There’s nothing better than enjoying breakfast in bed, especially if you weren’t the one that prepared it! So why not treat mom this Sunday to a lovely, lazy morning with a deliciously home cooked meal! (Anybody from my house getting the hint?? :) As a child, this was my favorite way to spoil my mom (with Dad’s help….sometimes). I put together a bunch of my favorite breakfast/brunch recipes below to help you plan your Mother’s Day feast!
Photo: 101 Cookbooks
Inspiration can come from anywhere, and this dish started because I bought a tub of smoked ricotta and it loomed in the fridge. There were some stray egg yolks as well, and I thought about how I could use it all up: a ricotta tart, savoury cheesecake...but ultimately landed on making gnocchi.
When I mentioned it to my girlfriend, she told me a secret her grandma used for her gnocchi, which she said were the ultimate. Potato flakes! Instant. Mashed. Potatoes. And her grandma was a genius! So in playing around with making the ricotta gnocchi, I added some in, and light, fluffy (without any dough-y taste) gnocchi resulted.
I also happened to be working on a spring thai curry with ramps and favas and dipped one of the butter-browned gnocchi in because why not. So this dish!
If you scroll down, you may decide that there is an insane amount of work to make this dish. But I think what's great is that there are elements to play around with to do from scratch or decide not to: You can use store-bought gnocchi. You can make the gnocchi with regular ricotta instead of smoked. You can just make the curry and throw some fish and shrimp in (which is what I did with the leftover curry!). You can leave out some of the hard-to-find Thai ingredients and still have an amazing dish. I've played around with all of these, and it's still damn good.
And this Thai green curry is everything you want in a Thai curry - super spicy (seriously not for the faint of heart) with that beautiful lemongrass-ginger-kaffir lime fragrance and brightness from Thai basil. And it only takes 10 minutes to make. So so good...
Enjoy!
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
For the gnocchi:
8-ounce container ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk
1 egg yolk
1 egg
½ cups freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup potato flakes
¼ cup "00" or all purpose flour
½ stick unsalted butter
For the curry:
2 cans (13.5 ounces) coconut milk (full fat)
4 tablespoons Thai green curry paste*
½ cup water
1½ teaspoons palm / coconut sugar or brown sugar
6 kaffir lime leaves
4 ramps, top leaves chopped and bottom stems left in tact (about 1 ½ inches at the bottom)
1 lemongrass stalk, outer leaves removed and inner stalk finely chopped (optional)
½ inch piece of galangal, thinly sliced (optional)
¼ cup fava beans, shelled & peeled
2/3 cup green beans, snipped and halved
1 tbsp fish sauce
Garnishes: handful of chopped fresh cilantro, handful of chopped Thai basil and 4 halved Thai chilies
For the gnocchi:
Set a large pot of water on the fire to bring up to a boil while you are prepping the gnocchi. Remember to salt the water heavily once it’s up to a boil.
First, you want to dry out the ricotta a bit. You can drain or just blot your ricotta with paper towels depending on how much moisture it has.
In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg yolk, egg, Parmesan, salt and some freshly ground black pepper using a wooden spoon or a spatula. You want the mixture to be uniform. Add in the potato flakes and flour and fold until incorporated.
On a floured surface, mold dough into a circular disc. Cut into 4 quadrants using a pastry cutter or a knife. Roll each quadrant out into a 12-inch cylinder and then cut into 8 to 10 gnocchi.
You can cook these right away or freeze to cook later. If you are freezing to cook later, let them freeze on a floured baking sheet with space in between each gnocchi before putting them in plastic bags. That way, they won’t stick together.
Add gnocchi gently to the boiling, salted water and cook for about 3 minutes or until the gnocchi float for about 30 seconds. If you are cooking all of these, I wouldn’t do them all at the same time – break it up into 3 rounds of boiling.
If you are cooking from frozen, add on an extra minute or two and follow the same rule for floating.
For the curry:
Start with the canned coconut milk. Don’t shake the cans before using! You want to take the thickened coconut cream from the top of one can and sauté in a medium saucepan. Saute for about 6 to 8 minutes over medium-high heat until it breaks and looks a bit curdled. Add the Thai green curry paste and sauté for another 5 minutes. You want to cook out any rawness in the curry paste.
Add in the remaining coconut milk, water, palm sugar, kaffir lime leaves, ramps, lemongrass and galangal (if using), and bring up to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add in the fava beans and green beans and simmer another 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, and add in the fish sauce, Thai basil, cilantro and chilies. Cover and let sit 5 to 10 minutes to infuse.
To serve:
In a skillet, melt the butter until it browns. Add in the gnocchi and sauté for about 1 minute per side to crispy brown. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a bit of salt.
Spoon the curry into the bowls and top with the gnocchi and extra basil and cilantro, if desired.
*I like Maesri.
WILD SPRING: FORAGING SPRING'S FIRST ARRIVALS
When you work in a kitchen and the season changes from winter to spring, there is nothing more exciting than seeing all of the spring (green!) produce coming in. The beginning of spring is all about edibles foraged in the wild, and these are not your every day vegetables that you see year-round in the grocery store. For me, they are the most delicious part of the season. I've only seen a few of these at the market this week, but keep an eye out! They will all pop up soon and have pretty short seasons (less than 2 months).
RAMPS
Ramps, also known as wild leeks, are probably my favorite of the spring foraged greens. They have a big leafy top and a skinny bottom with a little bulb and a bold garlicky-onion flavor. The leaves are great sautéed in olive oil with salt and pepper or marinated in olive oil and thrown on the grill. The bottoms are delicious pickled with a simple pickling liquid. I recently came across a recipe to use both the stem and greens in a compound butter; what a genius idea to savor the flavor for months to come!
FIDDLEHEAD FERNS
Photo: The Kitchn
Fiddlehead ferns are another early spring, short season veg. These cute little pinwheels are the beginning of a fern plant. They are delicious when cooked, but unlike other veggies, you can’t eat them raw. Treat them as you would asparagus when it comes to eating them on their own (blanching, sautéing, steaming). They are also great in pasta and rice dishes and are even perfect as a curry.
GARLIC SCAPES
Garlic scapes are the top of the garlic plant that is above ground. They are harvested from the plant in order to focus all of its energy on the bulb below the surface to produce flavorful garlic. Scapes have a very mild, garlicky flavor to them and are delicious raw or cooked. You can substitute them in dishes for scallions or even pickle them like ramps - there are endless ways to cook them.
STINGING NETTLE
Photo: Food52
Have you ever touched a plant and had a crazy, stinging pain in your hand as if you had been stung by about 20 fire ants? I have, while on vacation in England, and it was not fun. And now this plant, the stinging nettle, has been popping up in menus everywhere making me have flashbacks! Luckily, the stinging goes away once the plant is cooked, and nettles are delicious (and healthy) when cooked! Nettles make a great substitute for spinach, are delicious in omelettes and work really well in a pesto!
SPRING ONIONS
Spring onions are very young onions that are picked before they mature. They look like scallions but have a more rounded bottom to them. These onions have a much milder flavor and are delicious eaten both raw or cooked. They are great tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and thrown straight on the grill or sauté and add them to any recipe that calls for onions ( think soups, tarts, breads!)
MORELS
The only non-green edibles on this list are morels, gorgeous mushrooms with a deep earthy and umami flavor. You want to find ones that are on the firmer side, and deep-cleaning these is a must! Their crevices hide more dirt than you can imagine, so soaking them in cold, salted water helps draw everything out. After that, they don't need much though they shouldn't be consumed raw - a little butter-poaching is always delicious or even a quick sauté with some ramps or spring onions. Butter and cream seem to bring out what's best in this mushroom; this pan butter-fry method is amazing, and I love them in a pasta.
Enjoy!
With the arrival of all the fresh spring produce, we often forget the fact that the citrus season is coming to an end. I mean, you can get lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit etc. all year round, so why would you miss it? But the citrus family goes far beyond those 4 common fruits. Below are a few of my favorites and how I like to preserve them until they are back in season next winter!
MEYER LEMONS
Meyer lemons are a hybrid of a lemon and a mandarin or orange. These guys are my go-to for salad dressings (and cocktails) because of their sweetness and when I don’t want that acidic, lemon-y taste that a regular lemon gives me. You can find them in your grocery store in the winter but, lately, they've become more popular and can be found year round in most specialty stores. They have a more orange tinge to their flesh as opposed to their “parent” the regular yellow lemon and are a bit softer. Preserving lemons in the traditional, Moroccan style is really easy and adds amazing, bright flavor to recipes. All you need is a bunch of lemons (Meyer or otherwise), jars and salt! Although they are traditional in tagines, stews and savoury dishes, a preserved lemon curd is another great use for them.
KUMQUATS
Photo: BBC Good Food
These little, olive-sized fruits are amazing - they are super healthy for you, and I grew up with a kumquat tree in my backyard. I remember trying them at intervals as they ripened and went from really tart to a floral sweetness. As opposed to the other citrus fruits, you can pop them in your mouth, peel and all. The have a lightly sweet, tangy flavor and are packed full of vitamin C and fiber. These are probably one of my favorite citrus fruits and when I can find them in the stores I buy a bunch to preserve them and make marmalades or chutneys…or both!
BLOOD ORANGES
These beautiful, blood red-colored oranges are my favorite flavor for fresh squeezed OJ or for the Dominican drink, morir sonando. They are the primary orange grown in Italy, so you will find many Italian recipes with it as a main ingredient (i.e. ricotta cakes, gelato, Italian soda). They often have a sweet bite to them but can also be very tart, which makes them perfect for a fresh bite in your salad. You can preserve them much the same way you do lemons or Meyer lemons or go the chutney/marmalade/curd route, but I also loooove this recipe for orangecello, an orange-y take on limoncello! It's genius to throw in a vanilla bean.
POMELOS
Photo: Food52
Also known as the Chinese grapefruit, these guys are much larger than your average grapefruit; they also have a much milder, sweeter flavor to them as well. They are native to South and Southeast Asia (I ate my way through them in the form of salads when I was Thailand) and can be found in most asian grocery stores. They go great in a simple noodle dish, on seafood and are perfect for any citrus-y cocktail. For these, making a candied peel is a great way to preserve their flavor.
SUMO CITRUS
Photo: The Kitchn
I am now addicted to these delicious ‘oranges’, but unfortunately their season just ended! Sumos are a hybrid between a navel orange and a mandarin. Larger than your average orange, much easier to peel, super sweet and juicy, I haven’t had a bad one yet! They took 30 years to develop in Japan and were only available in California but they have finally made their way to the East Coast during their short season. You could add these to any recipe that calls for citrus…..sure. But every time I buy these in the store I eat them so fast they don’t make it in to my cooking!
Enjoy!
Easter is such a fun holiday to cook for! With the beginning of Spring, the meal just signifies all the good, fresh food to come! So, with this in mind, I wanted to share some of the recipes that have been inspiring me this year (because I'm honestly still on the fence for my menu)! Enjoy!
Photo: What Katie Ate
Photo: Brooklyn Supper
Photo: Saveur
Photo: Bon Appetit
Photo: Food52
Photo: A Little Yumminess
Photo: Two Red Bowls
Photo: A Beautiful Mess
Photo: 101 Cookbooks
During the week for breakfast, if I'm being honest, I slurp down a protein shake before I run out the door. I know, I know - breakfast is the most important meal, but I just can't manage it. I think about food constantly - carefully planning for weeknight dinners, quick lunches and the perfect snacks. And, of course, then I go all out for big, family dinners, holidays, and....brunch!!
These hotcakes are my latest, favorite addition to the brunch arsenal, and are everything you could want in a pancake. Light, fluffy and almost custard-y from the ricotta, and with a spiced nuance from cinnamon, cardamom and (yes!) a touch of black pepper. They aren't too sweet, either, which, for me, is important when it comes to pancakes. Pomegranate molasses adds a tart counterbalance to the creaminess, not to mention a touch of fruity sweetness. Oh, and they could not be easier to make...Enjoy!
Yields 8 pancakes
1 cup flour
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon salt
pinch finely ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese*
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs, separated
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
butter for griddle
powdered sugar, for sprinkling
pomegranate molasses, for drizzling
In one bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and pepper. In another, mix thoroughly the ricotta, milk, egg yolks and vanilla. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
Lightly beat the egg whites and fold into the batter. Let the batter rest about 5 minutes.
Heat a griddle or cast iron of medium-high heat. Add butter to just coat the surface of the griddle. Use a ¼ (dry) measuring cup to pour equal amounts of batter and work in batches. Cook for 3 minutes on one side; flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes on the other side.
Serve hot, sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with pomegranate molasses.
*My ricotta was on the drier side. If there is a lot of liquid, I suggest drain it a bit with some cheesecloth and a strainer to keep it from changing the batter texture.
Winter and pasta for me go hand-in-hand, and, as always, I love to get a little experimental with flavor combos.
Maitake mushrooms are such a favorite – they are meaty and nutty (and have actually replaced my weekend bacon, if you can believe!). I did a pop-up dinner at a little store in my neighborhood in Brooklyn, and I created this dish for the dinner. Hard, pan-roasting the mushrooms and finishing them with butter and salt make them irresistable and is a key step in the recipe. They need a proper sear to bring out what’s best in this dish.
The sauce is super thin and easy and gets an extra hit from the pickled pepper juice. I top up the pasta with some of the actual pickled peppers, chopped cilantro, and Egyptian dukkah, a gorgeous nut and spice blend with coriander that complements the mushrooms beautifully.
This can be as homemade or not as you want. You can use my fresh pasta recipe or store-bought. You can pickle your own cherry peppers or grab a jar at the grocer. And the spice blend, Egyptian dukkah, can be bought from a specialty store, or you can use my recipe below - it stores for a month, so have fun sprinkling it on salads, a nice, seared piece of fish or on your next rice bowl. Enjoy!
Serves 6
1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle
1-2 tablespoons canola oil
4-5 tablespoons unsalted , divided
2 (8 ounce) maitake mushrooms, hand torn into bite-sized pieces
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves fresh or roasted garlic, minced
¼ cup white wine
¾ cup chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
¼ cup pasta water
scant ¼ cup pickled cherry peppers, juice reserved
small handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Egyptian dukkah
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Bring a large pot of water up to a boil and season generously with salt until the water tastes salty. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still a bit firm to the bite, about 8 to 10 minutes if dry or according to package directions if fresh. Drain pasta reserving ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the tablespoon of canola oil, and when the oil starts to smoke, add the maitake mushrooms in a single layer. If they don’t all fit, you may need to repeat the process depending on the size of your skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. The cooked side of the mushroom should be golden brown and crispy. Flip the mushrooms and throw in 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter. Season the mushrooms generously and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove mushrooms using tongs to a paper towel-lined plate. If repeating, use the other tablespoon of canola oil and only 1 more tablespoon of butter.
Lower the heat to medium-low, add another tablespoon of butter and the shallots and garlic with a bit of salt. Let cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the shallots are translucent. Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in the white wine. Reduce until most of the wine has evaporated and the shallots are almost dry. Then, add in the chicken broth, heavy cream, and pasta water. Reduce in half. The sauce should coat a spoon but shouldn’t be too thick.
Remove the sauce from the heat and swirl in a final tablespoon of butter along with 2 teaspoons of the pickled cherry pepper juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Throw in the pasta, maitakes and chopped cilantro and toss to coat.
Serve immediately garnished with a few pickled cherry peppers and about 1 teaspoon of Egyptian dukkah per plate.
Egyptian Dukkah
Yields approx 1 ½ cups
¼ cup hazelnuts, roughly crushed
¼ cup pistachios, roughly crushed
½ cup white sesame seeds
¼ cup coriander seeds
2 tablespoons white cumin seeds
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons dried mint
pinch of chili powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons salt
Preheat the oven to 350° F. As opposed to toasting in the skillet, I like to toast this blend up in the oven so the nuts and spices toast evenly.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the hazelnuts, pistachios and all of the seeds and make sure they are in a single layer. Toast for 8 to 10 minutes – you should smell a really nutty fragrance.
Transfer toasted nuts and spices to a mortar and pestle or a spice / coffee grinder. I like a slightly rough texture for this, so grind until there are still bits and pieces and it’s not completely powder.
Combine with the dried mint, chili powder, black pepper and salt. Store in an airtight container, preferably in a cool spot – it will keep for about a month.
There’s nothing better than staying in on a cold winter day with a great book and a warming cup of tea, and, with the temps outside here in NYC reaching the negatives this past weekend, that’s exactly what I did! When I make tea, I tend to do a bit more than 1 bag and go. I have my own sachets and add a little of this and that until I get what I want. This weekend in the bitter cold was a bit of assam with a little earl grey with blue flowers and a star anise pod. Blending your own tea is so fun and personal (not to mention makes great, handmade hostess gifts) - thought I would share a few thoughts on how to do it!
CHOOSE A BASE
The first part of the tea blending process is choosing your base tea flavor. The most common are Black Tea (full-bodied, strong), green tea (mild, earthy almost grassy flavor), white Tea (mild and sweet), and oolong (floral and aromatic). I'm also a big fan of rooiboos tea, which is a red tea with a mild, sweet flavor that doesn't have any caffeine. Any of these bases can be bought online or in a specialty store and should makeup the majority of your tea mixture. Depending on which base you choose you can then start to add other ingredients (citrus, fruity, florals, spices). It may seem a little daunting at first, but just think of the tea combinations you see at the grocery store (like green tea peppermint, black tea cardamon) and then build from there!
HOW TO PAIR WITH OTHER FLAVORS
Now for the fun part! Creating different blends... Think of the flavor and strength of the base tea and blend from there. Black tea is a very bold tea and pairs well with other bold flavors: citrus, hibiscus, chocolate. A mild green tea can lean towards the typical Asian flavors: ginger, lemongrass; whereas, a bolder green tea can be paired with light fruity flavors: blackberry, pomegranate, lemon. White tea is a more delicate one to pair with, so I lean towards orange blossom or fresh mint with a little light spice. Rooibos I love to blend with a bit of vanilla bean powder and rose.
You can use other dried teas (chamomile, lemon balm, rose hips, hibiscus, rose), fresh herbs (mint, basil, sage) and fresh fruit rinds and aromatics (lemon, orange, apple peel, ginger, lemongrass). Start with a little, maybe a teaspoon, and add to your taste preference.
DON'T FORGET THE SPICE!
You know me, I can never resist a bit of spice. Cardamom and black tea are a match made in heaven. Star anise pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves and leftover vanilla beans are perfect and can go with both bold and milder teas.
HOW MUCH, HOW HOT & HOW LONG
Generally, my rule of thumb for teas is I use less tea when the leaves are smaller and a bit more when the leaves are bigger. Vague, I know! But for 8 ounces of water, if the tea is dense and tightly packed (think black tea or gunpowder green), I use 1 to 2 teaspoons. If it's very loose with big leaves (white tea or hibiscus), I use about 2 to 3 teaspoons.
Water temperature is important too. For black, dark oolong, herbal/fruity and rooiboos teas, use boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes. For white, green, and green oolong, stick to water that was boiled and has had some time to cool down - still hot but not scorching. These teas usually only need 2 to 3 minutes to brew.
Enjoy and happy blending!
With Valentine's Day just a few days away, chocolate is on the brain. Nothing says “I love you” more than a double decker box of chocolates…but making your own chocolate truffles is way simpler than most people think (and who doesn't prefer a handmade gift?).
This is a super simple, 3-ingredient recipe to get you started to make decadent, silky, chocolate truffles. Then, if you want, you can tailor to your preferences. I'm including options for flavorings to add to the base or leave the recipe as is and just coat the truffles in a different ways (think cocoa powder, crushed pistachios, shredded coconut, etc…). Enjoy!
Yields approximately 2 dozen truffles
12 ounces dark, semisweet or milk chocolate chips, roughly chopped (1 bag)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
Place the chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl. In a saucepan, bring the heavy cream and salt to a simmer, just enough to dissolve the salt and watch that it doesn't boil over. Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow to sit for 5 minutes before stirring. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth (this is also the time to add any liquid ingredients for flavor).
Allow to cool at room temperature for an hour. Using a teaspoon or a small cookie scoop, scoop the truffles onto parchment paper. Place in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up a bit. Roll in the palm of your hands to get them perfect (but quickly or they will start to melt!). Roll them in whatever toppings you like and enjoy!
Mix-ins: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons liqueur (coffee, rum, Grand Marnier, kirsch), 1 tablespoon orange blossom water, 1 tablespoon espresso, 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
To Coat: cocoa powder (with or without cinnamon, cardamom, etc), sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut, crushed nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios), sprinkles, flake sea salt (just a pinch on top!)
There’s nothing more satisfying than having a plan of attack for dinner for the entire week, but we all know that doesn’t happen too often. Planning ahead takes too much...planning, and we frequently find ourselves at the grocery store on Wednesday with no idea what to make! One of the things I love to do is roast a chicken at the beginning of the week. That way, I have the option of using the cooked chicken over the next few days in fun and creative ways AND cutting down my prep and cooking time. Feeding only 2 “1/2” people in my home, a 4-5 lb chicken can go a loooong way!
MONDAY: BUTTERFLIED ROASTED CHICKEN
Last week, I started off the week with Harissa-Butter Roasted Chicken with Chickpeas, Cauliflower and Onions....the harissa-butter rub in combo with the schmaltz made the chickpea-cauliflower mix one of the more delicious things I've tasted in a loooong time! A lot of people asked for this recipe, so I'm going to give you the shorthand. Cooking the chicken “spatchcocked” or butterflied means removing the backbone (and the sternum) of the bird and flattening it out before cooking. This allows the chicken to roast faster than the traditional technique (30 - 45 min vs 1 - 1 1/2 hours!) as well as more evenly, and the skin is also more exposed for yummy crunchiness! But remember to save the backbone and sternum for stock later!
Basically, butterfly a chicken (technique: here in a grilled butterflied chicken recipe) and preheat the oven to 450˚ F (sometimes I walk on the wild side and go up to 500˚ F). Combine a half stick of softened, unsalted butter with 3 tablespoons harissa and rub all over the bird. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a roasting pan, toss together 2 cans drained/rinsed chickpeas, a chopped onion, 3 or 4 cloves regular or roasted garlic, a half head of cauliflower chopped into florets, a bit of oil and salt and pepper. Layer the chicken on top of the veg, breast-side up, and pop into the oven legs first. After 5 minutes, drop the temperature to 400˚ F and continue roasting for another 40-45 minutes until done. I like to check for done-ness with a cake tester or (very) small knife inserted at the thigh joint - if when inserted to the bone and pulled out it's hot, the meat is done. You can conversely make sure it's cooked to about 150-155˚ F.
Photo: What's Gaby Cooking
TACO TUESDAY: SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS!
Who doesn’t love Taco Tuesday!? Such a quick and easy dinner….AND the chicken is already cooked. Just shred and sauté with a little butter, cumin, and coriander! Or not. You do need salsa though, and I love to make a fresh salsa for my tacos. For this, I take a couple dried guajillo chiles, ancho and some serranos, a chopped onion, a couple smashed garlic cloves and place in a saucepan with enough water to cover the chiles. Bring to a boil and then let sit for 20 minutes or so before blending in a food processor or vitamix. When I'm blending, I add a couple tomatoes, lime juice for acidity and season (if you want to add a little smokiness to it, I sometimes add a few canned chipotles in adobo sauce; another staple in my pantry). Once the sauce is smooth, heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a saucepan and add the sauce and simmer for 20 minutes. Super easy, super authentic Mexican salsa! I also love to whip up a fresh pico de gallo (diced red or white onion, cilantro, tomatoes, fresh jalapeños, and lime juice). And of course some avocado, cotija cheese and thinly sliced fresh radishes for a nice crunchy topping.
WEDNESDAY: CHICKEN & WILD MUSHROOM PASTA WITH EGYPTIAN DUKKAH
Pasta is another simple dinner for the workweek. Fresh pasta is my go-to, I always have some tucked away in my freezer, but fresh store bought is just as good! I like a wide flat noodle like pappardelle for this recipe. The flavor for this dish really comes from the Egyptian Dukkah spice topping. I also like to have this fresh (and have the recipe in my cookbook), but you can find it in many specialty spice stores.
You can toast hazelnuts, pistachios and various spices (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel, dried mint, black pepper, salt) then crush with a mortar and pestle of throw in a blender. Hard sear the mushrooms in a hot pan and set aside. The sauce is simple: sautéed shallots and garlic until soft, add heavy cream then simmer and reduce until thickened (add a little lemon juice for some acidity and to brighten the sauce if you like). Then add the shredded chicken and mushrooms, once the pasta is cooked, toss in the sauce with a little of the pasta water to move around if you find the sauce too thick. Serve the pasta with the Egyptian Dukkah spice sprinkled on top and, if you like heat, with some pickled hot cherry peppers.
Photo: Organic Life
THURSDAY: CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES
Curried chicken salad is now everywhere, and that is my inspiration for Thursday’s dinner! By this point, most of the meat is almost gone, hopefully there is enough left to whip up a little chicken salad. I like to take my basic chicken salad recipe (diced shallots, celery (peeled and diced), mayo, lemon juice, chopped chives, salt and pepper) and kick it up a notch by adding golden raisins, toasted curry powder and a couple tablespoons of mango chutney (you can find in specialty stores and some major grocery stores: Major Grey’s Mango Chutney). Serve this with a side of salt and vinegar potato chips or a simple green salad with a lemon vinaigrette! And if you happen to pick up a croissant in the morning, stuff it between that and thank me later!
Photo: Serious Eats
FRIDAY: CHICKEN BROTH
Nothing comes close to homemade chicken stock. This should be a freezer staple, and having the leftover chicken carcass plus the original backbone and sternum makes this a cinch. You just simmer these with onions, carrots, celery, garlic and parsley for an hour an a half - could not be easier. Here are some good ratios for it.
Enjoy!
This past week, I got to spend some much-needed family time in and around Ambergris Caye, Belize. The water and beach were my main agenda (ha!), but, of course, I couldn't leave without spending some time getting to know a bit more about Belizean cooking.
Susanna Arceo started the restaurant, El Fogon, in her home, built out to look like the kitchen she grew up in - a thatched roof, dirt floor, benches (to accomodate all the kids!) and, of course, the open, wood-fired grill. The food is super authentic, a lot of old school stews and beans cooked right on the fire (mangrove wood fueled with coconut husks!), and this is one of the few places that does it right in town.
Recado rojo is the main spice blend, a paste really with achiote, cumin, Mexican oregano, black pepper and tongue-numbing allspice (and some others) usually dissolved in a bit of vinegar, water and/or juice. That's the marinade for any of the meats that go on the grill or in the stews - chicken, pork, beef, venison, and even gibnut.
Just wanted to share some of the pictures of my experience there and about town over the holidays! Happy New Year's to you all!
It’s only a few days to Christmas and time to commit to a decision on what to make for your holiday dinner (if you haven't already!). The thought of turkey makes you cringe, with good reason….so what else is there to make? In my house, the go-to for Christmas dinner is always a plump, juicy roast (think standing rib roast or rack of lamb), but this year I am inspired by the ‘Feast of the Seven Fishes’, which is a traditional Italian celebration on Christmas Eve. This meal typically consists of 7 seafood and fish dishes but I've seen some families have upwards of 10! I'm sticking to 3 or 4, thank you. After enduring a 3 day food coma from Thanksgiving, the thought of an array of light seafood dishes for Christmas sounds delicious and not overly filling (not to mention getting a kick start on that New Year's resolution of eating healthy!).
FIRST COURSE: EASY APPETIZER
I like to have a couple simple snacks ready for when guests arrive. Everyone always arrives hungry and ready to eat, and this means they can snack and stay out of the kitchen! ;) Small bites or spreads are best for this feast since there are many more courses to come, so try to keep it simple and easy to make ahead! I love this Peruvian Clams à la Parmesana recipe that's in my cookbook. I learned about these in Lima, clams with a little chili paste, garlic and pisco and then topped with buttery-parmesan breadcrumbs. You can assemble them ahead of time and pop them in when guests arrive - they only take 3 minutes under the broiler! These Quinoa-Crusted Shrimp are another great, healthy option.
SECOND COURSE: RAW BAR OR SEAFOOD SALAD
Photo: Food & Wine
For me, nothing beats a great raw bar to truly showcase the flavors of the sea. Stone crabs, cooked lobster, or gorgeous jumbo shrimp served with a flavorful cocktail or tarator sauce are showstoppers. Pair with a seasonal salad (think: fennel, mache, oranges and pomegranate) with a bit of balsamic and oil.
THIRD COURSE: HEARTY, WHOLE FISH
This course and the next should be the big dishes, the ones that showcase the entire meal. A whole fish, such as red snapper or striped bass would be perfect here with a couple side dishes to go along. A whole fish doesn't have to be daunting, and salt-crusting is the perfect technique! Take 4 cups kosher salt plus 8 egg whites and thoroughly mix together. Make a bed on the baking pan with the salt mixture, lay the fish on top and add a thick coating on top, patting down to seal it all around. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes at 400° F. Crack open the salt layer with a spoon and peel back the skin for the most tender, flavorful (not salty I swear!) fish you've had. Serve with your favorite chili-garlic sauce, chermoula or a lemon-basil vinaigrette.
FOURTH COURSE: PASTA OR, IN MY CASE, PAELLA!
If we were creating a traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes, this course would showcase a pasta dish. But, since the feast is just a guideline to this epic meal, I am choosing to replace the pasta with a delicious seafood paella recipe. The key to a great paella is the rice! You can use short grain rice but if you can find it, bomba rice is what most fine-dining restaurants use and is the traditional rice for this dish. And remember, you want that crunchy rice on the bottom of the pan….that’s the best part!
FIFTH COURSE: SOUP OR SEAFOOD STEW
Photo: Saveur
Yes, can you believe it? We are still eating! If you have room after consuming the previous courses, take it down a notch with a warm brothy seafood or fish soup. This recipe for Ginger Crab is nothing short of amazing and is the type of food I grew up eating - food particular to the East Coast of Africa that blends all that's amazing about African, Indian and Arab foods.
FINALLY: PALATE CLEANSER + DESSERT!
Ok, so I’m combining the last two courses because I just don’t think I can eat anymore at this point! A great palate cleanser could be a simple citrus sorbet or semifreddo. The traditional dessert with this feast is an array of Italian cookies, but since we are skipping the sixth course, I’ve decided to do a decadent South African Cape Malva pudding, a moist, butter-y cake with caramelized edges steeped in a warm brandy sauce. Done!
Enjoy!
Okay, so I looove avocado. BUT (and I know this might offend some of you), I'm not the biggest avocado toast fan. I know! In the beginning, it was pretty cute, but now, it's become a phenomenon and a food trend (with an $8+ price tag to boot at most of my local Brooklyn spots)! Beyond that, it's Fall - the season has changed and so a time has come to explore some alternatives for your morning breakfast, snack or however you might traditionally eat toast.
Squash is everywhere, so why not mash up some buttery, sweet squash and slather it on toast? Let's go a step further. Why not spice up the squash with some minced shallots and jalapeño, top with some chipotle-infused honey, throw in some cream cheese and roasted pepitas....I think you get my point here. Toast can be so much more!
That's what this squash toast is all about. Hitting highs and lows of flavor and texture. You've got crunchy, creamy, sweet, savory, spicy (I could go on)....Enjoy!
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
For the chipotle honey:
½ cup honey
1-2 dried chipotle chilies (adjust to your heat tolerance)
For the squash toast:
Canola or olive oil
1 medium-sized butternut squash or kabocha (2 to 3 lb) squash, halved and seeded
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 small shallot, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded, ribbed and minced
small handful of cilantro, finely chopped
juice of half a lime
8 to 10 slices white/wheat country bread, lightly toasted
1/2 to 2/3rd cup cream cheese or mascarpone
1/3rd cup pepitas, roasted
Procedure
For the chipotle honey:
Add honey and chilies to a small saucepan. Cook on low for a half hour, remove from the heat, and let cool and infuse another 20 minutes. Strain if you want to.
For the squash toast:
Preheat the oven to 425° F.
To roast the squash, generously coat with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast flesh side down for about 30-40 minutes until mashable.
Spoon out squash into a bowl and add shallots, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix together and adjust seasoning.
To assemble the squash toasts, slather a tablespoon or so of cream cheese on the toasts. Top with a spoonful of the squash mixture and sprinkle a few toasted pepitas on top.
These are best enjoyed with the squash is warm.
The summer has been ridiculously hot! and, for me, the perfect thirst quencher has a few things: (1) it has to be cold (obvi...). (2) it needs acid - think lemonade! some sort of tart bite to it. (3) and a hint of sweetness (4) sometimes, bubbles help!
In a lot of different cultures, instead of citrus fruits, vinegar is used to add that touch of sour. Whether it's Irani sekanjabin, a simple syrup infused with vinegar and mint, Greek posca made with vinegar, water and herbs, Asian drinking vinegars or simply the various cultural adages that drinking vinegar has health benefits, it's sort of been around for a long time, and, if you live in Brooklyn like me, some variation may just be in your corner bodega....
Shrub is the name given to the American colonial era version of the drink, and the modern versions of this drink often have fruits. Mine has strawberries and peaches, and, not just any strawberries and peaches - the most bruised and battered ones! Yes, this is an amazing way to utilize the fruits that are still good but may not make it to your fruit plate or win any beauty contests. Typically, you sort of mix everything together (i.e. cold brew it) and let the flavor develop over a week or two. For the impatient ones among us, myself included, I cook the fruit down with raw honey (in lieu of sugar) and herbs (here, a gorge, purple basil that has been growing like a weed in my garden). I finish it off with some raw apple cider vinegar, and once cooled and strained, it's ready to go!
There are a million different combinations you can make with this recipe - different fruits, different herbs, and even different vinegars. I take a few tablespoons of this over ice and top it off with some club soda (and sometimes vodka...) for the ultimate refreshing summer drink!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Yields approximately 2 1/2 cups
1 cup strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 cup peaches, pitted and diced
8-9 leaves basil (purple or green)
1/2 - 2/3 cup raw honey (adjust to your sweetness preference)
1 cup raw apple cider vinegar
Procedure
In a medium pot, bring strawberries, peaches, basil, honey, and 1 cup of water up to a boil. Lower to a simmer and simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes until the fruit breaks down. Remove from the heat, add the vinegar and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Strain, pressing all of the juice out of the fruits as you do, and refrigerate. It should keep for about a month (or even longer, though I never have any after that point!).
I take about 4 tablespoons of the shrub over ice and top with a 1/2 cup of club soda or even fresh coconut water for a great drink.
Any excuse to get my friends together, cook and watch something on the big screen is good enough for me, but the Super Bowl is one of my favorite times! I still cook it up, but it's my time to add a bit of finesse to casual comfort and finger foods. I'll be the first to admit: these aren't your everyday football foods. BUT I can guarantee (from experience) as the dudes are wharfing down the ribs, no one cares how typical they are - just how good they taste...Now that almost all of the posts from my old blog have been moved over to this new site, thought I would share some oldies but goodies that would be really fun for this weekend's game-watching.
TEMPURA WINGS WITH SRIRACHA-HONEY
I grew up in Florida watching football, and when it comes to watching sports, my mind flashes to two things: wings and ribs!! These wings are what you want - crispy, not greasy and super tender with a sweet and spicy sauce. I like fish sauce for a little funk, but leave it out if you don't have it. The best part is you don't need the skin here to get crackling-perfection, so I guess we could almost call these healthy....
BABY BACK RIBS WITH POMEGRANATE MOLASSES
Fall-off-the-bone ribs (as you can see from the photo...) with a serious barbeque sauce, sweetened with pomegranate molasses. Your guests might need bibs. Need I say more?
SMOKY LAMB SLIDERS WITH MINT-CHILI PICKLED CUKES
Sliders are another staple of mine, and these are smoky and spicy and juicy. If you're lamb-squeamish, use beef or an Italian pork-beef blend, and they'll be just as good. Go for a mini brioche bun for the ultimate in pillowy, buttery flavor.
CHEESE BREAD, BRAZILIAN-STYLE...
I swear these are easy, and some of my friends-who-don't-cook-that-often can attest since they've made them. No yeast - so none of that rising and punching down nonsense - just a bit of kneading together of ingredients, an hour of rest and they are ready to bake. They use tapioca starch which you can get at Whole Foods, and they are seriously delicious.
Wontons are one of those things you kind of have to do and mess up folding and then will be a pro at forever. and they are a great finger food that you can stuff with just about anything. These are Trini-style because they were inspired by some I get in Crown Heights, Brooklyn at the Trini-Chinese spot. I baked them because I was feeling healthy, but if you have the oil going for the wings, fry 'em up for a minute or two until golden brown - this is, after all, a special occasion.
HARISSA-CHEESE STUFFED FRIED OLIVES
Please, don't make fun of me. Who serves olives for a Super Bowl party?? Stuff them with cheese, make them spicy, fry them and see what happens...
Don't forget that you need something to wash all of this good food down with. Do yourself a favor and make a pitcher of something and let people help themselves to that and beer from the fridge, so you can relax and hang with your friends and fam! Have fun watching the Super Bowl this weekend!!
I know I'm a bit late with this New Year's wish, but really creating a new blog from scratch with all of your old stuff is so not as straight-forward as you think it would be! So please bear with me on the technical difficulties and bad links (and let me know if they go on for another month!).
In the meantime, I got away right before New Years and visited a ridiculously scenic part of the U.S. called the Four Corners – the only place where four states physically meet (Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado). The area is rich with the culture and the traditions of the local Native Americans, the Navajo, and I wanted to share a few things with you from this trip.
A woman named Ingrid showed me this dish called fry bread. Food always has a history, and the story from Ingrid’s grandmother is that during the “Long Walk of the Navajo” (when they were forcibly relocated from Arizona to eastern New Mexico), bread was a staple based on the rations of flour that they were given. When the dough was accidentally dropped in hot oil, fry bread was born.
Ingrid’s mom used to make it by hand (though our batch came together in a stand mixer), and there is all sorts of lore around the bread. If there’s hole in the bread, it’s often told that you’ll have a bad marriage or be a bad in-law…harsh!
And though it’s typically eaten as a meal with a stew or beans, we had a yummy, sweet version of it with berries, ice cream and honey drizzled all over.
The trip was pretty amazing, and there was an unprecedented amount of snow the first few days I was there. It usually doesn’t snow out there, and people I spoke to said that they hadn’t seen this in 20 years. Either way, the scenery and snow made my photography skills comp to Ansel Adams (not) so I wanted to share some photos I took.
At long last! I have been working on this cookbook for some time now, and we are reaching the final stages. I am beyond excited and can’t wait to share all of the delicious recipes and tips with you guys. In the meantime, I thought I would share the cover, and isn’t it apropros? Me adding a dash of something special to put a signature twist on a dish…
The book will be available for pre-order from Amazon sometime in July, so I’ll update you all then. The release date will be some time in October – perfect to start planning Thanksgivings, holidays, and family dinners!
Thanks for all of your support through the years to make this dream become a possibility!
