Eggnog Notions

I like eggnog.  At this time of year, my friend Katherine pours eggnog, instead of milk, into her morning coffee.  No, not the alcoholic stuff, but the ultra-creamy, thick, organic, rum-flavored variety she gets from a local dairy in Bethesda, Maryland.  As a child, I witnessed the appearance of "the yearly carton" in our refrigerator every December.  My mother, who rarely drank, loved pouring rum (the alcoholic stuff) into a cut-crystal wine glass full of store-bought eggnog and savoring every sip.  This was about the same time we snuggled up and watched "White Christmas" over and over again.  (But hey, come to think of it, my mother's other favorite drink was a Brandy Alexander -- a not-too-distant cousin.)  According to Larousse Gastronomique, where eggnog is referred to by its French name, lait de poule, it is a "nourishing drink served either hot or cold."  Their recipe: to beat an egg yolk with 1 tablespoon sugar and add a glass of milk, then lace with rum or brandy.  A more interesting version, offered in the Joy of Cooking, has you adding 1/4 cup of cream (instead of the milk), 2 to 4 tablespoons rum, brandy or whisky, and then folding in a stiffly beaten egg white.  In the same book, you can find a recipe for eggnog in quantity, based on a dozen egg yolks, and take it from there (page 64, if you happen to have a copy.)  Two curious things about that recipe:  there is a mention of peach brandy (the book was originally printed in 1931.  Who knew?), and a humorous headnote that no doubt launched the beginning of humorous headnotes in cookbooks.  "Some people like to add a little more spirit to the following recipe," Irma Rombauer wrote, "remembering Mark Twain's observation that too much of anything is bad, but too much whisky is just enough."

But the real reason I write about eggnog today is to tell you how to use commercially-bought eggnog in myriad ways.  I make a one-ingredient "creme anglaise" by merely simmering eggnog until thick and creamy (until it coats the back of a wooden spoon); a wicked pumpkin flan using eggnog as its foundation, and a fabulous panettone bread pudding whose custardy goodness comes from...you-guessed-it.

The following recipe first made its appearance in Recipes 1-2-3, published in 1996. Eggnog and Panettone Bread Pudding A winter wonderland kind of dessert, since commercial eggnog appears just in time for the first frost.  You can use a bottled eggnog here, like Mr. Boston, from your liquor store.  This will produce a deliciously "alcoholic" dessert.  Or you can use eggnog that is available in the refrigerated case of your supermarket for a rich and evocative (and non-alcoholic) pudding.  Even the eggnog in the can (I think it's Borden's) will do.

8 ounces panettone 3 cups prepared eggnog 2 extra-large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the panettone into 3/4-inch cubes.  Put them on a baking sheet and toast them lightly in the oven.  Watch carefully.  The panettone should become golden, not brown.  Beat together 2 cups eggnog, eggs, and a pinch of salt using an electric mixer.  Place the toasted panettone cubes in a baking dish that is 9x7 or 8-inches square.  A glass dish is preferable.  Pour  the eggnog mixture over the panettone, pressing down so that the panettone is submerged.  Let sit 15 minutes.  Place the pan in a hot-water bath.  Bake 40 minutes until firm and golden.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Serve at room temperature or cold.   Prepare a sauce using the remaining eggnog:  Put 1 cup eggnog in a small, heavy saucepan.  Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cook, stirring often, until reduced to 1/2 cup and is dark tan in color, about 30 minutes.  Let cool.  Drizzle pudding with sauce.  Serves 6

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Year's Eve Pig Out

I don't really mean pig out in the sense of the word overindulging, but I do mean the preparation of one of my favorite pork roasts.  Since it requires 18 hours in your oven, it is the perfect dish to serve at the stroke of midnight -- at the very same moment that you sing Auld Lang Syne and kiss your partner under the mistletoe.  Instead of shouting "Happy New Year!" however, you may instead scream "Let's eat!" The vapors streaming from your kitchen at this point will be so intoxicating as to leave all formalities aside and have you rushing to the groaning board (a word whose derivation is most interesting.)  Let's figure this out and I'm telling you now so you can get the ingredients today.  If you put the pork shoulder in the oven tonight (Thursday, December 30th) at midnight, the irresistibly crackly sphere of meat will be ready for indulging at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow night -- Friday, Dec. 31st, the early hours of most New Year's Eve festivities. That's fine for many of you who like to eat at a reasonable hour, leaving you enough time to position yourself in front of some fireworks.  For those of you who are glued to your big screen television to watch the ball drop from the center of Times Square in New York City and join the world's choral countdown, then you'll need to put the pork in the oven around 4 a.m. (Friday, Dec. 31st).  That could present a problem, or not, but it is no different than what many Americans do on Thanksgiving Day. I can't tell you how delicious this pork roast is.  Flavored with fennel and cumin seed, garlic and fresh lemon, the skin becomes so crispy and the pork flesh stays so very moist because of the very low temperature at which it cooks.  There's a little kick at the end from hot pepper flakes and the whole thing goes amazingly well with champagne, whose celebratory bubbles cut through unctuous succulence and tempers the salinity.  Serve with a pot of oil-slicked bay-scented lentils (good luck in Italy) and a simple arugula salad splashed with balsamic vinegar (and maybe some crumbled blue cheese with pickled red onions!)  A simple carrot puree -- for color and contrast -- would also be nice.  Crank up the music and bring in the new year on high.

Here's what you need to do: 18-Hour Pork Shoulder with Fennel, Garlic & Lemon If you put this in the oven before you go to bed, it will be ready for dinner the next day -- all crackly, succulent and irresistible.

10-pound whole pork shoulder, skin on 2 large heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled 3 tablespoons fennel seeds 3 tablespoons cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes 2 lemons

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Make deep slits in the pork skin, about 1 inch apart, going through to the flesh.  Combine the garlic, fennel, cumin, pepper flakes and 2 teaspoons kosher salt in a food processor; process until coarsely ground.  Spread the mixture all over the pork, making sure to pack some into the slits.  Place the pork in a roasting pan.  Roast for 30 minutes.  Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the pork and reduce the temperature to 250 degrees.  Bake for 18 hours.  Squeeze the juice of the second lemon over the pork during the last hour of cooking.  When done, the skin will crackle and the flesh will be soft.  Carve into thick or thin slices. Serves 8 (or more)

Happy almost New Year!

Highlights and Food Bites 2010

So it's three nights to the last day of 2010, and what a year it's been.  Professionally speaking, I published my 12th cookbook Radically Simple (no simple task), wrote numerous articles for Real Food magazine and Bon Appetit; finished the arrangements for the procurement of the Gourmet magazine library and its donation to New York University (in honor of my mother); made a book deal for a close friend, mentored several young women and men in and out, of the industry (one great restaurant cook became a chef for Dean & DeLuca; one young woman working for a food website decided to get her masters in library science instead), continued my responsibilities as culinary consultant to the international consulting group, the Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Co., appeared on many national radio programs, and started to blog and tweet! Those are some highlights.

But the real highlights are the personal ones:  an overdue trip to Israel to visit a longtime friend who was chief-of-staff to Prime Minister Begin (I met him when I was chef to Mayor Koch in 1978!); continuing my weekly work as a hospice volunteer (having the privilege of spending time with Frank McCourt before he died), going on several spiritual retreats at the Garrison Institute, ushering my 14-year old daughter to a Justin Bieber concert and waiting 7 hours in the parking lot; ushering that same daughter into 9th grade, making several wonderful new friendships (one with a neighbor who was Bruce Springsteen's manager, who later wrote the definitive book on the Beatles), strengthening old relationships, learning to meditate (I'm a real beginner), having a holiday meal with my son, Jeremy, at Oceana, hanging out with my brother and his wife in Hoboken (and passing big lines for the Cake Boss on the way to his house), cooking for more friends at home, and celebrating my 23rd wedding anniversary with my own personal cake boss, Michael Whiteman.

And then there are the restaurant highlights:  going on a triptych of clandestine dining reviews with two of New York's best critics, having an amazing meal in Israel in a tiny restaurant near the market in Jerusalem called Mahane Yehuda, enjoying weekly breakfasts at L'Express and monthly lunches at Barbounia, exciting meals (or dishes) at Oceana, the Standard Grill, 11 Madison, the Breslin, Roberta's, Lincoln, Van Daag, Zuma in Miami, and even more exciting meals at friends homes including Anne Kabo (in Margate, New Jersey), the second Thanksgiving at the home of Katherine and Alan Miller (in Bethesda), the third Thanksgiving at the home of Geoffrey and Noa Weill, a Passover extravaganza at the home of Robin Shinder and family, a radically simple, yet delicious dinner at the Omskys, and a marvelous meal at the home of Debbie and Larry Freundlich with the legendary editor Judith Jones as a guest.

But hands-down the restaurant highlight of the year for me is...ABC Kitchen at ABC Home in New York City.  Kudos to Jean-Georges' Vongerichten whose brainchild it was to support a sustainable, green, locavore mission in the most sophisticated way imaginable, and to his awesomely talented executive chef, Dan Kluger.  May Dan get all the attention he deserves in 2011.  More kudos to Paulette Cole and Amy Chender (CEO and COO of ABC Home) whose vision and passion made it possible to do it.

Best dishes of 2010?  Well, that's a blog for another day.

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

For the Locavore, Baker in Your Life

Do buy a copy of Laura C. Martin's beautiful new book, "The Green Market Baking Book" recently published by Sterling. "It's a book to devour," as I offer as a quote on the back jacket. "There is something to learn, experience and marvel at on every page," including Laura's gorgeous full-color illustrations. They are the culinary equivalent of Audubon's birds. Including 100 recipes -- many of which are low fat, wheat-and-dairy free -- the book's guiding principle is that the sweeteners used are natural, and take the place of refined sugar, corn syrup, and artificial ingredients. These include honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup, and agave nectar. Several are new to me. In addition to Laura's original recipes (wait until you try her pecan pie and moist apple cake!), are recipes from many of the best chefs and bakers in the business, including Alice Waters, Molly Stevens, Tom Douglas, and Dan Barber. When Laura reached out to many in the industry, everyone, including me, enthusiastically embraced her mission. Laura, who lives with her family in Atlanta, is passionate about locally grown, organically produced food, but when it came to desserts wanted to preserve the idea of wholesome eating by choosing sweeteners with integrity. So you will find sweet and savory recipes made with fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains that are as good for you as they are for the planet. Cookies with a conscience, so to speak. In addition to substitutions for refined sugar and corn syrup, there are substitutions for cow's milk (soy, almond, rice milk); for eggs (mashed bananas, soft tofu applesauce, pumpkin puree or pureed prunes), and ideas for lowering fat and reducing calories with still-decadent results. Divided by seasons, this book creates immediate temptations. Winter includes recipes for Maple Sugar Angel Food Cake, Orange-scented Chocolate Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting, and a very nice Chocolate Honey Tart (with a whiff of lavender) -- contributed by me! (you can find a version of this recipe in one of my blog posts.) Instead of the usual chocolate, however, Laura substituted grain-sweetened chocolate chips, which she uses exclusively throughout the book. This is a lovely work with an important message, offering treats for helping sustain the planet, and your family's health. After opening your Christmas gifts this morning, why not take a stroll to your closest farmer's market -- many of which are open today -- and think about making Laura's delicious apple pie (try using a new variety of apple) or her incredible pecan pie (she is from Georgia, after all). Merry Christmas!

Laura Martin's Pecan Pie

Perfect for this holiday week, try this served slightly  warm and dolloped with crème fraîche. (rg)

1 9-inch piecrust 3 eggs 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/3 cup brown rice syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pinch salt 1-1/4 cups pecan pieces 3 tablespoons butter

Makes one 9-inch pie

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs until frothy, then add the maple syrup and brown rice syrup. 3. Add the vanilla extract and salt. 4. Sauté the pecan pieces in butter in a large frying pan for 3 to 4 minutes, then allow to cool. 5. Add the cooled pecan mixture to the egg mixture and stir until all ingredients are well blended. 6. Pour into an unbaked pie shell. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until set. 7. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Farmer's Market Apple Cake

1 cup maple syrup 3/4 cup brown rice syrup 1-1/2 cups very lightly flavored olive oil 3 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon salt 4-1/2-5 cups apples, peeled and chopped, such as Granny Smith 1-1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans (or walnuts) 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Glaze

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup heavy cream Makes one 9x13-inch cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 2. Measure the olive oil in a glass measuring cup and pour into a large bowl. Use the same cup to measure the syrups. Add the vanilla, and mix until well blended. 3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. 4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing well but not overmixing. 6. Fold in the apples and nuts (and raisins if using). 7. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake for at least 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 8. Leave the cake in the pan as you prepare the glaze. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the maple syrup and stir, cooking over low heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. 9. Leave the cake in the pan and poke holes all over with a fork or skewer. Pour the slightly cooled glaze over the cake, making sure to distribute it evenly.

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.

Christmas Ham for Dr. Seuss

In a tiny cookbook called "Christmas 1-2-3" Is a recipe for ham just made for you and me You bake the ham for hours until its juices run and add a smear of mustard to make it much more fun. A slick of sugar-coating makes it taste so fine; its hint of fragrant cinnamon makes it smell divine.

There's magic in the air.  Whether you celebrate Christmas, or not, there's a good chance you feel a bit of electricity -- streets are lined with decorations, families reunite, supermarkets are bustling, champagne is chilling, a scramble for last-minute gifts (including Radically Simple!) and anticipation fills the air.  But you too might be filled with anticipation if you haven't planned your Christmas menu.  Why not try my delicious glazed ham --the world's simplest recipe -- alongside your favorite mashed potatoes (white or sweet orange) and a big bowl of Brussels sprouts with dried cranberries that glow like rubies.  It's radically simple and very delicious.

Glazed Christmas Ham

10-pound smoked ready-to-cook ham, shank portion 1 cup coarse-grain mustard 1 cup cinnamon-sugar*

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ham on a shallow roasting pan and add 1/5 inch water to pan. Cover ham with foil and bake 15 to 16 minutes per pound for a total of about 2 hours and 40 minutes. (Adjust cooking time if your ham is more or less than 10 pounds.) After 2 hours and 15 minutes, remove ham from oven and increase temperature to 450 degrees. Pour most of fat from pan. Using a sharp, thin knife, remove the rind, except for area around shank bone, and most of the fat. Score the fat by cutting diagonal slashes across the skin to make a diamond pattern. Cover the surface thickly with mustard, then heavily coat with cinnamon-sugar, patting down if necessary. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and return to oven for 25 minutes, until sugar melts and hardens. It will become a bit crackly. Present on a large platter, decorated as desired. Carve and serve while hot. Serves 12

*You can buy cinnamon-sugar or make your own by mixing 1 cup granulated sugar with 1-1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon.

Brussels Sprouts with Sun-Dried Cranberries 1-1/4 pounds Brussels sprouts 1 cup sun-dried cranberries 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Trim the ends of the Brussels sprouts and remove any bruised outer leaves. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add Brussels sprouts and boil 10 minutes. Immediately drain in a colander under cold water. Dry them on paper towels. When ready to sauté, place cranberries in a small bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let sit 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Cut sprouts in half through the stem end. Melt butter in a very large sauté pan. Add sprouts and cranberries and cook over medium-high heat until sprouts are tender but still green with areas of golden color. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Serves 6

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 

1-2-3 Holiday Apps

I thought I was invited to be on Martha Stewart's radio show "Morning Living" (Sirius.com) yesterday to talk about my new book Radically Simple (you know, the one that was just chosen as one of the top 10 cookbooks of the year by The New York Times.)  But no!  Instead I was asked to talk about my 1-2-3 cookbooks -- with the specific task of sharing three-ingredient appetizers.  It seems when Martha Stewart's drive-time audience was asked to share their favorite holiday appetizers, they all had three ingredients!  This amused hosts Becky and Kim to no end and so, presto!, I was quickly asked to come on the show.  Over the years I have developed hundreds of ideas for three-ingredient appetizers -- some quite conducive to holiday merriment.  Some of them are quite upscale and need no cooking whatsoever -- oysters on the half shell with oscetra caviar and a squeeze of lemon (that's three!), prunes soaked in brandy and filled with pate de foie gras, and chilled shrimp with wasabi creme fraiche (made by mixing wasabi paste with creme fraiche and sea salt.  Remember: salt, pepper and water don't count when doing the "1-2-3"!)  Others appeal to more ubiquitous tastes and include my addictive "peppery pecans" and sweet-and-sour glazed rib bits.  Recipes below.  One of the most magical recipes I know, however, is something I invented called Brie Croustades and you can top them with a dab of salmon caviar, pesto, tapenade, or just a sprinkling of finely chopped chives.  The croustades themselves are like tiny little popovers -- made from room-temperature brie and eggs, whirled in a processor and baked in small muffin tins.  They puff up and then settle back into little pillows.  They are wonderful with champagne. Enjoy the recipes below and please send me any ideas you have for three-ingredient holiday apps -- beginning today and going right through to New Year's Eve. My "team" will choose the best and someone will receive an autographed copy of Entertaining 1-2-3 or Christmas 1-2-3.  Your choice.  Hurry!

Rib Bits 16 individual pork spareribs, cut in half by butcher 1 cup unsulfured molasses 1-1/4 cups balsamic vinegar

Place ribs in large shallow casserole.  Combine molasses and vinegar in small bowl.  Add 1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Pour over ribs; cover and refrigerate 2 hours, turning several times.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Remove ribs from marinade.  Transfer marinade to small saucepan.  Place ribs on 2 baking sheets.  Bake 40 minutes, turn and bake 35 minutes longer utnil tender.  Bring marinade to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes.  Remove the ribs from the baking sheet (discarding all the fat.)  Using a pastry brush, paint each rib with reduced marinade.  Serve with lots of napkins.  Makes 32

Radish Wreath with Goat Cheese and Toasted Cumin 18 medium red radishes, round as possible, with stems and leaves attached 6 ounces fresh firm goat cheese 2 tablespoons cumin seeds

Wash radishes and leaves and dry well.  Remove leaves from radishes, leaving 1 inch of stem attached to each radish.  Remove any spindly roots.  Refrigerate leaves until ready to use.  Cut radishes in half through the root and cut a tiny slice from the rounded bottoms so they don't wobble.  Place cheese in a food processor with 1-1/2 tablespoons water.  Process until smooth, being careful not to overprocess.  Mixture should be thick and creamy.  Spread cheese thickly on cut side of each radish. Arrange radish leaves on a platter to make a wide circle with a hole in the center.  Place radishes on leaves.  In a small skillet, toast cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 minutes around aromatic.  Sprinkle each radish with toasted cumin.  Makes 36 pieces

Red Pepper Frittata Bites 8 ounces very sharp white cheddar cheese 12 ounces jarred sweet salad peppers 9 extra-large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grate the cheese on large holes of box grater.  Spray an 8-x-8 inch pan with cooking spray; scatter cheese evenly on bottom.  Save 3 tablespoons liquid from peppers.  Pat pepper dry and evenly distribute on cheese.  Put the eggs, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in bowl of electric mixer.  Beat 2 minutes, then add reserved pepper liquid.  Beat 2 minutes longer, until very light.  Pour eggs over peppers and bake 30 minutes, until just set.  Let cool and refrigerate until firm.  Cut into 16 squares and serve at room temperature.  Makes 16

Smoked Salmon Pillows 1 sheet frozen puff pastry 5-1/2 ounces Boursin cheese 4 ounces good-quality smoked salmon, sliced

Thaw pasty until pliable but still cold.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out pastry so that it stretches to 10 by 10 inches.  Cut into 20 squarish shapes that are 2-1/2 by 2 inches.  Place 1 teaspoon cheese on bottom half of one square.  Tear off a piece of salmon to fit on top.  Be careful not to use too much, since the entire filling must be contained.  Fold top of pastry over filling to make a neat rectangular shape.  Using the tines of a fork, press down tightly on the three sides to make a little pillow.  Repeat with remaining squares.  Place on baking sheet and bake 20 to 25 minutes until puffed and golden.  Serve immediately.  Serves 20 Peppery Pecans 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 4 cups shelled pecan halves, about 16 ounces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter and add 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and lots of freshly ground black pepper.  Add pecans and a large pinch of salt.  Stir and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, making sure the nuts are coated.  Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, stirring often.  Drain on paper towels.  Toss with more salt, pepper, and remaining Worcestershire sauce.  Makes about 4 cups

Brie Croustades with Salmon Caviar 1/2 pound double-cream Brie cheese, chilled 3 extra-large eggs 1/2 cup salmon caviar, pesto, tapenade, or finely chopped chives

Cut rind from cheese and discard.  Let cheese sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put eggs in food processor.  Cut cheese into 1-inch pieces and process with eggs until very smooth and thick.  Coat two 12-hole small muffin pans (2-inch diameter) with cooking spray.  Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon batter into each.  Bake 9 to 10 minutes until croustades are puffed and golden.  Let sit one minute and top with a bit of caviar, pesto, tapenade, or chives.  Makes 24

Root Beer Chicken with Cinnamon Stick

 

Not so many years ago in Paris, a very cool restaurant, inspired by Stanley Kubrick's 1970 cult movie A Clockwork Orange, made its name with a singular dish (not to mention great design and a fabulous pastry chef as consultant).  Nonetheless, the signature dish in the mecca of gastronomy was...Chicken Cooked in Coca-Cola.  I smiled when I saw the menu at Korova on Paris' rue Marbeuf, because that very dish had made a prior debut that year -- in my cookbook for children called Kids Cook 1-2-3. No matter, I probably didn't invent it either.  But the merger of Coca- Cola and ketchup yields a very credible barbecue sauce.  Mixed with droplets of melted chicken fat, it feels very French actually, and it mollifies the sharp edges of both drink and condiment. Finger-lickin' good -- hot, cold, or in between -- every kid (and adult) I know, seems to love it.

Just last year I decided to play with the dish a bit, as chefs are wont to do.  Remembering a Jean-George Vongerichten recipe for chicken with sassafras root, I swapped the Coke for root beer (a hint of sassafras!) and added a crushed garlic clove, spicy Sriracha (Thai chili sauce) and...a cinnamon stick!  The result was more complex -- a deeper sauce with aromatic punctuations.  This is a very cool dish that might have inspired a different movie... Paris, Texas.   Serve on a mound of crispy shoestring potato stix (right from the bag!) or atop a sweet potato puree accented with grated orange or fresh ginger.  Cole slaw might also be nice.  What to drink?  A California zinfandel (red, of course), beaujolais nouveau, or...a Coca-Cola.

Root Beer Chicken with Cinnamon Stick Sriracha sauce can be found in most supermarkets and Asian food stores.  Use Tabasco if you must and search for the darkest root beer around.

1 cup ketchup 2 cups root beer 1 large clove garlic 1 long cinnamon stick 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce 3-1/2 pound chicken, cut into eight pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together ketchup, root beer, garlic pushed through a press, cinnamon stick, Sriracha, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Make several deep slashes in each piece of chicken and put chicken in marinade.  Let sit 1 hour at room temperature or up to 8 hours, covered, in the refrigerator.  Remove the chicken from the marinade.  Transfer the marinade to a saucepan.  Place chicken, skin-side up, on a rimmed baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Bake 50 minutes.  Boil marinade, lower heat and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup.  Baste chicken twice during cooking.  Remove chicken from oven and drizzle with remaining marinade (adding some of the chicken fat for flavor and texture.)  Serves 4

Barton Fink Comes for Cocktails

Last night I had the pleasure of playing matchmaker to the great actor John Turturro and my great friend Arthur Schwartz.  They are both in love...with Naples! John Turturro, as many of you know, is one of America's finest actors, writers and directors best known for his roles in Barton Fink, Quiz Show, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and more than 50 other movies. Today, he most wants to be known as the director of a new film, Passione, about the street life and music of Naples.  Arthur Schwartz, as many of you know, is one of the world's great cooks and authorities on Italian cuisine, specifically food from Naples.  Today, he wants to bring a musical production from Naples to Brooklyn (and brought the sound track to seduce us.) Since the Turturros live directly across the street from us and Arthur and Bob live around the corner, it seemed the perfect moment to open a bottle of Prosecco and talk about their beloved city.  We had a blast. The day started with Arthur and I going to buy salumi and prosciutto and pane at Di Palo's -- the city's most celebrated Italian food store.  It has been in existence since the 1930's.  They recently expanded to include a fantastic wine shop and it was too much fun spending time with Lou di Palo who, according to Arthur, knows more about Italian food producers and products than anyone.  At 7:30 p.m. the six of us (with John's wife and my husband), sat in our living room talking, laughing, eating, drinking, and watching John slowly unfold:  Before we knew it, John was "in character" telling us about the joys of producing his new musical -- which will be available in the states sometime early next year.  Arthur and Bob have already seen it in Italy...and loved it. You can experience a bit of last night by making Arthur's fabulous caponata.   Arthur brought it, along with some lovely parmesan "cookies", and they went beautifully with all the cheeses, salumi, "melted tomatoes," Sicilian breadsticks, olives and fresh fennel that we had.  After the Turturros went home (it was snowing when they left!), Arthur and Bob stayed for a light supper -- a cheese-and-onion tart, wild arugula salad, and wine cake with lemon buttermilk sorbetto for dessert.  Strong coffee followed.

Here is Arthur's classic, unpublished, recipe for caponata; and here is the link to the trailer for John's "Passione."   Ciao, ciao

Classic Caponata

Classic caponata can be very oily, but Arthur has reduced the final oil content by soaking the eggplant in salt water, which decreases the amount of oil it absorbs when fried, and by draining the oil from the fried eggplant before adding it to the sauce.

2 1/2 pounds eggplant (I prefer several small ones instead of 1 very large) 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste 2 outside ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 cup) 1 large onion, sliced very thin (about 1 1/2 cups) 3 tablespoons plus 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 1/2 cups tomato puree 1/2 cup white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa (optional) 12 (6 to 7 ounces) large Sicilian green olives, cut off their pits in large pieces 1/2 cup salted capers, rinsed well and soaked in cold water if very salty 3 rounded tablespoons raisins 3 rounded tablespoons of pine nuts or almonds (optional)

Put about 2 quarts of cold water into a very large bowl with about 3 tablespoons of salt.

Wash the eggplants. Cut them into 3/4 to 1-inch cubes. As they are cut, put them into the bowl with the salted water. Let stand for at least 30 minutes, weighted down with a plate so the cubes stay submerged.

Meanwhile, boil the celery in lightly salted water for about 3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain well.

In a 12 to 14-inch skillet, over medium-low to medium heat, sauté the onion in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until tender and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

Add the tomato puree, stir well and simmer 1 minute.

Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and cocoa. Stir well and simmer another minute.

Add the olives, capers, raisins, and the reserved celery. Stir well again and let heat through 1 more minute. Set aside.

Drain the eggplant cubes.

Heat 1 cup of olive oil in a 9 to 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When hot enough to sizzle an eggplant cube immediately (or bubbles gather around the handle end of a wooden spoon), fry the eggplant cubes in several batches. The eggplant can fill the pan, but only in 1 layer. Fry for about 4 minutes, turning the cubes a couple of times. The eggplant should be soft but no more than very slightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon or skimmer and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. There will probably be 4 batches.

After each batch of eggplant has drained a minute or so, transfer it to the pan with the sweet and sour sauce. Stir each addition into the base sauce.

When all the eggplant has been fried and it is all in the sauce, mix well but gingerly so as not to break up the eggplant too much. Heat through gently, just until the mixture starts bubbling at the edges.

Taste for salt and vinegar. You may want to add a little more of each. Or a trace more sugar.

The caponata is best eaten at room temperature the day after it is made, but it is quite good even fresh and still warm. Makes about 2 quarts

The $2 Little Meal

My husband and I have a funny routine when we make dinner.  We're usually so exhausted after work that we don't go shopping, so we challenge each other to make a meal from whatever is in the house.  The result of one very inexpensive "improv" dinner years ago was a bowl of "caramelized onions and pasta."  That recipe wound up in my very first cookbook called Little Meals:  A great new way to eat and cook (Villard), and I affectionately named it the $2 Little Meal.   The cost of the entire dish was no more than 2 bucks and relied exclusively on things you would have in your kitchen: onions, salt, sugar, balsamic vinegar and pasta, and a smattering of thyme and basil leaves (that I had dried from the summer window box.)  Freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, always in my fridge, is actually optional here.  At the time, I made the dish with farfalle (bowties) because, as "house rules" dictated, it was all we had.  But it is quite good with any pasta shape, short or long.  Years later, the recipe morphed into a dish I created for my monthly column in Bon Appetit where roasted peppers and fennel seeds added a bit of complexity and sophistication.  You can find a version of that recipe by "googling" Caramelized Onion and Roasted Pepper Pasta.  But here, and now, I will share the original, humble dish.  A bottle of $2 Buck Chuck wine (now more expensive) would be just the thing to drink! For more ideas on "improv cooking" you might want to look at Arthur's Schwartz's gem of a book called "What To Cook When You Think There's Nothing in the House to Eat! A book that truly lives up to its title. 

The $2 Little Meal (adapted from Little Meals) This can be served as a first course for four or a main course for two.  It is also a nice side dish alongside a simple roast.

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1-1/2 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves, crumbled 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 8 to 12 ounces dried pasta freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet.  Add sliced onions and cook over high heat until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes.  If they begin to burn a little, that's okay. Lower heat and add the sugar, basil, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Cook 10 minutes, stirring often, until onions are uniformly caramel-colored.  Add water and vinegar and cover pan.  Simmer while pasta is cooking.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta until just tender; drain well and shake dry.  Divide pasta among 2 to 4 warm bowls.  Top with cheese, if desired.  Serves 2 to 4

Hot Chocolate from Paris

I had the most extraordinary hot chocolate of my life more than 30 years ago in Paris.  I am not alone as Angelina's, located at 226 Rue de Rivoli in the first arrondissement, is where tout le monde (everybody) goes for their favorite hot chocolate.  It is like eating a molten candy bar, so thick you can barely stir it; so rich, one serving had best serve two.  It is a curious thing to drink in the morning and begs for a cup of hot coffee...or a nap... immediately after.  And so I recommend it après (after) a visit to the Louvre, rather than before.  And speaking of après, there would be no better time to drink it than après-ski. The mere idea of hot chocolate conjures up wintery days, holiday spirits, and general good feelings.  It is the ultimate comfort food for some, the holy grail for others.

Chocolate, in the form of a drink, was discovered in Mexico then brought to Europe by the Spanish.  In 1615, according to Larousse Gastronomique, Ann of Austria introduced this novelty to the French court, and her maids of honor circulated the recipe.  In 1670 Paris, there was only one chocolate merchant, but an edict issued in 1705 allowed cafe owners to sell chocolate 'by the cup.'  In Louis XV's time, hot chocolate became a way of life and was served at collations (light meals), drunk at breakfast, and sipped with the afternoon snack.

The recipe that follows comes from my good friend Dorie Greenspan who lives in Paris part of the year.  (Dorie recently authored a wonderful book called "Around My French Table" -- c'est marveilleux!)  Dorie shared her version with me so that I could include it in Kids Cook 1-2-3 (written in 2006 for Bloomsbury.)  Quite appropriate as the perfect recipe for hot chocolate has only three ingredients.  Can you guess what they are?

Voila!  Hot Chocolate From Paris:  especially wonderful on cold winter mornings when you're still in your pj's.

Hot Chocolate From Paris 7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate 3 cups whole milk 5 tablespoons sugar

Chop the chocolate in small pieces and set aside.  Put the milk, sugar, and 1/3 cup water in a large saucepan.  Bring just to a boil.  Remove from the heat and, using a wire whisk, whisk in the chocolate.  Whisk briefly until thick and smooth.  You can serve as is or whip up as follows, as Dorie suggests.  If you have an immersion blender, use it to whip the hot chocolate in the saucepan.  Or carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and whip on high speed for 30 seconds.  Place the top a bit askew with a towel on top so that the hot air can escape.  Be careful as you do this.  Serve hot.  Serve 4