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4th of July Buffet at the White Dog Cafe

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Recipe Source


The White Dog Cafe Cookbook:
Recipes and Tales of Adventure from
Philadelphia's Revolutionary Restaurant
by Judy Wicks and Kevin von Klause, 1998, Running Press

4^th of July Buffet at the White Dog Café

 Sweet & Spicy Barbecued Chicken
Watermelon and Shrimp Salad with Jalapeño-Lime Dressing
Grilled Corn with Cumin Butter
Betty’s Beef Kabobs
Summer Garden Vegetable Potato Salad  
Tangy Six-Vegetable Slaw
Nana’s Strawberry Pie

 “Every third of July, I begin to get labor pains in the morning. By evening,
I’ll be giving birth to the nation in the street on a bed draped in red, white
and blue at our annual Liberty and Justice for All Ball. Now in our twelfth
year, the “All Ball” is held under tent top in the street in front of the Café.
It begins with a buffet of all-American favorites, including some of my own
family’s summertime traditions, such as Mom’s (Betty’s) Kabobs that Dad
used to grill out on the patio, and Nana’s Strawberry Pie that she used to
bring to our house in an old- fashioned wicker pie basket.”

Sweet & Spicy Barbecued Chicken
(Serves 4 to 6)

“There are scores of recipes for barbecue sauce – each one different,
but essentially the same. The basic formula incorporates three taste
sensations: sweet, tart, and spicy. In our version, honey and orange
supply the sweet, mustard and vinegar add the tang, and the smoky
chipotle peppers lend the fire.
These ingredients not only fulfill the basic requirements for great
barbecue, they also combine so well you’ll hear involuntary lip
smacking around the table.”

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups minced yellow onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced chipotle pepper in adobo
1 cup ketchup
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 whole chickens, cut into serving pieces

1. In a nonreactive saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add
the onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook 4 minutes.
Stir in the chipotle, ketchup, orange juice, honey, mustard, vinegar,
Worcestershire, thyme, allspice, and salt. Simmer until thick, about
10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Place the chicken pieces in a shallow dish. Pour half of the barbecue
sauce on top; cover and reserve the remaining sauce. Turn to coat
the pieces thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or
up to overnight.
3. Prepare a charcoal grill.
4. Lightly oil the grill rack. Grill the chicken over hot coals, turning occasionally and basting with the marinade, until cooked through, about
15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, warm the reserved barbecue sauce in a pan. Serve on the
side with the hot grilled chicken.  Also, use this sauce to barbecue ribs,
pork chops, lamb or duck.

Watermelon and Shrimp Salad with
Jalapeño-Lime Dressing 
(serves 4)

“This is a light and spicy salad that makes a terrific first course… Unless
you’ve put Tabasco on your watermelon wedges, you probably won’t be-
lieve how incredible watermelon and hot chiles are together – this salad
is proof positive.”

1 cup Avocado Mousse (recipe follows)

Jalapeño-Lime Dressing
Juices and minced zest of 3 limes
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced into thin rings
1 teaspoon salt or nam pla
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

Salad
8 ounces cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chilled
4 cups seeded watermelon cubes
1 small red onion, sliced into thin rings
1 head Romaine lettuce

1. Prepare the Avocado Mousse.
2. Prepare the dressing:  Whisk together the lime juice and zest, the cider vinegar, and honey in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Stir in
the jalapeño, salt (or nam pla), cilantro, and mint. Reserve.
3. Prepare the salad:  In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, watermelon,
and red onion rings. Add the dressing and toss to combine well. Arrange
a few leaves of Romaine on 4 chilled plates. Spoon the salad onto the
lettuce and top with a dollop of the Avocado Mousse.

 Avocado Mousse
2 ripe Haas avocados, peeled and pitted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup cold water

Combine the avocado flesh, lemon juice, crème fraîche, salt, Tabasco and water in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Serve immediately, or tightly cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Grilled Corn with Cumin Butter
(Makes about 1/2 pound)

“This cumin butter is terrific on grilled chicken, fish or steak, but we like it best
on grilled sweet corn. Some folks soak their corn in water before grilling, but
we place it straight on the grill. The smoldering outer husks give the sweet
corn a smoky quality that is enhanced by the spicy lime-spiked cumin butter.”

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/3 whole lime, seeded and minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small sauté pan set over medium
heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add
the garlic and jalapeño and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the cumin and
cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
2. Combine the cumin mixture, the remaining butter, lime, cilantro and salt
in a bowl and mix well with a fork until the butter is smooth and all of
the ingredients are incorporated. There should be no lumps of butter in
the mixture.
3. Spoon the butter onto a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Shape
into a log 2 inches in diameter. Roll up tightly and refrigerate until
firm. The butter will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week, or frozen,
for up to 2 months.

Betty’s Beef Kabobs
(serves 4)

“When Judy first started the White Dog Café, she wanted to serve the foods she relished as a child. Her mother, Betty Wicks, a great cook and renowned hostess, gave her this old family recipe for beef kabobs when the only kitchen at the Café
was a charcoal grill in the backyard. Customers loved it then and they still ask
for it today. Betty’s Kabobs remain a summer barbecue classic.”

Marinade
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin, trimmed of excess fat
and cut into 1-inch cubes
16 mushroom caps
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch squares
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch squares
1 small white onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
8 cherry tomatoes
8 long metal skewers, or 8 wooden skewers
soaked in water for at least 1 hour

1. Prepare the marinade: Whisk together the oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, mustard, black pepper, and garlic in a large bowl.
2. Add the cubed meat and mushroom caps to the bowl and toss to coat
with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
3. Prepare a charcoal grill or preheat the broiler.
4. Evenly divide the marinated meat, mushrooms, and all of the remaining vegetables among the 8 skewers. Transfer the marinade to a saucepan
and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reserve the marinade.
5. Grill the kabobs over a solid bed of glowing coals, turning frequently
and basting with the reserved marinade, for 5 to 8 minutes for medium-
rare. To broil the kabobs, set them a few inches from the broiler and
turn frequently for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve hot. (Chicken, turkey, sword-
fish or shrimp can be substituted for the beef. Adjust the cooking times
as necessary.)

Tangy Six-Vegetable Slaw
(Makes about 2 quarts; serves 8)

3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon aniseed
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and grated
2 cups (1/2 pound) thinly sliced red cabbage
2 cups (1/2 pound) thinly sliced white cabbage
4 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard powder, aniseed, celery
seed, and cayenne pepper in a bowl and whisk together. Slowly
whisk in the olive oil. Reserve.
2. Combine the bell peppers, carrot, red cabbage, white cabbage and
scallions in a large bowl and toss together to combine well. Pour the
reserved dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Allow the slaw
to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving to allow
the vegetables to absorb the flavors of the dressing.
3. Taste for seasoning and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to
2 days.

Nana’s Strawberry Pie
(serves 6 to 8)

3 pints (6 cups) strawberries, rinsed, hulled and stemmed
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 prebaked single pie crust
Whipped cream, for serving

1. Reserve 1 pint of the best-looking strawberries.
2. Place the remaining berries in a bowl and crush with a pastry blender, potato masher, or strong wire whip. Combine the crushed berries, sugar, cornstarch, butter, and lemon juice in a nonreactive saucepan set over
medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick and uncloudy, 8 to
10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
3. Pour the filling into the prebaked pie shell. Arrange the reserved whole berries, stem side down, in concentric circles over the top of the filling.
Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve with lots of freshly whipped cream.

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Caribbean Feast from the White Dog Cafe
Down Home in Luzanna on the 4th
All-American Barbecue Menu
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