The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example. – Benjamin Disraeli

Continuing on to Memorial Day weekend menus I found a simple Mad Men dinner to fit into all of the other holiday menu plans, Lutece Gambas Au Beurre d’Escargot and Fettuccine Alfredo the perfect change from all of the grilling.  The shrimp is basically made with garlicky butter normally meant for escargot so don’t run for the hills and think that I had escargot, I made extra for dunking the baguette slices.

The Alfredo is the classic version without cream and tossed in a warm serving bowl until each noodle is coated with the luscious butter and cheese.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Serves-4 as a side dish

½ lb. dried fettuccine
1⁄4 lb. unsalted butter
1⁄4 lb. finely grated parmesan

1. Bring a 6-qt. pot of salted water to a boil.  I heat the serving bowl over the top of the hot water and keep warm under heat lights.  Add fettuccine to boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, the butter has been melted in the warmed bowl. Drain pasta, reserving 3⁄4 cup pasta water, and place the pasta over the butter on the platter.

3. Sprinkle grated parmesan over the pasta and drizzle with a little of the reserved pasta water.

4. Using a large spoon and fork, gently toss the pasta with the butter and cheese, lifting and swirling the noodles and adding more pasta water as necessary. (The pasta water will help create a smooth sauce.) Work in any melted butter and cheese that pools around the edges of the platter. Continue to mix the pasta until the cheese and butter have fully melted and the noodles are coated, about 3 minutes. (For a quicker preparation, bring the reserved 3⁄4 cup pasta water and the butter to a boil in a 12″ skillet; then add the pasta, sprinkle with the cheese, and toss with tongs over medium-low heat until the pasta is creamy and coated, about 2 minutes.)

5. Serve the fettuccine immediately on warmed plates.

To finish the night with delicious brownies, like the Draper’s brought to Pete and Trudy’s, William Greenberg’s Desserts.  I have never eaten them and I found someone’s recipe that says the recipe might be the same as the shops, no matter they are wonderful and I made enough to store in the freezer.

New York Brownies

1 cup (4.5 ounces) flour (Measure carefully)
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (decrease to 1/8 if using salted butter)
4-1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
8 ounces unsalted butter
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar, I used Spenda and still think that you can use less sugar or sweetener
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts of desired

Notes:  The pan that I used was about 7–1/2 x 11 and I added 2 more minutes to the cooking time.  I think that 22 minutes would have been fine though.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9 inch baking pan with parchment. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; Set aside.

Place cut up chocolate and cut up butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt on high for 1 ½ minutes, stopping to stir every 30 seconds. Alternatively, you can do this in a large saucepan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer until light. Slowly beat in sugar. Beat for about a minute or until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Slowly add melted chocolate to sugar mixture. By hand, stir in flour mixture. Pour into pan and bake for 20-22 minutes – no longer. Brownies will cook as they stand. Overcooking these ruins them.

So this is an early Mad Men dinner…watching last week’s episode