Vinegar Hill House Chicken

Vinegar Hill House is an amazing restaurant in Vinegar Hill, just North of DUMBO. They have this incredible roast chicken. Usually I won't get chicken at a restaurant and go for something more exotic, but I'd heard good things, and I love anything with vinegar as an ingredient. It's rich and tangy and just perfectly chickeny. The chicken jus, vinegar, butter, and shallots makes an intoxicating sauce. 

My wonderful friend Kara who knows me so well bought me this cookbook which has the recipe inside. Thanks, Kara! If you make extra jus, freeze it and then it makes the whole process a little quicker. (It is a bit of a process - only do it if you have a free afternoon.) My pictures don't do  it justice.

Serves 4

Ingredient:

10 shallots, peeled, 2 sliced and 8 whole

1 large yellow onion, sliced

two 2-3 pound organic or Amish chickens (back bone removed, cut in half, leaving wing bones and leg in tact but removing and reserving all other bones)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cups dry white wine

1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 bay leaf

8 sprigs fresh thyme, divided

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter

4 tsp vegetable oil, divided

1/2 cup sherry vinegar

Browned Butter Rice Crispy Treats

These are delicious. I didn't think rice crispy treats needed fixing, but wow, just by browning the butter first and adding a little salt you really bump up the flavor. They did not last long - my friend Elaine did some major damage. These are perfect if you need something to throw together quickly and cheaply to bring to a party or work or anything.

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 10 oz bag marshmallows

heaping 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt

6 cups Rice Krispies

Butter or nonstick spray for the pan

Directions:

Smoked Shrimp

My brother-in-law Austen always buys me cook books for Christmas, and I love it! (Keep it up, Austen!) I know I've mentioned Home Made before, but it's full of interesting recipes and methods, one of which is creating smoker out of kitchen staples. Jamie and I had friends over for football on Sunday, and in addition to the usual wings, I tried making smoked shrimp. They were so smoky! It really works. The recipe calls for rosemary salt to go with them, but I'd actually next time serve them with a sort of BBQ-cocktail sauce hybrid. I just bought frozen shrimp and thawed them while I brined them - it worked perfectly. I can't wait to try the homemade smoker with other things. Ribs? Fish?

Ingredients:
1 package frozen shrimp, uncooked

Apple Butter

We stopped at a farm stand and they had a bin full of bruised apples that were super cheap, so I thought it was a perfect time to make apple sauce. When we got back, I thought I'd try to make apple butter instead. It's basically apple sauce cooked down to a thick spread. It makes the entire house smell like apples and cinnamon and fall amazingness. I can't wait to spread it on toast or an English muffin tomorrow. Using a food mill makes it so you don't have to peel the apples, and adds extra flavor to the sauce. I also use cider instead of water for a more intense apple flavor.

Makes one small jar and 

Ingredients:

6 apples, cored 

2 cinnamon sticks

about 2 cups of apple cider

1/4 cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

Halve the apples, slice and chop in half. Throw them in a heavy-bottomed pot and pour in enough apple cider to start coming up the sides. Throw in a pinch of salt and the cinnamon sticks. 

Papardelle with Veal and Sausage Ragu

If you need to impress friends for dinner, this is a great way to do it. We had our friends Funk and Bettina over last weekend and I wanted to make fresh pasta. I was perusing epicurious for a recipe, and came across this ragu recipe that had veal, sausage, and porcini mushrooms. It was relatively easy to make, and as long as you make it the night before, all you have to do is warm it up when guests come over. The sausage adds a great, intricate flavor, the veal stew meat is tender, and the porcini mushrooms add a nice earthiness (I only used 1/2 oz because I bought one bag and that's all that was in it). I added 1/4 cup of balsamic to the recipe just because I find it adds a great tang and a little sweetness to ragus (learned it from this recipe). Make this for your next dinner and you won't regret it - especially if it's cold outside. Just toss the ragu with fresh papardelle (make it or buy it) and serve with a little grated pecorino on top.

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 small carrot, peeled, finely chopped

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

8 ounces sweet Italian sausages, casings removed (2 links)

8 ounces veal stew meat, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 14-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in juice

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed

1 pound fresh pappardelle (homemade or store bought)

Freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Jinya Ramen

Last week, I went to Jinya Ramen with some friends. My friend Chelsea had recommended it, and she was not wrong. It was delicious! The broth is just so flavorful. I had the Tonkatsu Spicy, which was a pork ramen. It wasn't all that spicy, but was really satisfying and savory. I couldn't eat even half of the noodles, but I ate all the veggies, meat, and broth. They also have great condiments on the table, including a spicy garlic oil and some chili powder. I would definitely go back, and I'm drooling thinking about that broth. It must take them forever to make it.

Buttered Popcorn Cookies

After a great weekend in East Hampton, we came home early because poor Jamie has a terrible cold. While he was downstairs watching football, I needed some projects to keep me busy. Flipping through various cookbooks for a baking recipe, we settled on Smitten Kitchen's buttered popcorn cookies. They're pretty easy to make, and very tasty. The popcorn lightens up the cookies a lot. These would be perfect for a movie night. I'm going to bring some in to work.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup popcorn kernels

1/4 tsp table salt

1 tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350, then make the popcorn. Put oil in the bottom of a large pot and add the kernals. Cover and turn the heat on medium high. Shaking the pot periodically until the popping stops, 5-7 minutes total. Pour in butter and salt, toss, then put in a bowl to cool.

Leek and Potato Soup, with Kale and a Turnip

My mom always made leek and potato soup and served it with salad and buttery toasted pita. It's such a great dinner for a cold day. I wanted to make the usual soup, but I also picked up a turnip and a bunch of kale to change it up a little. I ended up making way more soup than necessary, so I'll be eating it for days. All of the ingredients cost $10. It's really tasty, and the kale gives it a nice green color (and some extra healthiness). Serve it with some pita toasted with butter and a salad.

Ingredients:
5 medium-sized potatoes (any kind you want), peeled and chopped into 1" cubes
3 large leeks, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 turnip, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
2 tbsp butter
1 bunch kale, rinsed and ripped into pieces

Cauliflower Pasta Sauce

I used the leftover cauliflower sauce on some tortellini and it was delicious! Just tossed it with a little grated pecorino. Yum!

Pan-Seared Bass in a Cauliflower Faux Cream Sauce with Sauteed Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

As part of bass week, I was crazing something a little more creamy. I'd seen something about a cauliflower sauce and wanted to try it. I had a great fish the other day at Montmartre that had a cream sauce, so that was my inspiration (plus wanting to try a cauliflower sauce). It was delicious. Jamie loved the cauliflower sauce and wants to put it on everything. The best part is, it's actually pretty healthy. Certainly way healthier than any cream sauce. The cooked tomatoes give a little brightness and the pine nuts add a good texture.

Ingredients:

2 big single servings of bass

1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets

4 cloves roasted garlic

8 cherry tomatoes

1 tbsp pine nuts

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

Pat dry and season the fish with salt and pepper. Put the cauliflower a pot and cover with water and add salt. Bring to a boil and cook until very tender, about 10 minutes.

Bass Tacos

Another bass recipe! I love fish tacos, and they're easy and pretty healthy. These were extra delicious and I can't wait to make them again with some of our frozen bass. Blackening the bass a little gives it a more meaty, BBQ flavor.

Ingredients:
A 3" thick bass fillet (or bigger if there are more of you)
A little chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper
Corn tortillas
Red onion, sliced
Jalapeno, sliced
Avocado, sliced
Cilantro, chopped
Tomatillo salsa

Directions:
Season the bass fillet with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder.

Striped Bass Ceviche

Another bass recipe! Ceviche. I love making ceviche, and this one is very easy. It's perfect with super fresh fish (other thick, white fish will work well too, like mahi mahi). 

Ingredients:

1 1/2" thick striped bass fillet, diced

Striped Bass en Papillote

For my first bass recipe, I made Striped Bass en Papillote with Brown Rice. It's pretty simple, and the provencal/Mediterranean-style sauce is sweet from the tomatoes and briny from the capers. It's also great for not making a mess because the fish is cooked in tin foil which you can just throw it out.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 1-inch pieces of striped bass filet

1 medium sized ripe tomato, or a handful of grape tomatoes, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp drained capers

4 sprigs thyme

4 slices lemon (I used lime because I didn't have lemons, but I think lemon would work better)

salt and pepper

Brown rice cooked according to the directions (I used a Lundberg brown rice mix - it adds great nutty flavor and texture)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Pat the fillets dry and season with salt. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and drizzle a bit of olive oil on it, then place the fish on top of the oil. Slide the lemon slices under the fish and top each with two sprigs of thyme.