Sushi!

Katie and I made way too much sushi. Stay tuned for some leftovers posts.
Learn from our "mistake": if you want to make sushi,
invite some friends.

pickled mackerel nigiri
with avocado & tobiko
&
hamachi nigiri

closeup of the mackerel-- this was a delicious combo.
the avocado tempered the vinegary fish
and the tobiko added a nice crunch.

salmon nigiri with avocado on shiso leaves

shiso leaves have a strong woodsy citrus flavor
that kind of overwhelmed the delicate salmon

tuna & hamachi sashimi with a dollop of tobiko

salmon, scallop, and octopus sashimi

the octopus was cooked and sliced thin

scallop sashimi is my new favorite!

more pickled mackerel, with avocado,
tobiko, and daikon radish sprouts

tuna with avocado & tobiko,
garnished with daikon radish sprouts

sake, of course

Cider Braised Chicken

I know this seems like a really weird recipe, but it's good-- I promise. The cider cooks down, mellowing the garlic, into a thick tangy sauce, and the sweetness is tempered by the chili. The whole thing cooks up in about 30 minutes, and takes only 5 or so to put together.

I used boneless skinless thigh meat to make this a quick meal, but you can use whole, bone-in chicken pieces and even leave the skin on if you like. Just adjust the cooking time.

You'll need (serves 3-4):

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thigh meat (see note)
1 head garlic
3 stalk lemongrass
2c "hard" apple cider
1/4c flour
1t harissa paste
1T smoked Turkish pepper or smoked paprika
s&p
1T grapeseed oil

Remove outer layers from lemongrass and grind in a food processor. Slice garlic.

If using boneless meat, cut chicken into small (1 inch) pieces. Salt and pepper liberally and toss with flour. Heat oil in a skillet big enough to fit all your chicken in 1 layer and brown chicken pieces, being careful not to crowd the pan, about 3 minutes/side over medium-high heat. If the pan starts to burn, lower heat & add more oil. Set browned pieces aside.

Add lemongrass and garlic to pan and cook until garlic is golden, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Add cider and bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from pan. Add harissa and smoked pepper or paprika; add browned chicken and accumulated juices.


Simmer, uncovered, about 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through, adding water or stock if liquid dries up. You should end up with a thick brown sauce. Serve over couscous....

...with a nice salad...

Prosciutto Butter

This is a super easy hors d'oeuvre to make when you have surprise guests. All you need is a few slices of prosciutto-- the cheap stuff is fine-- a tablespoon of buttter, some black pepper, and a food processor. I'll let you figure out the rest.

Veal Cheek Pappardelle

Veal cheeks can be hard to find; you can substitute with beef cheeks, which you might have to special order anyway from your butcher. In a pinch, use short ribs. I begin this ragu with guanciale, another hard-to-find ingredient, which can be substituted for with thick-cut pancetta or bacon. The guanciale, if you can find it, is nice because it retains its luscious mouthfeel, and nice added richness to this meaty sauce. It's from the jowl (cheek), not the belly, of the pig. Veal or beef cheeks are also delicious on their own; I made a pasta sauce here to make my 1lb cheek feed 4. As with any slow braise, this is best prepared the day before. If you must make it the day of, start early, as the meat cooks for a few hours, and then needs to cool to be shredded.

guanciale

You'll need:

1.25lb veal cheek (trimmed weight, 1lb)
1.2lb guanciale
.7oz (20g) dried morel mushrooms
5 medium onions
2 large carrots
3 large cloves garlic
1 6oz can tomato paste
1T harissa paste (optional-- you can use chili flakes instead)
1 bottle dry red wine
about 4c beef broth (I used leftover broth from making beef tongue)
1T herbes de provence
1/2c heavy cream
fresh pappardelle pasta (I used a mix of porcini & black pepper rosemary)

Rinse dry morels and place in bowl. Cover with hot water and set aside to soak.

Peel onions and set aside. Cut guanciale into pieces about 1cm wide and 3cm long.


Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat and cook guanciale. When it starts to brown slightly, lower heat and continue to cook until light brown and swimming in rendered fat.


In the meantime, trim cheek(s) of fat and silverskin. Season with salt and pepper. Remove guanciale with a slotted spoon. Raise heat to medium-high. Brown cheek on both sides. Remove and set aside.


While cheek is browning, slice onions and drain morels, reserving liquid.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Add onions to the pot where the guanciale and cheek were. As the onions absorb the fat, chop carrots and crush and slice garlic and add them too. Cook on medium to low heat, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes, until onions are very very soft.

Push onions to the side and add tomato paste and harissa. Let brown slightly, about 1 minute, then mix with onions. Stir to combine, about 1 minute. Add wine. Raise heat and boil until reduced by half. You should have a thick, luscious goo of tomato, wine, and onion, with the occasional carrot peaking through.


Add strained morel soaking liquid and continue to cook until the mixture is so thick that your wooden spatula can make trails in it.


Add morels, guanciale, veal cheek, any accumulated juices, and herbes de provence to pot. Add beef broth and water, if necessary, to cover cheek. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and put in the oven.

when adding dried herbs,
crush them with your hands first

Cook for about 3 hours, testing after 2. The meat should pierce easily with a small knife.


Cool the meat in enough sauce to cover. The next day, skim fat; remove meat and shred. Reduce the rest of the sauce to desired thickness, skimming the orange foam that rises to the top. Return meat to pot. Reheat. Stir in cream. Simmer 5 more minutes to develop flavors.


Serve sauce on pasta with a sprinkle of parmesan. Unfortunately, we forgot the cream, so yours should look a little paler than this picture.

the table was pretty & purple

Seared Scallops on Caramelized Corn with Arugula and Tarragon Butter

This is remarkably easy and can (and should) be done at the last minute, though you can caramelize the corn earlier and just heat it up before serving. Unfortunately, we all dug in before I could take a picture-- what you see above was all that was left by the time I remembered this blog. This was the appetizer for my veal cheek pappardelle.

I thought this wine went really well--
it was crisp and slightly fruity.

You'll need (4 appetizers or 1 main course):

4 scallops
2 ears of corn
2c wild baby arugula or other microgreen
3T butter
1/4c vermouth
2T chopped fresh tarragon

Holding corn on its end (big end down), slide a large knife down the ear, angled slightly in, so kernels come off whole and fall onto a cutting board (some will jump away. catch them).

Melt 1T butter in a heavy skillet. When butter foams and turns golden brown, add corn, salt, pepper. Distribute in a single layer and don't stir. When corn starts to pop, stir and taste: the kernels should be golden and taste sweet. Remove from heat. (You can do this part ahead).

Rinse and dry scallops well. Season with salt & pepper.

In the same pan (wipe it clean with a paper towel if there's black bits), add 1T butter and melt over high heat until golden. Add scallops; once they're in the pan, don't move them. In about 45 seconds, a brownish crust should form on the bottom and creep up the sides; flip them at this point and cook about 45 seconds more on the other side. Remove from pan.

Clean out pan if necessary. Deglaze with vermouth. Let simmer until it loses its alcohol smell, about 45 seconds. Add remaining butter, swirling to create a creamy sauce. Add corn and tarragon; toss to coat.

Arrange arugula in a circle on a plate. Fill circle with corn; top with a scallop.

Spice Rubbed Chicken

Baking chicken breasts with their bones and skin intact produces juicy, flavorful white meat every time. You can amp up the flavor, and crisp up the skin, by browning them first. Here, I used three different spices for a spice tasting of sorts. On the right is a spice mixture called Hawaj; in the middle, Aleppo pepper; on the left, smoked Turkish pepper. After stuffing whatever seasoning you choose under the skin, brown on the stove, and then bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Filet of Sole with Harissa Aioli

This is quick, delicious, and even cheap-- sole is one of the least expensive fishes out there (English sole, that is. Petrale sole is considerably more expensive). Make sure your fish is fresh, or it won't taste like much-- or, worse yet, it'll taste fishy.

You'll need (for 2 people):

1lb sole
1/2c milk
1 egg
1/2c panko

1 egg yolk
1/4c canola oil (do not use extra virgin olive oil)
1 clove garlic
1T harissa paste (comes in a tube or a jar)
1t salt
juice from 1/2 lemon


Soak sole in milk. In the meantime, make the aioli.

(Jesse made this aioli. I tried to make it with a food processor and failed. Doing it by hand is time consuming but so worth it. If you want to skip this step, use prepared mayonnaise, but add the lemon juice, garlic, and harissa.)

Chop garlic into a paste, smooshing it with the broad side of a knife, a little salt, and a drop of oil.

Beat yolk with a fork. Add salt and lemon juice. Add oil in a very slow stream, beating well, until the mixture is the desired consistency-- thick but still saucy. Add garlic paste and harissa to taste.

Heat grapeseed or canola oil in a heavy skillet.

Beat egg with a splash of cold water to loosen it up in a plate or flat dish. Pour panko into another dish and season with salt and pepper. Drain fish from milk as you work; dip in egg, drain; encrust with panko.

Fry in hot oil about 1-2 min/side, depending on the thickness of your filets. Drain on a paper towel before serving.

Eggs for Breakfast

As I mentioned here, I would take eggs for breakfast over almost anything. Here are two simple preparations for your morning meal.

Above, the Egyptian Omelet with Pancetta: Cut a circle out of a piece of bread, place a thin slice of pancetta over the opening, and crack an egg in it. Cook until crisp, then flip briefly to cook the top.

Below, Egg in Gorgonzola Polenta: Use pre-made or leftover polenta. Warm it over low heat, dotted with gorgonzola. When the cheese melts, make a well in the middle. Add a bit of butter. Raise the heat and crack an egg into the well.

Both of these preparations benefit from the runny yolk, so be careful not to break the yolk or overcook it.

Spicy Grilled Squid

Squid, or calamari, is the perfect summer food: it's light and tasty, cooks in minutes, and tastes faintly of the sea, which is probably where you wish you could be in the kind of weather we've been enjoying this week. It's also the perfect winter food: stuffed and braised, it makes a warm, hearty dish. Look for winter squid if the weather changes; for now, enjoy this recipe, which can be made with any marinade (olive oil, garlic, and salt would be delicious), and can be cooked on an outdoor barbecue (like we did) or in your griddle pan or cast-iron skillet. It can even be broiled. And the best part is that squid is incredibly cheap.

You'll need:

1/2 lb cleaned squid bodies per person*

4T honey
2T sambal (chili-garlic paste)-- or less if you can't handle the heat
1.5T rice vinegar
1T low-sodium soy sauce
juice of 1/2 lime + more limes for serving
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 inch piece ginger, minced-- or, better yet, press in a garlic press!

*You can buy pre-cleaned squid; if it's not, squeeze out the guts and remove the cartilage.

Mix all sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Slice squid bodies open lengthwise into two pieces (they'll look vaguely triangular). Wash and dry well. Using a sharp knife, score the squid on what used to be the inside (softer) side on the diagonal, both ways, so you have diamond-shaped cross-hatching.

Toss the squid with half the sauce. Save the rest of the sauce for dipping. Marinate 20 minutes.


Light the barbecue. While it's heating up, skewer each piece of calamari lengthwise so it lies flat. Place it on the hot grill and cook 2 minutes/side, until light char marks show.

Serve with sauce and more lime.

And as long as you're barbecuing, throw some corn on too...


...and drink some beer...

Sierra Nevada's Southern Hemisphere Harvest
has a nice balance of fresh hops & malt

Lagunitas Maximus is a true IPA lover's dream

... and cheese (Basque Ixtara and the Cheeseboard's own Hot Cheddar Spread) and baguette are a must...

...enjoy the view!

La Loma Park, Berkeley, CA

Steelhead Trout with Tarragon Pepper Sauce

Tarragon is a fantastic herb. It tastes great and holds up to (and combines with) many other flavors. It's also delicious on its own, suspended in cream or butter. Here, I've matched it here with the bite of Szechwan pepper and tang of lemon juice. I used steelhead because it looked good in the store, but this recipe would work well with salmon too.


You'll need (this makes enough sauce for 2 people):

1 center-cut filet of fish per person
2T chopped fresh tarragon
3T butter
1t ground Szechwan pepper
1t lemon juice (from 1/2 a lemon)

Heat a small pan. Melt 2 T butter. Add tarragon and pepper. Turn off heat.

Rub fish with olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat a pan. Place fish, skin-side down, on hot pan. Cook 3-4 minutes; turn and cook 2-3 minutes on the other side.

Make sure butter is still hot. If not, reheat, then turn heat off. Stir in lemon juice. Vigorously stir in the last tablespoon of butter until sauce is creamy. Spoon sauce over fish.

Serve with mushroom barley (above),
warm bean salad or grain pilaf.

*Mushroom barley is easy-- just chop a bunch of mushrooms (I used shittake), saute in olive oil & butter, and add spices (I used dried oregano & savory). When mushrooms begin to brown, add 1c pearl barley & 3c chicken or veggie broth. Bring to a boil; lower to a simmer, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes.

Pomegranate Tamarind Glazed Lamb with Minted Spring Garlic Risotto

This was simply delicious, and really very easy to make. The whole thing can come together in about an hour and a half. This recipe and its execution were a team effort, and it turned out beautifully.

Pomegranate Tamarind Glazed Lamb

You'll need:

boneless leg of lamb

1 onion, quartered

1/2 head garlic, minced
3-in piece ginger, peeled & minced
juice of 2-3 limes
1/4c pomegranate molasses
1/4c tamarind paste*
1T cumin
1t cayenne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl:


* If you can't find tamarind paste, just use the tamarind puree with the seeds and break it up with a little hot water, then strain to remove seeds.

Untie the meat and rub it all over with the marinade. Roll it back up and tie it again. Let sit 15 minutes. Pat the outside so it's relatively dry.

Brown the meat on all sides in a heavy pot or pan.

Place the browned meat in a baking pan and pour the leftover marinade on top. Quarter the onion and place it around the meat.

Cook until it looks like this:

(about 1 hour in a 350 degree oven)

Let sit 15 minutes before slicing. When sliced, toss with onions and marinade:

Serve next to risotto:

Minted Spring Garlic Risotto

You'll need:

1 onion, chopped
2c arborio rice
2 stalks spring garlic (also called green garlic), sliced thinly
2T chopped mint
2T olive oil
1/4c vermouth or dry white wine
5c chicken broth

Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Saute onion until translucent; add rice and saute, stirring often, until grains are shiny and separated. Crank up the heat and deglaze pan with wine. When wine is absorbed, lower heat to medium-low and start adding broth, a little at a time, stirring often, until all liquid is absorbed and risotto is tender and creamy. About 5 minutes before it's done, add the garlic and stir. When done, stir in mint. Serve with more chopped mint and grated parmesan.

We also had some lovely roasted kohlrabi and broccoli...

...and salad...

...and strawberries for dessert!

Thanks to Karen for these gorgeous photos.

Where I've Been and What I've Been Eating

Spicy & Tasty

I know I've been a bad blogger lately, but for good reason: I've been eating my way across New York City. Although this is not a restaurant blog, I thought I'd share some highlights of what we ate.

Sala 19: I began with an unusual aperatif-- Fino, a very dry Spanish sherry. It was good. Then I drank some pretty tasty sangria. We had some incredibly tender grilled calamari-- large tubes seared with smoky grill marks and tossed with garlic and hot pepper-- and then a toast with lomo (marinated pork that tasted like beef) and melted gruyere and piquillo peppers. And you can't do Spanish tapas without gambas-- a dish of small shrimp swimming in garlic, olive oil, and chilies (perfect for bread dipping). Dessert was fried goat cheese in honey. Mmm....

The next day, we had a picnic in Central Park with H&H bagels, scallion cream cheese, and three kinds of smoked fish from Russ & Daughters: sable, pastrami salmon, and double-smoked salmon. They were all delicious but the sable was my favorite: buttery, lightly smoked, and delicately flavored. I wish we could get it here.

That night we ventured out to Flushing to Spicy & Tasty, where I had some of the best Szechwan food ever. We ate so much I can't list it here, but the Dan Dan noodles and the twice-cooked pork belly were definite highlights.

The next day we had lunch at Il Mulino. This was one of the best meals of my life. As soon as we walked in, we were showered with food: a basket of bread and incredible olive-oil fried bread-cracker-things; thin disks of fried zucchini; salami; incredible bruschetta with mussels; garlic bread; and maybe something else I'm forgetting. When it was time to order, we listened to the specials from one of six waiters hovering (I actually think they over-hovered, but it was pretty fantastic service). The list of specials was longer than the menu itself, and we ended up ordering three, to share. We began with langoustines in white wine butter and spring pea risotto; then porcini-stuffed ravioli in a truffle champagne cream sauce (that was SO good); then osso bucco with saffron risotto. We drank a half bottle of Pinot Grigio for the first two courses and a half bottle of Chianti for the last. I don't think there is anything I can add to express how incredible this meal was. Needless to say, we did not have dinner that night.

The next day we had pastrami sandwiches at Katz's, with half-sour pickles and pickled tomatoes, and a vanilla egg cream. The pastrami was fatty and hot and delicious. The egg cream was far too sweet.

That night we ate at Balthazar. With my appetizer-- chicken liver and foie gras mousse-- I drank a Cotes du Rhone, La Grange de Piaugier ‘05, which was surprisingly good (at only $34). With my main course, bacon-wrapped monkfish (and bites of J's confit, which I've had before and love), I drank a St Joseph, Offerus JL Chave ‘05, which was quite incredible.

The next day we went to Coney Island and rode the Cyclone, twice. Then we went to the original Nathan's and I had raw little neck clams and a hot dog with sauteed onions. Be sure to try their lemonade, if you go. It's surprisingly good.

That night our friends Ben & Suzanne took us to an Egyptian neighborhood in Queens where the air smelled like nargilah (hookah). We ate at Ali's Kebab Cafe and had great seats in the tiny place, right next to Ali and his kitchen. We started with a platter of hummus, babaganoush, foul (fava bean puree), and some of the best falafel I've had in this country. We also had a few cold salads and a lamb cheek & egg dish that was delicious. Then, at my nostalgic request, Ali went to his brother's restaurant next door and got me a bowl of Molokheya, a soup made of a mysterious leafy green herb that I used to love as a child and is impossible to find here. According to Wikipedia, the English term is "corchorus." I also learned that Sizzler in Japan is selling Molokhiya cookies. Weird. Perched in the center of the soup was a half leg of lamb that we picked at as we ate the soup. We also got a whole fish, a stuffed lamb breast, goat chops (those were SO good), and perhaps something else I'm forgetting? It was a lot of delicious food. I found some fresh carob at a market next door and had that for dessert.

The next night we went to Blue Ribbon Brasserie, which may have the most varied menu I've seen outside of the Cheesecake Factory. We split the Pu Pu Platter-- some things were very good (the riblets) and some weren't (the shrimp). Then I had the special, sauteed soft shell crab, which was fantastic, and a nice change from its classic deep-fried state-- the fresh crab really shone through.

Just some highlights... I will be back to blogging home cooking soon, at least until July, when I leave again.