for Thought” by the Junior League of Birmingham, made the rounds a few years back and it’s always a hands-down favorite.

It can be frozen and reheated.

Santa Fe Soup

Makes 4 quarts

2 pounds ground turkey or beef

1 onion, chopped

2 (.5 ounce) packages Ranch-style dressing mix

2 (1¼ ounce) packages taco seasoning mix

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, undrained

1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, undrained

1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, undrained

1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained

1 (16-ounce) can tomato wedges, undrained

6 (16-ounce) cans white corn, undrained

2 cups water

Cook meat and onion together until meat is browned. Stir ranch-style dressing mix and taco seasoning into meat.

Add remaining ingredients. Stir in water. Simmer for about 2 hours. (If mixture is too thick add additional water).

Garnish as you like with sour cream, shredded cheese, green onions etc. Serve with tortilla chips.

 

http://blog.al.com/generous-portions/2010/12/give_the_gift_of_time_food.html

 

Mobile Press-Register

Food is art at Museum of Art's Palette Café

By DAVID HOLLOWAY Food Editor

The act of preparing food is more an art than a science, with whimsy and a sense of style and proportion as important as cooking times and exact measurements. It is fitting then that the Palette Café in the atrium of the Mobile Museum of Art reflects the same flair for the dramatic and eye-catching appeal of a good work of art. The Palette Café is owned and operated by Susan Carley, a Mobile native who clearly enjoys indulging her artistic side. She has crafted a menu that is not large, but is nonetheless bold and expressive. It paints with a broad brush: rich soups, a creative array of salads, as well as filling sandwiches and high concept entrees. Carney really shows her mettle in a dessert menu that will sate anyone's sweet tooth. The café is usually open only Monday through Thursday for lunch and afternoon coffee and dessert. But it will be open Friday night for a special four-course, price fix dinner. The cost is $55 a person, and patrons may bring in wine; a $5 corkage fee is charged and reservations are required. It's a good opportunity to sample some of the house specialties. Carley, 43, is clearly at home in the warm surroundings of the city's art museum. "What's not to love about this place?" she asks, gesturing around the open atrium and toward the lush greenery of Langan Park next door. "Look at this place, it's too good to be true," she said. She's making the most of her opportunity by offering a nice cross-section of foods. The menu features two soups: A rich, creamy smoked tomato with Boursin cheese ($3.25) and a traditional Mobile-style gumbo ($4.50) are offered daily. The tomato soup isn't cloying, but it's quite filling. The smoky flavor comes from the slow-smoked tomatoes. The gumbo is made fresh daily, Carley said, and is made both with a dark roux base and okra puree for additional thickening. "We don't add our shrimp until just the end. We want them to remain firm," she said. A popular section of the menu is the salads. The house salad would be welcome in any house. It's a large serving of mixed greens, fresh strawberries, blue cheese and sugar-coated pecans in a delicious champagne vinaigrette ($7. 95) that is fresh and light. "We're really proud of our champagne vinaigrette; it's our own creation and includes two kinds of oil, pureed walnuts and champagne," she said. The salad sampler ($10.95) is very popular, Carley said. It includes servings of the chunky chicken salad, corn and tomato salad and a shrimp artichoke and rice salad that has to be tasted to believed. A slight undertone of curry makes it something special. Carley shows off her creative side with a quirky shrimp remoulade salad ($9.95) - spicy boiled shrimp served in a white remoulade dressing on a bed of mixed greens. The dressing had a perceptible but not overpowering citrusy underpinning that complemented the sweetness of the shrimp. The signature sandwich is a vegetarian panini that is loaded with portabello mushroom, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, spinach and just a bit of brie for a nice twang ($6.95). Male patrons have shown an affinity for the German hot deli sandwich of pastrami, smoked gouda, spicy mustard and sauerkraut on pumpernickel ($7. 95), Carley said. They also offer a French dip ($9.95) and a muffaletta ($8. 95). The entrée menu is highlighted by a rich crabmeat cheesecake quiche ($10.95). It is loaded with sweet crab, sauteed onion and cream cheese, and the whole thing is baked in a thick but light pecan crust. The Asian fish tacos ($11.95) - snapper fillets in a warm, soft tortilla topped with a tart lemongrass slaw - is another favorite. The crisp fish fillets pair nicely with the crunchy slaw. All entrees are served with a house salad. But the highlight of the menu may be the desserts. Warm apple cake with cinnamon ice cream, caramel sauce and sugared pecans ($4.25) and a 15-layer lemon curd cake ($5.25) are favorites. They also have a take-out service that allows you to fetch home selected entrees to heat up and serve. Carley grew up in Mobile, graduating from McGill-Toolen and attending the University of Alabama where in 1989 she received a degree in hotel and restaurant management. She returned to Mobile and took a job at Weichmann's All-Seasons Restaurant, where she learned her chops. "John (Weichmann) threw me to the wolves quickly," she said, her trial by fire being a huge catering job for a Mardi Gras function. But her interest in food goes back further than that. She recalls preparing a Mother's Day breakfast at age 7, right down to a hand-lettered menu. Carley worked at various restaurants before deciding to take a break from café life and move to New Orleans where she met her husband. The couple quickly became full-fledged foodies. "We really developed a love for all kinds of food in New Orleans. We were really into food," she said. They relocated to Atlanta for a stint before returning to Mobile five years ago. She spent her time cooking for friends and family until about two years ago when she was approached about the possibility of opening a restaurant in the art museum. "The city put it out for bid, and I was the only bidder," she said, asking rhetorically, "Who else would want it?" Under the terms of the lease, Carley could only open three days a week for lunch only, and she had to clear out the kitchen completely for the weekend. The museum is a popular reception location for weddings and other catered parties, Carley said. "One the upside, I bet we have the cleanest kitchen in town since we have to strip it down every week," she said. It's now open for lunch four days a week from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and light lunch, cappuccino and the full dessert menu is served until 4 p.m.

Susan Carley is the owner of the Palette Café in the atrium of the Mobile Museum of Art. Carley offers rich soups, a creative array of salads, as well as filling sandwiches and high concept entrees. Her menu includes Crabmeat-cheesecake quiche, bottom left, and a rich, creamy smoked tomato with Boursin cheese, bottom right.

Mobile Bay Monthly

September 2008

Tastings

By: Sallye Irvine

     Lunch at The Palette Cafe is a creative culinary affair. It is a popular, petite eatery in a big, bright location. The café’s tables are clustered along the curve of the soaring, airy atrium in the Mobile Museum of Art overlooking the lagoon at Langan Park.

“It is a beautiful facility, with a great view,” says Susan Carley the talented owner/chef.

     In keeping with the inherent artistic theme, Carley has outfitted her waitstaff as French artists complete with black and white striped tops, neckerchiefs and jaunty black berets. Tables are topped with diminutive paintings done by children. “They are all of flowers,” says Carley. “We have painted flower vases instead of fresh flowers.” 

   The mid-day menu is innovative offering a pleasing array of selections from lump crabmeat “cheesecake” quiche and Asian fish tacos to the vegetarian and Reuben paninis. Carley’s emphasis is on pretty presentation and fresh, fabulous flavor. There are always a couple of homemade soups, along with a slew of splendid salads.  Then there are the sensational sweets – all homemade and decadently delicious. It was the demand for the desserts that encouraged Carley to offer extended afternoon hours, just for serving coffee and treats.  “People would come in week after week just for dessert,” she says. “So, this was my vision, to have parents be able to pick up their children and bring them here for something sweet after school.” Carley, the mother of two, ages 6 and 7, also offers a dandy childrens’ menu with the option to “build-your-own-sundae”. “We also have bread for the children so that they can feed the turtles and the birds in the lake, then walk across the bridge to the great playground.”

On the Menu

Soup

Smoked Tomato and Basil Soup is a terrific twist on the traditional old-fashioned favorite. The soup has a hearty, smoky flavor and lovely, creamy texture, swirled with boursin cheese. Comfort food at its finest.

Salad

Tri-Salad is ideal for the undecided, offering a trio of scoops including a chunky chicken and pecan salad, shrimp and artichoke salad in curry mayonnaise and marinated white bean salad all served on a trendy triangular plate.

Entrée

Greek Style Snapper en Papillote is a zesty, festive dish full of Mediterranean-inspired flavors. The succulent snapper brimming with artichokes, capers and sun-dried tomatoes is cooked and served steaming in a parchment pouch alongside a bed of couscous.

Dessert

Lemon curd cake is a signature specialty.  It’s a spectacular towering confection featuring fourteen layers of white cake each iced with sweet, tangy curd. A lemon lover’s fantasy.

The Palette Cafe

4850 Museum Drive (Langan Park)

Mobile, Alabama     36608

251-208-5227

Mo-Th 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for lunch

Mo-Th 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. for coffee and dessert