Winning!

It's Super Bowl Sunday and peeps are obsessed. Especially in New York. Who's going to win? Will Madonna's performance be memorable? Are there any commercials left that haven't already been promoted to death all week on TV? What should we eat?? I think its kind of funny that food magazines put a lot of effort into inventing extra special Super Bowl menus and that the morning TV programs are riddled with the latest decorating ideas for your Super Bowl party. Ummm...when it comes to sporting events shouldn't you just order some pizzas and call it a day? Why get themey and make it more difficult than it has to be? (Save that effort for Cinco de Mayo.) Either you're into football and want to watch the game, or it's just another excuse to hang with your friends and to eat some nachos.

Since it's just another day to me, I'm making yet another lentil concoction. (You might be more interested tomorrow after your hefty beer and mozzarella stick intake tonight.) And it's covered in bacon! I know. Delish. Since I eat a lot of lentils, I'm always looking for a new twist in my preparation. Bacon made my quinoa taste better, so I knew it had to add that special something to my lentils as well. And it does. Hope your teams wins.

Warm Lentil and Smoked Pork Belly Salad

Adapted from The New York Times

3/4 pound smoked pork belly, or good-quality slab bacon, cut 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick

1 large onion, halved

4 thyme branches

1 small carrot, peeled

1 cup small green French lentils, cleaned and rinsed

1 small bay leaf

Salt and pepper

1 pound fingerling potatoes

1 large shallot, finely diced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup fruity olive oil

2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons cornichons or other sour gherkins, roughly chopped

1/4 cup chopped scallions, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

1. Put the pork belly or bacon in a pot with one of the onion halves, 2 small thyme branches and the carrot. Cover with a quart of water and simmer gently until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep warm in liquid.

2. Meanwhile, put the lentils in a medium pot. Add the other 1/2 onion, 2 small thyme branches and the bay leaf. Add 4 cups water and a little salt. Simmer gently over medium heat until firm-tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain (discard the onion, thyme and bay leaf) and keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in their skins in well-salted water until done, about 15 minutes. Drain and keep warm.

4. Make the vinaigrette: Macerate the shallot in the red wine vinegar for 5 minutes in a small bowl. Add the garlic, Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil to make a thick sauce. Stir in the chopped capers and cornichons. Just before serving, stir in 1/4 cup scallions and 1/2 cup parsley.

5. To serve, dress the lentils with half the vinaigrette, then transfer to a platter or serving bowl. Slice the pork belly crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (save the broth for soup) and arrange over the lentils. Cut the potatoes lengthwise and arrange, cut-side up, around the platter. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the sliced meat and potatoes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon each scallions and parsley. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Biscuit Brunch

Since I spent the last few days in Georgia, it seems only right that I make little biscuit brunch. (And I had leftover buttermilk from a crème fraîche experiment. More on that later.) OK yes, I've made biscuits before, but that recipe called for cake flour and let's be honest, most people don't have cake flour in their cupboards. And this recipe let's you cut the biscuits into perfect circles, thereby creating the perfect sandwich shape with which to create a breakfast treat. Sadly I was out of bacon and cheddar but hello, how good does that sound? Bacon, egg and cheese on a biscuit? Yes, please!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Adapted from Martha Stewart

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk, plus more for brushing

1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and cream. Stir to combine.

2. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into a 6 1/2-inch round (about 1 inch high). Using a lightly floured 2 1/2-inch cutter, cut out rounds. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing about 1 inch apart. Gather the scraps, reshape, and cut out. Brush the tops with buttermilk. Bake until the tops are golden, 22 to 24 minutes. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack, and cool. Makes about 8 biscuits.

Milk Bath

Apparently I am the only person who hasn't made this Jamie Oliver chicken recipe before. Granted, my friend David did tell me about it about at least two years ago, but I was like, "Gross. I'm not roasting a chicken in milk." Then when I mentioned it to my friend Karen this past weekend she was like, "Oh, I make that all the time. I told you about it!" OK OK I have a faulty memory, obvs! (Funny though, because Karen and David know each other. Clearly a conspiracy!)

I have to say, I really like this alternative to a plain roasted chicken. The very subtle cinnamon with the lemon and sage provides a really interesting flavor profile that makes me want to serve it with a jasmine or basmati rice rather than the mashed potatoes that Jamie suggests. But that's just me. I was skeptical of the milk bath to begin with, so what do I know?


Chicken Roasted in Milk
Adapted from Jamie Oliver

1 (4 pound) organic chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cinnamon stick (about a 1-inch piece)
1 handful of fresh sage leaves (about 12 - 15)
Zest of 2 lemons
10 whole garlic cloves, skin left on
2 cups whole milk

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Place a medium, heavy pot over medium heat (just large enough to fit the chicken) and add the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chicken generously all over with salt and pepper.



2. When the butter is melted and the pot is hot, add the chicken, breast side down, and cook until golden, about 6 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for 6 minutes more. Remove from the pot from the heat and remove the chicken to a plate. Discard the oil and butter that is left in the pot. Keep the sticky browned bits at the bottom of the pan as they will provide additional flavor to the sauce.



3. Return the chicken to the pot with the rest of the ingredients and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Baste with the cooking juices about every 30 minutes. (Don't be alarmed if the sauce looks curdled. It's fine and tastes great.)



4. To serve, cut the meat from the bones and divide it onto plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds. Serve with wilted spinach or greens and mashed potato or basmati rice. Serves four.

I say toe-mah-toe

Apparently my new year's resolution is to blog less. Not to be blogless, just to blog less. I mean, ten days have already gone by and I've already managed to watch two all-new episodes each of Mob Wives (three words: full body surgery...and Big Ang! 5 words!) and It's a Brad Brad World, not to mention countless other shows, and I haven't posted a single recipe or anecdote. I guess I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things after taking a week off from my regular work routine. Plus, with all of the holiday insanity, I had been going out like crazy (like to the Highline Ballroom and Indochine with WendyB) rather than cooking anything for myself.

Now that the holidays are over and it's time to get on a hard core austerity regime, I think I'm going to be making a lot of tofu and salad recipes. Eventually. For now, I have a superbly simple tomato soup recipe (from The Ski House Cookbook). For some reason I am reminded of a time when my mother attempted to make homemade bean with bacon soup for her unappreciative children, who responded with an irritating chorus of, "We like Campbell's better!!" I'm sure that my mom's soup was actually better, but it probably lacked the sodium content of a canned soup that we were familiar with. Well, I don't think it is possible to like Campbell's watery tomato soup better than this one (hello! heavy cream makes toe-MAH-toe soup très elegant!) and the few extra minutes that it takes to make it is well worth it.

Hopefully I'll remember that the few extra minutes (hours!) that it takes me to write future blog posts will be well worth it too. And I might just start incorporating more of my illness that is reality TV and TV watching in general. (The first step is admitting there is a problem, right Dr. Drew?) How I have the time to actually go to work is beyond me...



Creamy Tomato Soup

1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium carrot, diced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/3 cup cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1. Preheat the broiler. Strain the tomatoes, reserving the juices. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and spread on a small, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil until the tomatoes begin to brown, about 10 minutes.

2. In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and carrot and cook until softened, 7 – 10 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes, reserved juices and red pepper flakes and simmer for 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Stir in the cream. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Party Pâté

I don't know about you, but I grew up eating liver and onions quite frequently (and being force fed cod liver oil - NOT in pill form). I guess having your copper and iron content so far off the charts that you bled pennies was all the rage in nutrition way back when. Whatever. I survived. And never ate liver again...Until I learned that one didn't have to only eat beef liver and that it could be blended with copious amounts of butter and spread on toast. (Probably the opposite of healthy.) Ever been to Marlow & Sons for the mound of deliciousness that they serve? Get thee to the restaurant stat! Or make it yourself. I never knew it was so easy. Simmer, puree, season, serve. That's it. But you can't be squeamish about the natural state of the chicken liver. You will have to handle it for a hot second in it's raw state. But then you'll appreciate the deliciousness that you create that much more! I made a batch for Christmas Eve dinner but was just thinking that it would be the perfect app paired with some bubbly for a New Year's Eve party. How can it already be New Year's Eve? (Almost New Year's Eve???) I'm still writing 2010 on my checks! (The 12 times a year that I write one!) OK I'm breaking into the Champagne a few days early...



Chicken Liver Pâté
Adapted from Jacques Pépin via Food & Wine

1 pound chicken livers, well-trimmed
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt
1 cup water
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon Cognac or Scotch whiskey
Freshly ground pepper
Toasted baguette slices, for serving

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken livers, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the livers are barely pink inside, about 10 minutes.

2. Discard the bay leaf. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the livers, onion and garlic to a food processor. Process until coarsely pureed. With the machine on, add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. Add the Cognac, season with salt and pepper and process until completely smooth. Scrape the pâté into 2 or 3 large ramekins. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pâté and refrigerate until firm. Serve chilled and sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.

Make Ahead: The pâté can be covered with a thin layer of melted butter, then wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.

Better Butter Cookie

I finally got my tree up. I mean, between the never ending holiday parties (my soon to be scheduled liver transplant if I don't stop attending), physical therapy and getting myself to work on time, how can I be expected to decorate my home with shubbery in advance of the X to the Mas? Well, after hoisting my one foot wonder onto a cake stand and tuning in to Cameron Crowe's documentary, Pearl Jam Twenty (for the 18th time - just another holiday classic), I got to decorating. (It took more time to wrestle my stash of holiday decor out of my closet than to actually decorate.) And now I'm thinking about reneging on my previous post about not making cookies. Just this once. Sometimes you have to bring something to holiday parties other than another random bottle of 1996 Chateau Talbot Grand Cru Classé Saint - Julien. Am I right? When it comes to cookies, the more butter the better. Dori Greenspan's Sable (aka French butter cookie or Breton biscuit) recipe is the perfect butter cookie. Trust.

Dori Greenspan's Master Recipe for Sables
(from The New York Times)

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter (preferably high-fat, like Plugra), softened at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted before measuring
1/2 teaspoon salt, preferably sea salt
2 large egg yolks, preferably at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour For the decoration (optional):
1 egg yolk
Crystal or dazzle sugar

1. Working in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until it is smooth and very creamy. Add the sugars and salt and continue to beat until smooth and velvety, not fluffy and airy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in 2 egg yolks, again beating until well blended.

2. Turn off the mixer, pour in the flour, drape a kitchen towel over the mixer and pulse the mixer about 5 times at low speed for 1 or 2 seconds each time. Take a peek; if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of more times; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, stir for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough and the dough looks uniformly moist. If you still have some flour on the bottom of the bowl, stop mixing and use a rubber spatula to work the rest of it into the dough. (The dough will not come together in a ball -- and it shouldn't. You want to work the dough as little as possible. What you're aiming for is a soft, moist, clumpy dough. When pinched, it should feel a little like Play-Doh.)

3. Scrape the dough onto a work surface, gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each piece into a smooth log about 9 inches long (it's easiest to work on a piece of plastic wrap and use the plastic to help form the log). Wrap the logs well and chill them for at least 2 hours. The dough may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

4. When ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and keep it at the ready.

5. To decorate the edges of the sables, whisk the egg yolk until smooth. Place one log of chilled dough on a piece of waxed paper and brush it with yolk (the glue), and then sprinkle the entire surface of the log with sugar. Trim the ends of the roll if they are ragged and slice the log into 1/3-inch-thick cookies.

6. Place the rounds on the baking sheet, leaving an inch of space between each cookie, and bake for 17 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet at the halfway point. When properly baked, the cookies will be light brown on the bottom, lightly golden around the edges and pale on top. Let the cookies rest 1 or 2 minutes before carefully lifting them onto a cooling rack with a wide metal spatula. Repeat with the remaining log of dough. (Make sure the sheet is cool before baking each batch.)

Variations
Lemon Sables: Before mixing the butter and sugar together, pour the sugar in a bowl with the grated zest of 1 to 1 1/2 lemons. Work the zest and sugar together with your fingertips until the mixture is moist and aromatic, then cream it with the butter in the mixer.

Parmesan Sables: Replace sugars with 3/4 cup very finely grated Parmesan added to the beaten butter. A few grains of fleur de sel may be gently pressed into the top of each sable before the baking sheet is slipped into the oven.

Coffee Cookies

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I've already been to my company holiday party and strung some Christmas lights (on a friend's tree - I have yet to decorate). Clearly I need to get baking! (And should probably start my holiday shopping...) Instead of making my usual 37 dozen cookies, I'm going to go the minimal route and just bake as needed which is to say...not very much. I just end up eating the cookies I don't bring to the office so why go crazy? These shortbread cookies are fab not only because they are delish but because the recipe makes so few cookies, you won't find yourself eating them for days on end or trying to pawn them off on everyone you encounter, including the not-so-subtle mail carrier who leaves a holiday note in your mailbox. (Really??) The chocolate espresso kick reminds me of my favorite candy, Pocket Coffee, the best candy invention of our time. Incidentally now is the time to stock up as they are a seasonal candy and are only shipped during cold weather months (hint hint). Maybe I should hang a stocking or two just in case.



Mocha Shortbread
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely ground coffee beans, preferably espresso
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt. Stir in the coffee, and set aside.

2. Beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar, and beat well. Add the flour mixture, and beat until combined.

3. Pat the dough into an ungreased 8-inch round cake or springform pan lined with parchment paper. Bake until firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the shortbread from the oven, let sit for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges. Let cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.