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< all recipes Falafel w/ Tahini Yogurt One of the more deliciously healthy things i've made lately. I was inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe in his cookbook, Jerusalem - which I find myself leafing through quite often, mesmerized by the pictures, my stomach growling by the end. I chose not to fry the falafel really out of laziness. There is not much I hate more than frying, grease splattering everywhere (so right there I am already going to have to clean my stovetop as well) and it has to be done last minute. I prefer recipes that allow me to get the kitchen in order before I put myself into a food coma. Falafel w/ Tahini Yogurt Serves: 12 falafel Ingredients For the Falafel: 3 cups cooked chickpeas (2 15oz cans), drained and rinsed 1 yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped ¼ cup fresh parsley ¼ cup fresh cilantro ½ tsp cayenne pepper 1½ tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander ½ tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp kosher salt ¼ cup flour (feel free to try chickpea flour here, especially if you want to keep it gluten free) For the Tahini Yogurt: ¼ cup tahini paste ¾ cup plain greek yogurt 1 clove of garlic, minced ½ cup water juice of 1 lemon salt and pepper Serve with pita or naan, pickled red onion, leafy greens Print Preparation Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Combine all of the falafel ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not quite a paste. Form into patties – use a ¼ cup measure and gently press into a patty. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick pan and sauté falafel 3-4 minutes on either side, until golden brown – don’t crowd them in the pan, it will probably take two batches. Place onto a cookie sheet and sauté the second batch if necessary.* Finish cooking the falafel in the oven – about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the tahini yogurt: combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together (be patient here and whisk slowly or you will end up with lemon juice all over the place). Notes *you can freeze the patties at this point – freeze in a single layer, not touching and once frozen place in a ziploc bag. Thaw in fridge or on counter and cook in 400˚F oven for 20 minutes. Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Dark Chocolate Walnut Biscotti The first time I made these it was in a batch about 10 times as big (I could literally sit inside the bowl i was mixing in). It was my first solo task at my first restaurant job. I think I held my breath the entire time...which is a long time when you are cracking 60 eggs! The dough came out perfectly and I was finally taking deep breaths again as i rolled the mixing bowl back over to my work station. What the other pastry girls had forgotten to tell me (intentionally or not is still unclear) was that one of the wheels did not work and there was a drain directly in my path...a deadly combo. The wheel caught, the giant bowl keeled over, I slipped trying to stop the inevitable and biscotti dough went flying. Not one of my finer moments. I am not usually a biscotti lover but these defy the rules of crack-your-teeth, soak-in-your-coffee, ambiguously-kinda-almondy-flavored cookie. But if biscotti made sugary sweet love to a fudgy brownie...this would be the glorious bastard child. Dark Chocolate Walnut Biscotti Serves: about 40 biscotti Ingredients 3½ cups / 360g walnuts, roughly chopped 3½ cups / 420g all-purpose flour 1½ cups / 120g unsweetened coco powder 2 cups / 425g dark brown sugar (firmly packed) ¾ cup / 150g granulated sugar 8oz / 257g unsalted butter, cold and cubef 1 tsp / 4g baking soda 1 tsp kosher salt 6 eggs 1 ½ tbl coffee extract (coffee or espresso work great also) 2 tsp vanilla extract 8oz super dark chocolate, chopped into chip-sized pieces (you can use chips here but I often find the flavor of dark chocolate to be better in bars). Print Preparation Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toast the walnuts and let cool completely. Combine the flour, coco powder, both sugars, baking soda and salt the the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cut butter into cubes, add to the dry ingredients and mix on low until butter is roughly the size of peas (about 5 minutes). Add coffee and vanilla to eggs, whisk just to break up yolks. Pour slowly into rest of the ingredients with mixer on low. Add walnuts and chocolate and mix just until combined. Flour counter generously and divide dough in two, dusting top with more flour – the dough is going to be very sticky! Roll into logs and place onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 30-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, let cool completely. Preheat oven to 250˚F. Slice biscotti as thinly as possible and place back on baking sheet (you will probably need two sheets lined with parchment). Bake for 30 minutes, turn oven off and let biscotti dry out over night. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Previous Next hungry for more?

< Back How to Make a Gingerbread House I have made a gingerbread house almost every year since I was about 10, and every year at some point during the process I have a minor meltdown and think “why the heck did i put myself through this again!!?” as my candy-laden roof begins to buckle under the weight. I seem incapable of taking this annual activity lightly and its only getting worse, but in my defense that first gingerbread house I made with my Mom and Grandma was a Martha Stewart castle (i wish i had a picture but i think you can imagine what we are talkin’ about here) so the bar was set pretty high. No more pre-baked kits, gumdrop landscaping or randomly placed marshmallows (see below). Amateur hour was over. This year I was quite ambitious in my attempt to recreate the Ghostbusters firehouse (which I walk by almost daily) in addition to a row of townhouses and an intricate brownstone – the meltdown was inevitable. But one deep breath in of that molassesy spice-filled aroma reminded me that there is really nothing better than making gingerbread while listening dancing to Mariah’s christmas album (or just this song on repeat). So it is in the interest of spreading holiday cheer that I have compiled a how-to guide with the recipes and tools you will need, links to templates or tips on making your own, as well as all of the things I have learned over the years. I hope you are inspired to make your own gingerbread wonderland! TOOLS most are pretty standard items that you probably already have, some are less common so I have gone over those in more detail below (with links to where you can get them). Rolling Rings : a genius invention that take the guesswork out of just how thick 1/16 of an inch really is aaaand all of your dough will come out exactly the same thickness!! Trust me, once you have these you will not know how you lived without them. Stencils : i have an old school Martha set that is probably 20 years old but these days you can find a million different designs online. You can also make them yourself quite easily with an exacto knife – I would only recommend keeping it simple and remember to measure twice and cut once. Piping bags & tips : i like to use these disposable piping bags so I can have multiple colors of icing going at once – as for the tips, they are not necessarily essential if you are just using the royal icing as a glue to stick things on the gingerbread but if you want some decorative flourishes I would highly recommend having a few, like these that come with a coupler (that white thing next to the tips) which allows you to switch tips without having to change bags or take all the icing out of the one your are using. Another “how did I ever live without this” kind of item. TEMPLATES/STENCILS These days it might be harder to find a physical template kit at a craft store than it is to download and print one but before you head out there into the great big interwebs abyss, here are a few recommendations based on my experience: If making your own template, keep it simple and make it obvious which piece is which – I made the sides similar to but not exactly the same size as the front/back and when it came time to assemble I used the back on the side so my whole firehouse was wonky (and the roof did not fit!) – you dont want this to happen after all the work you put in. Trust me. When it comes to finding a template online or at a craft store, just keep it simple!! Like this one or here are some of Martha’s simpler designs. Don’t try to do too much at once – use the same template for a few houses and just decorate them differently because having multiple templates creates a lot of different pieces that have to fit in a lot of different places and it is almost impossible to keep everything straight. THE DOUGH Every year at the end of our Christmas party, the (slightly over-served) hoards descend upon my beautiful creation and devour anything their teeth will sink into. This year, as a defensive strategy, I made the houses out of dough that was technically “edible” but is meant to withstand such natural disasters (and will likely crack the tooth of anyone who does not heed my warning). So even after the party, my house is still standing but I realized eating it is half the fun and a much more fitting destruction than sliding into the trash come february. So the recipe below is back to my tried-and-true tasty gingerbread dough (which is also perfect for holiday sugar cookies ). GINGERBREAD HOUSE DOUGH Yield: 1 small house INGREDIENTS 8 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature ¾ cup sugar ½ cup honey or molasses (or a mixture of the two) 3 eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ⅛ tsp ground cloves ⅛ tsp ground allspice ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp kosher salt INSTRUCTIONS Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the honey or molasses and beat again until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each and scraping the sides of the bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Divide dough into three discs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (and up to several days).Preheat oven to 350˚F. Roll dough out between two sheets of parchment paper to about ⅛ inch (using your rolling rings), chill in the fridge again until firm, about 15 minutes. Cut out as many pieces from each rolled sheet as possible, placing these on a parchment lined baking sheet and setting aside scraps to reroll. Bake pieces for 15-20 minutes, until edges are golden brown and center looks completely set. ROYAL ICING I still find it amazing just how rock hard this stuff gets. I like to make a lot, usually starting with 2x the recipe so my creativity is not constrained while decorating – well actually its because despite my perfect plan things get wonky so having some extra icing to fill in those gaps is key. The recipe makes a thick icing (like the pic above) that is best for glueing parts together as it will harden fastest. Coloring the icing – gel food color is best because it does not affect the consistency of the icing as much and it gives you more vibrant colors. Consistency – as i said before, keep the icing thick for glueing the house together but to prevent major hand cramping i suggest thinning the icing out just a bit. To do this add ** 1/2 – 3/4 tsp of water per 1 cup of icing ** – that is teaspoons people, we are talking a very small amount of water. I like to actually spoon the water using a 1/2 tsp measure and mix with a spatula before adding more. Storing – while using always keep icing covered with a damp cloth and plastic wrap. For storing overnight – if it is already in a pastry bag, no need to take it out just put the whole thing in a sealed plastic bag – or for the stuff still in the mixing bowl, put in an airtight tupperware container. ROYAL ICING RECIPE Yield: about 5 cups INGREDIENTS 6 tbl meringue powder (or dried egg whites) ¾ cup warm water 2 lbs (2 boxes) confectioners sugar INSTRUCTIONS In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the meringue powder and warm water and whisk by hand just to break up any clumps. Let this sit 1-2 minutes. Using the paddle attachment, begin beating the water/meringue powder on slowest speed. Gradually add the confectioners sugar, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Once all of the sugar has been added, increase the speed to med-high and beat for two minutes - the icing should whiten in color and thicken. Color the icing while it is nice and thick in small batches then thin it out as necessary for decorating. CONSTRUCTION Facade and roof decorations should be completely dry before starting to build. Build on a sturdy piece of cardboard or plastic. Start with the front and side wall – pipe along the bottom of the two walls and along the edges where they will connect – let these set a minute before moving on and repeating the process. Allow walls to fully set before adding the roof – for a big roof i would recommend overnight, for something smaller like these townhouses I think an hour or two should be ok. DECORATION Trees: I used a set of star cookie cutters and stacked them on top of each other from biggest to smallest. I love how they turned out (thanks to my Mom for these beauties!!). Oh and the tree toppers are cupcake toppers which you can find pretty much anywhere these days (i think mine are from amazon) – or make your own with some glittery paper and a toothpick! Sprinkles are a great addition to any gingerbread house – if you are in nyc i recommend checking out this place , if not amazon is always an excellent choice. Candy is a great way to add different colors and textures, my only advice is to go easy on the roof, especially if slanted. Previous Next

< all recipes Banana Cake w/ Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting I usually have mixed emotions about Valentine’s Day. Yes, it is a lovely idea to celebrate love and all that but why do I have to do it on a particular day, in a particular way and with every other couple in nyc trying to have the most romantical evening over drawn out and outrageously over priced love-themed tasting menu. There are almost always flowers which, if we are being honest here, stress me out. First, a really beautiful bouquet is not cheap and was mostly likely flown in from halfway across the world (we will save that whole discussion for a rainy day). But what I really stress about is having so few precious moments with my flowers and not being able to appreciate them fully. So, because I am slightly neurotic, I end up carrying the vase around the apartment, from bedside table, to desk, to kitchen – to be able to soak up all that flowery beauty at every possible moment. In spite of such devotion, I inevitably forget to refresh the poor plant’s water, completely oblivious to its desperate cries until that smell sets in – it is slightly musty, like a damp trail through the woods, but mostly it is just rot and decay. Sooo. Yeah. I thought you should all know just in case you were hoping I would plant sit your ficus over the long weekend. BUUUUUUT the other, non-debbie downer, pastry chef side of me gets pretty darn excited about the over-the-topness of it all. Mostly because it means I get to bring out my extensive sprinkle collection and have some serious fun. The little hearts are made of marzipan and are stupid easy to make I don’t know why I ever made a cake without them. All the necessary deets are outlined at the end of the post. What makes this banana cake unique is how sturdy it is – most recipes I have made are way to delicate to layer and dry out so fast. This recipe is more like a banana bread all gussied up for Valentine’s Day. And the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting is unbelievably good – the nuttiness of brown butter gives great depth of flavor without overpowering that cream cheesy goodness. How To Scale a Recipe – Knowing how to scale a recipe is an extremely handy thing when it comes to baking. It is something I am asked about constantly so I have put together a visual guide on scaling a recipe based on pan size – I mean how often do you have your heart set on making a cake only to realize you need the one pan size you don’t own!? Given my teeny-tiny nyc apt, that happens to me all the time. Below is just a teaser because the real deal is quite large and so I have given it a permanent home page that you can find in the “ kitchen guide ” tab up top (or just click the image!). Happy scaling!! If you want to make the hearts: Marzipan Hearts Ingredients marzipan gel food color ziploc parchment paper rolling pin heart-shaped cookie cutters (or whatever shape you want!) Instructions Divide marzipan into the number of colors you are going to make. Put one piece into a large ziploc with a few drops of gel color and knead the color into the marzipan. Add more color as needed. Between two sheets of parchment, roll marzipan to about ¼ - ⅛ of an inch thick. Cut out as many shapes as you can and reroll the marzipan. Repeat with other pieces and colors. Allow marzipan shapes to dry out overnight or a few days for best results. Banana Cake w/ Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Serves: 2 6" cakes Ingredients For the Cake: 5 oz (136g) unsalted butter, at room temp 1¼ cups (240g) granulated sugar 3 (192g) eggs 3 (270g) very ripe bananas, mashed 2 cups (270g) cake flour, sifted ½ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¾ cup (180g) buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla extract For the Frosting: 8 oz (227g) unsalted butter, at room temp 16 oz (454g) cream cheese, at room temp 1 lb (454g) confectioner's sugar, sifted ¼ cup (56g) heavy cream pinch of salt 1 tsp vanilla extract (leave out if you want whiter icing) Print Preparation To Make the Cake: Preheat the oven to 325˚F, grease and line two 6" cake pans. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the bananas and mix just to combine - the batter will look like it has separated but don't worry. In a separate bowl, sift together cake flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Mix just until incorporated. Divide batter between the two cake pans and bake 30-40 minutes, rotating halfway through and testing the cakes towards the end. Allow cakes to cool completely before doing any trimming or icing. To Make the Frosting: Place butter in a small pot set over medium heat. It will pretty quickly start to make a lot of noise (this is ok). Let it boil rapidly until you start to see brown bits around the sides and the butter starts to smell slightly nutty (about 5 minutes). Strain the butter and let cool to a room temp solid form (about 30min-1hr but you can do this several days in advance and keep the butter in the fridge until ready to bring to room temp). Cream brown butter and cream cheese in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Turn the speed down and slowly add the sifted confectioners sugar, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Once all the sugar is in, turn the speed back up to medium and beat until fluffy and a little glossy (3-4 minutes). Finally add the cream, vanilla and salt. Beat to combine. Notes The frosting recipe is generous for 6" cakes, you will likely have some left over - it should definitely cover and 8" cake but bigger than that I would start to increase the recipe (or have ingredient to make more if needed!). The frosting will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days or 6 months in the freezer. Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes PB & J Ice Cream Sandwiches I ended up at this delectable ice cream sandwich recipe because despite my best efforts to hide it, in my heart i am still a pudgy butterball tween…rockin JNCOs and Steve Maddens. Good times. The idea started with a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies (aka the “healthy person’s cookie”) but since it has been hot as you-know-what this week, ice cream just seemed like a necessary addition. I feel like the rest is pretty self explanatory and I don’t have much else to say except that these are just outta this world – full disclosure, as soon as I took the above pic, that sucker was in my belly (and on my face). Ice cream sandwiches are always a bit messy so I might recommend eating these al fresco, perhaps in a bathing suit – i mean its essentially a pb&j so its toooootally acceptable as an afternoon snack by the pool. Right? I have to give a shoutout here my photography and sandwich assembly assistant because taking pictures of very melty things in 90+ heat with a nice camera is just a bad idea by yourself. Thanks Mom!! You’re the best summer intern I’ve ever had ;) PB & J Ice Cream Sandwiches Serves: 16 cookies / 8 sandwiches Ingredients Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies 4oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp 1½ cups creamy peanut butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 egg ⅓ cup maple syrup 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp baking soda 3 cups rolled oats for the sandwiches 2 pints raspberry sorbet (Talenti is my personal favorite) or 2 pints vanilla and some jam Print Preparation Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, maple syrup and vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until fully incorporated. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda and add to the batter, mixing just until combined. Add the oats and again mix just until combined. Scoop cookies onto prepared baking sheet - the size here is really up to you, they wont spread much but i recommend pressing them pretty flat. Bake 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Meanwhile prepare the sorbet/ice cream. Scoop ice cream onto a parchment lined sheet (one that will fit in the freezer so be creative if you don't have a mini sheet pan). Using another piece of parchment or plastic wrap, press the scoops to flatten - you want them about the size of your cookies. Freeze until ready to assemble. To assemble: Once cookies have cooled completely, place an ice cream disc onto half of the cookies and press another on top - if you are going with vanilla ice cream spoon a little jam on top before putting on the top cookie. Serve immediately or freeze until ready (i dont recommend longer than a few hours, you dont want people breaking their teeth on the cookies!). Notes Make Ahead Tips:Make the cookies days or weeks in advance (even months!!), scoop the dough onto parchment as if you were about to bake them and put in the freezer - once frozen toss em into a ziploc! No thawing necessary but they might take a minute or two longer to cook.Scoop and flatten ice cream days in advance as well, you can put the discs in a ziploc too but separate each with some parchment.Cookie dough will keep 6 months in the freezer and baked cookies will keep several days in an airtight container at room temp. Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Bagna Cauda This past Christmas Chris and I gave my sister and her hubs a wine tasting class at Eataly. We strategically gave them 4 tickets, insisting they take whomever they wanted…luckily they chose us! This class ended up being quite a momentous occasion for me for two reasons. First, I had thought I was allergic to wine (after a few bad experiences in college) but decided it was about time to give it another try and I loved it! Perhaps I was never allergic or maybe it was just wine from a box that didn’t sit so well. Second, I thought I did not like anchovies but after devouring the salad paired with the first wine (actually a champagne-style wine called Contessa Rosa Alta Langa… which i highly recommend) I looked at the recipe in our handouts and sure enough the dressing had anchovy! I will admit I still find them kind of gross when whole but the beauty of Bagna Cauda is that the anchovy cooks down to nothing, leaving its intense depth of flavor (aka umami). Bagna Cauda Serves: 1-1 1/2 cups Ingredients 4 tbl unsalted butter 1 cup olive oil 6 cloves garlic, minced 6 anchovy fillets, minced 1 cup parmesan, grated 2 tsp black pepper Print Preparation Heat the butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the minced garlic and anchovies. Cook until garlic becomes golden brown - garlic goes from perfectly golden to burned quite quickly so keep an eye on it. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in parmesan and pepper - It should not need salt because of the anchovies and parmesan so only add some if you have tasted it first. Serve warm drizzled over grilled vegetables or as a dip - which I like to serve over greek yogurt (like the picture) for better dip-ability. Notes If you are not into anchovies you can absolutely still make this - it might need a touch of sea salt added at the end to balance the flavors out. Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Pumpkin Spice Cake w/ Mascarpone Frosting Thanksgiving Menu Item #1. I am starting with dessert because it is the most important part of the meal. When you are so full and falling asleep from a tryptophan overdose, you need something so irresistible that people have no choice but to sacrifice their comfort for just one slice. Or if you are like me and just don't like pumpkin pie, this will become the new standard because it satisfies pumpkin pie lovers and haters alike - bringing everyone together in the true spirit of Thanksgiving. This recipe is a bit of a hybrid - I love pumpkin spice bread but it seems odd that something so seasonal is made with a canned product (forgive my farmers market pretentiousness here). So I took some inspiration from a cake we made at Locanda that Chef DeMasco made like a carrot cake, with fresh shredded squash - ok it might seem weird to use squash in a pumpkin cake but it has much less water content than pumpkin which allows it to moisten the cake without making it super soggy. I thought this was brilliant. Pumpkin Spice Cake w/ Mascarpone Frosting Serves: 2 9" cakes or 24 cupcakes Ingredients For the Cake 1 cup brown sugar for the cake: 1 cup sugar in the raw (or demerara sugar) 1 cup grapeseed oil (or other flavorless oil like safflower oil) 4 eggs 1½ tsp vanilla 1 cup sour cream ½ cup pumpkin puree 3 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp allspice 7 cups grated butternut squash (about 1 small butternut) - you will need a food processor with the grate attachment for the frosting: 1lb (2 cups) mascarpone, at room temperature 1 cup confectioners sugar 1 tsp vanilla for the candied pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds): ½ cup pepitas 2-3 tbl maple syrup ¼ cup sugar in the raw (or demerara sugar) a pinch of salt Print Preparation Make the Cakes: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease 2 9" cake pans and line each with parchment or line cupcake pan. In the largest bowl you have, whisk the sugars and oil together making sure all of the sugar is wet. Add the eggs and vanilla, whisking to fully incorporate (you don't need to beat this, you just want a uniform looking paste, no yolks or clumps of sugar). Mix in the sour cream and pumpkin puree. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Switching to a spatula, fold the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined, there can be a few streaks of flour still visible here as you will be giving it another mix in the next step. Fold in the grated butternut squash, getting it as evenly distributed as possible and pour batter into prepared pans. Bake cakes for 60-70 minutes (until knife or toothpick comes out clean), or bake cupcakes for 40 minutes. (keep oven on for pepitas if making). Make the Frosting: In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat mascarpone until light and fluffy – about 5 minutes on medium/high speed. With the mixer on its lowest speed, gradually add the confectioners sugar. Add the vanilla and scrape the sides of the bowl before increasing the speed and beating the frosting on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Make the Candied Pepitas: Combine pepitas with maple syrup, tossing to coat evenly. Mix in the sugar in the raw and pinch of salt. Spread this mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, making sure to get all the syrup and sugar stuck to the bowl. Bake for 10 minutes, stir and bake for another 5-7 minutes until bubbling sugar looks a bit dry. Frost the cakes and decorate with the candied pepitas. Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Easy Weeknight Veggies If I am having dinner by myself during the week there is nothing I love more than a plate piled high with roasted veggies. I know, it’s not normal. So I usually pair these with sautéed chicken and a tasty bread when others are joining me. With the leftovers, warm them up in the microwave, toss spinach with the dressing and add the warmed Brussels sprouts and sweet potato. I love adding warm things to spinach salad to wilt the spinach slightly. Feel free to add whatever else you have to the salad, such as toasted walnuts and dried cherries. Easy Weeknight Veggies Serves: 4 Servings Ingredients 16oz Brussels sprouts 2 sweet potatoes 2 tbl olive oil 1 tbl salt 2 tsp black pepper 2 tbl fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried) 2-3 tsp red pepper flakes Print Preparation Preheat oven to 450˚F. Cut ends off Brussels sprouts, slice in half, and set aside in a large bowl. Cube sweet potato and add to bowl, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Spread veggies out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, give a quick toss and roast another 10 minutes. Dressing (optional) 2 tbl balsamic glaze 2 tsp dijon mustard 3 tbl white wine vinegar Whisk ingredients together and toss with finished veggies or let people drizzle on their plate. Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Grilled Lemon Ricotta & Garden Greens Pizza The recipe really came together standing in my Dad’s garden with a colander full of freshly cut greens and while a big salad is always an excellent addition to any meal, I wanted to spice things up a bit (yes, this seems to be a recent problem i’ve been having). Since steak was on the menu and I usually make bread, i thought well heck why not make pizza dough and hang with the boys by the grill. While I of course recommend making pizza dough, I understand that it is summer and we all want to be playing outside so you can either get dough in the grocery freezer section or if the store has some tasty naan or flatbread by all means, go for it. It will still be scrumptious! Grilled Lemon Ricotta & Garden Greens Pizza Serves: 1 pizza Ingredients 1 recipe pizza dough* 2 cups whole milk ricotta 2 lemons, zest and juice ½ cup olive oil lots of fresh lettuce salt and pepper *You can also find pretty decent pizza dough in your grocery freezer section or to go the simplest route get some store-bought naan (whole foods sells a tasty one) and all you have to do is heat it up on the grill - i mean no judgements here, this recipe is really about easy fresh grilling. Pizza Dough 1 packet active dry yeast 1¼ cups lukewarm water 3 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup semolina flour (optional) 2 tsp kosher salt ¼ cup olive oil Print Preparation Heat your grill to its hottest setting. Divide pizza dough into 4-6 equal pieces depending on if you want individual pies or more of a crowd-pleasing appetizer size. Roll them out and cover with a towel to rest for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the toppings. Add the zest of both lemons to the ricotta as well as the juice from one of the lemons and season with salt and pepper. Whisk the juice of the other lemon with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and use this to dress your garden greens (you might not need all of it). Add a touch more olive oil into the used dressing bowl - this will be for brushing the pizza dough. Brush one side of dough with olive oil and place that side onto the grill. Brush the top side quickly and close the grill. Let cook 2 minutes and flip once the dough has some nice grill marks. Cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Let cool slightly. Top pizzas with ricotta and dressed greens. Enjoy promptly! Pizza Dough Instructions Whisk the water and yeast together in the bowl of a mixer and let sit a minute. Add the flour, salt and olive oil and mix on low speed until it starts to look shaggy. Stop the mixer and pinch some of the dough - if it feels soft and moist it is on the right track, if it feels wet add a few tablespoons of flour at a time to get right consistency, if it feels dry and/or tight add a tablespoon of water at a time. Continue mixing on low-medium speed until the dough looks smooth and forms a ball around the dough hook (3-5 minutes). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 1-2 hours - the warmer your kitchen the faster the dough will rise - I try and put it in the warmest spot, like away from the ac, but don't worry too much about it. If you do not have flexibility make the dough a day or two before and let rise in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Divide dough into desired number of pizzas. Roll each piece into a ball, let sit 20 minutes (if you can, it will be easier to roll out). Generously flour your work surface before rolling out using a rolling pin and gently stretching over the backs of your hands. Place rolled out pizzas on parchment, cover with plastic or a clean dish towel and let rest another 20 minutes. Follow cooking instructions of your particular recipe. Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Parmesan Broth The perfect antidote to the relentless winter weather. Not only is this stock incredibly flavorful but it will also make your apartment smell ridiculously good - which I particularly like because usually when I have been cooking all day, by the time Chris gets home any good smells have melded and morphed into someone else's elevator-landing dinner and before Chris can control himself his face contorts and an "ugh whats that smell" slips out. But not this time!! Victory is mine! The Parmesan rind is every chef's best kept secret - it imparts a depth of flavor that is savory and decadent and salty and sharp and so many other things we love. If you do not go through blocks of Parmesan on a regular basis you can either save the rinds as you go - placing them in a ziploc bag and keeping in the freezer until you have amassed a small collection - or Whole Foods sells packs of just rinds (or just ask at your store's cheese counter). Use this in place of chicken or vegetable broth. I will be putting it in the Ribollita I make tonight but I also think it would make this Mushroom Farro even more delicious (pardon the terrible photos in these old school recipes!! yikes!). Parmesan Broth Serves: approx 2-4 quarts Ingredients 5-6 Parmesan rinds 4-6 quarts of water lots of herbs shallots garlic cloves black pepper corns Print Preparation Place everything into a large pot, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for a few hours. Strain and cool. Store in the fridge or freezer. Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Lemon Cheesecake It has been quite a while since my last post and I have no excuse other than it is summer and sitting inside on a computer when not absolutely necessary just seems unnatural. But I could not let the entire summer pass without letting others in on my decadent cheesecake secret. This is the lightest and yet somehow creamiest cheesecake I have ever had (much less made). It is exactly what I want to end a perfect summer meal, the brightness of the lemon makes you feel a little less sinful having a second piece. It also goes perfectly with fresh summer fruit - any reason to eat another juicy peach before their painfully short season is over. This recipe does require some advanced planning because if you don't allow the cheesecake to fully set, you may find yourself serving it out of a bowl instead of from a cake platter (as I did earlier this summer...see below photo evidence). I was making the recipe for the second night in a row, a somewhat last minute impulse of a lazy saturday afternoon. As I cut into my beautiful masterpiece, half of the cake began a slow-motion landslide of creamy sludge, heading for the edge of the cake platter. I managed to get a bowl under it just as the rest of the cake gave way, oozing in every direction and causing a chaotic scramble to get every morsel off the counter and into a bowl. Let me just say, looks are not everything. Once I let my OCD horror go and took a few deep, cleansing breaths, I fully embraced the delicious disaster. I don't know if I would recommend this method of preparation but if you are pressed for time, it is still worth making... just have some bowls at the ready. Lemon Cheesecake Serves: 1 10" cheesecake Ingredients 8 tbl unsalted butter 10 oz graham crackers (about 18 whole crackers) 8 oz cream cheese (1 cup) 16 oz mascarpone cheese (2 cups) ½ cup sugar 4 eggs 2 lemons (zest and juice) 1 cup heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla extract Print Preparation Preheat oven to 350˚F and prepare the pan: wrap a 10inch spring-form cake pan with foil, using two pieces to make sure the sides and bottom are sealed. Melt the butter and crush graham crackers into a fine powder – you can do this in a food processor or by putting them into a Ziploc bag and smashing them with a rolling pin. Press butter and graham mixture into the bottom of the pan and place in the freezer to firm up while you prepare the rest of the cake. Beat the cream cheese, mascarpone, sugar, and zest of the two lemons in a mixer with the paddle attachment, until light a fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the lemon juice, cream, and vanilla very slowly, scraping down the sides to make sure everything is incorporated. Pour mixture over the graham crackers and set inside a larger roasting pan. Pour enough very hot water into the larger pan to come halfway up the side of the cheesecake and carefully place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour (until the center is just set – meaning it jiggles like jello when nudged and does not ripple like water). Turn the oven off and let the cake rest for another 30 minutes. Cool the cake in the fridge for several hours (at least 2), allowing it to set. Serve cool or at room temperature. Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Gazpacho Gazpacho is one of those things I have always loved in theory but every time I order it or try to make it, the result is inevitably one of two things: an unhealthy oily mess or glorified salsa. And yet I have maintained this dream of one day finding a gazpacho recipe that is delicious aaaaaand healthy – because lets be serious, there is nothing worse than thinking you are being sensible when you really should have just gone for the burger…ok there are probably worse things in the world but I am guessing you are not reading a post about gazpacho to hear about all the sh*t hitting the fan around the world (for that I recommend my favorite daily email that tells me what I need to know in current events so I am not a complete idiot living in my gazpacho-filled food bubble). Long story short, this gazpacho recipe is based on one from last weeks nytimes food section that ended up being too good to be true. It used only fresh tomatoes which is noble in principle but when they are pureed with lots of other things they do not pack enough punch – so I added some canned fire roasted whole tomatoes which perfectly boost that fresh tomato flavor. This also helps with the color – which in my nytimes version was somewhere between beige and peach in color. Not ideal. What makes this gazpacho recipe so much better than any other I have made is that, using very little oil, you are essentially emulsifying the whole thing, bringing all of the flavors together (unlike the previously mentioned salsa variety). Just make sure you have really ripe delicious red tomatoes – they are coming in fast and furious right now so get on it people!! Shout out to Farmer Bob (aka my Dad) for those ridiculously beautiful tomatoes pictured above! I promise to leave some for you to eat. Gazpacho Serves: 8-12 cups Ingredients 2 lbs red ripe tomatoes 1 large cucumber, peeled 2-3 New Mexico chiles (anaheim or other light green pepper) 1 small yellow onion 1 clove garlic 1 28oz can whole plum tomatoes (I like Muir Glen fire roasted) juice of 2 limes 1-2 tbl kosher salt (if using fine salt, start with half this amount) black pepper ½ cup extra virgin olive oil Print Preparation Puree everything except olive oil in a food processor or blender - let run a minute or two to really get it smooth. You will probably need to do this in two batches so just roughly divide everything in half. Once smooth, slowly drizzle olive oil into the mixer while it is running (again if doing in batches, divide olive oil as well). Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Chill for a few hours before serving. This keeps very nicely in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Serve with some avocado and crusty bread for dipping. Previous Next hungry for more?