- In microwavable glass measure, combine porcini mushrooms and 1 cup broth; cover with plastic wrap, venting one side. Microwave on high for 3 minutes or until liquid bubbles. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat oil over high heat; cook white mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, salt and red pepper flakes, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms start to release liquid.
- Meanwhile, working over small bowl and reserving excess liquid, strain porcini mixture through fine sieve lined with cheesecloth or coffee filter. Rinse porcini, pat dry and chop. Add porcini, reserved soaking liquid, remaining chicken broth, water and tomatoes to Dutch oven; cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- To serve, place slice of toast in bottom of each soup bowl. Ladle soup over bread. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Recipe provided by Chef Sharon Sanders
- Prepare the Pizza Dough. Grease 12-inch round pizza pan with olive oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal; set aside.
- Punch down dough and place on lightly floured surface; let stand for 5 minutes. With lightly floured hands or rolling pin, pat or roll into 13-inch round. Transfer to prepared pan, folding edges to make rounded border. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand for 15 minutes or until slightly risen.
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat oil in large sauté pan set over high heat; stir in onions. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until onions start to brown. Stir; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until browned. Stir in salt and oregano.
- Spread onions over prepared crust. Sprinkle with olives. Bake for 15 minutes or until crust is golden. Transfer to rack; let cool for 5 minutes.
Tip: Replace the pizza dough with 1 lb of thawed frozen commercial bread dough if desired.
Recipe Provided by Chef Sharon Sanders
- In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; cook potatoes, stirring to coat with oil, for 5 minutes or until browned on bottom.
- Reduce heat to medium. Stir in oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned. Sprinkle with salt.
Recipe provided by Chef Sharon Sanders
- In large pot of boiling salted water; cook orzo for about 6 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse; set aside.
- Return pot to burner; heat oil over medium-high heat. Stir in flour; whisk until smooth. Pour in milk in slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat for 4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in orzo.
Recipe provided by Chef Sharon Sanders
- Stir together flour, anise, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In separate bowl, stir sugar with olive oil. Stir in eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Stir in milk, orange zest and vanilla until blended; stir in flour mixture until combined. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Roll scant tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in center of oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until bottoms and edges are pale golden and tops are set. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheets; transfer to racks and let cool completely.
- Orange Icing Sugar Glaze: Stir together icing sugar, orange juice and olive oil until smooth. Dip tops of cookies into glaze, letting excess drip off; place on rack.
Topping: Toss sugar with orange zest; sprinkle over cookies while glaze is still wet. Let stand for 30 minutes or until set.
Tip: For a decorative finish, use colored sugar if desired.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In saucepan, bring 1 cup water, olive oil, sugar and salt to boil over medium heat.
- Remove from heat. Add flour all at once; with wooden spoon, stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball and leaves side of pan. Return to medium heat; continue stirring vigorously for 1 or 2 minutes or until a thin dry film forms on bottom of pan. Remove from heat. Transfer to bowl.
Using a wooden spoon, beat in eggs one at a time, incorporating well after each addition until dough is smooth, shiny and thickened. Using large spoon and rubber spatula, drop 16 mounds onto prepared pan, spacing 3 inches apart. (Alternatively, fill pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch tip or snip 1/2-inch corner from resealable bag and pipe mixture into mounds onto prepared pan.)
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until light golden brown and puffed. Cut a slit into each puff and return to oven. Reduce heat to 350°F; bake for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let puffs dry in oven for 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool completely.
Vanilla Bourbon Whipped Cream:
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- Using electric mixer, whip cream until soft peaks start to form. Beat in icing sugar and scraped vanilla bean seeds until stiff peaks start to form. Fold in bourbon.
- Split cream puffs. Remove any strands of soft dough with fingertips. Fill puffs with whipped cream mixture. Dust tops with icing sugar.
- In large pot of boiling water, cook lobsters for 2 minutes; remove and let cool slightly. Twist to remove tail and set aside. Twist to remove the knuckles and claws and return to boiling water; cook for 1½ minutes. Remove and let cool slightly. Remove all lobster meat from the shells and cut into bite-size pieces; reserve shells.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in saucepan; add lobster shells, stirring frequently. Add broth; bring to simmer. Season to taste with salt and set aside. Keep warm.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in Dutch oven set over medium heat; cook onion and peppers, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until very soft. Add rice; cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat with oil. Add wine; increase heat to medium-high; cook for 5 minutes or until wine evaporates.
- Reduce heat to medium-low; add broth mixture, ½ cup at a time and stirring after each addition until most of the liquid is absorbed before adding more. After 15 minutes of cooking, start testing the rice. Just before rice is finished cooking, add lobster to warm through and finish cooking. (Rice should be loose and creamy but not mushy, and still slightly firm in center.) Remove from heat. Stir in remaining olive oil, butter, parsley and tarragon.
Tip:Keep an eye on the rice, you may not need all of the broth mixture: you need just enough to ensure a loose and creamy consistency.
