Georgia Magazine - December 2017 - 40G

cy Suttles; reprinted with permission
of Abby Jackson.

Whole Wheat Spaghettini and
Pesto
Broccoli fascinates me. Admittedly, saying so makes me an absolute
food nerd (although, if not me, who?).
But I approach it with the technical
precision I usually reserve for meat.
Its many parts require different cooking methods. For this recipe, I shave
the florets of their fuzziness or "hair"
just like I shave my face. I use a small,
sharp knife (not a razor) that I run
over the florets so that they flake. I
use the flakes to coat the noodles. The
broccoli gives the dish the appearance
of pesto but with far less work. It's
green and herbaceous, and I'm pretty
sure whole-wheat anything is healthful, right?
Kosher salt
1 pound dry whole-wheat spaghettini
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Florets from 2 heads broccoli, shaved into
crumbs
2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (see note)
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino
cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water
to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions
until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 2-3 tablespoons of the pasta
cooking water.
In a large skillet, heat 2-1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium
heat, and, when hot, add the broccoli
crumbs, onion, garlic and red pepper
flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant,
about 1 minute. Add the parsley, basil leaves and pine nuts, and stir to
incorporate.
Remove the skillet from the heat.
Add the drained spaghettini and toss
to coat. Season with the lemon zest
and juice, and add salt and pepper
to taste. Sprinkle the cheese over the
pasta and drizzle with the remaining
December 2017

2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Serve
hot. Serves 4.
Note: To toast pine nuts, spread
them in a small, dry frying pan and
toast over medium heat, stirring, for
2 to 3 minutes, until they turn golden
brown. The coloring may not be even,
but that's OK. Take care that they
don't burn. Slide onto a plate to halt
the cooking.
Whole Wheat Spaghettini and
Pesto from "So Good," by Richard
Blais, © 2017 by Richard Blais. Used
by permission of Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Chicken Liver Pâté with Toast
Points
Pâté
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed,
divided
2 medium shallots, peeled, finely chopped
1 pound fresh chicken livers, membranes
removed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 cup brandy or Cognac
3 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more as
needed
Salt, to taste
Toast Points
6 slices white bread, crusts removed
8 tablespoons salted butter, room
temperature
Flaked sea salt

Melt half the butter cubes in a
large, heavy sauté pan over mediumlow heat. Add the shallots and sweat
for 5 minutes until soft, being careful
not to brown them. Add the chicken livers and thyme and cook for 5
minutes, until the livers are lightly
browned on the outside but still very
soft and pink on the inside. Increase
the heat to medium-high, add the
brandy or Cognac, and cook for a final 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the stove,
and let the chicken liver mixture cool
slightly. Transfer mixture to a blender
or food processor, and add the cream
and the remaining butter. Pulse until
smooth; adding more cream as necessary. Adjust the seasoning to taste
with salt.
Spoon the pâté into small glass
jars or containers. Cover with plastic
wrap and refrigerate until firm, about
More online at www.georgiamagazine.org

2 hours. Chicken liver pâté may be
kept refrigerated for up to 1 week or
in the freezer for 2 months.
To make the Toast Points: Cut each
slice of bread into 4 triangles. Melt 4
tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan
over medium heat. Add 3 slices bread
to the pan in a single layer, and cook
3 minutes on each side, until brown.
Remove the toast from the pan
to drain on a paper-towel-lined sheet
pan or platter. Add the remaining butter and repeat the process with the remaining slices of bread. Sprinkle with
flaked sea salt and serve with Chicken
Liver Pâté. Serves 6.
From "Dinner Déjà Vu: Southern
Tonight, French Tomorrow" by Jennifer Hill Booker. Used by permission of
the publisher, Pelican Publishing Co.

Lightened-Up Pimiento Cheese
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese,
freshly grated (about 1 cup)
4 ounces light cheddar cheese, freshly
grated (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup sweet onion, grated
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plain 2 percent Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped pimientos, drained
Hot sauce
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper
Japanese or English cucumbers, for
accompaniment

To make the pimiento cheese,
combine the cheeses, onion, mayonnaise and yogurt in a bowl. Stir until
well combined. Add the pimientos and
hot sauce to taste. Season with salt and
pepper and set aside.
Cut the cucumbers into 1-inchthick rounds, discarding the ends but
leaving the skin on. Using a small
spoon or melon baller, scoop the
seeds and some of the flesh out of
each round (be careful not to go all
the way through) to form a small cup.
To serve, fill each cup with about
1 teaspoon of the pimiento cheese.
Serve immediately.
Reprinted with permission from
"Lighten Up Y'all" by Virginia Willis, ©
2015; published by Ten Speed Press, an
imprint of Random House an imprint
of Penguin Random House LLC. Available at amazon.com.
40G

http://www.amazon.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - December 2017