A Few of My Favorite Summer Things

                                                        Art by Pete

While I’m on vacation, enjoy these dishes that have become my must-makes over many summers now. For your consideration—a soup, salad, and an entree!

Take your pick of the best tomatoes and put them in this Gazpacho Andaluz.  

A sumptuous Summer Salad is beautifully made with the bounty of the season. 

Trenette col Pesto Genovese (that’s pasta with pesto, bliss potatoes, and green beans to you and me, bub) is a wonderful classic Italian dish, highly suitable for this time of year. 

I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Grilled Chicken with Red Onion Jam

 

Just in time for the upcoming fireworks, here’s a bursting flavor bomb that’s super easy to prepare and can be made ahead for a sit-down dinner or to bring along to a celebratory BBQ! What more do you need?

The chicken marinates in the morning or afternoon in a delicious blend of herbs and garlic. The red onion jam can sit out all day to cool! Top the grilled chicken with the jam for a summery meal at home or wedge between slices of a hearty white bread and it’s picnic-ready.

I believe recipes are stories; some to be adapted as we go along. I thought red wine, sherry vinegar, and black raspberry liqueur was too heavy for summer, so I lightened it up with white wine, champagne vinegar and orangey Grand Marnier, as suggested below in italics. I also don’t have a backyard grill (or a backyard for that matter), but a hot skillet worked just fine, as would a grill pan.

Happy 4th of July, everybody!

Chicken with Red Onion Jam
Ingredients
For the Chicken
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup minced parsley (2 tbsp dried parsley)
1⁄4 cup minced basil (1 tbsp dried basil)
2 tbsp minced rosemary (1 tsp dried rosemary)
2 tbsp minced thyme (1 tsp dried thyme)
1 tsp crushed red chile flakes (couple of jolts of hot sauce)
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice and zest of 1 lemon (1/4 cup lime juice, plus 1 tsp dried lemon zest)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼” thickness, halved

For the Red Onion Jam
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 large red onions, sliced thin
3⁄4 cup dry red wine (white wine)
1⁄2 cup sherry vinegar (champagne vinegar)
1⁄2 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup black raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord (Grand Marnier)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method
Make the chicken: Mix oil, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, chile flakes, garlic, and lemon juice and zest in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

Meanwhile, make the jam: Heat butter in a 12” skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook, stirring, until soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Add wine, vinegar, sugar, liqueur, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, until thick, about 40 minutes; let jam cool.

Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high. (Alternatively, heat broiler to high.) Working in batches, grill chicken, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve with jam.

BOOK/A TABLE - Summer Vegetable Soup

The first day of summer is only a few days away and in Manhattan, it feels as if we’ve already settled well into it. I had never read Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar until last year, and what I remember, of all things, is the striking description on the first page that evokes a New York summer so brilliantly.

“By nine in the morning the fake, country-wet freshness that somehow seeped in overnight evaporated like the tail end of a sweet dream. Mirage-gray at the bottom of their granite canyons, the hot streets wavered in the sun, the car tops sizzled and glittered, and the dry, cindery dust blew into my eyes and down my throat.”

The point is made: New York City gets awfully hot this time of year. Far better to pour a nice summer soup down your throat instead, don’t you think? My tattered issue of Saveur from 1995 has got the goods. Grab the freshest vegetables you can find and do enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Soup
Adapted from Saveur
Ingredients
6 cups simple vegetable stock
1 large carrot, peeled, trimmed, and diced
1⁄4 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
1 small bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced, tops reserved for garnish
6 small red or white new potatoes, sliced
2 small yellow or green summer squash, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 small sprigs fresh parsley
4 small sprigs fresh chervil

Method
Step 1
Bring stock to a simmer in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, beans, fennel, potatoes, and squash, cover pot, and gently simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 2
To serve, ladle into individual bowls and garnish with reserved fennel tops, parsley, and chervil.

Darling Clementine

Get a little Tipsy this Thanksgiving! Sweet Potato Tipsy, that is, courtesy of Clementine Paddleford.

Although she was once considered the pioneer of American food writing, Ms. Paddleford is largely forgotten today. I first encountered her in the pages of Saveur magazine some years ago and among the other recipes featured in the article, I was particularly enamored with these creamy sweet potatoes shot with a solid dose of sherry. 

I like to celebrate her memory by serving Sweet Potato Tipsy over the holidays, and I think you’ll agree this wonderfully warming dish is perfectly suited to a Thanksgiving table.  

Below is a picture of Miss Paddleford’s cookbook How America Eats, peeking out from under a platter of her scrumptious ginger cookies. Bake a batch to keep the kids busy this season! Click here for the recipe and to learn more about the great Clementine Paddleford. 

P.S. If you would like to make further use of sweet potatoes, click here.

Sweet Potato Tipsy
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
8 medium sweet potatoes
2 pinches of salt
7 tbsp butter
1⁄2 cup half and half
1⁄4 cup dry sherry
3 tbsp brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Put 8 medium sweet potatoes into a large pot, cover with cold water, and add 2 generous pinches of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and cook until soft when pierce, 30-40 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Peel potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Coarsely mash potatoes with the tines of a fork, then add 5 tbsp. softened butter, 1⁄2 cup half-and-half, 1⁄4 cup dry sherry, and 3 tbsp. brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

3. Transfer sweet potato mixture to a buttered medium baking dish, dot with 2 tbsp. butter, and bake until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.


First published in Saveur in Issue #62

 

Lentilles du Puy

Sometimes I feel lentils are the lost legumes because short of being stuffed in a veggie burger or hiding out in a hearty stew, lentils are difficult to find on a menu, shining on a plate of their own.

Café de Bruxelles in the West Village used to serve the most delicious grilled brook trout paired with a side of lentils and I have served them together at dinner parties as a result. I think it’s a great combo. Mercato further uptown currently serves luscious lentils lounging in a shallow pool of olive oil and anchovy paste to accompany table bread, but I have yet to experiment with that at home.

However, a dish of Lentilles du Puy needs no supporting cast—or indeed, even a plate! Sometimes I just spoon it right out of the roasting pan.

Instead of adding three cups of water to the lentils as in the recipe below, I suggest using two and a half cups stock (such as mushroom, vegetable, or chicken) and about half a cup of white wine.

Fresh is best, but canned or vacuum-sealed beets are fine to use in a pinch (and you don’t have the bother of peeling them). I’ve also added bacon, because why not? Fry three strips of bacon ahead of time, remove them from pan and sautée the carrots and beets in the bacon grease with a little butter instead of the suggested oil. Crumble the cooled bacon and toss into the mix at the end.

C’est magnifique!


Lentilles du Puy with Roasted Carrots and Beets
Adapted from Saveur, Issue #18
Serves 6 as a side dish

“This recipe was developed for the esteemed lentils from Le Puy (which have been granted an appellation d'origine contrôlée by the French government), but any French-style lentil will do.”

Ingredients
3 small beets, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
4 shallots, peeled and halved
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb. lentilles du Puy, or other French-style green lentils, picked over and rinsed
3 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Method
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place beets, carrots, shallots, and 1/2 cup oil in a medium roasting pan. Stir to coat vegetables evenly with oil. Add parsley and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring once, until vegetables begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Add lentils and 3 cups of water, stir, then cover pan with foil. Cook until lentils are tender and all water is absorbed, about 1 hour.

2. Remove pan from oven. Remove and discard herb sprigs, then dress lentils with vinegar and remaining oil. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in chopped parsley. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Variation—Different vegetables and dressings can be used for this salad. For instance, roast 2 cups peeled small pearl onions for 20 minutes as in step 1 above. Dice 4 celery stalks. Add celery and lentils to onions with 3 cups water, cover, and continue roasting. Meanwhile, mix 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice with 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Stir in 1 minced peeled garlic clove and 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme. When lentils are tender and liquid has been absorbed, toss with dressing. Adjust seasoning and serve.

BOOK/A TABLE - Beef Stroganoff

Over 20 years ago, my cousin and I started an ongoing tradition of making dinner together during my holiday visits to New Hampshire. At first, we were just cooking for her husband and three children, but word of our feasts started getting around and soon neighbors and friends also began showing up to see what we were making...such as lavender-roasted quail, venison steaks, classic Vietnamese dumplings, Thai noodles, beef Stroganoff, and chicken pot pie in pumpkins. 

The adults would mingle, but her children (practically babies at the time) would watch us goggle-eyed from the kitchen counter as we whisked, simmered, and chopped, preparing elaborate dishes that often wouldn’t be ready until late in the evening, bedtime be damned! 

It still staggers me that her children now have babies of their own. Somewhere, there is a picture of my cousin peering over my crib to get a look at me. 

When she and I were kids in the 70s, oh how we loved watching Charlie’s Angels on television. In case you don’t know, the cop drama was about three gorgeous gals who did investigative work for a mysterious man named Charlie Townsend. It was the one show I was allowed to stay up past my bedtime to watch.

I recently found my copy of one of the books based on the series, and was wildly amused to read this:

Charlie chuckled. “Jill, how’s the painting coming?”
The blonde Jill said, “I bought one of those cooking encyclopedias.”
Charlie chuckled again. “It’s hard to keep up with you.”
“I’ve gotten as far as B.” Her tone became inviting. “My beef Stroganoff isn’t bad, Charlie.”
“Let me know when you get to zucchini.”

Beef Stroganoff (named for the Russian Stroganov family) was one of the first dishes my cousin and I made together. There are many different versions, but this one should dispel any lurid memories of the glop perhaps served in your school’s cafeteria, or what you may have suffered through at home, made with Campbell’s mushroom soup.    

I think you can skip the fussy work of making matchstick potatoes. Hot buttered noodles will do just fine!

Beef Stroganoff
Adapted from Saveur magazine
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp dry mustard
1 cup beef stock
1⁄4 cup sour cream
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 1⁄2 lb beef tenderloin, cut into 3” x 1” x 1/8” slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Canola oil, for frying
4 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8” matchsticks
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Instructions
Step 1
Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and dry mustard, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually add stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil; cook until thick, about 2 minutes. Stir in sour cream, remove from heat, and set aside.

Step 2
Heat remaining butter in a 12” skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high, add meat, and cook until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add reserved sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

Step 3
Meanwhile, pour oil to a depth of 1 1⁄2” in a 4-qt. saucepan, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 365°. Working in batches, fry potatoes until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels; season to taste with salt while still warm.

Step 4
Spoon stroganoff onto a serving platter, and cover with a mound of jumbled straw potatoes. Garnish with parsley.

 

Thanks NYT Cooking for the pic!

BOOK/A TABLE - Welsh Rabbit

It sure ain’t the charming tale of Peter Rabbit, foraging among the lettuces and French beans in Mr. McGregor’s garden until the old geezer chases him out with a rake. In Watership Down, the fear of being caught is very real—and everything is a threat.

Since I read Richard Adams’ book, I figured rabbits have enough to deal with in their everyday lives without me adding to their peril (much as I had previously enjoyed rabbit braised in Riesling or served with a creamy mustard sauce). But there is Welsh Rabbit—aka cheese toast, so warm and comforting—which was traditionally served as a savory course in England after dessert if the rabbit had gotten away. I hope all rabbits get away.

“To come to the end of a time of anxiety and fear! To feel the cloud that hung over us lift and disperse—the cloud that dulled the heart and made happiness no more than a memory! This at least is one joy that must have been known by almost every living creature.”

A happy, hopeful 2025 for everybody!

Welsh Rabbit
Adapted from saveur.com

Ingredients:
3 1⁄2 cups (about 3⁄4 lb.) grated aged English cheddar
1⁄4 cup light beer or ale
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp dry mustard
Dash of Tabasco
4-6 slices crustless, toasted wheat bread
Ground pepper

Method:
Combine cheddar, beer, butter, worcestershire sauce, salt, dry mustard, and a dash of Tabasco in a medium pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it melts into a smooth sauce, 4-5 minutes.

Pour melted cheese over slices of bread, sprinkle with ground pepper, if you like, and serve at once.

BOOK/A TABLE - Duck...Soup?

During a recent trip to Nashville, I stopped into Bits & Pieces Antique Boutique where I happened upon a copy of Cherry Ames, Camp Nurse by Helen Wells. I grabbed it off the shelf straightaway and while ringing up the sale, the cashier asked me, “What’s the deal with this Cherry Ames, anyway?” 

“Well...” I leaned in and proceeded to tell her all about the utterly charming (and often hilarious) series.

Much like Nancy Drew, Cherry solves mysteries. But unlike the titian-haired teen detective, young Cherry is a rosy brunette and a nurse. Her profession leads her to be installed in any number of absurd situations (in over 20 books written between 1943-1968), where she must save the day, while applying cold compresses, administering tinctures, or taking temperatures. 

Rest Home Nurse, Mountaineer Nurse, Dude Ranch Nurse, and Companion Nurse are all compelling titles, but among those I’ve read, my favorite is Cherry Ames, Department Store Nurse. Cherry has moved on to working in the infirmary of Thomas and Parke’s, a New York department store—only to discover someone has pinched a rose diamond necklace from Mrs. Julian on the antiques floor. 

Cherry goes home to Hilton, Illinois for a visit and is necessarily grilled: “During the balance of dinner, Cherry’s mother kept the questions to what nursing in a department store was like.”

It’s not really clear what the Ames’s were eating on their best china, but my thoughts went to cherries and the marvelous Fruitful cookbook by Brian Nicholson and Sarah Huck, which features “four seasons of fresh fruit recipes.” I met the authors ten years ago at their launch party and I’ve particularly enjoyed returning to this cookbook every summer. As we are at a point when cherries are at their most flavorful, I wanted to include a recipe for smoked duck toasts (from Fruitful) and a chilled soup featuring the garnet-colored gems, in honor of Cherry Ames.  

Fresh is usually the best way to go, however for both of these recipes jars of cherries from Trader Joe’s might be preferable!

Smoked Duck and Cherry Confit Toasts
Adapted from Fruitful

Makes 4 to 6 servings
My suggestions in italics

Ingredients
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 small shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
12 oz sweet cherries, pitted (2 cups)/1 16.2 oz jar pitted Amarena cherries from Trader Joe’s
1 tb granulated sugar
2 tbs brandy
1/4 tsp sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
Pinch fine sea salt
8 (1/2-inch thick) slices rye bread (consider slicing into strips to make appetizers for a small group instead)
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs whole-grain mustard (a nice Dijon is also good)
1 pound smoked duck breast, thinly sliced (try chopped smoked ham or cured sausage if duck is scarce)
1 cup torn arugula leaves (or baby/micro arugula)

Method
Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rosemary and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cherries and sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until cherries are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of water. Cook, breaking up the cherries with a spoon, until the mixture bubbles and begins to thicken. Add the brandy and cook until cherries are soft and saucy. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the vinegar and salt. Set the compote aside to cool. (This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for about a week.)

Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle the tops with oil. Place the bread under the broiler until it is lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Slather one side of each toasted bread slice with mustard. Top each toast with sliced duck, a spoonful of compote, and a small handful of arugula. Serve immediately.

On to soup! I made this thrilling pink soup years ago, but only recently realized I neglected to post the recipe for it, so here you go. 

“This Hungarian dish is a dessert disguised as a soup. Morello cherries in light syrup, like the one’s sold at Trader Joe’s stores, are ideal.”

Hungarian Chilled Cherry Soup aka Meggyleves
Adapted from Saveur

My comments in italics

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
2 (24 oz) jars of pitted sour cherries (preferably morellos), with their juice (Alternatively, you may use 1 3/4 lbs. fresh bing cherries, stemmed and pitted, or 1 1/2 lbs. frozen bing cherries with 2 3/4 cups sour or regular cherry juice.) OR about 2 16.2 oz jars of Trader Joe’s Amarena cherries 
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
1 stick cinnamon
1 slice (1/2"-thick) lemon
1 (8 oz) container sour cream

STEP 1
Add cherries, with their juice, to a 4-quart saucepan. Add salt, cinnamon stick, and lemon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until cherries are soft, about 5 minutes.

STEP 2
In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and 1⁄4 cup of hot cherry liquid from pan. Remove pan from heat; stir in sour cream mixture. Chill the soup and serve.

BOOK/A TABLE - The Classic Negroni

I happened to be reading Patricia Highsmith's nail-biter The Talented Mr. Ripley when I saw Netflix had adapted it into an eight-part series entitled Ripley. Starring the extraordinary Andrew Scott, this new version is a glorious, moody vision of Italy shot in stark black and white. 

There's a lot of mystery surrounding our psychopathic, murderous protagonist Tom Ripley, but the real mystery to me is why, as the characters traipse across Italy drinking gin martinis, there is nary a mention of the classic Italian Negroni! Lord knows I drank little else when I was running around Italy myself.

Originally served to Count Camillo Negroni in 1919, the bitter cocktail composed of pure liquor is a ripping refresher that some prefer in the cooler months, but I remember escaping the heat of June with a number of Negronis while lingering in the various osterie of Florence, Venice, Rome... 

Classic Negroni

Adapted from Saveur magazine

Ingredients

1 oz. Campari
1 oz. gin
1 oz. sweet vermouth
Orange slice, for garnish

Method
In a tumbler filled with ice, stir together the Campari, gin, and vermouth. Garnish with the orange slice.

The White Negroni has making an appearance in restaurant bars around town recently too, should you wish to try at home! 

White Negroni

Adapted from liquor.com

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces gin
1 ounce Lillet blanc
1/2 ounce Suze gentian liqueur
Garnish: lemon twist

Method
Add the gin, Lillet blanc and Suze into a mixing glass with ice and stir for 15 to 20 seconds until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.

Ritual Non-Alcoholic Spirits (a leader in the N/A market) has also come up with what I feel is a highly commendable version of the Negroni, as well as other fantastic booze-free concoctions found here. 

Ritual Non-Alcoholic Negroni

Ingredients
1 1/2 oz. Ritual Gin Alternative
1 1/2 oz. Ritual Aperitif Alternative
Garnish: orange

Method
Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add 1.5oz of Ritual Gin and Aperitif Alternative. Stir the ingredients in the mixing glass for 20-30 seconds until well combined. Strain the mixture into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange peel.

"Tom showered and then Dickie showered, and came out and poured himself a drink, just like the first time, but the atmosphere now was totally changed."

The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith
 

Easter Lamb

Easter is less than two weeks away--spring lamb is what's going to be on our table this year! Baby and I are making it easy with dinner for just the two of us. Not sure yet what will round out the rest of the menu but I'm thinking of a Greek slant this year based on the lamb recipe, with lemon chicken soup (classic Greek avgolemono) to start, a pasta course with grilled artichokes and a dish of dates and figs for a fine finish. Although I am not a fan of Greek retsina wine (shocking, I know), I do believe a chilled, fizzy bottle of Perrier-Jouet Champagne will be an ample substitute!

Lamb Rack with Cucumber Yogurt

From the I Love New York Cookbook:

Cucumber Yogurt

11/2 cups plain Greek-style yogurt

2 cucumbers

Salt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 clove garlic

11/2 tablespoons chopped dill

Line a colander with a quadruple layer of cheesecloth and pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth. Suspend over a large bowl and refrigerate for 48 hours, allowing the moisture to drain from the yogurt. Peel and grate the cucumbers on a box grater.

season with 1 teaspoon of salt and hang in a quadruple layer of cheese-cloth to drain excess moisture, about 1 hour. Measure 1 cup of the drained yogurt and reserve the rest for another use.

Combine the cup of yogurt and the drained cucumbers in a medium bowl.

stir in the lemon juice and olive oil. Grate the garlic on a Microplane grater into the mixture and fold in the chopped dill. Mix well and season with salt to taste.

Roasted Lamb Rack

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 lamb rack (about 2 1/4 pounds), frenched and tied

Salt

2 tablespoons butter

5 sprigs thyme

1 clove garlic, crushed but kept whole

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Season the lamb rack generously with salt. Place the rack in the skillet fat side down and sear over high heat until browned, 21/2 to 3 minutes. Turn and sear the bottom for 1 minute. Turn the rack back onto the fat side and add the butter, thyme, and garlic. Baste the rack with the butter for 21/2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the lamb rack fat side up to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the lamb rack over, baste with butter, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove the lamb rack from the oven, turn it back over, and baste once more. Roast in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 130° to 135°F. Let the lamb rack rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with the cucumber yogurt and heirloom tomatoes.

Thanks to Eleven Madison Park for the recipe and photo! 

A Selection of Sweets - Tea Jammies

I made these Honey-and-Tea Jammers in my pajamas, so let's start there.

Dorie Greenspan recently shared her Honey-and-Tea Jammers adapted from Dorie's Cookies in the Dec/Jan 2017 Saveur and I was immediately enraptured by her 'dream cookies' built on French shortbread with streusel in a delightful confluence of just what you'd expect--honey, loose tea and strawberry jam. In the actual recipe here, the cookies are served individually cut, like thinly rolled tarts made in a muffin tin, but lacking that particular device, I giddily fiddled about and created a single, thickly rolled large tart (seen above) with apricot jam in a spring-form pan. For another batch, armed with a two-inch cookie cutter, I neatly fitted nine cut-out cookies in a nonstick cake pan and eased them out readily once completely cooled.

The unexpected pockets of brown sugar in the genial shortbread! The luscious jam poking out of the crumbly streusel! Best of all, I had all of the ingredients on hand (friends had recently given us wild honey and homemade vanilla extract over the holidays and we actually had loose rose tea for the shortbread!) and didn't have to leave the apartment. Comfortable as I was in my jammies, I set out to make my honorary Tea Jammies.

The smell of a bakery right at home was so incredibly pleasing I couldn't help but think what a treat such aromas would be for guests upon arrival--even before taking a single, gorgeous bite. Since none of the ingredients are particularly perishable, stock up for the next pajama day! Just remember to change before any guests shows up. Or eat them by yourself. Or not. The important thing is that you do make them.

A Selection of Sweets - Snowy-Topped Brownie Drops

I find that I've been baking a lot lately, which is not something I usually do. Perhaps I'm still in the honeymoon baking phase but everything has turned out really well. I used to think that baking was an exacting "other" when it comes to being in the kitchen; it's not the same as creating a cassoulet or making a meatloaf, where I think variations more readily adhere to personal taste (ie while it is perfectly fine for additional pepper in your pork chops, it is ill-advised to pour an undue amount of confectioners sugar into your glaze). But while I am making my way, carefully measuring out flour, cubing my butter for cakes and whatnot, stumbling here and there, I also remember that food just wants to be good. Certainly that's something we can all agree upon. So do give it a try, if you have a mind to - mix your dry ingredients and wet ingredients together with vigorous abandon and look for more baking adventures here!

Here is the link to Snowy-Topped Brownie Drops from the Dec/Jan 2017 issue of Saveur.  I think I would omit the ginger next time and just let the orange zest speak out. Also, plan ahead with these cookies--they should be refrigerated overnight and certainly tasted the best the following day.

Happy Holidays, Everybody!

Thanks for reading eveningswithpeter.com.

Beet Tahini Dip

I found this recipe in the pages of the Aug./Sept. 2015 issue of Saveur--however, truth be told, I've found little else in the publication over the recent year. Pity. But anyway, surely, somewhere on this blog I've compared beets to Steinbeck's rich red earth, and here, this quick, ridiculously simple mixture makes the most of summer's bounty. I cut the recipe in half for just me, but below is the whole deal with my thoughts in italics. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Beet Dip
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add 1 lb. beets, trimmed, and cook until tender, about 1 hour. I used a package of beets already peeled and cooked, as that's what I had on hand, sparing a hot stove top! And as I only had a 1/4 lb. at that, I added slivers of a crisp green apple to add body. Drain and peel the beets, then transfer to a blender along with 1/2 cup tahini, 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves, and 3 ice cubes. Season with salt and pepper and puree until smooth. Spoon into a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and 1 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts. I didn't use those as I don't much care for them.  Chill at least 20 minutes and serve with pita bread as suggested or snack crackers, such as Tam Tams. Do drizzle with a good olive oil, garnish with some chopped beets (try chopped walnuts too!) and a few stiff grinds of black pepper or a sprinkling perhaps of cumin.

Thanks to Saveur for the inspiration, despite its apparent, largely unsatisfying period of transition.

Derby 2015

Behold the lovely, fragrant lilacs! I do hope your Derby was fun (and profitable!) this year. I bet, as is my foolish wont, and once again, I didn't win a dime. At my party, I put out the usual spread of Martha Stewart's shrimp and grits, Benedictine sandwiches with cream cheese and cucumbers as well as sliced tomatoes sprinkled with freshly ground pepper and salt that filled flaky Pillsbury Grands biscuits. Cornbread was another addition this year and chocolate chip and sugary gingerbread cookies provided a fine finish to the race. And of course, there were mint juleps!

Here's this year's steaming stew of shrimp and grits, laced with thyme and parsley and topped with crisp bacon!

Lazy afternoon views of the table just before the guests arrived...

and more of the room, flooded with flowers!

Giddyap, everybody--and do enjoy!

Steak (and eggs) Diane!

In a fit of inspiration, perhaps recalling late nights in college when a platter of steak and eggs seemed the only thing to do at 3 o'clock in the morning after a kegger, Baby and I recently made a classic Steak Diane preparation with a more assured sense of maturity—it was at least for lunch, but it was our own invention when we threw a fried egg on top of both steaks. Divine! But do clear your schedule: although this was so delicious, it was heavy and afterwards we slept for the entire day having hungrily consumed both of the steaks! In all fairness to us, we had both experienced a very busy, tiring week.

We sauteed the mushrooms in butter and bas Armagnac and then set it afire! Fantastic. The fairly simple recipe is found here and below. The Armagnac we used subbed for the suggested brandy, a package of chopped mushrooms resulted in easy work and of course, a few filet mignon steaks are essential. Make this anytime as the spirits move you and do enjoy!

Steak Diane
Ingredients
Four 4-oz. filet mignon steaks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1½ cups beef stock
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 2 tsp.)
1 medium shallot, finely chopped (about ¼ cup)
4 oz. oyster or hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, torn into small pieces (about 2 cups)
1⁄4 cup cognac
1⁄4 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1⁄4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives
1 Tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley

Instructions
Step 1
Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers, then add the steaks and cook, turning once, until evenly browned, 4–5 minutes for medium rare. Transfer to a plate to rest.

Step 2
Meanwhile, return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the stock. Cook, stirring to deglaze, until the liquid is reduced by two-thirds, about 10 minutes. Pour the demi-glace into a heatproof bowl and set aside.

Step 3
Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted and the foam begins to subside, add the garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they soften, release their liquid, and begin to brown, about 2 minutes more. Add the cognac, then carefully light with a long match or lighter to flambé, shaking gently until the flame dies down. Stir in the reserved demi-glace along with the cream, Dijon, Worcestershire, and Tabasco.

Step 4
Return the reserved steaks to the skillet, lower the heat to simmer, and cook, turning to coat, until the sauce is thickened and the meat is warmed through, about 4 minutes. To serve, transfer the steaks to warmed serving plates; stir the chives and parsley into the sauce, and drizzle it over the steaks.

 

Chicken with Lemons and Olives

After my recent, spasmodic lemon craze, I wondered what I should do with my preserved lemons. Gourmet provided a ready answer with this chicken tagine dish (a somewhat shallow Le Creuset covered skillet and I proceeded to make short work of my sour, salty friends). This was not difficult work by any means although I suspect guests might think otherwise. Such a rhapsody to serve; a marvelous balance of tart, sweet, savory, salty and buttery deliciousness, even though no actual butter was involved. Incorporating garlic and ginger paste, cilantro and cinnamon, the aromas filled the kitchen--can't you practically inhale it all, leaping off of the page? Saffron threads were first up in a small skillet, to be toasted until fragrant. Frankly, I've never really understood what saffron does (this particular batch delivered by a Belgian friend), but I use it anyway, as suggested in any recipe. It's pretty but I've never really smelled it or tasted it; I just rely on the idea that it is doing its elusive job. I used subtly sumptuous, plump Castelvetrano olives that imparted an unexpected buttery flavor--pit them yourself or apprise your guests that the pits remain as they recklessly bite in. Whatever you do, be keen when choosing your olives--overly salty won't do, add your own salt in, if you wish. The pulp of the preserved lemons slides right off the rind with a proper knife and the chopped rinds themselves melt quite away, leaving a bright tingle to the tagine, once warmed. Now, you could purchase preserved lemons at a specialty market but there is really little to do--just quarter, salt and soak the lemons in their own juices a week ahead of time before topping off with olive oil, and proudly announce that you prepared them all by yourself.

Dispatching the lemons as the olives observe...!

The vibrant mix with a flutter of cilantro, about to be simmered for roughly 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, before the olives are tossed in for another 10 or so...!

Do enjoy!

Canalons a la Barcelonesa

 

Although a more common phrase begins with "When in Rome...", my mother (for her 80th birthday, shhh, don't tell), and Baby and I (for our one year wedding anniversary) were in Barcelona! So what to do when in Barcelona but make their "national dish" for dinner? Canalons! If the idea of cannelloni is tugging at you, there is good reason; both sumptuous platters are similar, and canalons were brought to Spain by Italians about two hundred years ago. Saveur magazine provided the recipe, found here. Pasta wrappers, already cut into rectangles were readily available at our local mercado as were convenient bottles of deliciously prepared bechamel sauce that saved time, skillets, and bowls.

As our canalons baked--meatballs, sauteed in garlicky olive oil and accompanied by ripe tomato jam, made wonderful lettuce cups for an appetizer on the terrace.



 Our table, readied for dinner!

To accompany our canalons, a salad of shredded baby romaine hearts was simply dressed with briskly whisked olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tangerine juice, freshly ground black pepper and a touch of sugar.

And I mustn't forget to mention how warmly we were greeted in the beautiful apartment we had rented for a long weekend before tearing off to Sitgez and Valencia!

Pete's Dish - March 28

What's going on in and about town! 



Grab a smart jacket, get your fancy hat, leaves your troubles on the doorstep and head to Eleven Madison Park as they host their 6^th annual Kentucky Derby Party on Saturday, May 3^rd. The most exciting two minutes in sports and one of my favorite days of the year! This year, the Park has partnered with Esquire magazine, Woodford Reserve and Nat Sherman among others as they all partake of some mint julep tippling, Derby dishes and live music. Go to MadeNiceNYC.com/events for tickets immediately—I’ll wager they go fast.

Pinkies up! From May 9^th- 13th, the fifth anniversary Manhattan Cocktail Classic will get thing shaken in Manhattan. High spirits with prevail over five days in three boroughs. Apart from all the boozing there will also be educational seminars and pig roasts, lunch and dinner travails and a cocktail party at the New York Public Library. Please knock it back with kind consideration for others and heed these words of wisdom: behave and keep your legs crossed. Get your tickets at ManhattanCocktailClassic.com.

 

Entrepreneur Miki Agrawal (WILD, THINX) has partnered with fellow restaurateur Walid Hammami (former owner of Café Rafaella, Angelina and Atlas Cafés) and together they are set to open a new farmhouse-chic location of her gluten-free pizza and Italian specialties restaurant concept at WILD in Williamsburg to form a triptych with the other locations in Manhattan’s West Village and Las Vegas, which are already serving healthy and farm fresh fare. Forage for black quinoa and kale salads as well as spinach and artichoke pizzas, comforting gluten-free pastas dressed a la vodka, and wild chicken Parmesan entrées. Don’t forget about the homemade, vegan kale cupcakes for dessert. So stick a fork in it! WILD is located at 340 Bedford Ave, 347-599-0699, EatDrinkWild.com. 

Au Revoir

 

Our neighbors are moving only across town but I'm still fairly devastated. In all the years I've lived in New York, I've never been so close to folks down the hall where we have each other over to our respective apartments for dinner constantly, rap on our doors just to say hi (or return borrowed plates and glasses!) or go out to dinner together and eat, eat, eat! Needless to say it was requisite to give them a proper send-off so I composed a dinner reflecting both of their backgrounds. G is from Mexico City (with a touch of French) and S is British. My thoughts simmered as I wondered how to combine the two influences while setting the table a day in advance. Don't you love the Cherry Brandy rose bouquet?

I began to assemble a simple relish tray in my mind composed of sausages, pickles and bleu cheese we had on hand to get things started. Baby helped me roll up these adorable napkin nests from Perfect Table Settings by Denise Vivaldo. Naturally we placed carved wooden birds on them.


Pork Pies from the British import shop Myers of Keswick in the heart of the West Village were a must as the anchor for dinner, both standard and pungent Stilton-stuffed varieties.

 

Goya Spanish yellow saffron rice was a wonderful side. I added in sliced chorizo sauteed in Bonne Maman apricot preserves (I thought of it as a nod to classic British apricot and lamb pie).

Heinz baked beans in tomato sauce was out of the can and also from Myers of Keswick.

Noting G's French heritage, I also made Green Beans Almondine!

Plated!

S & G also brought over a sizable Pandoro via Pasticceria Perbellini Ernesto in Bovolone, Italy--sort of a spongy bread-like cake with essences of rum, orange and vanilla. It was perfect to go with our Haagen-Dazs dulce de leche ice cream and British Curly Wurly candy bars!

Farewell, dear friends. Although you will not be across the hall from Baby and me, you will always be in our hearts--and we'll see you back here soon and now, across town!



Tonight's Menu
Appetizers
Relish Tray
D'Artagnan Venison and Pork Sausages
Saltines
Pepperoni
Sour Dill Pickles
Point Reyes Cheese

Entree and Sides
Pork Pies
Green Beans Almondine
Spanish Rice with Apricot Chorizo
Dulce de Leche Ice Cream and Curly Wurly Candy Bars
Pandoro

Sountrack: Fun personal party mix with Blondie, The B-52's, Hugo Montenegro, R.E.M. and Henry Mancini!

Anniversary Cassoulet

Five years ago, I started my blog with the introduction of a cassoulet recipe. So here we are again with my anniversary cassoulet, a marvelous hearty mix of duck, duck sausage and white beans! Saveur magazine came through with a fabulous recipe that I had never tried for a different cassoulet in celebration. Japanese panko bread crumbs stepped in for regular bread crumbs--and I did not make my own duck confit although I have created a fantastic shortcut that I find to be as good as any other recipe, with the benefit naturally of being less time consuming (instructions found here alongside a harrowing dinner tale!).

The process began on Monday evening and the meal rested in the refrigerator for two days. The Le Creuset cast-iron cassoulet dish was brought to room temperature and shortly before our guests arrived, the dish was heated up while the duck was sliced thinly and then baked with it. Bottles of rich, robust Cotes Du Rhone reds were absolutely perfect to consume with our cassoulet--and dried antique hydrangeas, a vase of white roses perched atop an illumined vintage cake stand flanked by brass candlesticks with white candles made for a stunning centerpiece. 

Thanks to folks for reading EveningsWithPeter.com!

Here's what was on the menu:

To Sip
Veuve Cliquot
Cotes Du Rhone
Cotes Du Rhone-Villages

To Snack
Green Grapes
Salted Smokehouse Almonds
Farm-ish, Sheepy Roncal Medium-Soft Cheese

To Sup
Green Beans Almondine
Cassoulet au Canard--White Bean and Duck Casserole!

To Sweet
Chocolate Bread Pudding

Soundtrack: C'est Chic! French Girl Singers of the 1960's; Paris Combo, Living Room; Serge Gainsbourg, Couleur Cafe; Diva, movie soundtrack; Pizzicato Five, Made in USA