The Essential James Beard Cookbook Read Online Free PDF Page B

tablespoons of finely chopped chutney . This is improved by the addition of a little curry powder; the amount has to be left to your own taste. [ Editor: About ½ teaspoon of curry powder would tint the butter a vibrant orange-yellow and give it a brilliant flavor, too. Melt a pat on grilled chicken or pork chops. ]
Fines Herbes Butter
Chop together 1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves , ¼ cup each packed stemmed spinach and watercress leaves, and 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh chives . Add a tablespoon of chopped fresh chervil, tarragon, basil, dill, thyme, or sorrel (either a single herb or in any combination) and chop again to blend the flavors. Put in a bowl and mix in 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon anchovy paste . Add 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter until the herbs have been thoroughly blended and the butter is completely green. [ Editor: Melt a tablespoon of this butter on top of grilled lamb chops or fish, or stir into plain cooked vegetables. ]
Garlic Butter
Crush several cloves of garlic through a garlic press and cream with 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter and ½ teaspoon of salt . This is a matter of “stop and go,” for you know better than I your capacity for garlic flavor. So, let your own taste guide you.
Hazelnut Butter
Grind 1 cup (4 ounces) toasted salted hazelnuts very finely. [ Editor: You can use a food processor for this. ] Mix with 8 tablespoons (1 stick) softened unsalted butter to form a thick paste. This is delicious by itself or blended with ham or tongue for a canapé.
Mustard Butter
Cream 8 tablespoons (1 stick) softened unsalted butter with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard . [ Editor: Serve this tossed with steamed asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or cauliflower, or over grilled chicken or pork chops. ]
Roquefort Butter
Blend together ¼ pound room-temperature Roquefort cheese and 8 tablespoons (1 stick) softened unsalted butte r. [ Editor: Serve a pat on grilled steaks or or mix with boiled new potatoes. ]
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Cocktail Sandwich Fillings
America is a confirmed sandwich nation. Everywhere you go you find sandwich stands, sandwich shops, and nine out of ten people seem to stick to the sandwich-and-a-glass-of-milk or cup-of-coffee luncheon. America has developed variety in fillings, breads, and shapes, from the four-decker combination to the pale slab of white bread with a paper-thin slice of meat and much floury gravy poured over all to a vast array of really good sandwiches that distinguish our menus. It is no wonder, then, that the cocktail sandwich has come more and more into vogue.
First cousin to that aristocratic and refined member of the family, the English tea sandwich, the cocktail version should be commanding in appearance and richly attired in a simple way. The bread should be thin enough to be almost revealing, well filled, the sandwich large enough for only two bites, and tailored to the last degree of perfection. Stars, crescents, tigers, rabbits, and four-leaf-clover shapes may be acceptable for tea; but for cocktails—ah ha! Thin rectangular fingers or small squares, diamonds, and rounds should be the only shapes ever seen on a tray served with drinks.
Try to find the most interesting breads in your community and always use them for such sandwiches. In almost any town or city today, there is some semblance of variety offered by commercial bakeries; and there are many recipes for breads to be made at home for this service. I think the dark, heavier-textured breads are most desirable for the cocktail tray. There are many different types of pumpernickel and rye breads that are excellent. The Scandinavians, all of whom are sandwich lovers, have developed a dozen different types of dark, meaty breads; the Danish pumpernickel, dark and light; the Swedish rye breads; the coarse, very dark bread of the Russians. All these are remarkably good with drinks. There seems to be a renaissance these days in this country for the very close-grained homemade