Diva Entertains Blog

My mother, who is a fabulous cook,  has been making this recipe for years.  And so have I.  It is so much moister than the cornbreads I’ve had when eating in restaurants – the latter always seem to disappoint.  But this moist cornbread recipe won’t.  It only takes minutes to mix and no need for beaters or a stand mixer; simply mix by hand.

This recipe easily doubles.  If you decide to make a double batch, bake it in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan.  You can even freeze the left overs!

Delicious, Moist Cornbread

Makes one 11″ x 7″ pan of cornbread

• 1 (8.5 oz) pkg. corn muffin mix (I use Jiffy)
• 1 (8 oz) can of cream style corn, (drain partially but leave some liquid)
• 1 (8 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8 oz) container sour cream
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (I prefer unsalted)
• 2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Stir together all ingredients and pour mixture into a greased 11″ x 7″ baking dish.   Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
3. Serve and enjoy!  (I told you it was easy!)

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A friend shared this wonderful recipe with me and it has fast become a family favorite.  Although the recipe calls for Manchego cheese, you can substitute an easier-to-find, less expensive substitute such as Gouda or Fontina.   You can also use  a softer cheese such as crumbled goat cheese, simply mix the other ingredients first and then fold the goat cheese in.

You can also shape them into large cakes (as shown here) or smaller, thinner cakes.  I like the smaller ones the best.

Chive Potato Cake (Cafe Pasqual’s cookbook, circa 2003)

Makes 6 ‘large’ potato cakes or 12 small ones

• 2 whole bulbs garlic
• 5 medium-large russet baking potatoes
• 1/2 cup grated Manchego cheese (or gouda, fontina, etc.)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup minced fresh chives
• salt and pepper
• butter for frying

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Trim and roast the garlic cloves by cutting off tips, then placing the whole heads, cut side up, in a small baking pan.  Fill the pan with enough water to go 1/2 way up the side of the bulbs.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
3. Place the unpeeled potatoes in a saucepan, add water to cover, and bring to a boil.  Boil until tender, 25 to 35 minutes; test for doneness by piercing with a fork.  Drain the potatoes and let them cool until they can be handled.  Then, grate them into a large mixing bowl, skin and all, using the largest holes on a hand-held grater (I found that the skin easily comes off while grating).
4. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins onto the grated potatoes.  Add the cheese, egg and chives and mix well.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Form the mixture into 6 cakes 1 1/2″ thick or 12 cakes, 3/4″ thick.  Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or for up to 24 hours before cooking.
6. Melt the butter in a 12″ inch skillet and fry the cakes until golden, about 4 minutes per side.

My understanding of the origin of this recipe is that in 2007 Jacques Pepin made this delicious Yukon Gold potato recipe on Rachel Rays show.   They quickly became famous.  And I can tell you why:  they are damn good! Seriously.

What makes them so good?  They simmer in chicken stock and butter  and those ingredients are absorbed into the potatoes giving each little tot incredible flavor.  Then they are browned on each side – add more to the dish’s flavor profile.  But let me tell you this:  Should you decide you don’t want to go through the second step of browning the potatoes, you will still be rewarded with a wonderful potato side dish.  Known forever as Jacques Pepin Potatoes.

Jacques Pepin’s Potatoes (adapted from recipe posted on Rachel Ray’s website)

Serves 4

• 1.5 lbs. of baby yukon gold potatoes
• 1 can low-sodium chicken broth*
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

1. Place the potatoes in a 12 inch skillet.  Add the chicken stock; it should come halfway up the potatoes.  Add butter.
2. Heat skillet over medium-high high heat until it boils.  Turn to a strong simmer and cover with lid.  Cook 5 – 8 minutes until potatoes are tender (time needed is dependent upon the size of your potatoes).
3. Remove lid and let the rest of the liquid evaporate, about another 5 minutes.
4. Once the stock has evaporated pop each potato using a ladle or large spoon, creating a small crack in each, but do not smash. (I end up smashing at least 1/3 of the potatoes every time – so not a big deal:)
5. Allow the potatoes to brown on each side.  Then taste to see if they need additional salt.
6. Remove potatoes to serving platter and garnish with parsley.

*If you use regular chicken broth, taste the dish before you salt it.  It may not need additional salting.

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I’m always looking for new ways to serve potatoes.  My husband, J, is not a potato lover so sometimes it takes some creativity.  And all the better if there is a crispy crust to it.  This he will eat.  Happily.  And this crispy smashed potatoes recipe delivers on that!  Best part is it isn’t fried.  So although it feels like an indulgence it is actually isn’t.  Love that!

These smashed potatoes are easy to make although it is a two-step procedure.  You first simmer baby Yukon gold potatoes until they are tender.  Drain and cool.  When cool enough to handle you gently ’smash’ them (too hard and you will have ‘mashed’ them…definitely not the goal).  Then bake them in a very hot oven for 45 minutes or so until nicely browned and that’s it!

Crispy Smashed Potatoes (loosely adapted from a Fine Cooking Magazine issue, 2007)

Serves 4

• 12 to 15 baby Yukon Gold potatoes (yellow potatoes)
• 2 T. Olive Oil
• kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Add the potatoes to a medium pan and cover with cold water by 1 inch.  Bring the water to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook 15-20 minutes until tender.  Drain and let potatoes cool for 5-10 minutes.
3. Spray a large knife or bottom of a pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Place a potato on a cutting board and press down with the knife (as shown below) or the pan until it is partially smashed.  The idea is to create more flat surface to crisp (not to flatten the potato completely).  Don’t worry if some break apart – they will still be *delicious*!
4. Spray a large, rimmed baking sheet pan with non-stick spray.  Drizzle the olive oil over the pan.  Add the potato, one at a time, swirling it in the olive oil on one side and then turning it over so that both sides of the potato are lightly oiled. (If you need a little more olive oil go ahead and drizzle some more over the potatoes.) Bake for 20-25 minutes until nicely browned on the bottom.  Turn the potatoes over and cook the other side for another 15 minutes or so until browned.  Remove from oven, salt and serve.

Little things can bring such joy.  Like a simple recipe that takes minutes to make and tastes likes you spent hours.  Take these balsamic mushrooms.  This recipe elevates the humble and inexpensive button mushroom to impressive company fare.

There’s only one thing to keep at the forefront when making this dish.  As the mushrooms brown (caramelize) they develop wonderful flavor.  So when you add the mushrooms to the pan don’t be tempted to constantly stir them.  Do so a few times, not constantly. It is the prolonged contact with the pan that enables the mushrooms to brown and deepen in flavor.

Balsamic Mushrooms (adapted from Martha Stewart’s “Dinner At Home” cookbook)

Serves 4, 10 minutes total time

• 3 T. olive oil*
• 12 oz. white mushrooms, halved (quartered if large)
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. red-pepper flakes
• coarse salt and fresh pepper to taste

Spray large skillet with non-stick spray.  Add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until just shimmering (not smoking).  Add mushrooms and cook until nicely browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.  Stir in vinegar and red-pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to serving dish or bowl and serve.

* Martha’s original recipe called for 1/4 olive oil.  I made the recipe using 3 T. of olive oil but I’m next time I’ll bring the amount down to 2 T.  You just need to watch  the mushrooms a bit closer to ensure they don’t burn.

True Confessions: I am lousy at breads and biscuits.  My many, many attempts usually aren’t even edible.  Over the years I’ve learned to shy away from such recipes because, well, repeated failure just doesn’t feel good.  But after having a scrumptious goat cheese biscuit at a restaurant in Chicago (recipe to come in the spring when I have fresh chives from the garden to add to the recipe) I decided that I just had to give homemade biscuits another try.

The goat cheese biscuits called for ’self rising’ flour* – something I never used before.  So I bought a package and noticed on the back what looked to be an easy recipe for “Extraordinary Buttermilk Biscuits” and it was as if it was calling my name.   30 minutes later I discovered that the recipe was aptly named (although if I were in charge of naming them I probably would have chosen Best Damn Biscuits Ever).  A simple pat of butter and a drizzle of honey and I was in biscuit heaven.

A few tips to ensuring buttery, flaky biscuits: 1) Make sure the butter is cold; use right from the fridge.  2)  Before adding the butter to the flour-sugar mixture, cut it into small pieces.  An easy way to do this is simply cut the butter into 1/2 T. thickness (use the measurements on the wrapper as a guide) and then cut each piece into 4 to 6 pieces.

• 2 1/2 cups self rising flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into little pieces
• 3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

Heat over to 450F.  In medium bowl, stir together flour and sugar.  Using a pastry blender (see below) or fork, cut in butter until

mixture is crumbly.  Pour in buttermilk and stir until dough leaves side of bowl.  If dough is dry, add an additional 1 to 2 T. buttermilk.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough just until smooth (a minute or two at most).  Roll to 1/2″ thickness.  Cut dough with floured 2 1/2″ biscuit cutter**.  On ungreased cookie sheet, place about 1″ apart for crusty side, touching for soft sides.

Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.  Makes about 12 biscuits.

Easier: Use 1 1/4 cups buttermilk.  Do not knead dough.  Drop dough by rounded spoonful 2 inches apart.  These drop biscuits may not look as pretty but they’ll still be delicious!

*I used Gold Medal Self Rising flour.  Not only were the leaveners already in the flour but so was the salt.  Do not add salt to the recipe or you will have a biscuit that tastes like a salt lick.

**Don’t have a biscuit cutter?  No problem.  Use the mouth of a glass – it will work just fine.

When I first discovered this recipe I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make.   And how delicious it is! On top of that, it always comes out perfect.  And it looks *GORGEOUS*.  Add this to your repertoire and start amazing family and friends soon!

The secrets to this recipe: 1) a hot oven,  2) brushed melted butter on the bottom of the pan and 3) the potatoes are first cooked by steaming them (the pan is covered in foil) but the last 20 minutes they are cooked uncovered so the top (which ends up being the bottom) crisps too!

Crispy Potato Galette

• 3 large Russet (Idaho) potatoes
• 2 T. unsalted butter
• Boursin Cheese (optional)
• Salt

Preheat oven to 425F.

Melt the butter.

Using a mandolin*, cut the ends off the potatoes and then slice thin (no slicing device? Just take care to slice the potatoes very thin).

Using a pastry or basting brush, brush the bottom and 1/2” up the sides of a oven-proof skillet 9” or 10” skillet*.  Starting in the center of the pan, place one potato slice.  Then start laying potatoes slices around it, slightly overlapping.  Repeat until the bottom of the pan is covered.  Sprinkle with salt.  Add another lay of potatoes.  Space little dots of the Boursin over the layer. Cover with another layer of potatoes, brush lightly with melted butter**. Continue layering with remaining potato slices, lightly salting one more time.

Cover the pan tightly with foil and put in the over for 25 minutes.  At that point remove the foil and cook another 20 minutes or so until the top is brown.

Remove the potatoes from the over.  Place a plate larger than pan over the top and very carefully turn over the pan so that the potato galette releases onto the place.  Cut*** and serve (with a dollop of sour cream ifyou’d like).

Feel free to substitute other cheeses (goat, cheddar).  I often add chives or rosemary to the layers too.

*Slicing ‘machine’. Plastic ones with steel blades can be purchased for under $30 (Target).  Considerably less on Ebay and Amazon.  You’ll LOVE it!

** Only butter the bottom of the pan, one of the layers lightly, and the top of the layers.  Otherwise your galette will be soggy when you serve it.

*** A pizza cutter works beautifully for this.

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