Welcome back to another edition of Into the Kitchen with MMJ! Last time, we held a tea party in celebration of MMJ’s birthday on October 27th. For this edition, we are heading to the beach to get away from the Summer heat!
A Beach Party is a great way to relax, cool off, and connect with nature. The Maryknoll Sisters love a good picnic, and often use it as a way to build a closer community. For our picnic at the beach, I have cooked a number of recipes that we can make ahead of time and bring with us. Check out the menu below!
Fruit Punch
What Did I Think?
The first thing we need for our Day at the Beach is a cold, refreshing beverage to enjoy. This fruit punch recipe is one of many “punch” type drinks in MMJ’s cookbook. Citrus and Pineapple is a great combination, creating a fruity and sweet drink that is great on a hot, sunny day. The acid from the fruit helps balance out the sweetness, especially when it is diluted with ice cold water. Overall, a great drink to refresh and hydrate!
Chef’s Corner
As with most of these beverage recipes, they are pretty straight-forward. If you can get good fresh pineapple, particularly when it is in season, I would use that. However if you are making this in the winter, canned pineapple will do. If using canned, I would boil the syrup for half the time, as the pineapple is already partially cooked. When making the punch, I would dilute it by a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 of syrup to water, depending on how sweet you want it.
Maryland Chicken
What Did I Think?
This is an easy and tasty take on a “fried” chicken recipe. I was not aware of what “Maryland Chicken” was before coming across this recipe. It seems it is a form of pan-fried chicken with a cream sauce and typically served with bananas (an historic import of Baltimore). For our Beach Party, I wanted to simplify the recipe and focus specifically on the chicken.
The result was juicy, flavorful, and with a well established crust, though not quite crispy. It is an interesting take on a “fried” chicken, and in particular it was really easy to make at home. All you need is a good pan (preferably cast iron) and an oven. No need for large pots of hot oil and wondering what to do with all of it afterwards. Overall this recipe gets my seal of approval particularly for the home cook.
Chef’s Corner
There are a few things to discuss with this recipe, but let’s start with the ingredients. Firstly let’s talk chicken, as the recipe calls for “two young chickens”. When I made this recipe, it made quite a bit of food and I needed more butter than was called for. If you give this recipe a try, try using one chicken instead of two.
Next we should talk about what a “soft crumb” is. Generally, this refers to fresh breadcrumbs, usually made from fresh or day-old bread. For my recipe, I just used dry breadcrumbs as it is more accessible. While either will work, I believe the fresh breadcrumbs would better absorb the butter and may have a better flavor than using dry breadcrumbs.
Lastly, let’s discuss how to cook the chicken. Generally a “hot oven” refers to about 400 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. MMJ calls for thirty minutes, basting with butter after the first five. I cooked my chicken in a 425 degree oven and it took about twenty-five minutes. I didn’t turn my chicken to keep things simple and easy. Turning the chicken halfway through would give a better crust all around.
Potato Salad
What Did I Think?
This is a great and unique take on a potato salad that most modern people would not be familiar with. When most of us eat a potato salad nowadays, we mostly expect something sweet, mayo heavy, with some celery or onion. MMJ’s recipe offers a more balanced take, with ingredients that are different from what the average person would expect. The acid from the vinegar and capers balances with the oil, with plenty of spices from the piccalilli to add more flavor. Overall, I would definitely give this recipe a try for your next picnic or BBQ.
Chef’s Corner
I think the strength of this recipe in modern times is the fact it is not a mayo-based potato salad. Modern recipes can tend to be bland or way too wet. Oil and vinegar is a tried and true combo, and all the other ingredients do well to support the simple dressing with additional flavor. I used hard-boiled eggs, as I am not a fish person, but I think the umami flavors of anchovies and sardines would add a powerful punch of flavor to this recipe. The only ingredient most Americans would not be familiar with is the Piccalilli, or mustard pickles.
Piccalilli is a common pickled condiment in the United Kingdom, made with mixed vegetables in a tangy mustard based sauce. While common across the pond, it is generally difficult to find in the United States. The closest thing I found was something called “mustard relish”, which seemed closed enough. If you want to be authentic to the recipe, I would order the real stuff online.
Orange and Date Salad
What Did I Think?
Fresh, sweet, and super easy to throw together right before leaving for the Beach. This Orange and Date Salad recipe is another example of a unique take on something most modern people are familiar with. People generally love green salads, and they can range from sweet to savory. This one is definitely on the sweeter side, using a combination of fruit that is not often seen anymore. We do not often use dates anymore, particularly in salads, so its a welcome sight. Combined with a simple dressing, I really enjoyed having this salad as part of my picnic.
Chef’s Corner
Assembling this salad is quite easy and straightforward, as any salad should be. Too many ingredients or toppings on a salad just makes it too busy and the flavors get confused. In terms of ingredients, any orange and lettuce will do. I used romaine, but butter or iceberg lettuce would be more historic. I should note that while this recipes asks for Olive Oil, do not go for Extra Virgin. EVOO tends to have a strong flavor, which will overpower much of the dish. Instead use a light olive oil to make the dressing, which will let the lemon shine more.
My only other note is regarding the dates. MMJ’s recipes is assuming you are using fresh dates and she details how to skin, stone, and somewhat dry them. You can do this for full authenticity, but I would suggest just grabbing dried, pitted dates at the store. You will save yourself a lot of time and effort by doing so.
Hot Apple Triangle
What Did I Think?
Our last dish for this edition is a simple, delicious dessert that would travel well for our Beach picnic. These hot apple triangles are kind of like a combination of a cake and a scone in texture. Like a lot of desserts in MMJ’s cookbook, it is not all that sweet. Instead it is more about the cinnamon and focusing on the fruit of the dish. A bit of butter rounds out this pastry as a great way to end our Beach Picnic.
Chef’s Corner
I always have so much to say about the bake goods I make for this series, and this recipe is no exception. First let us discuss baking. The recipe calls for a Hot oven, so roughly 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and mine took about 30 minutes. You are looking for the dough to get brown on top and the apple slices to be cook through. To make the “triangles” indicative from the name, bake the dough in a round pan. You can bake in a square 8×8 and cut into squares, if that is easier.
With the baking instructions detailed, let’s talk about making the dough. You want to add only just enough milk for the dough to come together with no dry spots. As you are mixing, it will look like there is way too much diced apple, but it will be okay. The dough will expand a lot while baking, creating a more appropriate apple to dough ratio.
Thanks again for joining me in another edition of Into the Kitchen with MMJ! I hope you had tons of fun at our Beach party, and these recipes inspire you to try them at home. See you next time when I recreate more of MMJ’s fantastic recipes!
