Freedom on a roll
How did you choose your last car? I mean -really! Yes, I know you shopped for one that was just the right size for your family, even the dogs. You considered all those rational things we’re proud to brag about-side air bags, soaring satisfaction ratings and legend-producing reliability. Uh-huh. And, then what? When you pulled out your checkbook to write a string of numbers as long as your first mortgage, were you buying the safest, most reliable, most durable car?
I wish I could say yes, but in truth, the clincher on our family car was a chunky hunk of basketry tucked under the privacy cover in the back of an SUV. Buy a Range Rover and Fortnum and Mason “throws in” a classic horse country picnic basket replete with porcelain dishes and brass and leather clasps. No flimsy Tupperware; no leaky recycled mayo jars-our car was born to transform roughing it to grace-on-the-go.
Now that the days are as long as they ever get, and the calendar has gifted us with four days in which to celebrate freedom, I’m packing my basket and heading for the woods, the beach and the sea. Summer’s no time to fuss over recipes with a thousand steps-that’s for winter’s dark and dreary days.
And, food for the road needs to travel upside down or right-side up-and taste great at whatever temperature the day brings. Both these recipes are perfect picnic fare-safe, durable, reliable, just the right size for you and your family-and easy to take on the road.
You will probably want an entre. Sometimes I just grab a roast chicken from Ralph’s or Malibu Chicken and tuck it into the beach blanket, but for a special treat, I start a day ahead to crisp up a batch of fried chicken.
Most chicken-store-bought or homemade-is juicy and tender when hot, but greasy a few hours later. Here are time-honored tricks: 1) soak the pieces in buttermilk overnight to tenderize, 2) drain for an hour on a wire rack to dry out the skin, 3) shake one at a time in a paper bag of seasoned flour-I like lots of Emeril’s Essence- and 4) make sure the oil is hot enough (350 degrees) and never drops below 300 degrees or the chicken will absorb the grease.
There’s no need to buy a new Rover to get a made-for-the-weather basket-Room at the Beach has even nicer ones for a tiny fraction of the cost of mine-wheels not included.
And, I’m crazy about their stick-in-the-sand Fourth of July candles that celebrate the glory of our Malibu Way of Life. Have a safe and joyous Fourth!
LOUISE’S CONFETTI RICE SALAD
This recipe is a Malibu tradition, straight from Carbon Beach. One of my beachcombing neighbors, Louise Stange, picked it up from Edna McHugh, who once wrote a food column for that other paper in town. As a clue to how long ago the recipe appeared, it was a neighborhood staple at all beach fetes for years before Louise’s tattered 3×5 card burned in the ’93 fire. I love it for the Fourth – the colors “pop” like confetti against the fluffy kernels of white.
Serves 6
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups water
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 bunch scallions, minced
1 bunch cilantro, leaves minced
1. Cook rice in boiling salted water 20 minutes or to package directions. Remove from heat and leave uncovered for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Cool.
2. Add remaining ingredients to rice in a large bowl and toss with dressing.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Lime Vinaigrette Dressing:
1/ 3 cup fresh lime juice
1/ 2 cup peanut oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
1. Put the juice in a small mixing bowl and sloooowly add the oil, whisking constantly to emulsify (thicken) the dressing. The more modern of you can do this in a food processor, drizzling the oil in as the blade whirrs!
2. Season to taste.
RED, WHITE and BLUE BARS
If you’re a lazy gourmet -and I am-check out “The Cake Mix Doctor” for fool-proof, time-minimal desserts that make your friends think you’re a culinary wizard who’s been baking all day. These fabulous variations on Linzetorte took less than 10 minutes at the mixer- and produced food slaves, hanging around my kitchen drooling for fourths and fifths and sixths and …
Makes 30 cookies
Crust:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
2 large egg yolks
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat ingredients at low speed for 30-seconds, then increase speed to medium for 2 minutes. The mixture will look like coarse pellets. Spread into a 9×13 baking pan.
3. Bake 15 minutes and cool on a wire rack. Do NOT turn off the oven.
Topping:
2-3 large egg whites
1/ 2-cup sugar
1-1/ 2 cups finely chopped almonds
1. Beat whites on high speed 2 – 3 minutes until foamy. Add half the sugar.
2. Beat on high, gradually adding sugar until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Stop the mixer.
3. Gently fold in nuts. Set aside.
Filling:
3/ 4 cup seedless raspberry jam
3/ 4 cup seedless blackberry or blueberry jam
1. In 1-inch stripes, alternate spreading the red and blue jams on the crust.
2. With a clean spatula, spread the topping over the crust-be careful not to blend them.
3. Bake 25 minutes until the top just starts to brown.
4. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack and cut into 2″ squares.