Capona(Tina)

When I go to Otto and I'm not in the pizza mood, I'll order a bunch of antipasti. My faves are the caponata, cauliflower, and lentils. Somehow I managed to make them look and taste quite similar to the restaurant version...at home! Truth be told, I made these all weeks ago, but the Breaking Bad finale clearly threw me off my blogging game. Or that's the convenient excuse I'm going with.

Caponata is a Sicilian cooked eggplant salad with a distinct sweet and sour flavor profile called agrodolce. Typically the agro (sour) part comes from vinegar and the dolce (sweet) part from sugar. There are also several variations that may or may not include celery, capers, olives, pine nuts, raisins, or currants. I like a variety of textures so threw in most of the options except for the raisins. Because they are gross. I used Mario Batali's recipe as a base and was surprised to find a touch of cocoa powder. The balsamic vinegar also adds a bit more richness than a red wine vinegar, which is often called for in recipes. I was super happy with the way mine turned out. 

The cauliflower here is simply roasted with some distinctive flavors added in at the end. Mario torches his under the broiler, 4-inches from the flame, but I have a crappy rental apartment oven so...yeah. Roasting seemed like a better idea. This a great way to try cauliflower especially if you are not a fan, possibly because you grew up on plain frozen florets or plain raw florets dunked into ranch dressing on a veggie tray. Not that I know anything about that.

Eggplant Caponata

1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, diced

2 celery ribs, diced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1⁄2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste 

2 medium eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 1⁄4 pounds each)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 (14-1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup chopped green olives

2 tablespoons capers, drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, pine nuts, and red pepper flakes, and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until the onion is translucent. 

2. Add the eggplant, sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder, and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring often. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, olives, and capers and bring to a boil. 

3. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to simmer for 5 minutes more, or until the mixture has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool and serve at room temperature. It's best made one day ahead to let the flavors develop. Will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Serves 8.

Cauliflower with Olives and Capers

1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), trimmed, cored, and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Maldon or other flaky sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives (or other favorite olive)
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1½ teaspoons hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
3 tablespoons lemon agrumato oil, or 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil in a large bowl and season with the salt and pepper. Spread out in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, for 30 - 40 minutes, or until lightly charred in spots and just tender.

2. Return the cauliflower to the bowl, add the olives, capers, red pepper flakes, if using, and lemon oil, and toss to mix well. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve, or let stand at room temperature for up to 1 hour to bring out the flavors. Serves 6.

Breaking Bad Part 2

So back to my own personal Breaking Bad episode minus the meth...Over my recent long weekend in New Mexico, I spent a morning horseback riding in Cerrillos, NM, a location found along the historic Turquoise Trail, at the Broken Saddle Riding Company run by cowboy Harold. (Is that a run-on sentence?) My ride for the day was Watson, a Tennessee Walker with a proclivity to snack along the trail, which apparently is against NM laws because the ground cover is so fragile. (Overgrazed dryland pasture may never recover.) During the fabulous 2.5 hour ride I got to know when Watson was trying to fake me out when he was like, "Hey, quick, look over there! I'm just going to have a taste while you're not looking." I don't think so, my friend! Harold sized the riders up right away (and is very diligent about pairing one's weight and abilities with the appropriate horse and is not afraid to ask you to step on the scale...or so he said). He paired our abilities appropriately so that we were not left to languish on a very long horse saunter, and were able to vary our walking speeds, along with racking and cantering. It was super fun and a terrific way to see the back country without fear of stepping on a rattlesnake. I felt compelled to ask about the local rattlers but was told that it was too early for them to come out, but wouldn't you say that to your city girl client, too?

Broken Saddle Office

Watson, my ride

Broken Saddle's unbroken saddle

Me and Watson just chillin'

Broken Saddle Tchotchkes

Cowboy Harold

Broken Saddle Rocker

Broken Saddle Hitching Posts

Christmas at Atrisco

Breaking Bad Part 1

Scenic from Tent Rocks, NM

Once again I have been occasionally cooking (i.e. NOT cooking). I can't help it! There are so many places to go, see and do! Hello! I've just returned from a long weekend in New Mexico, where incidentally, I saw both Sarah Silverman and Allison Williams, not together but still. Random, I know.

There was a LOT on my weekend agenda including hiking, horseback riding and copious amounts of food and drinks. After arriving in Santa Fe with my travel pal, we headed straight to The Shed for a red chile lunch topped off with a margarita(s). Santa Fe is an excellent food town and the local red and green chile sauces to be found around town are not to be missed.

This is slightly out of order for my actual weekend, but the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument (40 miles SW of Sante Fe near Cochiti) was high on my list of priorities. (And heart breaking as I left my camera OUT OF MY DAY PACK!!! Please make due with my camera phone photos. Oy.) After a volcanic explosion, oh... 6 - 7 million years ago, weathering and erosion have created canyons and tent rocks ripe for exploring. Check. It. Out. One of the best hikes. Evah.


Santa Fe Municipal Airport, New Mexico


Carne Adovada Plate, The Shed, Santa Fe


Approach to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument


Tent Rocks, NM


Tent Rocks, NM


Tent Rocks, NM


Me at Tent Rocks, NM


Tent Rocks, NM


View from the peak of the hiking trail at Tent Rocks, NM

Pasta, Beaches and Vampires. Oh My.

I hope that everyone had a very happy Fourth of July! I decided not to create a recipe for the occasion because, taking place on a Wednesday and having to wake up for work the next morning, it didn't really inspire me to do much. Oh well.

Luckily I did make it to the beach last week and thoroughly enjoyed a fantastic lobster roll at Banzai Burger. Get thee to that restaurant stat. Everything that I had was super delish, including a wild striped bass fish taco. Obviously I had to have an appetizer before my lobster roll. Duh.

Since my beach excursion I haven't gotten around to doing any shopping so the contents of my fridge and cupboards are at a minumum. This pasta recipe has minimal ingredients and since I happen to always have walnuts and garlic on hand  (random I know), it was perfect for me. And the extra added garlic will keep vampires at bay.



Speaking of which, is anyone else as not into True Blood this season as me? I am starting to get a little bit bored (even with the addition of Chris Meloni) and when I thought I had missed an episode with this weird work week, I didn't really care. And that made me sad. C'mon True Blood. Get it together!



Pasta with Ricotta, Garlic and Walnuts
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound dried pasta
1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, divided
2 heaping tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 3 large lemons)
4 ounces walnuts, toasted well and roughly chopped (1 1/4 cups)
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

1. Heat the oil in a medium pan over medium heat until shimmering. Meanwhile, very thinly slice the garlic. Add to the oil, and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is pale golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain the garlic chips in a sieve set over a large bowl. Reserve the oil. Spread the garlic chips on paper towels; season with salt.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just barely al dente. Drain. Add the pasta to the oil, and toss. Partially cover, and let cool at least 20 minutes and up to 1 1/2 hours.

3. Roughly chop 3/4 cup parsley leaves, and add them with the lemon zest and walnuts to the pasta. Toss to combine. Dot with the cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine, being careful not to fully incorporate cheese. Garnish with remaining parsley leaves, and serve with garlic chips. Serves 6.

Nudie Gnudi

Nudie Gnudi


Not Nudie Gnudi

Unlike never nudes, I've had gnudi experiences. My first was at Picholine. It was restaurant week years ago (not my normal lunch destination obvs) and I had never tried gnudi before. That is just so sad because I had to wait so long to discover how delicious they are, in a way that gnocchi (it's little potato cousin) often aren't. Instead of being little pillows of heaven, if they aren't made well, gnocchi can be little starch grenades. However, the Picholine gnudi were light and fluffy and amazing. Fast forward to the opening of The Spotted Pig and the crazy delicious sheep's milk ricotta gnudi that are served there. Whoa. There's no reason to order anything else. Except the burger. Check please! Valet, bring my ambulance around.

It's not like I was obsessing over gnudi last week out of the blue, which wouldn't be unlike me, but it was while reading my weekly Food & Wine e-newsletter that I spied a recipe for a batch of spinach gnudi. And that was it. I bought my ingredients and got to work! While I may not be able to exactly replicate the perfection that I've had in restaurants (yet!), this rendition is pretty darn good...and super tasty and easy to make. I think some fresh basil might be a nice addition, or a lathering in a simple brown butter. And just to show how on trend I am, check out this article in the NY Times today!



Spinach & Ricotta Gnudi
(Adapted from Food & Wine)

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups spinach, stems discarded
2 pounds fresh ricotta
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, optional
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 cups all-purpose flour

All-purpose tomato sauce
4 tablespoons butter, optional



1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach, a handful at a time, and stir over until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander and let cool. Squeeze the spinach dry and finely chop it.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a stand mixer, combine the spinach with the ricotta, eggs, nutmeg, and the 1/2 cup of Parmesan and mix on medium-low speed until blended. Add the flour in 3 batches, mixing on low between additions, until just incorporated.

3. Add about one-fourth of the gnudi dough to a large, resealable plastic bag. With scissors, cut a 1/2-inch corner from the bag. Working over the boiling water, squeeze the dough through the corner opening and use a knife to cut it into 1-inch pieces as it is squeezed out. Cook the gnudi over moderately high heat until firm, about 3 minutes. (They will drop to the bottom of the pot and then float to the surface as they cook.) With a slotted spoon or wire skimmer, transfer the gnudi to a platter. Repeat with the remaining dough.

4. Heat the tomato sauce and stir in the butter, if desired. Carefully transfer the gnudi to the tomato sauce and stir lightly to heat through. Spoon into shallow bowls and serve at once, passing more Parmesan at the table. Serves 6 - 8. This recipe can be halved and works perfectly.

Carbon Dating

After a week of the world's worst cold I made a date with two of my besties, Chad and Ken, (Holla!) to enjoy a food extravaganza. The foodie destinations we visited have already been reviewed 80 million times (I've never said that I was cutting edge) so I was hoping our late showing would make for a more mellow experience since I can't stand crowds or lines or...people.

We brunched at The Breslin where I had the most amazing lamb burger with a side of thrice baked chips. Hello...you had me at thrice. (Oh, THAT'S why my jeans don't fit! Interesting.) We had some issues with the front of house but excused their general inadequacy after we ate.

Then we made our way over to Eataly. Yes, the original food and wine market is in Italy, but the way the lines formed around the block you'd think that Mario invented the place. Since I don't do lines, I took one look and got ready to run the other way. Fortunately I was with friends who aren't quite as fazed by such things. (Tip: If there's a line when you go, wait at the 23rd street entrance where it will be shorter. The Broadway entrance is bananas. Also, it only takes about 5 minutes to get in.) The place is pretty cool, though I can't imagine having an enjoyable meal there because it's loud and frenetic, not exactly the way I like to enjoy a glass of wine. I did manage to find some relative bargains hidden among the more upscale items. I bought some ground espresso for 6 bucks and a really nice bottle of olive oil for about 12. Plus the array of dried pasta is dizzying. At least now I know where to find those more unusual shapes.

A big motivating factor for our visit to Eataly was to pick up some guanciale, which is basically an unsmoked Italian bacon made from the jowls of the pig rather than the belly. It's a little harder to find than pancetta, so when we scored it we knew that carbonara was in our immediate future. This basic pasta is essentially a bacon, egg, and cheese (and pepper!) mixed into pasta rather than served fried on a roll. It's SO GOOD. There is some discrepancy about whether the name, carbonara, refers to a meal served to Italian coal workers (coal miner's spaghetti), or that it was originally made over charcoal grills, or that the abundance of black pepper simply resembles charcoal. Whatevs. It's delish. More importantly, I am suddenly realizing that this post is coinciding with the long awaited rescue of the trapped Chilean coal miners. Can you imagine being trapped underground for 69 days??? I certainly can not. And I can't believe their ability to keep it together and not go all Lord of the Flies on each other. They better get compensated for all of the book/screenplay/movie deals that most likely have been in the works for the past 52 days. That's it. Spaghetti alla Carbonara absolutely means Coal Miner's Spaghetti!



Spaghetti alla Carbonara

1 pound dry spaghetti
Salt
1/2 pound guanciale (or pancetta or good bacon)
1 cup Pecorino Romano, grated, plus more for serving
5 large egg yolks
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti, according to package directions until tender yet al dente.

2. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, cook the guanciale until it is crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the cooked spaghetti and add to the bowl, along with the guanciale, reserved fat, grated cheese, and a very generous amount of black pepper and toss until fully incorporated. Add the reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce to the desired consistency. Season with more freshly ground black pepper, salt to taste, and grate additional cheese over the top. Serve immediately. Serves 4 generously.

Don't Speak

Since I've had laryngitis for the past few days you'd think that I could at least write a blog post...but you'd be wrong! I haven't been cooking OR going out to eat. I have nothing to say. Literally. But while I try to mend by ordering takeout and eating super spicy Thai soups like Tom Yum Goong, I figured that I could at least share my latest discovery: THE BEST COFFEE ON PLANET EARTH.

Macaron Cafe is an unassuming fabulous little place on a crappy block on West 36th street. (Actually I think there might be another location uptown too.) I discovered it when I needed to find some macarons for a photo shoot for work. Since my assistant and I trekked all the way over there from our office, we decided to treat ourselves to an iced coffee for the walk back. Now iced coffee may not be the best predictor of the quality of coffee, but it was outstanding nonetheless. And fully loaded. We were bouncing off the walls for the next 12 hours.

After that unexpected experience, I dragged another co-worker to Macaron Cafe after a recent photo shoot in the neighborhood. This time I ordered a cappuccino, and it was 5:00 pm. I thought that I should have some caffeine before my 3 hour wine class, naively thinking that my last experience with hyperactivity was a fluke. My friend had a sip, deemed it the best coffee she ever had, and agreed that she too would never sleep again when I called her after my class at 10:30 pm. Aha!

I'm not saying that this coffee is the best ever simply because of the caffeine. It's because of the flavor, the freshness, the preparation...total perfection. The heightened alertness is simply a by-product. By the way, Macaron Cafe sells macarons too and they are delish, and super cute. (Don't they look like adorable little hamburgers??) My current fave is the caramel fleur de sel. Can't wait until I get better to actually taste food again!

Photos from macaroncafe.com

Caramel Fleur de Sel


Cassis


Cappuccino

Toga(rashi) Party

Umm...Has anyone noticed that summer is basically over? How did that happen? I went to the beach once (well, pool actually), took a one week holiday and now it’s Labor Day. Practically. Since I’m a slacker who hasn’t been cooking at all this summer, I decided it was finally time to see what was happening at my local farmers' market.

Since I’ve been spending most of my time going out, most recently to one of my favorite local joints, Yakitori Totto with best buds Chad, Julie, and Sandro, I was looking for something quick and easy. The local Japanese eggplant looked the most promising, especially recalling the amazing miso glazed eggplant that I had just consumed at YT. Really I was just looking for a way to eat more Togarashi, a totally addictive spice blend. Shichimi tōgarashi (Japanese: 七味唐辛子, "seven flavor chili pepper") or shichimi, is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients, typically:

• coarsely ground red chili pepper (the main ingredient)
• ground sansho (Sichuan pepper)
• roasted orange peel
• black sesame seed
• white sesame seed
• ground ginger
• nori or aonori

It’s amazing on yakitori. Something about the spice blend and the grilled meats (and vegetables) is a great combo. You can buy it here or you can even make your own by blending equal parts of the above. (Some recipes include garlic, poppy seed, or hemp seed in place of one or more items listed).

But back to my eggplant...I didn’t have any miso so just did a pan sear with the togarashi and a soy/mirin glaze. It’s super easy and, although not as fab as the miso version, it's still the perfect vessel for eating more togarashi! Hello. My name is Tina, and I'm an addict.





Spicy Japanese Eggplant
(Adapted from Food & Wine)

1 1/2 pounds Japanese eggplants, cut crosswise about 1/2-inch thick
Togarashi, for sprinkling
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce

1. Lightly sprinkle the cut eggplant on both sides with togarashi. In a very large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons each of the canola oil until shimmering. Add the eggplant and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes.

2. Brush the eggplant with the remaining canola and sesame oil. Turn and cook until deeply browned on the bottom and tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the mirin and soy sauce to the skillet. Turn the eggplant and cook until glazed, 1 minute. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with more togarashi, and serve. Serves up to 4 as a side dish.

Bo Ssämified

Pork butt with sauces and bibb lettuce waiting to be bo ssämified.

Now that it's so freaking hot that I can barely stand to look at my stove let alone turn it on, I can happily rely on fellow cooking partner-in-crime, Chad, to offer his place (with central air!) to cook and hang out in or to host dinner parties. I think this past weekend was our tour de force.

We've been going to Momofuku Ssäm Bar for holiday and birthday dinners with the sole purpose of ordering the bo ssäm, a do-it-yourself pork wrap sandwich thang that you make from a whole slow roasted pork butt (AKA the pork shoulder/Boston butt/Boston roast/pork butt roast/pork shoulder Boston butt/Boston-style shoulder/Boston shoulder/Boston-style butt/fresh pork butt...) bibb lettuce, and an array of garnishes. It's AH-MAZING.


Going.

Going.

Gone.

Ginger Scallion Sauce.

Well, now that there is a Momofuku cookbook you can do it yourself. So we did! (Or if you are lazy, you can order your own Bo Ssäm to go.) It was more of a time suck that anything else. Fortunately the pork butt spends most of it's time unattended. It hangs out overnight in a rub of salt and sugar, then 6 hours in a 300˚F oven, then a quick blast of 500˚F to crisp the skin. (I don't own the cookbook so you'll have to buy your own for the actual recipes.) We also made the accompanying sauces (but bought the kimchi from Koreatown and left out the oysters). Oh wait, I just remembered that you can find a version of the brussels sprouts recipe at Food & Wine!


Brussels sprouts in their natural state.

Brussels sprouts Momofukified.

This is hands down my new favorite holiday meal, whatever the holiday. We were just hanging out with awesome friends from Savannah and NYC, but I would happily stuff myself if someone served it to me for Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving. Or next Tuesday night. Anyone?

The Art of Sabrage

Mmmm...wine.

Have you ever seen anyone saber a bottle of Champagne before (it's the noble art of sabrage to you Francophiles out there)? In person? Me neither. That was the WOWW moment at a food and wine event I attended last week at Bouley to help launch a new DVD series called The Everyday Guide to Wine. Towards the end of the night our host, Master of Wine Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, grabbed a jeroboam of Champagne and her trusty saber, and in one fell swoop sliced off the top of the bottle. It was pretty rad. Why don't I have a trusty saber??? Probably because sabering a bottle of Champagne can be really dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. By the way, a jeroboam is a 3 liter bottle of Champagne (aka a Double Magnum) or in layman's terms, a bottle containing the equivalent of 4 standard sized bottles of bubbly. In other words, it's a big ass bottle. Wait a second. Now that I think about it, we never actually drank from that giant bottle. Where did it go?!? Did the staff drink it? Maybe there wasn't actually anything in it. Hmmm...


Duck!

Anyhoo, The Teaching Company recently published this new educational DVD, a series of 24 half-hour lectures about wine, one of hundreds of courses available through The Great Courses. Looking through the syllabus, it's not unlike how my WSET advanced certification class at the International Wine Center was structured, but without the anxiety of a final exam or the price tag of a 16 week course. And you can go at your own pace, inviting friends over to "study" together.

The Teaching Company put on a great event at Bouley where, aside from the sabrage, we were treated to a four course food and wine tasting. I had never been to Bouley before so when I walked in, the vaulted ceilings made me feel like I was in a wine cave. It was the perfect venue.


The Cave aka Bouley.

The tasting evolved in typical fashion from light to full bodied wines, a Sauvignon Blanc to a Cabernet Sauvignon, paired with complimentary foods. You can see from the menu below what we tasted, in addition to roasted Long Island duckling with spring garlic and almond broth which was paired with the Pinot Noir, and a 2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon which was paired with a dry aged prime beef, glazed bone marrow, and red wine sweet onions (both dishes cut off from my menu photo). Delish. Everything was delish.


The tasting menu...at least part of it.


Last bite of the skate. The fish, not the winter sporting good.

I'll never be able to cook like David Bouley or be a super taster like Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, but I'm pretty confident that I could put together a decent meal with complimentary wines. At least I'm pretty sure my buds wouldn't say no if I invited them over for food and drink. And with The Everyday Guide to Wine I'll have a great point of reference for my future wine endeavors. But only wine endeavors that don't include a saber. For that I'll just have to stick to DVDs of Star Wars and light sabers.


Red red wiiiiiiine. Thank you, UB40. That song will never leave my head.