Les Dames d'Escoffier New York Cookbook: Stirring the Pot

By Silvia Baldini, Sharon Franke, Lidia Bastianich and Carla Hall

Les Dames d' Escoffier New York, the most influential and accomplished women in the food world, present their favorite recipes for everything from simple weekday meals to spectacular party dishes.

Authors Silvia Baldini and Sharon Franke showcase seventy-six family recipes and pairings by Pascaline Lepeltier, MOF, and including a dedication by Lidia Bastianich to LDNY founder Carol Brock and a foreword by Carla Hall.

From Lidia's "Cavatappi with Asparagus and Spinach Pesto" or Ellie Krieger's recipe "Family Favorite Minestrone," to a stunning "Radicchio Salad with Radish, Basil, and Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette" by two-Michelin star Chef Melissa Rodriguez, these recipes are for every occasion and for every level of skill.

Discover the dishes and recipes that some of the most heralded women in the food business, in the greatest city in the world for food, cook when they are in their own home kitchens.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The History Press
• Release date: Sep 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9781439679258

Silvia Baldini

Les Dames d'Escoffier New York's mission centers on education, advocacy and philanthropy. Profits from this cookbook will go to scholarships for young women in culinary schools. Silvia Baldini is an art director, classically trained Italian-born chef and Chopped champion on Food Network. Silvia's recipes and stories have been published in Food & Wine , Bon Appétit , Saveur , the New York Times , La Cucina Italiana and Forbes . Sharon Franke is a journalist and product tester specializing in kitchen equipment. Sharon began her culinary career by working as a cook and chef in New York City restaurants for seven years.

Book preview

Introduction

Even though I’ve spent my entire working life in professional and test kitchens, in my free time, there’s nothing I like to do more than cook at home. And although I know how to handle a knife and rustle pots and pans and have a pretty big repertoire of favorite dishes, I’m always on the lookout for new recipes, techniques and ingredients to try out. I’ve found that one of the best ways to get inspiration is by taking a peek at what other people are cooking. That’s why I’m thrilled to coauthor Les Dames d’Ecoffier New York Cookbook: Stirring the Pot, in which my fellow New York Dames d’Escoffier share their treasured recipes, shopping tips and kitchen secrets.

I love the fact that Stirring the Pot includes recipes like Ellie Krieger’s Family Favorite Minestrone that are perfect for everyday meals as well as ones to serve at dinner parties like Grapefruit Scallop Crudo from Silvia Baldini. Tops on my list of recipes to cook are the ones that were passed down to Dames from their mothers, including Rita Jammet’s Lemon Saffron Chicken Titine and Iraqi Saffron Crispy Rice and Deborah Mintcheff ’s Egyptian-Style Pot Roast. Because all of the recipes in the book come from experienced and passionate cooks who have prepared them for family and friends countless times, they’re guaranteed to work as well as become favorites at your dinner table.

This book came to fruition because of the vision of the incredibly talented Dame Silvia Baldini. Not only was she the mastermind of Stirring the Pot, she was the driving force behind its production as well.

For his loving support as I worked on this project, as well as for whatever I do, I am grateful to my husband, Larry Franke.

DAME SHARON FRANKE

PART I

Recipes

1

Breakfast

Lemony Ricotta Scones with Dried Cherries

Susan Westmoreland

Wine: Prosecco Asolo Superiore Extra-Brut, Veneto, Italy

Let’s cook with the machines, Mom! was a weekly plea from my then young son, Lucio. This early Saturday morning greeting, said about 3 inches away from my half-asleep face, still makes me smile. He loved playing with variations of these scones, opening the cabinet to check which dried fruits were on hand or grabbing an orange or a lemon as a surprise. Ditto to exploring the nut drawer in my fridge: pecans, toasted hazelnuts and almonds all made appearances, thanks to regular trips to Sahadi’s. (Nuts can be omitted.) The ricotta is actually a substitution for the original buttermilk, and we liked it so much it stayed. (Yes, we’re Italian!) Lucio loved grating, measuring, scooping and especially tipping the contents of the food processor into a giant stainless-steel bowl. Neighbors often stopped by for coffee, and he proudly presented them his scomes. These days when he’s visiting, he’s more apt to come downstairs to the aroma of baking scones, but they’re always on the menu when he’s in town. Simple and satisfying at any age!

NOTES: These freeze beautifully. Pack them into a zip-close plastic bag or airtight container and freeze up to 1 month. To serve, thaw slightly and warm in the toaster oven.

MAKES 12 SCONES

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon anise or fennel seeds (optional)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup cold butter, cut into pieces

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or walnut pieces

½ cup dried tart cherries

1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon sugar (1 tablespoon sugar mixed with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)

Method

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, anise seed (if using) and salt; pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add the nuts and pulse just until coarsely chopped. Dump mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the cherries.

In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs and vanilla until blended. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Using ¼ cup scoop or measuring cup, scoop out the dough, forming 12 mounds on the prepared baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. With moist fingers, slightly flatten the scones. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar.

Bake the scones until golden brown, 15–17 minutes. Transfer the scones to a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Karen Goodlad’s Favorite Apple Bread

Karen Goodlad

Beverage: Cidre du Pays d’Auge, Normandie, France

I was introduced to this recipe as a teenager in a high school cooking class. To this day, I remember the joy I found baking and sharing this quintessential autumn treat. Over the years, the original paper recipe has grown tattered and stained, evidence of exactly how beloved this apple bread is to me. The marks show the clumsiness of a once novice baker, conversions when baking for a crowd, personal adaptations and, in more recent years, the tiny fingerprints of my children.

NOTES : I use an assortment of apples in each batch, as I like a variety of tastes and textures, but I avoid soft apples like McIntosh. You can also bake the batter in a muffin tin for 20–22 minutes; do not use cupcake liners.

MAKES 1 LOAF

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature

1½ cups all-purpose flour (preferably unbleached)

½ cup cake flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2⅓ cups peeled, cored and diced apple (¼–½ inch)

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 x 3–inch loaf pan. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric handheld mixer, beat the butter until soft. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions. On low speed, beat in 1 cup of the all-purpose flour; scrape down the bowl. Add the remainder of the all-purpose flour, the cake flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt and beat just to blend. Mix in the apples.

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and remove the loaf pan. Return the loaf right side up and let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The cake is best served at room temperature.

My Favorite Healthy Granola

Susan Lifrieri-Lowry

Wine: Bugey-Cerdon Rosé Sparkling, Bugey, France

Over the years, I’ve experimented with a lot of granola recipes. I settled on this one because it’s bound together with egg whites instead of butter and sugar. In addition, it has flax seeds and high-protein quinoa to make it even healthier and more nutritious. In the morning, I eat it with Greek yogurt and fruit or sprinkle it on top of oatmeal for a contrast in textures. When I want a quick and healthy dessert, I use it to top baked apples and/ or pears. It also makes a great hostess or holiday gift.

NOTES: This recipe is flexible and forgiving. I change it every time I make it by using different ratios of nuts, seeds, syrups and spices. I use whatever I have at hand. It is a good way to use up leftover add-ins from other recipes. If you add an extra handful of nuts or seeds (sometimes there’s a little left in the package and you just want to use it up), it won’t hurt the recipe. If you want to add the optional dried fruit, only use small batches to prevent the granola from becoming soggy.

I make this recipe gluten free by using gluten-free oats and not including wheat germ.

I use 2–3 tablespoons on top of yogurt for breakfast; the number of servings you get will depend on what you are using it for or how much you want to eat as a portion.

Store in an airtight container.

MAKES ABOUT 9 CUPS

Ingredients

5½ cups old-fashioned (rolled) oats

½ cup uncooked quinoa

1¼ cups coarsely chopped mixed nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, pistachios, almonds and/or cashews

½ cup flaxseed meal or wheat germ

½ cup pumpkin, sunflower or sesame seeds, or a mix

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or apple pie spice

3 large egg whites

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup honey, molasses or maple syrup or a mix

⅓ cup canola or olive oil

About 1 cup dried fruit, such as raisins, berries, diced apricots, chopped dates or a mix (optional)