Anyone wanna do a WTF cooking night?

Now that I've got enough recipes on this blog that I'm actually adding recipes to months whose menus I have already started (!), I was wondering about organizing a monthly WTF cooking night . . .

So, do you wanna help me see if these recipes are any good?  Get in touch with me (my e-mail is werd2thenerd@yahoo.com, I'm on Facebook as Grok Hussein Amiri, Livejournal and Twitter as tristissima, and you might very well also have my or my house's phone number!)  The first ones to do so essentially get to pick the day/time/place!

Oh, and I'm thinking that this would make a wonderful monthly event, if folk are interested . . .

Cinnamon-Corn-Maple Applesauce

Serves 8 (serving size: about 1 cup)

½ cup maple syrup

¼ cup water

4 cups chopped peeled apple (about 4 medium apples)

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon canola oil

¼ cup unpopped popcorn kernels

2 tablespoons maple sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1. Combine syrup and water in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Add apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg; cover and cook over medium-low heat 25 minutes or until tender. Mash apples with a potato masher. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes.
2. Add oil to apple mixture; increase heat to medium-high. Add popcorn, sugar, and salt to pan; cover and cook 3 minutes or until kernels begin to pop, stirring frequently. Continue cooking 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. When popping slows down, remove pan from heat. Let stand, covered, until all popping stops.

February menu

Course #6.5:

1. Ham, Lemon, Ricotta, Artichoke, and Fig Tart

Ham, Lemon, Ricotta, Artichoke, and Fig Tart

Serves 4

1½ ounces dried figs (about 2)

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups plus 1 teaspoon water, divided

3½ tablespoons butter, divided

½ onion, finely chopped

1 cup arborio rice

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

10 tablespoons drained chopped canned artichoke hearts

Grated peel of ½ lemon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper

⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 ounces sliced deli ham, coarsely chopped

8 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

8 teaspoons walnuts, toasted and chopped

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, divided

½ cup ricotta cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a small bowl, cover the figs with boiling water and steep until softened, about 15 minutes; drain and finely chop.
2. In a saucepan, bring the broth and 2 cups water to a boil, cover, and keep at a simmer.
3. In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
4. Stir in ½ cup of the broth mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Maintaining a low simmer, continue to add the broth mixture, ¼ cup at a time, stirring frequently and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. Cook for 5 minutes. Add 1½ tablespoons butter, sliced onion, and thyme, and cook, stirring frequently, until rice is tender and onions are softened and browned, about 15 minutes.
5. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the artichoke hearts, lemon peel, lemon juice, and the remaining butter; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese, ham, parsley, and walnuts.
6. Arrange puff pastry on a baking sheet. Using a fork, pierce a ¼-inch edge around the pastry. In a small bowl, beat together half of the egg and remaining water. Brush the pastry with the egg wash; freeze until ready to use.
7. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta and the remaining egg. Stir in the figs; season with salt and pepper.
8. Spread the ricotta mixture on the puff pastry in an even layer, leaving a border. Top with the rice mixture. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 350° and bake until the bottom of the puff pastry is golden, 5 to 10 minutes.

Peanut Butter-Chicken Hummus-Yakitori Rice Bowl

Serves 6

1 (3.5-ounce) bag boil-in-bag basmati rice

1½ tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

2½ teaspoons olive oil

2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

1½ tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ tablespoon rice vinegar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

½ (15½-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 garlic clove, minced

3½ tablespoons water

1½ tablespoons peanut oil, divided

½ pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs

4 ounces snow peas, halved lengthwise diagonally

½ bunch green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

½ English cucumber, cut into 24 ¼-inch-thick slices

1. Cook rice according to package directions, omitting rice and fat.
2. Combine peanut butter and next 12 ingredients (through garlic) in a small saucepan;bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes. Transfer to food processor; with food processor running, slowly drizzle in water. Process until smooth.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken thighs to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer to a cutting board; cool slightly. Cut into (1-inch) strips.
4. Return pan to medium-high heat; add remaining peanut oil to pan. Add snow peas and onions; sauté 2 minutes. Add hummus mixture and chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is syrupy and chicken thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Divide rice evenly among 6 shallow bowls; top each serving evenly with chicken mixture. Finish with 4 cucumber slices atop each bowl.

Sweet and Spicy Nut, Grappa, and Pretzel Mix

Serves 8
1½ tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, divided
³⁄₈ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
¼ cup pecans
¼ cup blanched almonds
¾ tablespoon butter
¾ tablespoon Nardini almond grappa
1½ cups tiny unsalted pretzels
¾ tablespoon Pages Verveine du Velay Extra Liqueur
½ cup crispy rice cereal squares (such as Rice Chex)
¾ tablespoon Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1 tablespoon maple syrup
¾ tablespoon lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Combine brown sugar, ½ teaspoon thyme, salt, cinnamon, and red pepper in a small bowl.
3. Combine pecans and almonds on a jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 350˚ for 10 minutes or until the nuts begin to brown.  Combine the pecan mixture and butter in a medium bowl, stirring until the butter melts.  Gently stir in grappa, pretzels, verveine, cereal, maraschino liqueur, syrup, and lime juice.  Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over pretzel mixture; toss gently to coat.  Spread pretzel mixture in a single layer on jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 350˚ for 10 minutes, stirring once.  Sprinkle with remaining thyme.  Cool completely.

Salted Potato-Caramel Cheesecake Gratins

Serves 10
1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (about 1½ cups)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)
1 quart no-salt-added chicken stock (such as Swanson)
15 vanilla wafers
2 tablespoons canola oil
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¾ cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 thyme sprig
³⁄₈ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
¹⁄₈ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ ounces aged Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 6 tablespoons)
Cooking spray
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
6 ounces ⅓-less-fat cream cheese, softened
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¹⁄₈ teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, divided
¾ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water
½ tablespoon butter
¼ cup evaporated milk
½ ounce fresh Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about ¼ cup)
¼ teaspoon flake salt

1. Preheat oven to 325˚.
2. Place potatoes in a large stockpot; cover with stock.  Bring mixture to a boil; cook 4 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Carefully remove potatoes from pot using a slotted spoon, reserving cooking liquid.  Arrange potato slices in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan; set aside.  Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl; reserve ½ cup cooking liquid.  Discard solids and remaining cooking liquid.
3. Place cookies in a food processor; process until finely ground crumbs measure about ½ cup.  Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add oil to pan.  Sprinkle over oil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Combine milk and reserved cooking liquid.  Gradually pour milk mixture into flour mixture in pan, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Add thyme sprig to pan.  Bring mixture to a boil; cook 4 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat.  Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids.  Stir ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, pepper, cookie crumbs, and Gruyère cheese into milk mixture.
4. Coat a 10-cup muffin tin well with cooking spray.  Evenly divide ½ cup crumb mixture among muffin cups, reserving the rest; press crumb mixture firmly into bottom.  Bake at 325˚ for 7 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven; cool.
5. Wipe food processor clean.  Place brown sugar, yogurt, and cream cheese in processor; process until smooth.  Add vanilla, potatoes, table salt, and egg; process until smooth.  Spoon batter evenly between muffin cups.  Sprinkle evenly with remaining kosher salt, ½ tablespoon chives, and chopped thyme.  Bake at 325˚ for 18 minutes or until centers of cheesecakes barely move when pan is touched.  Remove pan from oven; cool on a wire rack to room temperature.  Cover pan; refrigerate cheesecakes 3 hours or until well chilled.
6. Combine granulated sugar and water in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until suhgar dissolves, stirring gently as needed to dissolve sugar evenly (about 3 minutes).  Continue cooking 12 minutes or until the color of light brown sugar (do not stir).  Remove from heat; carefully stir in butter, remaining crumb mixture, and evaporated milk (caramelized sugar will harden and stick to spoon).  Place pan over medium-high heat until caramelized sugar melts. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute.  Remove pan from heat; cool caramel to room temperature.  Cover and chill 1 hour or until slightly thickened.
7. Spoon sauce mixture evenly over cheesecakes. Sprinkle with Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese.  Bake at 325˚ for 1 hour or until cheesecakes are tender when pierced with a knife.
8. Remove cheesecakes from oven.  Preheat broiler to high.
9. Place cheesecakes in oven.  Broil cheesecakes 3 minutes or until browned.  Run a thin knife around outside edge of each cheesecake.  Carefully remove cheesecakes from pan; place on a platter.  Sprinkle with flake salt and remaining chives.  Chill cheesecakes until ready to serve.