sauced

Mezcal Shrimp and Scallops over Paella Rice

By Karena:

Continuing the theme of the enticing shrimp/avocado combo, I came home today smelling something delicious in the hallway in our apartment complex.  Was that coming from our apartment?  Yes.  Dave had been whipping up some paella rice and chicken andouille sausage in chicken broth, creating a gooey, almost risotto-like consistency with saffron thrown in.

We topped the rice with shrimp and scallops flambeed in tequila, lime juice, olive oil and garlic.  Topped with heirloom tomato, avocado and cilantro.  Yum. :)

Ingredients:

For the rice:

- 1 cup Paella or Arborio Rice

- 1/2 yellow onion, diced

- 1 link chicken andouille or other sausage, sliced

- 2 cups chicken broth

- a pinch of saffron threads

- salt and pepper to taste

For the Shrimp/Scallops:

- 1/2 lb. raw shrimp with tails on

- 1/2 lb. bay scallops

- 2 garlic cloves, chopped

- 3 T lime juice

- 1 oz. tequila or mezcal

- 3 T olive oil

- 1 tomato, diced

- 1 avocado, diced

- bunch of cilantro, chopped

- salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a pot, heat olive oil and onions and sea salt and cook until the onions are soft.

2. Add chicken sausage and cook until browned.

3. Add 1 cup of paella/risotto in a sauce pan and stir in oil and sausage for about a minute.  Then add the chicken stock, salt, and saffron and heat to a boil and stir constantly. 

4. Reduce the temperature and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes, until the rice is cooked.

5. In a separate saute pan, heat olive oil, add the garlic and saute until golden. 

6. Add the shrimp and scallops.  Add tequila, lime juice, and light the tequila with a match to flambee.  The fire will put itself out once all the alcohol burns off.

7. Saute the seafood until pink and cooked, and remove with a slotted spoon into a large bowl.  Add the diced tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro and mix.

8.  To serve, place rice in a bowl and top with the shrimp and scallop mixture.  Enjoy with hot sauce, if desired!

Simple Smoked Trout Salad with Creamy Tarragon Dressing

By Karena:

The perfect detox to a weekend of decadence, a simple salad of greens, smoked trout, chopped tomato and sweet pepper beckons.

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

- 1 lb. baby romaine or other greens

- 1 lb. smoked trout, torn into pieces

- 1 sweet pepper, diced

- 1 ripe tomato, diced

- a bunch of scallions, white parts sliced

- avocado, diced (optional)

For the Dressing:

- 3 T mayonnaise

- 3 T sour cream

- 1/2 cup buttermilk

- Chopped bunch of tarragon leaves

- 1 tsp. garlic powder

- 1 tsp. onion powder

- salt and pepper to taste

- Hot Spanish Paprika (optional)

Directions:

1. Put the salad greens, trout, sweet pepper, tomato, scallions, and avocado (if using) in a bowl and toss together. 

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.

3.  Serve the salad in bowls and dress with the creamy tarragon dressing.  Enjoy!

A Weekend of Feasting, Part 2

By Karena:

Day Two with Kevin and Vanessa:  Southern Cooking

Our Sunday evening was no less epic.  We headed back to the Farmers Market to get the fixins' for Fried Green Tomatoes with Buttermilk-lime dressing, Braised Oxtail over grits, and homemade buttermilk biscuits.   

                                                                        Appetizer:

Our Fried Green Tomatoes were not so much green as they were red, but using unripened red tomatoes for this dish works just as well.  This comes straight out of the Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook.  The only difference is that I dredged and fried them twice to get them more crispy and to allow the dredge to stick more evenly to the tomatoes.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Buttermilk-Lime Dressing:

For the Tomatoes:

Ingredients:

- 3 lbs. green tomatoes (about 6-8 medium tomatoes)
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 3 cups peanut oil (We used a mixture of canola and peanut oil)
- Lee Bros. All-Purpose Fry Dredge
- Kosher salt, if needed
- Lemon juice, if needed

Directions:

1. Cut out the stem ends from the tomatoes and slice them 1/4-inch-thick with a serrated tomato or bread knife; reserve. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a broad, shallow bowl.

2. Pour the oil into a 12-inch skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the temperature on a candy thermometer reads 365 degrees. (If using a different size skillet or pan, fill with oil to a depth of 1/3 inch.)

3. Heat the oven to 225 degrees. Set a baker's rack on a cookie sheet on the top rack.

4. Spread the dredge on a large plate or pie pan or in a small, shallow baking pan. Taste the tomatoes. They should have a bright tartness like citrus fruit. If they don't, sprinkle the slices with salt and lemon juice. Then press 1 tomato slice into the dredge, once on each side, shaking any excess loose. Dunk in the egg mixture, then dredge the slice on both sides again. Shake off any excess and place the slice on a clean plate. Repeat with more slices until you've dredged enough for a batch (3 or 4 slices). With a spatula, transfer the first batch of slices to the oil.

5. As the first batch cooks, dredge the second batch of tomatoes, but keep a watchful eye on the first. Once the slices have fried to a rich golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes, flip them carefully and fry for 2 minutes more, or until golden brown. Transfer the fried tomatoes to a plate lined with a double thickness of paper towels and leave them to drain for 1 minute.

6. If they need it, dredge the fried tomatoes once more and fry again until golden and crispy.  Remove with a slotted spoon.

7. Transfer the slices to the baker's rack in the oven, arranging them in a single layer, so they remain warm and crisp. Repeat with the remaining slices until all the green tomatoes have been fried. Serve right away with Buttermilk-Lime Dressing.

Lee Bros Fry Dredge:

Ingredients: (I doubled this recipe in order to dredge and fry twice)

- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- A sprinkling of bread crumbs for quick browning, if dredging fish or oysters (didn't use)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper together twice. Stir and turn out onto a flat surface. Press fish or green tomatoes or oysters or chicken or dams into the mixture on all sides and shake the excess loose. Milled grains should be treated as perishable products, so if you're not using this dredge immediately, transfer it to a quart-sized plastic bag with a zipper lock and store in the freezer not longer than 4 weeks. Remove the dredge 1 hour before using so it can come to room temperature.

Buttermilk-Lime Dressing:

Ingredients:

3/4 cups whole or lowfat buttermilk (preferably whole)
5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from 3-4 limes)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup finely minced fresh basil
1/4 cup finely minced green onions
1/4 cup finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator not more than 2 days.

                                                             Main Course:

Kevin labored over the Oxtail until it was rich and deeply-flavored.  Braised for 3+ hours with onions,  carrots, red wine, chicken broth and spices, it is delicious shredded and smothered over simple grits.  This also was inspired by the Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook, although Kevin introduced a roux to finish the shredded oxtail to make it especially creamy and luxurious.

Braised Oxtail:

Ingredients:

- 3 1/2 lbs. oxtails, sliced into disks (we used 2.5 lbs. and adjusted the amounts accordingly)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 cups chopped yellow onions (about 3 medium onions)
- 2 cups finely diced carrots (about 6 medium carrots)
- 1 1/2 cups robust red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, or a Bordeaux blend
- Chicken Broth
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice berries, ground in a mortar or coffee grinder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

- flour and butter for the roux
- 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, stemmed, washed, and dried, for garnish

Directions:

1. Season the oxtails all over with the salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven or enameled cast~iron pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sear the oxtails in batches, turning them with tongs as each surface becomes golden brown, until they are browned all over, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch. When each batch is browned, remove them with tongs and reserve in a medium bowl.

2. Add the onions and carrots to the Dutch oven. and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Add the wine, broth, chile, thyme, and allspice and bring to a simmer. Return the oxtails and any juices in the bowl to the Dutch oven, cover, and simmer gently until the meat is falling from the bone and the braising liquid has thickened, about 3 hours.

3. With tongs, transfer the oxtails to a medium bowl. When they are cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones and discard the bones and any cartilage. Chop the meat into pieces of roughly the same size. Skim some fat from the braising liquid.

4. Return the chopped oxtails to the Dutch oven and simmer over low heat, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger, lemon juice and salt and black pepper to taste and heat through. stirring occasionally, about another 3 minutes.

5. Introduce 3-4 T of butter and 1 heaping T of flour to the chopped oxtail meat to make a roux.  Stir constantly so it does not burn. 

6. Serve over grits. white rice. or a baked potato, and garnish with the parsley.

Simple Grits:

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1 cup stone-ground grits
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Pour the milk and water into a 2-quart saucepan, cover, and turn the heat to medium-high. When the milk mixture boils (about 5 minutes), uncover the pot, add the grits and salt, and reduce the heat to medium. Stir constantly until the grits are the consistency of thick soup and release a fragrant sweet-corn perfume, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, for about 20 minutes, until the grits thicken and fall lazily from the end of the spoon. Cook about 15 minutes more, stirring constantly to prevent the grits from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

2. When the grits are creamy and fluffy and soft, turn off the heat, add the pepper and butter, and stir to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve immediately.

                                                    Buttermilk Biscuits:

These are straight out of Cook's Illustrated Baking Cookbook.  The trick is to plop the unshaped dough on the cookie sheet instead of using the cookie-cutter approach.  I highly recommend the yogurt step.  The more rustic-looking, the better.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup all-purpose flour

- 1 cup plain cake flour (If you don't have, use 2 cups AP flour)

- 2 tsp. baking powder

- 1/2 tsp. baking soda

- 1 tsp. sugar

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 8 T cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

- 3/4 cup cold buttermilk

- 2-3 T plain yogurt (optional)

Directions:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Place the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and mix together.

3. Using a stand-mixer, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.

4. Stir in the buttermilk and yogurt and mix for about 10 seconds until the dough comes together into a slightly sticky ball.  DO NOT overmix to avoid the batter getting tough.  If it seems to dry, add more yogurt or buttermilk.

5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and quickly form into a rough ball.  DO NOT over-handle the dough.  Divide the dough using your hands or a knife into quarters, and then divide the quarters into thirds.

6. Shape into rough balls and place on a cookie sheet.

7. Bake until the biscuit tops are light brown 9-10 minutes.  Serve immediately.

A Weekend of Feasting, Part 1

By Karena:

Whenever Dave and I spend a weekend with our friends Kevin and Vanessa, we can count on it involving at least one "blow-out meal" at a worthy restaurant of our choice (this weekend had 3), lots of inspired cocktail combinations, good wine, great revelry, and creative all-day cooking extravaganzas. 

This weekend did not disappoint.  It all started Friday night at a French bistro in Dupont Circle, and ended Monday morning with sliced peaches from the farmers market and homemade buttermilk biscuits with raspberry jam.  Despite epic brunches at 2 of Jose Andres' restaurants - braving (delicious) grasshopper tacos at Oyamel on Saturday and sampling the Spanish Dim Sum tasting menu at Cafe Atlantico on Sunday, we also spent the rest of both days orchestrating our own homemade feasts. 

On Saturday night, in honor of Kevin and Vanessa's move to Hawaii this Fall, Dave and I wanted to share some of our beloved Polynesian-inspired favorites. 

                                                                    Appetizer: 

We began with Ahi Poke, an Asian-flavored sushi-grade salad of fresh tuna, seaweed, green onions, and shoyu.  Kevin infused Prosecco with fresh papaya pulp for a fun tropical apertif. 

Ahi Poke: 

Ingredients:

- 1.5 lb. good-quality sashimi-grade Tuna, cut into 1" cubes

- 1/2 cup shoyu or soy sauce

- handful of dried ogo or other stringy seaweed, re-constituted

- 1 bunch of green onions, white parts chopped

- 1 T sesame seeds

- drizzle of sesame oil

Directions:

1. Put the tuna in a bowl, add the shoyu, seaweed, and onions and toss together.

2. Finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil and serve.  If it needs more salt, add more shoyu to taste.

Kevin's Papaya Cocktail:

Ingredients:

- 1 bottle of Prosecco, Cava, Champagne, or other Sparkling Wine

- 1 Papaya, seeded and chopped into cubes

Directions:

1. Put the cubes of papaya into a food processor and process until it is the consistency of a paste.

2. Put a spoonful of the papaya pulp into each Champagne flute.

3. Add sparkling wine until full, and mix so the pulp is distributed evenly.

4. Enjoy!

                                                                    Main Course:

Next came the main event - Kalua Pig and Lomi Lomi Salmon.  Kalua Pig is traditionally cooked at a luau in an imu (hot lava rocks in a covered sand pit), but we were fresh out of imus in Washington DC, so we used our oven instead.  Still, once rubbed with Hawaiian Sea Salt, wrapped in banana leaves and steam roasted for 4 hours, the pork was earthy, moist and pull-apart perfect.  Once shredded, you finish it off by stewing cabbage in the pork juices, mixing it all together, drizzling with shoyu and serving over sticky rice.

Lomi Lomi refers to a traditional Hawaiian massage and in this dish, you massage the tomatoes apart with your hands and mix into the salmon and other ingredients.  With good-quality salmon, scallions, and cherry tomatoes, it is the perfect accompaniment to any luau feast.

 

Kalua Pig:

Ingredients:

- 3.5-4.0 lbs pork shoulder

- 3 T plus 2 tsp. Hawaiian Sea Salt

- 2-3 Banana Leaves (we found some in the frozen section of a small Latin market)

- Cooking twine

- 4 cups of water, and more if needed

- 1 head of Cabbage

- 1 tsp. liquid smoke

- 1 lb of white sushi rice, cooked according to instructions

- Shoyu to taste

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Make small score marks all around the pork shoulder 

3. Rub with 2 T Hawaiian Sea Salt, on the skin and into the scoring

4. Wrap the pork shoulder in 2-3 banana leaves until covered, and then secure with twine to keep the leaves in place

5. Place in a roasting pan and pour in 4 cups of water around the wrapped pork shoulder, and add the last 2 tsp. of Hawaiian Sea Salt into the water.

6. Roast for a little over 1 hour per pound (Ours was 3.5 lbs and we roasted it for almost 4 hours).  Check every once in a while and add more water to the pan if it has all evaporated.

7. Meanwhile, shred the cabbage into salad-sized pieces and set aside

8. Meanwhile, cook the white rice according to instructions and put aside, keeping warm

9. Remove the pork shoulder from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes to cool down.  Unwrap the banana leaves, being careful of the hot steam inside.

10. Shred the pork from the shoulder and put it back in the roasting pan in its juices.  Discard any bones and the banana leaves.

11.  Put the roasting pan with the shredded pork in it on the stove-top on medium-high heat, add the cabbage and liquid smoke and simmer until the cabbage is soft and incorporated into the shredded pork mixture, about 10 minutes. 

12. Turn off the heat and serve the pork and cabbage over the white rice.  Drizzle with shoyu to taste.

Lomi Lomi Salmon:

- 1 lb. good-quality sashimi-grade salmon

- 1 bunch of scallions, white parts chopped

- 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, massaged apart with your hands into rough halves or quarters

- 1 tsp. Hawaiian sea salt

Directions: 

1. Rub the salmon with Hawaiian Sea Salt and let cure in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to an hour. 

2. Cube the salted salmon and place in a bowl.

3. Add the scallions and tomatoes, mix and serve.

                                                                          Dessert:

By no small feat of his own, Kevin graciously contributed his pastry skills to our luau feast by finishing off the evening with homemade lychee ice cream served over carmelized pineapple with a caramel drizzle.  Recipes to come...Yum!

Farfalle Carbonara with Asparagus and Sun Gold Tomatoes

By Karena:

Exacting a twist on what is normally a VERY heavy dish, we omitted the sausage and used fresh vegetables instead.  Still satisfyingly creamy, but (slightly) better for you, nonetheless. ;) 

 

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. farfalle

- 1 lb. asparagus

- 1 lb. Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, quartered

- 4 oz. pecorino romano/parmesan reggiano cheese, grated

- 4 egg yolks

- 3 slices pancetta or bacon, diced

- 1/2 cup milk or heavy cream

- a handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Toss the asparagus spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast for 12 minutes.  Let cool, and chop into 1 inch pieces.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan and fry the pancetta pieces until crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon.

3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil, salt, and add the farfalle.

4.  In a bowl, whip the egg yolks, milk, half of the grated parmesan, and parsley.

5. When the pasta is cooked, retain some of the water and drain the rest.

6.  Immediately mix the hot pasta with the egg mixture, tomatoes, pancetta, and asparagus.  Mix with a little reserve pasta water, if desired.

7. Season, sprinkle with more grated parmesan, and serve.

Quick Asian Noodle Soup

By Karena:

I would have entitled this entry "Quick Japanese Noodle Soup" except for the use of Shao Xing Cooking Wine, Bok Choy and Soy Sauce which were decidedly Chinese, therefore rendering our creation not wholly authentic.  Despite our departure from traditional ingredients, the results were delicious.  Dave and I found these Japanese Udon noodles, firm tofu, and spicy fermented turnips at Great Wall - our new favorite Asian market fix, located in the nearby "borough" of Fairfax, Virginia.  This made for a delicious and quick Sunday night meal, a staple we will undoubtedly repeat.  Please excuse the amateur photography - I promise the photo doesn't do the balance of flavors any justice.

Ingredients: (4 servings)

- 2 quarts beef broth

- 1 cup water

- 1 tsp. chili paste

- 3 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 lb. fresh Japanese Udon noodles

- 1 lb. Bok Choy, chopped

- 6-8 oz. Firm tofu, cubed

- 2 T Dark Soy Sauce

- 1.5 Shao Xing Cooking Wine

- 1 T Rice Vinegar

- 1 lb. stir-fry beef

 - Bunch of cilantro, chopped

- Drizzle of Sesame Oil

- Spicy fermented turnip, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Add beef broth, water, garlic, and chili paste to a stock pot.  Bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat, simmer for 5-10 minutes.

3. Add Noodles, Bok Choy, Tofu, Soy Sauce, Cooking Wine, and Rice Vinegar and simmer for another 5 minutes.

4. Add Stir-fry beef, and simmer until beef is cooked, about 2-3 minutes.

5. Adjust for seasoning, take off heat, and serve in soup bowls.

6. Garnish with fresh cilantro, drizzle with sesame oil and top with fermented turnip, if desired.

Seared Ahi Tuna Salad

By Karena:

So there has been some call for winter salad recipes. ;)  I think this works in any season, but is hearty enough for winter and works well with winter greens such as red leaf lettuce or butter lettuce with some persimmons or pears mixed in.  Nothing is more simple, rewarding and aesthetically pleasing than seared Ahi tuna.  Enjoy!

For the salad:

• 1 lb. of the freshest Ahi Tuna
• 1 lb. of greens (red leaf lettuce or butter lettuce work well)
• 1 persimmon or Asian pear, diced into bite-sized strips
• Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
• tsp of sesame seeds, toasted
• a handful of sesame sticks or crackers for crunch (in the bulk section of most grocery stores)
• Diced scallion whites (optional)

For the dressing:

• 6 T olive oil
• 3 T rice wine vinegar
• 1.5 T soy sauce
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp honey or more to taste
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil, if desired
• 1/2 tsp of dijon, if desired

1. Wash and dry the lettuce and place in a salad bowl.  Dice the persimmon or pear and add to the greens.  Add toasted sesame seeds and sesame sticks and toss. Add scallion if using.

2. Whisk dressing ingredients together and set aside. 

3. Season the Ahi steak with salt and pepper.  On a very hot pan, sear the tuna on both sides for only 1 minute each side or until desired done-ness.  Let rest for 4-6 minutes, then slice into wedges.

4. Toss the salad with dressing and put into salad bowls.  Top salad with seared tuna and serve!

Forgotten Summer

By Karena:

The seasons are far less defined in California than they are in the more Northern regions of the country.  The perfect Heirloom tomato still beckons until late October, fava beans still wear white after Labor day, and the grill never goes cold.  It's not until early November that we're finally craving the Fall fare of buttery root vegetables, cinnamon-dusted apples, and roasted butternut squash.  Nonetheless, I realize some of the following recipes come a little late.   So think of them as an ode to the end of summer, (or take them for what they really are - my procrastination posts from last month) or embrace them as something to freshen up that rare sun-soaked Autumn evening, when all you need is a sweater and a good glass of wine to keep warm.

1. Angel Hair Pasta with cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella:

Serves 2-4

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, some chopped, some left whole
• handful of Basil, some chopped, some left whole
• Sea Salt and Pepper
• 4 oz fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces by hand
• 1 lb angel hair pasta
• A block of parmesan/pecorino cheese for grating

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add the dried angel hair pasta.

2. Meanwhile, warm a saute pan with 3 good glugs of extra virgin olive oil, add the garlic and saute until fragrant and cooked. 

3. Toss in some chopped basil leaves and chopped tomatoes to the olive oil mixture.  Keep warm and add more olive oil if needed. 

4. When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pan with the olive oil and garlic mixture and toss to coat.  Add sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Toss in the whole cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pieces, whole basil and grate some fresh parmesan to taste.  Serve and enjoy!

2. Frisee Salad with Pancetta and a Poached Egg

Serves 2-4

• 1 lb. Frisee lettuce
• 2-3 slabs of bacon or pancetta (lardons)
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
• Red Chili flakes to taste (our addition, not exactly traditional)
• 1-2 eggs, at room temperature
• 6 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 T Champagne vinegar
• 1 t Whole Grain Dijon Mustard

1. Heat a grill pan and fry the bacon or pancetta until crispy; break into little pieces and drain on a paper towel.

2. Meanwhile, wash the frisee and spin dry.  Add some chili flakes and salt and pepper to the salad greens and toss.

3. Make the salad dressing by whisking together the extra virgin olive oil, champagne vinegar, salt, pepper and dijon until you reach the desired consistency.

4. Poach as many eggs as desired according to your best method. :) While they are cooking, toss the frisee with the dressing, mix in the bacon bits, and separate into salad bowls.

5. Take each egg out with a slotted spoon and top each bowl of frisee salad with desired amount of poached eggs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy by breaking open the poached egg and watching it ooze into the salad!  yum!

3. Tri-color Heirloom Tomato Salad with Fresh Chilis

Serves 2-4

• 3-6 orange, red, and yellow ripe heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• 1-2 fresh red chilis, de-seeded and chopped
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• Handful of Fresh Basil, chopped
• Good quality extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the sliced tomatoes on a plate and drizzle with sea salt, pepper, olive oil and basil.

2. Sprinkle chopped fresh red chilis on top, if desired, and enjoy!

4. Gnocchi with Fava Beans, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spinach in a Parmesan Brodo

Serves 2-4

 

• 1 lb. fresh gnocchi
• 1 lb. fava beans, peeled and blanched
• 10 whole sun dried tomatoes, reconstituted in hot water for 10 minutes
• Handful of Baby Spinach leaves
• 5-6 Parmesan/Grana Padano rinds
• Sea Salt and Pepper
• Bay Leaf

1. If you don't have ready-made parmesan brodo in your freezer, you will need to make the brodo first, just like you'd make a vegetable or chicken stock ahead of time for a recipe. (I never did until I learned about this and now we always have some on hand).  Brodo is just the Italian word for broth, and I really like pairing brodo with simple fish or pasta dishes for a new take on "Sauce".  Once you make it, you can store it in the freezer for up to three months or a week in the refrigerator and use as needed.  We first tasted parmesan brodo at A 16 in San Francisco.  We found it in their cookbook and use the following recipe whenever we make it.  You can make brodos out of anything - proscuitto brodo is another idea they suggest.

2. To make the brodo, collect parmesan rinds as you use blocks of them or ask for them from your cheese provider.  Whole Foods actually sells cheese rinds by themselves if you don't have a collection of rinds in your refrigerator.  Combine 2 quarts of water, as many cheese rinds as you can muster and one bay leaf.  Bring to a boil over medium-low heat and stir so that the cheese rinds don't stick to the bottom of the pan.  Lower to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1.5 hours or until the broth has a nutty, creamy flavor.  Skim the broth as needed and when ready, strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container or into another pot if using right away. 

3. Keep the brodo warm in a pot on the stove and, meanwhile, boil some salted water for the gnocchi.  If the gnocchi is REALLY fresh, you need not boil it, but if it was from the store in a plastic container (like we did), you'll need to loosen it up a little in boiling water for about 90 seconds or until al dente.  

4. When the gnocchi is cooked, spoon some into a pasta bowl, add the blached fava beans, re-constituted sun dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach leaves.  Pour the brodo over the top of all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Remember the brodo will add some saltiness so you may not need much).  Serve hot and enjoy!

Vesper Lynd

By Karena:

Many of you may not know that Dave and I were downright sloshed at our wedding reception.  Thanks to Lizard and her mothers' cunning planning, her father's research and mixology skills, and Ian Flemings' genius concoction, Dave and I were whisked away to the reception in our rented Bentley, sipping our married selves into a memorable evening through the lens of a James Bond movie.

The Vesper Lynd took center stage.  Dangerously delicious, riddled with intrigue due to its literary past, we reveled then and now in the simplicity of the recipe.  There's no better way to get back into the "Sauced" swing of things than through an ode to our favorite martini! Enjoy!

 
 
Vesper Lynd:

1. 3 oz. Gin (Gordon's Green in England - Tanqueray can substitute)
2. 1 oz. Vodka
3. 1/2 oz. Kina Lillet (Lillet Blanc)
4. Garnished with a lemon peel

Shaken, not stirred...naturally.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I had never used arrowroot, nor had I ever prepared rhubarb stalks for any application.  With something as precise as baking, and something so delicious and anticipated as strawberry-rhubarb pie, I couldn't take any chances, so I turned to Cook's Illustrated's "Baking Illustrated" Cookbook.  I had no idea rhubarb leaves were toxic.  Not that I would have gone munching on them, but it's good to know.  I haven't found an exact science for "peeling" the stringy outer layer of the rhubarb stalks as the whole thing was stringy like celery, and if I had kept peeling the outer layer until it was "no longer fibrous", there would have been nothing left. 

Despite all the hazards of the unknown, the pie was beautiful and delicious!  A first that will be repeated many times. Unfortunately for the picture-taking, we delved into the pie as soon as it was cool without camera in hand.  What you see below you is half of the dough and the filling before it was baked.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1.5 pounds rhubarb, ends trimmed, peeled if the outer layer is especially fibrous, and cut into 1-inch pieces (5 to 6 cups)
• 1 cup plus 1 T sugar
• 3 T arrowroot (DO NOT substitute cornstarch, etc).  This is the magic touch.
• Pinch of salt
• 1.5 lbs strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 2 t grated zest from 1 orange
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 Pie dough recipe - below

Pie Dough: (For 1 Double Crust 9-inch pie)

• 2.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 t salt
• 2 T sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
• 12 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 6-8 T ice water (I found that I had to use a few more than that)

Dough:

1.  Process flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined.  Add the shortening and process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds.
2. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture; cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles corase crumbs, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about ten 1-second pulses.  Turn the mixture into a medium bowl.
3. Sprinkle 6 T of the ice water over the mixture.  With a rubber spatula, use a folding motion to mix. 
4. Press down on the dough with the broad side of the spatula until the dough sticks together, adding up to 2 T more ice water if the dough will not come together.
5. Divide the dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 4-inch disk.  Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days, before rolling.

Pie:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the rhubarb and 1/4 cup of the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until firm, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a large plate and refrigerate until cool.
2. Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable).  Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface or between 2  large sheets of parchment paper to a 12-inch circle.  Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate by rolling the dough around the rolling pin and unrolling over the pan.  Working around the circumference of the pan, ease the dough into the pan corners by gently lifting the edge of the dough with one hand while gently pressing into the pan bottom with the other.  Leave the dough that overhangs the lip of the pie plate in place and refrigerate until needed.  (I know this is lengthy, but for an un-seasoned pie-maker, these directions were greatly appreciated!)
3. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on it and heat the oven to 500 degrees.
4. In a small bowl, mix together 3/4 cup of the sugar, the arrowroot, and salt.  In a large bowl, toss together the strawberries, cooled rhubarb, vanilla, and orange zest.  Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the top and stir to combine.  Spoon the fruit evenly into the pie shell and pack lightly.  Roll out the second piece of dough to a 12-inch circle and place it over the filling.  Trim the edges of the top and bottom dough layers and tuck the rim underneath itself so that the folded edge is flush with the pan lip.  Flute the edges or press with a fork.  Cut 8 slits in the dough top.  If the pie dough is very soft, place in the freezer for 10 minutes (I had to do this step).  Brush the top of the crust with the egg white and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1 T of sugar.
5. Place the pie on the hot baking sheet and lower the oven temp to 425 degrees.  Bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes.  Rotate the pie from front to back and reduce the temp to 375 degrees.  Continue baking until the juices bubble and the crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer.  Cool on a wire rack until room temperature; 3-4 hours before serving.
6. Yum!