foodie nyc

Sandra Lee Sucks: Coq Au Coconut with Celery Root Puree

My virtual protest of the culinary train wreck that is Sandra Lee comes to you in a variation of the classic French dish, Coq Au Vin.

For this edition of  "I Loathe Sandra Lee", I've decided to show Sandra how to create a proper braised chicken dish.   Sandra created one of the most unfortunate recipes I've seen, unwisely called "Chicken Scaloppini".  She inexplicably suggests that you braise thin, boneless chicken breasts for 4 hours.  To accent her dry overcooked chicken, she suggests braising pre-cooked frozen vegetables and potatoes for four hours, just so you can appreciate how vegetables can turn gray and lose all of their flavor and texture.   Now that's good eating.

I wish I could say I spent a ton of time thinking about how to improve this debacle.   But I didn't need to, because unlike Sandra Lee,  I realized that the  French pretty much mastered the technique for braising chicken long before Sandra even knew how to spell "preservative."

I followed the traditional Coq Au Vin technique for braising chicken, but since I try to live my life beyond the "30% creative benchmark" that Sandra inspires the world to live by,  I chose flavor combinations I thought would add an earthy element to the chicken and the braising sauce. 

After searing the chicken, I added cremini mushrooms, ground curry, garlic and water to deglaze the browned chicken goodness left in the bottom of a heavy pot.   I submerged the chicken in the liquid, brought to a heavy simmer, than placed it in a 350 oven for just a little over an hour (not four!).   

After the chicken is ready, the key becomes turning the amazingly rich, mushroom curry broth into a sauce.   I reduced the sauce for another twenty minutes until concentrated and thicker.   I then finished the dish with coconut milk, adding a creamy spike of flavor.    A bit of lemon juice cuts through the richness and balances the sauce. 

As a starchy compliment to the dish, I boiled and pureed celery root.   I love the fresh, celery flavor the puree adds to the earthy flavors of the mushroom, curry and chicken.   A simple garnish of diced radish and celery leaves adds a burst of fresh flavor and texture.

Chest bumps, Sandy!

Full recipe follows.......

When the Eve is the Main Event

There are a few events I look forward to each year, and there's no doubt that Christmas Eve is at the top of the list.   It's probably no surprise to you that I'd describe it as a food and wine extravaganza.   Add the family and traditions that have seemingly been a part of our Christmas Eve since Italians starting simmering garlic in olive oil, it's such a fantastic night for me that it makes Christmas Day seem like a bit of an afterthought.   (I did not feel this way while I was growing up and waiting for Santa to come the next morning, of course.)

Here are some of this year's highlights.   

Before we get too far into this, you need to know that we follow the Italian tradition of eating only fish on Christmas Eve.  We are not hard core seven fish traditionalists, though I would bet that we do have seven varieties over the course of the night each year.   We are pretty consistent about sticking to the fish tradition, which I've come to enjoy, as it's a challenge to keep the main courses interesting each year.  Well, there was the time that Uncle Beef decided to randomly serve braised beef as a main course, in a controversial maneuver that shocked and appalled everyone over the age of forty.   We don't talk about that often.  (OK, we do.  It was pretty funny).   

The other element that never changes is the pasta course, which is the classic Alio Olio recipe that I've discussed on this site before - simply olive oil, garlic, peperoncino, parsley, parmiginano reggiano and a thin cappellini-like pasta (thicker than angel hair, thinner than spaghetti).   It's a classic dish that I end up craving from time to time, mainly because it reminds me of being a kid on Christmas Eve.    Uncle Beef, in the midst of a few " cool down beers" one year,  added diced pancetta to the pasta that led to raised eyebrows and hidden sighs of pleasure.    While I have been fending off such renegade behavior over the years (such as an unfortunate capers episode and the threat of a sardines), I was greeted this year with a plethora of pancetta and a craving for a return to the renegade pancetta behavior of the past.   I don't fight pork fat - I only crisp it with serve it with a smile on my face.   

Before the pasta course, we had a fantastic mussel soup - possibly my most satisfying bites of this year's dinner.    Judy made a great crab stock, which was added to a base of garlic, ginger, onion, peperoncino and fire roasted canned tomatoes.   After the soup simmers for a while, the mussels and a nugget of butter is added right before serving.   The mussels add their juices to the broth, while the nugget of butter balances out the acidic qualities of the tomato.  A last minute handful of tarragon brought it all together.  (Note:  I was too busy to take a picture of this dish, so the photo is from Judy's mussels from '06.  The version I discuss above was soupier than the picture.  That's for those family members keeping  track of such detail...all two of you.)

The other enduring tradition for our Christmas Eve is wine.    Only recently did the wine quality take off to another level, though I believe the quantity consumed has maintained a fairly consistent level best described as...hmmm....generously foolish.   This year's highlight for me was the 1998 Chateau Angelus Grand Cru Bordeaux from St. Emilion.    I had been holding onto this wine for a while and was happy I brought it, but I had meant to bring a Chateauneuf but grabbed the wrong bottle while rushing out the door.   I didn't realize until we got there that I had brought the Bordeaux, thus embarrassing myself continuously by mentioning Chateauneuf throughout the evening.    Good thing I can cook, eh? Well, at least I could appreciate the amazing, herbacious nose of the Bordeux and the long earthy finish.   

Finally, the main course this year happened to be outrageous.   Judy made a whole salmon stuffed with kashi which was moist and delicious.   The other main was based on a post I had written a long time ago - essentially a recreation of an unbelievable cod dish I had a few years ago at a restaurant called BLT FISH.    The cod is marinated in soy, white vinegar and acacia honey, then broiled and roasted.   The exterior crust is a caramel colored golden brown, while the sauce is salty, sweet and rich.  It's so good that I had to fight off this random Jewish dude who keeps showing up to Christmas Eve dinner, or I think he may have chugged it straight from the pot.

Since I take pride in not following recipes and find the  Food Network only vaguely satisfying, a few people found the fact that this dish came from a recipe and from foodnetwork.com a bit humorous.     Chef Laurent Tourandel, the genius who created this recipe, must have made this dish on a Food Network episode, as googled the dish up popped his recipe on the Food Network.  So, in a nod to my duplicitous actions, I offer you the Chef Tourandel's recipe, courtesy of the Food Network - and take zero credit for the idea.   Make this cod - it's a show stopper.

(NOTE:  Missing from the list of Christmas Eve traditions are the fried smelts.  I would describe them for you, but writing about them makes my stomach turn.  Nothing like gagging on little bones and fishy meat...mmmm.)

Dreaming of a Tuscan Zucchini Sformatino

Around this time last year, I was wandering Tuscany and Umbria on the culinary tour of a lifetime.  I feel guilty that you haven't seen much of it - from the olive oil tastings, local cheese makers, and fantastic wine producers I visited - there's almost too much to post on this site.

But as I long for those extraordinary experiences in Tuscany, I'll start to sprinkle in a few Italian inspired posts here and there over the rest of the summer.

One of the restaurants we visited for lunch was Osteria Volpaia in the town of Volpaia, near Chianti.   It was a scorching hot day, so we needed to eat light.   A primi that we ordered was a Sformatino al Zucchini, which is essentially a steamed/baked custard made with a puree of zucchini.  The kicker was the beautiful zucchini blossom that encased the custard.   While the dish was rich, the fresh garden flavor of the zucchini made the sformatino a perfect dish for a warm summer afternoon.

I'll never forget our experience meeting the chef after the meal.   Chef Francesco Sabbadini was leaving the restaurant at the same time we were, as he was heading home for the afternoon.   We stopped him and told him how much we loved our meal, especially the zucchini sformatino.  Not only did he talk to us for about twenty minutes, but he took us back to the restaurant, gave us a tour of the kitchen, then wrote the zucchini sformatino recipe down for me to take home. 

After we both got into our cars and drove off, we saw him a few miles later at a stop sign.  He waved back to us with a genuine sincere happiness, as if we'd just bonded over an appreciation of food and his efforts.  Doesn't sound much like the over-hyped, chef driven world we live in today, does it? 

In tribute to this little moment I shared with Chef Sabbadini, I'm passing on Osteria Volpaia's recipe for sformatino al zucchini, which you'll find below.

I would recommending making this sformantino with some toasted country bread, a side salad, and possibly a shaving of parmigiano reggiano to garnish the custard.

Corn Flan, Strawberry Mint Corn Salad

I know, I know.  As I write this, corn isn't really at its peak yet.  But looking through some of my photo archives, I noticed this unpublished dish from last summer and thought I'd give you a little taste of the sweet corn brilliance that lies ahead this summer. I'm all for turning corn into fuel, but as long as I can get my crack corn addiction satisfied late in the summer season, all is good in my world.

Savory flans were a go-to dish when I first started doing Foodie NYC events.  They are simple, easy to prepare and can act as a foil for any type of creative condiment.

As I look at this corn flan I made last summer, I've realized this may have been the last flan I made.  (I just had a tingle of EMO writing about a flan...wow, this is embarassing. OK, I'm over it.). That's so wrong.  I predict a few of you out there will be eating a savory flan in your not too distant future.

This corn flan is very rich and explodes with multiple textures of corn flavor.   A corn puree adds corn flavor into every bite, while the whole kernels add a bit of texture. (I've also made this dish with toasted, charred corn which I highly recommend). While I like the interiors of my flans creamy and soft, I like a broiled crusty top for a bit of depth.

There are so many ways to garnish this corn flan.  I wanted to feature corn again, but thought I'd pair it with the sweetness of chopped strawberries, chopped mint and some finely diced red onion.  Damn, this dish was tasty.  (Uh oh.  I'm starting to get a little flan EMO again.  Is this healthy?).

The full recipe for corn flan is below. 

Braised Oxtail Spring Rolls

In a little while, braising is going to be totally unacceptable until the Fall.  Like shave your head and check into rehab unacceptable.  Or crank Journey and play air guitar at your desk at work unacceptable.  Or become famous for crying in the crowd of American Idol unacceptable.  OK, maybe none of these are proper analogies.  Sorry.

In a effort to temporarily say goodbye to braising, I offer you inspiration to braise oxtail as your last winter braising hurrah. I'm talking about searing golden brown oxtail with sauteed veggies and slowly simmering them in a paprika infused broth for three hours.  Think about a braised oxtail ragu for pasta with a reduction of an explosive braising sauce.  No? Not moving you yet? Fine  Jeez, you're a toughie.  I guess a recipe for braised oxtail spring rolls, with a crispy exterior and a soft braised interior wouldn't be acceptable to you either, winter party pooper?

Spring is almost here, but you have one more braise in you, I know you do.   So go out in style. Following is my full recipe for braised oxtail.  Make a big batch and use it for pasta and maybe even these spring rolls.  Before you know it, it'll be time for the Spring treats.

Pancetta, Clams, Garlic and Olive Oil

(ed note: I'm a bit burnt out after our event on 3/17.  Thanks to all for coming!  Until I'm back to my old self, I offer you a re-post from a dish I made a year or so ago.  I recommend cracking a bottle of an Italian red and serving this dish to someone you'd enjoy making out with, as surely you'll get a big kiss for your efforts).

...and spaghetti.  This is a take on the classic dish that we eat on Christmas Eve called Alio Olio.  I look forward to eating this dish every Christmas Eve with the family, but I eat it throughout the year as well. It's just one of those things that I crave at times.  We traditionally make it by infusing the olive oil with garlic, peperoncino and chopped parsley at the last second.  When my Uncle feels like breaking the fish-only rule on Christmas Eve, we add browned pancetta.  The pasta, most often angel hair but definitely not thicker than spaghetti, needs to be cooked just short of al dente and then added to the pan with the infused oil.  Lots of parm regg is added and that's the dish.  Here I make it with chopped clams and stick with the pancetta for some extra flavor.

This dish needs to be cooked with a full glass of red wine at all times or what some of us call a "cool down" beer. 

Full recipe after the jump.....

Caramelized Cauliflower, Cauliflower Puree, Currants, Crispy Yuca Chips

I've had a few requests for the caramelized cauliflower dish I mentioned in my post How (Not) To Throw a Chateauneuf Party.  Since I'm a people pleaser, I'll share the details for a tasty, inexpensive dish I made as a small appetizer to start a meal.

I've been loving caramelized cauliflower ever since having it as an antipasti a few years ago at Lupa.   The charred, crispy exterior adds a lot of flavor to the otherwise bland veggie.  But as there was a whole half a head of cauliflower left over, I decided to make a creamy, rich cauliflower puree to further enhance the caramelized beauties.  As I remember raisins adding a welcomed, sweet note to cauliflower, I went with a sprinkle of currants as a garnish.  As an optional addition you may want to consider, I thought another textural accent would be nice, so I thinly sliced, fried and laid the yuca over the cauliflower as another garnish.  My full recipe follows.

Cocoa Pasta, Braised Short Ribs

Those of you who love to braise as much as I do know that braising is a minimal labor, high reward technique that requires something special served with it.  On this day, it was a homemade pasta.  After being inspired by a chocolate pasta at Falai served with braised short ribs and olives, I decided I need to experiment with this dish at home.  Here's how I made it....

It's All About the Brodo

  I went to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy a few years ago.  One of the best dishes I had was in a small town outside of Modena - a traditional dish of sausage tortellini floating in a clear chicken broth known as brodo.  The simple, clear broth was made with capon and exploded with chicken flavor.  It was invigorating - I must of had bowls and bowls of it during the trip.  The brodo made me feel amazing - full of life and energy. 

I have been making this style of brodo frequently at home - it's easy and makes everyone feel better on a cold day.  While having a beer together after a long night of work in his Tuscan restaurant, I told Chef Claudio that this brodo from Emilia-Romagna was the best I ever had.  He snapped to life with excitement.  He believed the Tuscan brodo was even better.  He promised to make it for me the next day.

He had some stiff competition.  While in Umbria a few days earlier, Uncle Beef and I made a chicken broth from the local chickens.  As you can see by the photo of the chicken, the chickens all over Tuscany and Umbria were yellow and skinny, not pale and full of hormones. The taste of the local chicken exploded with flavor - it became clear to me why the brodo in Italy is so great.  We made a big pot of it in Umbria, which was phenominal.

As the Tuscan chef made his brodo for me, I was surpised when he took me through the ingredients he'd be using.  He not only used chicken bones, but also beef bones from the shoulder cut, as well as a whole tongue.  Yow.  The chef simmered his brodo for about 1.5 hours then strained it carefully.  The combination of meats created a rich brodo that had deep, meaty qualities -very nice indeed.   But what I tend to enjoy about brodo is the burst of a dominant flavor that comes through from the broth.  What can I say - I guess I prefer the pure expression of chicken rather than a mix of meats.

So what did I do when the first chill hit NYC? You guessed it.  But I decided to make the Emilia-style brodo as I think it's flawless.  I usually make a huge pot of brodo and use it in any dish that would call for stock, but I especially like it as part of a simple meal after work or as a homey treat for football Sundays. 

My favorite preparation features pastina - small pasta like grains - and little meatballs.  I hope I can entice you to make brodo with this shot of a juicy meatball swimming in the brodo.  If that doesn't work, I can tempt you with my recipe, which follows the jump....

A Tale of Tegamaccio

I'm going to be doing a few posts about some of the dishes that have inspired me while touring Umbria and Tuscany this summer.  I had always meant to write about these dishes before my tasting event celebrating these flavors, but oh well....better late than never.

Our villa in Umbria was right on Lake Trasimeno, which is the second largest fresh water lake in Italy.  The cuisine around the lake area is, naturally, fresh water fish focused.  But drive thirty minutes either direction and the cuisine of Lake Trasimeno is nothing but an anomoly in the Tuscany and Umbria area. I mentioned this to the chef I cooked with in Tuscany.  His eyes lit up when I mentioned this cuisine.  He was familiar with this area and also marveled at the fact that Lake Trasimeno has its own distinct cuisine within Umbria and the entire region on the whole.

We were in search of a local, high quality freshwater fish restaurant one night and after deciding to avoid a pizza place that served salt water fish on a fresh water lake (?), we were guided to the local standard for high quality fresh water specialties, Restaurant Da Settimio. Being the subpar, untrendy blogger that I am, I will not post photos of the dishes I took at the restaurant.  Instead, I will reminisce and recreate a special dish that my Uncle Beef and Renee marveled over.  It was a dish called tegamaccio - a fish stew made from local carp, eel, and possibly other fish that I cannot remember.  The fish was lightly simmered in a rich, stewy tomato sauce that had a nice punch of vinegar and a spike of chili flavor.  The tomato fish stew was given substance with a slice of bread that was placed at the bottom of the stew to absorb the liquid.   

The only point of contention for me was the consistency of the tomato stew.  In the restaurant, we had it a bit on the soupier side.  However, Renee order the tegamaccio on a separate excursion and reported back that it was a bit chunkier and less soupy.  I could only make sense of this by thinking of tegamaccio as ribollita in concept - some of these bread stews are runnier or chunky than others.  I chose chunky vs. soupy, but to each their own.

I searched the internets for tegamaccio recipes but came up with very little, other than a recipe from Mary Ann Esposito from her cookbook Caio Italia.  I remember watching some of Mary Ann's cooking shows on PBS a while back.  While not riveting TV, she cooked authentic Italian food that I remember appreciating.  Anyway, her recipe confirmed the method upon which I made this dish.  I did not follow her directions (I don't follow directions well) but followed her method.  I used all the ingredients (did not pay attention to proportions), as I agreed with virtually all of the ingredients she lists in the tegamaccio.  She did not provide the vinegar-like punchiness that I recall, so if you decide to make this dish, I recommend adding a few tablespoons of white wine vinegar a few minutes before serving. 

As far as the fish is concerned, do as the Italians do - get whatever is best and freshest at the market, provided the fish is thick enough to keep its integrity while simmering in the stew.  I chose large shrimp and cod for this dish.  The above picture is from a shot I took of my version of tegamaccio.  I decided to choose this picture because I wanted you to notice the layers upon layers of flavor in this dish. 

As you can see, I liked tegamaccio so much that I made it for our Tuscany/Umbria tasting event last October 15.

Cucumber Ice, Seared Tuna, Ginger Oil

I've been hanging onto this dish (as well as a full series on corn, coming soon before the season passes) for a few weeks now.

I've since been to a wintery Buenos Aires (ok, not that wintery) followed by showers back in NYC. I even bought a winter coat while eating asado in Argentina.  Looking at the cucumber ice I made a few weeks ago, it's now hard to remember the humid summer night which I made this dish. 

The cucumber ice is the work of my spanking new juicer. I've been cranking out light, rich, vibrant vegetable and fruit juices ever since.  I've been using the juicer for soups, sauces, and the cucumber ice that I paired with seared tuna, arugula and a drizzle of ginger infused olive oil (just ginger simmered in warm olive oil for a few minutes, then cooled). 

The cucumber ice is simply the juice of a cucumber, seasoned with some lime juice, salt and pepper - then frozen with an ice cream machine.  If you didn't have a machine on hand, you can also make this granita style. In fact, a granita is certainly just as easy. 

I definitely considered serving the tuna raw with the cucumber ice, but based on the dish that preceded this during a meal, I thought a seared fillet of tuna would be a better fit.  If the ginger oil is not your speed, I would consider a chili infused oil for a bit of heat.

Basil Ginger Ale

ed: Who's down with O.P.P? Yeah you know me! Sorry, that has nothing to do with this post or the fact that I'm on my last day of vacation and will be back posting soon.  Enjoy this ginger ale in the meantime...

I made a ginger syrup in order to make a homemade version of ginger ale.  The ingredient that took it to another level was fresh Thai basil.  The basil added a fresh taste that was perfect for a hot summer day.  This concept would work well with mint, or other varieties of homemade syrups.  Since the syrup is made with water and sugar, any ingredient that can impart a sweet and fragrant taste in the syrup could work.  I'm thinking I'll try a rhubarb syrup as well...

Check out my full recipe below.

Toasted Garlic Shrimp Tacos

ed: This is a recipe I made back in August 2005.  Right now I am probably eating lunch in a trattoria in somewhere in Tuscany.

I love being inspired by random and spontaneous food  encounters.  For the most part, I'm influenced by food blogs, inspiring chefs and/or restaurants, TV, etc.  But recently I was inspired by a random taco stand on a street fair in NYC. It was such a home grown operatation dedicated towards simple preparation of a few flavorful ingredients for their tacos.  It was 90 plus degrees outside, but this man was braising pork shoulder in a chili liquid in a vat on the street for all to see.  A grill man was toasting corn tortillas and a woman was accepting money and providing garnishes.  I created an heirloom tomato salad and made some Spanish-style garlic shrimp for a quick and simple summer tacos at home.

My full recipe is below.

Poached Morels, Roasted Ramps, Ramp Pesto

Here's a little appetizer I created in order to feature two of my favorite ways to serve ramps and morels.  As I've mentioned before, I love to poach morels slowly in half and half.  This produces soft, tender, creamy morels, but it also creates a cream infused morel liquid that I can use as a phenomenal finishing sauce. 

You know how I feel about ramps. I like to separate the white bulbs from the green tops, so I thought I'd use them both in the same dish.  I pan roasted the white ramp bulbs in olive oil, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.  I then blanched the green tops for 30 secs, dried them, then pureed them in a food processor with pine nuts, olive oil, and some parm regg cheese to create a pesto-like sauce.  I spoon a little of that morel cream around the ramp and morel salad for an excellent and simple little spring treat. 

Below is my recipe for the poached morels.  Sorry, not in the mood to write recipes for the rest.  Word.

ILSL Recipe: May 2006

Welcome to the second installment of the I Loathe Sandra Lee Monthly Recipe.  This is the May edition, in which we collectively gather on the 'nets to gawk at Sandra Lee's recipe suggestions from her monthly calendar, Semi Suckiness with Sandra Suckass.

As you may recall, this month Sandra suggested we make quesadilla and taco-esque recipes with Pace salsa, store bought guacamole, and Kraft cheese.  Fellow loathers have joined me today to protest her horrendous approach to cooking, as well as her existence on the Food Network (and in my case, planet Earth as well). 

In addition to my own recipe featuring 0% Semi-Homemade ingredients and 100% creativity, I am happy to feature a few recipes from other loathers as well. 

Taco Salad by Chez Megane

Megan from the blog Chez Megane submits a recipe for a chicken taco salad.  Megan impresses us all by doing something that Sandra Lee won't do for the last piece of Kwaanza Cake on Earth - she fries her own tortillas for hard taco shells.  But let's hear it straight from Megan: "It's not that I'm against finding shortcuts in cooking or that I don't understand the need to make meals quickly. There are sacrifices to be made. But, there is a big difference between making these lovely Tacos posted here and Sandra Lee's version of quesadillas that includes jarred Kraft guacamole dip. Have you seen some of the crap this woman makes? Only the devil would actually use the powdered cheese packet from a package of macaroni and cheese in a separate recipe. She's not creative; she's insane!"

Here here, Megan. 
 
Grilled Chicken Soft Tacos by s'kat and the food

When s'kat emailed her submission to me a few days ago, I could tell we had a real loather on hand.  Indeed, s'kat writes "Woo-hoo!  Can I get a 'hell, no!' to processed and heavily refined products in here?"   Damn right you can, s'kat.  S'kat marinates chicken (No, Sandra.  Marinating does not mean covering something in taco seasoning from a box), grills it and places the chicken in the soft taco "...surrounded by just enough vegetables to make you feel good about yourself".   That's right, Sandra.  Feeling good about yourself would be the opposite of how your guests feel when they come over to your house for dinner. 

Check out s'kat's recipe here.

Pollo Con Mole Verde, Frejoles con Puerco by A Chicken in Every Granny Cart

Ann from a Chicken in Every Granny Cart emailed me today with the painful tale of writing a post full of "recipes and banter, links and knowledge, but alas, it's all gone now and I have to go to work, so it'll have to wait til tonight. *sigh*."  Gah!  That's alright Ann, I'll post any of your updated details about your chicken with green mole.  I love green mole and we all know that Sandra has no freaking idea how to make one.  If I had to guess, she would probably mix taco seasoning from an Old El Paso packet with some Mac N Cheese powder and mix it with Kool Whip or something.  Ann, forget about your Wordpress problems and just revel in the fact that you created a dish that I'm sure tasted great.

Check out A Chicken in Every Granny Cart here.

Finally, I'll post a recipe of my own.

Mini Crab Quesadillas with Asparagus and Smoked Paprika Aioli - by FoodieNYC (that's me, loser)

I created mini quesadillas featuring steamed jumbo lump crab.  No Sandra, not that imitation crab you love so much.  This is crab from....a real crab.  I steam the crab and dress it with a fresh, homemade aioli.  Sandra, I know your head is spinning at this point.  You cannot buy aioli in a grocery store.  I guess you can buy mayo, Sandra, but you'd get your broke ass kicked out of countries like Spain for behavior like that.  Finally, I roasted some asparagus and added it to the crab for some spring freshness.   Vegetables, Sandra.  Vegetables.  Think.  Different.

My full recipe for the mini crab quesadilla is below.....

Soft Shell Crab with Asparagus, Jicama, Reggiano Salad

Aaah.  The first soft shell crab of the year.  Soft shells are the perfect expression of spring - rich yet light, flavorful yet delicate, and not to be seen again in this perfect state beyond a few months from now. 

Big thick batters on soft shells? No.  Tempura crusted? Wrong.  Bold flavors that compete with the crisp texture and soft meat? Banned in my home.

Simple is best with the soft shell.  All you need to do is make sure the crab is well dried (with paper towels) and well seasoned, the oil hot, and you avoid flipping more than once.  The crispy texture of the shell is a perfect counterpoint to the sweet meat.  Also, make sure to hit it with a little lemon juice - the acidic note is a great counterpoint to the richness of the crab. 

I enjoy serving soft shells with simple expressions of spring.  In this case, I blanch and thinly slice asparagus in a salad with the crispy freshness of jicama and shards of parmigiano reggiano.  If the traditional side of your brain starts short circuiting about serving cheese with fish, just tell yourself to live a little. 

My full recipe follows..........

Turnip Gratin

I had a bunch of turnips sitting in the fridge after the last foodie,where we made a turnip puree (recipe here). What to do with the rest? 

Steak was on the menu, so I needed something creamy and hearty.  I thought a turnip gratin would be a low maintenance dish to make.  Slicing the turnips thinly was the only real chore here.

The opportunity to add your own creative touch is to infuse a flavor or two into your milk, which will ultimately work with the turnips as the dish bakes.  I chose smoked paprika (thanks mom), rosemary and nutmeg, with just a touch
of mustard. 

After baking, I covered the turnips with panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) for a light and toasty crunch.

 

Spanish-Style Garlic Shrimp

I was just about to post a squid recipe I made a few nights
ago based on a dish from Charlie Trotter's, but realized that I hadn't posted one of the key elements of that dish on this site - the Spanish-style garlic shrimp I make very frequently at home. 

This shrimp recipe needs to be on this site, in all of its garlic, olive oil and paprika glory.  I had shrimp made in this style a few times in Spain last summer (San Sebastian specifically) and it was indeed very similar to my recipe, though they tend to broil the same ingredients in clay pot (which comes out sizzling). I also make it a bit more refined by straining some of the sauce elements, but you can skip that step.  I do when I'm just making this casually at home.

So today you get one of my favorite ways to make shrimp.  I'll post the squid dish that incorporates this shrimp recipe soon. Until then....

Pink Peppercorn Caesar

This is the last post on my unplanned pink peppercorn series (Ha! That cracked me up.  As if i didn't just get obsessed with pink peppercorns and make three or four dishes in the span of a few days.  What a joker).  Crab cakes and fondue have received the PP treatment.  A final and simple recipe to appreciate the bold flavor of the pink peppercorn is a version of Caesar salad.

A creamy, rich Caesar dressing is the perfect base for toasted and ground pink peppercorns.  The PPs add a floral bite and textural crunch to the dish that really adds to the creamy dressing and fresh crisp bite of whole romaine hearts.

This recipe is a breeze and a quick way to experience the PP flavor in a simple yet revealing recipe.   

Enjoy.  Recipe after the jump.....

Chocolate Brushed Duck, Chipotle Goat Cheese Couscous

Ok.  This is the equivalent of me standing in front of a subway stop in NYC, decked out in a suit, with five bored looking staffers around me handing out pamphlets that say  "Vote for Chocolate." 

I am shaking hands with a grandmotherly type, nodding and smiling while she winces in doubt about whether a chocolate tasting event would be as a good as I think it will be. After that positive encounter, we concluded that the AM New York free newspaper being handed out is more popular than we are, so we leave.

Yes, good folks of the internet, the race is getting down to the wire.  The polls are about to close. 

And this is another blatant attempt to woo you into voting chocolate for the next foodie event.

But anyway, I have been practicing with chocolate and this is another fruit of my labor.  Here, I seared a duck breast until crispy. I then melted some dark, semi sweet Vahlrona chocolate and lightly brushed the duck with the chocolate before finish in the oven.  The chocolate is an accent to the gamy, rich flavor of the duck and the smoky, creamy goat cheese couscous.

related: beet, blood orange, white chocolate salad
related: chocolate foodie tasting menu

Check out my full recipe for this dish over at [decentcontent].

Pink Peppercorn Crab Cakes

I started out thinking about pink peppercorns.  As you may know, pink peppercorns are actually a berry.  After toasting them in a dry pan for a two minutes and grinding them to a fine dust, the pink peppercorns unleash a deep, floral aroma and taste that is pretty spectacular.  As a result, you can be rest assured you'll be seeing lots of pink peppercorn dishes on this site in the upcoming weeks.

So how would I use the pink peppercorn 'dust'? I started to go toward a pink peppercorn au poivre, but quickly realized that steak wasn't a good pairing.  I gravitated toward crab cakes.  I would make relatively traditional crab cakes (lots of lump crab, some herbs, finely chopped bell pepper, panko bread crumbs, a touch of mustard and mayo to bind), add a few pinches of the pepper corn dust to the crab cake mixture before forming, then crust them with more of the dust before searing.  But the pink peppercorn can only handle minimal searing without burning, so these crab cakes were seared in oil for only for a few minutes on each side before finishing in the oven.

The pink peppercorn and crab are an excellent combination.  I thought about serving this with a creamy dipping type sauce, but since I wanted to appreciate the pure crab and peppercorn combination on their own, I just went with a drizzle of an excellent olive oil to finish.

Mushroom Curry Crusted Tuna, Arugula Puree

Ordering tuna tartar at restaurants has begun to bore me to tears.   Just like most good things in the world, the more mass and popular something becomes, the suckier it gets.  Now that tuna has become so prevalent, tuna tartar has become a ubiquitous standard on every menu and to me, is always hit or miss.  Sometimes the tuna tastes like absolutely nothing, sometimes it's silky, meaty, fatty and all together satisfying. 

Of course, you can always take matters into your own hands by making tuna at home.  Here, I use sushi grade tuna and create a crust from black trumpet mushrooms and curry, just like I did for my recent pork recipe.  The result is a layer of crunchy texture that enhances the silkiness of the rare tuna.  The earthy, fragrant mushroom and curry add a blast of flavor to the tuna without overwhelming it.   I made a creamy puree of arugula, olive oil and lemon juice to lend a fresh creaminess to each bite of tuna. 

Read my full recipe over at [decentcontent].

A Fresh Start to the New Year

Regular readers of this site know that I had been writing the Eating In column over at Gothamist for something close to a year and half, creating over 70 unique recipes from scratch.  I've recently decided to stop writing for Gothamist and from today on, I'm happy to let you know that you'll be able to find me over at [decentcontent], in addition to here. 

I initially decided to make this move for a few reasons.  As much as I've enjoyed contributing to Gothamist, I wanted to write outside of the Gothamist voice.  I also wanted to have the opportunity to create some new, interesting food content that just wouldn't work at  Gothamist or even here to be honest.  I've really enjoyed collaborating with Heather so far and think you'll start to see some new, refreshing food coverage once we get up and running.  I have one big project in mind that I believe will be fun and exciting for me and hopefully you as well.  I will also be doing what I like best, which is creating recipes that you've (hopefully) been enjoying here and previously on Gothamist.

But on a side note, I wish I had more positive feelings about my departure from Gothamist.  I recently found out in a comment section (!) on the site that writers were being paid, me not being one of them.  Not like I really care about the money.  Food writing and recipe creation is something I am passionate about, but it's not how I currently earn a living.  But it's about the principle of the matter. I created a whole new area of content for them and worked relatively hard to do so.  I guess I expected more dialog and collaboration from Gothamist, considering I'd been contributing relatively thoughtful pieces for them for over a year and half.

Anyway, the New Year starts with me at a new site and continuing to do what I love, in an environment where collaboration will hopefully continue to lead to bigger and better things.

So, back to the food.....check out my first recipe for [decentcontent], a riff from the eggplant nutmeg puree I created recently.  I use it again by folding it into a rich, creamy risotto while adding a crunchy Parmesan chip on the top for some much needed texture. 

Chipotle Braised Short Ribs, Turnip Puree, Cilantro Gremolata

I love the winter for possibly only one reason besides skiing - drinking Jim Beam. Just kidding. It's braising.  There is nothing like taking a beautiful, fall-off-the-bone piece of meat out of the oven after three hours of slow, steady braising. I love the smell of the reduced, aromatic cooking liquid that has absorbed all of the flavors of the meat. 

Other than searing the meat correctly and braising it at a low temperature, the only other key to braising is creating a flavorful liquid.  It will eventually be your sauce, so creating the braising liquid can be fun and creative.  I braise with aromatics, like lemongrass, chilis, dry spices, herbs, wine, even juices like apple cider.  For this dish that I made for Gothamist, I chose the smoky, spicy flavor of chipolte peppers.

I like to serve braises with something rich and creamy- for some reason braised meats to me are perfect with a comforting puree.   Parsnip puree was my mashed potato of last year (and this year, really), so I've experimented here with turnip just to try something new.  Turnip puree is earthy and has a distinctive yet mellow flavor - perfect for the massive, rich flavors of smoky chipotle and braised short ribs.

Finally, I like adding a blast of fresh herb and crunchy texture to the soft braised meat and the creamy puree.  I made a gremolata out of chopped cilantro, toasted almonds and lemon rind as the finishing touch to the braised short ribs.  Now if I could only work on the skiing part....

Recipe follows.

Crispy Cod, Apple Cider Chickpeas

My latest recipe for Gothamist is based on one of the best dishes I had at NYC hotspot Cookshop.  You may have read my previous thoughts about Cookshop, but generally I recommend it despite the fact there are a couple of clunkers on the menu. 

I liked the idea of making a chickpea stew, which was served with a fantastic piece of crispy, moist cod.  I thought I'd slowly braise the chickpeas in apple cider, allowing the cider to reduce and create an apple cider reduction and basically infuse its flavor into the chickpeas.  I added sage for a burst of earthy herbaciousness, crumbled in some ricotta salata for a firm and creamy counterpart and finished the chickpeas with crunchy pomegranate seeds.

I would have added bacon or chorizo to the chickpea stew, but I generally felt like a lard ass after a big meal the night before and kept it bacon-free.  Think about adding this, as the porky, smoky flavors would be a nice match.

My full recipe is below......

Mushroom, Sausage Buttermilk Polenta

I've been using buttermilk recently to help add that hard to describe twang to dishes that are rich and creamy in nature.  Like a squeeze of lemon juice, the buttermilk twang cuts through richness and creaminess and helps make the flavors pop in the mouth a bit more.  Just a little buttermilk goes a long way, and its rich, thick texture adds richness without a lot of fat.

Polenta is like adult baby food to me.   It's soothing, mesmerizing (I notice people don't speak when it's served!)and a perfect treat for winter. It's rainy and cold here in NYC as we approach Thanksgiving.  So the earthy fragrant aromas of mushrooms and garlic sizzling in butter, the fragrant smell of rosemary and browning sausage were perfect accompaniments for a cold winter night of 'adult baby food' enjoyment.

Roast Pork with Mojo and Yuca Mash

I made this recipe a while ago for Gothamist, but just wanted to make sure I got it up on this site as well. 

Our friend Will was kind enough to invite us down to his family house in West Palm Beach for the traditional Cuban pig roast that his family loves to have.  A family friend of theirs has two permanent, tile-lined Caja China boxes in his yard, along with a pig prep/seasoning area and an outdoor kitchen for making the traditional accompaniments to the pork. The boxes coal roast a whole pig to a crunchy moistness in about five hours. Their friend buys and cleans the pig himself, seasons it with salt, pepper and lime and lets it roast away.

After stopping by to check out the roasting during the day, we returned five hours later to pick up our 60 pound pig, buttery yuca garlic mash, and black beans and rice. The final piece that took it over the top was a garlicky, herbal mojo that we watched our friend’s mother prepare in a mortar and pestle. We slathered it over evey piece of pork – from the crunchy skin, to our favorite part, the juicy ribs.

This is an attempt at recreating the flavors of that fantastic experience, sans the Caja China.  Man, I need a backyard!

Pumpkin, Arugula Salad

This dish was inspired by a recent meal at the re-opening of Spotted Pig here in NYC.   I really enjoyed the combination of  the roasted pumpkin, arugula, toasted pine nuts and parmigiano reggiano in a dish they called Pumpkin Salad.  It was very simple but perfectly done.

I decided to make a version of it at home, but amped the flavors up a bit by adding a sharp, rich dressing of arugula pesto to dress the roasted pumpkin chunks.  We had this at home as an appetizer salad. The only labor in this is roasting the pumpkin, but c'mon, all you have to do is throw it in the oven!

Here's my recipe.

An Ode to Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano is one food that I need to have in my refrigerator at all times. I randomly have the urge to create dishes in which Parm Regg is the star of the show.  Just a few nights ago I had this urge again, with the latest featuring the "king of cheese" with pasta in three forms.  First, a fondue sauce that would gently coat the pasta.  The next would be a crunchy crisp that would add texture and more Parm Regg flavor to the dish.  Finally, a sprinkle of freshly grated Parm Regg on top would be the final touch.

Have a look at my recipe over at Gothamist.....

Curried Scallops, Edamame Succotash

I really enjoyed making this bizarre version of a succotash.  The deep flavors of the hazlenuts and bacon are a phenominal pairing with earthy edamame and sweet, fresh corn.  I dusted the scallops with curry before searing, as I love curry with roasted nuts and corn.  As mentioned in my Aleppo pepper post, I tossed in some of these dried chili flakes and added a deep, almost mysterious flavor to the succotash.

Check out my full recipe here.

Merguez Wonton Tortelloni, Corn, Tomato, Parm

I have been experimenting with grocery store wonton wrappers for a while now.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy making fresh pasta.  But not all of the time, especially if we are just having a casual meal at home.  I treat the wonton wrappers just like fresh pasta - usually with a rich, butter or cheese type condiment (olive oil based sauces work better for me on dried pasta). In my experience, it's best to handle the wonton wrappers as little as possible.  Tortelloni is a very simple technique that requires only a few minor folds.  For a fresh pasta type of dish, this is a relatively easy recipe. The combination of lamb sausage (merguez), fresh summer corn and tomato, and handfuls of parmiggiano reggiano works wonders.

Check out my full recipe over at Gothamist....

Pepper Seared Tuna, Peach Chutney

There was an old Iron Chef peach battle between a Japanese chef and Iron Chef Sakai (it was a chef vs chef battle, with no assistants). I remember this episode vividly because the challenger pressure-cooked a pot a of fresh peaches, beef, and tons of whole and crushed peppercorn.  It was pretty bizarre but I loved the idea of intense crushed peppercorns and sweet, soft concentrated peaches.  The idea of making a peach compote triggered a random flashback to this Iron Chef episode, inspiring a seared peppercorn crusted tuna steak to match with the peach compote.

Check out my recipe via Gothamist.....

Tapioca Pearls and Green Onion Soup

I love the way this soup photographed.  Not because I'm a great photographer (not even close!), but because I think I captured how this dish tasted.  You can see the whole individual tapioca, which has a round, bubbly feel in the mouth.  Yet it's creaminess and hint of sweetness is enhanced with a fresh blast of mint. Finally, each bite is filled with the mellow onion flavor from the soup, which somehow feels creamy yet light at the same time. This is best served just barely warm, which is perfect for a summer night.

Full recipe follows....

Cilantro Lime Steak

I'm not big on sauces with my steak.  Salt.  Pepper. Stop.

But someone ordered a steak to share at Spice Market recently.  I did a double take to see a perfectly seared steak covered with a loose, bright green type of pesto, sans the nuts.  I was appalled.  It was fabulous.  I did a take of it for my Gothamist column last week. 

I am a convert. A thick spread of cilantro and lime juice on a charred and crusty steak? Yup, it works.  This version was great and worth experimenting with...

Check out the full recipe via Gothamist....

Almond Cake, Pea Risotto

I love risotto straight up and on its own, but I wanted to add a textural contrast to the creamy dish.  My obvious inclinations were towards meat and fish, but I just wasn't in the mood for either on this particular night.  I had a ton of almond paste on hand, so I thought I'd alter an almond cake recipe by deleting much of the sugar to make a savory cake.  The cake added an explosion of almond flavor, which matched well with the creamy risotto and the sweet peas.  The key to injecting pea flavor into the risotto was done by folding in a pea puree to the rice just before serving.

Check out my full recipe over at Gothamist....

Biscuits and Chops

BLT Fish here in NYC serves an amazing warm cheddar and chive biscuit that greets diners as they sit down for dinner.  They also give out a recipe card for the biscuits to take home.   I made them exactly as the recipe stated, but paired them with a honey glazed pork chop and the broccolini I mentioned here before.  These biscuits are off the charts, and they freeze well.

Check out my full recipe over at Gothamist.....

Rice Krispie Crusted Cod

When creating this recipe, I have to admit that I was on the verge of crusting Cod with Cocoa Krispies.  I would have substituted the peas with a more neutral grain (couscous, orzo, etc), but I reigned myself back.  The plain old Rice Krispies work here because they aren't very sweet, but they add an airy, crunchy quality that makes it a nice replacement for bread crumb or panko, for example.

Check out the full recipe over at Gothamist....

Morels and Asparagus

The combination of buttery morels and roasted asparagus is a pairing that I begin thinking about in March.  The first few weeks of April are usually all about looking for morels and the purple highlights of freshly picked asparagus. This recipe is by far the most enjoyable way for me to begin a two month overdose of spring treats.

Check out the full recipe for this dish below.....

 

A Must Try: Shishito Peppers

A reader sent me an email letting me know that the elusively sweet, small, and relatively unspicy green peppers that I must have had at Tia Pol were most likely Japanese Shishito peppers.  As I note in an old recipe over at Gothamist, I tried to make these little blistered peppers with Serrano chilis but needed to laboriously clean out the insides in order to keep the heat manageable.  Emily (our knowledgeable reader) notes that the Shishito doesn't need to be cleaned as it's very mild.  She also notes that Shishitos can be found at Sunrise Mart here in the city.  I must track these down....

Monsieur for a Hangover

Melted Gruyere.  My favorite pesto of the moment. Spicy suppressata and Black Forest ham. A crusty and soft fresh bread.  It's enough to make me long for the gym, but after a long night of wine drinking I could justify this Croque Monsieur treat.  Although maybe I should have cracked an egg on it, like the Croque Madame from one of my new favorite brunch spots...

Check out my full recipe over at Gothamist....

Parsnip Crab Soup

It took a meal at Craftbar for me to become acquainted with the combination of parsnip and crab.  It's a perfect match in this soup.  The parsnip is creamy, but also has an underlying sweetness and earthiness.  The crab is sweet and luscious, while the apple and mango provide another level of sweetness with fresh, crunchy textures that further enhance the silken qualities of the soup.  A chardonnay would be nice with this soup, but we went with a light bodied pinot.  You've got to give this one a try!

Go to my recipe at Gothamist for all the details....

Wasabi Pea Crusted Chicken

I must admit, I had low expectations for the wasabi pea crust idea for this chicken.  But the mild heat from the wasabi and the crunchy, earthy texture of the green pea made for an excellent pairing for a brined chicken breast.  The goat cheese pasta is a tangy, creamy contrast for the bold flavors of the wasbai green peas.  Best yet, it took me only 30 minutes.

Check out my full recipe at Gothamist.

Obsessed With Skate

My fish of the moment is skate.  I order it almost whenever I can.  Crusted and charred with a soft flaky interior, skate is very easy to make at home.  It's also very affordable. 

Rather than the brown butter and caper varieties most often on NYC menus, I documented in my trip to Blue Hill Stone Barns that their mustard, citrus sauce skate has been my favorite to date.

I dusted the skate with dried mustard and sauteed it on high heat for a nice crust, then placed it on a pool of reduced blood orange juice. 

Check out my full recipe via Gothamist.....

Carmelized Cauliflower

I had been convinced that cauliflower was a boring ingredient.  When working at Cafe Boulud, the kitchen used to make a puree of it with an insane amount of butter and cream to make it taste like...well...anything.

Now, cauliflower is on the menu of many restaurants in the city.  Why? Thanks to roasting and broiling, caramelized cauliflower develops a deep flavor that is a great vehicle paired with a variety of ingredients.   The best combination I've had is smoky crumbled bacon, a blast of hot chili and the sweetness of raisins.  I've also added garlic and olive oil to the mix, as well as a handful of mint to round it out. 

Check out my recipe at Gothamist.

The Process of Creating Recipes

My process for creating recipes is something that evolves from my spontaneous cooking at home. 

The braised oxtail spring roll recipe I made for Gothamist is a great example.  As you've seen with the spontaneous spring roll dish I made recently, I had been experimenting with this technique and it was on the top of my mind.  Experimenting with the technique allowed me to refine it, make adjustments and understanding cooking times, ingredient amounts - basically perfecting it.

Then, it's just a matter of being inspired by an ingredient.  Braised oxtail is amazingly tender and rich.  After enjoying it recently, I just knew it would make a great filling for the spring rolls I had been experimenting with.  The soft, tender braise is a great contrast for the crunchy exterior texture.  These spring rolls are excellent for a party.  I made this as part of an appetizer course for 15 people and they were a big hit.

This simple little process allowed me to add a new dish to my arsenal.

Click here for my full recipe at Gothamist.

A Golden Soup...

...for the Golden Globes.  I made a light and clear ham hock stock and pureed it with roasted acorn squash.  Rather than the richness of cream or butter, I thickened this soup with a fresh goat cheese, which added a nice twang to the sweetness of the squash.  Curry is a spice that goes well with sweet and savory, and it works its wonders here for me again.  Unfortunately, this soup couldn't wash away the sour taste in my mouth after Hotel Rwanda or Don Cheadle did not win for best picture or actor.  What a sham.

See my full recipe on Gothamist.

Composed Cheeses

We put out this cheese plate for snacking and a night of cheap thrills, courtesy of Desperate Housewives and Boston Legal.   The cheese plate was more fulfilling that both, although Terri Hatcher is a hottie.  Check out the full recipe at Gothamist.

Lobster Gnudi

We hosted a dinner party for six friends on New Year's Eve.  My menu theme was Lux ingredients.  Foie gras, aged prime ribeye and this lobster gnudi dish based on a favorite from The Spotted Pig were great intros to a long night of partying and champagne drinking.

After the jump, full recipe and photos.