Blizzard Soup & Snowy Day Chicken

Yesterday, when I called my best friend Arthur in New York (I was still in sunny Florida), he ebulliently reported that he was stranded in his Park Slope apartment on account of the snowstorm that hit the East Coast with a vengeance.  "You sound so happy," I said.  Arthur replied, "it's beautiful here and I'm making soup!" Arthur was dicing pancetta as we spoke, and was about to wash some kale and simmer some beans. Then without missing a beat he said, "I'm making Blizzard Soup!" I could see his smile through the phone. With that simple sentiment, I, too, wished I was in my Park Slope kitchen, also making soup.  It reminded me of a winter's day, several years ago, when my husband made the most delicious potion imaginable.  He actually named it "Snowy Day Chicken" but it was really a soup, in the way that authentic Italian bollito misto is a soup.  Large pieces of protein (here, chicken and beef shin) that simmer for hours until they transform and gelatinize (my word) a simple pot of water to perfumed perfection. The intoxicating vapors came from ingredients I didn't even know we had in our pantry:  fennel seed, celery seed, and caraway seed. They lent an air of mystery to the brew, already heady from a bounty of onions and fresh bay leaves.  I remember the first few spoonfuls as though I was slurping it right now.

Snowy Day Chicken Prepare this in your largest pot:  A very large oval casserole with a cover (such as a Le Creuset) is perfect.

Chicken fat (2 tablespoons) from chicken 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped 5 pound chicken 4 carrots, peeled and cut in half, thick ends cut in half, 1 inch sections 1-3/4 pounds beef shank on the bone, cut into 2 thick slices (1-inch each)

Sauté onions in chicken fat and olive oil for 15 minutes over medium heat until soft and lightly browned, stirring often.  Add 1 cup water and scrape up any brown bits.  Add chicken (breast side up), carrots, and the following:

2 large onions, peeled, cut in half, each half in 4 chunks (16 pieces) 1 heaping teaspoon fennel seed 1 teaspoon caraway seed 1 teaspoon celery seed 1 teaspoon salt 2 fresh or dried bay leaves 11 cups water (will not cover chicken) – you want the breast to be exposed 1 large garlic clove, through press

Slip in beef shank.  Add all the giblets, except the liver. Bring just to boil.  Lower to simmer, cover and cook about 2 to 3 hours until beef is tender and chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and beef shank; transfer to a platter; discard giblets.  Slice chicken and beef; serve in large soup plates surrounded with vegetables. Pour broth over all.  Serves 6

New Year's Nibbles

Only five days to New Year's Eve and you are, no doubt, thinking about how to celebrate.  For those who are entertaining at home (a very strategic thing to do), here are 25 ideas for radically simple things to serve.   My good friend, Claudia Omsky, roasted some chestnuts for us the other day as a treat in the middle of the afternoon.  She is from Vienna and told us about the street vendors roasting chestnuts and how she loved them as a child.  She often prepares them for her kids as a healthy snack.  Great idea.  Claudia buys them at Whole Foods and simply roasts them on a sheet pan.  Make a criss-cross slit at the top of each chestnut and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  I thought about how festive they would be with a glass of champagne and so....Idea #1:  Warm roasted chestnuts.  The day after, our cousin Mary Ann Kurasz (Seidman) served us a bowl of huge roasted black grapes that looked like big fleshy olives.  She said she got the idea from my Chicken with Roasted Grapes from Radically Simple and decided they would be great with cocktails!  They were!  A brilliant idea I never thought of.  Here are 23 more: Thinly sliced smoked salmon strewn with edible flowers cut up like confetti Large black olives baked in red wine and olive oil Wrap thin grissini (breadsticks) with good prosciutto Scoop out cherry tomatoes, fill with whitefish salad and chopped chives (serve in fluted candy papers) Coat green grapes with goat cheese and roll in crushed pistachios Toss mixed nuts with rosemary oil and warm on a sheet pan Large moist Medjool dates with chunks of aged Gouda Throw a smoked ham in the oven, slice and serve on biscuits with honey mustard and chutney Thinly slice super-rare roast beef from the supermarket, serve with horseradish creme fraiche and black bread Slather a side of fresh salmon with wasabi mayonnaise, roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, sprinkle with black sesame seeds Make a large Caesar salad and serve with garlic-rubbed skirt steaks Buy super-large cooked shrimp and serve with green goddess dressing Serve your favorite smooth soup in demitasse cups, add a few drops of truffle oil Serve a platter of roasted vegetables, cut into 1-inch pieces, sprinkle with sea salt Prepare a large chafing dish of tortellini alla panna (cream, butter and parmigiano-reggiano) Make or buy gravlax and serve with 1-minute mustard sauce (2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 2 tablespoons Dijon, 1/4 cup olive oil) Buy rotisserie chickens, hack them up and serve with hoisin sauce and scallions Thinly slice big sea scallops and serve atop seaweed salad, drizzle with lemon oil Top herring in wine sauce with buttery-toasted panko, creme fraiche and dill Make smoked salmon, basil and goat cheese quesadillas Make beef or turkey sliders, serve on toasted dinner rolls with pesto or curry mayonnaise Buy great fried chicken and serve with black-eyed peas Boil a whole cotechino, slice and serve on lentils

Start chilling the bubbly!

Christmas at IHOP

True story:  Late Christmas morning, we left the Marriott hotel in Palm Beach Gardens and looked for somewhere to have breakfast before going to our cousins for an afternoon swim.  For over an hour we passed closed cafes, drive-ins, drive-throughs, dives and diners -- even Denny's disappointed.  Dashed were our dreams of fluffy pancakes, hot chocolate, french pastries, and endless cups of strong coffee.  At this point, even a bagel with a smear would do.  Quite unlike New York, where many restaurants rock on Christmas Day, in south Florida, people are where they should be:  At home, eating fluffy pancakes, hot chocolate, french pastry and coffee.  A voice from the back seat of our rented car stopped us short.  "IHOP," it said.  "IHOP?" we chortled.  "Yes," said the earnest voice.  Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were there not long ago.  In Florida.  They had pancakes."  Our daughter programmed our rented GPS and in no more than ten minutes we were in front of an IHOP.  It was OPEN. I tell you this story to let you know that a new dish was born on Christmas Day.  Now, past lunchtime, I noticed a weathered man next to me eating what looked like fish.  A lot of it.  Broccoli and roasted potatoes, too.   The nice waitress told us it was tilapia.  Something made me try it.  But I wanted it with scrambled eggs instead (no broccoli or potato chunks) and shredded hash browns.  Yes, I would even try the Hollandaise that came with the fish. My husband and daughter ordered fluffy pancakes (eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, too) but it took awhile to get our food.  My tilapia was being cooked-to-order. And there it was!  Perfectly moist and flaky, subtly seasoned with a bit of Cajun magic, crisp around the edges and golden brown. And there was a lot of it. Soft-scrambled eggs and lovely hash browns.  Even the Hollandaise was credible, made more so with a squeeze of fresh lemon.  Truly, it was terrific.  My husband, the globe-trotting restaurant consultant, always said that the best way to cook fish was on a griddle.

There you have it.  The Gold Special:  Griddled golden tilapia with lemony Hollandaise, soft-scrambled eggs, and shredded hash browns.  $9.99.  And endless cups of good, strong coffee.   Hope your Christmas was special, too.

Another Gold special:  A recipe for Scrambled Eggs with Leeks & Sable from Radically Simple.

Scrambled Eggs with Leeks & Sable A more distinctive version of the classic lox, eggs, and onions, these eggs rest on slices of sable, gently warming them.  Sable, or smoked black cod, is available in upscale food stores.

8 thin slices smoked sable 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 10 extra-large eggs

Overlap 2 slices of sable in the centers of four very large plates.  Wash the leeks; dry well.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a very large frying pan.  Add the leeks; cook, stirring, until soft and golden, 10 minutes.  Beat the eggs well with an electric mixer on whisk, adding salt and pepper.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the pan with the leeks; add the eggs and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until just set, 2 minutes.  Spoon the eggs atop the sable. Serves 4

An Amazing Meal at Zuma

Unexpectedly, last night, I had one of the most extraordinary meals in recent memory. Two days before Christmas, in Miami, Florida, I had hoped for little more than a heap of  stone crabs and a pitcher of mojitos.  At the behest of close friends, Alan and Claudia Omsky, who live a speedy 20 minutes from the Epic Hotel where Zuma is housed, we zoomed to a meal of a lifetime.  The atmosphere was electrifying, overlooking the water and a smart new Philippe Starck apartment complex.  Inside, the vast open kitchen looking much like a linear park of ingredients, chefs and whirling activity (plus one chef texting under his cutting board), fine-tuned by a feng shui consultant, signaled an evening of contemporary Japanese delights.  If creativity was a deadly sin, then it looked like we were headed for trouble.  And sinful it was.  Scrumptious, too.  And I experienced a few real "firsts."  My sister-in-law, who lived in Japan for years, once told me that real sushi should melt on your tongue.  Eureka, it finally happened.  Squares of fatty toro, accompanied by shaved-at-the-table Himalayan salt, actually did "lay on my tongue" like a magic carpet which then gently floated away.  In the casually elegant, on-trend, style of Japanese izakaya dining, the meal was one continuous progression of courses, perhaps 15 in all, choreographed by über general manager, Stephen Haigh; executed by master chef Bjoern Weissgerber, and delivered by waiter Luis Arrascaeta (a Basque name.) The three performers in this culinary operetta helped us, and hundreds of other diners (how do they do it!?), navigate the pleasures of exquisitely presented Japanese cooking.  The kitchen is set up into three areas -- the sushi station (designed for serving sushi and sashimi at the perfect temperature); the "robata" wood-grill for cooking seafood, poultry and beef, and the main kitchen, fueled by sheer creativity (and fire.)

Thanks to the largess of our hosts, some of our dishes were strewn with fresh white truffles, or flecks of edible gold (yes!), or dabbed with salmon caviar.  There were extraordinary morsels of wagyu beef and miso marinated black cod wrapped in hoba leaf.  To die for.  But it was the robata vegetable preparations -- squares of grilled eggplant topped with aka dashi miso, like the fatty toro it, too, laid upon my tongue until it floated away; charred fresh artichokes, sweet corn with shiso butter, and spicy fried tofu -- that really got our attention.  Dessert, including a dulcet chawan-mushi (they are usually savory), yuzu sorbet, and a warm chocolate cake that flowed like lava -- and jewels of fresh fruit, arrived looking like a huge Christmas gift.

Wish you could have been there.  Zuma, a five-restaurant chain, with locations in London (where it began), Istanbul, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Miami. was created by maestro Rainer Becker, who spent years in Japan learning the complexities, and the subtleties, of this ancient cuisine, gone modern.

Here's a radically simple homage to chef Bjoern Weissgerber.  Merry Christmas.

Honeydew-Kiwi Sorbet with Chartreuse The color?  Jade green with tiny black dots.  The flavor?  Intriguing and herbal from an unexpected jolt of green Chartreuse.  Sake would also be nice. If you can find a beautifully ripe Galia melon, use that instead of the honeydew.   The result?  A refreshing green and red ending to your Christmas meal.

1/2 cup sugar 4 cups chopped ripe honeydew or Galia melon 1-1/2 cups chopped peeled kiwis 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 6 tablespoons green Chartreuse or sake thin slices of ripe watermelon handful of edible flower petals

In a small saucepan, boil 1/2 cup water with the sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Combine the melon, kiwi, lime juice and a pinch of salt in a food processor; process until smooth.  Combine the fruit puree and sugar syrup in a large bowl, cover and chill well.  Freeze in an ice cream maker, add 3 tablespoons of the Chartreuse or sake halfway through freezing.  Serve scoops on watermelon slices and sprinkle with flower petals.  Drizzle with the remaining Chartreuse.  Serves 6

Merry Christmas.

Good Morning America

For those of you who watch Good Morning America, you may have seen Radically Simple this morning as Sara Moulton showed off the best cookbooks of 2010. To see the complete list, click here.  Also featured, was Tournedos Balsamico with Rosemary & Gorgonzola Dolce, today's recipe which I have shared below. Tournedos Balsamico with Rosemary & Gorgonzola Dolce

4 thick beef tenderloin filets, about 10 ounces each 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, plus sprigs for garnish 4 ounces creamy gorgonzola cheese, cut into 4 slices

Place the filets in a shallow baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the oil and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar over the beef. Rub the rosemary into the meat. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan until very hot. Add the filets; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Transfer to a platter and let rest 5 minutes. Cook the remaining 4 tablespoons vinegar in a small skillet over high heat until reduced by half. Drizzle the steaks with the reduced vinegar; top with a thin slice of cheese. Garnish with rosemary sprigs. Serves 4

This recipe along with 324 others can be found in Radically Simple: Brilliant Flavors with Breathtaking Ease, chosen by The New York Times, People Magazine, and Good Morning America as one of this year's best cookbooks, it's the perfect holiday gift for the chef in your life.

For the Love of Meat

Years ago at a fancy butcher shop, I noticed a cut of meat that was new to me.  Piled high in the brightly lit case, was a stack of triangular-shaped mounds of beef,  known as trip-tip fillets, tri-tip roasts, or beef triangles.  They "sit" at the bottom of the sirloin, weigh 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 pounds, and are about two inches thick. Flavorful, but lean, they are best eaten rare so that the juices trickle down your chin.   I created a recipe for Bon Appetit using this cut and was reminded of it this weekend.  On our way to see the spectacular Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, we walked through the retail spaces level with the ice skating rink.  New to us was a fast/casual restaurant called Tri-Tip Grill, featuring none other than this heretofore obscure hunk of meat.  It seems that this cut is very popular in California and newer to East coast folks.  The restaurant, too, had its origins in California and has only recently attracted attention in New York. Whereas a tri-tip fillet will never satisfy in the same way that a game-y aged rib-eye or velvety filet mignon might, it is a great cut to use for the holidays: fulfilling the promise of abundance without the financial burden. Why not buy a pair of tri-tips and invite a few neighbors for a holiday dinner this week?  Serve the juicy rare steak slices with a sweet potato puree flecked with fresh ginger and a hint of freshly-squeezed tangerine juice.   Then stir-fry a wok-ful of sugar snap peas tossed with tiny cubes of bacon and radish -- cut the same size so that they "mimic" each other.   All will come together in a harmonious triptych of flavors textures, and color.  A tri-tip triptych!  Not easy to say three-times quickly.

A trickle of "hot" Chinese mustard will light up your taste buds.  If you don't want to make your own, now's a good time to gather all those little takeout packets lurking in your fridge.

Tri-Tip Filet in Soy & Red Wine with "Chinese Mustard"

2 pound trip-tip beef fillet 1/3 cup dry red wine 2 tablespoons soy sauce 3 cloves garlic, very finely minced 2-1/2 tablespoons dry mustard 3 bunches scallions 12 ounces baby portabello mushrooms 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons honey

Put tri-tip in a shallow bowl. Whisk together wine, soy sauce, garlic and 1/2 tablespoon dry mustard.  Pour over meat.  Let sit 30 minutes at room temperature, turning meat often. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons dry mustard, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons cold water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until smooth.  Let sit.  Remove roots and dark green parts of scallions and discard.  Cut scallions in half lengthwise.  Trim mushrooms and wipe with a damp cloth.  Put scallions and mushrooms on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss until vegetables are coated.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.  Remove meat from marinade.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Season meat with salt and pepper.  Put meat on baking sheet, with scallions and mushrooms arranged around meat.  Roast for 12 minutes, turn meat and vegetables over and cook 10 minutes longer, until an instant-read thermometer registers 125 degrees for rare. Transfer meat to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.  Cut in 1/4-inch thick slices. Serve with scallions, mushrooms, and any pan juices.  Drizzle with Chinese mustard.  Serves 4

A Great New York Chef

I had such a wonderful meal with my family on Saturday night at Oceana! Amidst the holiday pageantry around Rockefeller Center, Oceana glowed like a jewel -- all decked out in boughs of holly and towering temples of exquisite seafood. It was my first time at Oceana's new location -- on 49th street, right off 6th avenue, in New York City. Once a three-star dining boutique in a small midtown location, Oceana has transformed itself into a bustling, contemporary restaurant focusing on the chef's passion for "fish gone global." I've been following Ben Pollinger around for years. He did stints at Louis XV in Monte Carlo, then spent serious time at Tabla, Union Square Cafe, and the revered Lespinasse. As chef at Oceana since 2006, Ben has received some wicked good praise, including a coveted Michelin star and New York Times stars. He's also one of the most normal chefs I know. In the spirit of full disclosure, Ben was a fraternity brother of my son Jeremy at Boston University. He is now the father of three and admits to only one small tattoo near his shoulder. I meant to ask him if it was the image of a fish, but I was too busy asking him about his food. When we owned and operated the Rainbow Room (from 1987 to 2000), we were among the first to serve towering shellfish extravaganzas, but Ben's version was definitely more adventurous. Nestled in ice between the briniest oysters imaginable, perfectly poached shrimp, steamed lobster, and a sea urchin scooped from its prickly shell, was the best, and most inventive, ceviche I ever had. Gently spiced with coconut milk, mustard seed, and I don't know what else, its perfume wafted memories of dining atop the Taj Hotel in Mumbai some some years ago. Perhaps it was Ben's experience at the esteemed restaurant Tabla that allowed him the courage to partner a tranche of taro-wrapped pompano with a neon green coconut-curry sauce; but it's his vast experience that made it work.

I could tell you much more about my meal, the nice wine list, and the mouthwatering "Chocolate Custard Brownie", but I think you should experience it all for yourself.

If you order the grilled sturgeon (with white kimchee, miso and shiitake mushrooms), as I did, make sure not to eat it all.   Bring the remainder home and try it cold the next day. It makes leftover filet mignon (another favorite) taste unremarkable.

Wish you could have been there.  As an homage to Ben, I offer him a radically simple fish recipe from...Radically Simple.  I hope he likes it.

Tiradito As is the case at Oceana, this dish relies on first-rate, super-fresh fish.  Tiradito is the Peruvian equivalent of sashimi -- except that tiradito is glossed with a dressing or briefly marinated in assertive pepper purees.  My version begins with ultra-thin slices of raw halibut or red snapper that gets bathed in a tart elixir of a whole pureed lemon, olive oil, and garlic.

12 ounces raw halibut or red snapper, sliced paper thin 1 small lemon 1/2 cup olive oil 1 medium clove garlic 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives Handful of tender mesclun or pea shoots

Arrange the fish in a tight circle without overlapping in the center of 4 large plates.  Sprinkle the fish lightly with salt.  With a small sharp knife, cut the rind and pith from the lemon; quarter the flesh and remove the seeds.  Process the lemon, including the rind, oil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender until very smooth. Spoon the dressing lightly over the fish to coat completely.  Sprinkle with chives and coarsely cracked pepper.  Garnish the plates with mesclun or pea shoots.  Serves 4

One for the Table: food, politics & love

I am new to the world of blogs and bloggers and rely on the kindness of strangers to send me reviews (of my work) or interesting articles on meaningful topics. Just this morning I was sent this missive from Lisa Dinsmore, an editor of the brilliant blog called "One for the Table."  It is one of the most thoughtful reviews I've received.  It seems as though Lisa has already cooked more than 10 dishes from Radically Simple and, from the sound of it, seems very happy.  Me, too.  Lisa has a lovely way of pairing recipes and you might enjoy taking her lead as you read the review.  Her favorites so far: "Lemony Arugula & Sun-dried Tomato Salad with Smoked Mozzarella that we paired with Gold's Chicken Parmigiana, which delivered the flavors you expected but in a lighter, fresher way; Pappa al Pomodoro, a tomato, cheese and bread soup that was hearty enough to satisfy my meat-eating husband; Manchego Chicken with Prosciutto and Arugula paired with Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Dates, and Steak Tenderloin with Balsamic, Rosemary & Gorgonzola paired with White Beans, Spinach, Tomatoes & Rosemary, made our usual weeknight dinners much more special." Lisa also took a beautiful photo of my Pappa al Pomodoro -- recipe below.  It might be just the thing for Sunday supper on a cold winter night.

Pappa al Pomodoro This famously soupy dish, thickened with bread instead of pasta, is much like a pasta course--deeply satisfying and a great way to begin a meal -- or become the meal, when paired with a substantial vegetable or salad.  It's a good excuse to use your best extra-virgin olive oil, which should be drizzled on right before serving.  A tip: The best way to "chop" canned tomatoes is to use scissors to snip them right in the can.

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced 28-ounce can plum tomatoes in puree, chopped 2 cups chicken stock 4 ounces baguette, cut into small pieces, about 5 packed cups 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil large pinch red pepper flakes 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, or a mixture

Heat the oil in a 4-quart pot.  Add the garlic and cook until soft but not brown, 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes and stock; bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes over high heat.  Add the bread and cook 8 minutes, mashing with a potato masher until the ingredients are integrated and the bread is very soft.  Add the basil, pepper flakes, and salt. Cook 2 minutes longer.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese.  Ladle into bowls and drizzle with more oil.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese.  Serves 4

Cookies While You Sleep

As promised, more holiday cookies.  The first one, curiously called "Cookies While You Sleep," lets the nighttime do its magic.  Put glossy heaps of wet meringue into the oven before bedtime and in the morning you will wake up to dreamy crisp meringues.  The ultra-white mounds crackle in your mouth and then melt like snow.  Made with egg whites (save the yolks for another style of cookie), sugar, and miniature chocolate chips, these are truly child's play with fun visual cues along the way. Visual cue #1 -- the egg whites (beaten with a bit of salt) are whipped until they hold their shape and get stiff and glossy.  Visual cue #2:  It should look like Marshmallow Fluff.  Mounded onto parchment-lined baking sheets, put them in a hot oven and then immediately turn the oven...off!   Go to bed. In the morning, eat one or two of these cookies and begin the next recipe:  Nutella Sandwich Cookies.  The ubiquitous chocolate-hazelnut spread (that comes in a jar) flavors both the batter and serves as the filling for the sandwich.  This is a four-ingredient cookie that makes milk an imperative.  Have a little patience when cutting the warm cookies in half, sandwich-style, through the equator.  Use a large serrated knife and go slow. These cookies taste even better the next day (if they last that long)...and the next...as the cookie "crumb" (the texture) softens.

And here's a crazy idea I invented using frozen wonton skins.  Not sure what possessed me to slather them with melted butter and shower them with cinnamon-sugar. Baked for 7 minutes, they become crisp and tasty as can be and serve a variety of purposes.  They are great as is, served with a cup of green tea.  They are wonderful for dipping into a pint of slightly melted ice cream.  Stacked with layers of ripe fresh fruit and honey, they become trendy "napoleons."  Most fun of all is to have your guests guess how they're made.  No one ever does.  Most surprising of all is...they're healthy!  Only 33 calories per cookie.  And you can make them with olive oil instead of butter.  They last a long time and look really cool in a glassine bag tied up with holiday ribbons.

'Tis the season.

Cookies While You Sleep (from Kids Cook 1-2-3) 3 extra-large egg whites 7/8 cup sugar 1 heaping cup miniature chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Beat the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer until they begin to thicken.  Add a pinch of salt and gradually add the sugar. Beat for several minutes, until the mixture holds its shape and is stiff and glossy.  Continue beating several minutes until it is very thick.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment.  Gently fold the chocolate chips into the batter.  Drop by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheets.  Place in the oven on the middle rack and close the door. Immediately turn the oven off.  Leave the door closed until morning.  Makes about 28

Nutella Sandwich Cookies 13-ounce jar Nutella 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 1 extra-large egg 1-1/4 cups self-rising cake flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.  Beat together 1/4 cup of the Nutella, the butter, and egg.  Slowly add the flour until a wet dough forms.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently, adding more flour if necessary; the dough will be sticky.  Divide the dough into 18 pieces and roll each into a perfect ball, flouring your hands as you go.  Place several inches apart on the baking sheet.  Bake 12 minutes until firm.  Cool 10 minutes on the sheet.  Using a serrated knife, split each cookie in half horizontally.  Spread each bottom half with 1 heaping teaspoon of Nutella.  Replace the tops, pressing lightly.  Makes 18

Cinnamon-Sugar Crisps You can keep these super simple by brushing them with melted butter and sprinkling them with cinnamon-sugar.  I have deepened their flavor with some five-spice powder and sesame seeds.  You can find wonton wrappers in Asian food markets; they are generally frozen.

1/4 cup sugar 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder 24 square wonton wrappers 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/3 cup sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and five-spice powder.  Place 12 wontons on each of 2 ungreased baking sheets. Using a pastry brush, brush each with melted butter.  Sprinkle heavily with the sugar mixture and then with the sesame seeds.  Press the seeds in lightly.  Bake for 7 minutes until golden and crispy; cool.  Makes 24

Radically Simple Holiday Cookies

For the first time in 20 years, I had saltines in the house (the ones in that big green tin) and made the Saltine Cracker Brickle from this week's food section of the New York Times (12/15).  Not bad, actually.  Part cookie, part candy, it was made from just a handful of ingredients.  Such is the magic of butter, sugar and chocolate.  The paucity of ingredients had me thinking about the cookies and confections I've created during the past two (saltine-free) decades!   Some people are grateful for the three-ingredient gluten-free cookies I invented using roasted chickpea flour; beg for the little sandwich cookies made with Nutella; crave the simplicity of cinnamon crisps made, unexpectedly, from wonton wrappers; are intrigued by the cookies made from halvah, and charmed by the notion of "Cookies While You Sleep"-- crisp meringues that look like small snowdrifts.   These are little gifts from "me to you," so that they can be "from you to yours."   Maybe it's time to buy a nice big cookie jar.  (The big green Saltine tin would also work!)  Here are two favorites, but stay tuned for more!

Chickpea Flour Shortbread I first became familiar with chickpea flour in the south of France where I attended a cooking school run by Roger Verge.  It is the essential ingredient used for making socca, an indigenous pizza-like snack, thin and pliable, and blackened from wood-fired ovens.  This flour is also used for making fournade, a simple soup from Burgundy, and for panelle, little chickpea flour pancakes, familiar in the south of Italy.  I became so enamored with the stuff that I started experimenting and created this addictive little cookie, perfect for gluten-free diets.  Roasted chickpea flour can be found in Middle Eastern food markets and health food stores.  Plain (unroasted) can also be used. Instead of sprinkling them with powdered sugar at the end, you can dust them with multi-colored granulated sugar for a "holiday look."

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 2 cups roasted chickpea flour, plus more for dusting

Beat butter in bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add 1 cup confectioners' sugar and pinch of salt.  Mix well.  Stir in chickpea flour and mix until dough forms a smooth ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Sprinkle pastry board lightly with chickpea flour. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick.  Using a cookie cutter, cut out into desired shapes (I use a fluted cookie cutter), about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter.  Squares are also nice.  Prick each several times with a fork.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 25 minutes until golden and just firm.  Let cool.  Sprinkle generously with remaining sugar pushed through a sieve. Makes about 36 cookies Sesame Seed-Olive Oil Cookies (from Radically Simple) These taste like cookies you might expect to find at an old-world Italian pastry shop.  The olive oil gives them an interesting texture and flavor.

2 cups self-rising flour 2/3 cup sugar 2 extra-large eggs 1/2 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons almond extract 2/3 cup toasted sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment.  Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and extract.  Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms; it will be crumbly and slightly oily.  Form the dough into small ovals, about 1-1/2 inches long and 3/4 inch wide.  Roll the top and sides of each cookie in the sesame seeds.  Place 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.  Bake 25 minutes, until golden and just firm.  Cool  Makes 24 

The Best "Overnight" Pancakes

Thick and fluffy as bath towels, my new formulation for making pancakes allows both you, and the batter, to rise slowly in the morning.  Self-rising flour and extra baking powder provide the levitation; buttermilk, vanilla and olive oil provide the flavor.  The batter should be used within 15 hours of making and so the optimal timing would be to prepare the batter just before you go to bed.  Make it at 10:00 p.m. and presto, the voluminous batter will be perfect for your oil-slicked frying pan anytime before noon the next day.  A big diner-size griddle would be the best way to cook these but I don't happen to have one.  Instead I just add a sheen of olive oil (yes! -- I use it in the batter, too) to my largest nonstick frying pan and make them three at a time.  I'm a one-handed flapjack flipper.  The other hand is reserved for a large mug of very strong coffee, tightly held, until the last drop of batter is used.   This recipe yields about 14 pancakes making it possible to invite 4 to 6 hungry guests to linger around your breakfast table.  Given the timing of the operation, these would best be served on weekends. Drizzle on your best maple syrup (at our house we use Grade B syrup because it has the best flavor) or top with fresh blueberries, briefly cooked in simple syrup (sugar boiled in water until dissolved). In winter, when bananas and strawberries-from-somewhere are available, I dice both fruits into grade A maple syrup, add chopped roasted almonds, and cook it until the fruit gently perfumes the syrup.  It, too, is radically simple to prepare. Double-Rise Pancakes with Strawberries, Bananas & Almonds 2 extra-large eggs 1 cup buttermilk 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pan 1-1/2 cups self-rising cake flour

1 cup real maple syrup 1 cup finely diced bananas 1 cup finely diced strawberries 1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds

In a blender, combine the eggs, buttermilk, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, 2 tablespoons oil, flour, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Blend until smooth.  Place the covered blender in the refrigerator overnight.  Whirl the batter in the blender before using.  Combine the syrup, bananas, and strawberries in medium saucepan.  Cook 5 minutes over high heat, stirring often.  Stir in 1/4 cup of the almonds.  Heat a griddle (or very large frying pan); brush with oil.  Stir the batter; ladle by 1/4 cups onto the griddle, leaving space between the pancakes.  Cook until browned, 3 minutes; turn, cook until golden, 2 minutes longer.  Serve with the topping and remaining almonds.  Serves 4 to 6

Best Cookbooks of 2010

I must say how delighted I am -- and how unexpected it was -- to have Radically Simple reviewed in Sunday's New York Times Book Review and then again in yesterday's New York Times dining section.  It was a rich year for cookbooks and so it was especially rewarding to be recognized.  Julia Moskin was the author of yesterday's review.  On top of a hand-held tray of a stack of ten books, was the story's title:  Inspiration, Anyone?  Subtitle: What the cook ordered -- a fresh batch of recipes.  And I suppose that's what we're all looking for.  I was not familiar with all the books on that tray and appreciated having them pointed out to me.  I am a big fan of chef David Tanis, whose sensibility about food is sometimes as radically simple as mine. His book, "The Heart of the Artichoke" is a lovely sequel to "A Platter of Figs."  I look forward to Madhur Jaffrey's book, I always do; I have had the pleasure of being a guest with Madhur on an NPR radio show not so long ago.  More recently, I have longingly gazed at a book called "India", divinely packaged in a white burlap rice bag.  How nice to know it's worth buying!  I look forward to purchasing "The Book of Tapas" by Simone and Ines Ortega (years ago our company created a tapas bar for the Hotel Arts in Barcelona), and Sarabeth Levine's beautiful book "Sarabeth's Bakery." I already own Dorie Greenspan's wonderfully evocative tome called "Around My French Table," and I am all too happy to read anything by Maya Angelou, especially something called "Great Food, All Day Long."

Here's an excerpt of what Ms. Moskin had to say:  "Rozanne Gold is the personal trainer of food writers: she has been on a strict regime of 1-2-3 cookbooks.  Her new book, Radically Simple (Rodale), has more flexibility, promising 'restaurant-worthy food without a single extraneous motion or ingredient.' She wrings stylish, streamlined, fabulous results with inspired combinations like avocado, lime and smoked paprika, and unexpected techniques, like roasting grapes, that restore drama to chicken breasts."

And I'm pleased that Quentin Bacon's photograph of  "Sauteed Chicken with Roasted Grapes" loomed so large on the page.  It looked really beautiful.  You will find the recipe in a previous blog.

Today I'll share the other recipe cited by Ms. Moskin.  It can be found in the chapter called "10-Minute Salads."

Spooned Avocado, Lime & Smoked Paprika This is a radically simplified version of guacamole that is very impromptu.  Serve it almost as soon as you spoon it.  Nice to serve with "batons" of crunchy jicama. Ripe avocados required!

4 very ripe medium avocados 2 to 4 large limes 20 grape tomatoes 1/4 large red onion, slivered 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, or more to taste 2 handfuls baby arugula 1/4 cup olive oil

Cut the avocados in half; remove the pits.  Using a large spoon, scoop large pieces into a large bowl.  Squeeze the juice of 2 limes over the avocado.  Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise.  Add the tomatoes and slivered onion to the bowl.  Add the smoked paprika and salt to taste.  Add the arugula; drizzle oil over everything.  Toss, adding more lime juice, salt, and smoked paprika to taste.  Serves 4

A Nice Main Course

It's always interesting to me which recipes people choose when flipping through a cookbook -- mine or anyone else's.  What makes us stop at a particular page and say "eureka" -- that's for me?  There are a variety of factors, to be sure.  A compelling title, an interesting combination of ingredients or the ingredients themselves, the ease or difficulty in making the dish, a connection to a taste memory (yearning), something utterly familiar or wildly experimental.  That we all can "taste in our heads" before even lifting a fork to our mouths is what informs that moment. Mmmmmm.....that sounds delicious, we say to ourselves, and immediately write down the list of ingredients and run off to the store.  My "Pork Loin in Cream with Tomatoes, Sage & Gin" is such a recipe.  It helps that there are two gorgeous photos of the dish  -- as a whole roast surrounded by burst grape tomatoes in a burnt umber sauce and as a single generous serving where the fresh sage looks hyper-real.  But perhaps its greatest asset is that it simultaneously feels comforting and a bit exotic.  Many reviewers, and several friends, have chosen this dish as a semaphore of the 325 radically simple dishes in my book.  On Sunday, the New York Times food editor/book reviewer Christine Muhlke chose it, too. The recipe is a riff on an Italian classic in which pork is cooked in milk flavored with juniper.  My version is much simpler but equally divine.   You can augment the sauce by adding some dry white wine in addition to the gin.  It's lovely served with a platter of sauteed broccoli rabe and small potatoes roasted in extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt.  You might begin this meal with a platter of melon draped with the best prosciutto you can afford or a simple salad of wild arugula, toasted pine nuts, slivers of fresh pear and bits of gorgonzola cheese.

You may use a commonplace pork loin that you find in your supermarket, but if you trade up for a fattier, more flavorful heritage pork variety you will get superlative results.

I, too, might make this for dinner -- my friend who canceled a few weeks ago is coming tonight!

Pork Loin in Cream with Tomatoes, Sage & Gin I prepare this in a medium size-paella pan;  you may use any metal flat-bottom shallow ovenproof casserole or skillet that allows for the tomatoes to be arranged in a single layer.

12 large fresh sage leaves 4 large garlic cloves 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1-1/2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano (or any dried oregano with flavor!) 2-1/2 pound center-cut pork loin, tied and lightly scored 1 pint grape tomatoes 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup gin, or more to taste

Process 6 sage leaves, the garlic, oil, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mini processor to a fine paste.  Rub all over the pork.  Cover; let sit at room temperature 30 minutes or refrigerate up to 4 hours.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Heat a very large ovenproof skillet or medium paella pan until very hot.  Brown the pork on all sides, about 5 minutes.  Scatter the tomatoes around the pork; cook 1 minute.  Pour 1/4 cup cream over the pork.  Roast 40 minutes.  Add the 6 remaining leaves, the remaining 1/4 cup cream, and the gin.  Roast 14 to 20 minutes longer, until tender.  Transfer the pork to a cutting board.  Place the pan on the stovetop and boil the sauce, adding more gin, salt, and pepper, until slightly reduced, 1 minute.  Slice the pork and serve with the sauce.  Serves 6

Holiday Book Review

I was delighted to return from my three-day retreat (I didn’t know it was to be silent!) to the special review of my cookbook in yesterday’s New York Times Book Review. My silence ended then and there. Below is one of the recipes mentioned in the review. Namaste.

ONION SOUP with APPLE CIDER & THYME (from Radically Simple)

This soup is dark and brooding and very reminiscent of the French classic. It tastes great as is, but it's especially pleasing when pureed until smooth.

1-1/2 pound large onions 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1-1/2 cups chicken broth 1-1/4 cups fresh apple cider 5 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more leaves for garnish 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cut the onions in half through the stem end. Cut lengthwise into thin slices. Melt the butter in a 4-quart pot. Add the onions and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened and very dark brown, about 10 minutes. Add the broth, cider and thyme sprigs, scrape the bottom of the pot and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring often, until the onions are very soft, 25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Leave as is, or puree in a food processor until smooth. Sprinkle with the cheese and thyme leaves. Serves 6

You will find the recipe for Pork Loin in Cream with Tomatoes, Sage & Gin, referenced by Ms. Muhlke in tomorrow's post.



Morning Meditation

I have written today's entry in advance as I am at a retreat at the beautiful Garrison Institute (a former monastery) on the Hudson River in Garrison, New York. The Garrison Institute, the brainchild of our friends Jonathan and Diana Rose, is a center for contemplation, action, and transformation.  "It is a unique center for leaders, activists and professionals on the front lines of social change to reflect, grow and deepen the connection and insight with which they engage the world."  This particular retreat is called The Whole of the Path: Virtue, Mind-training and Wisdom -- cultivating generosity, integrity, attention and compassion.   And while this experience is not about food...in a way, it is.  Shelley Boris, who heads the kitchens at Garrison, is a very gifted chef.  Her intelligence and compassionate approach to cooking is felt by everyone there.  Shelley is always mindful of the communal table -- which is literally how one eats in the massive, sun-lit dining room.  The food is elemental and deeply connected to the earth from which it comes.  Most of it local, some grown on the vast property, sustainable, and always nourishing.  And while I enjoy eating alone most of the time, it is also nice to share stories and experiences with others around the table.  Food is ritual here, three times a day, and in itself is a meditation.  Hopefully Shelley will share some of her recipes with me so that I can share them with you.  Each meal has its own virtues but I think I like breakfast best.  Her cheese biscuits (with scallions) are the best I have ever had and her food is generally so compelling that you feel virtuous with every bite.  And the coffee (thank goodness they serve it!) is good and strong.

I look forward to being in touch with you again on Monday morning.  Meanwhile, I leave you with a recipe for the weekend: Cheese Strata with Prosciutto, Basil and Spinach This is my recipe for an assemble-ahead dish that’s perfect for a weekend brunch.  You assemble it the night before (or early in the morning) so that the layers -- or striations -- of bread, cheese and spinach soak up the egg-and-milk base.  Baked for 1 hour, the result is custardy, rich and quiche-like.  If you don't eat pork, you can substitute smoked turkey for the prosciutto, or leave it out altogether -- just add a bit more spinach.

3-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter 16 slices firm white sliced bread, crusts removed 8 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 4 ounces provolone cheese, shredded 1/4 cup finely minced scallions, white and green parts 4 ounces fresh baby spinach 1/2 cup finely julienned fresh basil 5 extra-large eggs 2 cups half-and-half 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha or hot sauce

Butter a 12-x-7-inch glass or ceramic dish with 1/2 tablespoon of the butter.  Cover the bottom with 6 slices of bread, plus 1 slice cut in half to fill the spaces.  Evenly cover the bread with half the prosciutto.  Sprinkle with half of the feta, provolone, scallions, spinach, and basil.  Repeat to make a second layer.  Cut the remaining 2 bread slices into 1/4-inch cubes; scatter over the top.  Beat together the eggs, half-and-half, and hot sauce.  Pour over the strata; press down firmly with a spatula.  Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the top.  Cover; refrigerate 5 hours or overnight.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Uncover and bake 1 hour until golden.  Serves 8.

From my book, “Radically Simple: Brilliant Flavors with Breathtaking Ease”

The Best Rib Roast

Several readers requested the recipe for the Rib-Eye Roast mentioned in yesterday's Hanukkah blog.  The editors at Gourmet magazine, where the recipe first appeared, had this to say about that..."A wonderfully salty exterior and a hint of dill make this easy-to-prepare roast one of the best we've ever tasted."  I'm not sure how this idea first came to me, to "cure" a hunk of raw beef in the same way you would cure a tranche of salmon, gravlax-style. What was I thinking?  Perhaps I imagined a kind of carpaccio that could be sliced paper-thin and served raw.  But I nixed that idea and decided to roast the meat instead:  the method produced very juicy, vibrant red flesh with a slightly caramelized, herbaceous crust.  And it is stunningly simple to make.  The most difficult part of this recipe, it seems, is to get the right piece of meat.  In the Gourmet recipe I used  a rib-eye roast that had plenty of marbling.  Retooled for Radically Simple (11 years later), I used a boneless rib roast. No one in my neighborhood seemed able to accommodate my request for a 3-1/2 pound rib-eye, rolled and tied.  Whichever cut you find, however, will yield great results.

Gravlax, a Scandanavian preparation usually meant for salmon, literally means "buried" in a mixture of coarse salt, sugar, fresh dill, and cracked black pepper.  According to the Oxford Companion of Food, the preparation can be traced back to 1348.  The salmon is wrapped in plastic and weighted down for a period of 24 hours to three days.  Not only does the flavor get absorbed but the texture is altered as most of the inherent liquid is released to become a kind of brine.  I apply exactly the same method to the meat.  With gravlax, the salmon is served uncooked.  In my recipe, the beef is roasted at 400 degrees for approximately 1-1/4 hours at which time perfection is achieved.

Start your prep one day in advance and make sure the meat is at room temperature before you cook it.  You might want to try it during one of the remaining nights of Hanukkah because it is delicious with latkes.

Rib Roast in the Style of Gravlax 1/4 cup kosher salt 3 tablespoons sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper 3-1/2 pound boneless rib roast, rolled and tied 1 cup chopped fresh dill

Stir together the salt, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl; rub all over the beef.  Put the dill over the salt mixture.  Wrap the beef tightly in plastic wrap.  Make a small hole in the bottom of the plastic so that any liquid around the beef can drain.  Place in a small roasting pan and weight down with a baking sheet topped with a few large heavy cans. Refrigerate 24 hours.  Unwrap the beef; let sit at room temperature 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Scrape the coating off the beef and pat dry with paper towels.  Place in a shallow roasting pan.  Roast in the middle of the oven 1-1/4 hours; until an instant-read thermometer registers 130 degrees for medium-rare.  Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil.  Let rest 10 to 15 minutes.  Carve as desired.  Serves 8

Hanukkah 1-2-3

In 1999, Gourmet Magazine featured my "1-2-3 Hanukkah" as one of their cover stories.  The Miracles of Hanukkah (as the article was called), not only commemorated the Maccabees' victory in battle but the miracle that happened when the temple was rededicated. Miraculously, barely a day's worth of oil for the menorah lasted for eight.  The story's author, Ann Hodgman, went on to say..."Here in Rozanne Gold's kitchen 2,200 years later, a whole series of smaller  miracles is taking place as she prepares a Hanukkah dinner for family and friends. Miracle #1: Every offering on the menu has only three ingredients.  Miracle #2:  Each dish is as intensely flavored, exotic, and elegant as if it had a thousand.  Miracle #3: Our setting, a perfect jewel box of a Brooklyn brownstone, with treasures everywhere you look and a kitchen masterminded by James Beard."  I remember the chaos in the house at the time.  My mother had grated a bit of her knuckle along with the par-boiled potatoes, my father had trouble standing for a photo shoot which he claimed felt like eight days itself; the phone was ringing every three seconds, guests were coming in minutes (including food critic Arthur Schwartz) and I was doing my best to keep my composure. It worked.  At one point in the article, Ann wrote "For all her slender elegance, Gold is a woman who knows how to boss food around." This Hanukkah menu featured Seared Smoked Salmon with Cucumber Presse, Rib-eye Roast in the style of Gravlax, The Gold Family Latkes*, Apple-Cranberry Sauce*, Sweet-Garlic Frenched Green Beans and for dessert, Chocolate Mousse Sponge, Baked Sabra Oranges with Orange Sorbet, and Chocolate Sesame Cups.  And yes, every recipe was made with only three ingredients!

Since tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, let's focus on my nontraditional method for making latkes.  Instead of cooking them one-by-one in lots and lots of oil, I make two large shredded potato pancakes (roesti-style) and serve them in small wedges.  Parboiling the potatoes helps them stick together and results in a creamy interior texture.  B'tayavon (bon appetit in Hebrew.)

The Gold Family Latkes 2 pounds large boiling potatoes 3 tablespoons coarsely grated onion 1/4 cup olive oil

Cook potatoes in salted water to cover until barely tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Rinse under cold water and let cool.  Peel with a sharp knife.  Coarsely shred potatoes lengthwise (long strands help them hold together) into a bowl using the large holes of a box grater.  Stir in the onion, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and white pepper to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet until hot, then add half of the potatoes, spreading with a spatula to form an even cake.  Cook until underside is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.  Invert a large plate over skillet and invert latke onto plate.  Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and slide latke back in.  Cook until underside is golden and crispy, 10 to 12 minutes.  Slide onto serving plate and keep warm.  Repeat with remaining potatoes.  Cut into wedges and serve with apple-cranberry sauce. Serves 6

Apple-Cranberry Sauce 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 cup cranberries 7 tablespoons sugar

Put ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan.  Add 1 cup water and a pinch of salt. Cook, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.  Mash until desired consistency.  Let cool to room temperature or serve chilled.  This keeps covered and chilled for 1 week.  Makes 3 cups

(Click here to watch me make these on The Today Show)

Happy Hanukkah!

11-30-2010 09_26_17PM

Love This Recipe!

Just a few days ago on SeriousEats.com, a food reviewer, Blake Royer exclaimed, "I'm in love with Rozanne Gold's new book Radically Simple: Brilliant Flavors with Breathtaking Ease, for, well, exactly the reasons in the title."  Naturally that made me happy, but I was even happier with the recipe the reviewer chose to croon about -- Tortellini with Yogurt, Mint and Smoked Paprika Oil.  The recipe is loosely based on a Turkish dish called manti and I first learned about it from my sister-in-law who lived in Turkey for years and, in addition to speaking the language, has become a devotee of their cuisine.   I swooned when I read the description of the authentic recipe given by David Rosengarten in the Dean & DeLuca Cookbook: "This quintessential combination features lamb-stuffed pillows of fresh pasta that are drizzled with two sauces -- a garlicky one made from yogurt, and a spicy one made with butter, paprika, and hot pepper.  The whole is topped with fresh mint, and is unbelievably delicious. This type of Turkish ravioli, which originated in Mongolia, was eaten at the Ottoman court and has been popular throughout Anatolia ever since."   I think it was the creamy garlic-laced yogurt and the hot butter sauce on top that had me hooked.  Now that I think of it, how delicious it would be atop a mound of creamy polenta!  A new hybrid of Turkish and Italian?  Turkaly?

My radically simple version relies on top-notch, store-bought (fresh) meat tortellini and heady smoked paprika.  According to Royer, "a quick whisk of olive oil with a smashed garlic clove and smoked paprika is the deeply flavored foil to thick Greek yogurt whisked with more olive oil; torn mint leaves add an herby bite. Light and simple, it reminded me why I read cookbooks: to be inspired."  Another bonus?  It can be prepared in 10 minutes.

A review on Amazon uncovered another taker.  C. Merced (from Stamford, CT and sometimes Puerto Rico) said "I made the Tortellini with Yogurt, Mint & Smoked Paprika Oil" and it was extremely delicious.  I mean it was DELICIOUS!"

I recently had a very good version at a small restaurant on 7th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn called Istanbul, where the dumplings were tiny and tender -- the size of fingernails.   Afiyet olsun to all.  (Bon appetit in Turkish) Tortellini with Yogurt, Mint & Smoked Paprika Oil Sometimes I serve this with a nontraditional dusting of grated pecorino, which lends a desirable aroma.  Use fresh pasta if available.

1 pound fresh cheese or meat tortellini (raviolini can also be used) 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika 1 large garlic clove, peeled and smashed 1 cup plain thick Greek yogurt, room temperature 1/3 cup torn mint leaves

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the tortellini and cook 8 minutes, until tender.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 5 tablespoons of the olive oil, the smoked paprika, garlic, and a large pinch of salt.  In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 2 more tablespoons oil, and salt to taste.  Drain the pasta well; shake dry. Toss the pasta with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add salt and a generous amount of pepper.  Divide among 4 bowls.  Top with the yogurt and mint, and drizzle with the smoked paprika oil.  Serves 4

Homemade Jams and Jellies

Writing about making homemade butter and cream cheese in yesterday's post made my mouth water for the jams and jellies to accompany them. I have never learned how to properly "can or preserve" (although my sister-in-law loaned me a book about such things) and I don't own a candy thermometer, which can be crucial for proper jam-making.  However, I have found various ways around this lack of knowledge with credible, and in some cases, unusual results!  One of my favorite recipes is for a jammy confection called Carrot Marmalade.  An old Egyptian boyfriend of mine taught me how to make it. "In Egypt," he said, "jams made from carrots, dates, figs, even beets were commonplace."  How divine they are with grilled pita bread, salty feta cheese and strong mint tea. And there are few things that I like better than fishing out chunks of hidden fruit suspended in the ruby murk of strawberry jam.  I had one of the best versions of this jam almost 30 years ago and I helped start a company called American Spoon (Foods) based on that experience.  Along with graphic artist icon, Milton Glaser, we named the company and got the first jars on the shelves of trendsetting New York food stores.  I have no idea what that product tastes like now, but I am grateful for that taste-memory.  Recently my dear friend Anu Duggal, who studied cooking with the venerated teacher Anne Willan, showed me the "french way" of jam-making -- with results a close second to the one I remembered so fondly.  Again, no thermometer, just a keen eye for the proper "jell" in the pot and on the plate you put in the freezer for-a-moment to test the consistency.  It also helps if the strawberries you use are ripe and highly perfumed.  They were.  We bought them at the local farmers market up the street in Park Slope, Brooklyn at the height of strawberry season.

But the most delightful recipe of all is one I invented for kids in my book called Kids Cook 1-2-3.  It is called the Grapiest Grape Jelly.  Made with purple grape juice, honey and unflavored gelatin, it is the wobbliest, fruitiest, most delicious jelly you'll ever eat!

Baguette, anyone?

Egyptian Carrot Marmalade (adapted from Radically Simple) I adore this.  Serve as you would any marmalade.  It's delicious with butter, cream cheese (see yesterday's blog), and goat cheese, too.

1 pound carrots, peeled 2 cups sugar grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Cut the carrots into 1-inch pieces.  Pulse in a food processor until coarsely ground (about 1/8-inch pieces).  You will have about 3 cups.  Put the carrots in a large saucepan.  Add the sugar, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, the cardamom and a large pinch of salt.  Bring to a rapid boil.  Stir and boil 1 minute.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer about 1 hour, stirring frequently.  To test if it's ready, put 1 tablespoon of the mixture on a small plate.  Put in the freezer 1 minute.  If it becomes firm and doesn't flow, it's done (it will still look quite liquid in the pot).  Let cool, cover and refrigerate up to several weeks.  Makes about 2 cups

The Grapiest Grape Jelly (adapted from Kids Cook 1-2-3) 2 cups purple grape juice 2 tablespoons honey 1 packet unflavored gelatin

Put the juice in a medium saucepan.  Stir in the honey and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to medium and sprinkle the gelatin powder over the juice. Using a small wire whisk, stir the gelatin into the juice until it dissolves.  Make sure there are no lumps.  Continue to cook and whisk for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat pour the liquid into an 8-x-8 inch square glass pan.  Let cool.  Refrigerate for 3 hours, or until very firm.  Scrape up the jelly with a spoon and put into a jar.  Keep refrigerated.  Makes about 1-3/4 cups

Homemade Butter & Cream Cheese

There are several ingredients, butter and cream cheese are two of them, that are so ubiquitous that we would never consider making them from scratch. These, like ketchup and mustard, are the prime materie -- the primary materials -- that inform daily cooking.  But how edifying it is to watch a cup of heavy cream solidify into something to spread on bread!  Cream cheese, on the other hand, is more passively derived by "drip evaporation" -- where sour cream sits in a coffee filter for hours, emitting extraneous liquid, to become a delicious fresh cheese firm enough to cut with a knife.   It is, in fact, the same method that turns yogurt into labneh, a voluptuous thick yogurt not unlike the Greek yogurts on the market today.  Who knew? But first, the butter.  Two years ago when I wrote EAT FRESH FOOD: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs, I was interested in exploring how certain foods came to be the way they are--to help kids (and myself) understand the origin and alchemy of turning one product into another.  It turns out to be easy and fascinating to produce butter at home.  All you need is heavy cream and salt...and a sturdy electric mixer.  You beat and beat the cream and after a while the solids separate from the whey (the milky liquid), leaving you with a ball of pale butter.  The flavor develops as it sits and it can be used right away (talk about immediate gratification!) or left in the refrigerator for up to 1 week -- allowing the taste and color to deepen.  The cream is beaten on high speed for 7 minutes at which time it begins to thicken and become smooth.  Then it will change suddenly and separate into small solids; a few seconds later a ball of butter will appear.  It might be fun to take your camcorder and document the process!  One cup of heavy cream will make approximately 1/2 cup of butter.

And it was fun to figure out how to make cream cheese.  Trial and error and a large leftover container of sour cream lead to the serendipitous result.  I have made my own labneh from yogurt for years by letting it sit in a large coffee filter placed in a plastic cone -- just like you were making coffee.  The idea is to let all the residual liquid drain from the yogurt.  Sometimes I let it get so thick that I could roll the resultant "yogurt cheese" into balls and then suspend them in olive oil and spices -- just like they do in Israel. This recipe for cream cheese is quite similar and hardly needs instructions.  Simply put 1 cup of sour cream in a coffee filter or in a paper-towel lined sieve.  Place over a measuring cup or bowl to catch the liquid.  Drain overnight in the refrigerator; the mixture will be very thick.  Add salt to taste.  One cup sour cream makes approximately 3/4 cup of cream cheese. Yum.  The taste is cleaner and fresher than the stuff you buy and very satisfying to do.   Here today, a smear tomorrow.  Enjoy!

Homemade Butter 1 cup heavy cream large pinch salt

Put the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Let sit 15 minutes to warm up.  Use a bowl guard or wrap the bowl and top of the mixer in plastic wrap to prevent cream from splattering everywhere.  Beat on high speed for 7 minutes until the solids separate into small pieces and the milky liquid is extruded.  A few seconds later, a ball of butter with form.  Drain off the liquid and press down on the butter to release any remaining liquid.  Mush it around with a large spoon to "knead" it.  Add a large pinch of salt and stir.  Put the butter in a small crock or ramekin.  Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.  Makes 1/2 cup

Homemade Cream Cheese 1 cup sour cream large pinch salt

Put a large paper coffee filter in a large coffee filter cone or mesh sieve and place over a bowl to catch the liquid.  Refrigerate overnight until very thick.  Discard liquid.  Turn out cream cheese; it will be very thick.  Add salt to taste.  Makes 3/4 cup