Let me save you from the terrifying moments when you realize, mid-cake, that you're missing an ingredient. A little chemistry goes a long way when it comes to kitchen hacks!
The cold sweat that drips down your neck when you realize you're missing an ingredient, and the cake batter is halfway finished, is real. You have guests scheduled to arrive in mere hours, nay, minutes. Do you rush to the store and grab a bundt cake shelled in plastic? Oh no, not here. NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT.
The pillowy grains of couscous offer ample space for the absorption of preserved lemon in all its salty glory. Ever in search of the intersection of salty/sweet/spicy/sour, I found its address in this couscous. Preserved lemon, currants, fresh chili, (and some pinenuts for texture) all crash together in the final dish, causing a riot of flavor and color. Couscous cooks in mere minutes, and with the lemons you've got on hand this dish is a snap.
Packing citrus fruit with salt is a technique used the world over, but when we talk about preserved lemon we mentally fly to Morocco. This is a terrific way to make use of your leftover winter crop, concentrating the flavor of lemons into a salty, tender, treat.
What began as an experiment in the Moroccan tradition of preserving lemons turned into a mason jar proliferation of cured citrus. Once I cracked the code on preserving lemons (not terribly difficult) I decided to try the technique on every kind of citrus I could find at the market. Now I've got jars of lemons, meyer lemons, limes, valencia oranges, blood oranges, and grapefruit, sitting in my cabinet awaiting their debut on my dinner table!
Black garlic used to be difficult to find, but now (thanks to its astounding health properties) it's being sold all over town- even at Trader Joe's! Grab some greens and sauté a panful tonight with the pungent, sweet, dense flavors of black garlic permeating the dish. And stay tuned for a video tutorial on making black garlic at home!.
What are your thoughts on SPAM? While I can't say I love the meat product dearly, I do find my palate tuned to the unique combination found in musubi. The Hawaiian dish pairs a slice of SPAM with sushi rice and some toasted seaweed, it's SPAM sushi. Hints of that dish find their way into my version of corned beef hash...
Take a look into the chemistry behind cheese making with me! While most cheeses take time to age, every culture has a "quick" cheese: something that you can make at home with ingredients you've already got in your fridge. Get busy with the Home & Family team today.
Chewy, gooey, crusty mozzarella sticks are a staple of middle-American menus. Kids love them, adults love them, there's nothing not to love. But there is something to improve. When you want a treat like that at home, skip the frozen food aisle and our microwave. Instead, make a batch of paneer, cut it into slices, and fry it in hot oil. You'll love the dense cheese with a crisp crust.
Greater chefs and cooks than me have already done the hard science and legwork on making ricotta/paneer/queso fresco at home, but I wanted to try my hand at it anyway. There is no innovation on my part, just a deep abiding love for the work of eaters over the past centuries.
Lately I've found I crave a bowl of beans doused in hot sauce somewhere around 8 or 9pm. It's not my healthiest habit, but it's not so outrageous that I'm worried about its ill effects. Of course, the upside here is that I'm making beans regularly and have a great source of protein on hand for quick meals.
It's glorious to shovel a spoonful of corn kernels into your mouth and delight in popping them as you chew. The juice from fresh summer corn is, perhaps, what gold tastes like (when left out in the sun to heat for a while). And, as usual, I love pairing something sweet with some heat. Roasted poblano peppers are smoky and hot, a proud match for summer corn.
I love the interplay of sweet and spicy in this condiment. The luscious flesh of the mango pairs perfectly with the crisp body of a jalapeño. Make a giant batch of this and serve it all week with fish, on chips, in tacos. It fits your every need!
INGREDIENTS
Two Mangos, peeled and cut into small cubes
Juice of one Lime
1 Jalapeño, diced
1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
Salt to taste
BUSINESS
Chop everything, toss in a bowl, then enjoy! It gets better if you let it sit together in the fridge.
Taking cue from the effortless Hasselback Potato, I decided to fill a casserole dish with sliced red skinned potatoes and scatter their in-betweens with a confetti of leek. With a generous pour of olive oil on top the dish crisps up in your oven and transfers to the table perfectly for an easy side dish.
INGREDIENTS
5 medium Red Skinned of Yukon Potatoes, sliced very thinly
1 large leek (~1 pound), sliced into slim ribbons
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Generous sprinkling Salt and Pepper
GET BUSY
Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Fill a 9x13 casserole dish with the sliced potatoes, standing in line from front to back (not stacked on top of each other).
Scatter the ribboned leek everywhere and push it down in between the potatoes.
Pour olive oil on top of everything, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
Bake the dish for 45-60 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Heat your oven to 500 degrees, or turn on your broiler. Slide the dish under the high heat for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are crisp on top.
Though we may be losing the weather for picnics, this salad will get you through the Fall inside or outside. It's quick to make at home in a large batch, then keep in your fridge to take to work for lunch. Swap out the asparagus for another veggie when the seasons change.
My pursuits of the perfect Saag have taken me far and wide. I’ve tried many a recipe in my kitchen, some my own, some belonging to those far more well-versed in Indian cooking. My pursuits have brought forth this dish, reminiscent of the saag at my favorite Indian restaurant, but tweaked for my Brooklyn kitchen. Instead of spinach I used rainbow chard because it was local, fresh and calling to me with jewel-toned legs amidst the shrubbery of the produce aisle. Two bunches may look like a lot when you stick it in your cart, but chard (like every leafy green) cooks down to nothing. Ergo, buy more than you think you need.
PARTY
2 bunches Rainbow Chard
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 inch Ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon Mustard Seed
½ tablespoon Amchur (or the pit of one mango)
3-5 Cardomom Pods (depending on your affinity for the scent)
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
½ cup Coconut Milk
BUSINESS
Strip the leaves of chard from their jewel-toned stems. Reserve the stems for making veggie stock, we will not be using them in this recipe. Stack the leaves of chard and roll them into a fat, tight cigar. Slicing across the roll, cut the chard into strips. Set the ribbons aside.
In a large stock pot or wok heat the oil over medium-high heat until rippling.
Add the ginger and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until it is golden brown.
Add the mustard seeds and amchur (or the mango pit) and immediately put a lid on the pot. The seeds will start to pop and without a lid your kitchen will be covered in tiny little black spots. I repeat, put a lid on it.
When the popping dies down (after about a minute or two), open the lid and stuff the chard into the pot.
Add the cardomom pods, salt and pepper and stir everything to combine.
Continue to stir as the chard wilts and pour in the coconut milk.
Put the lid back on the pot, drop the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the leaves are tender and the milk has thickened slightly.
I'm not a fan of the hotel fruit salad, a jubilee of unseasonal and underripe cubes with little or no thought to structure and shape. And so when I set out to make a fruit salad it must have perspective, maturity, and reason. You'll never find a tumble of melons, citrus, berries, and grapes on my table. Our brunch was in close enough proximity to Passover that my brain subtly injected this reference to Charoset. Chopped apples, dates, and cashews, dressed with lemon and tamarind. It's a Southeast Asian take on my Jewish roots, and I'm eagerly awaiting a repeat performance.
Ingredients
3 Honeycrisp Apples
1 1/2 cups Raw Cashews, chopped
1 1/2 cups Dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup Tamarind Paste
Juice of one Lemon
1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Business
Peel and chop the apples into small cubes.
In a large bowl mix the apples, chopped cashews, and chopped dates until evenly distributed.
In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. If the sauce is too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time until it is easily whiskable.
Pour the sauce over the fruit and nut mix, toss to combine.
Beginning with an Indian inspiration I tore the insides from mental samosas and packed them into a casserole dish. The result is a tray of scoopable, spiced, tender, and crusty potatoes, perfect as the bed for some fried eggs. I add a lot of peas to my potato mixture, feel free to adjust the proportion should you be pea-averse.
INGREDIENTS
4 large Yukon Gold Potatoes (~2 lbs)
1 tablespoon White Vineger
1/3 cup Olive Oil
2 Serrano Chilies, minced (~2 tbs)
5 cloves Garlic, minced (~1 1/2 tbs)
3 inches Ginger, chopped (~3 tbs)
1 tablespoon Black Mustard Seed
1 tablespoon Amchur
2 1/2 teaspoons Whole Cumin Seeds
1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1/2 teaspoon Fennel Powder
2 cups frozen Green Peas
BUSINESS
Chop the potatoes into roughly 2 inch pieces.
Place them in a large saute pan and cover with two cups of water. Add the vinegar.
Cover the pan and bring to a simmer, cook at a medium temp for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender but have not lost their shape completely.
Drain the potatoes and partially mash in a large bowl.
Heat the oil in a large wok or saute pan.
When the oil is hot, toss in the serrano chilies, garlic, ginger, cumin seeds and black mustard seeds. Saute till light brown.
Throw in all the remaining spices.
Add the semi-mashed potatoes, stir everything to distribute the spices.
Add the frozen peas.
Spoon potato mixture into casserole dish and drizzle olive oil on top. Slide into the oven at 375 for 10-15 minutes to crisp up the top.
A delight of layers, this cake has enough personality to please every texture nerd. I line the pan with caramelized walnuts, then pour the batter on top for baking. Once the cake is out of the oven and cool, I plaster the top with an easy chocolate mousse. Though it may look complicated, fret not- this is a cake you can throw together with minutes on the clock and look like a winner when the buzzer sounds.
CAKE INGREDIENTS
2 cups Crushed/Chopped Walnuts
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Bourbon
1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
1/3 cup Tapioca Starch
1/3 cup White RIce Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
3 Eggs
3/4 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Coconut Milk
3/4 cup Safflower Oil
Zest of two Oranges
BUSINESS
In a large saute pan, heat the walnuts with brown sugar and bourbon over medium flame. When everything is sticky and melted, remove from the stove and pour into the bottom of a lined 9-inch springform cake pan.
Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (everything up until Eggs on the list).
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and lighter in color. Whisk in the oil, milk, and orange zest.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing to combine.
Pour the batter into the cake pan, over the caramelized walnuts.
Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes, until browned on top and springy to the touch.
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
FROSTING BUSINESS
I swear by this genius chocolate mousse posted on Food52, originated by Hervé This. Make a batch with orange juice from your remaining skinned oranges, and slather it on top of the cake before serving.
It wasn't until I was in college that my family (all living gluten free at that moment) discovered the wonder of this Brazilian bread. No yeast, no complicated blend of gluten free flours, this batter comes together in a few minutes with a small list of ingredients. You can make it with or without cheese. Adding handfuls of something sharp will amp up the flavor, though I must admit an addiction to this simple, dairy free, version. Traditionally, the batter is baked into small muffins, small rolls, but I've taken this opportunity to present you with my favorite alternative: the grill. Pour the batter directly onto a cast iron grill/griddle and you'll be rewarded with an alchemical transformation.
INGREDIENTS
1 Egg
1/3 cup Olive Oil
2/3 cup Coconut Milk (or regular milk)
1 1/2 cups Tapioca Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional: 1/2 cup Grated Cheese
BUSINESS
Heat a cast iron grill pan over medium-high flame.
In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients fiercely, until the batter is smooth and shiny.
When the grill is hot, pour the batter directly onto the iron. If it resists spreading, you can give it a nudge with a spatula, though gravity will most likely take care of the job.
Let the bread grill until it curls up at the ends, about 10-15 minutes. Check the bottom for good color, then flip it over and grill the nude side for another 10-15 minutes (or until sufficiently toasted).