 I bought this Black Sea Bass at the Union Square Farmers market for $7.99 a pound. The same fish, already filleted, was twice that much money! A few simple steps and you can create a dramatic dinner presentation that’s cheap, healthy, summery and cooks in minutes. You also get the added bonus of eating Continue reading Whole Fish 101  Who turns on the oven when its 103º in the shade? This chef does! I had my reasons though, and I figured, its already this hot, I won’t even notice that I’m standing over a hot sauté pan in front of a preheating oven! Well, I did notice. Even got a little lightheaded for Continue reading Rainbow Chard Quiche  Have a wonderful Independence Day Weekend! Here are three recipes from a rerun of a July 2008 article to enjoy! I’ll be back next week with some fresh ideas for you! Clams just might be the ocean’s perfect food. Simple, self-contained little animals that don’t put up too much of a fight. They’re luscious and Continue reading The Happy Clam Reprise  I hate to admit this to you, but I have a minor confession to make. I know I’ve spoken endlessly about cooking your own food and growing whatever you can. I know I’ve been all the way through culinary school and am a culinary instructor myself. I also know, that I am human and Continue reading Blackened Fish & Grilled Vegetable Salad  I’m embracing my inner homemaker. Currently sandwiched between “freelance” and “consulting,” what I thought would be the ideal summer job, actually means having a whole lot of time on my hands and if I don’t use it wisely, I fret about being underemployed and ultimately living under a bridge. Instead, I’ve dusted off my Continue reading Rhubarb Pie, Lard Crust Nothing says more to me that, yes, spring is here, and no, it won’t be snowing again for a very long time, than the arrival of asparagus at the farmer’s markets. I hated asparagus as a kid. HATED! Much to the annoyance of my parents who started growing it in the backyard garden when Continue reading Asparagus, Greens & Fresh Herb Stir Fry Tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the year, and as such tonight feels like the eve of something fun. Tomorrow, we set our clocks ahead. I almost used an exclamation point there, but am reserved for a few reasons: 1. I hated George W. Bush’s presidency. Everything about it. If you stop reading Continue reading Fish Stew with Fennel and Potatoes for the Rainy Days of Spring  This morning began early. (Side note: I’ve been asked a lot recently what I’m planning to do. I’d like to figure out a work day that consistently begins and ends at the same time. This whole work late, work early thing is wearing me out!) Anyway, it began early, running around the apartment gathering Continue reading From the Farmer’s Market to White Manna Burger If you are feeling amorous this Valentine’s Day, consider an easy-to-prepare, romantic dinner for your lover, prepared at home for under $100. These are the recipes that I wrote for the Daily Connection and the cooking segment I shot will air on NBC in Washington D.C. at 3pm on Friday. Not in DC? That’s Continue reading Cooking with Aphrodisiacs at Home  My chef and good friend is a Saint’s fan and so therefore, I am a Saint’s fan. If you want to be even more adventurous, get some quail from your butcher and fry them whole, the same way outlined below. Its a totally primal eating experience and a great way to blow off some Continue reading Wings for the Superbowl – No trip to a bar required! From today’s winter market, a colorful blend of what’s in season. In January. In the northeast. This is crisp, clean and delicious. I might make the stir fry and put between a poached egg and an English muffin and call it brunch! Mushroom, Kale and Winter Vegetable Stir Fry Continue reading Mushroom, Kale and Winter Vegetable Stir Fry  Have you been invited to a potluck holiday gathering? Here is a crowd pleaser. Can’t find sorghum? Just use dark molasses, honey or maple syrup instead. The final flavor will vary but will be equally delicious. Tangy Sorghum Baked Beans 1 pound dry beans Continue reading Tangy Sorghum Baked Beans I’m not exactly what you would call a fan of football, but I do use its seasonal appearance and disruption of regular programming to cook (and eat) some themed food. Here is a step-by-step recipe for Buffalo-style hot wings. The only only photo missing is for step 1. Step 1: Close all bedroom doors. If Continue reading Hot Wings at Home I have fallen in love with cooking greens. The beef and the sweet potatoes? Those are kind of easy to be successful with. But greens… There is a window between fibrous and grey mush that you have to hit just right to make them sing. In a nutshell, greens cook really quick, so get Continue reading Roasted Filet of Beef, Braised Greens and Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes Ah, fickle fall weather! When I wrote this recipe a week ago for the final of my scheduled farmers market cooking demos, I was anticipating a chilly, grey autumn afternoon. Thanks weather.com! Instead it was 80º and sunny, but the soup was just as tasty. Thanks all for coming out and taking a copy Continue reading Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup  Ah, Duck Confit. So fancy sounding, so easy to make and preserve in your fridge for, well, maybe ever. Happily you won’t have to find out how long it lasts because once you’ve got it, you’ll eat it. Start here: Duck Confit for a recipe. And then… Duck Confit Salad 2 Continue reading Duck Confit Salad I deviated pretty far from this recipe at today’s farmer’s market, but my new friends in Katonah-Lewisboro didn’t mind at all! The big reason for changing it was that there were no pumpkins when I arrived. A few different winter squashes took the place of the pumpkin and it was delicious. Curried Pumpkin Soup Continue reading Curried Pumpkin Soup The waning days of summer mean plump ripe melons, tomatoes, jalepenos and more herbs than the farmers know what to do with. Cilantro was a dollar a bunch at today’s market! Here’s a sweet twist on salsa, or a savory twist on fruit salad. Savory Melon Salsa Continue reading Savory Melon Salsa  So, not to brag or anything but one of the women that sampled these said these are “CRAZY GOOD!” Another said, “These are the best thing I’ve ever eaten.” Try them at home! They are super easy, the batter is kind of a cross between omelet and crepe and its a great use for Continue reading Zucchini Pancakes After a few weeks off from the cooking demos today was my first day back. I left in summer and while technically it is still the same season, the fall bounty is starting to roll in off the fields. This is a delicious transitional soup for the change of seasons. Enjoy! Sweet & Cheesy Corn Continue reading Sweet & Cheesy Corn Chowder  Easy and tasty, this is a perfect meal when you want flavor without a lot of work. En papillote is a fancy way of saying “in a packet.” I’m using aluminum foil here, because I am putting the packets on the grill. You could do the same in parchment paper or foil, place on Continue reading Fish Fillet en Papillote I wish I had lovely photography to accompany this post. Alas, we ate it all. Sweet Corn & Peach Salsa Continue reading Sweet Corn & Peach Salsa  These are awesome, especially paired with a glass of cold gewurztraminer and a sunset. Peach & Blue Cheese Bruschetta Slice the baguette into thin rounds. Brush with olive oil and Continue reading Peach & Blue Cheese Bruschetta What to do with all those greens?! Its the height of greens season at the Market. With those stunning piles of collards, kale, swiss and rainbow chard just begging to be made into an alt-bridal bouquet I’m always bringing home a bunch and sautéeing them with garlic. Classic, healthy and delicious, but after awhile, I Continue reading Sautéed Greens with Pine Nuts, Golden Raisins and Lemon Zest  Michael Pollan recently quoted Harry Balzer, food marketing researcher for NPD Group which studies American eating habits, in his article written for the New York Times Magazine. What the cynical Balzer said, and Mr. Pollan wrapped up the article was this quote: “Eat anything you want — just as long as you’re willing to Continue reading Peach, Nectarine & Blackberry Crisp I love corn on the cob. Just peeled, dropped into a big pot of boiling, salty water and then rolled in butter is pretty close to heaven. But even I get a little, well, bored. Not bored, that’s the wrong word, but lucky for us, corn has a really long growing season, giving plenty Continue reading Curried Corn  It takes a lot of food styling to make a Subway sandwich look appealing to yours truly. Its cheap convenience food that works just fine in a pinch, if you stick with vegetables. Yet through a miracle of computer generated graphics, that new Philly Cheese Steak looks awesome. Maybe I’ve only seen it when Continue reading Homemade Cheesesteak, Thankfully Nothing Like Subway Greens are in right now at your farmers markets and while wilting them with some garlic is delicious and classic, here’s an outlet that’s a little more exotic. Indian-Spiced Greens with Carrots & Chickpeas Continue reading Indian-Spiced Greens with Carrots & Chickpeas Leave a comment here so that I can send you a HUGE THANK YOU! Haven’t voted? Click here http://www.vegetariantimes.com/chefschallenge09finals It just takes a second and I’ll be so so thankful. As an added incentive, your vote enters you to win a fancy-pants knife. Still don’t know what I’m talking about? My recipe for Wild Mushroom Ravioli was selected Continue reading Hey! I Voted! Vegetarian Times has officially opened the vote for the Chef’s Challenge! Please visit the Vegetarian Times Website and cast your vote! My recipe is the Wild Mushroom Ravioli in the entrées category. If you want to vote for my fellow ICE students, they are Forbidden Risotto, Curried Parsnip Soup, Soba Pasta, and Oatmeal Cheesecake. Polls are Continue reading The Polls Are Open! Having a versitle recipe for a creamy dip is great in this kind of weather. No need to cook anything, and you can serve with chips or veggies, or fire up the grill and slather on fish, burgers, chicken… Substitute any greens you like. The blanching step can be omitted if its just too doggone Continue reading Creamy Green Dandelion and Fresh Herb Dip  The original plan for the Tarrytown farmers market was to follow the recipe I had written a week before. This is the plan for all the Markets, actually, but one of the glories of shopping straight from a farm is that you never know what you’re going to get. I had a good idea Continue reading Sautéed Peaches with Pan-Roasted Walnuts If I ever get asked a generic question like, “What does it take to be a chef?” I’m going to say something like “the ability to improvise” and tell the story of today: I arrived at the Pelham market this morning, several hundred recipe cards in hand, to make Zucchini & Summer Squash Primavera, a Continue reading Market Basket Cooking and Greens Pot Stickers It was a beautiful day at the Pleasantville Farmer’s Market! Thank you to everyone who came down and ate scallops and shared your stories and techniques with me. I had an interesting conversation with a British (?) dude who called me out for calling my recipe “scallop carpaccio.” My thought was to thinly slice the Continue reading Seared Scallops with Fresh Herb Gremolata  I started out today kind of nervous. At 4pm, I was to be “on” as the new demonstration chef-at-the-market and feared stuck pot stickers, exploding gas burner, impatient market goers, traffic holding me up the GW Bridge… and instead, I had the time of my life! Its been a long time since I’ve been Continue reading Taking the Show on the Road & Market Vegetable Pot Stickers  The summer is off to a dreary, cool and wet start, but we refuse to give up on our trusty barbeque. Especially since I’ve been spending most days as an intern in a New York City catering kitchen and on the line at their restaurant in Chelsea Market. By the time I get home, Continue reading Grilled Lamb with Fig & Red Wine Glaze  I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather the last few days and decided that I wanted to make some chicken soup. Not in the mood for traditional Chicken Noodle Soup, I decided to spice it up a bit to knock out whatever virus or allergen is plaguing me. 2 T grapeseed oil Continue reading Chicken Soup for the Swine Flu, or Allergies  Duck Confit is an ancient, French method of preserving food to provide through the winter, also known as confit de canard. Originally, the ducks were slaughtered, and then the tough thighs and legs intact were cured in salt and aromatics, submerged in the ducks’ own fat, eliminating any oxygen contact, and simmered for hours. Continue reading Duck Confit  March isn’t exactly going out like a lamb in these parts but nonetheless Mark & I have been firing up the grill, all bundled up, hoping to conjure the warm breeze of spring and the promise of summer behind it. What’s a few more nights below freezing? This is one of my favorites of my mother’s recipes. Continue reading Lemon Chicken I’ve come to believe that the appeal of chicken livers lies deep in the psychic memory of one’s childhood. Either you dreaded being forced to eat them and they conjure memories of sitting in the dark at the table until the last bite was choked back, or, if you’re like me, your mouth waters Continue reading Chicken Liver Paté Best served with meatloaf. Its also a great way to use up odds and ends of cheeses that aren’t at their freshest anymore but you can’t bear to throw away something you spent $22.99/lb on. Or just plain old cheddar works too. Macaroni & Cheese Continue reading Macaroni & Cheese When M and I met, he was The Gourmand and I was the Peasant. He, having gone to culinary school, and I making the best meatloaf he’d ever had. Times have changed and the line between who’s who has blurred, but I remain meatloaf champion of our kitchen. Here’s my recipe. I give quantities, Continue reading The Best Meatloaf Recipe You’ll Find In culinary school, we’ve been braising and stewing large, primal and sub-primal cuts of meat. This week, I had Osso Bucco and Oxtail for the first time. I loved both. Long, slow, moist cooking renders even the toughest meat, like beef cheeks, tender and juicy. You can tell a cut of meat’s tenderness by how Continue reading Chili For A Cold Winter’s Night Ah the glory of Christmas vacation… A time to relax, reflect on a delicious Christmas dinner prepared by yours truly, and watch lots of trashy television (George, you are NOT the father!) If Santa was kind to you, you too got 100 North Sea oysters harvested just days before Christmas and are spending your leisure Continue reading Panko-fried Oyster Po’ Boys  After 28 years of stuffing and sweet potatoes, The Gourmand & I opted for something completely different. Instead of celebrating the authentic American Thanksgiving meal, we made a 4 course meal, including 4 condiments, oysters, seviche and dessert, and spent the day, just the two of us, cooking and eating and being thankful. Our reference was Continue reading Authentic Mexican Thanksgiving My culinary school program is broken up into modules, each building on the last and a practical, hands-on exam is required to progress to the next. Module one contains virtually no actual cooking. Instead, we are focusing on the basics: knife skills, mise en place (how you set everything up,) sanitation, basic sauces (making Continue reading What Chefs Call “Fabrication”  When I started out, I was prepared to provide a hands-on account of what its like to go to culinary school. Partially to educate you, but also to do some reflection on the experience. What I am discovering is that it is incredibly difficult to put into words because so much of the learning Continue reading Hands-on Learning to Cook Culinary school starts in a week. Have I mentioned that I am going in to culinary school? Its pretty awesome. Prohibitively expensive, had it not been for dear old Aunt Sallie Mae, before she froze all assets. Remember? Back before the meltdown, when she was still all like “I can charge 13% interest!” These Continue reading Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers & Culinary School  Here are two delicious ways to cook, and re-cook flank steak. Flank steak comes from the belly of the cow and since its a muscle that gets used a lot, say for walking, its best when marinated for a while to tenderize the meat. Dinner #1 is grilled, so make sure you have charcoal. Continue reading Grilled, Marinated Flank Steak & Meat Sauce Leftovers Fill your home with the delicious smell of autumn and instead of a puddle of Yankee candle wax, you’ll have dinner at the end. Apple Cider Braised Pork Roast Continue reading Apple Cider Braised Pork Roast These is so much versatility in chicken stock. It keeps very well frozen. Use it to steam rice, add to sauces, freeze into ice cubes (in a tray reserved for this purpose) or in freezer bags or containers. Here’s what you shouldn’t do: buy chicken stock. Do I occasionally get lazy or need the Continue reading Chicken Stock and Chicken Noodle Soup The summer is over. There it is. The honest truth. Sure, it was 95 in New York today, but the daylight hours are shortening and the nights have a chilliness not felt in June, July or August. Kids are back in school, the drug stores are stocking halloween costumes and I am knitting my Continue reading Preserving Other People’s Harvests The Gourmand & I are officially nested in our new home, which is amazing. There is so much space and the kitchen, oh! the kitchen! Expect plenty of amazing new recipes from me. What’s that fear called, when you are scared of wide open spaces? After years of balancing my cutting boards over sinks, Continue reading New Home Shrimp Fra Diavolo  Another Mahi-Mahi recipe. Hooray! You could use any firm fish like striped bass, fluke, you could try shrimp too. I bet that would be good. For the salsa, make sure the peaches and tomatoes are super ripe. Its actually a good way to use up overripe fruit, when you’re sick of pancakes or tomato Continue reading Curried Fish with Peach and Heirloom Tomato Salsa I have an enormous collection of cooking magazines. Sometimes I think I should hire someone to type all the recipes into a program like iTunes, so that I could search for a particular ingredient or season, but that would take all the fun out of looking for a particular recipe, flipping through well-worn and Continue reading Ginger Curry Lentil Soup Ikea recently opened its doors on the waterfront in Red Hook, Brooklyn. While there are some downsides, namely, the view of the Statue of Liberty from Sunset Park is now obstructed by a giant, blue and yellow, admittedly well-designed billboard, and no press has covered this eyesore collateral damage, overall, it is a well-received Continue reading Ikea Meatball Stroganoff  Clams just might be the ocean’s perfect food. Simple, self-contained little animals that don’t put up too much of a fight. They’re luscious and salty, cheap by seafood standards and super versatile in the kitchen. Enter any restaurant with seafood on the menu, and you are nearly guaranteed to find a dish featuring clams. Little Continue reading The Happy Clam  This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman’s 101 simple appetizers that was published December 19, 2007. My copy of these 101 ideas is yellowed and stained. I’m keeping for posterity. Luckily the NYTimes makes all their content available for free and you can see all 101 here. The inspiration was #46 – you can clearly see the Continue reading Tandoori Chicken Skewers  The Gourmand & I have been entertaining vegetarian guests for a few nights while they stay with us in our apartment. This has (pretty much, but not entirely) meant that The Gourmand & I adopt a vegetarian diet as well, at least for dinner. I decided to make chili, as that is economical and Continue reading Spicy Vegetarian Chili  If you’ve been a reader for a while you might have caught on that I think mahi is the best fish in the ocean. There are a few close seconds, but it is meaty like a steak fish, delicate in flavor and so versatile, I haven’t found a fish recipe it which didn’t work. Grilled Continue reading Grilled Mahi-Mahi Tacos  The Gourmand & I, as you know, love to share our secrets and success with you. Ribs are one of those things that takes passion, love, attention and a willingness to stand over a hot grill, mopping and making love, while everyone else is enjoying the party. That’s pretty much the secret. That, and Continue reading Ribs. Mmmmm… Ribs.  The Gourmand & I had grilled pizzas at our wedding last summer (actually, our guests did.) I heard that they came out fabulously but was skeptical. How come the dough doesn’t fall through the grill? Isn’t one side crusty and the side with toppings, well, doughy? I was inspired by Heidi Swanson at 101cookbooks.com last Continue reading Grilled Pizzas Last week, at the Farmer’s Market, Ray Bradley had packages of fresh chicken livers. Chicken livers are a wonderful thing that we only indulge in when they come from a good source – these guys didn’t even know they were dead yet. Memories of Savannah’s Upscale PB&J popped into my head, when I Continue reading Upscale PB&J or Chicken Paté with Cherry Sauce This is a childhood dish of comfort for me and last night, I made it for The Gourmand. It’s my dad’s recipe and nothing like it exists online, as far as I could find. In my dad’s words, “you could make this as easily as boiling kale in water, or turn it into a Continue reading Kielbasa & Kale The Gourmand & I calculated how much $$$ we’ve been spending at the farmer’s market, and then how much money we spend on take out (as a result of laziness and exhaustion at the end of long work days) and then how much of our farmer’s market veggies never make it to plate before Continue reading Recession Special I have a collection of recipes that I have clipped from the pages of the New York Times for years. The other night, I was looking for something to do with organic chicken parts that I had bought at the farmer’s market and remembered that I had a recipe for chicken cooked with green Continue reading Don’t Forget the Lemon For one dinner last week, The Gourmand decided to recreate our wedding dinner. Just the main course really, Blackened Mahi-Mahi with Grilled Pineapple Salsa. It is my favorite dinner in the world and, when it was done and the smoke had cleared (literally) we were transported back to our beachside wedding last July. I’m going Continue reading On Blackening Fish The Gourmand used to work in a kitchen in a very fine restaurant in Park Slope and there, he was taught to make chimichurri. Except, we went to a restaurant recently, and ordered a steak served with chimichurri and our sauce and their sauce were decidedly different. Is the wikipedia definition “authentic?” I Continue reading Grilled Sirlion with Olive Salsa? VOTE NOW!! We went to our favorite farm stand at the Grand Army Plaza Farmers’ Market this past Saturday: Bradley Farms, home of Ray Bradley, and bought some chicken. We love the vegetables from Rays farm but his meats, when available, are even better. We purchased two packages with two legs each. The first pack was Continue reading Ray’s Spring Chicken This is a secret recipe from the dinner over which The Gourmand & The Peasant fell in love. There is a wonderful mushroom called the “Hen of the woods” or maitake. The first step to winning your love is to find a great source of mushrooms. All of our best mushrooms have come from Continue reading How to Roast a Mushroom Like a Chicken Way back when, I lived with a wonderful, fabulous, awesome roommate, who through no fault of her own, was from Ohio. Now, don’t get me wrong, Ohio readers, I am big fans of some of the people your state has produced. But, culinarily, it will take some time. Like Ireland. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, my roommate Continue reading Julie’s Favorite Dinner I had my first experiences with Korean food at a friend’s house as a kid in Rochester, New York. Home cooked meals, served family-style in the Hauser house, had a strong influence on my love of food. Recently, when I was craving Bulgogi, instead of looking up a generic recipe, I phoned Mr. Hauser Continue reading Beef Bulgogi When you are cooking, there are some basic rules of thumb.
1: Don’t let the gas run if the burner isn’t lit. 2: If in doubt, throw it out. 3: Marinading should be done for at least 24 hours. Practicing #1 and #3, we got a great recipe for Beef Bulgogi from our friend’s Asian-scholar father and he tells Continue reading Sometimes you have to make two dinners I was all excited last night to go out the Sidecar in Brooklyn with The Gourmand and our close friends. I had this hunch that I’d better just call and make sure that they are open and, sure enough: Closed Mondays. I suppose that everyone is entitled to a night off, but, well, I don’t Continue reading Restaurants That Close on Mondays are Annoying (and Modified Arroz con Pollo)  There are few things as awesome as gathering your own food for your own meal. Gardeners know this, so do people who hunt mushrooms or game. It’s even awesome-er when you can get somebody else (The Peasant’s father & The Gourmand) to do the hard work for you. This weekend we spent in the Hamptons. Continue reading Oysters Three Ways  |
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