Food & Love

Seared Foie Gras

2010-03-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

The perfect foie gras preparation is au torchon. A close runner up—and a much simpler method—is searing.

The following recipe prepares an entire foie gras. Pictured here is foie gras with a reduction of black and boysenberry, accompanied by fresh blackberries, but you should serve it however you like. A sweet dark berry or fig sauce is classic, but the seared slices are decadent all on their own.

Seared Foie Gras

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:

one 1.25 pound foie gras, grade A (although grade B is fine)
sea salt, to taste

Prep the foie gras: While still chilled, remove any visible white fat, veins, and green bile specks from the outside of the liver. On the underside of the liver, between the major and minor lobe, locate the main vein with your finger. Using a paring knife, cut out and discard the vein. It is okay if you make a bit of a mess. If any large pieces of liver become dislodged, simply press and mold them back into the lobe.

Cut the foie gras: Once prepped but still chilled, using a large chef's knife dipped into hot water, cut the foie gras width-wise (through both lobes) into 3/4" slices. Use the full length of the knife, exerting as little pressure as possible. Dip the knife into the hot water in between each cut.

Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high. Place the foie gras in the sauté pan, before the pan is hot. Gently cook as the pan becomes hot. Once the foie gras is just golden brown, about 45-60 seconds, turn it over. Salt the cooked side. Sear the other side until the middle is just soft, only about 30 seconds. Reserve to paper towel-covered plate, salting the other side.

Plate as desired, allowing several slices per serving. Pairs perfectly with Sauternes.

Low Temperature Cooking Charts

2010-02-03T10:30:00.039-05:00

Cooking Issues, the French Culinary Institute's technical blog, posts an intriguing early look at their soon-to-be-released low temperature cooking charts. They look gorgeous; indispensable for those who cook sous vide.

Cooking my braised short ribs sous vide? The chart recommends 134.6°F (57°C) for 56 hours. You'd want to seal the dealcoholized red wine, the aromatics, and perhaps a small pat of butter in the bag on high. Set your water bath to 134.6°F and walk away. Fifty-six hours later, the result is nothing short of amazing: Meat with the beefy goodness of short ribs and the meltingly-tender texture of a long braised—yet cooked à point, perfectly medium rare.

I will happily buy a full-sized, laminated set.

Mushroom Ragoût with Polenta

2010-01-12T09:00:00.003-05:00

This ragoût makes for a great contorno. The polenta is also a perfect bed for a braised meat, such as short ribs. But, if you love mushrooms as I do, this recipe is also a great, lighter meal all on its own.

This is the simplest of ragoûts, a minimal preparation for good, fresh mushrooms. For a more involved approach, see my mushroom ragù or spring mushroom ragù recipes, which I use in my for pappardelle, mushroom ragù, cebollitas, truffle oil and strozzapreti, spring mushroom ragù, ricotta dishes, respectively. Or, for my favorite mushroom ragù, see my recipe for scallion polenta, mushroom ragù, poached egg.

Mushroom Ragoût with Polenta

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced large
1/2 pound crimini mushroom, stemmed and sliced large
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 batch traditional polenta (recipe)
4 teaspoons white truffle oil
4 sprigs thyme, to garnish
gray salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Once the oil is hot and the butter is bubbling, add the shiitake and crimini mushrooms. Season with black pepper. Cook until they loose their liquid, deflate, and start to brown, about 8 minutes.

Add the thyme. Stir to incorporate.

Reducing down the liquid

Add the white wine and, scrapping the bottom of the pan, deglaze. Add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to a heavy simmer. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid is completely reduced, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Plated, garnished, and ready to serve

Spoon the polenta into warm bowls. Top with the mushroom ragoût. Drizzle with white truffle oil. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme—more than just a visual garnish, the aromatics are wonderful. Pairs perfectly with a Barolo red wine (Nebbiolo grape) from in and around the village of Barolo, Cuneo province, Piedmont region, in northeastern Italy.

Catalan Tomato Toast: Pan con Tomate

2010-01-05T09:00:00.003-05:00

Pan con tomate, bread with tomato, is a popular Catalonian dish. In Spanish-speaking Spain it is often called pan a la catalana; in Cataluña, pa amb tomaquet. One of Cataluña's most famous, yet simplest, exports, the recipe is simple: grilled peasant bread is rubbed with garlic and fresh tomato, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt. That's it. Not unlike Italy's bruschetta, the bread is wonderful on its own, or as a bed for cheese or jamón.

Pan con Tomate (con Prosciutto di Parma)

Makes 8 slices (4 servings).

Ingredients:

8 thick slices of peasant bread
2 large cloves garlic, halved
1 large tomato, cut width-wise into thirds
your favorite olive oil
fleur de sel

Preheat your grill or a panini pan over high heat.

Grill the bread, giving it a nice toast and grill marks but not toasting it solid.

With the bread still hot, rub a garlic clove half across the top (grilled side) of the bread. A couple rubs is sufficient. Use one clove half for two pieces of toast.

Rub the tomato slices over the top of the toast, just enough to give a thin film of tomato across the toast. Use one side of one slice the tomato for two pieces of toast.

Drizzle the toast with olive oil. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Serve warm or at room temperature, with a soft goat's cheese or your favorite jamón. Pan con tomate with goat's cheese pairs well with a rosé of the Trepat grape from the Conca de Barberà DO in Cataluña. The toast with jamón pairs well with a red wine of the Grenache (called Garnacha in Spanish and Garnatxa in Catalan) grape from the Priorat DOQ, also in Cataluña.

Penne all'Arrabbiata with Langoustines

2009-12-29T11:45:00.003-05:00

The langoustine has too many names: norway lobster, dublin bay prawn, dublin prawn, scampo, Nephrops norvegicus. Langoustine look like crayfish, but are members of the lobster family (Nephropidae), yet taste more similar to spiny lobster (langouste), which aren't even Nephropidae. Phew!

This recipe prepares penne rigate, with a condimento of sugo all'arrabbiata and a generous helping of langoustines. We first saute the langoustine until golden, and then we finish them right in the all'arrabbiata sauce.

Photo of grilled langoustine by Wikipedia user Lord Phillock used under cc-by-sa 3.0 license

Availability: Langoustines are available year round. Like crustaceans and many fish, they are best in the colder months, starting in November. They peak around now, in late December through January.

Selection: Buy live langoustine if available. Make sure they are moving, with straight, uncurled tails. The bodies should be pinkish and the tales not black. Most langoustine, however, are available frozen, as they do not live long once caught. Look for pink specimens frozen on the boat, immediately upon catching, without extraneous liquids or any chemicals. Langoustine are found in warmer waters, but the (relatively) colder the water in which they were caught, the better—Irish and Scottish langoustine are particularly prized. Compared to lobster, langoustine are small—the largest are around 9.4 inches (24 cm), but most are in the 7-8 inch (18-20 cm cm) range. Larger langoustine mean more meat for the money, plus less prep overall, but some find smaller specimens sweeter. Do not buy unfrozen but dead specimens: flash frozen or alive, only.

Storage: If fresh, consume immediately—langoustine do not last long. If frozen, store in the freezer up to 1-2 months until ready to use. Gently but completely thaw before use. Once cooked, langoustines will last 1-2 days in the refrigerator.

Edibility: Only the tail and the claws contain edible meat, and the meat in the claws is scant and hard to remove. Most preparations use only the tail. The head contains edible goodness, although not meat, that is a great base for stocks.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

16 langoustines
1 batch sugo all'arrabbiata (recipe)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely-chopped Italian parsley
sea salt, to taste

Prep the langoustines by pulling their head from the body. With kitchen shears, remove the legs. Snip the underside of the hard shell. Use your fingers to pull back and then peel off the shell. Devein by sliding the tip of a knife under the dark "vein" that runs down the back of the tail. Pull it up and then out. The remaining bodies should be headless, legless, shell-less, and deveined. Reserve. Discard the legs. Set aside the heads for another use, such as a stock.

Bring a large stockpot of heavily-salted water to boil. Add the penne rigate. Cook until 60 seconds shy of al dente. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, bring the sugo all'arrabbiata to a simmer. Keep warm.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the langoustines. Saute, turning once, until starting to golden, about 2 minutes. Lightly salt.

Remove the langoustines from the frying pan and add them to the saute pan with the sugo all'arrabbiata. Simmer until cooked through and pinkish in color, about 2 minutes.

Add the drained penne rigate and reserved cooking liquid to the saute pan. Cook, stirring all of the ingredients together, 60 seconds. Taste and adjust sea salt. Remove from heat. Toss with the Italian parsley.

To serve, divide among four warm pasta bowls.

Sugo all'Arrabbiata

2009-12-29T11:30:00.000-05:00

Sugo all'Arrabbiata, also arrabiata, is an "angry style" tomato sauce of Roman origin (arrabbiato is angry in Italian). Often served with penne rigate as penne all'arrabbiata, the recipe is your usual tomato sauce, dressed with (more) red pepper and garlic.

My recipe is not particularly authentic, as the new world habanero chile is not common in the Apennine peninsula's cuisine. But the habanero is my favorite chile pepper, combining potent heat with a delicious taste. A fistful of dried red pepper flakes, or fresh Calabrian chile peppers if you can find them, are an authentic substitute.

I have seen all'arrabbiata recipes that add sliced onion and batoned pancetta, or even guanciale. At some point that becames sugo all'amatriciana. I like to keep the two recipes separate: all'amatriciana focuses on the sliced onions and guanciale; all'arrabbiata is all about the spice.

Makes 2 cups, sufficient for 4 servings of pasta.

Ingredients:

1 batch basic tomato sauce (recipe)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 fresh red habanero chile peppers, minced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer if not already warm.

Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the minced habanero, sliced garlic, and a pinch of sea salt. Saute, stirring occasional, until fragrant and just beginning to change color, but not brown, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce and fold the ingredients together. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through and integrated, 3-4 more minutes.

To serve with pasta: Cook the pasta, which is traditionally penne rigate, until a minute before al dente. Drain the pasta and toss it and several tablespoons of cooking liquid with the sauce. Cook for 60 seconds. Plate, garnished with finely-chopped Italian parsley and Pecorino Romano.

Thanks, Giving

2009-11-26T12:30:00.006-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from Food & Love.

I'm enjoying Thanksgiving at good friends, which means I don't have to attempt the impossible of perfectly roasting an entire large, awkwardly-shaped bird with two types of protein. Instead, I am bringing a dish of cauliflower roasted with olive oil, pistachios, and fleur de sel, and topped with melted Taleggio di Grotta.

What are you cooking?

Blistered Padrón Peppers with Olive Oil and Sea Salt

2009-10-07T09:00:00.008-04:00

Padrón peppers, pimientos de Padrón, are small, green peppers from Padrón, a municipality in A Coruña, Galicia. Sweet and not vegetal like green bell peppers, most are mild but a surprise pepper or two per handful pack a punch. Thus the popular Galician jingle: os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non, "Padrón peppers, some are spicy and some are not!" None are so spicy as to ruin a dish, and thus the mix of mild and hot add to the character and body of any recipe.

Padrón peppers are served many ways—stuffed with a local cheese is a popular and delicious approach—but the best is the simplest: Fried or sauteed until blistered, and served with a splash of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt. This is how I like to see them as seasonal specials at my local tapas joints and this is how I cook them at home.

Blistered Padrón Peppers with Olive Oil and Sea Salt

Padrón peppers are available late May through early October, with the ratio of spicy to sweet peppers rising as the year progresses, with barely one in ten spicy in early Summer. I love them later in their season—now—when they offer more hot surprises.

As this dish is all about the ingredients, use the best you can get: real Padrón peppers from Padrón or a local farmer, your favorite olive oil, and fleur de sel.

Makes 2-4 servings, depending on the number of other tapas.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons plus 3 tablespoons your favorite olive oil
1/4 pound (about 25) Padrón peppers
fleur de sel, to taste

Make sure the peppers are well-cleaned and completely dry.

Heat a large frying pan that has a lid over medium heat. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the peppers to the frying pan. Saute, flipping the pan often, until the peppers are blackened in large spots and starting to blister. Season with fleur de sel. Cover tightly with the lid, remove from heat, and let rest 2 minutes, until blistered, starting to peel, and cooked through.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Taste and add more fleur de sel as needed. Toss. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a serving bowl. Serve and eat immediately, while very hot. Pairs well with a Galician white wine from the Ribeira Sacra DO made from the Albariño grape.

Red Wagon Cocktail

2009-10-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

I call this cocktail the Red Wagon, because the crème de cassis gives it a deep reddish hue. This drink is refreshing and crisp but not cloy, perfect for early fall. You might think the cassis would overwhelm the tequila but it does not—both shine through, perfectly balanced.

Crème de cassis is a dark red liqueur flavored by black currants, which are cassis French. The liqueur is sweet, with the overwhelming note of black currants—pure dark fruit, the archetypal note in Cabernet Sauvignon. Real crème de cassis is made in Burgundy and the best, labeled Crème de Cassis de Dijon, comes from Dijon.

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces (1 jigger shot) tequila blanco, such as Patrón Silver
1/2 ounce (1/2 pony shot) crème de cassis
1/2 ounce (1/2 pony shot) lime juice
1 ounce (1 pony shot) San Pellegrino Limonata
1 lime twist, to garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with large ice cubes. Add the tequila, crème de cassis, and lime juice to the shaker. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Let rest until the outside of the shaker begins to sweat.

Fill a pilsner glass with large ice cubes. Simultaneously strain in the contents of the cocktail shaker and add the San Pellegrino Limonata. Garnish with a lime twist. Serve.

Simple Arugula and Prosciutto Salad

2009-09-15T09:00:00.003-04:00

Nothing could be simpler: Arugula from your farmers' market, grape tomatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto, and a balsamic vinaigrette. And, yet, no salad is better.

Simple Arugula and Prosciutto Salad

Makes 4 salad course sized servings, 2 main course servings.

Ingredients:

1 pound arugula
2 cups grape tomatoes
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette (recipe)
1/4 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano, peeled into strips
2 ounces prosciutto di parma, thinly-sliced
sea salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the arugula and grape tomatoes. Season lightly with sea salt and black pepper—keep in mind the prosciutto is salty. Add the balsamic vinaigrette, a few tablespoons at a time, and toss to coat. Add more as needed, until the greens are lightly coated. Taste and adjust sea salt and black pepper.

Divide the salad among bowls. Divide the Parmigiano-Reggiano among the four bowls, arranging the peels in the middle. Divide the prosciutto di parma among the bowls, twisting each slice into a mound and placing them around the perimeter of the bowl. Serve. Pairs well with a white wine of the Verdicchio grape from the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Iesi DOC.

Grilled Asparagus Risotto with Cotija

2009-09-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

This is my second take on asparagus risotto; for the first, see my recipe for risotto of asparagus, fennel pollen, and ricotta salada. While I have a newfound love for this recipe, the recipes are different, so try both. This particularly recipe is perfect for the summer and fall.

Grilled Asparagus Risotto with Cotija

Cotija is the eponymous, granular, crumbly, rather salty cow's milk cheese originally from Michoacán. Cotija's most noticeable flavor is salt, and lots of it, but it also offers tangy notes of sour milk. Cotija production begins by milling raw milk curds into small grains, which are then pressed into blocks. The cheese crumbles and grates easily, separating into varied shapes. In the mouth, the cheese separates further into smaller grains, imparting wonderful texture. Cotija is great crumbled onto soups and black beans—and it works great on this dish.

Sauvignon Blanc is such a perfect pairing to asparagus it can almost overindulge the vegetable, offering matching flavor notes but no contrast. Nonetheless, the pairing is perfect: Seek out a pure, unoaked Sauvignon Blanc, such as one from Sancerre, for this dish and for your glass. To that end, I also suggest making a lighter, simpler chicken stock

Garnished with crumbled cotija

Note this recipe does not call for garlic, or even black pepper. You can certainly add whatever you like—a green habanero is a nice addition—but I want to focus on the asparagus, with grassy olive oil and Sauvignon Blanc the only supporting flavors.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

about 5 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons grassy olive oil
1 large yellow onions, diced
1 cup Carnaroli rice
1 cup Sauvignon Blanc
16 medium-sized spears asparagus, ends trimmed
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/2 pound cotija, crumbled, to garnish
4 tablespoons chopped chive, to garnish
sea salt, to taste

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Lower heat to a bare simmer, just to keep warm.

Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the diced onion. Saute, stirring occasionally, until translucent but not brown, about 4 minutes. Add the rice. Toast, stirring often, until translucent but nothing is brown, 2-3 minutes. Season with sea salt.

Add the Sauvignon Blanc and, scrapping the bottom of the pan, deglaze. Bring to a simmer and cook until all of the liquid is evaporated.

Add a ladle of chicken stock to the pan, just enough to cover the rice. Stir frequently, until the stock is all but completely evaporated. Continue, a ladle at a time, until the risotto is cooked, slightly al dente, and creamy. This should take about 30 minutes and use approximately all of the stock.

Meanwhile, toss the asparagus spears with olive oil and sea salt. You can grill or broil them.

To grill: Preheat grill. Place the asparagus spears on the grill. Cook, rotating a quarter turn ever minute, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes total.

To broil: Preheat broiler. Place the asparagus spears on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet under the broiler. Cook, turning once halfway through, until starting to brown, 7-8 minutes.

Remove the asparagus and cut into 1.5" inch chunks.

When the risotto is done, add the sliced asparagus to the pan, reserving the tops. Gently stir to incorporate and warm through.

Remove from heat. Add the 4 tablespoons cold butter. Fold in. Taste and adjust sea salt.

Plated, garnished, and ready to serve

Divide the risotto among warm pasta bowls. Arrange the asparagus tops on top of the risotto. Garnish with crumbled cotija and chopped chive. Pairs well with a Sauvignon Blanc from the Sancerre appellation in France's Loire Valley.

The Bearo Cocktail

2009-09-08T09:00:00.002-04:00

This, the Bearo Cocktail, is my drink. It is what I enjoy after a hot day at the beach or a long day at work. It is refreshing but not cloy or silly; it is simple to prepare but complex in aroma and taste. It is a modification of the Americano, equal parts Campari and vermouth, but I arrived at it by way of the Negroni, looking to keep its balance and depth but lose the hard spirit. In a sense, I discovered this cocktail by unwinding the very process that created the Negroni.

The Bearo Cocktail

My recipe is simple. It is all about the ingredients. Campari and Antica Formula, stirred, strained over ice with sparkling water. While the primary ingredient is Campari, the key ingredient is the Antica Formula, a hard-to-find (but nevertheless findable) Italian vermouth made according to the original vermouth's recipe. We garnish with a large orange peel, which we peel and then flame over the glass, to impart enough essential oil to balance the cocktail. The sparkling water, too, is key. You want something with decent minerality. I use San Pellegrino.

Carpano Antica Formula

Carpano Antica Formula is a "classic" vermouth, based on the ancient formula (antica formula) of the first vermouth, invented by Antonio Benedetto Carpano in 1786 in Turin, Italy. Il signor Carpano, searching for a drink more suitable for women or (depending on your version of the story) a way to doctor bad vino, infused wine with herbs and spices, creating a tonic of sorts, and then fortified the result with additional spirit. Whatever his intention, the invention of vermouth ultimately led to the creation of the apéritif, so we thank him. Antica Formula's flavor profile is unique among vermut: vanilla, fresh dates, dried spiced fruits, and orange rind.

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients:

3.5 ounces (2 jigger shots plus half a pony) Campari
1 ounce (1 pony shot) Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
2 ounces (2 pony shots) sparking water
1 large peel orange

Stirred, not Shaken

Fill a cocktail shaker with large ice cubes. Add the Campari and Antica Formula Vermouth. Stir well and then let rest until chilled.

Fill a double-sized old fashioned glass (a double-sized low ball) with large ice cubes. Simultaneously strain in the contents of the shaker and the sparkling water.

Flame the orange peel: Peel the orange over the old fashioned glass. Hold the peel over the glass, skin side down, and run a lit match back and forth across the skin with the flame about an inch away, firmly squeezing the peel until it ignites.

Rub the peel around the rim of the glass. Toss in, skin side down. Enjoy.

Bánh Mì

2009-09-02T10:00:00.000-04:00

Bánh mì is a wonderful commingling of Asian and European food traditions and ingredients, a delicious example of the ability of a people to co-opt the best from their French colonists before casting them off.

As with most stellar food, the calculus is simple: French-style baguette, homemade mayonnaise, onions, cucumber, jalapeño pepper, cilantro, pickled carrot & daikon, and a protein.

Bánh mì đặc biệt

The protein is where things get interesting, as most shops offer two or three variations. Common offerings include chicken (bánh mì gà), crushed pork meatballs (xíu mại), pork skin (bì), sardines (cá moi), and Vietnamese sausage (cha lua).

But the star choice is đặc biệt. Literally special or unusual, it is in actuality the more common (at least in the US) option: A selection of all of the cold cuts and pâtés: A slice of headcheese, a smear of pork pâté, a garlicky beef cold cut, and Vietnamese ham. Rich and deep, the cold cuts are a perfect pairing to the bright Vietnamese herbs.

Bánh mì is delicious, but also cheap. In Boston, a sandwich with your choice of toppings is a near-universal $2.75. My favorite is at Mei Sum Bakery in Chinatown. Order the đặc biệt, spicy.

Aviation Cocktail

2009-09-01T09:00:00.003-04:00

"I am tired of making Aviations," quipped a local bartender—one of Boston's best. Once a popular drink, the Aviation slipped into obscurity since its 1916 creation and 1930s heyday. Recently, however, the Aviation has rode the cocktail revival back into the limelight. An approachable, fun drink, bartenders in craft establishments may be sick of the cocktail, but at least its not Jack & Coke.

The key to the drink is maraschino liqueur. Not to be confused with the juice from a jar of maraschino cherries, maraschino liqueur is a liquor made from Marasca cherries, including their pits, which yield an almond note. There are a few purveyors of maraschino liqueur, but none produce a product like Luxardo. Seek it out.

The original Aviation recipe included crème de violette. When a popular 1930 recipe book omitted the ingredient, the Aviation was recast without the French violet-flavored liqueur. I prefer my Aviation in that style. One other change in my recipe: here I prefer a fuller-bodied gin, in line with what a 1916's cocktail would use. Thus I swap my usual Plymouth for Anchor Steam Junípero or even Genevieve.

Aviation Cocktail

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces (1 jigger shot) gin, preferably Anchor Steam Junípero Gin
3/4 ounce (1/2 jigger shot) maraschino liqueur, preferably Luxado
3/4 ounce (1/2 jigger shot) freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 maraschino cherry, preferably Luxardo, to garnish

Fill a cocktail glass with large ice cubes. Set aside to let chill

Fill a cocktail shaker with large ice cubes. Add the gin, maraschino liqueur, and lemon juice to the cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds and then let rest until the outside of the shaker begins to sweat.

Discard the ice in the cocktail glass. Strain the contents of the cocktail shaker into the cocktail glass. Toss a maraschino cherry into the glass. Enjoy.

Tuscany (Toscana)

2009-08-27T07:30:00.002-04:00

Freshly home from Tuscany (Toscana), where I traveled around with Joey, attending Stephanie & Nat's wedding and eating as much tripe (trippa) and drinking as much espresso (caffè) and Campari as possible.

You know you have the right friends when they serve bufala mozzarella as an antipasto at their wedding, milked and made that very morning in Campania:

Bufala Mozzarella

Foodwise, the tripe was the star of the trip. As in the US, the most common tripe in Italy is honeycomb tripe, called trippa, made from the cow's third stomach, the reticulum. But in Tuscany, a second form of tripe is common: Lampredotto, made from the cow's fourth stomach, the rennet-producing abomasum. Lampredotto is a peasant dish consumed throughout the countryside, but it is also loved within Firenze, where it is a common street food, served as a sandwich with hot sauce. Looking not unlike roast beef, the taste and texture is similar too, but with a richer, deeper taste. Abomasum begins as a thicker, more organ-esque offal than honeycomb tripe, but by the time the Fiorentini are done stewing it, it is tender and delicious. I enjoyed it as a Tuscan-style stew in a Firenze trattoria—best tripe, from any stomach, I likely ever had.

Other hits: Tuscan beans (fagioli cannellini, rosemary, olive oil); mozzarella fritta; porcini seasoned with nipetella (woodsy Tuscan thyme); anything made with the bright-orange yolks of local free-range eggs; blueberry gelato at Grom; crostini toscani; pecorino toscano con mostarda (more of a sweet relish than a mustard); bistecca fiorentina (particularly as tagliata); chitarra (homemade spaghetti); Tuscan olive oil.

North-South Drive Cocktail

2009-08-26T15:30:00.000-04:00

I call this cocktail the North-South Drive, after a street since-renamed in Gainesville, Florida.

The Campari, grapefruit, and lime build a layered bitterness and sourness that we walk back just a step with a teaspoon of agave nectar. The result is a sharp, but balanced, cocktail.

North-South Drive Cocktail

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces (1 jigger shot) tequila blanco
1/2 ounce (1/2 pony shot) Campari
1/2 ounce (1/2 pony shot) lime juice
1/2 ounce (1/2 pony shot) grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 small piece grapefruit peel

Fill a cocktail glass with ice cubes. Set aside to let chill.

Fill a cocktail shaker with large ice cubes. Add the tequila, Campari, lime juice, and grapefruit juice to the shaker. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Let rest until the outside of the shaker begins to sweat.

Discard the ice from the cocktail glass. Strain the contents of the shaker into the glass.

Flame the grapefruit peel: Hold the peel over the cocktail glass, skin side down, and run a lit match back and forth across the skin with the flame about an inch away, firmly squeezing the peel until it ignites.

Rub the grapefruit peel over the rim of the cocktail glass. Toss in, skin side down. Enjoy.

Chilled Avocado and Lime Soup with Grilled Corn and Queso Fresco

2009-07-16T10:00:00.002-04:00

Summer is here! This recipe yields a wonderful warm-weather soup, perfect on its own for lunch or as a first dinner course.

Chilled Avocado and Lime Soup with Grilled Corn and Queso Fresco

Queso blanco, also called queso fresco, is a soft, crumbly, mild farmers' cheese made from both cow and goat's milk. Cotija or a mild feta are both suitable substitutes.

If you don't want to grill the corn, you can substitute a can of well-drained corn. Saute it over medium-high heat with a bit of olive oil and cumin until starting to brown.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 pounds (about 4) ripe Haas avocados
2 tablespoons lime juice
1.75 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (pimentón dulce)
1 teaspoon hot paprika (pimentón picante)
2 ears corn
olive oil, to rub over the corn
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
3/4 cup whole milk
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste

Halve and pit the avocados. Cut into large chunks. Immediately toss with the lime juice.

In a blender, combine the avocado, chicken stock, scallions, lime zest, ground cayenne pepper, sweet paprika, and hot paprika. Process until thoroughly blended. Taste and adjust salt. Reserve to the refrigerator.

Preheat the grill over medium heat.

Place the ears of corn in a large pot filled with cold water. Let soak for 15 minutes, while the grill heats.

Shake off excess water. If the husk is very thick, peel off an outer layer or two. Peel back (but not off) the remaining husk. Pull off and discard the silk. Rub olive oil over the corn kernels. Season with cumin, black pepper, sea salt to taste. Return the husk to covering the corn. Place on the grill, over a flame. With the lid down, grill, turning occasionally, until the kernels are tender, about 15 minutes. If the outside becomes too charred before the kernels are tender, move the corn off the direct flame. Remove the ears from the grill and let cool. Using a knife, trim the kernels from the cob. Reserve the kernels and discard the cob.

Combine the soup with the whole milk. Stir well. Pour the soup into soup bowls. Garnish with crumbled queso fresco and the grilled corn. Serve. Pairs well with a mildly-oaked Chardonnay from Mendoza, Argentina.

The Fala Cocktail

2009-07-15T10:00:00.001-04:00

I call this cocktail the Fala, after President Franklin Roosevelt's beloved Scottish Terrier. FDR favored Plymouth Gin and, I am sure, would love this cocktail like he loved that little dog.

The Fala Cocktail

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces (1 jigger shot) gin, preferably Plymouth
3/4 ounce (3/4 pony shot) sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce (1/4 pony shot) St-Germain elderflower liqueur
1 dash lemon bitters
1 lemon twist, to garnish

Fill a cocktail glass with large ice cubes. Set aside to let chill.

Fill a cocktail shaker with large ice cubes. Add the gin, sweet vermouth, St-Germain, and lemon bitters. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Let rest until the outside of the shaker starts to sweat.

Discard the ice from the cocktail glass. Strain the contents of the shaker into the glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. Enjoy.

Island Rojak: Jicama and Tropical Fruit Salad with Mojito Dressing

2009-06-24T10:00:00.003-04:00

As of Sunday, Summer is officially here, although depending on where you live the season might already be an unwelcome guest. Along much of the northeastern US, it still feels like rainy spring. This recipe, a simple salad of tropical fruits and jicama, is perfect for a warm Summer day—whenever such a day might arrive.

Rojak or rujak is a fruit and vegetable salad found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Malay for mixture, rojak is a dish combining various tropical fruits, root vegetables, and outright oddities such as tofu, shrimp paste, fried dough, and rice cakes. A mixture indeed.

Fruit Basket: Star fruit, Papaya, Persimmon, Mango

This, my recipe, prepares a salad of crunchy julienned jicama topped with an assortment of tropical fruits and a "mojito" dressing of muddled mint, lime, and palm sugar.

For this recipe, use your favorite tropical and asian fruits that are in season and fresh. Mango and pineapple are excellent here, as are persimmon and star fruit.

Makes 4 servings.

16 leaves mint
2 teaspoons palm sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 medium jicama, peeled and julienned into 1/16" matchsticks
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 mangoes, peeled and cubed
2 star fruit, trimmed and sliced
1 pineapple, peeled and cubed
4 sprigs mint, to garnish

In a mortar, combine the mint leaves and palm sugar. Using a pestle, lightly bruise the mint. Combine with the lime juice. Let the mint soak in the juice for 5 minutes. Strain and discard the mint leaves.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss the julienned jicama with enough dressing to coat, about half. Season with sea salt.

Divide the jicama among salad plates. Arrange the fruit on top of the jicama. Spoon a little dressing over the fruit, just enough to lightly dress. Garnish with a mint sprig. Pairs well with a mojito.

Roselle meets Ginger Cocktail

2009-06-23T10:30:00.004-04:00

I call this cocktail Roselle meets Ginger, as it is made from hibiscus-infused tequila blanco and ginger-infused simple syrup. I really dig this cocktail. Round and refreshing, with a great flavor profile.

Ginger and limes

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients:

2 ounces (2 pony shots) hibiscus-infused tequila (recipe)
1/2 ounce (1/2 pony shot) freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon ginger-lime syrup (recipe)
1 lime twist, to garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with large ice cubes. Add the tequila, lime juice, and ginger-lime syrup to the shaker. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Let rest until the outside of the shaker begins to sweat.

Fill an old fashioned glass with large ice cubes. Strain the cocktail shaker into the glass. Garnish with a lime twist. Enjoy.

Sally's Night Out Cocktail

2009-06-23T10:00:00.004-04:00

I call this cocktail Sally's Night Out: A not untraditional margarita, with a hibiscus infusion and a splash of sparkling water. Crisp and refreshing.

Sally's Night Out

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces (1 jigger shot) hibiscus-infused tequila (recipe)
1 ounce (1 pony shot) Grand Marnier
1/2 ounce (1/2 pony shot) lime juice
1/2 teaspoon agave syrup
splash sparking water
1 lime peel , to garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with large ice cubes. Add the tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice, and agave syrup to the shaker. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Let rest until the outside of the shaker begins to sweat.

Fill an old fashioned glass with large ice cubes. Strain the shaker into the glass. Drop a lime peel, skin side down, into the glass. Enjoy.

Hibiscus-Infused Tequila

2009-06-23T09:30:00.004-04:00

Hibiscus-based teas and aguas frescas are drank throughout the world as a refreshing herbal beverage. Hibiscus has a clean, tart flavor that pairs wonderfully with tequila and a spot of sweetness, producing a delicious warm weather cocktail. This simple recipes produces an infusion of hibiscus into tequila blanco.

Hibiscus-Infused Tequila

For this recipe, I call for dried hibiscus sepals. Sepals, also called calyces, are the tender green leaves under the petals in a flower. Tea and other hibiscus-based drinks are made from the plant's sepals, not its petals. Ideally, seek out either whole dried sepals or a high-quality hibiscus tea. If your sepals are whole, roughly chop them. I wouldn't waste a bottle of good tequila on bagged tea.

Makes 750 milliliters.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup hibiscus sepals
750 milliliters tequila blanco

Place the hibiscus in a pitcher or similar container with a lid. Pour in the tequila. Stir. Cover.

Steeping the hibiscus in tequila

Let steep, stirring once or twice, for 4 hours.

Strain through a cheesecloth-lined mesh strainer back into the original tequila bottle. Will keep indefinitely.

Crostini with Peas, Mint, Walnuts, and Ricotta

2009-06-17T10:00:00.007-04:00

These simple to prepare crostini are a great spring or summer antipasto, particularly on a warm day when peas are still available fresh. You can, of course, make this with frozen peas, but the texture will suffer.

I like this dish because it morphs the well known pairing of peas and mint into a new flavor profile, with walnuts (both whole nuts and the oil), sheep's milk ricotta, and crunchy pea greens.

Crostini of Spring Peas, Mint, Walnuts, and Ricotta

Makes 4 crostini, suitable for 4 large antipasti.

Ingredients:

2 pounds green peas, shelled
6 leaves mint, chiffonaded
1/2 cup whole walnuts
1/4 cup walnut oil, plus more to drizzle on the bread
1/4 cup grape seed oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 thick slices rustic country bread
3/4 cup ricotta, preferably di pecora (from sheep's milk)
4 attractive stalks pea greens, to garnish
sea salt, to taste

Setup an ice bath. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of heavily-salted water to boil. Add the shelled green peas and blanche until cooked through but not soft, 90 seconds. Drain and plunge into the ice bath. Once cool, drain again. Set aside to dry.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the blanched peas, mint chiffonade, walnuts, walnut oil, grapeseed oil, and white wine vinegar. Toss until coated. Season to taste with sea salt.

On a grill or in a grill pan, toast the bread until just slightly toasted and starting to brown. Drizzle one side with walnut oil. Season lightly with sea salt.

Spread a generous helping of ricotta across each slice of bread. Spoon the dressed pea and walnut salad atop the ricotta. Sprinkle with a pinch more sea salt. Garnish with a pea green.

Serve. Pairs well with a white wine of the Sauvignon blanc grape from the Sancerre AOC in the Loire Valley, France.

The Negroni Cocktail

2009-06-16T10:00:00.003-04:00

The classic apéritif the Negroni is a work of art when correctly crafted. And with just three ingredients—gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari—all of equal proportion, it should not be hard to get right. Yet so often it is shoddily prepared, if not made with entirely the wrong ingredients, that a perfect Negroni is a rarity. But it is a rarity worth seeking out.

The Negroni

The key to the Negroni is its balance. That Zen derives from equal parts of all three ingredients—and the right ingredients to begin with. Campari is Campari, so that is easy. For the gin, you want something smooth, so I usually reach for Plymouth. But smooth and full bodied aren't mutually exclusive, and Anchor Steam's Junípero is full bodied, with huge juniper notes, but also smooth, with minimal bitters. For the sweet vermouth, the traditional input is a classic Italian russo such as Martini & Rossi. I also like Vya Sweet, a craft vermouth made in California. The goal is a perfectly balanced package, with the astringent gin paired with the bitter Campari, itself tempered by the sweet vermouth.

The Negroni's origins, as with all cocktail history, is likely as much myth as fact. The story is that the flashy barfly Count Camillo Negroni, in the early 1920's at Firenze's Bar Casoni, grew tired of his Americano (the highball cocktail, not the espresso drink, of sweet vermouth, Campari, and sparkling water). The bartender, recognizing the count's dipsomania, swapped the sparkling water for gin. Intentionally or not, the result was a surprisingly balanced cocktail. The count was in heaven.

There is some debate as to whether the original Negroni was served straight up in a cocktail glass or on the rocks in an old fashioned. Today, in official US cocktail guides, the drink is served on the rocks in an old fashioned. I prefer that approach, because the extra chill makes the drink all the more refreshing and the slight dilution helps balance it out. Also, like Leo, I love the feel of a heavy old fashioned in my hand. But don't take my word for gospel; try it both ways and you decide. Make sure your cocktail glass is well chilled, though.

One more note: A perfect Negroni is stirred, not shaken. A little dilution is actually welcome, but you want to avoid the froth that shaking develops. So be gentle and stir.

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients:

1 ounce (1 pony shot) gin
1 ounce (1 pony shot) sweet vermouth
1 ounce (1 pony shot) Campari
1 orange peel, to garnish

Fill a large glass with ice cubes. Combine the gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. With a bar spoon, stir well until integrated. Let rest until the glass starts to sweat.

Fill an old fashioned glass (lowball) with large ice cubes. Strain in the contents of the large glass.

Flame the orange peel: Hold the peel over the cocktail glass, skin side down, and run a lit match back and forth across the skin with the flame about an inch away, firmly squeezing the peel until it ignites.

Rub the orange peel over the rim of the old fashioned glass. Drop the peel into the glass, skin side down. Enjoy.

Gnudi with Tartufata and Black Truffles

2009-06-11T10:00:00.010-04:00

Given the cost and hedonism of truffles, this recipe is a due, for two. You can certainly double it, but I suggest enjoying it with just that special someone.

Gnudi with Tartufata and Black Truffles

For this dish, we create a salsa tartufata, truffle sauce, from garlic-steeped olive oil and freshly-grated black truffles. Despite that decadence, the dish's star is gnudi of ricotta and pea greens, although you can substitute the more traditional spinach and ricotta gnudi if you prefer.

Black Truffles

Makes two servings.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons your favorite peppery olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 ounce finely-grated plus 10 thin shavings fresh black truffles
1/2 a batch ricotta and pea green gnudi (recipe)
sea salt, to taste

Prepare and cook the gnudi per the recipe.

Sauteing whole garlic

In a small saute pan over medium-low heat, add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the smashed garlic. Cook, occasionally moving the garlic around, until it begins to brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic from the pan and discard.

Lower heat to low. Add the grated truffle and a pinch of sea salt. Stir to integrate. Remove from heat. Add the gnudi and toss to coat.

Divide among two large, warm plates. Garnish with shaved truffle. Serve immediately. Pairs well with a younger, lighter red wine blend from the Valpolicella DOC in Provincia di Verona, Veneto, Italy.