The track record of the Elegant but Easy Cookbook speaks for itself. Almost 40 years and 500,000 copies in print is the figure of best-selling novels, not cookbooks. Yet co-authors Marian Burros and Lois Levine have endured, and The New Elegant but Easy Cookbook is destined to continue the tradition. The concept for the book hasn't changed:
It isn't difficult to work with phyllo, but you must be quick and you must follow directions; otherwise you will end up with scraps of dough that have turned to papyrus.
Try to buy phyllo that has never been frozen, available in Greek markets; it is much easier to work with. If you can find handmade phyllo, it is the best of all. If you use frozen phyllo, defrost it overnight in the refrigerator. Leftover phyllo that has never been frozen can be frozen and used later. For the recipes with smaller yields you wil have leftover phyllo.
If you don't own one, it would be well worth your while to obtain a 2 1/2- or 3-inch pastry brush or unused paintbrush for buttering the phyllo sheets. It will cut your preparation time virtually in half.
1/4 to 3/4 pound (1 to 3 sticks) unsalted butter, depending on the number of pastries you are making
1 recipe filling
About 2 hours before starting, remove the plastic-wrapped phyllo from its box and bring to room temperature. Adjust racks to the middle shelves in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter. Remove the plastic wrapper from the phyllo sheets. Unroll, lay out on a sheet of wax paper, and cover with a damp cloth to protect from drying. Be sure to cover unused phyllo with the damp cloth each time you use a sheet.
On a work surface, lay out a sheet of phyllo, short sides at your left and right. Lightly brush the phyllo with melted butter and fold in half from left to right like a book. Lightly brush the top of the "book" with melted butter. Cut the double layer of phyllo into 3 equal long strips from top to bottom. Each strip will be a 12-inches long and approximately 2 1/2-inches wide.
Place 2 to 3 teaspoons of filling on the bottom of each strip (you'll know better how much to use after you fold a few). Fold one corner diagonally over the filling to make a triangle, and continue folding "flag style" until the strip is all folded. Just tuck any excess underneath. Place, scam side down, on cookie sheets.
Continue to make triangles in this manner, using additional phyllo sheets, until all he filling is used. Lightly brush the tops of the pastries with melted butter and bake about 10 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Let cool; wrap well, and refrigerate or freeze.
To serve, let the pastries defrost if frozen, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Reheat for about 10 minutes, until bubbly. Serve warm.
Seafood and Basil Filling
1/4 pound cooked and peeled shrimp
1/4 pound crabmeat, picked through for shells and cartilage
9 large fresh basil leaves
6 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons dry sherry
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Place the shrimp in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse until chopped. Place in a bowl, along with the crabmeat, and set aside. Put the basil in the processor bowl and pulse until minced. Add the cream cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, sherry, and nutmeg to taste. Pulse to mix well and stir into the crab and shrimp mixture.
Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Filling
1/2 pound medium-sharp soft goat cheese
3 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 cup large-curd cottage cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 eggs
1/4 pound prosciutto, sliced thin, cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips and then into 1/2-inch pieces
In a food processor, whirl the cheeses with the thyme, pepper, and eggs until smooth. Stir in the prosciutto.
