< all recipes Brining Tutorial Brining will be the end of dry chicken. I promise. I add this step ahead of any recipe, even a marinade. Try it and it will change your outlook on chicken forever. Brining Tutorial Serves: Ingredients ½ cup salt ½ cup sugar 6 cups water Print Preparation Whisk everything together in a pot and bring to a boil. Allow to cool, combine with chicken in a bowl, and put in the fridge. 2-3 hours for chicken pieces (but any amount of time here will do) 6-8 hours for a whole chicken overnight for a big turkey (think thanksgiving) Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Jambalaya w/ Chicken and Sausage This jambalaya is based on Chef Donald Link’s recipe, with some advice from a few New Orleanians as well as a tweak or two of my own. What I love about so many dishes from NOLA, such as jambalaya or gumbo, is that they are meant to feed a crowd. They are not meant to be a quick and easy meal for when company drops by but a premeditated meal that requires time, and planning – the cooking is often the focal point of the party itself and the end result a representation of the love and friendship shared around the dinner table. So plan your day around cooking, have a few friends come early to help (or at least to provide some wine and company), and invite the neighborhood. It is important to have all of your veggies chopped before starting to cook – this is called mise en place in culinary lingo, basically meaning having your things in place and ready to toss into the pot. Jambalaya w/ Chicken and Sausage Serves: serves 8-10 Ingredients 1 rotisserie chicken ½ lb smoked sausage (such as Andouille or Chorizo) ½ lb uncooked pork sausage (spicy or sweet, depending on heat preference) 3 celery stalks, diced 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced 2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 bunch scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced 2 medium onions, diced 1 tbl canola oil 2 tbl Cajun spice Mix 2 tsp salt 2 tsp dried oregano 2 tbl tomato paste 2 ½ cups long-grain brown rice CAJUN SPICE MIX 1 tbl cayenne pepper 1 tbl paprika 2 tsp ground black pepper 2 tbl chili powder 1 tsp garlic powder Print Preparation Shred the chicken, discard the skin, and put the bones into a large pot for stock. To make the stock: cover the bones with cold water, bring to a boil, and let simmer about 1 hour (this can all be done a day or two in advance).Strain out the solids and set the stock aside or in the fridge. You will need about 4½ cups of stock for this recipe. Get all your chopping mise en place ready: Cut the smoked sausage into bite-sized pieces and remove raw sausage from casing (if necessary). Dice the celery, bell peppers, jalapeños, garlic, scallion, and onion. Set all this aside so it is ready to add to the pot. Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add the sausage and sear until it starts to color, turning as necessary. Parts of the sausage will begin to stick to the pan, when there is a nice sausage-y coating stuck to the pan, pour in ¼ cup of the chicken stock and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom until it comes loose. Let this simmer gently until all of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the sausage to a plate (but leave the grease in the pan to sauté the vegetables in). Return the pot to med-high heat, add the diced onion, bell peppers, jalapeños, scallions, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until they start to stick to the pan, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup of the chicken stock and let this reduce until dry. Continue to cook until about 10 more minutes – adding a little stock if the veggies start to stick again. Add the spice mix, salt, oregano, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, for 10 more minutes, until things start to stick to the bottom again. Deglaze with another ¼ cup stock and reduce again until dry. Add the shredded chicken, sausage, rice, and stock – check the rice package for the liquid to rice ratio (it should be about 4 – 4 ½ cups). You want the mixture to have plenty of room so the rice will cook evenly. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat for about 45 minutes - taste the rice to make sure it is done. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

5 < Back Pantry Essentials Checklist A well-stocked pantry is every cook’s best friend, when you have busy work weeks that don’t allow time for grocery shopping, having these pantry essentials on hand means that a delicious and home-cooked meal can be whipped up in no time. Previous Next

kitchen guides Bread Baking Basics DIY Cake Bunting: Mother's Day Decorations How To Make Hearty Winter Soup Without a Recipe How To Scale A Recipe To Fit Your Cake Pan How to Make a Gingerbread House One Pot of Beans, Five Easy Dishes Organizing Your Spice Cabinet Pantry Essentials Checklist

< all recipes Toasted Meringue Almond Tea Cake The other weekend I invited some friends over to be guinea pigs for my first attempt at the sous vide machine my little bro had just given me for my birthday. I was so focused on what to cook, how to cook it, and what time to start (which is not easy when the cook time says 1-4 hours…) that I completely forgot about dessert! Luckily others were not so easily sidetracked – all it took was an offer to run out and buy something (the horror!) to get me back on my game. And lets just say this cake saved the dinner. The very nice farmers market steaks I had painstakingly selected were cooked so far past well done there was not a speck of red left in the meat. The best part about this cake, after the heavenly meringue-like crust, is its versatility. You can make it with any kind of nut and change up the fruit with the seasons. Im thinking it would also be a perfect as an Easter brunch item because its not super sweet and it is just as good if not better the next day which is always a big bonus in my book!! Toasted Meringue Almond Tea Cake Serves: 1 9" cake or tart Ingredients 8oz / 227g unsalted butter 1½ cups / 180g slivered almonds, toasted and cooled (or 1 cup almond meal) 2½ cup / 340g confectioners sugar ¾ cup / 90g cake flour 1 tsp / 3g kosher salt 8 egg whites fresh fruit of your choice for serving along with whipped cream Print Preparation Preheat the oven to 325˚F and lightly grease and line a 9" cake or tart pan. Brown the butter: in a small pot, set over med/high heat melt the butter and let it really bubble away until you start to see browned bits on the side of the pot. Let it go a bit further until it smells nutty and when you tip the pot its bottom is coated in browned bits as well. Let cool slightly. Using a food processor or mortar and pestle, grind almonds into a course flour consistency. Combine this with the rest of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg whites, making sure all of the dry ingredients are absorbed. Strain the browned butter and slowly add it to the bowl - slowly because it will slosh a bit and we don't want to waste any! Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway. Let cool and serve with fresh fruit and/or whipped cream Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Breakfast Bars (DIY Style) I am a bit of a cereal addict. I eat it dry or with milk and always a mixture of several different kinds. Growing up we always had a plethora of cereal choices – most were in the All-Bran / Grapenuts family, so when I moved into my own place I went a little overboard on the sugar cereals, Cinnamon Toast Crunch being a particular weakness. Having since reined it in, I gravitate towards Special K and Kashi that have a nice balance. These bars are great because you can tailor them to your personal preference and what you have on hand. The oats help to bind everything together but if you don’t have any, you could easily smash up some of the cereal. When making my own bars I used PB2, a product I have just recently discovered and am obsessed with. The oil has been pressed out of roasted peanuts, leaving a powder that has all the taste of peanut butter but almost half the calories! It also has about the same amount of protein per serving. Amazing. Breakfast Bars (DIY Style) Serves: 8 bars Ingredients 2 cups cereal – I used 1 cup of Special K and 1 cup of Multi-Grain Cheerios but you can pick your favorites. I think something like Kashi Go Lean would be great for on the go since it is packed with protein and has a nice crunch to it. ½ cup oats ½ cup dried fruit ½ cup nuts ½ cup honey ½ cup peanut butter or any other nut butter ½ tsp salt (if using salted nuts, dont add salt) Print Preparation Line an 8” square cake pan with parchment paper (or if you are like me and don’t have a square cake pan, be creative! I used a square-ish Tupperware container). Spray parchment with oil and set aside. Combine cereal, oats, nuts and dried fruit in a medium-sized bowl, tossing to evenly distribute everything. In a small pot over medium heat, combine the honey and nut butter of choice. While it is heating up whisk the two together until smooth. You just want to warm up the honey to thin it out a bit so when you start to see some bubbles around the sides, turn off the heat. Pour over the cereal and with a spatula, toss everything until all of the dry ingredients are evenly coated. Spread into prepared pan, fold excess parchment over top and press firmly to flatten. Refrigerate for at least an hour, until set. Cut into whatever size and shape you would like! Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Chocolate Swirl Meringues Meringue has gotten a bad rap for being unnecessarily complicated to make, something only French pastry masters would dare to attempt, and the ones you often find in stores taste like chalk. These meringues will convince you otherwise. The swirls of chocolate are not only beautiful but they also help make these meringues super moist and just a little bit decadent. Chocolate Swirl Meringues Serves: 8-10 meringues Ingredients 3 egg whites 1 ½ cups granulated sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp white vinegar 2 tbl espresso (optional) 2 ½ oz dark chocolate Print Preparation Preheat oven to 250˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Once melted, add the espresso and remove from heat. Put egg whites into bowl of electric stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed until frothy. With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar, then vanilla and vinegar. Whisk until stiff peaks form and the meringue looks glossy (about 2 minutes). Fold in melted chocolate – do not mix too much so you keep those beautiful swirls. Spoon golf ball-sized dollops onto prepared baking sheets. Put the meringues into the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 225˚F. Bake for 1 hour or until meringues no longer stick to parchment. Turn the oven off and leave meringues in another 20 minutes then let them cool on a wire rack. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Homemade Marshmallows A homemade marshmallow should not be considered within the same food realm as its store-bought counterpart - which, don't get me wrong, I love as much as the next nostalgic camper, but imagine a world in which a marshmallow did not need to be scorched by bonfire in order to taste like a marshmallow. I can't believe I am actually saying this, but a homemade marshmallow does not even need to be s'mored... but if you have a kitchen torch, it cant hurt to bring a little bit of summer into these cold and dreary winter days. A big bowl of hot chocolate pairs nicely too. Homemade Marshmallows Serves: 25 2in squares (aka a lot of marshmallows) Ingredients 4 envelopes powdered gelatin 1 cup icy cold water 3 cups sugar 1 cup honey ½ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp cinnamon for dusting: 1 cup confectioners sugar ½ cup cornstarch Print Preparation Line a 13x9 inch rimmed sheet pan, letting excess parchment hang over long edges, spray very lightly with cooking spray and set aside. Whisk gelatin and cold water together in the bowl of an electric mixer (have the whisk attachment ready). Combine sugar, honey and 1 cup of warm water in a medium pot, mixing thoroughly in order to get all of the sugar wet. Boil sugar over high heat (without stirring) until it reaches 235˚F on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Pour sugar into gelatin with mixer on low. Raise the speed carefully and whisk on medium/high until glossy white and the bottom of the bowl is warm but not hot, about 10-12 minutes. Add salt and cinnamon and whisk just to incorporate. Spread mixture into pan, fold parchment over top and let set, at room temperature, overnight. Remove from pan: Combine confectioners sugar and cornstarch. Use a sieve to generously dust top of marshmallows and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into squares with a knife or use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes. Toss each piece in sugar/cornstarch mixture (tapping to remove excess). Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< 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? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Miso Black Cod This dish has always been my favorite restaurant indulgence. I don't eat out all that often, so when I do, I try to have something I could not make at home - and until now, I assumed Miso Black Cod was in that category. I was inspired to give it a whirl after receiving my weekly Goop email - usually containing scraps of the high-life, graciously passed down from Gwenyth herself. Her recipes are great for inspiration but i find them slightly pretentious and highfalutin for a layman such as myself. I always end up feeling slightly worse about myself and my commitment to whatever wacky health food trend is in vogue - for example, her recipe calls for nama shoyu with no explanation of what that might be...it is unpasteurized soy sauce in case you were wondering, a common ingredient in raw food cuisine. If you happen to have nama shoyu in your pantry, please feel free to use it. I used soy sauce. This is one of the easiest recipes I have ever made, the only thing required is planning ahead so that the fish can marinate for 24-36 hours. I let it sit 24 hours and it was flaky and delicious, but I think with 36 hours it would have only gotten better. The active prep time is about 10 minutes. It doesn't get any easier than that. Miso Black Cod Serves: 4 servings Ingredients 1 lb black cod, cut into 4 fillets ¼ cup mirin (or white wine) ¼ cup soy sauce 1 tbl maple syrup (can use agave, honey, or brown sugar) ½ cup shiro (white) miso paste 1 tbl safflower oil (or other oil with a high burn temperature: canola, grapeseed, etc) Print Preparation Place fillets into a container (with a lid) that is just big enough to fit the fish if possible. In a small pot, combine mirin, soy sauce, and maple syrup. Cook until just bubbling at the sides, turn off the heat and stir in the miso paste. Let cool completely. Set aside ¼ - ½ cup of the marinade to use as a sauce later, refrigerate. Pour the rest of the marinade over the fish. The fillets do not have to be completely submerged but make sure they are fully coated. Refrigerate 24-36 hours, flipping the fillets halfway through. Preheat the oven to 400°F and start to warm the reserved marinade in a small pot, stirring occasionally. Remove the fish from the fridge and scrape off the marinade. Heat oil in an oven-safe sauté pan until almost smoking (just get it really hot). Sear the fillets 1-2 minutes on first side, until a dark caramelized brown, flip over and put the pan into the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes and serve hot with reserved marinade. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

3 < Back DIY Cake Bunting: Mother's Day Decorations I love this new style of cake decorating because it is so versatile. It can say whatever you want it to say (simply print out your own stencil) and while I guess it is meant for cakes, it can make almost anything just that much more special – from a cake to a terrarium. So, watch my super nerdy video, have yourself a nice little crafternoon and tell Yo Mama you love her. Here are some ideas of what to dress up with your DIY Cake Bunting: Funfetti Cake – the obvious choice for any celebration Breakfast in Bed – Oatmeal Raisin Scones , Fig & Mascarpone Scones , or Lemon & Rosemary Scones – clearly I have a thing for scones (don’t you?) A Terrarium from Adore in NYC – I can’t keep one alive to save my life but your Mom kept you alive so… Vacherin – one of my Mom’s signature desserts that once warm weather comes I get as much as I can Cake Bunting Tools: color paper – a thicker construction or craft paper is best pretty string – really anything works here, I like a natural twine with a fancy metallic swirl two skewers (or something similar) exacto knife or scissors – i like the exacto knife to get those pesky center cutouts but its not like i am creating a masterpiece so scissors would probably get the job done cutting matt or thick cardboard – apparently the cutting matts you get at art supply stores are “self healing” – I mean that is crazy! why can’t I be self healing!!? stencil printout – find a type you like that is bold and pretty – go wild! Previous Next

< all recipes Homemade Pop Tarts What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with these buttery little bundles of love - and since it is on a Saturday this year, a Pop Tart breakfast in bed sounds about right. I got a little excited about all of the possible fillings (as you can see below). I mean I actually bought marshmallow fluff (which was tasty but oozed out of the tarts just fyi - not to mention had me bouncing off the walls for hours). Tip: Pipe thicker fillings like fluff, peanut butter or cream cheese. If you don't have those triangular piping bags, put filling into a small ziploc bag, cut the very tip off one corner and go wild! Also, put less fluff than I did above - it is hard to squeeze out less than that but maybe do a few dots of fluff or try mini marshmallows. These are so perfect for a special breakfast because you can make the dough a few days in advance (like this weekend), roll and fill them the day before and voila!! the next morning all you have to do is preheat the oven! Homemade Pop Tarts Serves: 14-16 pop tarts Ingredients 1 1/2 cups flour 1/3 cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp salt 1 tbl sugar 8 oz butter, cold and cubed 1 egg 3 tbl milk GLAZE 1 egg (for egg wash) 2 cups confectioners sugar 3-4 tbl milk Print Preparation Make the pastry dough: combine dry ingredients. Using a mixer with paddle attachment or your hands, work cold cubed butter into flour until about the size of peas (and all the flour has been moistened). Whisk egg into milk, add to flour/butter, and mix just until everything comes together. Shape into a flattened rectangle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 5 days). Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Let dough sit at room temp for 15-20 minutes while you prepare your choice of fillings. Roll out half of the dough to about 1/8 inch. Cut 2x3in rectangles (or other desired shape) and place on prepared baking sheets. Roll out the rest of the dough and cut out matching shapes. You can reroll the scraps once if desired. Use a fork to poke holes into all of the cut out shapes. Fill half with whatever fillings you like. Brush bottom side of remaining dough with egg wash and lay on top of filled pieces. Press edges gently with a fork to seal and brush tarts with egg wash. At this point you can refrigerate the pop tarts overnight or freeze up to a month. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until golden brown. Make glaze: whisk together confectioners sugar and milk. Allow pop tarts to cool completely before decorating with glaze and sprinkles (optional). Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast