337 Greenwich

I'm Back :: and an announcement!

2010-11-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I'm back!

I'm almost embarrassed to be writing again after such an absence, but truth be told, I have very much missed my little blog. I have missed the late-night writing, the endless picture taking, all the lovely comments...and of course, A. has very much missed the food.

Well, if it is any excuse, it's not because I have been lazy.... I actually have very exciting news!

Over the past year, I have been up to my ears in peanut butter, balancing 25 pound bags of flour, burning myself on scalding baking sheets, and grinding pounds of meat (this will all make sense in a bit... promise). I have taken my cooking to the dogs...yes, literally....to the dogs!

I am now the very proud owner of a little dog biscuit bakery named, of course, after my dearest Bocce. That's right: Bocce's Bakery! An all-natural, organic dog biscuit company.

Here we are...It's been about a year now of baking up all-natural, organic dog biscuits in delicious flavors like PB&J, Beef Bourguinon (yes! beef bourguinon), and Grandma's Apple Pie that doggies (especially Bocce) go crazy for.

And most importantly, we only use all-natural, human-grade, organic ingredients with no chemicals or preservatives. Oh, and we try to source our ingredients locally when possible. Yep, only real, simple food that we would eat ourselves. Because why would you give your pups anything else?

Oh and did I mention we were featured in Daily Candy, and The Nest magazine (this month's issue!)?

It's been quite an adventure!

But a girl's gotta eat, so I am finally getting back into our own kitchen. ...Believe me, it's been many months of take-out, more than I care to admit to ;-)

So stay tuned, more cooking and recipes to come (yes, of the human kind, I promise), and I'm sure there will be a few stories (or better said: adventures) of starting and running a little bakery here in NYC.

More to come...

Simple French :: Sole Meuniere

2010-04-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make Sole Meuniere ever since reading Julia Child's "My Life in Paris" this summer. But somehow, it's one of those recipes I looked up, and then set aside. ...What a mistake!

I will warn you, you will become seriously addicted to slightly browned, lemoney butter

and you'll never want to eat fish any other way.

And the fact this only takes a few minutes to prepare, makes it the perfect dish. I served it with slightly sauteed, garlicky greenbeans, and a side of crisp potatoes (boiled, then quickly pan fried with a bit of butter and plenty of kosher salt). Weeknight dinners here at 337 will never be the same.

Enjoy!

SOLE MEUNIERE

Fillets of fresh Sole (I used lemon sole, you can also get grey sole, about 4 ounces/person)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt

Pepper

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Pat dry the fillets of fish. Dust with salt and pepper. Place the flour on a plate and dip the fillets in the flour. Make sure they are evenly covered in flour.

In a non-stick pan over medium heat add half of the butter. When the butter is bubbling, add the fish. Allow it to cook about 3 minutes on each side, being careful when you flip over to not break up the fillet. When the fish is cooked up both sides (slightly browned), remove from the pan and place on a tray. Add the remaining butter to the pan with the chopped parsley, and lemon juice. Quickly mix and add the butter-lemon sauce atop the fish. Enjoy immediately.

Finally Spring :: Fresh Beet Carpaccio

2010-03-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

I have been quite a lazy cook lately! A. has been away for work for the last couple of weeks, so Bocce and I have been on our own. I have stayed up way past a reasonable bedtime (and been so sleepy the next day!), watched more girly movies than I care to admit, and lived on a dinner diet of granola bars, pasta with spinach, and plenty of eggos. I really had forgotten how lazy I become when I'm cooking for myself!

But A. is finally back home, yay! And I was excited to get back to the kitchen this weekend. I tried lots of new recipes, but this was our favorite: a delicious beet carpaccio! Fresh beets, drizzled in olive oil and lemon juice, and topped with pistachios. The thinly sliced raw beets are deliciously crispy and refreshing. It's a delicious alternative to the usual roasted beet salad, and just feels like spring!

So simple and easy... I probably should have been eating this last week! :-)

Enjoy!

BEET CARPACCIO (serves 2)

2 large beets, washed and peeled

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Squeeze of Lemon

1/3 cup pistachios, shelled

Time to bust out the mandolin! Set your mandolin on the thinnest setting, and slice the beets. You want the slices to be almost paper-thin. Place the beet slices in a bowl and toss with a bit of olive oil (about a tablespoon), a sprinkle of kosher salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Let the beets sit for a few minutes.

Separately, chop the peeled pistachio nuts.

To plate, place the beet slices on a plate, drizzle with the leftover oil and lemon juice from the bowl, and top with the chopped pistachios. You can add crumbled goat cheese to make this a main meal.

Healthy Baking :: Cranberry-Orange Granola Bars

2010-03-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited (...and honored!) to have been invited by the fabulous Jenny over at Have Your Cake to write a guest post recipe! I love her fun, useful, and inspirational views on healthy living. ...Believe me, I have drastically cut down my butter intake since I've been following her daily tips!

So, I decided to make a batch of one of my favorite homemade, healthy goodies: granola bars! Sweet oats, with toasted almonds, and the tartness of cranberries and orange zest, all in a little bar. Perfect! ... especially with a bit a greek yogurt!

Not only are these healthier than the store-bought (...I'm assuming corn syrup isn't in your pantry), but they are easy to make (think: rice krispie treats), and there are so many flavor possibilities. Try dates, cherries, apricots, or even chocolate chips! Wrap the cut bars in wax paper or store in an airtight container, they will keep in the fridge for up to a month. You can even make two flavors at once by doubling the recipe and baking the two flavors side by side in a larger baking pan.

Oh, and if you are still scared of attempting granola bars, believe me, I was for quite some time, thinking the bars would just fall apart when I tried to cut them, but just remember that the worse that could happen is you end up with a bag of small granola bar chunks... which will still be delicious.

Enjoy!

CRANBERRY-ORANGE ALMOND GRANOLA BARS (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
2/3 cups honey
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus a bit for the pan
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dried cranberries
zest of one large orange

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9x9 baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oats, almonds, and coconut and on a sheet pan cook for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer it to a large bowl and add the wheat germ.

In a saucepan, over medium heat bring the butter, honey, vanilla, and salt to a boil. Cook while stirring for another minute. Then add the liquid to to the bowl of dry ingredients. Add the cranberries and orange zest and mix well.

Pour the mixture into the parchment lined pan, and lightly pat down with your hands (it helps if you wet your hands a bit).

Bake at 300F for 30 minutes until lightly browned.

Allow it to cool for at least 3 hours (or overnight) and then cut into bars or squares. Serve at room temperature or store in a airtight container.

Simple Sundays :: Orange Mandarin Spritzers

2010-03-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

Doesn't it feel like spring is here? It was a beautifully sunny weekend in NYC. The weather was perfect! After months of winter, A. and I spent the entire weekend outside. We went for long walks with Bocce to Washington Sq. park, had a slow brunch outside Extra Virgin on w4th St. (one of my favorite little west village streets!), and bought dozens of bright fuschia tulips. It's weekends like these when I remember how much I ♥ the city.

After a delicious (seriously delicious!) late dinner at Babbo, we had no room for breakfast on Sunday. So, instead I made a big pitcher of one of my morning favorites: orange spritzers! Fresh squeezed juice and sparkling water, it doesn't get more simple than that... or refreshing.

I love fresh squeezed orange juice, especially now when oranges are in season. It really does not compare to anything you find at the store. It takes a little bit of effort, but so well worth it. As soon as I got my Kitchenaid mixer, the first thing I did was buy the juicer attachment. I can't imagine a weekend morning without it.

To the spritzer, I added a bit of fresh mandarin juice for a twist. It was deliciously fresh and my new breakfast staple. ...Of course, you can replace the sparkling water with Prosecco for a bubblier breakfast drink.

Enjoy!

ORANGE-MANDARIN SPRITZERS

3 cups fresh squeezed orange juice (about 6-9 oranges)

1 cup fresh squeezed mandarin juice (about 6 mandarins)

1 cup sparkling water

about 1 tablespoon sugar (to taste)

Mix the orange and mandarin juice in a pitcher. Add the chilled sparking water, and sugar to taste. Serve with plenty of ice and orange slices.

One Pot Meals :: Healthy Turkey Chili

2010-02-24T18:32:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's the fact that spring is officially a month away, or the one too many tea cookies I ate last week, or maybe it's all the Olympics A. and I have been watching (snowboard cross is my new obsession!).... but, this week, I've been craving healthier foods.

So, I was excited to find this deliciously tempting 7 day detox from Self Magazine. Detox? Sounds a little extreme, but I think it's just what I'm craving: a transition from rich winter foods into lighter spring meals. It's one week of whole grains, plenty of fiber, and lean meats. And, it actually sounds delicious!

So, I printed out a week's worth of menus, convinced A. to join in, went on a little grocery trip to stock up, and we officially started this morning!

So far so good. Yogurt and cereal for breakfast (I had Iggy's non-fat yogurt and Kashi high fiber), and a toasted whole wheat pita with hummus, spinach and tomato for lunch. Yum! For dinner I decided to make a large pot of turkey chili.

It was delicious! Plenty of veggies, healthy beans, and low fat turkey, all in a hearty broth! It's so easy to make, you really can't go wrong. Saute the veggies and turkey, add the spices, then add the tomatoes, and beans. That's pretty much it! I freshened up the flavors with a bit of cilantro and topped it with non-fat sour cream and avocado. Healthy and filling! ...and perfect on a rainy winter night.

Oh ps: I do have one confession to make: I drank coffee. Ooops. But there's really no way I can function without coffee.

Enjoy.

HEALTHY TURKEY CHILI (adapted from Gourmet)

2 medium onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 lb ground lean Turkey, seasoned with salt

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon chopped Cilantro

2 Bell Peppers, roughly chopped (I used one yellow, one red)

1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded & chopped

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 chili peppers in adobo, chopped

1 can organic kidney beans

1 can organic pinto beans

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes

1/2 cup water

Salt, and Olive Oil

Over medium-high heat, in a large pot sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the onions. When the onions start to brown, add the garlic and saute quickly. Add the ground turkey, chili powder, and cumin. Stir with a wooden spoon to break down the turkey into small pieces and mix with the onions and garlic.

When the turkey starts to brown, add the bell and jalapeno peppers. Cook for about a minute, then lower the heat and add the remaining ingredients. Add the cilantro, and taste for salt and spiciness, you can add more chili powder of chilies in adobo for more heat.

Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes until the chili thickens.

Serve with a dollop of non-fat sour cream and slices of avocado.

Breakfast :: Poached Eggs, Crispy Prosciutto & Cheddar Polenta

2010-02-14T12:15:00.000-08:00

For valentine's day, I wanted to surprise A. with breakfast! One of A.'s breakfast favorites: poached eggs. Well, this is a bit of a problem, considering I am the world's worst egg poacher, ever. No, I'm not exaggerating. I've tried. Every couple of months I try to convince myself that it can't be that hard, so I try again. I bring water to a soft simmer, I add vinegar, crack an egg into a ramekin, and then slowly pour it into the water. I cross my fingers... but then, a few seconds later, there it is: a pot of mudied egg white water. Oh well. Until I found this little invention: silicone egg poachers. Perfectly poached eggs every time!

I woke up craving something sweet and salty....and we had beautiful San Danielle prosciutto in the fridge. Let's face it, you can never go wrong with prosciutto! So for breakfast: poached eggs, a top a honey sweet, cheddar polenta, with crispy prosciutto. The polenta is sweet and cheesy, and goes perfectly with the salty prosciutto, all topped with a delicious poached egg, with a soft yolk. It was delicious! I'll definitely be making this again (often!), and not just for breakfast.

Oh and don't worry about having too much polenta, spread the leftovers in a greased baking dish (small size, I used a 4x4) and place in the fridge. Let it harden for a couple of hours and then cute into triangles (more pics in this post). It'll be a perfect to-go breakfast the next day, or a side for dinner.

Hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day and are enjoying President's Day!

POACHED EGGS w/CRISPY PROSCIUTTO & CHEDDAR POLENTA

Eggs (1 per person)

Sliced prosciutto (2 slices per person)

Cheddar Polenta (recipe below, about 1/2 cup per person)

Preheat the oven to 500F. On a parchment lined cookie sheet lay the slices of prosciutto and cook in the oven until crispy (about 3-5 minutes).

Cook the polenta, and poach the eggs. If you are using an egg poacher, simply bring a large saucepan with water to a boil. Butter each egg dish and add the cracked egg. Place in the water, floating, and cover the pot. Cook for 5-8 minutes and scoop out of the dish and serve.

(Or follow these egg poaching instructions)

To assemble, serve about 1/2 cup of cheddar polenta on each dish. Top with the crispy polenta slices, don't worry if they break. Layer the poach egg on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cheddar Polenta

2 cups of water

1 cup of milk

1 cup dry polenta

sprinkle of salt

teaspoon of honey

1/3 cup cheddar

tablespoon of butter

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and milk to a boil with a sprinkle of salt. Add the polenta in a steady stream mixing will you pour to prevent lumps. Lower the heat and continue to mix the polenta until it has a smooth texture. Add the cheddar and honey, and taste for salt. When it is fully combined, remove from heat and serve immediately.

Oh and Bocce got a valentine's day surprise too! A batch of his new favorite biscuits: 'the Elvis': peanut butter, bananas, and bacon!

Happy Valentine's :: Tea Cookies

2010-02-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

I am having the most wonderful day! I took the day off... not because I had something planned, just because I wanted a day to rest. Ahhh...a four day weekend! :-) I slept in (so did Bocce!), we went for a long walk in the snow, ate way too many cookies, and I am now sipping a latte from a ginormous mug at my favorite West Village coffee shop. I ♥ large latte mugs, don't they just feel relaxing?

I'm excited for Valentine's Day and the long weekend! A. is planning to make dinner for us. I don't know all the details, but I know there is a whole chicken involved! I can't wait to see what he has planned. Humm... maybe I'll have him write a little guest blogger post afterwards. Ohh, I also want to go try the new Meatball Shop in the LES. Can you believe it, a place that only serves meatballs? I want to try the spiced pork!

Well, Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete without a little sugar! So, I decided to bake a few cookies to mail to friends and family. The twelve dozen cookies I rolled out probably has something to do with how exhausted I felt yesterday! :-) Oh well, they were delicious so it's all worthwhile! Apart from basic heart-shaped sugar cookies (from this wonderful recipe, truly the best cut out sugar cookies!), I decided to experiment with tea cookies. Buttery cookies flavored with tea leaves. Delicious! I made a batch of green tea and a batch using my favorite Kusmi Breakfast tea. They are so aromatic and light in flavor. Not overly sweet, and perfect with a cup of tea of course!

Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend! xoxo

ENGLISH BREAKFAST TEA COOKIES (adapted from Real Simple)

2 cups flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons loose breakfast tea, ground (use Earl Grey or English breakfast)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest

1 cup unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)

Preheat oven to 375F. Grind the tea leaves using a coffee grinder or food processor. Combine the tea with all the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla, zest, a teaspoon of water, and butter and mix using either a food processor or a mixer with the paddle attachment until the dough has formed.

Divide the dough in two and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling out. Roll out the dough to be 1/3" thick. Have plenty of flour handy to prevent from sticking. Cut the cookies and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minute until they start to crisp. Allow 5 minutes to cool.

GREEN TEA COOKIES (via Lovescool)

3/4 cup confectioners sugar

5 ounces unsalted butter, cut into squares

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 large eggs

2 tablespoon ground green tea or green tea powder

1 cup granulated sugar (for dusting)

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine the confectioners sugar and the green tea. Add the butter and mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the flour until well combined. Then add an egg at a time until the dough is formed. Make a disk with the dough and cover in plastic wrap. Allow it to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough to 1/2" thick and cut with the cookie cutter. Have a small bowl ready with the granulated sugar. As you cut out each cookie dip it in the bowl and completely cover in sugar. Place on a parchment line cookie sheet and cook for 12 - 15 minutes. Cool and enjoy!

Breakfast for Dinner :: Whole Wheat Pancakes

2010-02-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

Some nights are just meant for breakfast. Especially in the middle of winter...what could be better on a cold night than a stack of pancakes with warm maple syrup?

I was inspired by The Kitchn's post on freezing homemade pancakes and reheating in the toaster. How perfect! I can't beleive I'd never thought of that before. Duh...eggo's! So I decided to make a double batch, a few for dinner (A. ate his with a fried egg on top, delicious!) and a few to keep in the freezer for breakfast. Since these were going to be my breakfast for a few days, I made them with whole wheat flour for a healthier pancake. It's amazing how rich and nutty these come out. I dare say I like it more than regular pancakes!

I think the key to perfect pancakes is twofold. First, beat the egg white seperately until they are fluffy and carefully fold into the batter without over mixing. This will make fluffiest pancakes. Second, cook them over medium to low heat. Resist the urge to turn up the heat...you'll end up with burnt butter and raw batter in the middle. Not a pretty picture.

Enjoy!

WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, seperated
pinch of salt
butter for pan
optional: berries or apples slices

Mix dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl, mix the milk, yogurt, and egg yolks. Seperately mix the egg white until fluffy and airy. Combine the dry ingredients with the milk mixture. Be careful not to overmix. When fully incoporated, gently fold in the egg whites. Check the consistency of the batter, I like thick pancakes so the batter won't be as runny. Just add more milk for thinner cakes.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Add about a tablespoon of butter. When the pan is hot, add about 1/3 cup of batter. When you start getting those pancakes bubbles, flip it over. If you are adding fruit, do it when you start seeing the bubbles.

You can keep pancakes in the oven while you cook the others. Just have your oven at 170F, and place on a cookie sheet. To freeze the pancakes, allow them to cool and then just place in a ziploc freezer bag. To reheat, cook in the toaster or toaster oven until warm. They will keep in the freezer for about a week.

A Winter Menu :: Friday Dinner with Friends

2010-01-21T18:06:00.001-08:00

For dinner on Friday, I came up with a little feast of winter: fennel, lemons, parsnip, and rack of lamb. What better way to spend a friday night in the middle of January than with friends, at home, enjoying a roast? :-)

I love rack of lamb. And not just because I love roasts... which I do. But, because it's incredibly flavorful, in a very delicate, mild way, not the game-y flavor people usually think of when they hear 'lamb'. The meat remains rare and tender, and the herbs are perfectly aromatic. It really is a beautiful dish...and don't tell anybody, but it's pretty easy to cook. Season the lamb, and place in the oven ... that's it. Really!

When buying the meat (which I usually do the day i'm going to cook it, I never buy frozen), I ask the butcher to 'french' the rack of lamb, which means that they take the fat off the bones and give it it's beautifully elegant shape. But I ask them to give me those trimmings. It seasons the roast, and helps keep it from drying. In fact, the crispy fat gets so delicious in the oven, I always serve it on the platter. A. quickly devours it!

If your butcher does not have a rack the size you need, but a smaller one and then get individual pieces (lamb lollipops) and place in the baking dish along with the roast. Just be careful, because the loose pieces will cook faster, so remove them from the oven a bit before the rack is ready.

I served it with a creamy puree of parsnip and a fresh salad of shaved fennel (which is officially my new favorite vegetable!). Don't you love winter dinners? So rich and comforting.

Enjoy!

Winter Dinner Menu:

- Rosemary Thyme Roasted Frenched Rack of Lamb

- Shaved Fennel Salad

- Parsnip Puree

ROSEMARY THYME ROASTED RACK OF LAMB

Rack of lamb (assume about 3 pieces per person)

Sprigs of Rosemary

Sprigs of Thyme

Herbes de Provence (about a tablespoon)

a generous tablespoon of Dijon Mustard

Olive Oil (about 1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon Worcester Sauce

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Salt & Pepper

Red Wine (about half a bottle)

Place the lamb and trimmings on a baking dish with the fat side facing up. Rub the lamb with olive oil and mustard. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, and herbes de provence. Add the wine, lemon juice, and Worcester sauce to the baking dish. Place the sprigs of rosemary and thyme underneath the rack loosening a few leaves beforehand and rubbing it on the roast. Allow the lamb to marinate for 1 hour in the fridge. Place the trimming over the rack for extra flavor.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Cook the lamb until the inside temperature reaches 125F (medium rare) about 25 minutes but keep an eye on it and make sure you do not overcook. Then set the oven on broil (500F) and cook the lamb for another 5 minutes.

Take the pan out of the oven, set the lamb on a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. You can serve the rack already cut, or cut at the table. I like to serve it cut, carve each piece between the bones. Serve with the red wine sauce and fat.

PARSNIP PUREE

5 large Parsnips, peeled

2 tablespoons Heavy Cream

Salt & Pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add plenty of salt. Chop parsnips into 1" pieces. Cook the parsnip until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain the water and transfer the parsnip to a large bowl. Using an immersion blender or mixer, start to puree. Add the cream, and salt & pepper to taste. You can mix it to be as smooth or as chunky as you want... I like it somewhere in between. Serve immediately, or cover and reheat briefly right before serving.

SHAVED FENNEL SALAD

(serves 4)

2 large bulbs of fennel

Good quality Olive Oil

Squeeze of Lemon juice

Kosher salt & ground pepper

Cut the stems off the fennel and remove the outer skin. Place

Thinly cut the fennel (as thin as you can, try a mandolin). Season with olive oil, a squeeze of a lemon (or orange!), and salt and pepper. Serve chilled.

Orange Inspired :: 'Get Well' Basket & an update

2010-01-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Nothing like a home delivery of baked treats to cheer somebody up, right? Give me a freshly baked cake and I'd be better in no time. :-) A.'s coworker is home recovering from surgery, so we thought we'd put together a little 'Get Well' basket.

Being that oranges are in peak season (doesn't it seem a little odd that citrus season in right in the middle of winter?) I filled it with my favorite orange goodies!

In the basket:

- Carrot Cake w/Orange Zest Cream Cheese Frosting

- Raisin Scones (my basic scone recipe but I added 2 tbsp of butter to make them extra yummy!)

- Orange Marmalade (Barefoot Contessa's recipe, but i peel the orange to remove the pith which removes the bitterness)

- Orange Maple Butter (from my french toast recipe)

- & fresh fruit of course

I packaged the jam in a mason jar (my fave!) so that it would keep for a few weeks, and put the frosting and delicious butter in ramekins. All wrapped in colorful twine and in a small rattan basket. Name tags included... perfect!

Oh , and my update? I've officially joined the Twitter universe! I'm Still trying to figure it all out (which is making me feel slightly old!), but I'm already obsessed, and hope we can be friends! To follow me on twitter, click here!

From the Oven :: Homemade Baguettes

2010-01-19T18:31:00.000-08:00

Yes... those are my very own homemade baguettes!!! I can't tell you how proud (and kind of shocked) I am. There were a few moments there when I thought they weren't going to make it... but they did, and they are delicious!

It was one of my New Year's cooking resolutions to learn to bake bread. So, I bought an oven stone, a giant bag of King Arthur flour, yeast, I printed numerous instructions, and spent the weekend making bread. ...Yes, the entire weekend.

This all started on Friday when I told A. that we'd be having deliciously crusty baguettes, hot out of the oven, for breakfast the next morning. ...Well, it didn't go as planned. Turns out making a baguette is complicated baking... there's so many different methods out there. But, by Sunday night at around 11 pm - after 5 lbs of flour, 3 recipes, and 6 loafs later: I had the perfect baguette! It was probably the most delicious baguette I've had (...second is Balthazar's of course) mostly because I put so much work into it. :-)

After a few attempts at different instructions, I finally found the perfect recipe from King Arthur Flour. If you've never made bread, I very much recommend you give it a try. Just have a little patience with the process... you will be well rewarded at the end. There's nothing more delicious than warm bread out of the oven. Hope this helps!

BAGUETTES (from King Arthur.com)

For the starter:

1/2 cup cool water

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/16 teaspoon instant yeast

For the Dough:

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 cup lukewarm water

3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1. Make the starter. Mix all the starter ingredients and let it sit (in a covered bowl) overnight (or 14 hours). You'll be amazed with what you see the next day. The starter will be completely bubbled the next day...imagine the appearance of a pancake that is heating up.

2. Make the dough. Using the starter mixture you start to build the dough by adding the yeast (if you are not using instant yeast you will want to add the yeast to the water first and allow it to dissolve), water, flour and salt and kneading until the mixture is somewhat smooth, cohesive dough. This is the perfect project for the dough hook attachment on a stand mixer.

Oil a large bowl, and place the dough inside and cover with plastic wrap. You are going to let the dough rise for a total of 3 hours. Every hour you will 'punch' the dough down (don't literally punch it...rather deflate it) and let it rise again. Repeat.

3. Work the dough. Place the dough on a floured surface, divide in 3 equal parts. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit for 20 minutes. Now you're ready to start forming the baguette! You will take each piece, and fold it over itself, flatten it slightly, and press the edges to seal. This will extend the dough into a log shape. Repeat twice until the baguette is about 15" long. Place the finished log on a heavily floured towel or cheese cloth. Repeat with the other 2 pieces of dough.

4. Rise again. Cover the loaves with greased plastic wrap and allow the to rise for another 90 minutes.

5. Bake. Preheat the oven to 450F. Roll the floured loafs onto an oven stone or lightly greased baking sheet. With a pairing knife, make 3 angled slits on the top of the loafs (if you see air pockets in the inside of the dough....perfect!). Spritz each baguette with plenty of water (this will create the crunchy crust). Bake for 25 minutes.

6. Enjoy!!! I must have eaten one whole baguette with a bit of butter and kosher salt right when it came out of the oven. The next day, I sliced one in half and made Pan con Tomate by toasting the slices, rubbing them lightly with a clove of garlic, and topping with chopped tomato, salt & pepper, and plenty of olive oil. Delicious!

In NYC :: Wine Expo

2010-01-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

For all of you in NYC, the New York Wine Expo is coming up soon! Over 150 wineries, from all over the world, all with their wines to sample. A. and I are especially excited for the "Grand Tasting" on Saturday, Feb. 28th! Doesn't that sound like a wonderful adventure? :-) Click here to buy tickets. Oh and good news: use the promo code "337WINE" for $10 off tickets for the expo on Feb. 27th or for Feb. 28th's Grand Tasting.

Enjoy!

Healthy Eating :: Green Tarragon Chicken Salad

2010-01-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

I ♥ chicken salad! It's so delicious and easy in a sandwich or even in chunky bits served with bread on the side. But, let's face it, it's not the healthiest salad considering the amount of mayonnaise in it. So, I set out to make a healthy version as a quick weeknight dinner! I thought of replacing the mayonnaise with plain, non-fat greek yogurt, and then sweetening it up with a little bit of apple juice. It was delicious! Especially after adding a bit of Dijon mustard and spicing it up with tarragon. Yum! Isn't tarragon perfect for chicken?

I added lots of broccoli, haricot verts, and green apple chunks for a bit of crunch. Big chucks of veggies and chicken, all atop a toasted whole wheat pita bread. The dressing is great for any salad, but keep some aside to add to the chicken salad leftovers the next day. I'm going to start replacing mayonnaise with yogurt more often!

Enjoy!

GREEN TARRAGON CHICKEN SALAD (serves 2 w/leftovers)

1 lb Boneless Chicken Breasts

Haricort Verts (about 2 cups)

Broccoli Florets (about 2 cups)

1 Granny Smith Apple

1/2 cup Tarragon Mustard Dressing (see below)

Kosher Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

Juice of half a Lemon

1 tablespoon strong mustard

For Tarragon Mustard Dressing:

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1/2 tablespoon chopped Tarragon

1/3 cup all natural Apple Juice (I ♥ Red Jacket Orchards Fuji Apple Juice)

Juice of half a lemon

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425F. Season the chicken breasts with a dash of olive oil, salt, pepper, juice of half a lemon, and a tablespoon or so of strong mustard. Place in an oven safe pan and cook until until chicken is thoroughly cooked and starting to brown lightly. Set aside to cool.

...Now to the greens! Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a generous sprinkle of salt. Separately prepare a large bowl with ice cold water and ice cubes. When the water is boiling, add the broccoli and cook for 45 seconds (yes...only 45 seconds! you want it to be crispy). Remove the broccoli from the boiling water and throw it into the ice water. This will 'shock' the greens and stop it from cooking, leaving it beautifully green and crispy. Repeat with the green beans. Set aside.

Prepare the tarragon dressing by whisking all the ingredients. Taste and add salt and pepper.

Chop the chicken and vegetables into small cubes for a chicken salad sandwich, or large pieces for a salad. Add dressing to taste and mix until every bit is covered in sauce. Serve immediately, and leave any leftovers in the fridge.

Honey, Honey :: Local Clover Honey Frozen Yogurt

2010-01-10T15:45:00.001-08:00

I know, I know... ice cream in the middle of winter? But have you ever had one of those weekends when you don't want to go outside? That was me this weekend. It was wonderful! ...Sleeping in, lazy breakfasts, lots of cooking, and a brand new stand mixer to play with. It was the perfect winter weekend! And being in my cozy, warm apartment all weekend made me crave ice cream.

In a New Years effort to be healthier, I thought: frozen yogurt. I love greek yogurt, especially drizzled with honey, so wouldn't it be delicious to combine it into a frozen treat? One problem: no ice cream machine. :-(

Well, after a little googling it turns out you can make ice cream at home without a machine... it just involves a little time. Basically you make the ice cream (or yogurt) mixture, freeze it, then as it's freezing you break up the ice crystals in order to get a creamy consistency ... instead of a block of ice. Pretty easy! Take a look at David Lebovitz's detailed step-by-step instructions... they are very easy to follow.

So I gave it a try. I used Fage Greek Yogurt and my favorite local Clover Honey from the farmer's market. It was sooooo delicious. Incredibly creamy, tangy but sweet.... and you can still taste the honey! This is going to be addictive. :-)

Enjoy!

HONEY FROZEN YOGURT (adapted from David Lebovitz's recipe via 101 Cookbooks)
3 cups Greek Yogurt (whole milk or 2%, if using 2% strain the yogurt overnight, start w/6 cups)
1/3 cup Honey (more to taste)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)

If using an ice cream maker:
Combine all ingredients in ice cream maker bowl and freeze according to the machine's instructions

Without an ice cream machine:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using the whip attachment if using a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, mix at medium speed until well combined and airy. Pour mixture into a non-stick cake pan (I used a 9") and place in the freezer. Resist the urge to eat it right away! :-)

After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the freezer. The outer mixture will have started to form ice crystals. Using a hand blender, or a stand mixer, and whip the mixture for about a minute until combined.

Place back in the pan and in the freezer for another 30 minutes. Repeat this freeze/whip process two more times. Depending on your freezer you may need a fourth time, after which your ice cream will be ready!

Serve immediately with drizzled honey. Yum!

French Bakery :: Madeleines

2010-01-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a big day... I got my first Kitchenaid Stand Mixer! It's something I've wanted for a while... imagine all the baking! But where to put it? Remember how small our kitchen is, and how we only have one counter? Well, after a little re-arranging I convinced myself that it would fit (by re-arranging I mean: our espresso machine is now on the dining table!) oops :-)

In spite of swooning over all the pastels, I decided to go with the chrome color. Very industrial looking, it's perfect! ...So lots of cakes, breads, cookies to come! ...maybe even some fresh pastas :-)

What to bake first? Madeleines!!! I love madeleines. Tiny, airy, buttery cakes beautifully shaped in scalloped shell molds. They are the perfect size when you are craving a bit of something sweet and the perfect cookie for a warm cup of tea or coffee.

Madeleines were made famous by the French author Marcel Proust who wrote fondly about them in his book "Remembrance of Things Past". They are said to originate from the Lorraine region in France, with conflicting stories on how they were named, but one version says that they were created by Louis XV's son-in-law's baker, who named them after her: Madeleine Paulmier.

You can find the shell shaped molds in most baking supply stores (or online). I prefer the steel pans over the silicone ones, that's just me... I don't think silicone molds give you the same crispness.

MADELEINES (adapted from The WS Baking Book) makes 24 cookies

1 cup All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Zest of 1/2 a Lemon

1/2 cup unsalted Butter, melted and cooled.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Brush the madeleine molds generously with melted butter and lightly dust with flour, tapping out any excess. If you have a non-stick pan, skip the flour.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the vanilla and lemon zest and beat until combined.

Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until well blended. Add a bit of the egg mixture to the melted butter. Then carefully fold the butter into the egg mixture in three parts.

Refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour.

Drop the batter into the center of the madeleine molds using a tablespoon. The molds should look close to full with a little mound in the center. Bake until lightly browned, but springy to the touch. About 11- 12 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.

Immediately invert the pan into a cooling rack, and make another batch. They will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze for up to a month.

Happy New Year :: Fried Egg B.L.T. w/ Lemon Aioli

2010-01-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!! Can you believe it, 2010?

A. and I spent the holidays, rang in the new year, and celebrated my b-day (yay! happy b-day to me!) in Miami. Two weeks of lounging around, lots of eating (way too much!), time with both of our families... and of course: a little sun! Bocce came along as well and spent countless hours a day sunbathing on the terrace!

But after a wonderful vacation, we are back in NYC in the most frigid weather I can remember. Boohoo :-(

Well today, my wonderful friends - S. and D. - took me on a birthday lunch to The Smith. It was the perfect post-vacation cheer-up! :-) And I had the most delicious sandwich: a BLT. Not a regular BLT... it was topped with a fried egg, smothered in a lemony aioli, all on a sourdough bun. Egg on a BLT? Yum!!! ...And the lemon aoili was so perfect, much better than plain mayo.

It was so delicious, I came home and decided to re-create it for A. He loooved it! What's not to love about crispy bacon? I added a little extra lemon to my aioli recipe, and it came out perfect. The recipe will make about half a cup of ailoi, it keeps well in the fridge so you can enjoy it on other sandwiches or as a dip for fresh veggies.

Ok, so I know that this isn't exactly new years diet friendly recipe, but try using turkey bacon and a sliced hardboiled egg white (instead of fried egg), for a lower fat version.

Enjoy!

FRIED EGG B.L.T. w/ LEMON AIOLI

Fried Eggs (I like the yolk slightly runny)

Crispy Bacon

Sliced Tomatoes

Fresh Sourdough Rolls, lightly toasted

For Lemon Aioli:

2 egg yolks

2 garlic cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3/4 cup olive oil

Combine the egg yolks, garlic cloves, salt, mustard, and half the lemon juice. With an immersion blender or food processor, pulse until creamy and garlic is finely chopped. While continuing to mix, add the olive oil a few drops at a time, then continue to add in a steady, slow stream. The mix will start to thicken. Continue to process until fully combined. Taste, and season with remaining lemon juice to taste. Keep in the fridge for 1 week.

To assemble the sandwich, spread the aoili on both sides of the bread. Layer the fried egg, bacon, tomatoes, and lettuce.

Waiting for Snow :: French Toast with Orange Maple Butter

2009-12-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

I woke up early today excited about the first snowfall this season, we're supposed to get 8" here in NYC! I admit that I always enjoy the snow, but I especially love it right before Christmas. Doesn't it make everything feel like the holidays are here? A. and I sat by the window, drank way too many cups of coffee and ate delicious french toasts waiting for the flurries to start falling. I can't imagine anything more Christmas-y than that! :-)

The french toasts were delicious! Perfectly crispy, but still creamy on the inside... with a slight vanilla sweetness... all topped with an orange zest and maple butter. Yum!

I had a giant bowl of oranges and grapefruits sitting on the counter, so I thought of making orange flavored butter to top our breakfast! It was perfect. I'm actually surprised the spread made it to the french toast because it was so delicious, A. and I kept 'tasting' it with bread...you know, to make sure it didn't need anymore salt or anything. :-)

Most french toast recipes call for a baguette or for Challah bread, but I used a Portuguese loaf. I find that baguettes are too thin and you get too much crust in each slice with not enough of the center. Challah is the perfect size, but a bit too 'egg-y' in french toast. The Portuguese loaf was perfect!

Top with plenty or warm maple syrup and fresh fruit ... Enjoy!

THE MOST DELICIOUS FRENCH TOAST

Serves 2

6 slices Portuguese Bread (about 3/4" thick)

4 Eggs

1/2 cup Whole Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 1/2 tablespoons Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Orange Zest

1 teaspoon orange juice (preferably fresh squeezed)

dash of Salt

Butter for pan

In a baking dish, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, zest, juice, and salt. Add the slices of bread until they are completely covered in batter. Pierce the slices with a fork to make sure the batter gets to the middle. Leave the bread in the mixture for 15 minutes, flipping over once to make sure all sides are completely covered.

In a non-stick pan, over medium heat, add a couple of tablespoons of butter. When the butter starts to bubble, add the toasts. Lower heat if the butter starts to burn. Cook the french toasts until crisp on one side and flip over. Make sure the inside is cooked thoroughly before removing from heat. Serve immediately.

ORANGE MAPLE BUTTER

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 teaspoon orange zest

2 teaspoons maple syrup dash of salt

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and mix. Taste for salt and sweetness. You can leave in the fridge until ready to use.

Oh, Bocce is waiting for Christmas (...and the snow!) too! :-)

Testing Recipes :: Rustic Berry Galettes

2009-12-15T03:48:00.000-08:00

I have to admit I've been a very lazy blogger lately. :-( I thought the holidays would have me to the kitchen everyday baking batches and batches of cookies and giant feasts, but it's been just the opposite. A. and I have been ordering an absurd amount of takeout, I haven't been to the farmer's market in weeks, and I hardly remember where it is that I store all of my kitchen contraptions. It's actually quite sad now that I think about it. ...I've just been so busy lately, with work, holiday get- togethers, and holiday shopping that it's sort of just happened; and I've missed it.

But, I'll stop complaining, and get cooking. :-)

I decided to start testing ideas for a Christmas Eve dessert. My parents will be making a delicious dinner, and I volunteered to make dessert. I wanted something different, not too heavy, and individual sized. So I thought: mini-galettes filled with berries! Perfect! Don't they look like rustic little presents? I topped them with a heaping spoonful of creme fraiche and lemon zest. Who wouldn't be excited to get this on their plate at the end of a meal!

You can use fresh berries if you find them, or use up any frozen ones you have leftover from summer. The dough was much easier than i imagined. It is a basic Pate Brisee french pie crust which I made without a food processor (since I only have a mini-prep) by grating the almost frozen butter. I used the recipe from Joy of Baking ...and rather that re-explain the process, I'm posting the link since I think their instructions are perfect!

Enjoy!

MINI BERRY GALETTES (inspired by Milk Eggs Chocolate)

1 batch Pate Brisee dough

3 cups of mixed berries

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup cream cheese

4 tablespoons Powdered Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Lemon Zest and Creme Fraiche (or whipped cream) for garnish

Make the Pate Brisee dough. *If you are not using a food processor incorporate the almost frozen butter into the flour by using a cheese grater to cut up the butter into small pieces. Then quickly mix with your hands or a metal dough whisk if you have one. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and store in the fridge in plastic wrap for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Season the fruit with the brown sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla.

For each tart, roll out a piece of dough to be about 6" in diameter. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture in the center, making sure you leave 1" all around with no spread. Top the center with a small mound of the berries (divide equally into 8 parts). Crimp the edges of the dough over the fruit to create a crust.

Continue to assemble the tarts. Bake on a lightly floured baking sheet for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling.

To serve, top with a spoonful of cream and grate a bit of lemon zest over each tart.

Holiday Gift Guide 2009 :: For the Baker

2009-12-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

Have you started your holiday shopping? I'm starting to worry a bit, because in spite of all of my gift daydreaming, I haven't actually 'bought' anything yet. Oooops! Well there's still time... and I will say that scouring the web for gift ideas is almost as fun as receiving them. :-)

So the Holiday Gift Guide continues! I'm in love with all of these goodies perfect for anyone who ♥'s baking! Wouldn't the vintage red scale look wonderful on a a countertop? Almost as perfect as having an embosser to stamp everything in sight (yes... that's what I would probably do!).

Enjoy!

You can't be a baker without a kitchen scale! Vintage Red Kitchen Scale $39.95 (Pillsbury Store.com). I also ♥ this one from Salter at Walmart - $15
Pretty twine in different colors for wrapping all those homemade goodies. It comes in large spools perfect for leaving on the counter. Divine Twine $15.
Wouldn't a chocolate souffle look beautiful in these heart molds? Charlotte Molds for making puddings, jellies, and souffles. Sur la Table, starting at $18
Beautifully simple! Emille Henry 9" Pie Dish $45 (Macys.com)
Milk container perfect for serving with all of those fresh baked chocolate chip cookies! Half Pint glass creamer from the MOMA store, $14.
A collection of delicious Madagascar Nielsen-Masey vanilla. Beans, extract, paste, and sugar...oh my! William Sonoma, all for $56
Personal embosser to create gift tags or emboss cookbooks, recipes, etc. Williams-Sonoma, $40
'Birds in the Kitchen' Print $16 (etsy.com)
Personalized baker's labels to sticker on all of your cookie boxes, jars of preserves, oven bags of homemade dog treats! :-) $40

Holiday Gift Guide 2009 :: For the Tea Lover

2009-12-06T18:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, here we go! The start of the holiday gift ideas. A. and I put up our wreath today so I'm in a very Christmas-y mood! :-)

First up: for the tea lover. All things I ♥ tea related that make the perfect gift on their own or combined. Wouldn't a vintage tea set be perfect wrapped with a colorful jar of Kusmi tea, or how about treating your friend to a holiday afternoon at Tea & Sympathy?

Enjoy!

French macarons of course! Nothing goes better with tea than beautiful macaroons. Delivered anywhere by MadMacNYC.com (starting at $18)
A beautiful vintage Silver Tea Set! Only $32! (etsy.com many more on ebay)
My favorite tea: Kusmi. A.'s favorite is 'Anastasia', mine is 'English Breakfast. (Kusmi.com or stop by McNulty's in the West Village)
Tiered Cake stand perfect for afternoon tea sandwiches and cakes $45 (etsy.com)
...or the new "I ♥ Macarons" cookbook $15 (Amazon.com)
If you happen to be in Paris...bring back the delicious tins of Fauchon tea cookies (... why can't they deliver to the US???)
A relaxing afternoon at Tea & Sympathy, West Village NYC. Afternoon tea: $35/pp (no reservations)
Deliciously aromatic tea sachets from the French Mariage Frere (Dean & Deluca)
Honey Spoons that melt in your tea as you stir...yum! ($15 for 8)

Things I ♥ :: Holiday Gift Guide!

2009-11-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

Anywhere you go it feels like the Holidays are here, I love it! It makes me crave pumpkin pies, and peppermint lattes, and big bowls of stuffing. ...Yes, I actually like the stuffing a bit more than the turkey... but shhh! :-)

Sorry for the lack of posts (really!!!), but A. and I took a few weeks off and went on a small vacation to visit family for Thanksgiving. So I've been staying clear of the kitchen. In the meantime, and in the spirit of getting ready for the Holiday shopping madness...I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things: a Holiday Gift Guide! It starts tomorrow....so get ready!!!

...all things food, kitchen, entertaining, related, and a few of my random faves for everybody on your list: you're mom the baker, you're friend the tea lover, your co-worker the chocolate fiend, or your husband the vanilla-syrup addict (...yes, A., that's you!) or even for yourself (come on, shopping is hard work, everybody deserves a little reward!)

Hope you enjoy! Stay tuned!

Farmer's Feast :: Apple & Beer Roasted Chicken w/sides

2009-11-14T11:49:00.001-08:00

It's such a dreary day here in NYC: grey, chilly, and rainy. Oh...I'm not complaining... I actually love days like today, lazy Saturdays! It made me remember that I had yet to post a delicious meal we had a couple of Sundays ago when the weather was very much like today. Just one of those days when you don't want to leave the house. So we stayed in. A. worked a bit, Bocce napped around... from one couch to the other... and I spent the day with pots and pans, bouncing in and out of the oven... preparing a little Fall feast. :-)

The menu:

- Apple & Beer Baked Whole Chicken

- Roasted Asparagus

- Parmessean Polenta Bites

- Roasted Butternut Squash Puree

It reminded me of a rustic farmhouse meal... nothing too fussy. Just simple, roasted food.

I was feeling so lazy, I didn't tie the chicken, I simply used a skewer to hold the drumsticks together. It actually worked very well! The chicken is delicious with the sweetness of the apples and the bitterness of the beer. And the roasted squash is so sweet from the oven roasting it tastes almost like sweet potatoes. It all went perfectly with the crispy oven roasted polenta with Parmesan, and simple asparagus side.

Enjoy!

APPLE & BEER BAKED WHOLE CHICKEN

1 whole Chicken (about 2-3 lbs, preferably free range)

2 baking Apples, cored and sliced

1 bottle of beer

2 tablespoons Light Brown Sugar

3 tablespoons Butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence

1 teaspoon Cloves

Salt & Pepper

In a heavy duty baking oven (I used a 5qt Dutch Oven) add the beer, apples, and cloves.. In a small owl, combine the herbs, butter, sugar, salt and pepper. Rub the chicken with the mixture. Go under the skin of the chicken with the rub as well. Place the chicken in the baking oven with the liquids, and allow it to season in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375F. You can place a skewer through the two drumsticks to keep them in place. Place the baking dish in the oven. Cook, covered, for about 45 minutes or until the temperature of the inner thigh reaches 170F. (While the chicken is cooking, baste the chicken with the beer about every 15 minutes). Uncover the dish, place oven on broil (500F) and cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven. Allow the chicken to rest for 1o minutes, and carve. Serve with the cooking liquids and apple slices.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE

1 Butternut Squash, peeled & cubed

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the squash with a bit of olive oil (enough to coat) and salt. Place on a baking sheet & cover with foil. Cook for about 30 minutes or until softened. Remove from the sheet and place in a bowl. Add the cream and taste for salt. With an immersion blender (or potato masher) puree the squash, but still keeping a bit of the chunks.

BAKED POLENTA SQUARES (adapted from 101 cookbooks)

1 1/2 cups Polenta

1 cup Milk

2 cups Chicken Stock

1 cup Water

1/2 cup Parmesan

Melted Butter (about 3 tablespoons)

In a large saucepans, bring the liquids to a boil. In a slow stream, add the polenta while stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Lower the heat to low and add salt to taste (be careful - depending on the amount of salt in your stock you may not need additional salt). Continue to stir while the polenta thickens. Add the cheese.

Remove from heat and spread the mixture into a slightly buttered baking dish to about 1/2" thick. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

Carefully flip the baking dish over onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife cut the polenta sheet into desired shapes. I cut into squares, and then cut those into triangles. Brush the pieces with the melted butter.

Bake the pieces in a 450F oven for 15-20 minutes until they start to brown.

For Dinner :: Tarragon Mustard Chicken & Mushroom Crepes

2009-11-10T19:20:00.000-08:00

We've been talking about going to Cafe Henri for months. It's a little Parisian crepe cafe in the West Village on Bedford St. We walk by it often, have heard great reviews...and more importantly the dog etched on their window looks very much like Bocce, so it always makes us smile. But it's one of those things you always think about, but when trying to think of places to go for dinner - we always forget it! Well, we were finally going to go Sunday but last minute we got lazy, ordered pizza, and watched movies. Oh well... someday! :-)

But, last night, still craving crepes, I thought: why not just make them at home?

For the crepe batter I used the recipe from the wonderful 'The Food of France" cookbook (one of my faves... really one of the only cookbooks I consistently pull out), and for the filling I decided to improvise using a delicious tarragon mustard I had gotten recently. I have to admit that condiments are one of my little obsessions! (...if you can't get tarragon mustard, you can replace it with dijon mustard and chopped tarragon)

Isn't tarragon delicious? It's sweet, with a bit of a licorice taste and just enough spice. I love it in bernaise sauce atop a steak frite, but it also goes so perfectly with chicken ...and mushrooms! So that's what I came up with: a tarragon mustard chicken in a creamy mushroom and shallot wine sauce. All inside delicate french crepes and broiled with gruyere cheese!

Yum, yum, yum!!! What's not to love about crepes, gruyere, and a creamy, spicy tarragon chicken?

It was delicious! It's funny how sometimes dishes just come together on a whim and seem to work out perfectly. A. officially named it one of his top 5 dishes (I'm still trying to find out what the other 4 are! I think Soupy Dumplings are up there)

Anyway... enjoy! :-)

TARRAGON MUSTARD CHICKEN & MUSHROOM CREPES

(serves 4)

4 chicken breasts

Juice of 1 lemon

Springs of Thyme, about 5

2 + 1 tablespoons Tarragon Mustard, divided (you can replace with 3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard, and 1 tablespoon chopped Tarragon)

1 Shallot, chopped

2 cups of mushrooms, slices

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

2 cups dry white wine

2 tablespoons Butter

1/3 cup Gruyere, grated

Salt & Pepper to taste

Olive Oil

Crepes:

2 cups All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Sugar

Pinch Salt

1 2/3 cups Milk

1/2 cup water

2 eggs

1 teaspoon melted unsalted butter

Season the chicken with 1 tablespoon mustard, lemon juice, drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (or while you prepare the crepes).

To sautee the chicken do not use a non-stick pan, you want the chicken and vegetables to stick a bit so you can then deglaze. Heat the pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When the oil starts to bubble, add the chicken breasts. Allow the chicken to cook almost completely. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.

In the same pan, add the chopped shallots and a dash of salt. Sautee until they start to become clear. Add the mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook. Add more olive oil if needed. When the mushrooms start to brown and soften, deglaze the pan with the wine and cream. Add the remaining mustard and taste for salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to come to a boil.

Cut the chicken into 1/2" pieces and add into the sauce. Allow the sauce to continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat.

Now you are ready to assemble the crepes! Preheat the oven to broil (500F). Lay one crepe flat on the oven pan you will be using. Add the chicken and mushroom sauce to half of the crepe. Fold the crepe over in half, and then once over itself again to create a cone shape. Repeat with all crepes (you should have enough chicken for about 8 crepes) and arrange the crepes next to each other in the pan. Pour any remaining sauce into the pan. Sprinkle the crepes with the cheese. Place in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the cheese browns and the crepes start to crisp. Serve immediately with a green salad.

For the crepes:

Sift the dry ingredients and mix together. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, milk and water. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and slowly add the liquids into the middle while whisking to prevent lumps. Add the melted butter and continue to whisk until the batter is smooth. Let the batter rest for 20 minutes.

When ready, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a bit of butter to the pan and add about 1/2 of batter per crepe. Move the pan around in a circular motion to create a thin uniform layer of batter in the pan. Continue to cook for about 2 minutes. Remove the crepe from the pan and place on a plate covered with a paper towel while you continue to cook the rest of the batter.

Oh...for dessert? Crepes with Nutella, of course! Just smear any leftover crepes with about 3 tablespoons of Nutella and serve with powdered sugar. :-)

Sunday Morning :: Egg & Black Truffle 'Brouillade'

2009-11-08T18:45:00.001-08:00

It's A.'s birthday next Sunday! In celebration of the start of his b-day week I wanted to make a delicious breakfast this morning. And what better way to start the day than with fresh black truffles?

I went on a bit of a truffle frenzy the other day when walking around Chelsea Market. I walked out with a jar of truffle butter, truffle ricotta raviolis from Boun Italia, and my very own black truffle! Isn't it lovely? I'm so in awe of where these little things come from and their rarity.

The price of truffle by the pound is pretty intimidating, but you can buy one truffle (roughly: 1 ounce) for around $20 - $25. Or truffle butter for around $10 for a 4 ounce container. There are also a great variety of affordable truffle flavored oils which are great for risottos or pastas.

Excited with my little truffle, I started doing some research on potential dishes. I saw mention of a french dish called a "Brouillade" (which means 'scrambled') of eggs and black truffles. So tempting... and you can't ask for more luxurious breakfast! I ran out for a fresh baguette and started cooking.

It's traditionally one of the first dishes served from the truffle harvest. You allow the eggs to sit overnight (up to 2 days) with the truffles so that the aroma starts seasoning the eggs. Then the eggs are slowly cooked with the shaved truffle, heavy cream and butter over a 'bain marie' to create a a creamy, smooth, aromatic scramble.

It's so delicious, and elegant! The slowly cooked eggs are velvety smooth, and the truffle taste is delicate but distinctive. Perfect!!! ...I might start serving this as a dinner appetizer.

Enjoy!

EGGS with BLACK TRUFFLES "BROUILLADE"

(serves 2)

6 large Eggs

1 ounce Truffle

2 tablespoons of Heavy Cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or Truffle Butter for a stronger taste!)

Salt & pepper to taste

This recipe is all about the few ingredients, so use good quality eggs. I always buy free-roaming eggs.

Clean the truffle by running it over a gentle stream of cold water to remove any dirt, pat dry. Store the eggs in an airtight container with the cleaned truffle in the middle overnight or for up to 2 days.

When you are ready to prepare the eggs. Crack the eggs open and whisk with salt. Shave the truffle thinly, set aside a few whole shavings for garnish, and finely chop the others and add to the egg mixture. Store the eggs and truffles in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 hours.

Bring the water in the 'bain marie' bottom pot to a boil. (Note: I do not have a 'bain marie' pot so instead I use a stainless steel mixing bowl that fits perfectly atop one of my sauce pots. In a pinch, use a non-stick skillet over the lowest heat).

In the top portion of the double boiler pour the egg mixture and the cream. Whisk the eggs continuously as they start to cook and thicken. Do not allow the eggs to scramble. You want a creamy consistency instead of large lumps. As the mixture starts to thicken, add the butter and more salt to taste. Continue to whisk until cooked but remain creamy. The total cooking time will be no longer than 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and serve immediately. Garnish with truffle shavings and accompany with fresh baguette or country bread slices.

Perfect Topping :: Stewed Berries w/Creme de Cassis

2009-11-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, I've been feeling a bit under the weather. :-( But I'm feeling much better and am back to the kitchen... and computer! :-)

It's been so chilly here in NYC that I've been craving anything warm. Even warm fruit! Stewed fruits are delicious, it brings out all of the fruits sweetness. You can stew berries or pit fruit with your favorite spices or liquors and use as a topping for anything from oatmeal to ice cream or cakes. It's the perfect Fall treat! And the perfect use for any frozen fruits you might have leftover from the summer... or fresh ripe berries.

I used frozen strawberries and blueberries, and fresh blackberries; and spiced it with cinnamon, lemon and Creme de Cassis. Creme de Cassis is a French blackcurrant liquor which is used to make the delicious and beautifully colored Kir Royale champagne cocktail. It's perfect to have around for the holidays (look for a Creme de Cassis 'de Dijon').

These berries are perfectly sweet and tart, with a delicate syrup. A.'s been topping vanilla ice cream with every night. :-) Yum!

Enjoy!

STEWED BERRIES with CREME de CASSIS

1 cup Blackberries (divided into 2)

1 cup Strawberries (divided into 2)

1/2 cup Blueberries

2 tablespoon Honey

1 Cinnamon Stick

1/3 cup water

Juice of half a lemon

2 teaspoons Creme de Cassis

In a heave saucepan over medium heat add half the blackberries and strawberries, the blueberries, honey, cinnamon stick, lemon juice and peel, and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, and continue to cook uncovered while stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.

The liquid will become a syrup. Taste the syrup fro sweetness and add more honey or lemon juice to taste. Add the Creme de Cassis and let it come to a boil again.

Remove from heat and add the remaining berries. Enjoy warm over ice cream or cake, or store in the fridge and keep for a week.

How To :: Poach Salmon

2009-11-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

I ♥ fish, but I confess that I shy away from cooking it on a daily basis because of the strong smell. And I'm not one to shy away from food smells, but when you are in a small, open loft apartment, it's something you think twice about. A. and I spend hours devising ways to keep my many food experiments from spreading to the whole apartment!

So, when I read recently that poaching fish is virtually odorless, I was sold. Plus, I enjoy the moist texture of poached fish fillets, and it's delicate, aromatic taste. It's delicious (and healthy!) served warm with roasted vegetables, or topped with a rich sauce (this recipe with a caper butter sauce sounds delicious), or as part of a french Nicoise salad (instead of canned tuna).

Traditionally, the fish is poached in a pot called a 'poissonierre' which is elongated to fit a large whole fish. It contains a liftable tray (almost like a pasta pot) that easily separates the fish from the liquid. Although it is a wonderful pot, you can poach fish in any sort of heavy skillet or dutch oven.

I got the most wonderful surprise last Friday when I got home and had this beautiful, new 5 qt dutch oven sitting atop my stove. Can you believe it? It's like the kitchen fairy snuck in and left me goodies! Well, no, it wasn't a fairy, it was a wonderful gift from my parents to whom I've been endlessly telling (and they've patiently listened) about all of my kitchen obsessions. Well, since last week, I've used it in all my cooking. It's the perfect size (not to mention color!). ...And perfect for this recipe.

You can poach many different fish, but, thicker, more solid fish works best, such as: salmon, cod, tuna, or monkfish. I used wild salmon fillets. Poached salmon is usually seasoned with dill, but I used cilantro which I think goes wonderfully with fish. To serve, I drizzled it with a bit of olive oil and fresh lemon. Very simple. It's a perfect weeknight meal... the best part: the leftovers will be delicious tomorrow over a salad!

Enjoy!

POACHED SALMON

4 - 4oz fillets of Wild Salmon (about 1" thick)

2 cups dry white wine

3 cups water

1 Lemon

2 Carrots, chopped

Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Salt & Pepper

1 tablespoon Strong mustard (such as Colmans or a Dijon)

Season the salmon fillets with the juice of 1/2 a lemon, salt & pepper, and a smear of mustard.

In a heavy skillet or dutch oven, over high heat, add the wine, water, juice of 1/2 a lemon along with the lemon rind, a bunch of chopped cilantro, chopped carrots, and salt & pepper to taste.

When the liquid boils, carefully add the salmon fillets. Make sure the fish is fully submerged in the liquid. Lower to medium-high heat and allow the liquid to continue to simmer. Cook the fish for 3 minutes on one side and then flip over the fillets for another 3 minutes. Be careful, this will cook very quickly.

Remove the fillets from the liquid and serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh cilantro, or allow the fish to cool and store in the fridge for cold salads.

*The seasonings to the wine/water can be changed to your tastes. Try dill and shallots, or even add beetroot for added color and a bit of earthiness.

Happy Halloween :: Gorgonzola & Sage Flatbreads

2009-11-01T10:13:00.000-08:00

After a disastrous afternoon of cookie baking (so sad!), I was not too excited to go back to the kitchen. But my second experiment of the day turned out much better! :-)

Our friends S. & N. were coming over to help greet the trick-or-treaters. I wanted to have something easy to eat, something that we could munch before heading out. So, I opened up the fridge and came up with these cheesy, roasted flatbreads, perfect! I topped one with Gorgonzola and orange peppers, and one with brie and ham. And added fresh sage leaves and honey to both. Perfectly salty, savoury, and sweet!

Fresh Direct has a great pizza dough which I always have in the freezer, but feel free to make your own. This is a perfect recipe to use up leftover cheeses. I think the honey and sage bring it all together, especially when paired with the pungent Gorgonzola.

Enjoy!

GORGONZOLA & SAGE FLAT BREAD

1 Round of Pizza Dough

1/2 cup Gorgonzola

1 Orange Pepper (you can replace w/other vegetables: squash would be delicious!)

Fresh Sage Leaves

Olive Oil

Pepper

Squeeze of Honey

Watercress or Rocket Lettuce for garnish

Preheat oven to 375F. Place the defrosted pizza dough on a cookie sheet lightly greased with olive oil. Spread the dough to create a flatbread but be careful to not stretch the dough too much so that it breaks. It doesn't have to be a perfectly even shape.

Cook the bread for 15 minutes or until it starts to bubble up and crisp. Remove from the oven.

Top the bread with the peppers, gorgonzola, and sage leaves (about 5 leaves). Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and honey. Sprinkle with pepper.

Turn oven to Broil (500F). Place the flatbread back in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until the cheese melts and the crust starts to brown.

Allow the flatbread to cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with a pile of watercress lettuce on top and slice and serve

Happy Halloween :: Scary Cookie Experiment

2009-11-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!!! Hope had a spooktacular day!

I was very excited to spend the day baking chocolaty owl cookies for all of our trick-or-treaters! I had seen Thomas Keller's Oreo cookie recipe on The Kitchn. It's Bouchon Bakery's recipe for their famous chocolate cookies sandwiched with a white chocolate frosting. Doesn't that sound divine and look adorable?

I'm not usually a decorated cookie baker. I love rustic desserts: simple pastries, fresh fruit tarts, traditional cookies, and buttery pound cake... food coloring and frosting doesn't usually do it for me. But it's halloween! So I bought a scary owl cookie cutter and even a piping bag and was ready!

But it was a disaster. :-(

The cookies were too crumbly and fragile to be easily assembled, my tiny kitchen looked like a chocolate tornado had hit the West Village, and the dough was way too buttery and sticky for cut-out cookies. They lost their shape once they were cooked, and even after I cooled them for hours, they broke when I tried to pipe them with frosting.

The picture above is the uncooked dough... it had great promise, all before it got into the oven!

I thought it was just me, but after reading some of the comments on their post this morning, it looks like other halloween bakers had similar issues with the recipe. (Don't you love recipe comments?) I think some of the measurements in the recipe are off.

Oh well! I went ahead and assembled the ones I could, and the kids didn't seem to mind too much. I think it helped that I also had a giant bowl of candy bars. ...Seeing Bocce in his pirate costume cheered up my day. :-) Happy Halloween!

Happy Friday :: The Botany of Desire

2009-10-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! What are you doing this weekend? A. and I stayed in tonight and watched the thought provoking PBS documentary "Botany of Desire". Amazing! It's based on Micheal Pollan's book - which I have not read but is next on my 'to read' list. You're view of food will never be the same. I highly recommend the show. We ordered the most delicious pork enchilladas from Mexicana Mama, and watched tv... what a perfect friday night! :-)

Oh, I'm also getting ready for a full-fledged morning of baking tomorrow: Happy Halloween! I can't wait. I have all new cookie cutters, so a few spooky posts to follow tomorrow morning. :-)

Warm Salad :: Toasted Brussels Sprouts w/Cranberries

2009-10-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

I ♥ brussels sprouts! They're a little bitter, perfectly crunchy, and go well with mostly anything. I didn't start enjoying them until a couple of years ago, so I must be making up for lost time, because I can't get enough of them now. Raw and shredded, sauteed, or roasted; pretty much anyway you serve them... but I especially enjoy them in the Fall as a side to anything roasted.

Tonight, I sauteed them and topped with plenty of cranberries, a bit of Parmesan and seasoned it all with a garlic olive oil and lemon juice. A quick weeknight warm salad! It was delicious!

...Wouldn't this be a perfect side for Thanksgiving?

Enjoy!

TOASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS w/CRANBERRIES

2 cups Brussels Sprouts (1 small box), halved

Handful of Dried Cranberries (or fresh! but add a bit of honey)

Juice of half a lemon

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

Grated Parmesan

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and garlic cloves. When the garlic starts to brown, add the brussels sprouts. Mix with the oil and garlic cloves until the brussels sprouts are covered in olive oil. Continue to saute until the sprouts start to brown. Add the cranberries, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. When the brussels sprouts are crispy, remove from heat. Top with grated Parmesan and serve.

Cookie Jars :: Lemon Zest Shortbread

2009-10-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

Last night, with way too many things on my to-do list, I decided to not do any of them and instead: bake cookies! So much more fun. Well, I rationalized it with the fact that the holidays less than 2 months away so it's really time to start picking/testing cookie recipes. :-)

The truth was that I had bought a new cookie cutter in the morning and could not wait to try it. Especially when I realized that the size fit perfectly into my glass jars! (...yes, I know, I am obsessed with these) But how cute are these glass jars filled with cookies? I wanted a cookie that would keep well for a few days, so I came up with Lemon Zest Shortbread cookie jars. A few jars for us, and a few to share.

Shortbread is the most basic cookie recipe: flour, butter, sugar, and a bit of vanilla. That's it! It's a Scottish tradition, dating back to the 12h century. It's name coming The traditional recipe is 3 parts flour, 1 part sugar, and basically for every cup of flour, 1 stick of butter. This is all about the ingredients, so you need to use good quality butter and pure vanilla extract. When researching shortbreads I found out that butter has a rating system (who knew!). Look on the box and look for a "AA" rating. As for vanilla, I *heart* Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Vanilla.

I think it's the perfect holiday cookie... Picture a snowy holiday morning, staring out the window, with a big cup of tea and little shortbread cookies.

PS: I'll warn you... there are alot of pictures of cookies coming up! Sorry, but what better way to start the weekend than cookies? :-)

Enjoy! Happy Friday.

LEMON ZEST SHORTBREAD COOKIES

3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 cup fine sugar (or powdered sugar)

3 sticks unsalted butter

1 teaspoon of vanilla (pure, not vanilla extract)

1/4 teaspoon of salt

*Optional: Zest of 2 lemons

Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the butter and sugar with a hand blender until creamy. In a separate bowl mix the flour and salt. Add the flour and salt to the butter and eggs, along with the vanilla and lemon zest. Continue to mix with a hand blender until the dough has started to come together.

Place the dough on a light floured surface. With your hands shape the dough into a large disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough to 1/4" thick and cut your cookies. You can use a cookie cutter, or use a pairing knife and a ruler and make straight cuts along the dough to get rectangular cookies. To bake, place on top of parchment paper or on a lightly buttered and greased cookie sheet, and into the oven for 20 minutes or until the edges start to brown. (At this point - you could also freeze the dough).

Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and allow them to cool on a rack. I don't own a cookie rack, so I use the rack from my microwave oven. It does the trick!

When the cookies are at room temperature, store them in air tight containers. They will keep for over a week.

Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea for dunking. :-)

Bread & Butter :: Cinnamon Honey Butter

2009-10-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Isn't butter just perfect? It's almost as perfect as bread! ...I think if I had to pick only one food to eat for the rest of my life it would have to be bread with butter. Well, that's technically two foods, but who's counting? :-) It's just one of those simple, uncomplicated, comforting flavor combinations that you can't help but love.

So last night, when I saw Barefoot Contessa (ahh...the wonders of Tivo!) make a cinnamon honey butter, I had to try it. On my way home tonight, I picked up a fresh loaf of whole wheat bread and whipped up a batch. Butter, honey, and cinnamon, and I also added a bit of brown sugar for extra sweetness.

This is perfect to have in the fridge for an indulgent breakfast over toast, an english muffin, ...or imagine on pancakes! Yum! But also perfect in a dessert: slather a bit of the butter on apple slices and broil them in the oven until they start to brown. Delicious by themselves or atop ice cream.

...I think this is going to be the start of a flavored butter obsession :-)

Enjoy!

CINNAMON HONEY BUTTER (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons clover honey

1/4 teaspoon teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Mix all ingredients with a hand blender or a food processor until well mixed. Store in an airtight container on the fridge.

Enjoy!

Dreaming of France :: Boeuf Bourguinon

2009-10-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

So with the apartment already smelling like bacon, and a brand new dutch oven what else could I make for dinner but Beouf Bourguinon of course! This is one of my favorite dishes. I first had it in Paris at a tiny restaurant on Ile St Louis. Days after we came back from our trip we were already craving it, and had to set out to recreate it. I've been in love ever since.

It's one of those wonderful dishes that stews for hours, and the meat becomes perfectly tender. It originated as a peasant dish in Burgundy using wine as a way to tenderize the meat, and eventually became a standard in french cuisine when it was adapted by Escoffier. In France, they recommend you make it a day beforehand and let the flavors continue to develop. Up to you... but I'll warn you, it's hard to resist having a plate as soon as it comes out of the oven. :-)

So A. and I took a trip to Ottomanelli's in search of meat! Traditionally this is made with chunk steak, but I decided to try short ribs. You can try variations and decide which you like best, I love the 'melt in your mouth' texture of short ribs. The first time I made this dish, I made it in a 3 quart dutch oven and it was perfect for 2 with leftovers for the next day. But with friends coming over, I made double the portion in a 6.5 quart pot. It's the same effort to make more... so if you have a large enough pot, why not? The leftover actually freeze very well.

Enjoy!

BOEUF BOURGUINON (adapted from The Food of France) serves 8

4 lbs Short Ribs (or chunk steak), cut into 1.5" cubes

1 bottle (750ML) Red Wine, preferably Burgundy

1 1/2 cups good quality beef stock

5 garlic cloves

Bouquet Garni (sprigs of thyme, parsley, bay leaves tied together with twine)

1/2 stick of butter

2 onions, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

3 tablespoons All Purpose Flour

8 oz Bacon, chopped

3 Shallots, peeled but left whole

3 cups mushrooms (I used a mix of crimini and white mushrooms)

Place the meat, wine, garlic, and bouquet garni in a large bowl and leave in the fridge for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight (especially if using chunk meat).

Preheat the oven to 315F. Drain the meat, and reserve the marinade and bouquet. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel.

In the casserole, or dutch oven, add 1 oz of butter over medium heat. Add the onions, shallots, carrots, and bouquet garni stirring occasionally. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a separate large non-stick skillet, over high heat, add 1 oz of butter and the bacon. When the bacon starts to crisp, remove it from the pan but keep the bacon fat. Reserve the bacon pieces. Sear the pieces of meat in batches in the butter and bacon fat, adding to the casserole/oven dish when fully browned. Pour the wine marinade and beef stock into the skillet when you are done browning the meat to deglaze the pan. Allow the marinade to boil for at least 30 seconds and remove from heat.

Reheat the casserole/oven dish to high heat and sprinkle the meat and vegetables with the floor. Stir to make sure all pieces are evenly coated with the flour. Add the bacon pieces, and pour in the marinade and stir well. Bring to a boil. Place the dish covered in the oven for 2 hours.

When the casserole is ready remove form the oven and in a non-stick skillet, add the remaining butter and brown the mushrooms over high heat. Add the mushrooms to the casserole and stir.

Remove the bouquet garni, skim any fat from the surface, and add fresh parsley as a garnish. Serve with crusty bread or a pile of mashed potatoes.

...and voila, c'est tout! Bon appetit!

For Starters :: Seared Local Scallops with Fresh Herb Aoli

2009-10-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

After a delicious brunch... onto dinner! :-)

We hadn't seen our friend's L. & D. in a while, and a friend of A.'s just moved to NYC. So we invited them all over for dinner. Aren't cold fall nights perfect for just staying in with friends and chatting for hours and hours over cheeses and wine, and a big dinner? I think so... I wish we had a long farmhouse style rustic table and could have all of our friends over every Saturday until the weather warms up again. Wouldn't that be wonderfully fun??? :-)

On the menu for dinner... first: the appetizer. We had 2 pounds of local wild sea scallops and thought they'd make the perfect appetizer seared and served atop a bed of watercress. For extra flavor, I made an aoli of basil and parsley... delicious!!!

I have to say that making an aoli (or mayo!) is a pretty interesting process. It's amazing how the slow streaming oil creams the egg yolks into a perfect custard. It was my first time attempting this, and it was much easier than I imagined, and delicious atop fish or even as a dip for fresh veggies. I think I must have called A. over about 10 times as I was processing the ingredients to show him the texture change... it's almost like magic! :-)

This recipe serves 6, but you can easily decrease it for a quick weeknight dinner for 2 or even one. The herb aoli can be made a day beforehand and the scallops only take about 5 minutes to cook. Enjoy!

SEARED SCALLOPS w/FRESH HERB AOLI (serves 6)

2 lbs Scallops (about 3 scallops/person)

Olive oil

1/2 tablespoon Herbes de Provence

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt & Pepper to taste

Slice of Bacon or Pancetta

Fresh Herb Aoli (recipe below)

Watercress Lettuce, or Frisee

Marinate the scallops with olive oil (about 3 tablespoons), lemon juice, herbs, and salt for 30 minutes in the fridge.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over high heat and add a bit of olive oil and the bacon. Allow the bacon to cook and release its fat. When the bacon starts to crisp, remove the strip from the pan and carefully add the scallops (which have been patted dry with a paper towel).

Do not overcrowd the pan or the scallops will not sear, leave about 1" between each scallop. You can do the searing in batches, but you don't want to do more than 2 batches since scallops should be served immediately after searing. Cook the scallops 2 minutes on each side until they get a light brown crust and are cooked in the middle. If cut down the middle, you will see about 1/4" crust and a translucent center.

Plate the scallops atop a bunch of watercress (tossed with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper) and add a dollop of the fresh herb aoli.

FRESH HERB AOLI

4 egg yolks

3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon basil

3 tablespoon parsley

3/4 cup olive oil

Add the eggs, lemon juice, and herbs to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture becomes creamy and the herbs are finely chopped. With the food processor on, add the olive oil a 1/4 teaspoon at a time until the mixture starts to thicken. Slowly start to stream the olive oil into the processor.

* My mini prep food processor does not have the option to add to it while it is turned on, so after chopping the eggs, lemon and herbs, I put the mixture in a bowl, and added the olive oil while mixing with an immersion blender... it worked just fine! Just remember to add the oil slowly.

Saturday Brunch :: Eggs en Cocotte & Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2009-10-17T21:40:00.001-07:00

Hope you are enjoying the weekend! I am getting ready for a busy day! We are having friends over for both brunch and for dinner. Yes, twice in one day! I can't wait... it's freezing here in NYC (40's in October!) so I can't imagine anything better than staying in and cooking. :-)

So first: breakfast!

Our friend E. has her wonderful friend Simon visiting from London. They stopped by for brunch on their way to the MOMA this morning. With 3 dozen farm fresh eggs from our CSA last week, I decided to make Eggs 'en cocotte'. This is a classic french dish where eggs are baked individually in ramekins in a 'bain marie' in the oven until the white is no longer runny. You can top them with cheese or veggies (whatever you think of!) and serve with toast for dipping. I paired it with sweet and savoury rosemary roasted sweet potatoes. What a yummy way to start the weekend... with friends and plenty of food!

Ok, so on the BRUNCH MENU:

- English Breakfast Tea (of course!)

- Scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam (I ♥ freezing scones... fresh scones whenever you crave them!)

- Roasted Rosemary Sweet Potatoes

- Eggs 'en cocotte' with whole wheat bread toast

- Plenty of crispy Bacon

Oh ps: I was, of course, very embarrassed to serve Simon my scones , but A. finally convinced me. So into the oven they went: Raisin and Lemon Zest scones with clotted cream. Well, he seemed to really, genuinely enjoy them ... or at least was not completely offended with my attempt at this British classic, phew! :-)

EGGS EN COCOTTE (1 per person)

2 Eggs

1 tablespoon buttermilk (or whole milk)

Sprinkling of cheese

Salt & Pepper

Fresh Chives, chopped

6-8 oz ramekins

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter the ramekins. Sprinkle cheese into the ramekins (about a tablespoon). Crack the eggs into the ramekin, being careful to keep the yolks whole. Pour the milk on top of the eggs. Do not mix. Sprinkle with more cheese if desired, salt and pepper, and chives.

Place the ramekins in an oven dish. Fill the dish with water, enough that it covers at least half the ramekin height. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked. Serve with toast cut in strips for easy dipping!

ROSEMARY ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

3 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" squares

2 springs of rosemary

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking dish with parchment paper (for easy clean up!). Add the sweet potato pieces. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and add the rosemary springs. With your hands mix the potatoes to make sure they are all coated. Don't worry if the rosemary starts to break.

Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Enjoy!

Craving Greens :: Orrechietti w/Sauteed Garlic Lime Spinach

2009-10-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

A. had his weekly soccer game tonight and I didn't get home till late (long day at work!), so I was feeling very lazy. ...but hungry! :-) I was tempted to order pizza but, oddly enough, I was craving greens. Can you believe it... that you can actually crave healthy greens... not just things like cake and chocolate! ...Well, I guess that's a good thing!

So I decided to follow my urge to be healthy and pulled out a bag of fresh baby clam spinach! I came up with this very simple dish: sauteed spinach in garlic and lime mixed with orrechietti, and topped with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan.

It only took a few minutes, and there was no chopping and hardly any cleanup. It was so delicious and fresh that I think I'll be making this more often, no just lazy nights! The bit of lime is perfect with the spinach and Parmesan.

* For a 'less healthy' version: saute a bit of pancetta with the spinach and top w/toasted pine nuts. :-)

Enjoy!

ORRECHIETTI w/SAUTEED GARLIC LEMON SPINACH (serves 2)

1/2 box Orrechietti

1 bag baby clam Spinach

2 cloves Garlic, peeled

Juice of 1/2 lime

Salt & Pepper to taste

Parmesan, grated

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Boil the pasta per box directions.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil (about a table spoon) and add whole garlic cloves. When the garlic starts to brown, start adding the spinach. It will wilt quickly, you can add the spinach in parts if it does not all fit at once. Mix the spinach with the olive oil and add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. This will only take a couple of minutes to cook.

Add the pasta to the skillet and mix.

Remove the garlic cloves, add the grated Parmesan and serve.

Apple Season is Here :: Homemade Apple Sauce

2009-10-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Hope you had a lovely weekend! A. and I have been very lazy and have hardly left the couch... we finally got Tivo installed and it has completely sucked us in! I thought the idea was that you can record shows while you're not home, well it's had the opposite effect on us. I did make it away from the TV for a few hours yesterday to do a little work in the kitchen. I cleaned all the cabinets, the fridge, moved pots and pans around, threw out old spices, and even created a cabinet of Fido jars to house all of our dry goods - flours, sugars, salts, herbs, and oats all in their own jar. I love it...a little Fall cleaning was much in order!

I realized I had a big bowl of apples from last week's farmer's market. I decided they had to be used up before we go apple picking in a couple of weeks and come back with more piles. Get ready for apple season: tarts, pies, upside down cakes, and of course: apple sauce! So I decided to make apple sauce, mostly because I love it (...a little weird but I actually buy Gerber's all the time as an after dinner dessert), but also because I bought an immersion blender last week that was begging to be used! :-)

Well, it came out delicious, and so easy. No need for store-bought. I also had a few Bartlett Pears around, so I threw them in as well... why not! I stored it in mason jars and into the fridge they went. You can also freeze it for months. It's a perfect snack or a topping for savoury meats. Our neighbors - M. & G. - invited us over for dinner tonight to help them get through a turkey breast they are roasting, and A. had the idea that we could top it w/apple sauce. Perfect, no need to make gravy! So that's what we'll be having for dinner tonight, I can't wait: yum!

Enjoy!

APPLE SAUCE (adapted from Simply Recipes)

6 large cooking apples (granny smith, macintosh, golden delicious, golden crisps, fuji, etc)

2 pears (optional)

Juice of one lemon

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

1 Cinnamon Stick

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup white sugar

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

Peel and quarter the apples and pears. Put all ingredients in a large pot over high heat. bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer on low heat for 25 minutes.

Remove from the heat and remove the cinnamon stick. For a smooth texture, puree the mixture with a hand blender or use a potato masher for a chunkier consistency.

Enjoy warm, or allow to cool for later.

IDEAS: For a twist, add a star anise will boiling, or even a tip of ginger. You can also add raisins, craisins, or blueberries to serve.

Cleaning the Fridge :: Zucchini & Ham Fritatta

2009-10-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

A.'s office is having a 'Healthy & Quick Weeknight Dinner' contest this week! The winner's recipe gets served at the office cafeteria. It may not sound like a big prize, but apparently sitting next to 'Freddy's Famous Jerk Chicken" is a big honor. Oh, I can attest to the fame of Freddy's (the cafeteria chef) chicken ... A. counts the day's to Wednesday's chicken special! So there's a lot of pressure! :-)

After much thought, I decided: how about a quiche? I love eggs and veggies for dinner, but the quiche crust is a bit to heavy for everyday eating. So then I thought: crustless quiche! By removing the crust, you are losing the fat and carbs and keeping the healthy eggs and veggies. It's a delicious meal when served with a fresh tomato salad paired with a bit of fresh cheese. You can use the whole egg, or use half yolks, half whites; and you can replace the vegetables with whatever you have handy... a perfect plate to clean out the fridge with. Oh, and it stores well overnight. What else could you ask for? :-)

I'll keep you posted on whether we win, enjoy!

FRESH ZUCCHINI & HAM FRITATTA

6 Eggs (or use 8 eggs - 4 whites, 4 whole eggs)

1 large zucchini

4 slices, turkey or ham - chopped

1/2 white onion, sliced

2 tablespoons skim milk

olive oil

salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a non-stick skillet with a bit of olive oil, quickly saute the sliced zucchini, onions, and ham/turkey. Continue to saute while stirring for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat.

In a bowl mix the eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the eggs into a quiche pan (or 9" pie pan). Add the vegetables and ham/meats. Arrange the zucchini to make sure they are spread evenly through the pan.

Place in the oven (middle rack) for about 20 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. You will see the edges puff up and lightly brown.

Allow the eggs to cool for 5 minutes before you slice.

Serve with a side salad of chopped tomatoes with Olive oil, salt & pepper, chopped basil and a dollop of mascarpone (or goat cheese... even fresh yogurt of that's what you have handy) and enjoy!

In NYC :: Le Creuset Sale!

2009-10-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

For all of you in NYC : Broadway Panhandler's annual sale starts today! Yippee... up to 75% off Le Creuset! I'm off to search for a 5 qt Dutch Oven.

I bought my first Le Creuset set a few years ago, and I loooove it. But I've quickly outgrown the 3 qt oven and am in need of a larger one, just in time for fall stews. The big question is: do I continue with my red theme and match my new pot to my old ones... or mix it up and get a new color? There are so many yummy colors to choose from! ...oh, decisions, decisions! What do you think?

Ok, wish me luck! ...If I find one, I'll be making Beouf Bourginon this weekend to celebrate!

*UPDATE: I found it!!! 50% off! ... chose a 7qt oval oven (instead of a 5qt round) and it's Carribean blue! I love it, I can't stop staring at it. Isn't it beautiful??? Only problem is now I think I need another one in a white or dune color to bring it all together: red, aqua, and white! :-)

Travel Stories :: Chicken Tagine w/Preserved Limes

2009-10-05T20:22:00.001-07:00

Our friend E. just got back from an amazing trip to London and Paris! She came over for dinner to tell us all about her adventures. Don't you ♥ hearing travel stories? I do! It makes me want to hop on a plane immediately! I secretly wish people still have get togethers to look at travel pictures instead of just posting them online. :-)

Anyway.... in the spirit of far-off travels, for dinner, I decided to make something I've been daydreaming of for a while: a chicken tagine! I had seen a wonderful recipe by Sunday Suppers a while back and was especially excited because it's the perfect plate for the preserved limes I had in the fridge.

Since I don't have a proper tagine pot (on my wishlist... and after this experiment it has quickly risen to #1 on that list!), I made it in an oven baking dish. While the presentation might not be as dramatic, the flavor was as delicious as I imagined, and much easier than I had thought! The seasoned chicken is perfection with the sweet raisins and tangy limes and olives. It's amazing how soft the limes/lemons become when preserved.

I paired the tagine with a simple almond rice (by simple I mean I just toasted 1/2 cup almonds, 2 cloves garlic with 2 cups rice before adding the water). It was so delicious, I couldn't bring myself to throw away the leftover tagine sauce. I froze it... I think it would be delicious over couscous!

Enjoy!

CHICKEN TAGINE (adapted from Sunday Suppers)

1 whole chicken, cut

1 tsp turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, dried cilantro, and coriander

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lemon/lime juice

1/2 cup preserved lemon/limes

1/2 cup olives, pitted

1 white onion, slices

1/2 golden raisins

2 cups chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the olive oil, lime juice, and spices and season the chicken. Let the chicken marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

On high heat in a non-stick skillet with bit of olive oil, sear the chicken. Make sure you sear all sides. This will take about 15 minutes. You want a nice golden brown color.

Place the seared chicken in the tagine or baking dish (covered with foil) along with the raisins, olives, onion, preserved limes, and chicken stock. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes or until chicken is done.

337 Greenwich Featured In :: The Kitchn!

2009-10-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Oh my! I am over the moon with excitement!!! My Balsamic Glazed Figs w/Candied Pancetta & Mascarpone were featured in The Kitchn's "Delicious Links"!

Can you beleive it? The Kitchn! I was scrolling through my fave blogs this morning, and there it was: my recipe!

I ♥ The Kitchn! I am so excited I don't even know what to do with myself.... guess what I did to celebrate? I made more figs and candied bacon, of course! :-) I re-made the dish and took all new pictures. (Yes - I know, I'm crazy, but I didn't love the first round of pictures)

Anyway, THANK YOU to the folks at The Kitchn, I am honored! :-) I couldn't ask for a more amazing start to the weekend!

What are you up to? A. and I are trying in a new restaurant tonight, we are off to dinner at The Harrison with friends. Hope you have an amazing weekend!

In the Mail :: Brown Butter Lemon Pound Cake

2009-09-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

My sister's birthday was yesterday! To celebrate, I wanted to surprise her and send her a home baked birthday treat. So this weekend, I did a little research on freezing and mailing desserts, and read that cakes rich in butter freeze and defrost perfectly. So I thought: pound cake! Perfect! Who doesn't love a rich, buttery loaf of cake? :-)

This month's Gourmet Magazine has a delicious recipe for a brown butter pound cake, and I of course, couldn't resist. I ♥ brown butter! It's so simple, but it completely changes the flavor of the butter, it becomes deliciously nutty. I also had a pile of lemons so it turned into a lemon zest brown butter pound cake.

I made two loafs, one for A. and I to try, and one I froze and overnighted to my sister in Boston. It arrived perfectly thawed and moist, ready to be cut and enjoyed, right on time for her b-day!

Enjoy.

PS: Happy Birthday, N.!

BROWN BUTTER LEMON POUND CAKED (adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

2 sticks of butter, unsalted

2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

zest of 2 lemons

juice of 1/2 a lemon

Preheat the oven to 325F and butter your loaf pan (or 2 mini loaf pans). Heat the butter in a heavy saucepan until the solids on the bottom of the pan brown. You want them to be a dark chocolate brown. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together the brown butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 1 egg at a time and continue to beat until fully mixed. Add the vanilla, lemon juice and zest and mix at low speed.

Transfer the batter into the pans and rap on counter until the batter settles. Bake until golden brown (between 1 - 1.5 hours) until a wooden pick comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then another hour out of the pan on a rack.

TO MAIL: When the cake has cooled, wrap it in parchment paper and put the loaf in the freezer on a rack. When the cake has frozen solid, about 2 hours, wrap it in aluminum foil or place in a freezer safe Tupperware (leave the parchment paper on). When you are ready to mail, you can put the cake pan back in the loaf pan (this helps protect it in the mail) and re-wrap it in the paper and aluminum. Place the loaf in a mailing box and fill any extra space with packing paper/peanuts to prevent movement and mail overnight.

Happy 50th Blog Post :: Shanghai Soupy Dumplings

2009-09-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

Yay, today is a big day! My 50th blog post on 337 Greenwich. I'm very excited... I started this blog as a way to document recipes but it's become much more. It's been an inspiration to try new recipes, taste new ingredients, and basically make a mess in the kitchen without having to clean it up cause I'm 'busy blogging'! :-)

Thank you for tagging along in all of my crazy kitchen experiments!

Oh, I've gotten a few questions on what '337 Greenwich' stands for. Well, #337 is our apartment number and we live on Greenwich Street in the West Village. So there you have it: 337 Greenwich. I love our apartment, not only cause it has an elevator (kidding... although after coming from a 6th floor walk up, an elevator is a big plus!) but because it's A. and mine first apartment together, and home to our little kitchen that day after day churns out all of these dishes. A. has now decided to call it 'the little kitchen that could'!

Anyway, I love hearing from you so send me any questions, notes, recipe ideas, random thoughts... anything, to: 337greenwich(@)gmail(dot)com

There's many more posts to come! :-)

Ok - so back to the dumplings! In the spirit of experimenting, this weekend we attempted to make one of A.'s favorite dishes: soupy dumplings. Dumplings in China vary greatly by region, from different shapes to fillings. Soupy dumplings originated in Shanghai. They have a thin outer skin and are filled with seasoned pork meat, and a generous burst of soup.

These little flavor pouches are delicious when served freshly steamed. You poke a little hole on the top with a chopstick, allow the steam to come out, sip a bit of the soup and then enjoy the savory morsel. Delicious! ...but seemingly very complicated to make, how does the soup get in there?

Well, I used Kitchen Musings easy to follow recipe which made the task a bit less daunting. Since its our first time making dumplings, I bought the skins and the dumpling dipping sauce already made at Sunrise Mart (next time I'll attempt my own!). The end result was delicious, my only regret was not doubling the recipe so that we could have had more leftovers to freeze.

I've summarized the process into 10 easy steps, hope you enjoy!

SHANGHAI SOUPY DUMPLINGS

I wont re-write the ingredient quantities, rather follow Kitchen Musing's link for quantities.

(My Cooking Notes: I added 1 generous tablespoon chopped cilantro to the pork filling for extra taste)

STEP 1: Make the broth by boiling chicken stock, pork fat, scallions and ginger.

STEP 2: Allow the broth to cool (I placed it in the fridge for about 20 minutes). Then add the gelatin powder to the strained broth. Reheat the broth and allow it to come to a boil. Pour the clear broth in a baking dish (8" x 8", lightly greased) to make a thin layer. Place the dish in the fridge to allow the gelatin to form. (That's how the 'soupy' gets in the dumpling... you make a gelatin!

STEP 3: Remove the gelatin film from the dish and chop into small pieces. Set aside.

STEP 4: Season the ground pork with scallions, rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt, pepper, ginger, soy sauce...and I added cilantro. Allow the meat to rest for 30 minutes.

STEP 5: Combine the gelatin cubes with the pork meat. Using your hands, mix well.

STEP 6: Get your wrappers ready (I defrosted my store bought skins overnight), and keep a cup with warm water nearby.

STEP 7: Now, you're ready to assemble the dumplings! Lay one dumpling skin on your hand (it helps if you slightly cup your hand). Add filling to the center of the dough. You want to leave at least 3/4" of dough around the filling. Start pinching the edges of the dough to create a small pouch with the filling on the bottom of the dumpling. Be careful not to tear the dough. Pinch the top of the dough to create a secure seal. Use a bit of warm water on the tip of your fingers to help seal the dough if needed.

STEP 8: Voila! Soupy dumplings! Place the dumplings on parchment paper as you work through the filling.

STEP 9: Steam the dumplings in a steamer, lined with parchment paper and greased with a bit of sesame oil, atop boiling water for 8 minutes. Do not overcrowd the steamer, leave about 1" between dumplings

STEP 10: Serve immediately, and pair with a dumpling dipping sauce, enjoy!

Friday Night :: 'Le Fooding' comes to NYC!

2009-09-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

A. and I were lucky enough to spend Friday night at 'Le Fooding'!!!

Le Fooding is a french culinary movement where fine dining restaurants and top chefs present their creations in a casual setting...a picnic! It started as an underground movement to promote creativity and freedom from convention, but now is now a widespread cultural event. A yearly restaurant guide is now published. This year is the first time Le Fooding is taking over NYC!

A food tasting of Paris and NY's top chefs, comfy lounge chairs, great music, and champagne... all at PS1 (the MOMA's contemporary art center in Queens which has a great outdoor space).

Oh, and all proceeds went to Action Against Hunger. A great evening all round!

On the menu?
- Grilled Chicken Necks with Yuzu Marinade (Wylie Dufresne, WD-50) ...amazing taste, although I admit it was a little hard for me to get past the 'neck bones' texture
- BBQ Sirloin Steak (Brigarrade, Paris) ...my favorite!
- Bo Saam (David Chang, Momofuku, NY)
- Chicken Casseroles with Tapioca (Le Comptoir Du Relais, Paris)
- Fried Corn with Scallops (Sean Rembold, Diner, Brooklyn)
- Lemongrass Pork Ribs (Ze Kitchen Gallerie, Paris)
- a delicious cheese selection & breads from Balthazar

...all with Veuve Clicquot Champagne!

For dessert? The most delicious ice cream I've had in a while! Bourbon Vanilla Bean and Salted Hazelnut from Greene Ice Cream in Brooklyn... I of course, had to try both! :-)

Candied Bacon :: Balsamic Glazed Figs w/Pancetta & Mascarpone

2009-09-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

It's almost October and figs are popping up everywhere! My wonderfully crafty friend at Bread & Posies even gave me a freshly preserved jar of fig jam this week!

Figs are delicious sliced and served fresh on a cheese plate (especially when paired with Manchego!) or cooked atop sweet desserts. But I had never used them for savoury dishes before. Well, I was out to dinner the other night and had the most delicious dish: thick slices of sweet bacon, topped with roasted figs, and a dollop of mascarpone all in a balsamic reduction. Perfectly salty, and sweet!

So last night, with A.'s brother in town, I set out to recreate it. They happily served as the test audience for my little experiment. I used pancetta instead of bacon (honestly: only because I like the round shape more, so feel free to substitute!). I sauteed the figs in a balsamic reduction sweetened with honey, and topped it all off with Mascarpone.

...From the lack of leftovers on their plates, I think I can say it was a success! :-)

The only one upset was Bocce, who gets very annoyed when we cook bacon and he doesn't get any.

Enjoy!

BALSAMIC GLAZED FIGS w/PANCETTA & MASCARPONE
Small box of figs (allow about 4 figs person), halved
Pancetta (2 slices per person
Mascarpone
Honey
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Brown Sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste

Dust the pancetta with a bit of brown sugar and cook in a non-stick skillet over high heat. Allow the pancetta to cook thoroughly and start to crisp. When ready, remove the pancetta from the pan and lay on a plate lined with a paper towel/napkin to dry the oil.

Remove most of the leftover pancetta oil from the skillet, and in the same pan add the figs with the balsamic vinegar (2 tbsp per person). and the honey (1 tbsp per person). The balsamic will quickly start to thicken. Continue saute to prevent burning. Add salt and pepper to taste. When the liquids reduce to about half, remove from heat.

Now you're ready to plate! On each plate lay 2 slices of the pancetta. On top of the pancetta layer the figs and the reduction (divide equally between plates). Top with a dollop of mascarpone and enjoy!

Happy Autumn :: Brown Butter Roasted Squash Soup

2009-09-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

Yay, today is the first day of Autumn! ... Isn't Fall the most perfect season?

I've been so excited for the season change, that the last few days I've been researching everything "Fall" related! ... Sweet potato pie recipes, apple picking orchards around NY, and even tartan blankets! ... Imagine lazy weekend picnics in the park atop a cozy tartan blanket.

Tartan's are the scottish version of plaids which are woven in unique patterns to represent the various family clans of each region. These blankets always make me think of the latter half of the year, so I couldn't wait to get one! A. was rooting for the red Wallace clan tartan (don't ask... something about the movie Braveheart). But after much deliberation I chose this the navy and green Forbes tartan! It's coming direct to NYC via Royal Post... doesn't it sound fancy? If our mail system were called Royal Post I think I'd ship things more often! :-)

So, with my tartan blanket in the mail, I'm now officially ready for fall!

Fall also means it's time to transition from fresh tomato pastas, watermelon salads, and cold gazpachos to foods more fitting of autumn. Like Squash! So tonight, I made a savoury roasted butternut and acorn squash soup with browned butter and nutty spices.

BROWN BUTTER ROASTED SQUASH SOUP
1 large butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 large acorn squash, halved and seeded (note: you can use one kind of squash if that's what you find)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon Pumpkin Spice Seasoning (if you can't find pumpkin pie spice, add equal parts ground nutmeg, cloves, and allspice)
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Place the squash halves on a cookie sheet and brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cook for 30 minutes. (You can do this step a day ahead of time and store the roasted squash in the fridge). Allow the squash to cool and cut into 1-2" squares, carefully removing the skin.

Over high heat, in a large stock pot add the butter. Allow the butter to lightly brown, but be carefully not to burn. Think of a light caramel color. When the color is right, add the onions. Stir frequently and allow the onion to cook until they become clear. Add the squash and continue to stir. Allow the squash and onion to cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the stock and seasoning, and taste for salt and pepper. Depending on the saltiness of your stock you may need to add more. Let it come to a rolling boil and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes covered over medium-low heat. Remove from heat.

With an immersion blender or food processor, blend the soup until smooth.

Serve, and enjoy!

Afternoon Tea :: Lemon Zest Scones

2009-09-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

As promised, my British obsession continues! :-) We finally went to Tea & Sympathy for breakfast! I had English Breakfast tea and Welsh rabbit. I will admit that up until yesterday I thought Welsh Rabbit was just that: rabbit. Who knew it was a delicious breakfast toast topped with a spread of sharp cheese, mustard, cream, and eggs. Yum!

I picked up a few ingredients at their to-go store, and got home with a jar of clotted cream, strawberry preserves, and ready to make scones! Scones are a British (or Scottish) quickbread traditionally served with breakfast or tea. There are endless sweet and savory variations, but I love them with plenty of cream and a dollop of strawberry jam.

* If you can't find clotted cream, here's a recipe or order some here... much easier! :-)

BASIC SCONES (adapted from Tea & Sympathy)

2 cups All Purpose Flour, sifted

1 tablespoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup whole milk, cold

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Slowly add the milk and knead the dough with your hands. Be careful not to overmix or the scones will come out hard. Mix until all ingredients are combined, and that's it.

With your hands spread the dough on a floured surface to be 1" thick. With a cookie cutter (1.5" inch for mini scones, 2" for regular size) cut the dough. As you are cutting the dough, twist the cutter to prevent sticking.

Place the scones on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes. When the scones are cool, cut in half and smear with clotted cream, jam, and serve!

LEMON ZEST SCONES

My favorite!!! Same as above but decrease milk to 1 cup and add the zest and juice of one lemon to the dry ingredients.

RAISIN SCONES

Same as basic scone recipe, but add 1/3 cup of raisins to dry ingredients.

FREEZING SCONES

You can freeze the scone dough and have it in the freezer ready for your next craving! Place cut out scones (un-baked) on a cookie sheet and in the freezer for 1 hour. The scones will harden and will be ready to be popped in freezer bags.

I ♥ Britain :: Minced Lamb Shepard's Pie

2009-09-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially over and today was a sunny, and crisp autumn day here in NYC. I woke up excited to wear my new schoolboy blazer (which has already become my fall uniform!), had breakfast coffee with A. and Bocce, and we went on a quick trip to the farmer's market. I then went to the West Village Library (how fitting with my new blazer!) and took a pile of books to a sunny table at Out of the Kitchen. We drank cappuccinos as I skimmed through my new finds... a perfect afternoon!

Yes, I am now the proud owner of a New York Library card! It's pretty amazing... I had forgotten about the wonders of a library. I got my card and went straight to the "640 section - Cookbooks" and started choosing. I got three books and went to checkout... it's been such a long time since I've been in a library that I took out my wallet as the librarian scanned my books... then I remembered: it's free! I'll be coming back very often. :-)

My first choice was "Tea & Sympathy", the story and cookbook behind the famous West Village tea shop. I so enjoyed the book, that I finished it today.

Well, inspired and craving British grub... we cooked Minced Lamb Shepard's Pie based on the Tea & Sympathy recipe of this British favorite. We replaced the ground beef with minced lamb, and I seasoned the lamb with my usual lamb seasoning mix (I think lamb always needs to be seasoned before cooking). A. also had the idea to leave the skin on the potatoes for the mash... and it was a great addition.

Who ever said British food was boring and bland was obviously trying to keep all the Shepard's pie to himself! My next British endeavor: scones!

Enjoy!

MINCED LAMB SHEPARD'S PIE (adapted from Tea & Sympathy)

1 lb lamb meat, minced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Juice of 1/2 a lime

Dash of cumin

1 tsp white vinegar

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 tbsp Worcester Sauce

1 large tomato (or 2 medium tomatoes)

1 cup beef stock (if you are not making your own, I prefer an organic version like Pacific brand)

3 bay leaves

3 carrots, cooked and chopped

1 1/2 cups of cooked green peas

Extra-sharp Vermont cheddar, shredded

For the mashed potatoes:

3 lbs Idaho potatoes

1/2 stick of butter

3/4 cups of milk

salt and pepper to taste

Season the minced lamb meat (or ground meat) with the garlic, vinegar, lime juice, and a dash of salt, pepper, and cumin. In a large saute pan over high heat, cook the chopped onion until they become clear. Add the seasoned lamb meat to the pan and brown. Add the tomato juice, beef stock, Worcester sauce, and bay leaves. Continue to cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. The liquids should reduce to 1/3 of their original state.

Prepare the mashed potatoes by boiling the potatoes in large wedges until soft. When cooked, strain the potatoes (you can leave the skins on, or at this point you can easily remove... we left the skins on and it resulted in great texture!)and in a large bowl combine them with the butter, milk, salt and pepper. By hand or with a hand mixer, bring the potatoes to a smooth consistency. Taste for salt and pepper. Set aside.

Quickly cook the peas and carrots in boiling water or a steamer. Do not overcook. You want them al-dente. Remove from the water and place in a bowl of ice water to prevent them from losing their color.

Preheat the oven to 350F. When you are ready to assemble your pie, combine the peas and carrots with the lamb. In ramekins, or a large oven dish layer the lamb and vegetables first to about half way of your container, then layer an equally thick serving of the mashed potatoes. Top with the shredded cheese.

Cook for 25 minutes. Afterwards, place the oven on broil in order for the cheese to brown for a couple of minutes.

Allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes. You can serve with a side salad and simple vinaigrette.

PS: Since it was just the 2 of us for dinner tonight I made small loaf pans of the Shepard's pies to freeze. Cover with wax paper and a rubber band, and place in a Ziploc freezer bag, and simply reheat in the oven when you are ready for seconds. :-)

Midnight Craving :: Magnolia's Key Lime Cheesecake

2009-09-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

Whenever I tell anybody outside of NY we live in the West Village, the first thing that comes up is: Magnolia Bakery.

ME: "We live downtown, on the west side... the west village"

FRIEND NOT IN NYC: "...of course! right next to Magnolia? You must eat cupcakes every night!"

Well, I'll be honest... I'm not a huge cupcake fan. :-( Birthday cake: yes, but cupcakes: not so much. Secondly, if you ask most New Yorkers, and most West Village-ites for that matter, they'll tell you there are better place in NYC to go for a good cupcake. For example: Sugar Sweet Sunshine (plus they deliver!). Yes, it's true... a lot of West Villagers Magnolia neighbors get their cupcakes from the Lower East Side.

But there are a couple of things worth waiting in line at Magnolia. Oh and yes, I have even waited in line in the rain.

One being their banana pudding... yummy goodness all in a to-go container.

But my favorite? Magnolia's Key Lime Cheesecake!!!

There are no words to describe the creamy, whipped topping, and the tangy key lime curd, all on a thin, buttery graham cracker crust! ...well I guess those are a few words. :-) But, plain and simple: it's delicious.

So that's what I'm planning on doing on my way home tomorrow: waiting in line! :-)

PS: In one of my favorite NYC moments, last summer we came across two small boys who had set up shop outside Magnolia selling funfetti cupcakes for $1 right next to the long line of cupcake-obsessed tourists. Funfetti cupcakes? Genius, that's something I'll stand in line for!

Catching up w/the Aussies :: Fried Plantains

2009-09-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

Our friend S. was visiting from Sydney and we were lucky to be able to catch up with him and his girlfriend over dinner. On the menu? Tilapia en papillote with fried plantains and oozing brown butter plum cake for dessert!

I love serving fish with fried plantains (or 'tostones'), the plantains crunch and saltiness complement the fish perfectly and you can't help but feel like your in the Carribean!

Well, the other reason for plantains... after my tortilla experiment, I decided to buy a tortilla press. And what better use for it than flattening plantains! These also make a perfect anytime snack, or appetizer when entertaining. Serve them with a fresh salsa on the side or get creative and serve individually w/ toppings. My favorite: a top each 'toston' add a smear of creme fraiche, a slice of lox, and sprinkle scallions... yum.

PS: The tortilla press is currently being stored in the microwave ...I'm sure all of you with a tiny kitchen can appreciate that. On the bright side, I think I can buy a few more kitchen gadgets now that I discovered how much extra cupboard space you get when you use the microwave and the oven as storage. Ice cream maker, here I come! :-)

FRIED PLANTAINS (or TOSTONES) serves 4

2 green plantains

Vegetable oil

Salt to taste

Cut the plantain in 1 1/2 inch pieces. Remove the outer skin with your hands. I find that it comes off pretty easily once the plantain has been cut into small pieces, if not, use a pairing knife to remove any left behind pieces.

Fill your frying pan with plenty of oil. You want at least 2.5 - 3 inches of depth. I use a small pan, a saucier, and use a small bottle of vegetable oil.

Heat the pan on high. When the oil is bubbling (be careful!) start adding your plantain pieces. Only add a few at a time making sure to not crowd the pan. When they just start to brown, remove them from the pan and set aside on a plate lined with a towel to absorb the grease. Continue with all the pieces.

Now to press! With a tortilla press, or a plate, lay a piece of the plantains between 2 pieces of parchment paper (or between a ziploc bag if you don't have wax paper) and press! You want the plantain to be about 1/4" thick. Repeat.

You can set them aside if you are working in advance, the 'just fried' texture makes all the difference so I always do the re-frying fry right before serving.

Reheat the oil. When hot, start adding the pressed plantain. Fry each for a minute or so, until light brown and crispy. Remove from heat, and use a paper towel to soak the extra oil. Then sprinkle with a generous amount of salt.

PS: If you want to give them more flavor - you can soak the plantain in a bit of cold water with a few cloves of mashed garlic after the first frying and after pressed. But be careful to dry them thoroughly before you re-fry!

Enjoy!

For Breakfast :: Lobster Rolls!

2009-09-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

We were in Newport, RI this weekend, and it was beautiful! But, the best part of Newport? Lobster rolls for breakfast!!! Yes, for breakfast... I think I could live here. :-)

Maybe it's New England drizzle, the boats by the dock, and the fishermen coming in from the fog with their crates of live seafood... but it doesn't get more local than this.

Well, now we are back in NYC and still craving lobster rolls. It got me thinking, what makes a great lobster roll and started looking for recipes.

I found this snippet in NY Mag of Jasper White's (chef/owner of the Summer Shack in Cambridge & author of 'Lobster at Home') essentials to the perfect roll:

A good amount of meat. A lobster roll should contain the meat from a one-pond lobster, about 3.5 ounces of meat
A flat-bottomed, or 'top-loading' hot dog bun, butter-griddled like a grilled cheese sandwich.
The right dressing. Hellman's is great, but mayo isn't enough. Try a little mustard and diced cucumbers instead of celery.
On the side, some kind of pickle is important to add a little acidity; potato chips are nice.
Eat with your hands!

Click here for The Summer Shacks lobster roll recipe.

Enjoy!

Fall is Here :: Tuscan Pork Tenderloin in Baguette

2009-09-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I reorganize my many cookbook... and by 'many' I really mean that I have a compulsive cookbook shopping problem! I buy them, read them like they are books, stare at the pictures, I even take them to the gym sometimes and flip through them while 'working out'.

But, I'll admit that I hardly pull them out when cooking. I do, however, stuff them with loose recipes I've found or been given. Yes, instead of getting more books, I need a recipe organization system! ...On my to do list.

Well, in the midst of my organizing books, I found this wonderful recipe I had been given for a pork tenderloin cooked in a baguette. It sounded so tempting and different, and a perfect dish for the recent crisp NYC weather, so I decided to try it.

It was delicious! The pork remains perfectly moist and flavorful, all the delicious juices stay in the crusty bread. I served it warm out of the oven, and A. said it one of the most delicious 'sandwiches' he's had!

Well, I'm not sure this is supposed to be a 'sandwich', but it got my thinking that it would be even tastier at room temperature or slightly cold... think of an 'au jus' sandwich.

Pair with a mixed green salad (I added melon to ours!) don't you think this would be the perfect meal for an outdoor fall picnic? Enjoy!

TUSCAN PORK TENDERLOIN IN BAGUETTE (adapted from Joanna Weir recipe)

1 pork tenderloin (1 - 1.5 lbs)

1 baguette (I used a demi loaf)

1 1/2 tbsp herbes de Provence

1 Worcester Sauce

Leaves of oregano & chives, or other fresh herbs you have handy

2 cloves Garlic

Dijon Mustard

Lime

Butter

Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven at 350F. Marinate pork tenderloin with herbs, Worcester sauce, garlic, 1/2 tbspDijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper for a couple of hours and leave in the fridge.

Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat with a bit of olive oil to coat the pan. Pat the tenderloin dry with a paper towel. Add the tenderloin to the skillet and sear. You want to create a crust without cooking the meat, so only leave for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove from heat, and set aside on a plate. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Make a cut down the middle of the baguette, and open it slightly (note: do not cut all the way down to create 2 pieces). Scoop out a bit of the filling to allow enough room for the tenderloin.

Spread about a tablespoon of butter along the inside, and then smear a bit of the dijon mustard on top (about 1/2 a tablespoon, depending on the size of your bread).

Place the tenderloin inside the baguette topping with any juices from the cooking. With twine, tie the baguette together every coupe of inches. If you are using a large baguette, cut of the ends. Place in an oven safe dish and cover with aluminum.

Place the baguette in the oven and cook until the inside reaches 170F, about 30 minutes. When ready remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.

Slice, and enjoy!

Happy Labor Day :: Spicy Fish Tacos w/Homemade Tortillas

2009-09-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

The long weekend has come and gone...

We hosted three dinner parties this weekend - Friday, Saturday, & a lunch on Monday. Yes, 3! Can you believe it? Lots of cooking, but I can't imagine anything better to do on a weekend than hang out with A. and Bocce, and have dinner with our friends. :-) We also had a delicious lunch at Spice Market on Sunday and I found my new obsession: Vietnamese coffee! ...I guess condensed milk makes anything better.

After waking up at noon (yay for days off!) on Friday, I spent the afternoon wandering around Whole Foods in Tribeca thinking of menus for the weekend. I picked up lots of great ingredients: gruyere for croque monsiuers, oxtails for a beef stew, a Caribbean coconut sorbet for dessert, freshly ground honey roasted peanut butter (my favorite stand at whole foods), fresh tilapia, even short ribs. My favorite find? A giant orange bag of Mexican corn flour. Not sure what I would use it for, but I picked it up anyway.

Then I thought: homemade tortillas!

I love labor intensive foods, there's something so romantic and satisfying about a cooking process that have been around for so many generations... A. thought I was crazy to be spending an hour kneading dough, flattening it with a cast iron skillet (I need a tortilla press asap!), then a rolling pin, and patiently sitting by the stove on a hot day as each tortilla bubbled up and browned, when Whole Foods sells perfectly good tortillas ... but when he came home and saw the warm stack of fresh corn tortillas he said 'absolutely amazing!'. Told you so! :-)

So, that was the menu on Friday: Spicy Tilapia fish tacos with homemade tortillas!

TORTILLAS
2 cups corn masa
1 1/2 cups warm water with a dash of salt

Mix the corn masa with the salted water. Knead the dough until thoroughly mixed together to make a large ball.

Then make small golf ball sized rounds. As you are working through the dough, keep it covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Flatten each small ball very thin either with a tortilla press or with a rolling pin and then cut into round shapes (click here for a step by step).

Heat an ungreased non-stick skillet on high. When the skillet in very hot add a tortilla, one at a time and cook for 30 seconds on each side. If the tortilla sticks, the skillet is not hot enough.

Serve the tortillas right away or keep covered for a couple of hours.

Now to the tacos...

TILAPIA TACOS w/ADOBE CHILE SAUCE
4 tilapia filets
juice of half a lime
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped, + additional leaves for garnish
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sour cream
2 chipotle chiles in adobe sauce, canned (seeded)
1 ripe avocado, sliced
salt & pepper

Season tilapia fillets with lime, cilantro, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

In the meanwhile, make the spicy chipotle sauce. Combine the chiles and sour cream with a dash of salt in the food processor. Set aside.
In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat with a bit of olive oil, add the tilapia. When cooked, flip over until golden. Remove from heat.

To assemble the tacos: add a smear of the chipotle sauce to the fresh tortillas, plenty of tilapia, a couple of slices of avocado, and fresh cilantro. You can top each taco with a fresh salsa (recipe below) or serve on the side.

Enjoy!
SIMPLE PICADILLO SALSA
1 large tomato
1/2 white onion
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp white vinegar
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 of olive oil
Tabasco and salt (to taste)

Combine all ingredients and chill. Keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

From the Oven :: Homemade Cranberry Granola

2009-09-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

I love yogurt and granola! It's such a perfect anytime snack... especially with fresh fruits on top. Yum! ...But packaged granola often has alot of processed sugars and fats. Sugar, corn syrup, and fructose are usually the main ingredients in the store bought mixes, or in 'healthy' granola bars. Humm, not exactly the healthy snack I'm envisioning.

So I decided to bake my own granola! ...It's not as convenient as grabbing a box off the supermarket shelf, but it doesn't require more than 5 minutes of prep work and it will keep in the fridge for months. Well worth the effort just to know what you're eating. And the taste will be delicious. You can make any flavor combination you can imagine, and your apartment will smell like sweet, cinnamon-y goodness all day! :-)

I couldn't wait to have it for breakfast. So the next morning, I surprised A. by making us 'to-go' breakfast yogurt parfaits.

In glass mason jars, I layered Fage greek yogurt (0% fat), my freshly baked granola, and diced melons ... delicious!! So easy and healthy... not to mention how cute the jars look.

You can even make the parfaits the night before, leave in the fridge, and grab as you're rushing out in the morning. I love these glass jars because you don't have to worry about leaking. If you are worried about the granola getting soggy overnight, cut out rounds of parchment/wax paper the diameter of your container. Place the round of paper between the yogurt and the granola. Problem solved!

CRANBERRY GRANOLA

6 cups old fashioned oats (not quick cook)

1/2 cup honey

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

dash of salt

1 cup dried cranberries (you can replace with raisins)

optional: 1 cup nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, even chocolate chips!

Preheat oven at 350F. In a large bowl with the oats with the honey, room temperature butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and nuts if you are adding them. Spread oats on a baking pan and bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and add dried fruits or chips. Allow the granola to cool to room temperature and store in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Enjoy!

PS: I added a feature at the end of each post (a little envelope icon) that you can use to forward a post to a friend! Just click on the envelope and send away.

Meet :: Bocce!

2009-08-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

I realized I have yet to formally introduce Bocce. Well, here he is: Bocce! ... spending a lazy Sunday afternoon, enjoying the sun, even though he's supposedly not allowed on the white couch! :-) oh oh!

Bocce is our 2 year old shitzu-poodle mix. He's the happiest, friendliest, cuddliest dog... actually, I'm not sure he knows he's a dog, and not one of us. The summer we got him, A. and I were playing bocce ball every weekend, when he got home and was playing with a ball, we thought "why not 'Bocce'?". We've been playing around with him ever since.

Oh, he's also my little baking helper. Well, only when it comes to baking doggy treats. Which is what we're doing all afternoon. ...Stay tuned for the recipes! :-)

Happy Weekend :: Roasted Heirloom Tomato Pasta

2009-08-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever started making a dish just to end up making something totally different? Well, it happened to me yesterday. It's starting to get a little chillier here in NYC (well, and by chilly I mean it's 75F instead of the recent 95F and humid) so I was excited to make a roasted tomato soup with these beautiful heirloom cherry tomatoes. I love seasoning and roasting vegetables before making a soup, it makes them nuttier and sweeter. And tomato soup is one of my favorite fall dishes.

Well , when the tomatoes came out of the oven, they looked so juicy and delicious, and the whole kitchen was filled with the smell of basil and oregano, that we couldn't help it and poured them over fettuccine instead. So roasted tomato soup became a roasted heirloom tomato pasta sauce. ... And by far the easiest, no mess, pasta sauce I've ever made! The tomatoes have so much juice and flavor, there's no need to add anything else to them once they come out of the oven. Just pour them over pasta and enjoy!

ROASTED HEIRLOOM TOMATO PASTA

2 cups heirloom tomatoes,

1 clove of garlic, chopped,

1/2 a white onion, slice

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

Springs of basil and oregano

Pasta, I used fettuccine

Preheat oven to 350F.

In an oven safe pan, spread the tomatoes (cut the small tomatoes in half) and onions. Pour a bit of olive oil on top of the tomatoes, and mix so the oil coats all the pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a add your herbs and garlic.

Place in the oven and cook until the tomatoes are soft and browning. About 20 minutes. In the meanwhile cook the pasta and drain. Pour the tomatoes over the cooked pasta.

Summer Salad :: Vietnamese Chicken & Cabbage Salad

2009-08-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

Cabbage has been in our CSA a few times this summer, but I have a sad confession to make... I have yet to use it. I've actually let it go bad twice already. :-( I try to use up all of our CSA goodies, coming up with new recipes, scouring blogs and cookbooks for new ideas, even freezing or preserving fruits when we've had more cakes and tarts than any diet can allow. But somehow the cabbage has slipped through the cracks. Probably because I kept thinking of coleslaw which is not very exciting, and A. hates mayo!

Well, that won't happen again, I found this yummy recipe for a Vietnamese chicken and cabbage salad. So, last night I stopped by the store, bought a bottle of fish sauce, made a couple of changes (like using cilantro instead of mint), and decided to give it a try. Glad I did... it was delicious! The cabbage is perfectly crispy, and the freshness is a great balance with the spicy (yes, a little spicy!) chile dressing.

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN & CABBAGE SALAD (adapted from Nigella Lawson)

1 Thai Chile (or 1/3 habanero chile)

1 garlic clove

1 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp lime juice

1 1/2 tbsp thai fish sauce (nuoc nam)

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 medium white onion, grated

Salt to taste

1 1/2 cups chopped cabbage

1 large carrot, chopped

2 large chicken breast (marinated with the juice of 1/2 a lime, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of honey, and pepper)

a bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped

In a small bowl, combine the chiles, sugar, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, olive oil, and onions. Add a dash of salt. Whisk until mixed, and place in the fridge.

Grill or sautee the chicken breast. Remove from pan and allow to cool then slice.

Combine the cabbage , carrots and chicken in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing, and sprinkle the cilantro on top.

Enjoy!

PS: Be careful when chopping the chilles! The spice will stay on your fingers, so stay clear of your eyes (which I didn't do ...ouch! double ouch!), and wash your hands. :-)

Oh...and for dessert? Slices of a mini carrot cake from Citarella! Yum...

Lunchbox :: Heirloom Tomato & Yellow Zucchini Flatbread

2009-08-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

We got beautiful heirloom tomatoes as part of the CSA this week, along with pretty little round yellow zucchinis. I am always amazed at how different heirloom vegetables look from what you are used to. The colors of the tomatoes are almost tie-dyed! :-)

I was also looking forward to using the fresh herbs from my windowsill garden so I came up with this seasonal flatbread recipe. The fresh herbs add the finishing touch! It makes the perfect quick meal, or even as an appetizer when entertaining friends. I made it last night after we had dinner, yes, after dinner! But I sliced it in half and packed it up in two 'to go' containers for a next day take-to-work lunchbox. A. was very excited! ...and I suspect ate part of his before lunch. :-)

You can substitute the vegetables or even the cheese for what you have in season. I'm already thinking of a fig and mascarpone version for Fall... yum!

HEIRLOOM TOMATO & YELLOW ZUCHINI FLATBREAD
1 round frozen pizza dough (defrosted)
1 giant heirloom tomato (I think our variety is called Brandywine)
1 round yellow zucchini
Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups mozzarella
Salt & pepper to taste
Sprinkle of Parmesan
2 tbsp fresh herbs (I used a combination of basil, oregano, and chives)

Preheat oven to 425F.

Spread defrosted pizza dough on greased cookie pan in a rectangular shape. Don't worry, it doesn't need to be exact, just stretch the dough as much as you can without breaking it. Salt the dough lightly with salt.

Cook the dough in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until you start getting a crust. Cool for 15 minutes.

When cool, drizzle a bit of olive oil on the dough. Then spread the cheese evenly on top. Arrange the slices of tomatoes and zucchini on top of the cheese. Dust lightly with Parmesan cheese. Add a bit of pepper, and sprinkle the cut herbs.

Cook for another 5-8 minutes until the cheese is melted. Place the oven on broil for a couple of minutes. Remove, and cool for 5 minutes.

Enjoy! ... or in this case: reheat an enjoy!

NYC Herb Garden :: Basil, Oregano, and Chives

2009-08-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

I was VERY excited when A. got me a small herb garden back in June! I'd been talking about getting indoor herbs for months. I buy herbs every week and have a hard time using them all before they spoil. So I wanted a little garden that I could reach over to and cut a few leaves of basil when I needed them. Something that would grow in our city apartment.

Then, one day, there it was... my little plot of land! All in a box: 3 ceramic pots, a big bag of dirt, and 3 seed packets.

I'll be honest though, I love flowers, but I've never had a plant. Could I really take care of this little garden... actually... would I even get it to grow? ...Well, it did! I planted the seeds, added water, and covered each pot in plastic wrap for a week (imagine mini greenhouses). Then it started to sprout! I have since watered it every day and even rotate the jars every few days (I realized the basil was growing much faster and shadowing the oregano).

Today was my first harvest: Fresh basil, oregano, and chives! I can hardly believe it - here are a few pics of the two month process: from little sprouts to cut herbs. Lots of recipes to follow. :-)

PS: I'm hoping to see the Edible Garden exhibit at the Botanical Gardens this weekend!

Just Dessert :: Apple & Apricot Coffee Cake

2009-08-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

While A. was busy prepping for his paella on Saturday, I was in charge of dessert. :-)

I found this delicious recipe for a dense/crispy cake topped with apricots on Chocolate & Zucchini (one of my favorite blogs!). I also had some crisp apples from our CSA share, so I combined thinly sliced apples with the apricots.

Delicious! ...Plus the recipe is in grams so it gave me a chance to use my Escali light blue kitchen scale, which reminds me of a Vespa!

APPLE & APRICOT COFFEE CAKE (adapted from Chocolate & Zucchini)

300 grams red apples (thinly sliced)

200 grams ripe apricots

225 grams all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

dash of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp baking soda

150 grams of butter

100 grams of sugar

1 egg lightly beaten

Topping:

1 tbsp plain yogurt

1 tbsp sugar

1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and lightly flour a 9" cake pan (I used a non-stick skillet).

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, baking powder, and room temperature butter. Add in the sugar, and mix. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk. Mix until fully combined. Pour the batter into the pan. It will be very think, almost like a bread dough, so spread it with a spatula or your hands if needed. Place the apples in a circular pattern over the top of the mix with the apricots in the center.

In a bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and egg and beat with a fork. Pour the mixture over the top of the cake. Put in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until golden. Leave it in the turned off oven for another 15 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream (I used Haagen Dazs Five Vanilla Bean).

Enjoy!

Dinner w/Friends :: Spanish Lamb & Eggplant Paella

2009-08-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

Last year, my parents gave A. a large paella pan for his birthday. Along with the pan, came the recipe to my father's deliciously wonderful seafood paella! We've been making seafood paella all year to much satisfaction, but this morning A. woke up and said he wanted to attempt a lamb paella.

I love lamb! So I happily went along with the idea and we invited our neighbors - M. & G. along with their dog Lola (Bocce's BFF!), and our friends S. and L., over for dinner. We spent the rest of the day walking around the neighborhood getting all of the supplies ready.

...The arroz bomba (rice) from Citarella, the saffron from Gourmet Garage, the veggies from Chelsea Market, and the wine from Le Du on Washington St.

I love the amount of work that goes into a paella, it makes it taste that much better in the end. But don't be scared or hesitant to try it for yourself. Believe me - our kitchen is 6x7! With a little prep this makes the perfect meal for when you are entertaining. You don't have to start the cooking till your guests arrive, and everybody enjoys getting a sneak peak of how its going along. Clean up is easy since it is all in one pan! You can even cut this recipe in half, or even a third, and make a small paella for 2 in a large cast iron skillet if you don't have a paella pan.

A. does all of the chopping and marinating in the afternoon and then puts everything in little plastic bags ready to go, even the measured out amounts of spice. When guests arrive, all you have to do is turn on the stove, and start cooking!

LAMB & EGGPLANT PAELLA (adapted from "Paella!" by Penelope Casas) Serves 8

1 pound eggplant (1/2 inch cubes, skin on) + 1 eggplant sliced.

8 cups chicken broth (if using a store bought broth, add a bit of celery, onion, cilantro and pepper and bring to a boil before using...even chicken pieces if you have some handy)

1/4 tsp saffron threads

8 + 2 tbsp olive oil, separated

2 pounds boneless leg of lamb (cubed)

Juice of one lime

3/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 + 1/2 tsp ground cumin, separated

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

8 + 3 cloves garlic, minced, and separated

1 red pepper, finely chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp oregano

4 cups Spanish Rice (Arroz Bomba)

1 cup green peas (defrost if you are using the frozen kind)

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Season the lamb with 2 tbsp of olive oil, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp cumin, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and salt. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour in the fridge. Season Eggplant with salt and allow to sit for 20 minutes.

Add the saffron the the broth and bring to a boil. Allow to sit over low heat.

Heat the olive oil in the paella pan, over medium/high heat. Take the lamb out of the fridge and pat each piece dry w/paper towels. You want to make sure to remove excess liquid from the lamb pieces, else they will not brown. Quickly saute the lamb until you have an outer crust (in should not be fully cooked). Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside. Add the onion, peppers, and garlic to the the pan and saute until softened. Add the eggplant pieces and saute for 1 minute. Then add the tomato, parsley, oregano and cumin. Stir occasionally and let cook until the liquids have evaporated. Stir in the rice, and mix all ingredients in the pan until rice is coated with the mixture.

Add the broth, and taste for salt. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can now add the lamb back into the pan, and allow it to continue to boil until the broth has been absorbed by the rice (roughly 10 minutes). Cover the pan with aluminum foil and continue to cook over low heat until rice is al dente, time will vary but allow about 20 minutes. Add peas.

When the rice is ready, remove from heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Use the final eggplant slices to decorate. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve w/slices of lime!

Enjoy!