A Feast For The New Year

It's a new year, and what a great time to try out some new recipes! Grace Parisi from Food and Wine magazine brings to The Early Show a wonderful menu incorporating some of the hot new food trends for 2007.

The top 100 "must-tastes" for 2007 are featured in Food and Wine's January issue. Parisi, an award-winning cookbook author, is one of the top people in the magazine's test kitchen.

STARTERS

Iberico ham will be available in the U.S. this year, and it will probably replace prosciutto on many antipasto plates. You also can get new varieties of unpasteurized cheeses. Parisi says all things Greek will be huge in 2007, and that includes the oft-overlooked Greek olive oil.

Also big in 2007: mocktails (cocktails without alcohol), and we're not referring to orange juice with seltzer. Here's an example:

VIRGIN BELLINI RECIPE:
In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil 14 ounces of hulled fresh strawberries, 6 ounces of water and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in 1 1/2 ounces of fresh lemon juice.

Transfer the strawberry mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth; strain through a fine sieve. Pour 1 ounce of the strawberry puree into each of 5 flutes and top with 3 ounces of chilled sparkling apple cider.

MAIN DISHES

CREAMY GRITS
FAST
MAKE-AHEAD
TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN
SERVES: 6

Ingredients
2 cups coarse, stone-ground grits
Water
6 cups whole milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

Directions
Put the grits in a medium bowl and cover with water. Stir a few times, then let stand for 1 minute. Tilt the bowl slightly, allowing the chaff to float to the top. Spoon off the chaff and drain the grits. Transfer the grits to a large, heavy saucepan. Add the milk and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the grains are just barely tender, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the grits are tender, about 10 minutes longer.

In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the corn and cook over high heat until crisp tender, about 2 minutes. Stir the corn into the grits, along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Serve warm.

MAKE AHEAD The grits can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Add a few tablespoons of warm water to thin the grits before reheating.

GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH TOASTED PECANS
FAST
HEALTHY
TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN
SERVES: 6

This recipe is from Clotilde Dusoulier, a 27-year-old Parisian who left a career as a software engineer to focus on her hugely successful food blog, Chocolate & Zucchini. Now she's written a book called Chocolate & Zucchini, due out in May, with recipes for everyday French food, accompanied by quirky musings. About trimming the green beans for this salad, she writes, "My fingers busy themselves instinctively-much like those of people who knit without looking, while I let my mind wander, thinking about the rest of the menu, plans for the weekend and whether I should cut my hair."

Ingredients
1/3 cup pecan halves
1 1/2 pounds thin green beans
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 ounces thinly sliced dry-cured ham, such as jambon de l'Ardèche, prosciutto or serrano ham, cut into 1-inch ribbons

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the pecans in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, or until fragrant and browned. Let cool, then coarsely chop.

Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice water. Place the beans in a steamer basket and steam until tender but still bright green, about 10 minutes. Plunge the beans into the ice water, then drain and pat dry.

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the vinegar, season with salt and pepper and toss in the beans, parsley and ham. Sprinkle the pecans on top and serve.

CORN BREAD WITH SCALLIONS
FAST
HEALTHY
ACTIVE TIME: 10 MIN TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN
MAKES ONE 10-INCH ROUND LOAF

After cooking in Europe and writing and editing in New York, Paula Disbrowe packed her high heels and moved to Texas, where she spent three years as chef at Hart & Hind, a fitness retreat and cattle ranch. One result: Cowgirl Cuisine, due out in March, with updated chuckwagon recipes like this tender, lightly sweet corn bread.

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup coarse, stone-ground yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 cups low-fat milk
2 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs, beaten
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon corn oil
8 scallions, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk the milk, honey, eggs and 1/3 cup of the oil. Add the wet ingredients to the cornmeal mixture and whisk just until combined. Stir in the scallions.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the hot skillet and swirl to coat. Pour the batter into the skillet and bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly, then turn the corn bread out onto a plate. Invert it onto a rack to cool. Alternatively, serve the corn bread hot from the skillet.

JAPANESE FRITES
FAST
TOTAL TIME: 25 MIN
SERVES: 6

French fries have gone way beyond the prosaic russet potato. At Fork in Philadelphia, for instance, Ellen Yin features yuca and taro fries on her menu. Then there are the irresistible fries created by Gene Kato for the Japonais restaurants originating in Chicago (the newest location: Las Vegas). Made with sweet potatoes, the frites are seasoned with a blend of Japanese flavorings, including nori flakes and the tingly spice mix shichimi togarashi.

Ingredients
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 tablespoon nori flakes (You can buy nori flakes, called aonori, at Asian markets, or you can make your own: Toast a sheet of nori in a dry skillet for 1 minute, then finely grind it in a spice grinder.)
2 teaspoons shichimi togarashi (Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese seasoning blend that includes chiles, sesame seeds and orange peel.)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 tablespoons sambal oelek or other Asian red chile sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
4 white or orange sweet potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick sticks (3 pounds)

Directions
In a large pot, heat 3 inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the nori flakes with the shichimi togarashi, salt and pepper. In another small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the sambal oelek and lime juice.

Working in batches, fry the sweet potato sticks until they are tender and golden, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sweet potato fries to paper towel-lined plates to drain. Generously sprinkle the hot fries with the nori-togarashi mixture and serve immediately with the spicy mayonnaise on the side.

FRIED BABY ARTICHOKES
FAST
TOTAL TIME: 50 MIN
SERVES: 10
This recipe is based on a preparation that originated in Rome's Jewish ghetto. It is one of Palma D'Orazio's most requested dishes at her New York City restaurant, Palma. Frying brings out the artichokes' sweetness.

Ingredients
20 baby artichokes (about 4 ounces each)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions
With a small, sharp knife, cut off the artichoke stems. Snap off the leaves until you reach the inner leaves. Cut off the top third of the artichokes and trim any tough parts. Quarter the artichokes lengthwise.

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 inches of olive oil to 300 degrees. Fry the artichokes in the hot oil in batches until richly browned and crisp, about 2 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the artichokes to small plates or a shallow serving bowl. Sprinkle with the cheese and parsley and serve.

GREEN-CHILE CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ARUGULA SALAD
ACTIVE TIME: 45 MIN TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS
SERVES: 6

Adam Perry Lang, owner of Daisy May's BBQ USA in New York City, tasted New Mexican Hatch green-chile powder for the first time last year during one of his "flavor recon missions," he says. "I was absolutely amazed by the color, fruitiness and bright, floral taste. The powder isn't a substitute for fresh chiles; it's a whole different flavor experience." It took Perry Lang nearly two months to track down a purveyor, dagiftbasket.com, which he calls "my best-kept secret." Now he sprinkles the powder on pork, grilled corn and poultry, including these delightful, crisp chicken thighs.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons New Mexican Hatch green-chile powder or other mild green-chile powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 chicken thighs on the bone, trimmed of excess skin
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound baby arugula
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
1/2 pound queso fresco or farmer cheese, crumbled (2 cups)
Creamy Grits for serving

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the butter in a medium roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the chile powder, coriander and oregano with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the seasonings generously over the chicken thighs, pressing to help them adhere.

Transfer the chicken to the roasting pan, skin side down. Cover the chicken with foil and roast for 1 hour. Turn the chicken thighs and roast, uncovered, for 25 minutes longer, until they are cooked through and the pan juices are slightly reduced.

Light the broiler. Broil the chicken 6 inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the skin is golden and crisp. Pour the pan juices into a bowl and stir in the parsley and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Season the pan juices with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the arugula, cilantro and queso fresco and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the Creamy Grits into shallow bowls and top with the chicken thighs. Mound the salad alongside, drizzle the pan juices all around and serve.

WINE: Oak fermentation adds weight to Kim Crawford's 2005 Marlborough Pinot Gris, a round, appley white with enough body to stand up to the bold-flavored chicken.

SLOW-BRAISED OSSO BUCO
MAKE-AHEAD
ACTIVE TIME: 1 HR TOTAL TIME: 4 HRS 30 MIN
SERVES: 10

Osso buco translates as "hole in the bone," referring to the delectable marrow in the center of the veal shank bone. This Lombardian specialty is ideal for entertaining because the flavor of the dish only improves if it's made in advance.

Ingredients
10 pieces of veal shank, about 3/4 pound each, tied
Salt and freshly ground pepper
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
4 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 large onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
4 cups water
1/4 cup tomato paste

Directions
Season the veal shanks with salt and pepper. Dust them with flour, shaking off the excess. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add 5 of the veal shanks and cook over moderate heat until richly browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the shanks to a roasting pan that's large enough to hold them all in a single layer without crowding. Repeat with the remaining shanks.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Add the carrots, celery and onions to the skillet. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and boil uncovered over high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the water and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Pour the contents of the skillet over the shanks.

Cover the roasting pan with foil. Transfer the shanks to the oven and braise for 2 hours and 45 minutes, or until the meat is very tender. Transfer the shanks to a large, rimmed baking sheet. Discard the strings and cover the shanks with foil. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Strain the liquid from the roasting pan into a large saucepan, reserving the vegetables. Boil the liquid over high heat until reduced to 4 cups, about 25 minutes. Return the vegetables to the sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, reheat the veal shanks in the oven until hot, about 7 minutes. Transfer the shanks to plates, ladle the sauce on top and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The shanks can be refrigerated in their sauce for up to 3 days. Add a little water to the pan before reheating.

WINE: This rich, meaty dish needs a rich, meaty wine, such as Di Majo Norante's strawberry-scented 2004 Sangiovese, a wonderful value red produced in the southern Italian region of Molise by superstar consultant Riccardo Cotarella.

DESSERTS

MAKE-AHEAD
STAFF FAVORITE
ACTIVE TIME: 50 MIN TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS plus overnight soaking
MAKES ABOUT 35 SMALL PIECES

Whether it's a crisp shard garnishing bread pudding or crumbles on maple ice cream, bacon is subtly making its way into desserts. And not so subtly: When bacon impresario Dan Philips of the Grateful Palate collaborated on a bacon-themed dinner at The Brown hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, pastry chef Brian Logsdon created this bacon-studded baklava for dessert.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds sliced bacon
1 cup whole blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dates
1 package phyllo dough
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons bourbon
Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a skillet, fry the bacon in batches until crisp. Drain well and crumble. In a food processor, finely chop the bacon with the almonds and dates. Butter a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan. Lay a sheet of phyllo in the pan; trim the edges to fit and brush with butter. Repeat with 4 more phyllo sheets and butter. Spread 1 cup of the filling evenly over the phyllo. Repeat this layering of 5 phyllo sheets and bacon filling two more times. Top with 5 buttered phyllo sheets, buttering the top well.

With a small, sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamonds. Bake the baklava for 10 minutes. Turn the oven to 325 degrees and bake for 1 hour longer, or until nicely browned.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, maple syrup, water, bourbon and orange zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then let cool to room temperature. Pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava and let stand at room temperature uncovered overnight.

BRÛLÉED KEY LIME TARTS
MAKE-AHEAD
STAFF FAVORITE
ACTIVE TIME: 25 MIN TOTAL TIME: 3 HRS 30 MIN
SERVES: 4

When the famed Gray Kunz opens Grayz in Manhattan this spring, he plans to pair every dish with a cocktail. What to have with this outrageous Oreo-crusted riff on Key lime pie? An Elderflower Martini.

Ingredients:
10 Oreo cookies
2 tablespoons melted butter
5 egg yolks
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup Key lime juice
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 8 teaspoons for sprinkling
3 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
Pinch of salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, finely grind the Oreos. Pulse in the butter. Lightly spray four 4 1/2-inch fluted tartlet pans with removable bottoms; press the ground Oreos into the bottoms. Set the pans on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, or until the edges look dry. Let cool.

In a bowl, whisk the yolks, condensed milk, 1/3 cup of the Key lime juice and the lime zest. Pour the filling into the pans and bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes, until the edges are just firm. Let cool for 30 minutes, then freeze until very cold, about 2 hours.

In a small saucepan, combine the 3 tablespoons of sugar with 3 tablespoons of water, the lime leaves and the salt. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, then let cool. Discard the lime leaves. Stir in the remaining 1/3 cup of lime juice and refrigerate.

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the sugar over each tart and caramelize with a blow torch. Unmold the tarts and place in shallow bowls. Pour in the Key lime sauce and serve.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

CLASSIC TIRAMISÙ
MAKE-AHEAD
ACTIVE TIME: 25 MIN TOTAL TIME: 25 MIN plus overnight chilling
SERVES: 10

It's hard to believe that this espresso-flavored Italian dessert (its name means "pick me up") joined the culinary lexicon in the 1960s, when it was invented in the Italian city of Treviso.

Ingredients:
5 large egg whites
Salt
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
Two 8 3/4-ounce containers mascarpone, at room temperature
1/2 cup strong brewed espresso, cooled
About 17 ladyfingers (from a 17-ounce package)
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
1/2 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate curls, made with a vegetable peeler

Directions:
In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt at high speed until firm peaks form. In another medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and thickened. At low speed, beat the mascarpone into the yolks. Fold the beaten whites into the mascarpone mixture.

Spread half of the mascarpone mixture in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Pour the espresso into a shallow bowl. Dip the ladyfingers in the espresso until evenly moistened and arrange in a layer on the mascarpone mixture; you may need to break a few in half to make them fit. Spread the remaining mascarpone mixture on top. Sift cocoa powder over the tiramisù. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Scatter the chocolate curls evenly over the tiramisù and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The tiramisù can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

RICH AND CREAMY BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING
MAKE-AHEAD
ACTIVE TIME: 45 MIN TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN plus 4 hr cooling
SERVES: 6

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons Scotch
1 1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 large egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1 cup butterscotch chips (6 ounces)
Whipped cream and store-bought caramel sauce, for serving (see Note)

Directions
Fill a medium bowl with ice water. Set a fine mesh sieve in another medium bowl; set the bowl in the ice water bath.

In a small skillet, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cream with the Scotch, brown sugar, water and salt and cook over moderate heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool slightly.

Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl. In a heavy, medium saucepan, bring the remaining 3 1/2 cups of cream to a simmer with the vanilla bean and seeds. Remove from the heat. Add the butterscotch chips to the hot cream and let stand until melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Gradually add the hot butterscotch mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until thick, about 15 minutes. Do not let it boil. Strain the pudding into the bowl in the ice bath and stir in the Scotch mixture.

Pour the pudding into glasses and refrigerate until thoroughly set, at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve the pudding with whipped cream and caramel sauce.

All the recipes also may be found at Food and Wine Magazine Web site.