In Mad Men season 4, the appropriately titled episode, “The Suitcase” sees baggage come to the forefront. Don and Peggy’s relationship boils over. These frustrations and fears largely come from life outside the office, with Don avoiding a necessary phone call, and Peggy realizing what she knows she should want from life is not what she desires. Ultimately, both use work as a means to escape the trials and tribulations of the real world, a world where individually they might fall but united they may just stand a chance.

What intrigued me most about this episode, and yes, I may have a “foodie” bias, is how simple it can be to bond over a meal. Don offers to take Peggy out for dinner, since it is her birthday, and they end up in a diner, where a hamburger and fries can sometimes be the greatest comfort life has to offer. I love how casually they share a meal and how comfortable Don is as he steals a fry or two from Peggy’s plate – a subtle hint that the walls of Don Draper are coming down.

In a nod to the ultimate Diner comfort staple, I give you the “Knock-out Burger.” A “float like a butterfly” quarter-pounder seasoned with that nostalgic packet of dry ranch dressing and then griddled to perfection. Then add a dash of retro by topping the burger with crab guacamole, a “sting like a bee” approach to the classic crab salad served in those lovely avocado boats. Slide this baby on a bun and you too will be out for the count.

Knock-Out Burger

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Cook Time: 6 to 10 minutes


1 pound ground beef

2 1/2 teaspoons powdered ranch salad dressing & seasoning mix

Crab Guacamole

1 large or 2 small ripe avocados

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 can (6 ounces) shelled cooked crab, drained

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 Hamburger buns

4 red leaf lettuce leaves

1 medium tomato, sliced

1 small red onion, peeled and sliced

Hamburgers tend to shrink during cooking make sure to make them larger than your bun and using a spoon to press a shallow well into the center of each patty will promote a sexy even cooked burger.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and ranch seasoning. Using your hands gently mix in the seasoning until just incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix. Divide hamburger mixture into 1/4 pound portions and shape into patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Using a spoon, gently press a shallow well into each patty. As the burger cooks the patties tend to shrink and this will help ensure a more even burger. Keep hamburger patties covered in the fridge until ready to cook.

Preparing the crab guacamole. So easy, so delicious!

Slice the avocado in half and remove the seed. Using a small knife, gently cut the avocado flesh in a cross-hatch pattern, being careful not to break through the skin. Then use a spoon to scoop out the diced avocado into a medium bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocado. Stir in the lemon zest, crab, and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep guacamole in the fridge until ready to serve.

These burgers are great in the skillet, and even better on the grill.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the skillet is hot add hamburger patties to the pan and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until desired doneness. Place patties onto hamburger buns, garnish with red onion, sliced tomato and lettuce, and top with a generous dollop of crab guacamole. Serve with a dill pickle and a nice cold beer, or chocolate malt.

In my world, cereal is the common breakfast for which we desperately need a cure. Not only is this recipe a cure for the common breakfast, its also a cure for the common egg and quite possibly, the common hangover.

In season 4, episode 6, Waldorf Stories, Don Draper, in a haze from celebrating his Clio award, pitches Life cereal this unfortunate and plagiarized slogan. With the tagline sold, Don offers it’s originator, Danny, cash for the idea. Danny declines, as he seeks a more permanent position with the ad agency. At the insistance of Roger, Don is forced to hire the one slogan wonder. Could all this have been avoided if someone had a better breakfast?

Classic Bloody Mary

2 ounces vodka

3 ounces tomato juice

2 dashes tabasco

1/2 teaspoon worchestershire

1/2 teaspoon horseradish

1 celery stalk, for garnish

Combine in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Garnish with celery.


To accompany that classic cocktail, I recommend a quick all-in-one breakfast. Egg filled toast topped with cheese, I dare say this could be the, “Breakfast of Champions.”

Framed Eggs

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 to 12 minutes


4 slices sourdough bread, about 3/4-inch thick

2 tablespoons butter, softened

4 eggs

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 slices swiss cheese


1 tablespoon chopped chives

Paprika

Cut holes in the bread using a knife, biscuit cutter, or even a champagne flute. Lightly butter bread before breaking an egg into each cut-out.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Using a knife or biscuit cutter, cut a 1 1/2 to 2-inch hole in each bread slice. Gently butter bread on one side. Lightly grease a baking sheet and arrange bread, butter side up on the sheet. Carefully break an egg into the center of each bread “frame”, it’s okay if the egg whites overflow onto the pan.

Ready to be seasoned, topped with cheese and baked.

Season each egg with salt and pepper, and top with a slice of cheese. Bake until eggs are cooked to your desired doneness, 10 to 12 minutes for over-easy. Using a spatula ently remove each toast to a serving plate and garnish with chives and a dusting of paprika. Serve immediately.

There are many variations on this recipe a few of my favorites include, seasoning the eggs with tabasco then topping with pepper jack cheese and serving with sliced avocados, or using an english muffin instead of toast, and topping the egg with a thin slice of ham and cheddar cheese.

Against Roger Sterling’s wishes we will be sitting down this Sunday to enjoy Sake while we watch this week’s episode of Mad Men. It was made very apparent in “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword,”  that Roger has an issue with the Japanese, a feeling brought on by the attack on Pearl Harbor. With a chance at the Honda account, feelings needed to be left at the door, just like Roger was.

Sake, while enjoyable on its own, can only get better by lending itself as a mixer for this simple cocktail.

Saketini

3 ounces sake

1 ounce vodka

Frozen honeydew melon for garnish

Combine in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into chilled glasses. Garnish with frozen honeydew.


Chilled shrimp and honeydew skewers are a great match for this drink. You can even freeze some honeydew on skewers to keep your cocktail chilled. These simple skewers pack some surprising flavors and the best part, if you are pressed for time, you can even start with already cooked shrimp.

Shrimp and Honeydew Skewers

Serves: 2 to 4

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 to 4 minutes

Chilling Time: 30 minutes


Marinade

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

1 teaspoon prepared wasabi

1 pound large (21-25) peeled and deveined shrimp, tails on

1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper


1/2 honeydew melon, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

About 30 mini bamboo skewers


In a large bowl whisk together marinade ingredients. Set aside.

Mixing the marinade for the shrimp. Helpful Tip: Use a spoon to easily peel the ginger, its a snap!

Preheat oven for broiling, placing the top rack about 6-inches from the heat source.

In a large bowl combine shrimp with oil, season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Pour shrimp onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread into a single layer.

Making sure the shrimp is in a single layer ensures even cooking.

Broil shrimp on the top rack of the oven, until firm to the touch and just opaque in the center, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove shrimp from oven and plunge into marinade. Toss to coat and chill for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Using a small cookie cutter, apple corer, or a knife cut melon into bite sized pieces, about 1/2-inch wide. Thread melon onto skewers, about 3 pieces per skewer and freeze. (These will be used for the saketinis, so make as many or few as you need.)

Once shrimp has chilled, thread shrimp and melon alternately on the remaining skewers, and arrange on a serving platter. Serve cold or at room-temperature.

Try using cookie cutters to cut melon into different shapes. Freezing melon makes great ice cubes for drinks.

Need to gently break some bad news to family, friends, or co-workers? Say it with Yankee Pot Roast. Nothing softens the blow like good ol’ comfort food. In season 4, Trudy plans to prepare this meal for her parents when Peter needs to inform Trudy’s father that Sterling Cooper Draper and Pryce will be discontinuing business with one of his company’s brands, Clearasil.

Thankfully, I’ve never had to make pot roast to let anyone down, but if I did, this would be how:

Studded with garlic, slow roasted for hours, doused with red wine, and topped with bleu cheese.

Whether you have news or not, this pot roast alone makes a statement.

Yankee Pot Roast Makes Me Bleu

Serves: 4 to 6 people

Prep Time: 40 to 45 minutes

Cooking Time: 4 to 4 1/2 hours


3 to 4 pounds boneless chuck roast

15 to 20 cloves of garlic


2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups coaresly chopped onion

1 cup coaresly chopped carrot

1 cup coaresly chopped celery

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf


1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups baby carrots

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper


5 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Cutting slits into the meat for the garlic cloves.

Using a small, sharp knife, cut 15 to 20, 1 1/2-inch deep slits around the outside of the roast. Turn the knife to cut each slit in opposite direction, creating an X. Insert a clove of garlic into each of the slits.

Hiding the cloves of garlic in the cross-cut slits.

Preheat oven to 300°F.

In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, sear garlic-studded roast on all sides, until evenly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes a side. Remove roast from pot to a rimmed baking dish.

Searing the roast and vegetables until browned, then tossing the vegetables with flour.

Add onions, carrots and celery to stockpot and saute with remaining oil, until onion becomes translucent and lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and toss to coat. Stir in beef broth, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaf. Return roast to pot along with any juices that may have accumulated on the baking sheet. Cover stockpot and place in oven. Cook pot roast for 3 hours, turning roast occasionally.

Adding beef broth, tomato paste and herbs to flour dusted vegetables, makes a lightly thickened stock.

Once again remove roast from stock pot to a rimmed baking dish. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pot. Ladle remaining sauce into a blender and whirl until smooth. Return sauce to stockpot and stir in wine, potatoes, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Nestle roast back into the pot with the potatoes and carrots. Cover and bake for an additional 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until carrot and potatoes are knife tender.

Blending the stock and vegtables into a puree and adding fresh potatoes and carrots, maximizes flavor and keeps the vegetables from getting mushy.

Remove from oven, and divide pot roast, potatoes and carrots, evenly among serving plates along with extra sauce. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese and serve warm.

Yankee Pot Roast start to finish, all it needs is some crumbled bleu cheese.

Vodka Gimlet, the preferred drink of the former Betty Draper, is classically made with gin. Either variety can be used to create this refreshing lime libation.

Gimlet

2 ounces gin or vodka

1/2 ounce sweetened lime juice, such as Rose’s

Wedge of lime

Combine in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into chilled glasses. Garnish with a wedge of lime.


To accompany the gimlets, we have a retro dressing turned dip. Green Goddess, the namesake has nothing to do with the dressing’s hue, but to a popular play that ran during its invention. Classically this dressing was served with seafood-topped salads.

To add a bit of summer freshness to this herbaceous dip and make it extra green, I’ve added avocado, basil and lime. This makes it an excellent pairing for fresh cut vegetables, sweet summer tomatoes or even chilled shrimp.

Truly Green Goddess Dip

Serves: 4 to 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

2/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 cup coarsely chopped avocado, about 1 avocado

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup basil leaves, lightly packed

1/4 cup tarragon leaves, lightly packed

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and whirl, scraping the sides down with a spatula as necessary, until smooth. Served chilled with fresh cut vegetables.

In season 4, episode 3, Joan, being unable to accompany her husband to the islands, decides to make a festive, “Hawaii at Home” New Years Dinner.

I put myself in Joan’s shoes, good thing they match my apron. After a well-thought out meal turned disastrous, I could still find comfort in the fact that the evening hadn’t been total loss; at least there was still cake.

And so I pondered, what could make that cake better? …Rum! I sure am getting the hang of this Mad Men lifestyle.

So here is my version of island therapy a la cake, also known as, Tipsy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Enjoy!

Tipsy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Serves: 6
Prep Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Baking Time: 25 to 30 minutes

Topping

1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup dark rum

7 sliced pineapple rings

Melting butter with brown sugar and rum before placing the pineapple slices.

Cake

1 box butter cake mix
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup dark rum
1/3 cup pineapple juice
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Mixing the batter and pouring it into the skillet with the pineapple slices.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In an ovenproof 10-inch skillet, melt butter. Add brown sugar and rum, and stir until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and arrange pineapple slices in the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine cake mix, butter, rum, pineapple juice, eggs and sour cream. Whisk until just combined. Batter should be slightly lumpy.

Pour cake batter into skillet with pineapples, spread evenly to cover the slices.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter.

Drinks are a crucial component to every episode of Mad Men. You can find many sites to tell you how to make classic cocktails, but I feel that if you’re going to make drinks to enjoy with the show, you should explore some great snacks to go with them.

Slowly making a resurgence, this classic beverage is arguably the first to be coined, “cocktail.” With all of the flavor elements, bitter, sweet and sour, The Old Fashioned, is a complex yet well balanced drink.

With this essential Mad Men cocktail I’ve created a simple snack of toasted spiced almonds, otherwise known as “it’s toasted” almonds, in a nod to the Lucky Strike ad campaign. They combine salty, sweet and spicy to mellow the bourbons bite. Cheers!

Old Fashioned

1 cube of sugar

2-3 dashes Angostura bitters

3 ounces bourbon

orange slice

maraschino cherry

Put sugar cube in a glass, add bitters and 1 tablespoon water to saturate the sugar. Muddle until the sugar is dissolved. Fill the glass with ice, add bourbon and stir. Garnish with a slice of orange and a cherry.

“It’s Toasted” Almonds

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 to 12 minutes


2 cups almonds

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cayenne



Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl combine almonds with honey, stir to coat evenly.

Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until honey starts to caramelize, about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove nuts from oven and immediately sprinkle with salt, nutmeg and cayenne, mix with a spatula until almonds are evenly coated. Spread almonds back into a single layer and let cool 5 to 10 minutes. Store airtight for up to one week.

Chicken Kiev, it just sounds sultry and sophisticated. If only all chicken could be so glamorous…

This dish gained popularity in the 60’s when calories weren’t counted and butter was practically a side dish. To simplify, Chicken Kiev is nothing more than a large chicken nugget — there goes the layer of sophistication. It is then stuffed with herbs, and a quarter stick of butter — I believe sultry is still intact.

Traditionally, chicken breasts were pounded to an even 1/8-inch thickness. I imagine this was an effective anger management technique for housewives of the era. In the center of these pancake-like chickens you would place butter and herbs, then roll them up tightly to seal the, “surprise inside.”

Oh, but wait…there’s more.

Each chicken would then get a light dusting of flour; go for a shallow dip into a pool of beaten eggs, and then a quick roll in the breadcrumbs. About now I really want to be this chicken. Next the chicken would go into the fridge for an hour or so, before being gently submerged into the hot oil of a deep fryer to float away into caloric obscurity.

What emerged from the deep fryer was a diner’s delight. Perfectly crisp and golden, the first cut was always dramatic; a fountain of butter would erupt and ooze all over the plate. This earned Chicken Kiev the appropriate nickname, “Butter Bomb.”

“Have the chicken Kiev. Butter squirts everywhere.” Roger Sterling wasn’t off the mark promoting the tasty theatrics of Chicken Kiev.

To modernize this dish I’ve made a compound butter to stuff inside a pocket you cut into the chicken. No more pounding for our generation. I’ve also opted for the artery friendly baked version. But for those who appreciate authenticity, heat up your fry daddy and invite me over!

Baked Chicken Kiev

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 35 to 40 minutes

Chilling Time: 30 minutes up to overnight

Baking Time: 20 to 25 minutes


Compound Butter

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Making a compound herb butter.

Seasoned Breadcrumbs

1 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Stirring olive oil and breadcrumbs to evenly coat before seasoning with herbs and fresh lemon zest.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 to 8 ounces each

Extra-virgin olive oil



In a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the compound butter and stir until well mixed. Set aside at room temperature.

In a pie pan or other rimmed dish combine the breadcrumbs and olive oil, stir until breadcrumbs are evenly moistened. Stir in lemon zest, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Remove the tenders from the backside of each chicken breast, and save for another use. Carefully, with the smooth side of the chicken breast on the cutting surface, cut a pocket into the thickest part of the chicken, being careful not to cut through the other side. The pocket should be about 2 1/2 inches wide and 11/2 to 2 inches deep. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

Cutting a pocket into the chicken and filling it with herbed butter.

Fill each chicken breast with about 2 tablespoons compound butter making sure the pocket seals completely over the butter.

Generously brush each chicken breast with olive oil and, one at a time, place into the pan with the breadcrumbs. Firmly press breadcrumbs onto chicken until well coated. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

Brushing the chicken with olive oil before coating with seasoned breadcrumbs.

Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet, cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Remove chicken from fridge and bake, until chicken lightly golden, firm to the touch and the juices run clear, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and divide among serving plates. Serve immediately.

]]> http://madisonsquaremeal.com/2010/08/05/mad-about-chicken-kiev/feed/ 1 alanlewis0 Chicken Kiev compoundbutter breadcrumbs stuffedchicken coatingchicken http://madisonsquaremeal.com/2010/08/04/a-mad-men-inspired-collection-of-recipes/ http://madisonsquaremeal.com/2010/08/04/a-mad-men-inspired-collection-of-recipes/#comments Wed, 04 Aug 2010 23:31:01 +0000 aprilcooper http://madisonsquaremeal.com/?p=4 ]]> Madison Square Meal is an idea that’s been roaming the hallways of my mind. As a devout fan of the series “Mad Men”, I often recreate the era through my own food, hospitality and fashion.

Like many followers, I long to immerse myself in the chic notoriety of the Madison Avenue advertising execs, but do I dare live life like they do and indulge in all the excess the world has to offer? For many of us this isn’t a realistic lifestyle, but for an hour on Sunday evenings, we allow ourselves to slip into the realm of chaotic elegance.

I want to take that hour one step further, and turn that moment into an experience. Revive an era and let it be relived in your own home, at your convenience.

With this blog, I’ll share recipes for dishes that have been featured on the Mad Men series. These recipes are my modernized interpretations of the classics. I plan to include recipes from past and current episodes. In addition, I will offer some simple cocktail and appetizer pairings you can make to complete the ambiance for your next Mad Men viewing.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and have as much fun with them as I have. Cheers!