Yes, I'm making a lot of cabbage this winter. Truth be told, I'm trying my best to cook from local ingredients and at my market this is the only vegetable I can find that is grown even remotely close to NYC. But, necessity is the mother of invention and I've been keeping my tummy full with delicious variations on this hearty vegetable. Tonight's presentation is tarted up with lemon rind and given a kick in the tongue with some dried chilies. Golden garlic rounds out the flavor wheel, making the dish a new staple in your repertoire.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Green Cabbage
1 head Garlic Cloves, sliced thinly
Rind of 2 Lemons, cut in large strips
2 Dried Chilies
3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Business
Cut the cabbage into thin shreds, set aside.
In the bottom of a wok or large stockpot, heat the oil. When hot, add the garlic and fry until golden. Then add the lemon peel and dried chilies. Toast everything.
Add cabbage to pot, stir to combine, drop heat to medium-low and cook until tender (about 30 minutes), stirring infrequently.
Don't wait for the summer to start grilling. Invest in a cast iron griddle/grill pan and you'll be set through the colder months of the year. I brined the pork loin in whole grain mustard and garlic to infuse it with flavor before slapping it on the hot grill. The final product is perfectly seasoned, charred on the outside, and juicy in the middle (just where it counts).
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tablespoon Whole Grain Mustard
1/2 tablespoon Salt
1/2 tablespoon Honey
3 smashed Garlic Cloves
1 to 1.5 pounds Pork Loin
BUSINESS
In a small bowl combine all ingredients, except for the pork. Whisk together until everything is combined.
Trim the silver skin from the pork loin, then place it in a sealable plastic bag.
Pour the brine into the bag with the pork, then seal it and put it in the refrigerator. Leave it for at least a few hours, and not more than 36 hours (the brine can make it too salty).
Let the pork come to room temperature before grilling. Heat a cast iron grill over medium-high flames.
Grill the pork for 8-10 minutes per side, covering it with a larger roasting pan or domed lid while it cooks on the cast iron. Don't move it around while it grills on each side, let the pork get nice charred grill marks. Cook the loin until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads ~145 degrees, about 40-50 minutes.
Remove the pork from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
SAUCE
While the pork is grilling, make use of the leftover brine by incorporating it into a sauce for the finished dish.
1 quart Chopped tomatoes
1 Yellow Onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup Brine from above (after the pork is on the grill)
All Garlic Cloves from above Brine
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
In a small sauté pan, combine all ingredients.
Simmer for at least 30 minutes, until the onions are tender and the sauce is slightly thickened.
A briny whip to start the evening, this mousse is wonderful with a glass of something cold and crisp (be that white wine, or beer). It's deceptively hearty and creamy with the addition of walnuts, great for spreading on toasts or crackers. Make a double batch and keep half in the freezer, you'll be all set for your next party with no planning necessary.
INGREDIENTS
4 cans Sardines packed in Olive Oil
Juice of 2 Lemons
3 cups Toasted Walnuts
1 cup Torn Parsley Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste (beware, the sardines are already salted)
BUSINESS
Add all ingredients to a food processor (including the olive oil remaining in the sardine tins).
Buzz and whir the mixture until it is your desired consistency. The mousse can be smooth or chunky, it's delicious either way.
It's downright irresponsible to have a late breakfast without some sort of vegetable on the table. Though it may run counter to your upbringing, the breakfasts of my young adulthood have always featured something green to accompany my meats and starches. But I'll cut you some slack here, it is the morning after, after all. Have a bunch of kale in your fridge? Is it starting to wilt? Yes, of course it is. Well strip the leaves from the stems and let them crisp up in the oven. Everybody loves a good chip.
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch Kale (curly leaf)
3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper (don't be shy here)
BUSINESS
Heat your oven to 325 degrees.
Strip the leaves from the stems of your kale, add them to your largest roasting tray/pan. If they are too bunched in the pan (i.e. on top of each other), bake them in batches.
Drizzle olive oil, and sprinkle salt and pepper over the kale, then toss with your hands until evenly distributed.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, shaking the pan intermittently, until crisp and dry.
Eating well doesn’t have to break the bank, monetary salvation lies in knowledge. So, arm yourself with information and get to know your butcher. I’m a lover of lamb, but buying the rack every time will rob your wallet of its health. Lamb spare ribs, however, are often overlooked and if you can get your butcher to save some for you, the price will likely surprise you. Unpopular meat is cheap, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t scrumptious.
INGREDIENTS
2- pounds Lamb Spare Ribs
2 cups Red Wine
¼ cup Poppy Seeds
2 large Red Onions
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
½ teaspoon Salt
Balsamic Vinegar for serving
BUSINESS
Trim the lamb ribs of nearly all exterior fat (there will be a lot), leaving a thin layer where you cannot get any closer to the meat without cutting into the muscle. If you are able, pull the translucent skin away from the muscle tissue. If it is too difficult, don’t worry, it will peel away easily after cooking. Add the lamb to a plastic bag or plastic-wrap covered dish for marinating.
Pour red wine and poppy seeds over the ribs and slosh them around in the bag to spread the marinade. Let the ribs soak in wine for at least a few hours, if not overnight (or even a few days).
Hear your oven to 250 degrees. Remove the ribs from the fridge and let them warm up to room temperature while you heat the oven.
Slice the onions thinly and scatter them in the bottom of a large roasting tray.
Remove the ribs from the marinating bag, sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides then lay the ribs meat-side down directly on top of the onions. The bones should curve up toward you like fingers reaching out of the tray. Pour the remaining marinade (from the bag) over the ribs.
Roast the ribs for 2.5-3 hours, until they're fork tender. Remove the lamb from the oven and crank the heat up to 500 degrees.
Cut the ribs into individual bones and flip them over, so the meat is on top now. When the oven is up to heat, slide the tray back in for 10-15 minutes. The ribs should be crackling and crisp by the time you take them out again.
Remove the ribs to a plate and drizzle a touch of balsamic vinegar over them before serving.
This date night meal needed some heft (I intend to put my dear friend into a food coma) and what adds more power to a meal than the humble potato? Boiled, smashed, and pan fried, this potato has everything: a tender center, a crisp skin, salt, garlic. It was only missing one thing: intrigue. Enter caraway. You think of it as the flavor of rye bread, and it's the perfect compliment to a smashed potato.
INGREDIENTS
6 Red Skinned New Potatoes
1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
Olive Oil for pan frying
1 head Garlic Cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon Whole Caraway Seeds
BUSINESS
Clean your potatoes and place them in a large stock pot. Cover them with cold water, until it is at least an inch above the potatoes. Put a lid on the pot and bring it to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 35-40 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the water, drain them and let them cool. When they're cool enough to handle, use a heavy pan to press them down (or smash them) until they're relatively flat.
In a wok or cast iron skillet, heat a good pour of olive oil. Add the garlic and sprinkle in some caraway seeds (judge the amount depending on how many batches of potatoes you'll be frying). Cook garlic and caraway until fragrant.
Add potatoes (don't crowd the pan, maybe only two at a time) and fry until golden brown, then flip and cook again until golden.
In an effort to serve foods with a natural blush for my practice date I picked up a head of red cabbage at the market. Cabbage has a bad rap for being smelly, cheap, and mushy, and the fault for such a reputation sits heavily on the shoulders of mid-century cooks. Cabbage is a riot of color and texture, the tender leaves contrast mightily with the crunchy veins. I toss mine with apple cider vinegar and miso for a punch of acidity and flavor. No mush over here.
INGREDIENTS
2 medium Red Onions
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 head Red Cabbage
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons White or Yellow Miso
Salt and Pepper to taste
BUSINESS
Cut the onions in half vertically, then slice the halves thinly.
Heat the oil in a wok or large stock pot, then add the onions and sauteee for 6-10 minutes over medium-high heat until translucent and slightly charred.
While the onions are cooking, cut up the cabbage. Chop the head in half vertically, then cut out the core of each half. Slice each half into thin strips.
Add the cabbage to the onions and stir to combine. Sautee for 5 minutes.
Pour the vinegar around the edges of your pot, then immediately cover with a lid and cook on high heat for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid, add miso, salt, and pepper, stir to combine and cook another 5-7 minutes, until the cabbage is your desired texture.
If my family is going out for dinner, the odds are high that we're having Chinese food. With Linda at the table we're never stuck ordering American standbys (General Tsao's is just fried chicken, you know that, right?) and my favorite dish is the whole braised fish. To celebrate the new year I decided to serve a few of my friends whole striped bass. Best part? No one fought me for the cheeks.
INGREDIENTS
Sauce
3 tablespoons Sesame Oil
2 inches Ginger, sliced thinly
3 Garlic Cloves, sliced thinly
3 Scallions, minced
1/2 cup Preserved Black Beans
1/2 cup Shaoxing Rice Wine
2 cups Chicken or Veggie Stock
1 tsp Corn Starch
Fish
1 Striped Bass, ~2 pounds
2 inches Ginger, sliced thinly
3 Scallions, roughly chopped
Stems and Roots of one bunch Cilantro
BUSINESS
Begin with the sauce. In the base of a wok heat oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add ginger, garlic, and scallion. Stir fry for 5-7 minutes, until browned and fragrant.
Rinse black beans under hot water until the runoff is relatively clear. Add washed beans to hot wok. Stir fry for another 5 minutes.
Add rice wine to wok, stir to deglaze pan.
Add stock to wok and drop heat to simmer. Whisk in corn starch and cook for ~10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Prepare the fish. Have your butcher remove the scales, gills, and guts, but leave the head, tail and spine intact. Stuff the raw fish with sliced ginger, and scallions. Using the back of your knife, bruise the cilantro stems until they are fragrant, stuff into fish.
Slide fish into hot wok with sauce. Increase heat to medium. Cover wok with lid or large bowl. Cook fish for 8 minutes, remove lid and flip the fish. Replace lid and cook for another 8 minutes, until the flesh is white and tender. Serve with pan sauce.
Do yourself a favor and scour Chinatown for veggies. You'll see things you never knew existed. Like this, Fu Gwa. It's known as Bitter Melon in America and the name is no joke. Be prepared for an intriguing taste at your table. The texture is close to zucchini, but firmer. Chop it up, stir fry it with some shitake mushrooms and put it on the table. It'll be gone in no time.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups Dried Shitake Mushrooms
Hot Water
2 pounds Fu Gwa
3 tablespoons Sesame Oil
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
BUSINESS
Soak the mushrooms in hot water for at least 30 minutes, until they're tender enough to cut. Cut them into bite sized pieces.
Cut the Fu Gwa in half and scoop out the seeds, then chop it into rounds or cubes.
Heat the sesame oil in the base of a wok and add the garlic when it's hot. Stir fry until garlic is browned.
Add mushrooms and stir fry for 7-10 minutes.
Add Fu Gwa and Soy Sauce, stir fry for 5-7 minutes, then serve.
Without a doubt, Dou Miao is my favorite vegetable. The pea shoots are easy to cook, tender and crunchy all at once, sweet and savory. I can eat more Dou Miao in one sitting than any other vegetable. I guess I should tell my parents they raised me well.
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons Sesame Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, sliced thinly
3 cubes Fermented Tofu (they're small but mighty)
2 pounds Dou Miao, washed
3 tablespoons Shaoxing Rice Wine
BUSINESS
Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir fry until golden.
Add fermented tofu, mash into paste.
Add Dou Miao, stir fry until reduced by at least half (about 7 minutes)
Pour in rice wine, deglaze pan, toss veggies and serve.
Appetizers don't have to be fried and starchy (though I am a fan of a good french fry), start your next party with an extra serving of veggies. Carrots are perfect finger food.
INGREDIENTS
6 slim Carrots, with greens attached
3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Orange Zest
GET BUSY
Heat your oven to 375 degrees.
Bisect the carrots from green to tip (without going through the top root). Then turn the carrot 90* and repeat, making four squiddy legs to the vegetable. Place them in a roasting tray.
Drizzle oil over the carrots, then sprinkle salt and cumin. Toss to distribute spice.
Roast the carrots for 18-22 minutes, until just barely fork tender and slightly browned at the narrow tip.
Remove the carrots from the oven and sprinkle orange zest over them. Plate the vegetables and serve.
Beets are always paired with blue cheese, which is lovely but needed a kick in bum for this dinner party. Cheese provides fat and acid which pair well with beets, so I opted to trade them for chorizo. Spicy, fatty, crisp, they make the perfect accompaniment to luscious beets.
INGREDIENTS
3 medium Beets
2-3 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 small Chorizo (the hard, cured kind, not raw meat)
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Salt to taste
GET BUSY
Heat your oven to 375 degrees.
Peel and quarter your beets. Place in a roasting tray and drizzle with oil.
Roast the beets for 75-90 minutes, until they're fork tender.
While the beets are roasting, slice the chorizo into small discs and throw them in a large sauté pan. Cook the chorizo over a medium-low flame, rendering out the fat, for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly, until crispy. Scoop the crisped meat out of the rendered fat (save the fat for another recipe).
Remove the beets from the oven, allow them 10 minutes to cool, then slice them into filets.
Toss the beets and chorizo together in a bowl with salt and balsamic vinegar. Plate and serve.
Stop baking chicken breasts and boring your guests. Buy whole legs, learn how to cut them at the joint, and impress your friends with impeccably crisp skin.
INGREDIENTS
6 whole Chicken Legs (thigh and drumstick together)
2 pounds Cremini Mushrooms
Salt and Pepper to taste
6 tablespoons Olive Oil (separated, 2, 2, and 2)
GET BUSY
Pop the stems out of the mushroom caps and slice the caps. Save the stems for making stock.
Sauté the sliced mushrooms with 2 tbs oil and a sprinkling of salt until they're reduced by half and tender.
Heat your oven to 375 degrees.
Using your fingers, separate the chicken skin from the meat, all the way down the drumstick.
Take about 1 tablespoon of the mushrooms and stuff them under the skin of each leg, making sure to get it all the way down the drumstick and across the thigh. Do this with all six legs. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the skin of each leg.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat in two separate oven-safe stainless steel pans. When the oil is rippling in both pans, use tongs to place three chicken legs skin side down in each pan. Sear for 3-5 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Flip the legs so they are facing skin side up and place both pans into the preheated oven. Cook the legs for 25-30 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and let the chicken legs rest a few minutes before serving. Remember, the handles of your skillets will be scalding hot, be careful!
The most important ingredient in your risotto (and by far, the most often overlooked) is the stock. Go ahead and bicker over the rice (arborio or carnaroli?), the fat (olive oil or butter?), the acid (lemon juice or wine?), you’re just wasting time. No matter what combination of rice+fat+acid you settle on, if you use boxed vegetable or chicken stock your risotto will grow fat on that antiseptic flavor, the sanitized taste of cartoned stock.
INGREDIENTS
1 small Butternut Squash (about 1 pound)
1 Yellow Onion
3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup Arborio Rice
1 glass White Wine (~3/4 cup)
1 quart Squash Stock
Salt and Pepper to taste
GET BUSY
Heat your oven to 450 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut the rind off the squash, leaving bright orange all around. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and then cut the flesh into small cubes (less than a centimeter). Add the squash rind and seeds to a small sauce pan on the side. Cover them with water (or extra veggie stock) and heat it over a low flame.
Thinly slice the yellow onion and sauté with the olive oil in a dutch oven or other heavy bottomed stock pot. Add salt.
When the onion is translucent, add the rice to the dutch oven and sauté just until the rice grains look lightly toasted.
Add the white wine to the dutch oven, deglazing the pan. Stir in the cubed squash and cook for 5 minutes.
Begin adding the warm stock one ladle at a time to the dutch oven. Allow the rice to absorb the liquid slowly, when it looks like the liquid is gone, add another ladle full.
Stir and continue to ladle in stock until all the stock is gone, this should take about 30-35 minutes. Remove the risotto from your stove and serve.
A good chili deserves more than some crumbly ground beef. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up on chili brewed from the beefy scribbles, but now that I’m an adult and have agency over my food choices I find myself more inclined to use a good cut of chuck roast to braise into a spicy shredded chili. Need an accompaniment? Get into this corn bread.
The best way to keep your kitchen cool this summer is to cook outside. Hit the grill and have a taco party. Easy to make for a crowd, simple enough for one.
As winter thaws I look through my window and crave a well packed picnic basket. Gingham lining, a nice, dry salami, and a container of lentil salad; this is the picture that soothes my cramped brain. Roast what's left of your winter store of veggies and toss them with lentils for a quick salad.
It's positively frigid where I am right now, and my tour through America has me yearning for a giant pot of soup. Start your new year with a steaming bowl of soup and you'll be warm all winter long.
Toast the new year with a charming dinner for two. Elegant and ever so luscious, you'll be happy to stay at home with a friend and a glass of champagne.
Darlings, root vegetables are here and they're begging to be roasted. Throw some in the oven, cook low and slow, then blend the heck out of them. Stop serving store-bought hummus. You're better than that.
