This is the cake built on mistakes. When you run out of certain ingredients in the kitchen, it's always helpful to know the chemistry behind what you're missing. Do you need to mimic fat? Acid? Leavening? In this case, I took every major substitution I know and used them to build a cake.
The cold sweat that drips down your neck when you realize you're missing an ingredient, and the cake batter is halfway finished, is real. You have guests scheduled to arrive in mere hours, nay, minutes. Do you rush to the store and grab a bundt cake shelled in plastic? Oh no, not here. NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT.
Packing citrus fruit with salt is a technique used the world over, but when we talk about preserved lemon we mentally fly to Morocco. This is a terrific way to make use of your leftover winter crop, concentrating the flavor of lemons into a salty, tender, treat.
What began as an experiment in the Moroccan tradition of preserving lemons turned into a mason jar proliferation of cured citrus. Once I cracked the code on preserving lemons (not terribly difficult) I decided to try the technique on every kind of citrus I could find at the market. Now I've got jars of lemons, meyer lemons, limes, valencia oranges, blood oranges, and grapefruit, sitting in my cabinet awaiting their debut on my dinner table!
Corned beef is, by far, my favorite deli meat (don't you have a favorite?). In honor of St. Patrick's Day I present the history and science behind this perfect, pink meat. Though there may be better foods to celebrate Ireland's pride, there are few Irish foods as scientifically unique as corned beef. Check it out!
Taking cue from the effortless Hasselback Potato, I decided to fill a casserole dish with sliced red skinned potatoes and scatter their in-betweens with a confetti of leek. With a generous pour of olive oil on top the dish crisps up in your oven and transfers to the table perfectly for an easy side dish.
INGREDIENTS
5 medium Red Skinned of Yukon Potatoes, sliced very thinly
1 large leek (~1 pound), sliced into slim ribbons
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Generous sprinkling Salt and Pepper
GET BUSY
Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Fill a 9x13 casserole dish with the sliced potatoes, standing in line from front to back (not stacked on top of each other).
Scatter the ribboned leek everywhere and push it down in between the potatoes.
Pour olive oil on top of everything, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
Bake the dish for 45-60 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Heat your oven to 500 degrees, or turn on your broiler. Slide the dish under the high heat for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are crisp on top.
I'm not a fan of the hotel fruit salad, a jubilee of unseasonal and underripe cubes with little or no thought to structure and shape. And so when I set out to make a fruit salad it must have perspective, maturity, and reason. You'll never find a tumble of melons, citrus, berries, and grapes on my table. Our brunch was in close enough proximity to Passover that my brain subtly injected this reference to Charoset. Chopped apples, dates, and cashews, dressed with lemon and tamarind. It's a Southeast Asian take on my Jewish roots, and I'm eagerly awaiting a repeat performance.
Ingredients
3 Honeycrisp Apples
1 1/2 cups Raw Cashews, chopped
1 1/2 cups Dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup Tamarind Paste
Juice of one Lemon
1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Business
Peel and chop the apples into small cubes.
In a large bowl mix the apples, chopped cashews, and chopped dates until evenly distributed.
In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. If the sauce is too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time until it is easily whiskable.
Pour the sauce over the fruit and nut mix, toss to combine.
Beginning with an Indian inspiration I tore the insides from mental samosas and packed them into a casserole dish. The result is a tray of scoopable, spiced, tender, and crusty potatoes, perfect as the bed for some fried eggs. I add a lot of peas to my potato mixture, feel free to adjust the proportion should you be pea-averse.
INGREDIENTS
4 large Yukon Gold Potatoes (~2 lbs)
1 tablespoon White Vineger
1/3 cup Olive Oil
2 Serrano Chilies, minced (~2 tbs)
5 cloves Garlic, minced (~1 1/2 tbs)
3 inches Ginger, chopped (~3 tbs)
1 tablespoon Black Mustard Seed
1 tablespoon Amchur
2 1/2 teaspoons Whole Cumin Seeds
1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1/2 teaspoon Fennel Powder
2 cups frozen Green Peas
BUSINESS
Chop the potatoes into roughly 2 inch pieces.
Place them in a large saute pan and cover with two cups of water. Add the vinegar.
Cover the pan and bring to a simmer, cook at a medium temp for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender but have not lost their shape completely.
Drain the potatoes and partially mash in a large bowl.
Heat the oil in a large wok or saute pan.
When the oil is hot, toss in the serrano chilies, garlic, ginger, cumin seeds and black mustard seeds. Saute till light brown.
Throw in all the remaining spices.
Add the semi-mashed potatoes, stir everything to distribute the spices.
Add the frozen peas.
Spoon potato mixture into casserole dish and drizzle olive oil on top. Slide into the oven at 375 for 10-15 minutes to crisp up the top.
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.
Though I'd love to take credit for these brownies, I must bow my head to the inimitable David Lebovitz. He published this recipe for brownies in 2011 and I've been making them ever since. The batter is drop-dead simple with one caveat: you must beat it for at least a minute (as he states). The structural alchemy that occurs during your fervent whisking is what makes these brownies irresistible. They normally emerge from the oven with a crisp top but this time I've taken them for a ride with red wine and raspberry jam, baking a sticky-sweet layer on top of the bitter chocolate.
8 ounces (225g) Bittersweet Chocolate (at least 65%), chopped
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup (150g) Sugar
2 large Eggs
1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
3 tablespoons (30g) Corn Starch
1/2 cup Raspberry Jam
3 tablespoons Red Wine
1 tablespoon Corn Starch (yes, again)
BUSINESS
Grease an 8 or 9-inch square pan. Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the coconut oil, chocolate, and salt in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until smooth.
Remove the chocolate mixture from the stove, pour it into a medium sized mixing bowl and stir in the sugar, then the eggs one at a time.
Sift the cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons corn starch over the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Beat the batter vigorously for at least on minute, until it is no longer grainy and nearly smooth. It will pull away from the sides of the bowl a bit. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the raspberry jam, wine, and 1 tablespoon corn starch.
Pour the raspberry mixture over the chocolate batter and slide the dish into your oven.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the jam is dark and thick and the edges of the brownies are crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing.
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.
I could ruin an entire meal by nibbling snacks before dinner, and these nuts only contribute to my mealtime treason. Roasted nuts are easy to make ahead of time in large batches. They keep well in the freezer so you'll always have something on hand to feed those precocious guests arriving before you've finished in the kitchen.
Mix the nuts in a large bowl and then spread them evenly over two cookie sheets. Make sure to keep them in one layer for even roasting.
Roast the nuts for 12-15 minutes, or until toasted and fragrant. Remove them from the oven and set aside while you make the coating.
Reduce your oven temp. to 250 degrees.
In a large bowl whisk together the egg whites, rosemary, garlic, palm sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Whisk until everything is just incorporated and slightly foamy- we’re not looking to really turn this into a meringue.
Dump the dry roasted nuts into your egg white mixture and mix everything up. Use your hands, your favorite spatula or your kids, just make sure the coating is evenly distributed over all the nuts.
Spread the now coated nuts back onto their cookie sheets (again for even roasting) and put the trays back in the oven for 4 minutes to 1 hour, or until the coating looks baked on and toasty.
Remove the trays from your oven, let the nuts cool on the trays and then break apart and serve!
The perfect appetizer for a small group. Make a batch and let your friends gather in the kitchen to nibble the crisp edges as you scrape these off the hot griddle.
INGREDIENTS
9 tablespoons White Rice Flour
6 tablespoons Sorghum Flour
1/2 tablespoon Tapioca Flour
1/2 tablespoon Potato Flour (flour, not starch, take heed)
1/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1/2 cup Boiling Water (boil first, measure later)
Salt and Pepper
Sesame Oil
~1/4 cup finely chopped Scallions
Oil for pan frying
GET BUSY
In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
Pour the boiling water over the flour mixture and stir everything together. The dough will be tough, so get in there with your hands and knead it toward the end.
Pinch off some dough the size of a ping pong ball. Dust your counter with some extra rice flour and roll the dough out into an oblong shape, about 1/8 inch thick.
Brush the flattened dough with sesame oil and sprinkle gently with salt and pepper.
Scatter about one tablespoon of chopped scallion on the dough.
Roll the dough up like a cigar and pinch the ends to secure.
Roll the cigar into a spiral.
Using your rolling pin, roll this spiral out to about 1/4 inch thick. You should have a pancake roughly 5 inches in diameter.
Heat some oil in a saute pan until it is almost smoking.
Pan fry the cake for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crisp all over.
Let the cakes cool on a paper towel to absorb some of the oil, then slice and serve!
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.
