Pasta with romanesco cauliflower and prosciutto

Last Wednesday night, I had a few friends over for dinner.

I this has been a dream of mine for some time. This may seem strange to many of you who do not live in one of the five boroughs of New York City. However, I live in Brooklyn, and making space for a dining table and guests never seemed like a realistic possibility.

The Thanksgiving furniture shuffle showed me it was possible: we moved the sofa into the office to make a guest room, and moved the desk from the office into the living room for a table. Voila! A little more pushing of dressers and chairs and scratching up the floor a bit, and we had a dining room. It's my first.

The dinner was to reciprocate a dinner that my friends Nick and Dane had prepared a few weeks before. It was a lot to live up to: a delicious cheese plate as a first course, followed by a perfect risotto with shrimp and sweet peas topped with pesto. So very good.

The dinner left me feeling full, satisfied, and competitive. I felt the need to be impressive in return. And thrifty. Christmas shopping has been stretching me a little thin.

I hardly ever make pasta because of Noel's wheat allergy. In fact, I don't think I've bought any traditional pasta for at least five years. So real pasta feels decadent to me--a kind of luxury food that I don't have very often. I'll bet a lot of you feel the same way about it because of the carb fear factor. The fact that many of us don't eat pasta on a regular basis anymore makes it, I think, a great thing to make when you have guests over: it's the sort of thing everyone enjoys but rarely makes for themselves. And what better time to indulge a bit than during this bitingly cold weather?

Since the pasta itself is inexpensive, I added some more premium ingredients: prosciutto and romanesco cauliflower. Romanesco cauliflower is a vivid pale green, and instead of forming itself into cloud-like clumps, it grows in astoundingly symmetrical, psychedelic cones. Their beautiful color, matched with the deep meaty pinkness of the prosciutto, makes a beautiful plate. They are very much in season, and can be found in your local farmers market.

The addition of anchovies into the garlic oil does not produce a fishy flavor at all, but rather an earthy saltiness that would not be achieved by only adding salt. I highly recommend you try using them. You can find anchovy fillets packed in olive oil in most supermarkets.

The bread crumbs add an extra bite of texture, as well as a bit of herb and spice. They are easy to make at home. Tear a baguette into 1-2 inch cubes, and toast in a 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until toasty and dry. Allow to cool, then place in a plastic freezer bag and smush with a rolling pin to create crumbs. To add flavor, saute two mined garlic cloves in 2 tbsp olive oil, then remove from heat an stir in 1 tbsp red pepper flakes and 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Add bread crumbs and return pan to heat, toasting until golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool. These can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pasta with Romanesco Cauliflower and Prosciutto (inspired by and loosely adapted from a recipe from Olives and Oranges)

1 lb strozzapreti pasta (or penne, or something similar)
2 medium heads romanesco cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
1/4 lb prosciutto, cut into 1/4 inch strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 anchovy fillets
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 cup bread crumbs (recipe in the headnotes)
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Toss cauliflower with 2 tbsp olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast on a parchment lined baking sheet for 45 minutes, or until browning, and crisp-tender.

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil.

In another large pot or dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of oil over medium high heat, then add prosciutto. Saute until some fat is rendered and the meat begins to brown ever so slightly--about 5 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.

***If you don't make your own bread crumbs, you'll probably want to add 1 scant tbsp red pepper flakes (per your own taste) in this next step to give it a little heat. The bread crumbs I made were pretty spicy, so I just left it at that.***

To the same dutch oven where you cooked the prosciutto, add 1/4 cup olive oil and the minced garlic. Saute briefly until garlic just barely turns toasty, then add the anchovy fillets. The fillets will dissolve in the oil. Add the cauliflower and the prosciutto, and stir to coat in the garlic-anchovy oil. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. I found that the strozzapreti took much less time than I thought it would--maybe less than 7 minutes.

Before draining the pasta, reserve a bit of the starchy water in a mug for using in the sauce if needed. Then drain the pasta, and add to the cauliflower prosciutto mixture. Toss to combine. Add half the bread crumbs and half the parmesan, then toss to combine again. If the pasta seems too dry at this point (which mine did), you can add a bit of the reserved pasta water, and a little bit more olive oil.

Transfer pasta to a serving bowl, sprinkle remaining bread crumbs and parmesan over the top, toss lightly, and finish with a good dose of fresh cracked pepper.

thanksgiving appetizer: cheddar and ale fondue

I'm sure some of you received a fondue pot as a wedding or housewarming gift and have only used it a few times, maybe never. I think it would be a great thing to dust off for a family holiday gathering. Think about it: you can make it on the stove in less than 10 minutes while the oven is occupied with roasts and turkeys and the like, it's interactive, kids will love it and it will keep them out from underfoot, and it will encourage those kids to eat some veggies.

As long as you prep the day before, the fondue itself takes very little time to serve. The day before, you want to do the prepping of your veggie dippers. You may want to blanch some of them, such as cauliflower, by boiling them for less than a minute, then shocking them in cold water. You may want to roast some, such as brussels sprouts, until they are still crisp, but the outsides caramelize a bit. Or you may want to keep it simple, and serve some raw crudites, like broccoli, carrots, and celery. Whatever you choose, arrange a platter ahead of time to save yourself some work on the holiday.

As far as I'm concerned, there are two ESSENTIAL dippers for any cheese fondue: cubed crusty bread and apples. These should be done shortly before you plan to serve, so that the bread doesn't get stale, and the apples don't brown. You can also slow down the browning of the apple slices by tossing them with a little fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Cheddar and Ale Fondue

Whatever type of cheddar you choose, make sure it's good quality. Most farmers' markets have one or two vendors selling amazing local cheddar. For this recipe, I used Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, a very sharp, caramely cheese available at Whole Foods. For the ale, I chose Ommegang's Abbey Ale, a Belgian style beer with spicy caramel undertones. These are both very flavorful ingredients and they paired beautifully together, but I'm sure you could make substitutions if you cannot find these at your local market. You might want to try adding a dash of worcestershire or dijon mustard for a little extra flavor.

Emmentaler cheese melts beautifully, so it's addition here will help ensure a smooth, creamy fondue.

1 lb cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 lb emmentaler cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups belgian style ale
1 tbsp non-gmo cornstarch

Toss the cheddar, emmentaler, and cornstarch together, The cornstarch will keep with cheese solids and fat from separating when added to the beer.

Bring the ale to a low boil in the fondue pot (or a medium nonstick pot if your fondue pot isn't stove-worthy) over medium-high heat. Add the cheese mixture in handfuls and whisk quickly in between additions. Once all the cheese is added, reduce the heat slightly and continue whisking vigorously to blend the ale and cheese. This may take a few minutes, just keep whisking!

Once you have a wonderfully smooth, beery cheese mixture, move it off the stove to the fondue stand over a low flame. Stir periodically to keep the cheese on the bottom from burning.

thanksgiving sides: kale

Braised Kale serves 6-8

This recipe is simple, healthy, delicious, and can be made a day ahead. It maintains its color, flavor, and texture beautifully. Simmer gently in a pot over low heat to reheat the kale.

3 bunches of kale (the standard green curly leaf kind is great here)
1 large sweet onion
3-4 cloves garlic
tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups stock (chicken is best, I think, but vegetable would work, too)
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
peper

Thoroughly rinse the kale to remove any grit. Tear the leaf away from the stem by running your hand upwards from the bottom of the stem, then tear leaves into large pieces. Set aside.

Half the onion through the root ball, peel, then thinly slice across into strips. Set aside.

Mince the garlic, then combine with the onion.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, pepper flakes, and a little salt and pepper, and saute until the onion is softening and translucent. Add the kale stir, turning it over gently in the pot to coat with the oil. Season with more salt and pepper. Pour half the stock over the kale, and continue to turn it gently. Add the rest of the stock, turning the kale until it has cooked down to less than half its original volume, but still maintains a bright green color.

Remove the kale to a serving bowl and ladle a bit of the cooking stock over the top so that it pools luxuriously around the bottom.

slow-roasted pork shoulder with cider bourbon gravy

I love Thanksgiving. Food and gratitude, what could be better?

One of my favorite things about this holiday is the New Yorker's food edition, which was just delivered to my apartment yesterday. Interspersed through the magazine between the longer articles and fictions are one-page essays with titles like "Pickled Cabbage," "Linzer Torte," and "Aspic." These are short stories about authors relationship to the title food, sometimes about a family history, sometimes about a very specific experience.

I realize we all have time honored family traditions surrounding this holiday, classic family recipes that are on the table every year (I get nostalgic for that mushy green bean casserole from time to time). But for those of you who are in the mood to try something a little different, I'll post a few things that may not have graced the family table in the past, including a turkey alternative; let's face it, the sight of that whole roast bird is iconic, but the taste sometimes leaves something to be desired.

These recipes are from the Bushwick Starr Fall Gala Dinner that I catered last Thursday night. I'll try to post as many as possible before the holiday. Up first:

Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Cider Bourbon Gravy

This recipe is based on information from a couple sources: Cooks Illustrated magazine, and Mike from Tamarack Hollow Farm in Vermont. I got the idea for the salt/sugar rub from Cooks, but their one-to-one salt/sugar ratio was far too salty for me; it made me pucker. I reduced the salt from their recipe by half and it worked beautifully.

Tamarack Hollow is an organic farm in Vermont where they raise pastured, heritage breed pigs. Mike works there and runs their stand at the Union Square Greenmarket on Wednesdays, and he suggested a bone-in roast. The bone conducts heat and ensures a more evenly cooked roast. Neat! If you're in NYC, please consider buying from this great farm. If you call the Tuesday before, Mike will try to have a cut set aside for you. Tamarack Hollow Farm, Burlington, VT, 802-535-1515.

For the pork:

1 5-6 pound bone-in shoulder roast, often called a "Boston butt"
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
pepper

For the gravy:

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup apple cider
1-2 tbsp bourbon
reserved pan drippings from pork (more directions below...)

The preparation for this roast is easy, but it's important to start a day (or more, if your roast is frozen) before you actually plan on cooking it. A long, slow process will get the best flavor here.

If your pork butt is frozen when you buy it, it is important to allow ample time for it to defrost safely. If you have more than 48 hours, place your frozen roast in the fridge to defrost. If you have closer to 24 hours, place the roast in a bowl of cold water in the sink, and run cold water over the roast. Periodically change the water in the bowl. DO NOT attempt to defrost your roast in warm water--this will encourage bacterial growth. DO NOT use boiling water--this will cook the outside of your roast, and ditto on the bacteria. Microwave defrosting is uneven and can begin to cook the meat as well. The best and safest way is a slow, cold defrost.

The morning before you plan on cooking your defrosted pork is when you want to make the brown sugar and salt rub. Take your pork butt out of the fridge and set it on your cutting board fat side up. Most, but not all, pork butts will have a fat cap on one side of the roast. If your roast does not have a thick cap of fat, skip this step. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut a cross-hatch diamond pattern (about 1 inch squares) into the fat cap, being careful not to cut through to the meat beneath.

Mix the sugar and salt together. Rub the mixture all over your roast, rubbing it into the slices you cut in the fat. Give it a nice massage, then tightly wrap your roast in plastic wrap. Place your wrapped roast in a large bowl (important: the salt will encourage the pork juices to release, and you don't want to be disinfecting your fridge on Thanksgiving morning) and place it in the fridge. Let it sit overnight.

Start the roast the next day about 7 hours before you plan on serving.

Preheat the oven to 325.

Take the roast from the fridge and brush off any excess salt and sugar. Place the roast in a v-rack, fat side up, in a medium roasting pan. A v-rack looks like this. Add a dusting of fresh cracked pepper to the roast.

Put about a 1/4 inch of water in the bottom of a medium roasting pan. The water will keep your sugary drippings from burning. Keep an eye on the water level in the pan during roasting. You may need to add a bit more to keep the bottom of the pan from becoming dry.

Roast for 5-6 hours, basting with the pan juices every two hours or so. The TIME of roasting is far less important than the INTERNAL TEMPERATURE of the pork. At around 4 hours in the oven, start checking the temperature. A meat thermometer inserted near, but not touching, the bone should read around 180. 175 is ok, anything below 160 (the minimum safe temperature for pork recommended by the USDA) is not.

When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and place it on a carving board. Cover it lightly with tin foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour to redistribute the juices. While it's resting you can make the gravy.

Pour the pan juices into bowl and skim off the fat that sits on top. You will need about 1/3-1/2 a cup of pan juices.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Whisk a little longer to cook the flour a bit. Add the pan juices and whisk, then add the cider and the bourbon. I'd recommend adding half the cider and bourbon, then tasting, and then adding more if you like. You are looking for a nice balance of sweet and tangy and salty. Bring the gravy to a boil to thicken.

Cut the pork away from the bone. Serve in thick slices and chunks with a generous serving of gravy.

thanksgiving, a week early

I had to write a Thanksgiving post now, if for no other reason than to share this amazing photograph.

This was on the New York Times website, along with a very complicated recipe for turkey stuffing by the blonde bombshell herself.

After this week, I doubt if anything quite that ambitious will be on our Thanksgiving table. We have, however, ordered a heritage bird from Quattro Farms at the Greenmarket, and we're planning on making a yummy herbes de provence butter from the last of our fresh herbs in the garden. Although this bird will probably be a bit bigger than we need, I'm happier paying a bit more and eating a few more leftovers to get a bird that can literally stand on it's own two feet and reproduce without artificial insemination (this is not true of most supermarket turkeys; they are bred and overfed to produce enormous breast meat. Ew.). For a great and concise description of heritage breed turkeys, please check out this link from Wisconsin's Whistleberry Farm.


Once the Fall Gala catering job is done, I'll share some of the recipes from there, many of which would be great for the holidays. In the meantime, here are a few recipes from last year's posts, for anyone looking for a new squashy recipe: Savory sweet potato gratin, and butternut squash soup (easily a mash or light puree, just add less water).

This weekend I'll share a turkey alternative, slow-roasted pork shoulder with bourbon cider gravy, as well as a few new side dishes: wild mushroom risotto, braised kale, and a cheddar cheese and ale fondue. These dishes are not only delectable, but surprisingly easy, and components of them can be made ahead of time.

For more great recipes and information about farm-to-table cooking, check out the Slow Food Network, where Dining In is now a featured blog!

Also! Please check out the new website at dininginbrooklyn.com. This site, designed by David Townsend of Actor Webworks, is everything I was hoping it would be. So happy.

Happy eating!

simply the best lentil soup

It seems silly to say that there will be a lot of cooking going on around here this month. There is always a lot of cooking going on around here.

But there has been, and there will be, even more than usual. You see, not only are we gearing up for Thanksgiving in just a few short weeks (!), but the Bushwick Starr's Fall Gala is now less than two weeks away. For the last month, I've been testing recipes to serve at a three course family style farm-to-table dinner. And now it's crunch time!

I've been testing recipes a few times a week, and in between trials, I haven't felt like doing a lot of fancy cooking. Still, we certainly haven't been going hungry. We've been eating all of my test food, along with a handful of much simpler things: Apple pork sausages sauteed with brussels sprouts, this kale and fried egg salad, and recipes from a fantastic cookbook I just bought called Olives and Oranges by Sara Jenkins and Mindy Fox.

I rarely cook from recipes, but I love the way these are written. They are clear, straightforward, and most appealingly, they completely invoke the flavors of the places that they are from and the seasons in which they are traditionally made. A few weeks ago, I tried the Braised Lamb with Concord Grapes and Green Tomatoes. It was unlike anything I'd ever had before; the sweetness of the grapes was present but subtle, and complimented and blended with with acidity of the tomatoes and the mild meaty gaminess of the lamb.

Everything I've made so far from this book has been incredible, but my favorite may be a very simple and completely satisfying lentil soup. Honestly, I decided to try this recipe because I already had all of the ingredients in my kitchen, and it was a nasty, rainy day outside. It seemed a little too simple to be good, and lentils have always seemed a little bland to me. But in this recipe they're not, they're deeply flavorful: earthy, slightly fruity from a drizzle of olive oil, rich from the red wine, fresh from the chopped parsley.

This lentil soup is the perfect thing to help ease this very-November weather. The warmth of its slow simmer will steam up the inside of your kitchen windows, and it's so much nicer to watch the raindrops trickle down the panes from a cozy kitchen over a bowl of delicious soup. It almost sounds like something to look forward to.

Lentil Soup from Olives and Oranges

1 1/2 cups small lentils (about 12 ounces)
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 small dried red chili pepper [Mary: I used 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes here]
1/2 cup dry red wine
4 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon medium-course sea salt, or more to taste

Rinse lentils and discard any stones or other debris.

Pulse onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a food processor until just minced [Mary: this can also be done by hand]. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add vegetable mixture and crumble in chili, then reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

Add wine and cook until mostly evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add water and lentils, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in parsley and salt.

Serve soup drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with additional salt to taste.

steamed clams

These broth for these clams uses the reserved liquid left over from roasting the tomatoes in the Roasted Tomato Soup with Garlic and Herbs recipe. The broth could also be made without this reserved liquid, simply by adding a bit more white wine.

This recipe is absolutely delicious, and it's incredibly fast and easy. It's a great "impress your guests" meal, but it's also simple enough to make for a weeknight dinner.

You don't need to spend a lot of money on the wine for the broth, but do get something that you wouldn't mind drinking, for a couple of reasons: 1) you will have at least 2/3 a bottle left, and white wine is lovely with clams, and 2) the wine will reduce slightly in the broth and it's flavors will concentrate, so if you use cheap "cooking wine," then that's what your broth will taste like.

Steamed Clams in Tomato, Herb, White Wine Broth

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as an appetizer.

2 dozen littleneck or other medium sized clams

1/2 stick of unsalted butter

2 shallots, minced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

reserved liquid from roasted tomatoes

about 1/4 bottle dry white wine, such as Muscadet, Sancerre, or a dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc

salt and pepper

Rinse the clams in cool water. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the minced shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until just translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine, bring to a simmer, and then add the tomato broth. Bring to a low boil, carefully add the clams to the broth, and cover.

Cook covered for 7-10 minutes, or until the clams open. Discard any clams that remain unopened after 10 minutes.

Plate the clams in large bowls in their cooking broth. Serve with plenty of toasted crusty bread to sop up the broth, and a side of roasted fingerling potatoes tossed with chopped parsley and basil.

bye bye tomatoes

Farewell tomatoes, we'll see you next summer. You have been plentiful and delicious.



Here are my last two fresh tomato recipes of the season. The first is a roasted tomato soup/pasta sauce recipe. The second is a poaching liquid or broth that is made from the reserved tomato juice leftover after roasting. I used this broth to steam clams that were honestly one of my favorite things I've ever made, but I imagine it would also be great for poaching a meaty white fish like halibut.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Garlic and Herbs

I set out to make a pasta sauce, but the result was so tasty that I ended up serving most of it as a tomato soup. If you want to use this as pasta sauce, simply add a small amount of the boiled pasta water to the sauce. The starch in the water will make the sauce a little thicker and less soupy.

Many traditional tomato soup/sauce recipes will direct you to boil the tomatoes, them shock them in cold water in order to remove their skins. I have skipped this step entirely, simply roasting the whole tomatoes, then pureeing them, skins and all. I find that this doesn't negatively affect the flavor or consistency of the soup, and saves a lot of time.

Nutrition note: If using this for pasta sauce, the pasta I buy is Tinkyada brand brown rice pasta (available at Whole Foods and many natural foods groceries). I think it's the best whole grain pasta option available right now. The texture and flavor are much more similar to traditional pasta than the whole wheat varieties, it's much higher in fiber, and it's gluten free.


Ingredients

approximately 3 pounds fresh tomatoes (mixed variety is fine--I used plums, cherries, and black brandywines from the garden)

2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (I used rosemary, oregano, and thyme)

4-5 whole garlic cloves

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or more or less to taste

scant 1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

about 15 leaves of fresh basil

sugar


Preheat oven to 425. Quarter or half larger tomatoes so that they are all roughly the same size. If you are using smaller cherry or grape tomatoes, these can be left whole.



Place tomatoes is a large roasting pan. Add garlic, herbs, pepper flakes, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat tomatoes in oil and distribute seasonings.

Roast in oven 20-30 minutes, until the tomatoes have expelled much of their water, and their skins are pruney and puckery.

Remove tomatoes from oven. Transfer roasted tomatoes, herbs, and garlic to a large heatproof bowl, leaving the thin liquid in the roasting pan (this will be used in the second recipe). Add 10 leaves of basil, and puree with an imersion blender.

Taste the puree for seasoning. It will probably need a bit more salt and pepper. You may want to add more basil to play up the herby flavor. If it seems too acidic add a drizzle of olive oil, or it might benefit from a bit of sugar. Season with sugar conservatively as you would season with salt: it's easy to add too much.

Serve this as a soup with crusty bread, or even better, grilled cheese sandwiches with smoked cheddar.

Serve as a pasta sauce tossed with your favorite shaped noodles, a generous grating of parmesan, and more fresh basil.



Transfer the reserved liquid from the roasting pan to a lidded container and store in the fridge until ready to use. It should keep for about 4 days.

Clams in White Wine, Tomato Herb Broth recipe will be up within the next couple days! Enjoy!

the photos

There is a new recipe coming soon. I promise. In the meantime, please admire these gorgeous photos by the amazing Sue Kessler.

Sue took these photos at the latest event that I catered: the web series premiere of Missed Connections Live.

The menu for the event included a cheese plate, avocado caprese with heirloom tomatoes, and a farmers' market antipasti platter (pictured are the yellow wax beans in almond pesto and the citrus and mint mixed beets).









All photos copyright Sue Kessler 2010.

dinner tonight

I've got two new recipes to share this evening that I think go spendidly together. These make a lovely meal in themselves, but they would also be great as side dishes next to some grilled or pan-seared teriyaki salmon.

"Fried rice" with toasted nori and gomaiso

Kale "egg foo young"

Please note and excuse the liberal use of quotation marks. Inspired by my latest cookbook purchase, Everyday Harumi, I have been experimenting with Asian flavors. In the post from a few weeks ago, I mentioned her delicious eggplant dish. These dishes are not from her book, but inspired by the flavors and ingredients I discovered there.

These recipes make a light and hearty meal for two in less than 30 minutes, and they are definitely healthier and cheaper than take-out!

For the rice:

1 cup short grain sweet brown rice, rinsed*

1 1/2 cups water

Generous tablespoon mirin (can be found in most grocery stores with other Asian specialty items. Look near the soy sauce...)

about 2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 sheet nori seaweed (this will probably be hanging out somewhere near the mirin in your grocery store)

1 tbsp black and tan gomaiso (ditto. Gomaiso is toasted sesame seeds with sea salt)

1 small scallion, finely chopped

*Rinsing rice removes phytic acid, which can prevent your body from absorbing essential minerals (like calcium and iron) from your food. Also, most rice is stored in large warehouses in large bins at some point in its journey to you, and you might want to wash off any little footprints or traces of warehouse critters, if you know what I mean ...

For the kale:


3-4 cups roughly chopped kale, larger bits of stem removed, and rinsed to remove any grit

4 eggs, beaten

about 1 tbsp olive oil

about 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce (yay, a shortcut! I like San-J brand: it's gluten-free, they use organic sugar not corn syrup, and I can pronounce all the ingredients)

1/2 tsp red chili flakes, optional

1 scallion, finely chopped

more gomaiso, if you like

First cook the rice. Add the rice and water to a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until almost done. While the rice is cooking, toast the sheet of nori seaweed over low flame on your stove. If it catches on fire around the edges, that's ok. You just want it to turn a deep bright green and smells toasty and wonderful. Set aside. When the rice has absorbed the cooking water, add the mirin and soy sauce, stir well, and then turn off the heat, cover, and set aside.

Now for the kale. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the kale, half of the chopped scallion, teriyaki, and chili flakes (if using). Stir and turn the kale until it turns bright green and then begins to cook down, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat very low, and pour the beaten eggs evenly over the top. As the edges of the eggs begin to cook, gently slide a spatula under the edge, then lift and tilt the pan towards the lifted edge to allow the uncooked egg to run underneath. Continue doing this around the pan until there is very little runny egg left on top of the "omelet." At this point, you will need to flip the omelet, which can be a little tricky. You can either attempt a flip with your spatula in the pan, or gently slide the omelet onto a plate, place the upside down pan on top, then carefully flip the whole thing. I recommend the latter, though if the omelet breaks, it's easily reassembled, and still delicious. Cook for another minute on the second side, then turn off the heat.

To dress the rice, crumble the toasted nori over the top, and sprinkle with gomaiso and scallions.

To dress the "egg foo young," slide the omelet onto a serving plate, top with scallions and more gomaiso if you like. I like to serve it with more teriyaki and soy sauce on the side.

fall forward

I love the fall. I know it's not officially fall yet, but I can feel it coming. The air is a little crisper, it's getting cooler, and everything smells a little better. Fall has always felt like even more of a relief and awakening to me than spring does after winter. Maybe it's because I always liked going back to school. Maybe it's because I'm most comfortable trotting around the city in a cozy sweater and old jeans. Maybe my Irish blood is aching for a little of it's native climate. Whatever it is, fall always feels like the beginning of a new year and a clean slate.



I don't have a recipe to share just yet (we're still working through a huge crop of tomatoes from the backyard), but I'm looking forward to the fall veggies showing up in the market again. I can't wait for more crates of gorgeous kabocha squash like the ones in the heading photo on this page, and I'm looking forward to Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes and parsnips.

One of the reasons the fall food has been on my mind again is because I'm planning dinner for another fundraiser at the Bushwick Starr. It's going to be a hearty family style dinner for thirty guests, and I'm a little nervous and very excited.

There will be cocktail hour hors d'oeuvres (which I had a fun idea for that I think I want to keep a surprise), a sit-down dinner, dessert, and take-away breakfast treats for the next morning as a little thank you to the guests for coming.

The Starr has not made an official announcement yet as to the date, but if any of you are interested in being one at a table of thirty fabulous people for a fall feast, check for details coming up here and on their website at www.thebushwickstarr.org

Before too long I hope to have a separate page for the catering branch of Dining In, a separate page for holistic nutrition counseling, and this blog as well. Phew.

ALSO coming soon I will have some beautiful professional photos of my food to show off, thanks to the amazing Sue Kessler (photographer) and Melissa Center of LMB Productions whose premiere event I catered last week.



Please check out Melissa's webisodes Missed Connections.

Alright, it's much too lovely a day to be sitting at the computer any longer. I'm going to the park. Mmmm.

gazpacho

We have just reached the end of the beautiful and exhausting wedding weekend of our friends Sue and Jared. Noel was in the wedding party, and I made a chocolate Guinness cake for the reception.




We danced, we drank, we ate rich food. The evening was sparkly and magical, and I think we're both still recovering.

Today we tried to refocus on the week ahead, and made a commitment to eat less butter (we've been a little indulgent, of late...mussels in anchovy butter and white whine broth, mmmm. I digress...)

So lunch today was garden gazpacho. We have been overrun with tomatoes around here, and I'm always looking for new ways to use them up before they spoil. (Suggestions?)

We've had tomato salads, sauces, pastas, pico de gallo, egg sandwiches with tomato, bruschetta, and now this delicious soup.

This is my attempt to quantify the recipe, which until now has been a very haphazard and successful throwing of veggies into a pot. I'd go lightly on the seasonings at first, as this is an approximation of what I did. You can always add more later.



2 lbs fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped (to taste)
3 medium cucumbers, partially peeled, chopped
10-15 leaves of fresh basil
leaves from 3-4 sprigs of oregano
leaves from 3-4 sprigs of thyme
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
Juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
salt and pepper
1 cup water

Throw everything into a pot and puree with an immersion blender, or in a stand blender in batches. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve with a plate of fresh garnishes: cilantro, more basil, scallions, and hard boiled egg. Drizzle with olive oil, and add a little cracked black pepper on top.

keeping up, keeping cool

Excuses for why I have not posted anything for months are as follows:

1. I have been traveling.
2. I've been busy with my health counseling certification.
3. It's been far too hot to turn on the oven, or the stove for more than 5 minutes.

Regarding number one, I've made trips to DC, Charlotte, Cape Cod, and Vermont. The last was a camping trip which included a campfire dinner of eggplant in a spicy ginger sauce, adapted slightly from Everyday Harumi. This recipe is delicious, and the cookbook is warm, welcoming, uncomplicated, and accessible. I highly recommend both.

Today I rhapsodized excitedly to a woman at the farmers' market about the virtues of purslane (a delicious wild green with a crisp lemony taste that has the highest omega 3s of any veggie!). I love learning all this stuff. I love sharing it. I promise I'll share more here, soon.

Now about number three... despite the lack of cooking, we have been eating very well around here. The garden is producing more tomatoes than we can keep up with, and we're starting to have an intimidating number of cucumbers as well. With these beauties from the backyard, and a cornucopia of produce from the farmers' market, there has thankfully been little need to turn on the stove. Meals around here lately tend to look like a smorgasbord of small salads, punctuated with hearty brown bread and some Millport Dairy cheddar cheese. I love eating this way. It feels both healthy and luxurious.

So instead of writing a recipe, I thought I'd list some of the raw goodies that have been on our table. Raw food in the summer will help keep you cool, hydrated, and feeling peppy and vital despite the heat wave. And it's yummy.

Lemon-rubbed kale with grated sharp cheddar.
Sliced cucumber with scallions, soy sauce, and black and tan gomaiso (sesame seeds with sea salt)
Black brandywine and Russian plum tomatoes with sea salt and basil
Quick pickled kohlrabi with ume plum vinegar and mirin.
Steamed beets with fresh basil and mint
Purslane with figs, goat cheese, and honey balsamic dressing.
Plums and blueberries--they are in season, and absurdly good!

Enjoy!

Catering Debrief: Phew.

The final menu:

Avocado Caprese
Deviled Eggs with tarragon or dill
Watermelon Salad with cilantro and crispy pancetta
Chilled Cucumber Soup with mint almond pesto
Lemon Tarragon Baguette with course sea salt

Ok, time to toot my own horn a little.

The catering at the Big Green Theatre Fundraiser went really well. Amazingly well. I was amazed.

I had been incredibly nervous during the week leading up to the fundraiser. I had never catered for 75 people before, I was afraid I'd make too little food, I was afraid I'd make too much food, I was afraid the avocados wouldn't be ripe enough, or too ripe, I was afraid I had created a menu that forced me to do everything very last minute.

That last fear turned out to be a little credible. The 48 hours right before the fundraiser were insane. Hauling home 30 pounds of vegetables on the subway by myself during rush hour almost put me over the edge. The discovery that an emersion blender would not work on over a gallon of cucumber mint soup was very disappointing. And the eggs, oohhhh the eggs. Damn those eggs. Those eggs did not want to be peeled. It took me 3 hours to peel 3 dozen eggs. Damn those eggs.



The morning of the fundraiser, Noel left early to help set up the theatre. I sat at the kitchen table, staring into space, sipping away at a pot of coffee. I was thinking through the rest of the menu that I needed to finish in the next 3 hours. I didn't have a garnish for the cucumber soup. I was going to use chive blossoms, but no one at the farmers market had them in stock that week. I had lots of leftover mint, so I decided to make a quick pesto to garnish, with the mint, some of the smaller basil leaves that weren't going in the avocado caprese, toasted almonds, and garlic. I chopped through the layers of herbs, garlic, and almonds on a cutting board rather than running everything through the food processor. This method is a little more time consuming, but I think it yields a more textured and rustic pesto. Then I stirred through a spritz of fresh lemon juice and some olive oil, until everything stuck together nicely. I felt a little crazy for adding work for myself at that point, but I was very pleased with the result.



Another last minute project was making a dressing for the watermelon. Again, I'm not sure what possessed me to do this, but I'm very glad I did. I had rendered out a lot of fat from the pancetta as I was crisping it in the frying pan. I decided to use the fat in a dressing with some aged balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. Only a small drizzle went over each piece of the salad, but it added a great subtle and rich and tangy and sweet something, and it made the watermelon look even more juicy and delicious.



One of the great things about catering for the Bushwick Starr is that they have a small kitchen in the theatre. Roberta's Pizza had donated 8 baguettes to the fundraiser, and I was able to heat them in the oven during the fundraiser. They came out of the oven steaming fresh and slightly sweet from the lemon tarragon butter on the inside, and with a crispy crust, sprinkled with course sea salt.

I was also able to replenish the buffet table with freshly made plates of food, rather than having to pre-make everything. I sliced and assembled the Avocado Caprese as they were needed. Everything was as fresh as possible, and to my immense satisfaction, people really appreciated the effort. Many people commented on how unique and fresh the food was, and I overheard one woman say that it was much more like having a personal chef than a caterer. Wow.

So, it was an immense amount of work, but incredibly gratifying, and I hope to tell more tales of catering very soon.

P.S. To those to came to the fundraiser, I hope you had a lovely time, and thank you so much for all the kind words. I'm so glad you enjoyed my food.

The Big Dig

We have a backyard.

Not too many people in Brooklyn are lucky enough to say this. It's a mess but it's coming along. And it's all ours. We don't have to share.

The photo above is what it looked like the first day I looked at the apartment. One corner was covered by a moldy old rug, the rest of the yard with weeds and buckets full of broken glass.



Since then, much work has been done, mostly by Noel. We have pulled all kinds of artifacts from the dirt: shoes, scrunchies, bottle caps, hangers, clothes pins, matchbox cars, cigarette butts, army men, sticky traps, dry wall, batteries ... the list goes on. One of my favorite discoveries was the bottom portion of a cat's jaw bone next to a set of plastic vampire teeth. I almost wish we had saved some of the best stuff to put on exhibit at a housewarming party!

All of this amazing junk is being removed to make way for sugar snap peas, sweet and hot peppers, radishes, parsnips, heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, brussels sprouts, butter leaf lettuce, herbs, sunflowers, and butterfly bushes.

I can't wait to walk outside in the morning, pick a fresh, deep wine-colored tomato from our yard and have it with sea salt and pepper, and maybe a fresh egg from the farmers market. I can't wait to make pickles with cucumber and herbs that we grew ourselves. And I can't wait to have people over for dinner! Grilled eggplant bahn mi with sweet pepper relish and fresh cilantro? Yes, please.

So, very soon, I'll be cooking about as locally as it gets: with ingredients grown 15 feet from my kitchen. I feel very lucky. And I'll gloat and gush all about it here, very soon.

News!

Hello all!

Sorry to have been away so long. I've been working on MANY things, and I have a few exciting bits to announce.

First of all, for anyone in the NY area, I will be catering an event for an amazing theatre space in Bushwick, Brooklyn, called the Bushwick Starr. They are having a fundraiser to kick off a wonderful new project at the space called Big Green Theater, as well as celebrating the opening of their hydroponic rooftop garden!

I'm working on a light buffet menu inspired by traditional garden party fare, and trying to source locally as much as I can. Right now the menu (subject to change) includes:

Cucumber Mint Soup with Chive Blossoms
Watermelon Salad with Cilantro and Pork Cracklings
Avocado Caprese
Local Farm Deviled Eggs with Fresh Herbs
Lemon Tarragon Baguette

For more information or to buy tickets for the Big Green Theater fundraiser, please CLICK HERE.

The second bit of news is that I have enrolled in a program to become a certified holistic health counselor. I'm very much looking forward to this new chapter in my life, and hope to share what I'm learning with you here, in addition to the recipe posts.

I hope you are all having a wonderful spring. Now is a great time to check out your local farmers markets for spring veggies!

Best,
Mary

Blizzard Brunch

Wednesday morning, I was lucky enough to find myself snowed in with a fridge full of delicious ingredients. This hash was the result of a thrown-together meal for my dad. I later made a version for myself, omitting the bacon, but I suspect his was tastier! We ate this with thick slices of pumpernickel bread to sop up the egg yolk and melted cheddar.

Winter Hash with Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Serves 2, or one who has done a great deal of shoveling

A litle less than a pound of baby potatoes
2 strips bacon, cut into half inch strips
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
About a half dozen Brussels sprouts
Two eggs
Grated, aged cheddar (optional)
Salt and pepper
Sunflower or olive oil

Trim the stems from the Brussels sprouts, and separate the leaves. Toss the leaves with enough oil to coat, a liberal amount of salt and pepper, and then spread them out onto a sheet pan. Roast in a 400 degree oven for anywhere from 5-10 minutes, until they are browning and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Boil the potatoes in a pot of salted water for about 10 minutes. Strain in a collander, then place the collander over the empty pot off the heat, and cover with a dish towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for another 7-10 minutes. Quarter the potatoes and set aside.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add bacon, and cook until just starting to brown. Add the diced onion and saute until they begin to become translucent. Add the garlic, stir a bit, and then add the potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste.

I let the potatoes brown a bit, and then gave them a little smush with a potato masher, but you could certainly leave them whole if you prefer a homefry to a hash.

Cook the eggs to your liking, fried or poached.

Divide the potato hash between two plates, and sprinkle with the cheddar cheese if you are using it. Top with the egg, then disperse the Brussels sprout "chips" around the plate.

warm winter salad

I eat a lot of salad in warmer weather, but in the winter I jones for something a little heavier and more filling. I love topping mixed greens with roasted veggies--Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, parsnips--chopped almonds, and some shaved cheese, but sometimes I want something a little quicker and simpler.

Kale makes a great warm salad, because it retains its crisp texture even after light cooking. It's also one of the healthiest foods you can eat. I recently read that it packs the highest nutritional punch with the lowest amount of calories of any food.

I love kale simply sauteed with a bit of oil, garlic, and salt and pepper, but this recipe dresses up that method a bit, and makes it more of a meal than just a side dish or a snack.

Kale with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms and a Fried Egg (serves 2)

Like I said, I like kale because stays crisp after sauteing, but I imagine any dark leafy green (Swiss chard, beet greens, or even spinach) would do fine here as well.

Hen of the woods mushrooms (sometimes called Maitake) have a strong, earthy, musky flavor, so a little will get you further than some other varieties. I have also found that they do not cook down quite as much as other mushrooms (good, too, because they can be a bit pricey, but worth it!). You could certainly substitute another mushroom here if you cannot find these.


1 bunch kale
about 1 cup hen of the woods mushrooms
1 large clove garlic, minced
scant tablespoon fresh thyme (about half this if using dried)
2 fresh eggs

safflower oil (or olive oil)
salt
pepper

To prepare the hen of the woods mushrooms, remove the feathery top bits from the knobby base, then discard the base. Separate the feathery bits further into bite-size pieces.

In a small skillet heat a generous glug of oil over medium heat, then add the mushrooms. Cook for about a minutes, then season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Continue to cook until just tender, about 3 more minutes. Remove from the pan and cover to keep warm while you move on to the kale and eggs.

Chop kale across the stem into 1 inch strips, discarding any larger bits of stem at the bottom of the leaves. Rinse the kale well to remove any grit.

Heat a couple generous glugs of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the minced garlic, and allow to sizzle for just a moment, then throw in the kale. If there is water left on the kale after you rinse it, the oil with sputter when you add the greens, so stand back! Season with salt and pepper and toss well to dress with the garlic and oil. Saute until bright green but still crisp--this will only take a couple of minutes. Remove to serving plates immediately so it does not overcook.

You can use the same pan in which you cooked the mushrooms for the eggs. Heat a little oil over medium heat, and fry the eggs to desired doneness. I like over easy, so the yolks are thick and velvety, but still runny.

To assemble the salad, make a bed of kale, sprinkle with the hen of the woods mushrooms, and gently slide the fried egg over the top. Finish with a little more freshly cracked pepper. I like to serve this salad with a crusty brown bread and Cabot clothbound cheddar. This is one of my absolute favorite meals, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.