Whole-y Grains!

I'm sure that like me, many of you have heard the buzz surrounding whole grains. How nutritious they are (packed with protein and fiber among other things), and how our diets lack these grains. Along with the steam engine, running water and refrigerators the modernization of America brought about processed food, to extend its shelf life. To preserve our breads and starches, wheat is stripped of their more perishable and nutritious outer germ, making them void of any nutrition. It seems as though unless your parents were hippies, you probably grew up like me, and the millions of other people in America, on a diet of white bread, white rice and white pasta, with little if any exposure to other grains. When eaten in excess, these foods can contribute to a laundry list of physical ailments.

It wasn't until these last few years that I noticed the nutritional error of my ways. Everywhere I turned someone was touting the benefits of oats, barley, mullet, spelt (aka farro), and quinoa (pronounced 'keen-wah'). Some of these immediately turned me off, sounding like grains eaten by the poor in third world countries (which they probably are). While others were more familiar (like oats and barley), but relegated to either a tasteless breakfast porridge or beef mushroom soup. If I was going to get the most bang for my nutritional buck, though, I couldn't just sprinkle a little grain in my soup, I would need to eat and serve substantial quantities of it, more like a side dish.

I introduced myself to some of these new grains by just boiling it in water (or broth if I was feeling adventurous), and using it in place of my Uncle Ben's. Boy was I in for a surprise. I had gotten so used to barely-flavored and almost mushy white rice, that the more assertive whole grain flavor and texture put me off a bit. I didn't realize that some of the grains benefit from being well rinsed before cooking to remove bitterness. Granted, I like the toothiness of some grains, but they also take a really long time to cook, making them a challenge to make during the week. Not to mention, I have a husband who treats anything healthy as an affront to a good meal. How could I make these grains flavorful enough that even my husband will want to eat them and how can I make them quickly enough to incorporate into weekday meals?

First thing, I started combing though cookbooks and magazines looking for potential recipes, with mixed success. Some recipes seemed healthier, like cous cous and bulgur, but further research revealed they weren't much (if any) better than what I have been eating. My first success was tucked away in the pages of Mario Batali's Babbo cookbook. He created a scallion barlotto (barley risotto). I always suspected Mario omits many of the secret steps and ingredients needed to make a successful recipe, since I have to find a keeper recipe, as written. The scallion barlotto was no exception. It sucked! It tasted very bitter and the scallion was way too strong. But like they say, you can always learn something from even your mistakes. What I learned was that you could cook barley like risotto, with a pleasant effect. Granted I would pair it with something else, like mushrooms, but the technique was definitely a keeper. Cooking the grain with the chicken broth and finishing it with grated Parmesan cheese, made it that much more flavorful and appealing.

Anther one of my favorite barley recipes came to me by accident. In discussing the challenge of making tasty whole grains with my friend, Carleen, she mentioned Mark Bittman addressing the very issue in the New York Times. Like mine, his challenge was to make whole grains super tasty and appealing to please even "meat and potato eaters". He came up with a delicious warm bulgur and lentil salad with tomatoes and cumin (recipe at the very bottom). The cumin gives the dish a wonderfully exotic flavor. The only catch was that I misread the bulgur to read barley (perhaps I was in a bulgur state of mind...) and I skipped the lettuce. I didn't have so much a salad as a warm starchy side dish. The recipe was still delicious and a keeper in my book. A big plus was that I found quick cooking barely at the market, so I can make this recipe during the week. It also freezes well, so I can make large batches on the weekend.

From there I tried to incorporate white whole wheat flour into more of my recipes. This works really well with pizza/bread dough and quick breads. I can often substitute 1/4 - 1/3 of the all purpose flour with white whole wheat flour without compromising taste or texture. I even discovered quick cooking brown rice, which is super easy to prepare and a no-brainer substitute for white rice. To make it more interesting, I'll add some (frozen) peas, herbs and toasted pine nuts, and no one misses the white of the rice. Whole Foods even carries fully cooked brown rice in the freezer section, while Trader Joe's sells fully cooked brown rice in vacuum sealed pouches. Perfect for weekday meals!

I even tried whole wheat pasta, thinking I could hide the taste in a sea of meat sauce. But the mealiness was even more than I could bare. My friend, Carleen, did offer a tip, to use non-traditional 'sauces' with the grain pastas, so there is no memory comparison of what it is supposed to taste like. Instead you are creating a new flavor combination. She likes to pair bitter greens (sauteed in garlic and oil) and pine nuts with her grain pasta. I admittedly am not ready to make the leap.

Quinoa had always been my greatest challenge. For those of you not familiar with this one, quinoa is a tiny round grain that when cooked, sprouts tiny curly cues (think pig tails). I love that it is quick cooking (about 15 min.), but could never figure out what to flavor it with to make it not only palatable, but tasty. Then I stumbled on a recipe (see below) from the June 2008 Food & Wine that uses quinoa in a tabbouleh styled salad with roasted peppers. Thanks to this recipe, I learned that quinoa needs to be thoroughly rinsed to rid it of the the bitterness I experienced when I first made it. My husband loves roasted peppers. So I thought, if I can get him to eat this, then we definitely have a keeper. The recipe turned out delicious, and my husband admitted that he would gladly eat it again.

What is great about this recipe is that you can really play around with what you add to it. I added chopped baby spinach, but you could add different veggies (raw or grilled), herbs, or even cubes of cheese. The salad is so light and refreshing that it is perfect as a side dish for a BBQ or on a picnic. This is also a good way to try other grains like millet or spelt.

I highly recommend you try both of the recipes below. You'll start to enjoy the added flavor of whole grains, and hopefully reap the benefits of eating them. Sorry, no pictures, but you'll have to trust me on these.

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Peppers and Tomatoes
Food and Wine, June 2008

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained (this helps remove the soapy bitter coating)
2 cups fresh orange juice
2 cups water
Kosher salt
2 large red bell peppers
½ cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and finely diced (heirlooms would be great here)
¼ cup finely chopped basil
¼ cup finely chopped mint
Freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the quinoa and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the orange juice, water and generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and spread on a baking sheet to cool.

Meanwhile, roast the red peppers directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning occasionally, until charred all over. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover and let steam for 10 minutes. Peel and seed them and cut into ¼-inch dice.

In a medium skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil with the vinegar. Add the quinoa, peppers, pine nuts, cucumber, tomato, basil and mint and toss well, breaking up any lumps of quinoa. Season the salad with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 6-8 as side dish


Like I say above, I used barley instead of bulgur for the following recipe, and loved the taste and texture the barley provided. Depending on the kind of barley you have (quick-cooking or not), allow for enough time to cook when adding it to the pot. It takes some time to overcook this grain so don't be afraid to add it earlier than necessary or pre-cook before adding to this dish. I also didn't used the salad or the yogurt topping, even though my friend, Carleen, loves it.

LENTIL WITH BULGUR AND HERB SALAD
NYTimes, 2/19/2005, Mark Bittman

1/2 cup brown or green lentils, washed and picked over
1/2 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp cayenne or dried red chili flakes (or to taste)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup medium-grain bulgur
3 cups chicken, beef or veggie stock or water
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 or 3 cups chopped mesclin greens or romaine
lemon juice
1 cup low-fat yogurt (if you like tang, try Greek or sheep's milk yogurt)

1. If time allows, soak the lentils in cold water for an hour or more. Drain.Soak onion in salted water until ready to serve

2. Put 1 tbsp oil in a deep saucepan and turn heat to medium. A minute later add garlic and cook until fragrant, another minute or so. Add tomato, cayenne and cumin and cook until tomato is soft, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add bulgur and cook, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, then add liquid and lentils. Bring to a boil, then cover and adjust heat so it simmers steadily. Cook 20 - 30minutes or until lentils and bulgur are tender and all liquid is absorbed. (You will def. need to add liquid if you didn't soak the lentils, according to Mark.)

4. Toss herbs and lettuce with remaining olive oil and lemon juice to taste, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve lentil-bulgur mixture topped with dressed greens. Use a dollop of yogurt and onion as condiments

Serves 4

Spring Carbonara

I know what you're thinking, "carbonara is thick and creamy, and has nothing to do with spring." It's no wonder Americans think carbonara is a heavy cream sauce, thanks to the likes of Olive Garden and Macaroni Grill. These restaurants (just to name a few) bastardize Italian cuisine by making it more than it should be by adding more ingredients and sauce than necessary. If I see one more commercial about Olive Garden's chef training school in Italy (which I think is real because I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt touting its Culinary Institute in Tuscany), and their adding grilled chicken to pasta dishes, I'm going to lose it. In all my travels throughout Italy, I have yet to see chicken added to pasta, the way so many American restaurants like to do. Instead, the grilled chicken should be served as a second dish after the pasta...NOT together. But back to the carbonara...

In general, Italian cuisine involves taking really good fresh ingredients, and not doing too much to hide or disguise them. In essence, it is a simple cuisine, and carbonara sauce is no exception. The sauce itself is a bit creamy, yes, but as a result of adding eggs, Parmesan cheese and pasta water to the sauce, and not cream. I usually see this dish made with pancetta (cured pork belly), which is a good start to any dish, and peas. I made it a little more fresh and spring-y by adding leeks and fava beans. You could really go crazy with the veggies here - pea shoots or asparagus would also be nice. If you can, definitely keep the pork, even if you substitute it with bacon, as it lends a nice meatiness and depth to the dish.

Springtime Carbonara

8 slices pancetta (or bacon), diced
3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, then sliced crosswise
1 pound fresh fava beans, shelled, blanced, and peeled
1 pound farfalle (bow tie-shaped pasta) or other small shaped pasta
4 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Cook pancetta in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel to drain. Pour off all but 4 tablespoons fat from skillet, or add olive oil if not enough. Add leeks and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the fava beans and saute for just a minute or two for the favas to heat through. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Whisk eggs and 3/4 cup Parmesan in medium bowl to blend; gradually whisk in 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta to leeks and favas in skillet (or add leeks & favas to pasta in pot if skillet not large enough) and stir to heat. Remove skillet from heat. Pour egg mixture over pasta and stir until sauce is just creamy and eggs are no longer raw, about 2 minutes. (Return skillet to very low heat if egg mixture is runny; do not overcook or eggs will curdle.) Add some of remaining 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid to pasta if needed to moisten. Stir in pancetta, parsley and black pepper, to taste. Serve pasta, passing additional cheese separately.

Serves 6

Chocolate Souffle Cookies...Kosher for Passover

As my cousin, Teresa, who lives in Italy recently informed me, I've never posted any cookie recipes on my blog. That surprised even me, since I have a bit of a reputation for industrial scaled cookie baking, especially around the holidays. Over the years I've tried almost every kind of cookie known to man, crispy, chewy, sandwich style, hand shaped, dipped, topped and decorated cookies...with mixed results. But, I have had enough winners I could have easily blogged about, and why I haven't is beyond me.

In Italy, cookies run the gamut of being rock hard (like biscotti) to crumbly hard (think butter cookies), with not much variation in between. This can be a little disappointing for someone with a sweet tooth like me, spending weeks at time in Italy. So, it became my mission to bring American cookies to Italy (well, to my family there anyways). I schlepped bags of chocolate chips, oatmeal and American measuring cups and spoons to make the classics. It shouldn't surprise you to know that Teresa, and her family, fell in love with American cookies. I passed the recipes and measuring tools onto her so she could make them for her friends, who have also fallen for our cookies. Teresa, having exhausted the few recipes I had given her some years back, looked to me again for a new cookie recipe to impress her family for her daughter's birthday party next week.

Coincidentally, Reno and I were invited to a Seder dinner by our friend, Andrew, and his family. We wanted to bring something appropriate, and our first instinct was Kosher wine. We had seen countless suggestions in various food and wine articles, but we couldn't find anything in our neighborhood other than Manischewitz...argh! Sure we could bring flowers (which we did), but I wanted to stick with the "something appropriate" for the occassion. I figured, an extra dessert is usually welcomed, and can be pretty easily added to a meal. Like the chocolate chip cookies I brought to Italy, I wanted to provide an uncommon dish for a traditional Passover, while still following Kosher guidelines.

Whenever I read about Passover meals in food magazines, not much differentiates the desserts. It's usually a meringue/macaroon number or macerated fruit. I knew I could follow Kosher rules (even if my kitchen wasn't Kosher), and make something more interesting. I have a bunch of good oil based cake recipes, but "damn it!", they've got baking powder (which is not kosher). Okay, maybe this will be a little more challenging than I thought.... I've seen a few crumbly nut cake recipes, but nothing stood out. Then I remembered a recipe for chocolate souffle cookies that I first saw in the Winter 2004 issue of Fine Cooking magazine that would be perfect. Dairy? No. Leavening agents? No. Chocolaty? VERY! Perfect!

It's been awhile since I've made them but this is a keeper recipe for me, since they always turn out well. Thankfully, everyone seemed to enjoy them at the Seder. I just hope that Teresa's guests will like them too.

This recipe is a take on meringue, being whipped-egg-white based, but it is the melted chocolate and nuts that make them chewy, crunchy and yummy. You won't even miss the butter! And, I don't say that lightly.

Chocolate Souffle Cookies

6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 large egg whites, at room temp
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar (which is kosher, I checked!)
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup finely chopped walnuts

Position oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350. Lightly grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment.

Melt the chocolate and set aside. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. With the beaters running, gradually add the vanilla and sugar until the egg whites hold stiff peaks but don’t look dry. Pour the nuts and melted chocolate over the whipped whites. Gently fold the mixture with a large rubber spatula, trying not to deflate the egg whites, until the color is just uniform. Immediately drop level measuring tsp. of the batter onto the baking sheets, leaving at least 1 inch between the cookies. Bake until the cookies are shiny and cracked, 10-12 minutes; they should be firm on the outside but still gooey inside when you press them. Slide the parchment liners onto racks or use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to racks and let cool completely.

Makes about 34 – 2 inch cookies

Spring in my step

We have many things to be excited about this time of year; longer days, warmer weather and best of all, the new bounty of produce. I can pretty much find standard, thick asparagus year-round at my market. But, the start of spring is marked by the growing number of vendors selling it.

What a pleasant surprise for me to find tender thin asparagus hiding amongst the bundles of asparagus logs at the farmers' market the other week. This was a first for me. These were skinnier and even more delicate than pencil asparagus. Where have these babies been my whole life? Why haven't I ever seen them before? Are they usually just sold out by 8am, the official opening of the market and my general arrival time? Should I start showing up at 7:30am, while the vendors are still setting up? Argh!

What's the big deal you ask? Smaller fruit, veggies & meats are generally more tender and flavorful than their larger counterparts. Like people, young food hasn't yet had the chance to grow up to be callous and jaded. Because the super skinny asparagus is so young, you don't have to spend a lot of time prepping and cooking the stalks to get them tender and edible. Peeling the stalks of the big boys can take quite a bit of time.

My mind went crazy with the possibilities. I could serve it with fettucine (a long, wide pasta) and shrimp. An asparagus frittata with salad could make a nice light dinner. I could even just dress them with a light vinaigrette, so the asparagus could be the focus. Would asparagus ice cream be out of the question? Ok, maybe that was going a little far, but I couldn't help myself.

I've been snatching up bundles every week I'm lucky enough to find them. Since it will be a short season, I have to squeeze in all my crazy new asparagus ideas before the show is over. And, so should you!

Below is the recipe for the pasta dish I made that night. You're own your own for the rest of the season.

Fettucini with Asparagus and Shrimp in a Pink Sauce
serves 2-3

1/2 pound fettucini pasta (penne rigati would also work here)

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound medium shrimp (or large ones cut in half), peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch pencil thin asparagus, ends snapped off then cut into 3" long pieces
1 large ripe tomato, diced along with its juice
1/4 cup cream
2 tablespoons chopped herb (ie - parsley or basil)
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and stir. Lower heat, and continue to gently boil until al dente (tender to the tooth). You can use the package timing as a guideline, but you should always taste it first! Frequent stirring at the beginning of cooking will help keep the pasta from sticking, not adding oil to the water (which will just end up on top, while the pasta is on the bottom of the pot).

Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil, giving it a swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Quickly add the shrimp - you don't want your oil to burn. Season the shrimp with salt & pepper. Shrimp only take a few minutes to cook, so be sure NOT to overcook, otherwise, they'll be rubbery. Add the garlic, being carful not to let it brown. Once the shrimp has become opaque on one side flip them to finish cooking the other side. Add the asparagus and tomatoes. Cook for just a minute or two, until the shrimp has cooked through and the asparagus is tender. Add the cream, and stir until heated through, then stir in the herb. Season the sauce with salt & pepper, and remove from heat.

This is a very quick sauce, and should be done while the pasta is cooking. Use a glass measuring cup or coffee cup to scoop out a cup or so of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Either add the sauce to the pot of pasta, or add the pasta to the pan with sauce (depending on which is bigger), and cook for a minute over medium high heat to bind the sauce to the pasta. If the sauce seems a bit dry, add some of the pasta water to get the right creamy consistency.

Serve immediately.

Winging it with short ribs!

Perhaps it was the frigid temperatures here in LA (mid-50s) recently, that got me craving fall-off-the-bone braised beef short ribs. Or, perhaps it was the delicious braised, then grilled, short ribs we had at Table 8 last month. Either way, I needed ribs. I love this dish for a number of reasons. Aside from the obvious taste, texture and just plain satisfying reasons, it is super easy to make for a crowd. And, since it can be made ahead of time, it's perfect for a stress free dinner party. Also, you can season and spice it as you wish and customize the veggies to your liking. This dish is even better re-heated. So, you should definitely make extra, so you can have a great mid-week meal.

I don't have a precise recipe for you this time, because I didn't use one myself. But I will walk you through it step by step. The most difficult thing about making this dish, is waiting the few hours of braising time to eat it.

I confess, I am a recipe whore. Like my mother before me, I too have amassed an extensive collection of recipes, pulled from magazines, that I plan on making...someday. I have cookbooks numbering in the hundrededs. And I often look to the internet for recipes to cross reference what I already have. I love trying new recipes, even if it is for a dish I already know how to make. Why would a formally trained chef even bother with recipes you ask? For one thing, you never know where you'll learn a new tip, technique or method. For another thing, you never know when you'll find a better recipe than your own. Having worked for many great chefs, each proclaiming their methods best (and yet each very different), I quickly realized that there is no one best way to doing anything. You can only hope to find what's best for you. Like most things in life you benefit from being open to new ideas.

Despite all this, I haven't been in the mood to wade through my many folders of recipes. Besides, there is something to be said for improptu creativity. I've got the meat braising technique down pat. I've already tried a number of different recipes, so this could be my chance to take the best from all prior versions, and make it my own. Here, I'll go through the (very detailed) steps involved in creating the dish and give you some ideas to make it your own.

Full ribs come about 6-9" long with a thick strip of beef attached. You can ask your butcher to cut these down for you, or you may find them already portioned into 4" (or so) pieces. For our purposes we want to use beef ribs that look like little bricks of meat and bone, and NOT the Korean BBQ variety where multiple ribs and the in-between meat are cross cut into thin slices.

Portion-wise, I find that 1 piece per person is perfect, especially if you have a side salad and dessert. Some pieces usually turn out bigger than others, so you can give the larger pieces to the bigger eaters.

The best pot to use for this dish is a dutch over (think Le Creuset), which is deep and heavy over-proof pot that comes with a lid. This type of pot allows you to brown and braise (cooking meat in liquid) in the same pot. If you don't have a dutch over, or if you don't have one that can fit all your ribs, there is a way around it. You can brown your meat in a frying pan, then braise it in another deep oven-proof pot/pan that you can cover (I've even used a large roasting pan with foil).

Preheat oven to 280 degrees. Season the ribs with salt and pepper (you could also add other spices/seasonings here if you're feeling adventurous). You could even flour the ribs before browning. The flour will help thicken the sauce, but be sure to shake off any excess before adding to the pan. Heat your dutch oven/frying pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. Add the ribs and brown on all sides. Remove ribs, and set aside. In the rib pan add your chopped vegetables and cook over medium heat. You can really go crazy here. I would start with a mirapoix (classic onion, carrot & celery combo), and add some of the following: celery root, parsnips, fennel, leeks, turnips, etc. Saute the vegetables until they are cooked through, and season them with salt and pepper. I like to add a few tablespoons of tomato paste for a deep touch of sweetness. Cook it with the veggies until it browns a little.

Generally, the braising liquid consists of any combination and proportion of alcohol, broth and diced tomato in its juices. I've seen recipes that just call for red wine or beer, and others that just call for beef broth. If you're using alcohol, add it to the pan and deglaze by scraping up all the brown bits. Boil until the alcohol evaporates (reduce by about 1/2 the volume), even if you plan on only using alcohol, as this will take the edge off. I personally like to use no more than a bottle of wine (depending on how many ribs). If not using alcohol, you can deglaze with some broth before continuing. Then add the ribs back to the pot (or put everything into the final braising pan) to see how much more total liquid you'll need to add to cover the ribs. Along with the remaining liquid to cover the ribs, this is a good time to add some salt and pepper, any herbs (ie - thyme, bay leaf, rosemary) and other flavorings (ie - worstershire sauce, sugar).

Cover the pan, and place in the oven to braise for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. You could also braise the ribs on the stove top over low heat. The idea is to maintain a gentle simmer. But I prefer the ease of the oven, since it also frees up cook top space.

Once the meat looks fall-off-the-bone tender, remove the pot from the oven, and uncover. Remove the ribs from the liquid, set aside and cover to keep warm. Place the pan over high heat, and reduce the liquid until it has a syrupy consistency. Skim the top of fat as the sauce reduces. Then taste for seasoning.

The ribs are great served with mashed potatoes or noodles, and topped with sauce.

Icing on the Cake

As a child, I loved eating the buttercream frosting roses on my birthday cake. (That is until I learned they were made out of Crisco.) I know the trend now is for simple, home-style cupcakes, but I love pretty, decorated cakes, whether by simple dots or an all out floral & basket weave motif. I even took a cake decorating class. With a few tries, I can even make those "buttercream" roses I now refuse to eat. But after spending hours piping royal icing on my Valentine's cookies this year, (with mediocre results, I might add) I've lost my piping mojo. My other problem is that I LOVE whipped cream, but it is impossible to get it to hold its piped shape without adding gelatin as a stabilizer. How do bakeries do it, you ask? They use non-dairy whipped cream. I'm not exactly sure what that is, but I do know it has lots of corn syrup. Ick!

Then it hit me, I don't have to go to all the effort of frosting and decorating a cake, just to enjoy some. Instead, I could serve it simply deconstructed, much like restaurants do. This way, you can still make a variety of classic frosted cakes, and with less restriction on toppings and garnishes. How liberating! In the above shot I made a simple chocolate cake, and served it with berries macerated in framboise, and fresh whipped (vanilla) cream. For a throw back to childhood birthday parties, you could serve cake with ice cream, or make it like a cake/brownie sundae topped with nuts. Ah, the options are endless, and the effort minimal.

The cake itself can be made a day or two in advance, and many of the sides/toppings can be prepared ahead of time too. Sure whipped cream is best served fresh, but at least it doesn't take more than 5 minutes to make. For those of you who don't know, whipped cream is simply heavy cream "whipped" (either by hand with a whisk or with a mixer) to light to stiff peaks (depending on preference), and flavored with sugar and vanilla extract. You could also top with zabaglione (sugar & liquor whipped egg yolks cooked over boiling water) or a pudding.

I know I don't make cakes as often as I'd like because of the time and effort needed to decorate them. But, by serving them "deconstructed," I can easily serve them anytime. I also find it a refreshing change from the fruit crisps, and fresh-from-the-oven desserts I often serve this time of year.

So, let them eat cake!

Cozy Winter Dinner for Four

I cannot believe that it is now February and I've been meaning to write about this particular meal for well over four weeks. Since I am bedridden and miserable with a horrid cold, now seems just about the right time to recall this happier weekend not that long ago...

The first weekend of our new year was spent at home in Brooklyn. I had invited friends of ours who were weeks away from getting married and moving to a new apartment to join us for dinner, in hopes that a blazing fire, some good scotch and my husband's ridiculously delicious mac and cheese might help soothe their weary souls.

In recent years, I've tried to keep my meal planning for company simple, but with a decadent flourish here and there. The evening's menu was pretty much in keeping with that spirit:

Welcome Nibbles
--------------------
~ Country Olives
~ Sliced Watermelon and Green radishes from the green market, with sea salt and sweet butter
~ Roasted Almonds (which are an excellent source of calcium, don't you know.)
~ Single malt scotch on the rocks (which is just excellent...who cares about calcium, anyway.)

There isn't much to say here except that I am kicking myself that our camera battery conked out, as the radishes were insanely green and beautiful. They have a bit more bite to them compared to the pink and white varieties, but the butter and sea salt pulls it all together.


Dinner
-----------
~ "Totally Not Orange" Mac and Cheese
~ Pea shoot salad
~ A red wine I cannot remember...sorry


My husband makes the best mac and cheese I've ever had. If you were wondering, this is the decadent part of the meal. It is rich and filling and generally people can't get enough of the stuff. The basic recipe is from THE JOY OF COOKING (1998 edition), with four important changes:

#1 Use good cheese -- and mix it up!
He tends to use anywhere from three to five cheeses in his dish. This depends mostly on what we have around the house or what struck his fancy at the cheese shop that day. Manchego, piave, soft blues, vacheron, epoisse...you name it, he uses it. His one exception: cheddar. In spite of his being half English -- and it being the traditional cheese of choice for the dish -- it is just not his speed. I cannot argue.

#2 No puny elbow pasta.
Go for something at least an inch long, hollow and maybe curved, so that the sauce really gets soaked up. We often just use whatever leftover pastas of the similar size we have in the pantry, which adds more texture to the dish and makes it feel more like a main course rather than a side.

#3 Don't forget to top it off with toasted breadcrumbs.
I can't stress this enough...it is essential. Just make sure that they are from a white bread. Otherwise, you might be adding an unneeded extra flavor into the mix. We are just going for crunch here.

#4 Always make a double recipe.
Even our fittest of friends go in for seconds...so make extra. And if by some strange act of the cosmos, you just happen to have leftovers, it freezes very well. There is nothing like the joy of discovering some in the freezer at the end of a particularly draining day. We've actually danced in the kitchen on at least one such occasion.


Since this dish is so rich, I always serve it with some kind of light, crisp salad. For this evening, I selected some lovely pea shoots at the green market that were grown in a hoop at a local farm. (As you can imagine, fresh, organic greens are not plentiful in these parts this time of year.) I am a big fan of the pea shoot as a simple salad. They are crunchy and fresh tasting and add a wonderful touch of the pea flavor without the starch of an actual pea. I usually dress them in something more Asian-inflected, but considering our main course, I chose a simple champagne vinaigrette, since it would cut through the cheese madness without conflicting with the star of the meal. Yum.


Dessert
--------------
~ Poached local pears
~ Fresh whipped cream
~ Coffee, Tea
~ Port and a little dark chocolate, if memory serves

The pears (from Tree-Licious Farms, also purchased at the green market) were poached in red wine using the recipe from Alice Waters' THE ART OF SIMPLE COOKING. As for the whipped cream, it was made with no sugar or other flavorings. And this isn't my being lazy...I just like the straight up flavor with the sweet, soft fruit.


And there you have it: a rather simple meal that most definitely delivered on cozy and reviving, if our happy guests are to be believed.

I think what thrilled me the most about this meal was that a rather fair share of it came from the Grand Army Plaza Green Market -- in January! Needless to say, there will be a post on this very topic shortly. Until then, just make the mac and cheese and enjoy!

My, what tender balls you've got!

I’ve been making meatballs for years, or dare I admit, decades. Growing up, my mother always made them with beef, so I did too. Things changed some 10 years ago, when I heard of someone using the meat trifecta of beef, pork and veal. ‘Brilliant!’ I thought. Since then, my recipe (formula is probably more accurate) hasn’t changed much. For each pound of meat (in an equal ratio of the 3 meats) I add 1 egg, 1 slice of American bread made into crumbs, some garlic and parsley. I go back and forth between adding grated Parmesan cheese or not. There is also the issue of cooking methods. I had always browned them first in a skillet then finished cooking them in the sauce – never thinking any of this would change.

My mom being the consummate perfectionist that she is, would ask everyone how they made their meatballs. Some would report not using bread crumbs, claiming that would make the meatballs tough. Others would add tomato sauce, claiming it makes them tender. Some would skip the browning step and just cook in sauce (which would produce too pale a meatball for my taste). Some would broil or bake them through briefly then add to the sauce. While others still would simmer the balls in sauce for hours. Still no consensus resulted, so I just stuck with my formula.

On my last trip to New York City, though, my whole life changed. I tried Little Owl. It’s a shoebox sized restaurant in the West Village, owned by Chef Joey Campanaro. Although open only a short while, the restaurant is already garnering a lot of buzz and attention in the food world. No, this isn’t Daniel or Jean Georges, just a low-key neighborhood place. Lately, my experience with fancy restaurants has left me unimpressed. I’m not sure if it is because I’m jaded from all the truly great restaurants I’ve been to, or if chefs are trying too hard to create something new and interesting that they overreach and miss. This unfortunate circumstance has left me yearning for simple, well prepared food that is well presented. Is that so much to ask for?

Back to Little Owl…thanks to a friend’s recommendation, I ordered the meatball sliders and pork chop. The sliders changed my life. The meatballs were really something else, so tender and flavorful. I’d love to say they were the best thing on the menu, but I’d be lying. Everything that came to the table was superb. I desperately wanted to ask my chef friend, Johnny (the Pasty Chef at Jean Georges), who knows Joey, to pry the recipe out of him, but thought that would be crazy and asking too much.

These meatballs literally became a thing of legend, I was telling everyone about them. I’m sure Reno was thinking, “ok, enough with the meatballs already.” But I know he loved them too. When my friend, Su, asked me what she should make for a play date party she was hosting, my first thought was “food you can eat with one hand,” and my second thought was “meatball sliders!” I lamented not knowing Little Owl's recipe, but thought any recipe would suffice. I forgot how resourceful ol’ Su really is. No one is better at finding anything than Su. Two days after our conversation, I received an email from her titled “look what I found!” It contained the Little Owl recipe below and the photo above that was recently published in New York Magazine…THANK YOU, SU!

The secret to his tender meatballs is the humble ingredient, water. Surprisingly, all 2 cups of water will work itself into the meat as you stir it. It all makes sense now. Adding a liquid to the meat mixture prevents it from forming very strong bonds (think well done hamburger), yielding a tender ball. I made Joey’s recipe (for the Superbowl) with very good results. Next time, though, I would add a little garlic, and maybe play around with the type of liquid I use. Perhaps I’ll even try adding tomato sauce, as per the suggestion above. And, I would definitely use a non-stick frying pan to brown the balls; otherwise the cheese makes them stick. I didn’t make my own buns, but I think buying small rolls is an adequate substitute. This recipe makes a lot of balls (around 30), so plan accordingly. Not surprising, the leftover meatballs and sauce are also good on pasta – as we found out.

Joey Campanaro’s Meatball Sliders
New York Magazine Jan 28, 2007

For the meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground veal
3/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus 1/4 cup for garnish
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 cups cold water
3 large eggs
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Vegetable oil for frying meatballs (approximately 3 cups)
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh garlic, chopped
1 bunch fresh basil
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 industrial-size No. 10 can (or 4 28-oz. cans) of whole peeled tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Bunch of arugula

Mix the ground meat with the cheese, the panko, the cold water, the eggs, 3/4 of the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Form the mixture into 36 golf-ball-size meatballs. In a large shallow sauce pot or cast-iron pan, heat the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs and cook until brown all over. With a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs and set aside on a plate. Discard the vegetable oil but leave the browned bits in the pan. In the same pan, heat the olive oil, then add the onion, garlic, basil, and fennel seed. Cook for 5–8 minutes until slightly brown. Add the tomatoes and half a No. 10 can of water. Cook the sauce for 30 minutes, pass sauce through a food mill, and return to pan. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

For the garlic buns:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 ounce fresh yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups all purpose flour
2 bulbs whole garlic, roasted

In an electric mixing bowl using the hook attachment, mix the warm water, yeast, olive oil, and molasses. Add the flour and the salt. The dough will become a wet mixture but will remain a little sticky. Remove the dough and place onto a floured clean surface and gently knead into a soft ball. Place the dough in a mixing bowl brushed with olive oil and cover. Store in a warm humid area for 30 minutes or until the dough rises to double its size. Wrap two bulbs of garlic in aluminum foil and roast in a medium heat oven until very soft. Squeeze the whole bulbs of garlic to release the soft interior. Slightly chop the roasted garlic until it resembles a puree. Portion the dough into 1 inch round balls, kneading in the roasted garlic while doing so. Place the portioned raw dough balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper approximately 2 inches apart. Cover with plastic and allow the dough balls to re rise again. After 20 minutes, spray the raw dough balls with cold water, sprinkle with a pinch of the freshly grated pecorino, salt and pepper, and bake for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Celebrity Chefs - Give Them a Break???

Like many foodies, I find it easy to find fault with real chefs who sell out to the Food Network, chain restaurants and the likes. I'd like to believe that like me, most chefs pursue a career in food because they actually love all aspects of food, and want to share their creations with people who will enjoy them. There was a time when working your way up to the position of head chef at a successful restaurant, and mastering the craft, was enough to satisfy even an ambitious chef. The higher the praise (for chef or restaurant), the more satisfied they would be. But not anymore. Being the chef/owner of a restaurant isn't even enough, and neither is owning 10 places. So, when is it enough?

I don't mind if chefs have a small empire of restaurants. I don't even mind chefs having their own cooking shows, since I would like to believe that some people still watch cooking shows to learn how to cook. Even if shows like iron chef debunk my belief. The problem for me is when the cooking show turns into an eating show, which then turns into a line of cookware, crackers and periodic cookbooks. The "phoned-in" cookbook has to be one of the more annoying offenses in my book. These chefs put out cookbooks so often, it is no wonder that the same recipes get recycled by just altering one or two of the ingredients. And God knows how many people they have on staff to do all the leg work for these cookbooks, for which they take all the credit.

This is also assuming that every celebrity "chef" is actually a chef, which sadly, they are not. Apparently, anyone who looks good in front of the camera, has broad appeal, and can hold a knife can become a celebrity chef. Yikes! Does anyone remember Bobby Flay's attractive side-kick on his cooking show, 'Hot of the Grill with Bobby Flay'? Well, her speaking role on that show turned into a cookbook deal. I was very surprised to see her romantic cookbook at the bookstore, with more pictures of her half-dressed than there were of the food.

Then there's the perky, overly-enthusiastic Rachel Ray, the overly processed (in every sense) Sandra Lee, and the volumptuous Giada, who describes flavor by orgasmically listing ingredients. I could go on and on with the incredibly long list of "celebrity chef" offenses, until I read this book, The United States of Arugula by David Kamp. In the book, Kamp describes how America evolved from being the home of processed food junkies to the world leader in food quality and trends. The unfortunate bi-product of that being the idolization of chefs, and the art of cooking turned entertainment. Of course most of the blame lies with us Americans who are so eager to people up on pedestals only to drag them down. (Guilty!) Who wouldn't love a chef who can take run of the mill ingredients and turn them into soul statisfying food that keeps us yearning for more?

I got to thinking, are the celebrity chefs really to blame? They just want to do what they love (presumably cooking), and if people want to give them kudos and adulations, why would they turn that down? And if just cooking wasn't enough, and people wanted to see them on tv, in magazines, bookstores & supermarkets, isn't that just a testament of how much people like them? And who could turn that down? Of course it is a slippery slope for celebrities in general when it comes to product endorsements. You start off supporting organic produce and before you know it, you're pushing Cheeze Whiz. And, that is where I have the problem, when they start spreading themselves too thin and putting their name & face on too many things or just bad things. I get it, chefs are no dummies. They want to make money just like anyone else, but shouldn't they also be interested in improving the culinary state of affairs in America? Is it bettet to have a McDonald's at every airport terminal or a Wolfgang Puck Pizza Restaurant? I'd like to think the latter, but when does Wolfgang become the new McDonald's? I digress...

One "personality" in particular who got on my nerves was the aforementioned Giada. People go ga-ga over her, and I have yet to figure out why. Sure she's pretty, has a nice rack (which always seems to be front and center), and comes from a prominent Italian film family, but still. She has a few cookbooks, at least 2 shows on the Food Network, plus her stint on the Iron Chef, and now she is a part-time host on the Today Show. The Today Show? How did that happen??? I thought she was a chef, albeit not the best chef, but now she's a talk show host? I've seen her on the Today Show, and she's really not that good. No, not because I'm biased, but because she regularly misses her cues, looks at the wrong camera and flubs her lines. I honestly don't understand how that happened.

But after reading The United States of Arugula, I learned that Giada and I went to the same cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She used to be a caterer in LA. I do a little catering in LA. She's Italian, I'm Italian (even if my parents aren't famous). Then it dawned on me, that I could have been the Italian peach on the Food Network, annoying people with my adolescent boy humor and potty mouth. Was it her fault that the network gave her publicity and anoited her the Italian principessa? That's when I decided to have mercy on Giada. Maybe she's not so bad afterall, just going with the flow of her newfound popularity. People say she's is laid back and pretty cool in person. If circumstances were different, maybe we'd even be friends. OK, maybe I was too hard on Giada afterall. Maybe it is time I give all the celebrity chefs a break.

*************************************************************************************

That was where the post was going to end. That is, until I got the latest Crate & Barrel catalog in the mail. Guess who was on the cover, but my new bff, Giada. I was ok with that, until I realized why she was on the cover. She was hawking her new olive oil, balsamic vinegar & spice blends. No she wasn't promoting an artisinal brand of olive oil made from her family's estate in Italy, she was promoting Giada XVOO! I could see if she felt the need to fill a niche in the market, or if we were still stuck in the 80's and she wanted to bring authentic extra virgin olive oil to us unknowing American. But in this day and age, why would she slap her name and picture on someone else's products when there are so many really good ones on the market made by experienced people? I know, for the money. Now I've had enough. I'm back to being down on Giada. It only goes to show, I should have trusted my first instincts. View the entire line of Giada products.

A Very Belated Happy New Year!!!

Sorry for the extremely long hiatus, but I assume that like me, you were all busy preparing for the holidays that came and went way too fast. Once we decorate the house, put up and trim the tree, buy and wrap our thoughtful gifts, Reno & I usually celebrate Christmas Day by having his whole family, which numbers in the 20s, over for dinner. As some of you may have guessed, for me Christmas dinner is not about the presents, which I would do away with all together, but about creating a Norman Rockwell Christmas for me and my guests.

I bet last year few of our family members can recall what they got for Christmas, but I'd like to believe that everyone remembers the tangerine shells filled with bitter chocolate flecked orange ice cream that I made. And the anticipation for my beef rib roast is so high that I'm afraid of a full-on revolt if I ever change it.

For me, a special occassion dinner party involves tablclothes, centerpieces, cloth napkins, ceramic (not paper) plates, stemware, hors d'oeuvres, and a dessert buffet. Cutting corners on any one of these aspects would be like making the holiday itself less special. On the same token, I'm not saying that all these things need to be fancy or expensive, since I use the same white table cloth and plates for bar-b-ques. But I do believe in an element of festivity, which doesn't have to cost a lot . For the centerpieces I try to incorporate either silver ornaments or holiday greenery and lots of candles. And, for the hors d'oeuvres and dessert I try to make individual bite size dishes that look elegant and are easier to eat than more casual fare. Yes all these things take a lot of effort and time to prepare (3 days to be exact!), but that is what makes an occassion special and not just another dinner, isn't it?
















With that said, I wanted to share my Christmas with you. Imagine (new and classic) holiday music playing in the background, a roaring fire below my handmade stockings hangin on the mantle, and the smell of warm apple cider wafting through the air. Here's the menu, and you can scroll further down to get some of the recipes too, which you can mix and match for some of your future dinner parties.

the appetizer spread

Canapes

Black Bean and Corn Salsa with Tortilla Chips - {recipe below}
Arancini (Risotto Balls Stuffed with Fontina Cheese) -{recipe below}
Crostini with Goat Cheese and Roasted Peppers
Mini Sausages & Potatoes with Mustard
Shrimp Cocktail

~

Here I'm taking the roast's temperature

Here, I'm cutting the first of 2 roasts

Dinner

Beef Rib Roast with Mustard Horseradish Sauce - {recipe below}

Potato and Shiitake Mushroom Gratin

Peas and Baby Red Onions with Mint

Asparagus with Tarragon Vinaigrette - {recipe below}

~

Dessert

Chiacchere (Italian fritters)

Lemon Cheesecake with Whipped Cream and Berries

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream - {recipe below}

Banana Milkshakes

Mulled Apple Cider

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THE RECIPES:

Roasted Red Pepper, Black Bean, and Corn Salsa
Makes about 4 cups

Young & Hungry by David Leiberman

6 vine-ripened or 8 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 ½ -2 pounds), diced (about 3 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
4 roasted peppers, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped (about 1 cup)
One 7 -ounce can low-salt whole kernel corn, drained
1 chipotle chili packed in adobo sauce, minced almost to a puree1 tablespoon adobo sauce from chipotles
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 small bunch cilantro, thick stems removed and leaves finely chopped (about ¼ cup)
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Toss the diced tomatoes in a large serving bowl with the salt. Let stand while you prepare the other ingredients. Stir the tomatoes once in a while.

When you've finished prepping the other ingredients, pour off any liquid that has accumulated from the tomatoes. If you don't pour this off, your salsa will be soupy. Add all the other ingredients to the tomatoes and mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it.

Before serving, check to see if there is a lot of liquid in the salsa. If so, pour it off. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Season the salsa with salt again if necessary. Toss and serve at room temperature.

Risotto balls are made simply by making and cooling any kind of risotto, then shaping it into balls and stuffing with whatever meat/cheese you'd like. The balls are simply breaded and fried, which makes everything taste better. The recipe below is a good start, but feel free to mix up the filling and type of risotto you make.

Fontina Risotto Balls
MAKES 3 DOZEN

Hors d’oeuvres by Martha Stewart

1 cup homemade chicken stock, or low-sodium canned chicken broth, skimmed of fat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped to yield 1/3 cup 1 cup Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated on the small holes of a box grater to yield ¼ cup
1 ounce fontina cheese, cut into 36 ¼-inch cubes
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup yellow cornmeal
2 quarts peanut oil, for frying


Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Keep covered and warm on low heat.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the rice to the pan and cook, stirring, until the edges of the rice become translucent, 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until nearly all the wine is absorbed into the rice, 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the stock and ½ teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring constantly, until nearly all of the stock is absorbed, 3-5 minutes. Continue adding stock, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the rice is creamy but still firm, about 20 minutes. Add the remaining salt and season with pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley and the Parmesan. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Allow the rice to cool completely, stirring occasionally. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm and thoroughly chilled, 3-4 hours or overnight. The mixture must be cold before proceeding with the recipe.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Place 1 generous tablespoon of the risotto in the palm of your hand and form it into a shal1ow cup. Place 1 cube of the fontina in the center of the rice. Enclose the cheese with the risotto to form a ball. It is important to keep the cheese in the center. Place the risotto bal1 onto one of the baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining risotto and fontina. (The risotto balls may be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight at this stage.)

Place the flour in a shallow bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the eggs and cornmeal in 2 separate shal1ow bowls. Rol1 the risotto balls first in the flour, gently shaking off any excess. Dip the balls into the egg mixture, then lightly coat with the cornmeal. Place them on the second baking sheet and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to use.

Heat the peanut oil in a large saucepan, or an electric fryer, until a frying thermometer registers 365°F. Carefully slip 6 risotto balls into the hot oil, and fry until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat until all the balls are cooked, skimming the surface of the oil occasionally to remove any dark bits. Drain the risotto balls on paper towels and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

This is a super easy way to make a rib roast that is evenly cooked throughout. The nice thing is you can throw it in the oven and not worry about it until it is time to carve it. You don't have to wait for a holiday to make it either. This roast is nice for a dinner party too!

Prime Rib
Serves 6-8

The Best Recipe by Cooks Illustrated

1 3-rib standing rib roast (7 pounds), aged up to 1 week, set at room temperature for 3 hours, and tied with kitchen twine at both ends, twine running parallel to bone

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Remove roast from refrigerator 2-3 hours before roasting to bring meat to room temperature. Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat large roasting pan over two burners set at medium-high heat. Place roast in hot pan and cook on all sides until nicely browned and about ½ cup fat has rendered, 6-8 minutes.

Remove roast from pan. Set wire rack in pan, then set roast on rack. Generously season with salt and pepper.

Place roast in oven, and roast until meat registers 130 degrees (for medium-rare), about 3½ hours (or about 30 minutes per pound). Let stand 20 minutes (a bit longer is fine) before serving.

To carve, remove the twine and set the roast on a cutting board, rib bones perpendicular to the board. Using a carving fork to hold the roast in place, cut along the rib bones to sever the meat from the bones. Set the roast cut side down; carve the meat across the grain into thick slices.

This is my favorite sauce to make with the rib roast. It is super easy and can be made well in advance.

Mustard Horseradish Sauce
Serves 6 to 8

Barefoot Contessa Family Style

1 ½ cups good mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 ½ tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/3 cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, horseradish, sour cream, and salt in a small bowl. Serve at room temperature.

This is a good recipe for a warm day or large crowd, since the asparagus is served cold and can be made ahead of time.

Asparagus with Tarragon Sherry Vinaigrette
SERVES 4

The Gourmet Cookbook

1 ½ pounds medium asparagus, trimmed

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons minced shallot
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

1 hard-boiled large egg

Cook asparagus in a 4- to 5-quart wide pot of boiling well salted water, uncovered, until just tender, 3-5 minutes, depending on thickness. With tongs, transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until well blended. Whisk in tarragon.

Halve egg and force through a coarse-mesh sieve into a bowl. Toss asparagus with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette and divide among four plates. Spoon remaining vinaigrette over asparagus and top with egg.

This is one of the tastiest chocolate cakes I have ever eaten or made. Not too heavy or rich, and nicely contrasts the coffee buttercream.

Chocolate Layer Cake
Serves 12

The Best Recipe by Cooks Illustrated

½ cup nonalkalized (natural) cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s
2 teaspoons instant espresso or coffee
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease two 8 by 1 ½” round cake pans with vegetable shortening and cover pan bottoms with rounds of parchment paper or waxed paper. Grease parchment rounds, dust cake pans with flour, and tap out excess.

Mix cocoa and instant coffee in small bowl; add boiling water and mix until smooth. Cool to room temperature, then stir in vanilla.

Beat butter in bowl of electric mixer set at medium-high speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds. Gradually sprinkle in sugar; beat until mixture is fluffy and almost white, 3-5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating 1 full minute after each addition.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. With mixer on lowest speed, add about 1/3 of dry ingredients to batter, followed immediately by about 1/3 of cocoa mixture; mix until ingredients are almost incorporated into batter. Repeat process twice more. When batter appears blended, stop mixer and scrape bowl sides with rubber spatula. Return mixer to low speed; beat until batter looks satiny, about 15 seconds longer.

Divide batter evenly between pans. With rubber spatula, spread batter to pans sides and smooth top. Bake cakes until they feel firm in center when lightly pressed and skewer comes out clean or with just a crumb or two adhering, 23 to 30 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks; cool for 10 minutes. Run knife around perimeter of each pan, invert cakes onto racks, and peel off paper liners. Reinvert cakes onto additional racks; cool completely before frosting.

This will look a bit lumpy if you use the milk instead of the egg.

Coffee Buttercream Frosting
Makes about 3 cups

The Best Recipe by Cooks Illustrated

If you prefer not to use the raw egg the texture will be less smooth.

1 ½ tablespoons instant coffee
1 ½ tablespoons water
1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg, beaten, or 3 tablespoons milk

Dissolve coffee in water and add vanilla in small bowl; set aside. Beat butter in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating 15 seconds between each addition. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Add coffee mixture and egg or milk; beat on low speed to combine. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula. Increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. (Buttercream may be covered and kept at room temperature for several hours or refrigerated in an airtight container for a week. Bring to room temperature before using.)

Jerusalem Artichokes

Jerusalem artichokes are not artichoke at all. Nor are they from Jerusalem. So, why should you care you say? Because they are delicious!

The Jerusalem artichoke is a type of sunflower. When first discovered by Europeans, it was called Girasole, the Italian word for sunflower. Over time, the name Girasole transformed into Jerusalem (anyone who has Italian/American relatives understands how easily this can happen). To avoid confusion, people have recently started to refer to it as sunchoke or sunroot which is closer to the original Native American name for the plant.

Whatever you call them, you should run out and get some. While not easy to find, check local farmers' markets (the farmers' market in Union Square in NYC carries them). They are delicious. They have the sweet essence of artichokes. I have read several recipes that use the Jerusalem Artichoke in its raw state, simply peeled and chopped into salads.

I prefer to roast them. Simply scrub with a potato brush... the skin is so thin, there's no need to peel them. Makes a delicious and easy side dish for steak, chicken, pork, etc.

Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes

Several Jerusalem Artichokes
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

Cut the Jerusalem Artichokes into rounds or chunks.
Coat with olive oil.
Add salt and pepper.
Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.


Enjoy!

When I was 36, it was a very good year

My goodness, it has been way too long since I've posted. I plead "Renovation followed by the Holidays" and promise to be better in 2008. While I gear up for some posts on what to eat when it is 17 degrees outside, I decided to start off the New Year by recording some of my personal culinary highlights of 2007. (Special thanks to my dear husband, for photographing more vegetables and steaming hot pots than any non-photographer has ever been asked to shoot. And also for being the most excellent eating and drinking partner a Mrs. could hope for.)

WINTER
Discovering the joys of a beautifully braised short rib and a proper Whiskey Sour.

New York winters are cold. Everyone knows this, but somehow one is never quite prepared when it hits. Somewhere deep into the season last year, my husband and I were roaming the city streets in search of lighting fixtures. (That story is for another blog.) It was cold. It was raining. I don't recall having had any lunch. And, for reasons that escape me now, I was wearing a pair of very high heels.

Before long, I became all the things I try not to be in life: tired, hungry and cranky. Moments before a meltdown, we remembered that it was a weeknight and that it was early. Perhaps the kind people at Cafe Gray could find us a little table for two? The answer was a resounding "yes". Saved!

Cafe Gray does not get enough praise in the dining press, but I love it there. And that evening I loved it even more, on account of one of their signature dishes: the braised short rib. Tender...sweet...tangy...with the slightest Indian inflection. Oh, the glory of it! I've eaten my fair share of the dish in other places, but never had I enjoyed it so.

That evening also planted the seed for another of the season's highlights -- the Whiskey Sour. Cafe Gray was serving a version using spiced pear, and though I am generally a wine girl, this drink called out to me. And I am so glad that it did, as I was able to spend much of my cocktail time until early Spring sampling different versions around the city. Top pick: Bemelmans, hands down. They just know how to mix a drink there. And the hushed tones, trim red jackets and charming murals don't hurt. Do go...it's a classic for good reason. The Carlyle


SPRING
Delicious roasted chicken, NOT going to Per Se

It is still cold in New York in the Spring. I am not complaining...just stating a fact. It is also a fact that in order to keep from going mad, you attend your fair share of indoor cultural events, which presents an interesting dining challenge. Eating before almost any performance is rather early, and eating after can be awfully late. Still, one must eat. And so one evening after the ballet, we found ourselves at La Boîte en Bois on 68th Street. It was late, but I was hungry, so I went for "simple yet satisfying" and ordered the roasted chicken. I am very picky about my chicken, so I rarely order it out. Happily, like Mary Poppins, it was practically perfect in every way. And now my standard post-ballet meal.

My birthday is in April. And last year, we decided to spend that week in the country. Months before, on a lark, my husband put us on the "cancellation list" for Per Se. If you are unfamiliar with this list, it is a lot like being on a list for an organ transplant or to adopt an infant -- except that this is completely mad for dinner reservation. You just "get the call". We never expected to get the call. ("It's like an invitation to dine in Atlantis" my husband likes to say.) But one afternoon, while we were well over 100 miles from the city, the call came. Dinner at 8, on the night of my birthday. A decision had to be made. We could have -- maybe we should have? -- but we didn't. And I can't say that either of us regrets it.



SUMMER
Left on the cutting room floor

Well, I think you know what we were up to all summer...but here is some of the produce that thrilled us, but somehow never made it onto the blog. Please take special note of the handsome leeks!




FALL
Countless Squashes and a Heritage Turkey

The media likes to pretend that as soon as September hits, New York instantly becomes an Autumnal paradise, like that scene at the Met in "When Harry Met Sally". This is a lie. It is hot. By October it becomes merely warm and stays that way for some time. I've even had viable herbs growing into early December. (Only later is the boom lowered...see "Winter", above.) So, there is still quite a lot of delicious, local produce to be found. For some reason, I got all into squash. Carnival. Delicata. Acorn. And yes, Butternut. There were purees and a soup or two, but what really sent me was roasting little cubes of whatever ones I had on hand, tossed in olive oil with a little fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Sometimes I went a wild and threw in a few blue potatoes...what fun we had!

Suddenly, it was almost November and we were thinking about Thanksgiving. I always try to cook only organic meat, but I had never tried a true rare bird. So, this year I ordered a small turkey from Heritage Foods U.S.A.. We did a simple roast, with mirepoix, butter and herbs. I made a pan sauce finished with more butter and quite a bit of cognac. (Yes, there was small fire.) No brining. No fussing. No contest: the best turkey I've made. And a new tradition is born.

2008
More Fun!

So, now we are at the start of a new year and my only resolution is to have more fun. Which, strangely enough, includes continuing my quest for more conscious eating. So, I guess there will be more to come. In the meantime, eat, drink and be merry!