Tokara

Is that not the prettiest salad you've ever seen? That was my appetizer at Tokara in Stellenbosch outside of Cape Town. I already knew their wine was amazing (my favorite is the Director's Reserve Red), but the food was fab too.

This is a shot from the Vinotec (wine library)

And the incredible view

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!

Slow Cookers

Does anyone have a slow cooker? I had always sort of turned my nose up at them, but just today decided to bite the bullet and buy one. I had some credit at Sur La Table leftover from our wedding (thanks Anne and Chris!) and went for it. The inspiration for buying the slow cooker was this chicken broth recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Homemade chicken broth is great, but kind of a pain. This looks perfect! You can throw it all in at night and have perfect chicken broth in the morning to freeze or use for soup for dinner. I got this slow cooker. I'll have to experiment with recipes. I don't like the idea of not getting all that good browning for braised meats, but maybe you split it half in a pan, scrape it up, then add it to the slow cooker? It'll be a learning process. I'm also excited to make dal makhani - yum! I couldn't get enough of it in India.

Cafe LULUc

Jamie and I wandered down quiet, snowy Smith Street Saturday morning looking for a good brunch spot and stopped into Cafe LULUc. It was a bustling French bistro-style spot and there was one table for two available - perfect. We sat down around 11 and within a few minutes there was a line of people waiting to sit. Neither of us willing to compromise on getting something different, we both ordered the french toast. Yum! It was brioche french toast and it was so fluffy and light, and the berries and apple compote were a great addition. I ate the entire thing and probably could have had more (and it was big). We also got some sausages on the side that were tasty. If you're looking for a cute brunch spot in Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill/Carroll Gardens, Cafe Luluc is fab.

Cauliflower Couscous

This is a sneaky way to eat cauliflower, and it's fabulous. It acts and looks like couscous, but it's just finely chopped cauliflower. I found the recipe on Food52 and plan to make it again soon, maybe switching up the seasoning (though the seasoning and ingredients here are fabulous). I served it to Jamie not saying what it was and he thought it was just regular couscous. Even when I told him it was cauliflower, he loved it and said he could eat it every day - quite a hit. I'm by no means gluten free, but this would be a good gluten-free alternative to couscous.

Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower
5 oz roasted cashews, roughly chopped
3 oz golden raisins
5 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp minced parsley
1/2 tsp cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp lemon zest
salt and pepper

Directions:
Place raisins in a cup or bowl and cover with warm water. Let them plump for 15 minutes, then drain and discard the water.
Break the cauliflower into florets, leaving behind as much stem as possible. Break the florets into smaller pieces and add to a food processor. Pulse until all the pieces are finely chopped and resemble couscous (don't over process).

Cape Town Bound!

I am off to one of my very favorite places in the world - Cape Town! I cannot wait. Posts will be on hold for a week or so while I am staying at the lovely One&Only and visiting wineries and eating at the best restaurants and stopping by old haunts (Forries).

Raspberry Sorbet

After all the gluttony of Thanksgiving, this week I've been looking for light, fresh things to eat. Raspberry Sorbet sounded perfect and I found a very simple recipe. I used frozen raspberries and it turned out really well. As long as you have an ice cream maker, it's a great, not too complicated dessert.

Ingredients:

4 cups frozen raspberries

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Happy (Almost) Thanksgiving

It's almost Thanksgiving! I can't wait to get out to Long Island and relax and have a cozy weekend. I am also very excited for our deep fried turkey. Jamie and I fried a turkey last year and it was excellent. The smell of a the turkey frying is intoxicating. Of course, last year we had 60 degree weather and were happy to stand outside to watch the turkey cook. This year, we may not be so lucky.

Frying a turkey means you can't have stuffing inside the turkey, but, it also means your cooking time is way, way less. We had I think a 13 pound turkey and it cooked in an hour. It takes a while to get the oil warm, so that you have to start up sooner, but the turkey cooks very quickly. The skin is crispy, the meat is juicy, and it's just fun. You have to be super careful (I don't know if you've seen these pictures?), but it's fun and tasty. I used this recipe.

Herb-Crusted Pork Chops

This is a great, great weeknight meal. The bread crumbs keep the pork chop super juicy and are crispy and flavorful. You can use any herbs you want/have. I served the pork chops with roasted purple potatoes and green beans.

Ingredients:

2 pork chops

1 slice bread, crusts removed

big handful fresh herbs (I used tarragon, rosemary, thyme, and parsley)

lemon slices for serving

salt and pepper

egg

flour

1 tsp dijon mustard

Alternative Birthday Cake

I had a surprise 30th birthday party for Jamie last weekend (he was completely surprised and it was really fun). He is not a huge fan of cake and prefers pie, but pie is not really easy cocktail party food. I remembered this post from Cup of Jo and went and got three round cheeses of different sized and made a little birthday cake of cheese. This is good for cheese lovers and cake averse.

Make-Ahead Individual Chocolate Souffles

Everyone is afraid of making souffle, but it's really not that difficult. I had some time to kill the other day when I was making dinner and I already had all of the ingredients, so I whipped up a few individual souffles. Cook's Illustrated (thanks for the book, Kara!) has a good recipe for make-ahead souffles where you assemble them and then just put them in the freezer until you want them. They were really chocolatey and rich and perfect with a scoop of ice cream. There's still one in the freezer - maybe I'll eat it tonight. This would be great to do the night before you have people over, then just throw them in the oven 15-20 minutes before you want dessert.

Serves four

Ingredients:

2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces plus 1/2 tbsp softened

2 2/3 tbsp sugar, plus 1/2 tbsp

4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used my favorite, Belgian chocolate, Cote d'Or - it's the best. It's hard to find in the US, but I just found that the Garden of Eden on my street sells it, so I'm thrilled. Another point for Brooklyn Heights.)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

3 large eggs, separated, plus 1 large egg white

2 tbsp powdered sugar

pinch cream of tarter

Tomatoes Gratin

I saw a recipe from Ina Garten and thought it sounded easy and like a great side. I modified it a bit to make little miniature ramekins. They were tart and sweet and the crispy bread crumbs were a great contrast. Super easy, too.

Ingredients:
2 big handfulls grape tomatoes, halved
1 piece of bread
1 clove garlic
olive oil
pinch of thyme
olive oil

Directions:
Heat oven to 400. Pulse the garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add piece of bread and pulse to get course crumbs. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and pulse. Add a tsp or so of olive oil to the bottom of the ramekins along with the thyme and a big pinch of salt.

Easy Spicy Anchovy Pasta

This is a great, quick dinner. Jamie loved it. (He just mmmed over my shoulder looking at the picture.) It's cheap and easy and may become a new favorite. I know anchovies turn some people off, but you wouldn't know they were in there unless you made it yourself. Jamie didn't know. It just adds a nice salty flavor. The bread crumbs are a crunchy addition.

Serves 2-4 (depending how hungry you are)

Ingredients:

1/2 box farfalle (or any other pasta - spaghetti would be good)

olive oil

5 anchovy fillets

3 cloves garlic, minced

big pinch red pepper flakes

bread crumbs

pecorino

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.

Bass Week 2013

This week on the blog is going to be Bass Week. On Sunday I went fishing for striped bass in Montauk with some friends. It was so much fun! We chartered a fishing boat and pushed off at 5:30am. 

It was an early start for sure, but worth it. We caught the most fish right before/at sunrise. Maria caught this huge 35 lb striper.

I was catching bluefish for a while but finally reeled in two stripers.

Corn Broth and Frozen Corn

At the end of the summer, I suggest everyone goes out and buys 2 dozen ears of corn to freeze. Late August/September corn is so delicious, and having some on hand in the winter is such a treat. I like to saute it with chorizo, make corn and black bean salad, or make lobster corn fritters. Just throw the husked corn into boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then cut the kernels off the cobs. Put them into several ziploc sandwich bags and throw them in the freezer. So easy.

I also like to take all of the leftover cobs and put them back in the pot of water with a few onions and sprigs of basil and let it cook for an hour or so until you get this amazing corn broth. (You can throw in carrots or scallions or other herbs too.) I put that in the freezer, then use it for corn soups or chowders. It really adds an extra, deep, sweet corn flavor.

Brooklyn Farmacy

Brooklyn Farmacy is so adorable. It's an old-timey diner in a space that used to be a pharmacy. They have delicious milk shakes and the food is excellent. Jamie and I went on Saturday and had a great lunch. I had the pastrami sandwich and it was incredible. It was a pastrami sandwich on thin rye toast with melted cheddar cheese and sour kraut. It was so delicious and the cheese was gooey and it was so flavorful. It came with a little mustard to dip. Yum! If you're in the Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens, stop by for lunch. I also can't wait to try one of the sundaes. We were eyeing the people next to us who had some sort of peanut butter sundae that looked fantastic.

Spicy Pork Meatballs and Fennel Tomato Sauce

These meatballs are great - the pickled peppers give them a unique spicy flavor - and the sauce goes really well with them. The fennel gives it a little sweetness and not too strong of an anise flavor. I have lots of leftover meatballs, so I plan to make a meatball sub for dinner tomorrow. You could also just serve them with toothpicks as an hors d'oeuvre.

Ingredients:

Meatballs

2 lb ground pork shoulder

2 cups bread, cut into 1/4" cubes

2 tbsp chopped fennel fronds

2 cloves of garlic, mashed into a paste

10 pickled pepper slices, minced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Blueberry-Blackberry Tarts

Jamie loves blackberries, and when he had all of his friends over to do his football draft (taking over our living room/TV) I needed an activity. We had this great tart pan that I still hadn't had a chance to use, so I thought it was a perfect time to try a tart. Yum! It was really great. Super fresh and summery, and the crust is incredible. You have to make it yourself instead of buying premade pie crust because the tart crust is different than pie crust. It's more like shortbread. It's a little tougher to work with, but it's so tasty. Jamie brought some to work and it was gone within half an hour. It's a bit of a labor of love, but well worth it. It's not too sweet and really concentrates the berry flavor.

Ingredients:
Crust
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled

Tart
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large egg plus 1 large white
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest, plus 1 1/2 tsp juice
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp heavy cream
12 oz (or more) mix of blueberries and blackberries