Cook the Books

brown. Serve with arugula salad.
     
     

    Bill Park
     
     
    Serves 4
     
    1 tbsp. olive oil
    1 bulb fennel, cored and finely diced
    1 shallot, finely diced
    1Asian pear, peeled, cored, finely diced
    ¼ cup white wine
    1 cup heavy cream
    ½ tsp. turmeric
    Pinch of cayenne
    Salt and pepper to taste
    12 Oysters in the shell
    Chopped parsley
     
    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the fennel and shallot until tender. Add the pear and wine and sauté for a couple minutes and then add the cream, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and pepper, and reduce heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.
    Set whole, unopened oysters on a baking sheet and bake until they pop open, approximately 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, discard the top shells, and top each oyster with a hefty spoonful of the fennel-pear mixture. Garnish each oyster with a bit of parsley before serving.
     
     

    Bill Park
     
     
    Serves 20 as passed appetizers
     
    Red Pepper Jam:
     
    2 red peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
    2 tbsp. sugar
    1 tsp. salt
    ½ tsp. black pepper
     
    Place peppers in a blender and puree. Set the puree in a saucepan with the sugar, salt, and pepper, and cook over medium heat until almost dry. Cool and reserve.
     
    Polenta:
     
    3 cups chicken broth
    2 tbsp. butter
    2 cups polenta
    1 cup heavy cream
    ¾ cup shredded Parmesan
    Salt and pepper to taste
    Olive oil or butter
     
    Heat the chicken broth and butter in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Slowly add the polenta, stirring constantly. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes, continuing to stir constantly until the polenta has thickened. Add small amounts of cream and cheese, alternating until you have the flavor you want. Season with salt and pepper. The polenta should be very thick. Lay the polenta out on a greased cookie sheet and refrigerate overnight. Cut into
    1 " x 1" squares and sear in a hot sauté pan with a bit of olive oil or butter until just golden brown on both sides. Reserve unless you are serving right away.
     
    Scallops:
     
    40 small sea scallops
    Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil
    1 tbsp. butter
     
    Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan and cook scallops for about three minutes until done.
     
    To plate:
     
    Heat the polenta squares in the oven if needed, then top each with a scallop and a bit of the red pepper jam.
     
     
     

    Bill Park
     
     
    Makes roughly 1 gallon of soup
    2 tbsp. olive oil
    1 large Spanish onion, thinly sliced
    8 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
    1 tsp. allspice
    1 can pumpkin puree
    1 quart chicken broth
    1 pint heavy cream
    Salt and pepper to taste
    ½ tsp. cinnamon
    2 tsp. butter
    1 baguette
    Olive oil as needed for brushing
     
    In a stockpot, heat oil, onion, half of the apples, and allspice and sauté over medium heat until soft. Add the pumpkin puree, chicken broth, and cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper. In a separate pan, sauté the rest of the apples with the cinnamon and butter over medium heat until the apples are soft. (You may add onions, too, if you like.) Slice baguette on the bias, brush with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake or grill until crispy.
    Ladle soup into bowls, set a good dollop of the apple mixture into the center, and then set a baguette slice on top of the apple mixture.
     
     
     

    J. B. Stanley, author of the Supper Club series
    www.jbstanley.com www.cozychicksblog.com
     
    Makes 12 tarts
     
     
    ⅔ cup crushed ginger snaps
    2 tbsp. butter, melted
    8 oz. cream cheese, softened
    1 cup canned pumpkin
    ½ cup sugar
    1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
    1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
    2 large eggs, beaten
    One milk chocolate bar, melted
     
    Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
    Line a muffin pan with paper cups (enough for 12 tarts). Combine gingersnap crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Press approximately one tbsp. of the crumb mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup. Use all of the crumb mixture. Bake for five minutes. Beat together cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. Add beaten eggs. Pour over baked gingersnap crusts. Bake 25-30 minutes. Drizzle melted milk chocolate over cooled tarts and serve.
     
     
     
    J. B. Stanley
     
    Serves 4
     
    4 6-oz. beef tenderloin filets
    ¾ tsp. salt, divided
    1 tbsp. cracked black peppercorns
    ½ cup butter, divided in half
    2 tsp. flour
    ¼ tsp. ground pepper
    ⅔ cup whipping