Oysters: Shelled out

In a perfect world, oysters would come straight from the estuary on ice, quickly shucked, a pat of flavored butter put on the oyster-on-the-half-shell sitting on a bed of rock salt, then put in the oven at 500 degrees for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbling: the quintessential Oysters Rockefeller, a dish named simply for its richness.

Alas, time and place were not perfect last night. The oysters were from a jar. Not having any shells, what to do? Well, I'm here to say that baked in an au gratin dish, Oysters Rockefeller are only slightly less stunning than their individual selves, and make a sumptuous dinner served over white fluffy rice. I followed the traditional recipe from "The New Orleans Cookbook" (Knoft, 1975, 264 pages) by Rima and Richard Collin, but since they were being served as a main dish rather than an appetizer, I made a few substitutions, namely more spinach and less butter. Sorry I didn't take a photo of it; the aroma was overpowering and we were hungry.

Oysters Rockefeller casserole

Serves 2

8 ounces select oysters, drained

2 cups packed raw spinach (about 5 ounces)

1/2 stick of butter, softened

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1/4 cup green onions

1 tablespoon minced celery

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 tablespoons Pernod or Absinthe

Preheat oven to 500 (or the maximum recommended temperature for your au gratin dish; mine was 480 degrees). Cook the spinach in the microwave until wilted but still bright green. Drain and dump it in the food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until everything is small and well-blended.

Arrange the oysters in the bottom of the au gratin dish. Spoon the sauce over. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and lightly brown. Cool for 3-6 minutes. Serve over a bed of hot, fluffy rice.

Oysters and patter

Ever bake Oysters Rockefeller without the shells? Me neither. But tonight I'm going to give it a whirl. Look for the results tomorrow.

I got a real upper of an e-mail from a Sacramento friend, Carolyn Konrad, who said, in part:

I visit your Lori K site about once a week, enjoying the way you write and explain recipes and preps. I can hear your voice. And appreciate your lovely good taste.

When I write in what often seems like a vacuum to me (after 30 years at newspapers, it's extremely different not to have dozens of people around you, brainstorming and opining and editing your copy), it's always good to know there are folks out there who enjoy my work.

Thanks to all of you for reading!

Slices of lemon

Freezing lemon slices is easier than I thought it would be, and I thought it would be easy. Lemons and cookie sheets are really all you need, and airtight containers or bags for storing them.

Start by slicing the lemons in half, and removing as many seeds as you can. Then either slice them thinly by hand, or use the food processor, with a 4mm slicing blade (the 2mm makes slices so thin you can see through them. Nice for garnish, but not so good for the freezing process). Lay them in a single layer on the cookie sheets, freeze until hard, then remove them from the cookie sheets and put them in bags and put them back in the freezer.

You can use them in water or drinks straight from the freezer; they act a little like an ice cube as they thaw out and flavor the liquid.

Meyer lemon-paloosa

My friend Joye just sent me a big box of Meyer lemons from her Sacramento yard. From the moment I opened the box, the house has smelled like lemon, Joye (sorry, I couldn't resist).

I've had a lot of fun giving them to Virginians who have never had the pleasure of one, preserving some, and today I'm going to give freezing them a try.

I heard that you just need to slice them, put them on cookie sheets, then freeze; once they are frozen stiff, remove them from the cookie tray and put them in an airtight bag.

For those of you new to preserving lemons, my recipe and technique can be found here: http://lkcafe.blogspot.com/2009/10/lemons-and-their-well-preserved-punch.html

Broccoli mash is a smash

One of the most excellent by-products of the low-carb diets' popularity was the many substitutes that people came up with to replace the traditional sides of potatoes or rice. Mary Menz introduced me to this one in Sacramento, and it's called a mash. It really couldn't be easier. This mash is made with broccoli, but if you want something that looks more like mashed potatoes, use cauliflower. I am not wild about broccoli, but I like it this way.

Broccoli mash

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound broccoli, separated into florets

4 ounces cheddar cheese

1/4 cup of milk

Instructions

Steam broccoli in a bowl in the microwave for 2 or 3 minutes. It should be still be bright green, not over done.

Crumble the cheese into a food processor and add the hot broccoli. Process, adding milk as need until it is thick and fairly smooth. Serve immediately, or can be reheated in the microwave for a minute just before serving.

A distant memory

I'm sure everyone's used up their turkey leftovers by now. And those of you who didn't use all of it for sandwiches and salads probably found out a disagreeable truth: Plain reheated turkey doesn't smell very good, or taste very good either. It's somewhat acceptable when it's done with stuffing and gravy, but it's much better repurposed, with plenty of spices.

And when I say spices, I don't necessarily mean hot spices, although turkey marries particularly well with chilies.

Hot dishes that put a quantity of cooked turkey to good use include curries, enchiladas, mole (mo-lay, the dark version made with chocolate, cinnamon and chilies) and white chili.

So if you froze some of that leftover turkey, haul it out at your leisure, but don't just reheat it, improve it!

A simple but satisfying dinner

Spaghetti carbonara always brings to mind the great New Yorker writer Calvin Trillin and his effort to get it to replace turkey at the Thanksgiving table.

Spaghetti carbonara is a staple in the Richardson household throughout the year, although usually it is a dish of last resort when there's nothing fresh to fix. But that doesn't make it a bad thing. It is especially good to serve to company who drops in unannounced; nice but not special enough to inspire repeat unannounced visits.

Here's my recipe for it, although cooked bacon bits (the real thing) from the fridge sometimes sub in for the cooked bacon, making it REALLY fast food. This is for four people, but it is easily halved. Serve with a salad, stewed tomatoes or a side of your favorite green vegetable.

Spaghetti Carbonara
4 slices bacon, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 clove minced garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces spaghetti, cooked until al dente
2 large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon each milk and pasta water
Salt to taste
4 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

In a large saute pan or wok over medium heat, fry the bacon until crispy. Remove bacon with slotted spoon or spatula and allow to drain on paper towels. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, and season with pepper. Add back the bacon and pasta and saute for 1 minute. Season the eggs with salt. Remove the pan from heat and add eggs, stirring quickly, until eggs thicken but do not scramble. Add the cheese and taste; adjust seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley.

To make with real bacon bits: Sauté garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add 4 tablespoons bacon bits and the pasta to the pan and season with pepper. Sauté until heated thoroughly. Season the eggs with salt. Remove the pan from heat and add eggs, stirring quickly, until eggs thicken but do not scramble. Add the cheese and taste; adjust seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley.