Fonduta-Filled Gougeres

And so my Thanksgiving recipes begin.  First up: the gougeres that were the amuse for the meal.

For the past few years, I've made gougeres every year for Thanksgiving as part of the lineup of the snacks before our Thanksgiving feast.  But this year I decided to make them even better by filling them with a rich, gooey, cheesy fonduta.  Sort of like a cream puff, but savory and melty.

Chioggia Beet and Yellow Plum Salad

Well look who it is.  I'm back from my accidental hiatus, and I've got a ton of recipes to post courtesy of the cupcakes I made for Matt's brother's wedding and some excellent meals I've made courtesy of my CSA share.  I have no real reason for disappearing other than neglect and preoccupation with other things, but I've refocused and am hoping to get back into my regular blogging groove once again.

First up: this simple yet stunning salad.  It came together on a whim while I was searching my fridge for items to make into a pretty plated salad.

Sunchoke and Fontina Pizza

If I had to pick one food to eat for the rest of my life, it would most definitely be pizza.  Maybe it's because I was born and raised in New York, or maybe because pizza, that magical combination of bread and cheese, is so satisfying, but, whatever the reason, pizza is my number one.  Be it a classic margherita from Roberta's, potato and rosemary from L'Asso, brussels sprouts and ricotta from Motorino (hold the pancetta), or green pepper and onion from Singa's Famous Pizza, I'll devour it (well, of course, with certain obvious exceptions).  And then there are my two other favorites, Pepe's and Bar in New Haven, the latter of which I ate at about twice a month when I was in college (bet you didn't know that, mom, although if you knew it was always the mashed potato and garlic you might be a little jealous).

Made with 8 oz Trader Joe's pizza dough that I accidentally left uncovered at room temp for an hour -  hence the crackly crust.  It still tasted good, so I guess the moral of the story is that pizza is awesome.

A few days ago, I realized I still had some sunchokes left in the fridge from our last CSA share of 2010 (yes, that last share was a few days before Christmas, but thankfully root vegetables keep reeeeeeeeally well in cold storage).  I had previously cut them into big chunks and roasted them (so easy and so good) and turned them into a puree (equally as good), but I was a little bored of those preparations.  So, being the pizzaholic I am, I decided that these sunchokes would adorn a pizza.

Blood Orange, Olive, and Arugula Salad

I've recently developed a minor obsession with citrus.  This may be (largely) due to the fact that, for more than a month now,  it's been freezing and snowy and slushy and gray.  When did I move to a strange hybrid of Seattle and Minneapolis?  But my daily 3 pm Cara Cara orange always seems to make me oblivious to the nasty conditions outside.

Despite of the lack of local fruit this time of year (I know there are lots of apples in cold storage, but I really cannot eat another apple for a long time - we were getting 8 pounds a week from our CSA for nearly two months and we ate every single one of them and I am surprised we did not turn into apples), February is the perfect time of year for out of the ordinary citrus: Meyer lemons and Cara Cara and Moro (aka blood) oranges.  All of them are head and shoulders above their run-of-the-mill counterparts, so I try to indulge in them as much as possible for the few weeks I can find them.

Sweet and Spicy Cornmeal Waffles Florentine

As much as I love brunch, I am no longer a huge fan of going out for brunch.  Yes, I know it's an NYC institution, but I have good reasons.  All too often, there is only one savory and one sweet option on the menu that are vegetarian (seriously, why is that), and since pancakes and french toast always leave me hungry (I have an anti-sweet tooth), that means I'm relegated to ordering the one vegetarian egg dish.  Which is really not my idea of a good time at a restaurant.  I like to have choices.

And even if there are a variety of options, it rather pains me to pay $14 for a pair of poached eggs on a soggy English muffin or a mediocre omelet.  Sure, I still love a good brunch outing on the weekend - particularly to Cookshop or Five Points (ok,  those are basically the same place), and I'm heading to The Farm on Adderley next weekend - but I don't go out for brunch nearly as often as I used to for the reasons mentioned above, not to mention that I'm happy as a clam when I'm in the kitchen.

Super Bowl Six-Layer Dip

I’ve never been a big football fan, but for some strange reason, I’ve really gotten into it the past few weeks. And who have I been rooting for? None other than the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, they lost their playoff game this past Saturday, which means I don’t really care about watching the Super Bowl for the game itself, but I’ll be tuned in to the commercials and eating good food during the game. Enter this dip for game time diversion.

Everyone loves seven-layer dip, but it usually involves ground beef, which I am obviously not cool with. And I’m kind of over meat substitutes (Trader Joe’s soy chorizo, I’m looking at you), so I just left out the seventh layer and made this a six-layer dip. Blasphemy, I know, but it’s tasty, I swear, and you’ll never miss that seventh layer.

Mizuna and Pear Salad with Goat Cheese Croquettes

Ever since I joined my CSA, I’ve been forced to cook around the ingredients I get each week instead of coming up with ideas and then shopping for them. I’m usually fine with this, as I always cook vegetarian and therefore use tons of vegetables, but some weeks have proven challenging – like the ones where all I get are leafy greens.

Last week was another greens-filled week. Among the bounty was mizuna, escarole, and bok choy, and I had gotten Swiss chard and romaine lettuce the prior week (half of which is still in my fridge…thankfully CSA/greenmarket produce is so fresh that it lasts longer in the fridge than supermarket produce, which is already many days, if not more than a week old by the time you get it). I transformed the escarole and bok choy into a stir fry (along with some green beans – another CSA share item – and tofu) but the mizuna stayed in the fridge. It’s still there, as Matt and I were away last weekend so there went a good four meals through which I could’ve used up a lot of last week’s haul. And let’s not talk about the huge bag of apples and pears that is going to turn into mush any second now.

Hand-Cut Pesto

Two summers ago, I discovered the magic of hand-cut pesto. I had just moved back to Brooklyn from Baltimore and I was visiting Matt in Baltimore for the weekend.  We had made a trip to the Waverly Farmers Market on a Saturday morning - one of our favorite things to do in Baltimore - and returned home with a ton of produce, among which was a huge bunch of basil and purple string beans (like green beans, but purple!)

One of my favorite pasta dishes is Trofie Genovese, which I discovered at Supper restaurant in the East Village (it used to be my favorite Italian place in NYC but for a variety of reasons, I won't go there anymore.  Feel free to ask me why).  It's a blend of trofie, a thin corkscrew pasta, pesto, green beans, and cubes of potatoes - a very simple dish, but when done well, it's delicious.  I hadn't had this in ages so I decided to create it myself using the purple string beans and basil from the market along with some amazing pasta and cheese from Mastellone's.  There was just one problem - Matt didn't have a food processor or chopper with which to make the pesto.

Pasta with Fava Beans, Sugar Snap Peas, and Pistachio Pesto

It was 103 degrees in NYC yesterday so there was no way in the world I was going to stand in the kitchen any longer than absolutely necessary.  We live on the 4th floor of a small walkup building and it gets – and stays – really hot in our apartment.  Combine that with the fact our air conditioners are small units that are not really capable of cooling down a 100 degree room and you have a recipe for a very hands-off dinner.

Eating out and a big salad were not options (the former because we have so much produce from our CSA share and the latter because we had already had one for lunch), nor were turning on the oven or anything that needed more than 20 minutes on the stove so as to not overheat the apartment or the person standing over the stove in the kitchen (which would be me).

Fettucine with Leeks, White Beans, and Parsley

Part of our first CSA pickup was a bunch of beautiful leeks. The stalks were thick and creamy white, unlike the streaky, somewhat dried-up specimens in the supermarket. These particular leeks were even better than ones I’ve gotten at the farmers market – they were incredibly tender and amazingly grit free.

My CSA sends out an email on Mondays letting us know what’s in our pickup the next day, so I’ve taken to meal planning for the week based on what I’ll be getting the next day. I saw leeks on the list for that first week and I knew right away what to make with them.

Strawberry Salad with Balsamic, Blue Cheese, and Tarragon

Words alone cannot express how excited I am to finally be a member of a CSA! I had always wanted to join but it’s not the easiest thing in the world to do when you’re single and living with roommates. Sure, I could have found a friend to share with me, but I think that 5-6 years ago, most of us (myself included) weren’t quite as into or aware of our food as we are today.

Matt and I frequently shopped at the farmers markets in Baltimore, and when I moved back to NYC two years ago, I was living alone so a full share was, again, not really the best option. I’m sure I could have easily used up each week’s share, but I was so busy with work and wedding planning that I wasn’t particularly focused on food. So now that Matt is here and life has calmed down, we are now the proud new owners of a CSA membership.

Manchego Cheese Popovers with Membrillo Butter

I've recently noticed that popovers are taking restaurants by storm. They've shown up in place of bread at a number of restaurants in my neighborhood (including one of my favorites, Buttermilk Channel), and it's nearly impossible to find a brunch bread basket that doesn't contain them. I had never made them at home because I found them intimidating; I think it's because they have their own special pan in which they should be baked, and things that requires a specific pan are usually fussy. Not the case with popovers, though.

Popover batter is actually ridiculously easy to make. You do not have to have any baking skills whatsoever to make these and, more importantly, to have them come out good. No need to cream butter, knead and raise dough, or work with hot sugar. Just a few simple ingredients that most people always have on hand get whisked together and put into the oven. Really, it's as simple as that.  The key skills here are actually patience  and resisting the urge to open the oven door.

Super Simple Better For You Blue Cheese Dip

I'm  not really a football fan, but I do like watching the playoffs. For some reason unbeknownst to me, I feel the need to eat "traditional" foods while watching football - wings, blue cheese dip, hot dogs, and bad pizza.  Before you freak out, keep reading - I have not abandoned my vegetarian ways.

A few weekends ago, Matt and I (ok really just me) made Asian-inspired hot dogs (really veggie dogs) that were, let's be honest, a total ripoff of Asia Dog.  [If you live in NYC and haven't had an Asia Dog, then you obviously haven't been to two of my favorite places (the Brooklyn Flea and The Bell House) and you need to get yourself to one of them immediately.  They are insanely delicious and light years beyond the average dog.]

Pear, Pomegranate, and Pistachio Salad

It seems that January is the month of eating well and detox, at least according to my friends and a bunch of food publications.  I guess after all the sweets and booze of December’s holiday parties, we feel the need to negate the damage with healthy foods, and salad is usually the first thing that comes to mind.

Blueberry Ricotta Tart

At long last, here’s the recipe for my entry for the Brooklyn Beer Experiment.

When I decided to enter, I came up with a shortlist of things to make. My first thought was Beeramisu using a coffee porter (specifically, Sixpoint’s Gorilla Warfare, which is SO GOOD) instead of Marsala + espresso, but, unfortunately, I was too late, as the organizers of the event informed me that someone else had already entered it. (And Johnny Iuzzini, who is one of my favorite pastry chefs, deemed it the best dessert. Note to self: stop procrastinating.) I am, however, undeterred, and plan on making this at some point in the future using the original tiramisu recipe, which, as I mentioned last fall, was created in Baltimore.

Baked Figs with Honeyed Goat Cheese and Walnuts

Here’s another one from Thanksgiving – I know I’m totally behind, no need to remind me.

Since I’m feeling lazy (which is not really news, I’m generally fairly lazy, I don’t quite understand how I can be both lazy and hyperactive, but I am), there’s no story on this. It just sounded like a good idea at the time, and it worked out really well (phew).

Kabocha Squash (Pumpkin) Cheesecake with Graham-Lime-Walnut Crust

Pumpkin pie: people either love it or hate it. I, as a lover of all things pumpkin, obviously don’t hate it, but I am very picky about it. Most of them have a bad crust and the filling is usually too sweet and cinnamony (I really don’t like cinnamon). But if it’s made well, it’s oh so good.

A number of years ago, I very briefly worked at a fancy Chinese restaurant at which Pichet Ong was the pastry chef. I absolutely loved, and to this day, still do love, his Asian-inspired desserts. About a year after that, the New York Times printed a wonderful recipe of his a few weeks before Thanksgiving for a twist on the classic pumpkin pie: a Kabocha squash pie. Kabocha squash is among the sweetest varieties of squash (see this NYT article if you don’t believe me), so it lends itself perfectly to dessert. My favorite thing about it is its vibrant orange color - it's very Day-Glo-esqsue. Pichet's pie's filling contains the standard pumpkin pie spices, but is heavier on the ginger than the standard. The crust is perhaps the best part – it’s a graham cracker crust that’s perked up with ginger, lime, and walnuts. The addition of nuts make the crust rich and almost candy-like, and the flavor is just outstanding. Overall, it's a nice little Thai twist.

Luxe Mac and Cheese

I promised a friend that I’d post this last week, and, of course, I’m only getting around to it now….

I’ve always loved cheese (I have a hilarious/embarrassing childhood story about my love for cheese), so it naturally follows that I’ve always loved mac and cheese. I always looked forward to the one Saturday a month that mom made the Kraft stuff for me and my brother, and I continued to love it (and try to not eat the whole box) well into my early 20’s. But then one day I went to Artisanal (aka the temple of cheese) with my friends Elise and Kristen and we decided to be indulgent and order a side of their mac and cheese. It was amazing – light years better than the stuff made from powdered cheese, and even more satisfying. I have no idea what blend of cheeses they use, but it was perfect – pungent, creamy, rich, and perfectly seasoned.

Risotto with Asparagus and Morels

Yep, I’m obsessed with asparagus. This time I paired it with another springtime treat, morel mushrooms, and put the mixture on top of a simple risotto – it was a last minute lazy Sunday supper whose flavor belied its simplicity.

I love mushrooms of all kinds, and morels are no exception. They’re available fresh for a short time each spring, and their rarity and elusiveness means, unfortunately, that they’re pricey (the bf was shocked at how much I shelled out for a small container of them). They’re available dried year-round, but there’s nothing like a fresh morel sautéed in butter – the flavor is earthy and rich and the texture is slightly chewy but not quite as spongy as other mushrooms. Make sure you cook them, though, because morels are toxic when raw, and the toxin is broken down by heat.

Fresh Ricotta and Spinach Gnocchi

Because I am the kind of person who doesn’t easily accept failure, I set out again last weekend to make the spinach and ricotta gnocchi that I had first (and successfully) made for my friend in NYC last month and again a few weeks ago (which didn’t make it to the table for reasons that have been sworn to secrecy ;)

 
I’ve probably said this a million times already, but I think one of the basic rules of cooking is that dishes that require a few ingredients require that those ingredients be the absolute best you can get. It makes sense – if there are only 4 ingredients in something, you’re going to be able to taste each and every one of those ingredients. So, for example, if you use store brand ricotta cheese in these gnocchi, you will definitely taste it. And that won’t be a good thing, because store brand ricotta is grainy and tastes funny. I learned that lesson a few years ago, and never again will I be so cheap as to buy the store brand – I’ll at least spring for the Polly-O or something.