46 ~— Wednesday, March 18, 1992 — North Shore News

FOOD
Choosing the best asparagus

(follows)

Currants for eyes

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‘e Residential o:

IT MUST be spring — fresh asparagus is arriving and at
prices we can afford. I love it all — thin, female stalks and
the fatter ‘‘male’’ ones. For two of my daughters, Heaven
is close when I make a simple lunch dish of steamed fresh

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asparagus on toast with a cheese sauce.

The remaining daughter accuses
anyone who attempts to serve her
a cooked vegetable of attempted
homicide.

How do you choose the best
asparagus? Look for tight buds
and avoid any that are bruised.
Gently bend the, root end of one
stalk. 1f£ it feels like rubber, walk
away. If it feels like it would snap
close to the bottom, buy. You can
be quite sure that the whole batch
was picked at roughly the same
time so the rest should be good.

Asparagus doesn’t store well.
I’ve had the best success in
treating it like a bouquct — clip-
ping the root ends and standing it
in a tall glass of water. I cover the
buds loosely with plastic wrap and
refrigerate.

It’s best to rush it from the
store to stove.

Here are two ways to serve as-
paragus that you may not have
tried.

Stir-fried Asparagus
1 bunch fresh asparagus — about
% Ib.
2 tablespoons salad oil
2 t2blespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon skerry
% tenspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional
but nice if you have it)

Wash and trim the asparagus.
To. trim, bend the bottom of the
stalk until you reach the spot
where it snaps. You should not
have to discard more than an
inch.

Fat asparagus can be very
woody near the root end so make
sure you’ve got the tender spot.
Cut stalks in 1%-inch diagonal
chunks.

If you're in a hurry, microwave
a minute or two.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and
stirfry the asparagus. When
crisp-tender, pull to the side of
the pan and stir the remaining in-
gredients into the hot oil.

Shake the pan to coat the as-
paragus. Serve hot. Leftovers can
be used cold to garnish salads.

Asparagus Appetizer
1 bunch thin asparagus

New York Steak

Boneless Strip Loin

Barbara
NicCreadie

BUDGET BEATERS

\% Ib. thin sliced smoked salmon

1 4-02. pkg. cream cheese

1 teaspoon grated onion

Y2 lemon, squeezed

Capers

’ Steam or microwave cleaned
asparagus until crisp tender. Chill,

Spread the salmon slices open
(smoked salmon usually comes in
sliced blocks and must be separat-
ed). Whip the cheese with lemon
and onion.

Spread the cheese mixture on
the salmon and roll up around
each asparagus spear, leaving the
bud poking up at the top. Some
cream cheese will spread through
the cracks in the salmon — dot
with capers.

If you have a pretty “4 inch
vase, try serving these upright like
a bouquet.

Easter is coming and one of the
dinner specials we've tried is this
homemade bread.

Easter Chicks

This idea came from the Family
Circle magazine but I didn’t like
the flavor of the bread recipe.
You may use your favorite roll
recipe or try mine. The secret is in
shaping the rolls.

1 recipe refrigerator dough

Aged New Zealand Beef

- may give rushed cooks a4

$

EXPIRES MARCH 21 / 92

tape. .
Refrigerator Roll Dough

1 pkg. dry yeast (or one scant (ta-
blespoon if you buy bulk}

1 cup warm: water (don't use tap
warm, heat cold)

¥Y2 cup shortening

% cug sugar

eee
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour (plus % cup if using
machine)

Dissolve yeast in water with a
pinch of the sugar. Beat shorten-

’ ing with sugar and then egg until

fluffy. Add yeast mixture, salt
and flour. Knead until silky.

Refrigerate for at least 12
hours. You may bake this in small
batches for at least 2 week. Shape
and let rise unti! double in a warm
place. Bake raised rolls at 350°F,
15 minutes.

To form chicks: Roll cold
dough into a rectangle — 8’ wide
and 1”? thick. Cut 8’’x 1°’ ropes.

Loosely knot each rope into a
granny — once over. One of the
loose ends wiil be the tail.

Spread it out and cut into four
little feathers.

The other loose end becomes
the head. Pull it back and tuck in-
to the centre of the knot. Pinch a
bit forward to become the beak.

Poke two black currants into
the head for eyes.

Set the chicks on sprayed cook-
ing sheets. Cover and let rise until
doubled — about 1% hours. Bake

as directed.

To keep children amused while
the adults sip their cocktails, let
them dress up a chick or two in
collars, skirts, bow ties or bibs.

They can set these out. on the -

table for themselves and perhaps a
favorite relative.

Remember last week I mention-
ed consulting books and maga-
zines for menu suggestions? The
April edition of Good Housekeep-
ing magazine has a good 30-
minute dinner menu feature. It
few
helpful hints.

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