Just Your Average Day at Per Se and Nobu

Running through Central Park in autumn, hailing a taxi and asking the driver to "step on it," sipping champagne on a terrace overlooking all of Downtown... some experiences are just so New York. You feel like they couldn't happen anywhere else in the world. I had one of those experiences recently when I was invited to media luncheons at Per Se and Nobu 57--on the same day. What could I do but attend both?

The Per Se event was for chef Thomas Keller's forthcoming book Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide. It began with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at 11am. Just another Wednesday morning for me, you know. Around 11:30 the other journalists and I were ushered into the restaurant's private dining room for a demonstration of the sous-vide technique, in which you submerge food (lamb, watermelon) that has been vacuum-sealed in plastic into a container of water that's been raised to a specific temperature, using an "immersion circulator." What can sous vide do for you? It gives the "perfect" medium-rare in a squab breast. The same temperature throughout an entire cut of meat, not just at the center. A voluptuous texture in salmon. Potatoes cooked perfectly, without their exterior overcooking. And so on. For a super-high-end kitchen like Per Se's, this is a no-brainer. For a home cook, not so much; the equipment is really only available to professionals right now, although Mr. Keller said Kenmore and Viking are working on building products that will allow home cooks to use sous vide someday. After listening to the dreamy Mr. Keller expound on the virtues of sous vide, we sat down to lunch so we could judge for ourselves. Indeed, the Salad of Compressed Summer Melons was vivid and intense. The Nova Scotia Lobster Roll poached in butter was sublime. We ate, oohed and aahed, and then I had to go. Nobu 57 was calling.

On my way out of Per Se, a waiter handed me an insulated bag. Inside: a piece of vacuum-sealed lamb; packets of garlic, herbs, salt and sauce; and a recipe. I haven't tried it yet, but I have to say this was the coolest goodie bag from a luncheon I've ever received.

A 10 minute walk across 57th Street and I was at Nobu, where I bumped into Uncle Carl. He loves the place and eats there regularly. We hugged and I ran upstairs to the private dining room, where another group of journalists was just sitting down to lunch. This event was for Nobu Miami: The Party Cookbook, and apparently everyone had just spent the past hour downing sea urchin mojitos and other strange and potent cocktails. They were pretty tipsy, and when the waiter presented our table with a platter of Branzino with Florida Orange Ponzu, they lunged at it. I managed to snag a piece, and while under ordinary circumstances I'd say this was an absolutely delicious piece of fish, its tempura coating sticking perfectly thanks to its sake base, the meat melting in my mouth... after Per Se it felt a little bit like a let-down. Still, the Flounder Sashimi Salad with Yuzu, Honey and aji Limo Dressing was quite tasty, too, and with Dom Perignon 2000 flowing, could I really complain?

I crawled into a taxi around 2:30. In the span of three hours I had listened to some of the world's best chefs talk about their craft. I'd eaten their amazing, wonderful food. I shmoozed with the hoi polloi of the food writing world. And it was a total New York experience.--S

You Had to Have the Big Salad

When I spotted an article in July's Food & Wine about Laurent Gras, an athletic chef who goes on 100-mile bike rides and won the magazine's prestigious Best New Chef award in 2002, I was psyched. Runner's World regularly profiles chefs who run, but their recipes sometimes let me down: too much emphasis on carbs and protein, and not enough emphasis on taste. So I was keen to try one of Gras's dishes. I'd picked up some fresh shelled peas and radishes at the greenmarket, so I was already well on my way to building the Crunchy Vegetable Salad with Sautéed Peas and Radishes.

Warning: this is no get-home-and-you're-eating-10-minutes-later salad. The recipe's head notes suggest 50 minutes. I'd say give yourself a good hour and 15--if you're going to follow the instructions to a T. Yes, blanching and peeling cherry tomatoes (or worse, as I did, tinier grape tomatoes) is not the easiest task. Nor is cooking and peeling fava beans (an ingredient I skipped entirely). The peas take a two-minute bath in boiling water, too; then they go into a sauté pan with radishes, olive oil and salt. And I used jarred artichokes instead of fresh baby ones, since I couldn't find them at the market or the two grocers I went to.

Extra labor notwithstanding, this is a great salad. Its combination of cooked and raw ingredients is quite satisfying, with a zing from lemon zest and a lemon vinaigrette. We didn't even miss the favas, and while I know jarred artichokes pale in comparison to fresh baby ones, they really did the job just fine. We ate this salad for supper along with a zucchini frittata and some country wheat bread. Big salad, big(ger than usual) effort, big payoff.--S

Crunchy Vegetable Salad with Sautéed Peas and Radishes


1 c cherry tomatoes
1 lb fava beans, shelled
1/2 lb fresh peas, shelled
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
4 baby artichokes (I used one small jar of marinated artichokes)
4 medium radishes, quartered
1 bunch watercress (6 ounces), tough stems discarded
1 t finely grated lemon zest

1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Cut a slit into the base of each tomato and blanch them in the boiling water until their skins start to split, about 15 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to the ice water to cool, then drain and peel.
2. In the same water, cook the fava beans until just tender, 2 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly, then peel. Blanch the peas until just tender, 2 minutes. Drain well.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the lemon juice and season with salt. With a paring knife, trim the artichoke stems and snap off the tough outer leaves until you reach the light green inner leaves. Using a serrated knife, cut off the top third of the artichokes. Trim the bottoms and stems. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, remove the chokes, if any. Thinly slice the artichokes lengthwise, add them to the dressing and toss to coat. Add the peeled tomatoes and the fava beans and toss again.
4. In a medium skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Add the radishes and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the blanched peas and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Season with salt.
5. In a medium bowl, toss the watercress with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil and the lemon zest and transfer to plates. Top with the artichoke salad and the radishes and peas; serve.

Recipe courtesy of Food & Wine

Grilled, Cheesy Comfort

For a bunch of Jersey Italians, my family eats a lot of quesadillas. My sister and I would eat them as after-school snacks, cheddar cheese microwaved to greasy perfection between two rubbery tortillas. My mom still makes them for Saturday lunches sometimes, on a grill pan on the stove, topped with chunky salsa (a step up from the watery Old El Paso stuff we ate as kids). Quesadillas are comfort food to me, a sort of grilled cheese "lite," without so much bread and with the tomatoes on top, instead of inside.

So it's not surprising that I am a huge fan of Peter Berley's Black Bean and Zucchini Quesadillas. I've been making them ever since they appeared in his 2004 book, Fresh Food Fast. They make a fabulous meal, encompassing all the food groups in one dish and fulfilling all the requirements for a tasty dinner: gooey, salty, spicy and--something my childhood quesadillas did not offer--crunchy.

Here's the drill: you toss grated zucchini (water squeezed out) with black beans, grated Monterey Jack, chopped scallions and some jalapeno. You spread that mixture onto a flour tortilla, top it with another tortilla, and heat the quesadilla on a skillet, flipping so both sides get toasty. Top with salsa, sour cream, avocado slices, what have you. Tonight I threw together a quick plum tomato, cilantro, jalapeno and scallion salsa.

This is an ideal summer meal for when you've got more zucchini than you can handle and are sick of zucchini bread. It leaves you full but not stuffed, making it a perfect meal for the night before a long run, I've found. Whatever filling remains makes excellent leftovers. Make another quesadilla, eat it with tortilla chips, or just nosh straight out of the Tupperware. Comfort, indeed.--S

Black Bean & Zucchini Quesadillas

This recipe supposedly serves 4; I think you'll get at least 6 servings.

2 lbs zucchini, coarsely grated
1 1/2 t coarse salt, plus add'l to taste
2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained
12 oz grated Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
2 scallions, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, w/seeds, finely chopped
8 flour tortillas (8 in. in diameter)
Evoo for brushing the tortillas
Salsa

1. In a colander, toss together the grated zucchini and salt with your hands. Squeeze the zucchini to remove a lot of its liquid.
2. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, beans, cheese, scallions & jalapeno.
3. Brush 4 of the tortillas w/oil on one side. Turn over the tortillas so the oiled side is on the bottom. Divide the bean mixture between the tortillas, spreading it to the edges. Top each w/a plain tortilla and brush the top w/oil.
4. Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Place a quesadilla in the pan and cook until the cheese melts and the tortillas are golden brown, about 3 min. per side. Repeat w/the remaining quesadillas. (Better to have two skillets going at once). Serve w/salsa.

Recipe courtesy of Fresh Food Fast

Three to Cool You

I promise to make other things this summer besides ice cream. But until it cools down, there's going to be a lot of frozen dessert making going on in my kitchen. The latest: Three Fruit Ice Cream, courtesy of none other than the great Aunt Betty.

The three fruits here are orange, banana and lemon. Juice from the citrus fruits and a pureed banana join a sumptuous egg-based custard, and the result is a Creamsicle-esque dessert that is indeed quite cool. As a thunderstorm raged outside, bringing the temperature back to a reasonable range, I dug in to the Three Fruit Ice Cream and cooled down myself.

This ice cream is terrific on its own; thick and creamy thanks to six egg yolks, and subtly fruity. If you're feeling ambitious, it'd pair nicely with some chopped pineapple, or slivered or candied almonds, on top.--S

Three Fruit Ice Cream

2 c half and half
2/3 c sugar
6 egg yolks, beaten
1 c heavy cream
1 banana
3/4 c orange juice
3 T fresh lemon juice
1 T grated orange zest (optional)

1. In a double boiler, heat the half and half over barely simmering water until scalded.
2. Whisk the sugar into the egg yolks.
3. Whisk in some of the hot half and half, and then slowly add the egg/half and half mixture to the remaining half and half.
4. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan continue to cook, stirring constantly until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon.
5. Immediately place the pot in a pan of ice water and stir to cool to room temperature.
6. Blend in cream. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for 2-3 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
7. When you are ready to freeze the ice cream mixture, purree the banana, OJ and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. Stir into the custard base with the orange zest, if using.
8. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the instructions.

The New Fro Yo

I consider myself pretty good at making ice cream. Homemade frozen yogurt, on the other hand, has thus far eluded me. I tried it a few times last year and it was watery, icy and too sweet, consisting of lowfat plain yogurt, sugar and not much else. Thanks to a great article in June's Food & Wine, I now know better.

The article features recipes from artisanal ice cream maker Jeni Britton, who runs three ice cream parlors in Columbus, Ohio. Refreshingly, Jeni does not view frozen yogurt as a "healthy" alternative to ice cream. Use whole milk yogurt, she says (I went with Fage's "Total Classic" Greek yogurt). Jeni also adds a touch of unflavored gelatin to the yogurt, which gives the finished product an airy, whipped texture. (Although some purists take issue with her use of "unnecessary ingredients.") And a half-cup of heavy cream doesn't hurt things, either.

I made Jeni's Strawberry Frozen Yogurt last week, and it was a hit: sour, tangy, gorgeously pink. We were so anxious to eat it that we didn't even let it freeze completely (hence the lumpy photo). Fork, God love him, said it was "better than Pinkberry." Granted, he is not such a Pinkberry fan, but I get his point: this fro yo is GOOD, yo.--S

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
MAKES 5 CUPS

2 T fresh lemon juice plus 1 t finely grated lemon zest
One 1/4-ounce package unflavored powdered gelatin
12 ounces strawberries, hulled
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c light corn syrup
2 c plain whole-milk yogurt
1/2 c heavy cream

1. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Pour the lemon juice into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin on top; let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the strawberries until smooth; you should have about 1 cup of strawberry puree.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the strawberry puree with the sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat until the sugar dissolves completely, about 1 minute. Remove the strawberry mixture from the heat and stir in the lemon gelatin until it melts.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt with the lemon zest and the hot strawberry puree. Stir in the heavy cream. Set the bowl in the ice water bath and let stand, stirring occasionally, until the strawberry yogurt is cold, about 20 minutes.
Pour the strawberry yogurt into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Pack the frozen yogurt into a plastic container. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the frozen yogurt and close with an airtight lid. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Recipe courtesy of Food & Wine

Duck Fat: It's What's for Dinner

Fork is such a good sport, I'm telling you. When I told him I was going to make Duck Rillettes, he went right along with it. It's not for nothing that I've decided to marry this guy. He's okay with eating duck cooked in wine and its own fat spread on toast for dinner! (With a salade nicoise on the side just for the illusion of healthfulness.)

Here's a dish you want to whip out for your friends who used to live in France and are nostalgic for some fabulous French country fare. The rillettes are creamy and delicious, just perfect with a glass of wine or Champagne.

If you are making duck rillettes, you need to do a little planning: there's a 24-hour curing period, and then the braising takes about 3 hours. And definitely do some research on where to buy the ingredients. I wound up on a wild duck chase (ha!) for duck legs that weren't confit. I eventually found fresh Long Island duck legs at Todaro Bros. on 2nd Ave. & 30th St. And the man at the meat counter at Garden of Eden on 23rd St. went in the back of the store and filled up a container of duck fat for me. All the other ingredients were typical--for the wine, I used a Sauvignon Blanc.

My only complaint with this recipe is that the Dijon mustard flavor is fairly strong. Fork and I didn't taste as much of the duck as we'd like. Next time I might tone that down a bit. Because there will definitely be a next time.--S

Duck Rillettes

Total time: About 4 hours, 30 minutes, plus 24 hours curing time
Servings: Makes about 2 cups

2 duck legs
2 T kosher salt
1 small bay leaf, broken
1 1/2 t chopped fresh thyme
1/4 c parsley leaves [I left them as whole leaves]
1/4 t peppercorns
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t dried mint
1/4 c sugar
1 T canola oil
1 white onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 c white wine
2 c chicken stock
1 c duck fat
1/4 c Dijon mustard

1. Place the duck legs on a rack on a baking sheet and rub them with the salt, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, coriander, mint and sugar. Cover loosely with a sheet of parchment paper and allow to cure for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Heat the oven to 250 degrees. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, sear the duck legs in one tablespoon of canola oil over medium-high heat until you get a bit of color, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and carrot and sauté until softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce by half, about half an hour.
3. Add the chicken stock and braise the duck legs in the oven, covered, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. (If it begins to bubble, turn down the heat.) Allow the meat to cool, then remove from the braising liquid; the braising liquid can be reserved for another use such as for a soup base.
4. Remove the meat from the bone and place it in a bowl. Place the bowl of duck meat on top of a bowl of ice.
5. In a small pan, heat the duck fat over medium-low heat until it's melted. Slowly pour the duck fat over the duck meat, using a fork to emulsify the duck meat with the duck fat until fluffy and smooth. Add the Dijon mustard and adjust seasoning to taste. Transfer to a serving dish or container; Sara Levine's restaurant serves rillettes in a French canning jar.

Recipe courtesy of chef Sara Levine in the Los Angeles Times

Sweet, Pete!

My good friend Pete Bakel the handsome, home-run hitting former Oxford Don centerfielder, won top honors on Rachael Ray's contest "Hey, Can You Cook?" a four-week elimination challenge a la Top Chef. For a kicker, Pete was judged the winner by none other than celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. And unlike Ramsay's angry-if-cultivated Hell's Kitchen persona (he's really a softie who loves puppies and children) Pete's a true sweetheart of guy and can't hide it. Hence his nickname on the show: Sweet Pete.

In the end, that sweetness won him the competition. The secret ingredient for the last round of competition was hot dogs, and his challenger, Angie, winner of that day's "quickfire," had won the the advantage of sticking Pete with low-fat turkey franks. She demurred, however, saying Pete had been sweet to her throughout the competition. She gave Pete the far superior Angus hot dogs, brimming with delicious salt, lips, assholes and nitrates. Of course, Pete prepared the dogs with scallop, caviar and creme fraiche.

I'm not at all surprised by Pete's win. I have eaten his food on many occasions and he is indeed a top-notch cook, with both imagination and a perfect palate. One memorable meal: my 33rd birthday. I was planning to stay in that night, just me and a six-pack or two, when Pete dropped in with a big bag of groceries. He whipped up four courses, including an amazing quail and a spicy shrimp pasta with red pepper and orange zest. Another memory, a pheasant hunting trip to my family's home in upstate New York. We bagged quite a few birds that day, minus one that Pete obliterated. He later whipped up a pheasant feast in my mother's kitchen.

Pete left New York for Washington DC some years ago to start a family. We all dearly miss him, so seeing him on TV looking every bit the star chef was fun for all of us. The best part of the show, by the way, was seeing Pete's lovely wife Beth and his adorable kids on set after he won. Oh, and here's some fun Pete Trivia: if not for Beth, Pete would only have 9 full fingers. He sliced off a fingertip one night in the kitchen, but amazingly, Beth, unflappable as always, was able to grab her husband, and his lopped-off finger chunk, and got them both to the hospital, where doctors made him whole again.

You could say Pete's already a winner. But for winning this competition, Pete will go to Paris for training at the Le Cordon Bleu, will have an original recipe published in Rachael Ray magazine (Pete can we be tasters?) and he gets a brand new kitchen with Viking appliances. Congratulations, Pete!--F

Mama's Little Baby Loves Rhubarb

My future mother-in-law has a serious vegetable garden. And while it's still too early for most of her crops to even start growing, one springtime fixture is already here: rhubarb. When Fork's parents came to visit last weekend, they brought a bag full of the stuff, grown from a bush that once belonged to Fork's grandfather. I was pretty excited to have such legendary produce and wanted to make sure I did right by it. I am proud to say I succeeded: this week I made Strawberry-Rhubarb Sorbet and Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins, and both were superb.

The sorbet recipe, from The Perfect Scoop, was so simple. You stew some rhubarb in water and sugar until it's soft, let it cool, then puree it with strawberries and lemon juice. Chill it in the fridge, give it a spin in your ice cream maker, and you've got an icy, tangy, sweet and perfectly pink sorbet. I think I could've cooked the rhubarb for slightly less time, since its flavor was mellow, but the sorbet is still delicious. The muffins, too, were quite tasty. Here's the recipe, from last year's rhubarb season.

I can't wait for more ingredients from the Fork Family Farm to make their way down to the big city.--S

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sorbet

12 ounces rhubarb
2/3 c water
3/4 c sugar
10 ounces fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1/2 t freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Wash the rhubarb stalks and trim the stem and leaf ends. Cut the rhubarb into 1/2-in. pieces.
2. Place the rhubarb, water and sugar in a medium, nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 5 min., or until the rhubarb is tender and cooked through. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
3. Slice the strawberries and puree them with the cooked rhubarb mixture and lemon juice in a blender or food processor until smooth.
4. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Recipe courtesy of The Perfect Scoop

Street Meat for the Rest of Us

There's a popular food truck in my neighborhood called Rafiqi's. It sells gyros and meat-and-rice combo platters that smell very good and have a come-hither sizzle, though I'm too skeeved out by the street meat stigma to actually buy it for lunch. But many of my friends are big Rafiqi fans. I should note they're all men and none of them is particularly health-conscious.

I think I may have come upon a healthy version of Rafiqi's: Indian-Spiced Chicken Burgers. The recipe, from the Everyday Food cookbook, combines dried spices (paprika, cumin, cardamom and cayenne) with fresh seasonings (ginger, lemon, scallion, cilantro), resulting in a snappy dish that is deeply and richly flavored, and not heavy at all. It's healthy, too: you grill boneless, skinless chicken thighs that you've ground up in the food processor along with the spices, using just a little bit of oil on the grill. Once the mini-burgers are cooked, you stuff them into a whole-wheat pita, slide in some cucumber slices, and top it with cilantro sprigs and a dollop of creamy cumin yogurt sauce.

I know I can't knock it 'till I've tried it, but I'll still take Indian-Spiced Chicken Burgers over Rafiqi's any day.--S

Indian-Spiced Chicken Burgers

1 1/2 lbs (4 to 5) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into rough chunks
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 T chopped fresh ginger (from a peeled 2-inch piece)
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 T paprika
2 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground cardamom
1/4 t cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for grates
4 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas
1 cucumber (8 ounces), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 c fresh cilantro sprigs
Cumin Yogurt Sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 c plain low-fat yogurt with 1/2 t ground cumin; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

1. Heat grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, place chicken, scallions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, 1 1/2 t coarse salt, and 1/2 t pepper; toss to combine. Set aside to marinate, at least 10 and up to 30 minutes.
2. Transfer chicken mixture to a food processor; pulse until roughly chopped, but not pasty, 10 to 12 times. Gently form mixture into sixteen 3/4-inch-thick patties (about 3 T each).
3. Moisten a folded paper towel with oil; grasp with tongs and rub over grates. Season patties with salt and pepper; grill until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
4. Halve pitas crosswise (toast on grill, if you like). Into each pocket, place 2 chicken patties, cucumber slices, and cilantro sprigs. Serve with Cumin Yogurt Sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

Remember This One in July

My ardent interest in Super Natural Cooking continues, this time with a buckwheat noodle salad called Otsu. In Japanese, otsu means something "strange, quaint, stylish, chic, spicy, witty, tasty or romantic." Although that's hardly a specific definition, it actually does a pretty good job of summing up this dish. There's a nice interplay of hot and cool, with a fiery dressing (made from lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger, honey, cayenne, rice vinegar and soy sauce) tempered by refreshing cucumbers, scallions and pan-seared tofu. And, as author Heidi Swanson writes, "Unlike many pasta recipes that leave you feeling weighed down and sluggish, this one makes for a healthy, invigorating, and energizing meal that will quickly become a favorite." I agree: as the recipe makes a substantial amount of food, I wound up eating this for lunch a few days, and can report that eating a portion of it sitting on a bench in the park at 1:00 did not result in me slumped over my desk back at the office at 3:00.

A few notes on the recipe: cooking the tofu until it is browned takes some time. Be patient, because it's worth the extra minutes to get the tofu a slightly crispy crust. Also, the recipe calls for shoyu sauce in the dressing. I substituted soy sauce, and while I know it's not the same (shoyo is apparently more complex), it turned out fine. I also used regular rice vinegar (my bottle doesn't say if it's made with white or brown rice). Again, things tasted great.

I'm keeping this recipe in my file, for sure. I have a feeling it'll come in very handy on steamy summer days, when I want something "strange, quaint, stylish, chic, spicy, witty, tasty or romantic" but just don't feel like eating a hot dog.--S

Otsu

Dressing
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Fresh ginger, cut into a 1-inch cube, peeled, and grated
1 T honey
3/4 t cayenne
3/4 t fine-grain sea salt
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 c unseasoned brown-rice vinegar
1/3 c shoyu sauce
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 T toasted sesame oil

Salad
12 oz. dried soba noodles
12 oz. extra-firm nigari tofu
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 small handful of cilantro sprigs, for garnish
1/4 c toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

1. Make the dressing by combining the zest, ginger, honey, cayenne, and salt in a food processor (or use a hand blender) and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice, rice vinegar, and shoyu, and pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the oils.
2. Cook the soba in plenty of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender, then drain and rinse under cold running water.
3. While the pasta is cooking, drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut it into rectangles roughly the size of your thumb (½ inch thick and 1 inch long). Cook the tofu in a dry nonstick (or well-seasoned) skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side. Toss gently once or twice, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, the ¼ cup cilantro, the green onions, cucumber, and about ⅔ cup of the dressing. Toss until well combined. Add the tofu and toss again gently. Serve on a platter, garnished with the cilantro sprigs and the toasted sesame seeds.

Recipe courtesy of Super Natural Cooking

Fish Cakes a la Bittman

My friend Kate sent me a recipe a few weeks ago for Broiled Fish Cakes with Ginger and Cilantro, with a glowing recommendation. Apparently her dad had written about them on his blog, and Kate made them and thought they were swell. With a double Bittman two thumbs up, I figured this was something I had to try.

I'd never made fish cakes, but had recently enjoyed some very delicious ones at Arbutus in London, made with mackerel and squid (they called it a burger, but it was essentially a fish cake with a more hip name). This recipe suggested using cod or another mild, delicate white fish, and I went with tilapia. As Mark writes, a mild fish lets you go crazy with the seasonings. In this case, he uses ginger, cilantro and hot pepper, which results in a nice and "zingy" burger that needs only a squirt of lime juice. It's a perfectly tasty preparation that would also probably work with mint and oregano, and maybe a little feta-cucumber mixture on top; or basil and parsley, with a chopped tomato salad on the side. The possibilities are, um... endless!

Anyway. The important thing to note when preparing this dish is to really mash the potatoes. They're the binder--there's not much else holding the fish together--so a starchy mash is key. I left my potatoes a little lumpy, and some of the cakes fell apart (which made them no less delicious, just a little messy). Mark likes to broil his fish cakes instead of frying them (less mess! my dad will love this recipe!) which gives you the added bonus of less fat.

This recipe is definitely going into the regular rotation. Thank you Bittmans!--S

Broiled Fish Cakes With Ginger and Cilantro

Yield 4 servings

1 baking potato weighing about 1/2 lb.
Salt to taste
1 1/2 lbs. fillet of cod or other mild, delicate white fish
1 T peeled and minced ginger
1/2 c minced cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
1 fresh or dried hot red chile, minced, or 1/4 t cayenne, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 T peanut or other oil [I used grapeseed]
Lime wedges

1. Boil potato in salted water to cover until it is tender but not mushy, 30 to 40 min.
2. Meanwhile, place the fish in a skillet that can later be covered. Add water to cover, salt the water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, turn off heat, and set a timer for 10 min. After that time, use a slotted spoon to remove the fish to a bowl.
3. When potato is done, peel it and mash it with the fish. Add the seasonings along with some salt and pepper, and work the mixture with your hands until it is well blended. Shape into 8 equal burger-shaped patties.
4. Preheat the broiler, and set the rack about 4 in. from heat source. Brush the patties on both sides with oil, then place on a non-stick baking sheet. Broil carefully, until nicely browned on top, then turn and brown on the other side. Sprinkle with more cilantro, and serve hot, with lime wedges.

Recipe courtesy of Bitten

Riff and Roll

I've got a delicious appetizer for guests or main course for you and a dinner companion: Glazed Japanese Beef-and-Scallion Rolls. They're a riff on negimaki, the classic Japanese broiled strips of beef smothered with teriyaki sauce and rolled with scallions. Add asparagus to the scallions; substitute miso, soy sauce, ginger and mirin for terikayi; and char the rolls over a hot grill instead of sticking them under the broiler, and you've got a more intensely flavored dish that's still true to the original.

I bought beef tenderloin at my local butcher, and asked him to slice it thinly. When I got home, Fork lightly pounded the beef to somewhere between 1/4- and 1/8-inch thickness. Turns out he could've pounded them even more (see the photo; the meat is definitely rare inside), but the dish still turned out well. You salt and pepper the beef slices, and roll them up with asparagus and scallions that you've blanched and seasoned with salt and sesame oil. A few toothpicks hold things in place, and then you marinate the rolls in a mixture of miso, soy, ginger and mirin (I used rice wine vinegar; not the same, I know, but still good). They need only a minute or two per side on a hot grill pan.

We ate the rolls with jasmine rice and broccoli. The asparagus and scallions were still crunchy, and the beef was tasty, bursting with savory-earthy, salty-sweet flavor (the Japanese supposedly call this 'umami'). We call it delicious.--S

Glazed Japanese Beef-and-Scallion Rolls

Makes 6 first course servings or two main course servings

6 thin asparagus spears
6 large scallions
Salt
About 1 t Asian sesame oil, for coating
6 thin slices of beef tenderloin, about 2 ounces each, very lightly pounded to a 1/8-inch thickness
Freshly ground pepper
2 T red miso
2 T soy sauce
2 T mirin [I used rice wine vinegar]
2 T sugar
1 T finely grated fresh ginger
Vegetable oil, for brushing

1. In a small skillet of boiling water, blanch the asparagus until bright green, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the asparagus to a plate and pat dry. Add the scallions to the skillet and blanch until bright green, about 45 seconds; transfer to the plate and pat dry. Lightly season the vegetables with salt and lightly coat with sesame oil.
2. Set a slice of beef on a work surface and season with salt and pepper. Arrange an asparagus stalk and a scallion lengthwise on the meat; trim them flush with the meat. Roll up the meat around the asparagus and scallion and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining slices of beef, asparagus and scallions.
3. In a small bowl, mix the miso with the soy sauce, mirin, sugar and ginger. Put the beef rolls in a shallow baking dish and coat generously with the miso mixture. Let stand for 20 minutes.
4. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Lightly brush the pan with vegetable oil. Add the beef-and-scallion rolls and cook over high heat until nicely charred all over, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cutting board and remove the toothpicks.
5. Slice each roll on the diagonal 1 1/2 inches thick. Arrange the slices on a platter, cut sides up, and serve right away.

Recipe courtesy of Food & Wine

My Granola

Okay, it's not really my granola. But it's been about four years since I discovered Steve Silverman's recipe for Cranberry Almond Granola, and though I've tried other granola recipes, I keep coming back to this one.

There's no outrageous secret here; the granola incorporates run-of-the-mill ingredients like almonds, pecans, coconut and cranberries, oats, cinnamon and allspice. But the devil's in the details: you want sliced or slivered almonds; they crunch better than plain old chopped almonds. Use organic cranberry juice concentrate--which, melted, makes up the liquid portion of the granola mixture, along with brown sugar and a little vegetable oil--it's not nearly as cloying as the non-organic kind. And don't stir the granola too often while it's baking so you get some clumps. Sure, you can mix in your favorite ingredients, swap hazelnuts for pecans, whatever you like. It's still a great granola, easy, not too sweet, healthy and crunchy.

Make some for Mom on Mother's Day. Tie it up in a pretty little package and call it your granola. I won't tell.--S

Brownie Memories

Aunt Betty emailed me this week with her mother's brownie recipe. "I forgot how good it is," she wrote. I didn't have to reach back too far in my food memory to recall those brownies: Aunt Betty made them often when I was growing up. She'd bring a paper plate over to our house, double wrapped in plastic wrap. Underneath would be a stack of perfectly square brownie bites, covered in powdered sugar. Aunt Bet's standard recipe contained walnuts, but she always made me some without nuts, knowing I wasn't such a fan. (I've since warmed up to nuts in brownies.)

I'm so glad Aunt Betty shared the recipe with me--I made it tonight and it brought back lots of happy memories of visits with friends and family. The brownies are cakey, even airy, the opposite of rich, dense chocolately brownies (which certainly have their place). I'm going to pull an Aunt Betty and bring a plate of them (double paper plates, double plastic wrap) to the office tomorrow.--S

Aunt Betty's Brownies

1/2 c butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 eggs
1 c sugar
2 T light Karo syrup
3/4 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1 c chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 or 8x8 inch pan.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together, cool slightly.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and light. Add the Karo syrup and beat well, add cooled chocolate mixture.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, and add to chocolate mixture. Add
nuts.
5. Pour into pan, bake 30-35 minutes.
6. Cool, cut into bars and sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

Recipe courtesy of Aunt Betty

Local Fusion

JAPONAIS
111 E. 18th St.
NY, NY 10003
Tel 212.260.2020

THREE SPORKS

Tonight, my dad suggested we dine at either ribs mecca RUB or French-Japanese hybrid Japonais. More in the mood for fusion than righteous urban barbecue, we went with Japonais and had an unusual, delightful meal. (Even if my dad still thinks "fusion" is a racket cooked up by restaurant marketers.)

The meal began with a spicy octopus roll topped with sliced tuna and avocado- wasabi- tobiko sauce (amazing, spicy and sweet) and ended with homemade steamed buns with braised pork and scallions with hot mustard sauce (delicious). In between, we ate a sushi/sashimi platter which included some terrific toro; lobster spring rolls with mango relish and blood orange vinaigrette; and--the most fusion-y dish of the night--sirloin tip Wagyu beef cut with shishito peppers, mushrooms and Kirin light beer fondue, made with Brie cheese. And let's not forget the meal's most dramatic dish, "The Rock": thinly sliced marinated New York strip steak, which we cooked ourselves on a 450-degree rock (two seconds per side for medium rare; five seconds per side for medium). Fun!

Japonais is a high-concept restaurant that pulls off its scheme quite nicely. There's some major drama to the space, which is huge, with an Alice-in-Wonderland-type tree in the middle of the room. We wondered how long it'll be around, considering the square footage and the fact that it was barely half full tonight. But we wish them all the best. What neighborhood can't use a great French-Japanese restaurant that lets you cook your own meat on a sizzling rock?!--S

Springy Ramps & Asparagus

Walking into the Union Square Greenmarket around 8:30 Saturday morning, I was nearly run over by a man pushing a dolly filled with crates of ramps, those tasty, wild leeks that appear in early spring. I got to Rick Bishop's Mountain Sweet Berry stand just as a swarm of chefs (or minions of chefs) were descending, and plucked two bunches off the pile. I also picked up some beautiful, skinny asparagus from Yuno's Farm.

Last spring, I sauteed ramps, which have a pungent bite, in garlic and olive oil and tossed them with some pasta. This year, I followed an Epicurious recipe for a ramps pesto of sorts, in which you quickly blanch the ramps, coarsely chop them, then blend them in a food processor with lemon zest, olive oil, some starchy pasta water and salt. The result was less rampy than last year's treatment; Fork seemed a little disappointed in the ramps' toned-down flavor, but I liked the subtlety of the dish. There was also a nice zing from the lemon.

I went with a Cook's Country recipe for Asparagus Salad, which is definitely a keeper. Topped with fresh chives, it's very springy indeed.--S

Lemon Asparagus Salad
serves 8

2 lbs asparagus, trimmed
Salt & pepper
1/4 c juice from 2 lemons
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T honey
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
1 T finely chopped fresh chives

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add asparagus and 1 T salt and cook until just tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer to bowl of ice water. When completely cool, drain and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Combine lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, 1/2 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper in bowl. Slowly whisk in oil to emulsify. Stir in chives. Arranged asparagus on platter and drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve. [I topped the dish with some more chopped chives.]

Recipe courtesy of Cook's Country

The It Pepper

If you've seen a Taco Bell ad, eaten at an "upscale Mexican" restaurant, or watched Bobby Flay's show in the past six months, you've no doubt noticed that chipotle has become the It chili pepper. The smoked jalapenos are hot, flavorful and just so fun to say out loud. "I'll have the chee-poat-lay smashed sweet potatoes, please!" Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

I happen to be a chipotle fan, and have been meaning to try a recipe for Chipotle-Cheddar Corn Muffins for months. The recipe is part of a lovely deck of recipes Uncle Marc gave us for Christmas. The muffins are chock full of goodies: cornmeal, buttermilk, honey, heavy cream, corn kernels, sharp cheddar cheese, and, of course, those chipotle chilis, along with the adobo sauce they are packed in. The sauce, made from tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt and spices, is pretty spicy itself, but it's a really nice spice, smoky and rich.

Fork picked up some soup at the newly reopened Havana Chelsea tonight, and the muffins were just coming out of the oven as we sat down to eat. The homey soup, made with beef, pork, yucca and other Caribbean vegetables, was a perfect prelude to the moist and delicious muffins. We split one after finishing the soup, me picking through to get the bits of spicy chipotle, Fork fishing around for the pepper-less parts (we're quite a pair, aren't we?). I wouldn't recommend these muffins for breakfast, unless you're eating huevos rancheros, and even then, brace yourself, because they are pretty darn hot. But as far as kicked up corn muffins go, these are perfecto.--S

Chipotle-Cheddar Corn Muffins

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c cornmeal
1/2 c sugar
1 t kosher salt
2 t baking powder
2 eggs, beaten slightly
1 c butter slightly
1 c buttermilk
1 T honey
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c frozen corn kernels, thawed
3/4 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3 chipotle chilis, canned in adobo sauce, seeds removed, finely chopped
2 t adobo sauce
4 T melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter two mini-muffin trays (or one regular-sized 12-muffin tray).
2. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, honey and cream.
4. Stir in flour mixture until incorporated. Stir in corn kernels, cheese, chipotles and adobo sauce. Stir in melted butter.
5. Spoon batter into muffin tins until each well is half full. Baked 12-14 minutes for mini-muffins, or 20-24 minutes for regular muffins, until golden and firm to the touch, or until a knife comes out clean. Cool slightly.
6. Run a thin knife around the sides of the muffins and unmold.

Recipe courtesy of The Sumptuous Small Plates Deck by Bibby Gignilliat

Inside Out

Fresh off a day at Yankee Stadium (beer, hot dog, popcorn, you know the drill) and my first long-ish run in awhile (9 miles), I thought my body deserved a healthy meal tonight. Who else to turn to but Heidi Swanson? Fork was off to Brooklyn for dinner with a band mate; a burger was in his future. I knew he'd snicker when I told him the kind of burger I was planning on for my meal: Sprouted Garbanzo Burger. So I spared myself the snickering and told him to have fun with his beef burger.

This recipe is the result of Heidi's experiments to come up with a new kind of bean or lentil burger, since often when you put one of those kinds of burgers on a bun, the burger as a whole is too dry and bready, with too much doughiness and not enough snap, crackle and pop. So she turned the patty into a bun and stuffed that with the good stuff.

You make a hummus-like spread out of chickpeas, eggs and some salt, and then mix that with chopped cilantro, chopped onion, lemon zest, micro sprouts (I used a blend of onion, radish, clover and cabbage sprouts) and whole-grain breadcrumbs. You form this batter into patties and brown them on each side. Slice open, and a burger is born. I filled mine with sliced avocado, more sprouts and a sprinkling of smoky Spanish paprika. Yum.--S

Sprouted Garbanzo Burgers

2 1/2 c sprouted garbanzo beans (chickpeas) OR canned garbanzos, drained and rinsed
4 large eggs
1/2 t fine-grain sea salt
1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 onion, chopped
Grated zest of one large lemon
1 c micro sprouts, chopped
1 c toasted (whole-grain) bread crumbs
1 T extra-virgin olive oil

1. If you are using sprouted garbanzos, steam them until just tender, about 10 minutes. If using canned beans, so jump right in and combine the garbanzos, eggs, and salt in a food processor. Puree until the mixture is the consistency of a very thick, slightly chunky hummus.
2. Pour into a mixing bowl and stir in the cilantro, onion, zest, and sprouts. Add the breadcrumbs, stir, and let sit for a couple of minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a moist mixture that you can easily form into twelve 1 1/2-inch-thick patties. I err on the moist side here, because it makes for a nicely textured burger. You can always add more bread crumbs a bit at a time to firm up the dough if need be. Conversely, a bit of water or more egg can be used to moisten the batter.
3. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium low, add 4 patties, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. Turn up the heat if there is no browning after 10 minutes. Flip the patties and cook the second side for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties. Carefully cut each patty in half, insert your favorite fillings, and enjoy immediately.

Makes 12 mini burgers.

Recipe courtesy of Super Natural Cooking

Almost Fried Chicken

I love fried chicken, but I just don't see myself making it often: I'm not Southern and don't have a recipe from my mom, plus it's messy, a tad unhealthy, etc. But what I can see myself making often is this fabulous chicken dish from Mario Batali's soon-to-be-published book Italian Grill. Make no mistake: this is not fried chicken. But it's a spectacular alternative, crunchy and flavorful and extremely tasty.

To make Chicken Thighs with Snap Peas and Agliata, you coat boneless, skinless chicken thighs with a garlicky bread crumb mixture and cook it slowly over a low grill so, says Mario, "you end up with juicy meat and toasted herbed crust." I initially balked at the "boneless, skinless" suggestion, since in my experience that is the least tasty kind of chicken you can buy. But thighs are juicier, and one I read the recipe through, I realized that if you did use chicken with skin, the breadcrumbs would stick to the skin and slide right off when you cut into the meat. Instead, what winds up happening is the bread crumbs themselves form a sort of skin over the chicken. The meat stays really moist, and the crumbs toast up so nicely.

The secret ingredient here is anchovies, and as some readers know, I have a tenuous relationship with the hairy little fishes. But trust me, in this dish, they work perfectly. There's not a grain of salt in the entire dish (snap peas included); it's just not necessary once you blend in three (or four) anchovies to the bread crumb mixture and spoon a dollop of anchovy paste into the hot olive oil that will coat the beans.

I can't wait to try this recipe on a real grill this summer.--S

Chicken Thighs with Snap Peas and Agliata

Serves 6

12 garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
2 salt-packed anchovies, filleted, rinsed, and patted dry, or 4 oil-packed fillets, drained
1/2 c chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 c fresh bread crumbs
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 shallots, sliced 1/4" thick
1 t anchovy paste
1 lb sugar snap peas

1. Combine the garlic, 1/2 c of the oil, the anchovies, parsley, and bread crumbs in a food processor and zap until smoothish.
2. Put the chicken thighs in a large bowl and sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture, turning to coat well. Arrange in a single layer on a platter and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Set up an ice bath. Drop the snap peas into the water and cook just until bright green, about 1 minute. Drain, plunge into the ice bath to cool, and drain again. Set aside.
4. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for indirect grilling. [Or heat your grill pan to medium heat.]
5. Place the chicken thighs skinned side up on the cooler part of the grill, cover the grill, and grill, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes per side.
6. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/4-c. oil in a 10" to 12" saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and anchovy paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the snap peas and cook, stirring, just until heated through. Transfer the snap peas to a platter.
7. Arrange the thighs on top of the snap peas and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Italian Grill

A New Pizza Rustica

I'm learning that every family has their own version of classic dishes, and Pizza Rustica among Italians is no exception. Our family friend Linda makes the traditional savory Easter pie with hard-boiled eggs and salami; my colleague Louisa uses dry basket cheese and sausage. Last year, my family abandoned our usual "Cement Pie" (so named for the dozen or so hard-boiled eggs in one pie) in favor of a jazzier version with spinach and roasted red peppers. And this year, my cousin Kathy and I continued to experiment, with a recipe Chris Kimball of Cook's Illustrated gave me last summer.

This Pizza Rustica was a free-form creation, meaning we shaped it into a pie on a cookie sheet, without the confines of the walls of a pie dish or springform pan. This resulted in a rather, um, rustic looking pie, gently misshapen, but we kind of liked it that way. Besides, it's what's inside the Easter pie that counts, right? And the contents of this pie featured some real gems: fresh spinach, mushrooms, ricotta cheese, freshly grated Parmesan, sweet Italian sausage, prosciutto, and plenty of herbs and spices, plus some beaten eggs to bind it all together. As with any Pizza Rustica I've ever made, this one was labor-intensive, but part of the tradition of the Easter pie is that you make it with your family's help, one or two days before Easter, knowing your extended family is going to be so happy when they see this culinary wonder hit the table.

And when we gathered at my aunt's house on Easter afternoon and sliced the pie, they were happy indeed. Aunt Mimi told me she never really liked Pizza Rustica (some comment about its cement-ness), but that this one, she loved. Pop did his usual routine, throwing his head back in ecstasy and hands in the air at the deliciousness of what Kathy and I had made, as he always does when we cook something--but he later admitted that his performance was not an act, because this time, the food actually warranted such grandiose behavior. My co-chef and I agreed; this was one tasty Pizza. Moist, rich, but not overly so, a little salty from the meats and light, thanks to our extra efforts to press the ricotta through a sieve before mixing it in with the other filling ingredients.

I'm sure we'll return to Cement Pie one of these Easters, but I, for one, am enjoying this walk on the lighter side.--S

Pizza Rustica

Serves 12 as a main course or 18 as an appetizer

10 to 12 ounces fresh spinach, stemmed, washed, or one package (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
3/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 T unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 T olive oil
1 to 1 1/4 c thickly sliced mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, meat removed from casings
3 to 4 ounces prosciutto, cut into small squares
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1 t dried basil, crumbled, or 1/4 c shopped fresh basil
Pinch cayenne pepper
Double recipe pastry dough

Egg wash:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 t milk or heavy cream

1. If using fresh spinach, blanch briefly in large pot of boiling salted water until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze dry thoroughly. Coarsely chop fresh or frozen spinach. Reserve.
2. Beat egg yolks and egg together in bowl. Sieve in ricotta; stir to combine. Stir in Parmesan.
3. Heat 2 T of the butter in large skillet over medium heat. When foam subsides, add onion. Saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add chopped spinach, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Raise heat; dry out spinach, tossing, about 4 minutes. Add to ricotta mixture.
4. Heat remaining 1 T butter and olive oil in skillet. When foam subsides, add mushrooms. Saute until lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add to ricotta mixture. Crumble sausage meat into skillet; saute until meat loses raw look, about 4 minutes. Drain excess fat; add sausage to bowl. Add ham, parsley, basil, and cayenne to bowl; toss to combine. Chill. Correct seasonings.
5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
6. Roll out slightly more than one-third of the pastry on a lightly floured surface into 1/8"-thick rectangle or circle. Transfer pastry to baking sheet. Brush lightly with egg wash. Arrange filling on pastry, leaving 1- to 1.5" border all around. Mound filling in center, building up sides.
7. Roll out remaining pastry into rectangle or circle to match bottom. Lay pastry loosely over filling. Press edges of top piece of pastry together with bottom piece of pastry. Trim pastry, leaving 1- to 1.5" border. Brush top piece of pastry with egg wash. Roll up pastry border all around; press against top piece of pastry. Press edge with fork; brush border with egg wash. Cut two or three steam vents in top. Chill.
8. Brush pastry again with egg wash. Form decorations [we used a bunny cookie cutter] with pastry trimmings, if you like. Affix to top; brush with egg wash. Bake until pastry begins to brown, about 10 minutes. If browning too fast, lower oven heat to 350. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes in all. Let pizza sit about 10 minutes. Cut pie in half lengthwise with long serrated knife; then cut in thin crosswise slices. Serve hot or warm.

Just a Little Irish

I usually avoid my local Irish pub on St. Patrick's Day (amateur night, and all that) and I totally forgot to wear green today. But I did celebrate in my own way, baking two loaves of Irish Soda Bread.

My recipe comes from Kathleen's Bake Shop Cookbook, and calls for the usual quick bread ingredients, a touch of sugar, plus raisins, caraway seeds and buttermilk. Traditionalists will say it's not really Irish Soda Bread--apparently the raisins make it Spotted Dog or Railway Cake. Well, whatever it is, it's very easy and very tasty. I enjoyed some last night for dinner, and again this morning, toasted, with a little butter. It's crumbly, a little scone-like, slightly sweet and with a little bite from the caraway. I'll hit Molly's another night, and wear green tomorrow. Today, I'm perfectly happy with soda bread.--S

Irish Soda Bread

4 c all-purpose flour
2 T granulated sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 c butter
1 c raisins
3 T caraway seeds
2 c buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add raisins and caraway seeds and toss lightly. Add buttermilk and toss mixture with a fork until all dry ingredients are moistened. Dough will be very soft.
3. Form dough into a ball and lightly knead on a floured board for about 30 seconds or until dough is smooth. Divide dough into two equal portions and shape into balls. Place them on the cookie sheet, and with a sharp knife, cut an X on top of each loaf about 1/4-in. deep.
4. Bake for 50 minutes, or until crusty and golden.

Yield: 2 loaves.

Recipe courtesy of Kathleen's Bake Shop Cookbook

Spring Sablés

As Dorie Greenspan explains in the intro to her recipe for Sablés, the tender shortbread cookies are as popular in France as chocolate chip cookies are in the U.S. The French word "sablé" means "sandy" in English, and it isn't too far a stretch to imagine these cookies as pecan sandies minus the pecans, since they are buttery, crumbly and truly melt-in-your-mouth. I was looking for a simple yet delicious cookie to give to friends yesterday, and these fit the bill perfectly. I was even able to give them a little springy touch by using sparkly multicolored pastel sugar.

The key to keeping sablés sandy is to mix the dough just enough so the flour is incorporated. You want to work the dough as little as possible; Dorie says it should be moist and clumpy, as opposed to smooth. The other important thing to consider is that butter is the star ingredient in sablés, so it's wise to use quality stuff. The March issue of Saveur has an amazing spread (ha) of great butters, including Plugra European Style Butter, an 82%-fat sweet cream butter, which I used for the sablés. Dorie says the longer you chill the dough before baking the cookies, the better; I chilled it overnight.

It's hard to see a cookie like this taking off in the U.S.--it's too understated and simple to gain real traction against the chocolate chip or the oatmeal raisin. But when you want something yummy to accompany a nice cup of tea, a sablé is just the thing.--S

Sablés

2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter (preferably high-fat, like Plugra), softened at room temperature
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/4 c confectioners' sugar, sifted before measuring
1/2 t salt, preferably sea salt
2 large egg yolks, preferably at room temperature
2 cc all-purpose flour.

For the decoration (optional):
1 egg yolk
Crystal or dazzle sugar

1. Working in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until it is smooth and very creamy. Add the sugars and salt and continue to beat until smooth and velvety, not fluffy and airy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in 2 egg yolks, again beating until well blended.
2. Turn off the mixer, pour in the flour, drape a kitchen towel over the mixer and pulse the mixer about 5 times at low speed for 1 or 2 seconds each time. Take a peek; if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of more times; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, stir for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough and the dough looks uniformly moist. If you still have some flour on the bottom of the bowl, stop mixing and use a rubber spatula to work the rest of it into the dough. (The dough will not come together in a ball -- and it shouldn't. You want to work the dough as little as possible. What you're aiming for is a soft, moist, clumpy dough. When pinched, it should feel a little like Play-Doh.)
3. Scrape the dough onto a work surface, gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each piece into a smooth log about 9 inches long (it's easiest to work on a piece of plastic wrap and use the plastic to help form the log). Wrap the logs well and chill them for at least 2 hours. The dough may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
4. When ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and keep it at the ready.
5. To decorate the edges of the sables, whisk the egg yolk until smooth. Place one log of chilled dough on a piece of waxed paper and brush it with yolk (the glue), and then sprinkle the entire surface of the log with sugar. Trim the ends of the roll if they are ragged and slice the log into 1/3-inch-thick cookies.
6. Place the rounds on the baking sheet, leaving an inch of space between each cookie, and bake for 17 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet at the halfway point. When properly baked, the cookies will be light brown on the bottom, lightly golden around the edges and pale on top. Let the cookies rest 1 or 2 minutes before carefully lifting them onto a cooling rack with a wide metal spatula. Repeat with the remaining log of dough. (Make sure the sheet is cool before baking each batch.)

Recipe courtesy of Baking by Dorie Greenspan

This Is Not Chocolate Cake

But it sure does look like it, doesn't it? There's not a bit of chocolate in this Sticky Teff-Kissed Spice Loaf. The dark color comes from blackstrap molasses, super-thick and bittersweet. I love this cake. I've made it a few times and each time it's a winner. Sweet but not overly so, and a little spicy, thanks to ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves, plus some fresh grated ginger. The other secret ingredient is teff flour, a very nutritious whole grain flour. Compared to other grains, teff has a much larger percentage of bran and germ so it's a very good source of dietary fiber, protein and iron. Of course, I probably counteract all the health benefits but eating the cake with a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top.

The recipe makes two loaves, so I shared one from this recent batch with my friend Deena. Make some for you and a friend today.--S

Sticky Teff-Kissed Spice Loaves

2 c whole-wheat pastry flour
1 c brown teff flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t fine-grain sea salt
2 t ground ginger
1 T ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground allspice
1/4 t ground cloves
1 c unsalted butter
1/2 c water
3/4 c blackstrap molasses
3/4 c honey
1 c natural cane sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 c milk
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Freshly whipped cream, for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 325 and position the racks in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour two 8x4-in. loaf pans, tapping out any extra flour.
2. Combine the flours, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves and whisk to combine.
3. Combine the butter, water, molasses, honey, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until well-blended. Pour into a large bowl and let cool until it isn't hot on your tongue when you're sneaking a taste. Whisk in the eggs one at a time and then the milk. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the dry ingredients in 3 increments. You might have a few lumps, but resist overmixing. Fold in the grated ginger.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until loosely set in the center. Don't overbake or you'll lose much of the signature stickiness. Let cool in the pan. Slice and serve with a big dollop of whipped cream.

NB: These cakes keep beautifully in the refrigerator for up to a week. They also freeze well double-bagged in plastic with the air pressed out.

Recipe courtesy of Super Natural Cooking

Somewhere Between Stuttgart and Paris

I visited Alsace once during the year I spent as a student in Paris. Unfortunately, I have only a fuzzy memory of what I ate on that trip: a bowl of choucroute here, a slice of kugelhopf there. Fortunately, the March issue of Gourmet features a terrific collection of "Alsatian Sensation" recipes to bring me right back to Strasbourg. Last night I made Chicken in Riesling, Alsace's version of coq au vin. I definitely did not eat this when I visited Alsace, because there is no way I would've forgotten such a delicious and comforting meal.

As the recipe's headnote explains, coq au vin made with red wine is probably the best-known take on the French dish in America. But most regions of France have their own version incorporating local wines. Naturally, Alsace's coq au vin calls on Riesling to give a "gentle richness" to the dish. Fork has always been a Riesling fan, and for last night's meal he picked out a 2005 Trimbach Riesling, which was a little citrusy and fruity with a nice dry finish.

I used my cast-iron dutch oven to brown chicken breasts and thighs in oil and butter, then took the chicken out and cooked chopped leeks and shallot until they were golden. I returned the chicken to the pot, along with carrots and a cup of the wine. Once the liquid reduced, I put the dish in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes. While the chicken braised, I peeled small red potatoes, which was a little time-consuming, but I took a seat for the task, and took sips of wine to keep me going. I simmered the potatoes until they were just tender. The final step: a half-cup of heavy cream into the chicken dish (my supermarket didn't have creme fraiche, which the recipe suggested), a shot of lemon juice, and the potatoes.

It was very quiet while Fork and I ate. After a minute he said, "This is a winner." After a few more minutes, as the chicken started disappearing, we sopped up the flavorful broth and bits of shallot and leek with bread. Chicken in Riesling: a winner, a new Alsatian taste, a classic.--S

Macaroni Pie

Last night's dinner was a bit of a dud with the best intentions: I decided to finally use some dried pasta and porcini mushrooms my mom brought me back from Italy a few months ago, but to rather poor effect. The sauce I made--from garlic, olive oil and canned tomatoes--wasn't rich enough for the mushrooms, and adding cream helped only slightly. I was truly bummed over handling such fine ingredients so poorly, and moped around all night until Fork got the brilliant idea that I should make a batch of Blondies. It helped a little.

But tonight I was determined to make something good out of the leftovers. I'd saved about half the pasta--"stringozzi" that was thicker than spaghetti and had a delightful chewiness to it--and did not sauce it, just drizzled it with olive oil to prevent it from clumping. My idea this evening was to make macaroni pie, something I'd never made before but that I know various family members adore.

I went with Giada De Laurentiis's recipe for Pizza di Spaghetti. She has you dress cooked spaghetti with olives and tomato sauce; I skipped the olives and made a batch of my mom's sauce, and mixed it in with the pasta. In a bowl, you combine eggs, milk and grated Parmesan with a little salt and pepper, and then you add your sauced pasta to that mixture. You grease a non-stick skillet with a good amount of olive oil, then pour the pasta-egg mixture in, pressing it down into the pan. After eight or so minutes you very carefully flip it onto a plate and slide it back into the pan so the other side can cook, a maneuver not unlike Spanish Laura's technique when making tortilla espanola. Another six minutes and it's ready to eat.

This was the delicious meal I'd wanted last night. The crispy exterior gave way to the soft and chewy pasta inside, and the overall taste of the dish was richer, more flavorful and pulled-together than simple pasta with tomato sauce, thanks to the binding powers of egg, milk and cheese. I am so relieved my mother didn't schlepp that pasta home from Umbria for nothing.--S

A Wintry Seafood Dinner

For Fork's birthday last week, we kept with tradition and went out for a fancier-than-usual dinner, this year at The Modern. It was a grand meal, showcasing Alsatian specialties from tarte flambee to liverwurst to apple streudel. We went the day after Fork's birthday, so on his actual day, I wasn't about to chintz out and order a pizza (and that's not because we're lacking good pizza delivery these days).

I planned a special meal at home on Fork's birthday involving many of his favorite foods, including an opening smorgasbord of Saint-Marcellin cheese with crusty baguette, shrimp cocktail, cerignola olives and a bottle of Alabarino. For dinner, I returned to a recipe I'd tried once before, Striped Bass with Lemon, White Wine, and Butter Sauce, from The Flexitarian Table. You could use any firm white fish for this dish: striped bass, cod, hake, halibut or snapper. I did use bass, a nice thick fillet from Whole Foods. The technique is a cinch: you lay the fish in an ovenproof skillet, place cubes of butter and chopped shallot over it, pour a third of a cup of dry white wine and some lemon juice over and around it, and season it with salt, red pepper flakes and sprigs of thyme. You bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, and then transfer the skillet to a 400-degree oven. About 15 or 20 minutes later you've got a moist, rich and deeply flavorful piece of fish.

On the side, I served Braised Leeks au Gratin, a recipe from my mom. I made sure to use top-notch ingredients, since there aren't many in the dish to begin with: sharp Parmigiano-Reggiano, uniformly chopped bread crumbs from a whole wheat boule, Kitchen Basics chicken stock, and big, bright leeks. The result was a warm and cozy meshing of soft leeks and crunchy cheese and bread.

It was a rather nice primer to Friday night's Alsatian feast, if I do say so myself.--S


Striped Bass with Lemon, White Wine, and Butter Sauce

1 1-lb. striped bass fillet
3 T unsalted butter, cubed
2 T finely chopped shallot
1/3 c. dry white wine
2 T fresh lemon juice
Sea salt or kosher salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme or tarragon

1. Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lay the fish in an ovenproof skillet that will hold it comfortably (cut it in half if necessary). Scatter the butter cubes and shallot over the fish, pour the wine and lemon juice over and around, and season the fish with salt and the red pepper flakes. Scatter the thyme or tarragon sprigs over the fish.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat, then transfer the pan to the oven and bake until a thermometer inserted into the center of the fish registers 125 to 130 degrees, about 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through but still moist. Discard the herbs and transfer the fish to a warm platter.
4. Place the pan over high heat, bring the sauce to a simmer, and simmer until it begins to thicken, 2-3 minutes. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve.

Serves 2 to 3

Recipe courtesy of The Flexitarian Table

Braised Leeks au Gratin

1 T olive oil
1 T butter
3 large leeks
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 – 1 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1 c. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1/2 c. breadcrumbs (or stale bread)
3 – 4 T fresh parsley, chopped

1. Wash the leeks well, being sure to be rid of any sand that gets trapped in between the leaves. Slice in half lengthwise and cut into 3” logs.
2. Pre-heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and butter and blend well. When the butter has stopped sizzling, add the leeks, cut side down to the pan. Brown well and then turn them over. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the chicken stock to the pan, so that it comes half way up the side of the leeks. Bring the stock to a simmer and then reduce the heat to very low. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 10 minutes or until the leeks are tender to a knife point.
4. When the leeks are tender, pre-heat the broiler and increase the heat and reduce the chicken stock until it only just covers the bottom of the pan.
5. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs all over the top of the leeks and place the pan under the broiler. Alternately, if you want to take the leeks directly to the table, transfer the leeks to an oven-safe casserole dish and then top them with the cheese and breadcrumbs. Broil until the cheese melts and starts to turn brown.
6. Garnish with chards of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh chopped parsley.

Serves 4 as a side dish