Exquisite Snacks for an Incurable Epicure

Boat Street Pickles Pickled Figs – The tanginess of aged balsamic vinegar and sweetness of the figs complement one another perfectly. These are delicious with goat cheese, particularly Saint Maure.

Bella Cucina Artful Food Eggplant Pesto – This delicately prepared pesto is light, yet bursts with flavor with chunks of eggplant and hints of cumin.

Olivier & Co. Olive oil – Whether it is strong and full-bodied to dip in with freshly baked bread, mild and fragrant for cooking, or a basil-infused ambrosial variety to swirl in salad, Olivier & Co. offers a diverse assortment of smooth olive oils.

Cracklebred – these crispy and airy delights remind me of my childhood, when my mother would pack raspberry jam-filled ‘cracottes’ in my schoolbag. Although these are not filled like the ones I use to snack on, their wispy texture melts in my mouth and is so tasty when coated with my grandmother’s homemade raspberry jam (also good with Sarabeth’s strawberry & raspberry jam, or Nutella)

The Fine Cheese Co. wholemeal crackers are so unique and work with any robust cheese. Undertones of Parmesan in these thin hexagonal crackers make these must-haves at a wine and cheese party. Other delectable flavors are available too, including rosemary, oat, chive, charcoal, and natural.

|More

Pasta Lollapalooza Part 2

As promised, here I come bearing some terrific recipes I learned at my pasta-making class yesterday.
But first-off, I must say taking this class was so fun. I met really nice people and learned a lot, including how to make a chiffonade of mint, a julienne of prosciutto, the proper way to handle a Chef’s Knife (also called a French Knife), and most importantly, how to make pasta from scratch.
I was so nervous entering the professional kitchen. All the stainless steel heavy duty appliances are monstrously intimidating. It’s easy to cook in a home kitchen, but this is a whole different level of cooking. There are rules, regulations, and chef lingo to get around the kitchen free of wounds. I know, seems like a dangerous undertaking. And it is. It is important to be attentive to everything that surrounds you and what everyone is saying. However, once I tamed my anxiety, I was so eager to learn and get my hands dirty.


We tackled 4 different recipes in 4 hours. Well, in order to do that, we had to divide into groups. My curiosity, however, got me traveling from station to station. I was assigned to the 'Paglia e Fieno' team. 'Paglia e Fieno' translates to 'Straw and Hay'. It is a traditional Italian recipe that consists of mixing yellow and green (spinach) tagliatelle. I had to make the spinach dough. Let me tell you, it looked easy during the demo but it's a tough task (when it's your first time making it). Since spinach is so moist, it takes a lot of additional flour to knead and roll the perfect dough. I was working that dough for at least a half hour to get it just right. After that, I learned about shaping the dough, and took an hour to perfect my shaping skills with the pasta maker. I delicately cut the ultra-flattened dough into tagliatelle strips that we tossed in the 'Paglia e Fieno' sauce we prepared earlier. After completing this, I traveled to the 'Malfatti' station where everyone was learning how to make spinach and ricotta dumpling with an aromatic tomato sauce. I tried my hand at rolling a dumpling in a perfect mini egg shape. I then walked over to the 'Mezzalune' station. There, I was pleased to make half-moon ravioli with a delectable asparagus-leek filling.
Post-cooking and learning, we all gathered to eat our creations, while sipping on Italian wine and nibbling on baguette made by the 'bread' daytime students.
Please find below the recipe for the tasty culinary production I was assigned!

"Paglia e Fieno" Con Menta, Piselli e Prosciutto
Parma style "Stray and Hay" Tagliatelle with Mint. Peas, and Prosciutto
(recipe borrowed from Chef Jessica Botta)

Ingredients:
4 servings plain fresh Tagliatelle or Fettucine
4 servings spinach fresh Tagliatelle or Fettucine
Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
½ cup finely sliced shallot
1-2 sprigs of thyme
½ cup prosciutto, cut into short fat strips
1 cup cooked English peas, either fresh or frozen
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh mint leaves, cut into thin strips
Shaved mild pecorino cheese, to finish

Preparation:
Melt butter in a large skillet until foamy. Add thyme and swirl until fragrant. Add the shallot and cook until it softens and turns a light golden color.
Add chicken stock, salt & pepper, and cook until reduced.
Add heavy cream and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Cook the pasta in abundant well-salted boiling water.
Drain from the water and toss pasta in the sauce , adding some pasta cooking water or additional chicken stock if necessary.
Twirl pasta into bowls, and top with a mild pecorino cheese, freshly grated or shaved.

The French Culinary Institute
462 Broadway
New York, NY 10013-2618
(888) FCI-CHEF
(212) 219-8890

[images 1 and 3 borrowed from the International Culinary Center's photostream in Flickr]

|More

Spring Yogurt Salad

This salad is both refreshing and light. The red and green colors make it beautiful to serve in 'verrines' or stemless wine glasses as an appetizer.

2 cucumbers, diced
3 vine-ripe tomatoes, diced
2 cups wild arugula
1 plain yogurt (I use Icelandic yogurt Siggi's Skyr)
1-tablespoon olive oil
1-tablespoon Za'atar (Lebanese spice mix of dried thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds)


In a large bowl, mix diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and arugula. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, spices and olive oil. Add the latter to large bowl, and mix well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

|More

Marlow & Sons, Brooklyn

It's that time of year again - when a lukewarm breeze floats in the air once chilled with winter gloom. People leave their hibernating stance to greet spring with customary cheer; cooled after-work drinks on a quaint café patio, strolls on the Brooklyn Promenade, and perhaps a visit to the much-anticipated return of the Fort Greene Flea. My spring indulgence is shell food. I don’t know why, but as soon as it gets a little bit warmer, I start craving oysters or mussels.

As it hit 69 degrees (21º C) yesterday in New York City, a group of friends and I made our way to Williamsburg where we were to dine on oysters at Marlow & Sons. Although I had read great reviews of it, I must admit this place was even better than I expected! The décor lured me into summer thinking. Pastel blue faded walls and our chipped white picnic table made me long for seaside travel. The oysters were fresh and plump, and served with the traditional vinaigrette (red wine vinegar and shallots).

Oysters aside, this restaurant offers delicious fare. The small menu, supplemented by daily specials, offers the freshest local ingredients. One can choose from their daily selection of cheese and cured meats, to their pasta, fish, soup and salad specials. Recurrent menu items include the Coppa and Mozzarella, and Bagna Cauda (anchovy butter) paninis, the crostini, the chicken liver paté, and the potato tortilla.

The dessert must-have (no ifs, no buts), is the bread pudding with rum-raisin ice cream- a taste of warm, moist, and succulent heaven. The chocolate tart with caramel and sprinkled sea-salt is intoxicatingly rich and equally mouth-watering.

The bar offers a delightful variety of beer, wine, and cocktails. But if you’re picky about what you drink, there is an option to BYOB (with corking fee).

Marlow & Sons, 81 Broadway
Williamsburgh Brooklyn 11211
(718) 384-1441

|More

Pasta Lollapalooza Part 1

I registered for an amateur cooking class at the International Culinary Center in Soho today. I enrolled to take a 3-hour hands-on pasta-making class and I am psyched. The best part, I get to eat everything at the end! I will be learning the basic skills and techniques to mix, knead, and roll dough. Then, I get to cut it into various shapes and sizes, and create delectable fillings!

Hopefully, I can share some delicious new recipes next week :o)

|More

Book Review - Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for a Home by Kim Sunée

Kim Sunée is a gifted writer. Her recently released book Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for a Home is the poem she always sought to write—a poetic memoir of her search for a sense of belonging.

Adopted in Korea by a young American couple when she was three, she trekked the world to attempt to reconnect with her true identity. Her twenties are filled with wanderlust, going from New Orleans, France, Sweden, and back to France to follow a man who gives her everything she thought she wanted. However, Sunée never feels completely at ease and her passion for cooking enables her to find a home in the kitchen, where she can bring various flavors together, and cook a meal that brings people with the same purpose together.

Sunée’s heartbreaking and compelling journey into self-discovery magically depicts a hunger for love, food, and a home -all three seemingly insatiable. Many people will find a way to identify with her life questions, and thirst for movement.

Wihin the first few pages, you will find yourself knee-deep in her story, inhaling the different aromas and flavors so meticulously described. Recipes she shares throughout her book are tokens of her past, which have helped to shape her sense of self. Her experiences and travels inspired me to try my hand at a few of her mouthwatering recipes. The following is my personal favorite:

Orange Couscous Salad

1 (10-ounce) box medium-grain couscous
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
2 oranges
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaces
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 cup golden raisins, currants, or chopped dates

Bring water to a boil. Pour couscous in a large bowl and add water, stir, cover with plastic, and let steam 5 minutes or until couscous is tender. Fluff with fork. Stir in olive oil, salt, pepper, and onion. Let cool slightly.

Zest both oranges. Juice 1 of the oranges, remove white peel of second orange and chop. Add zest and chopped orange to couscous. Stir in parsley, mint, cucumber, and raisins. Cover and chill in refrigerator 1 hour and up to 2 days. Taste and rectify seasoning by adding more salt and pepper, olive oil, and juice before serving.

[image 2 borrowed allrecipes.com]

|More

Meyer Lemon-Zested Salmon with Tagliatelle Spring Vegetables

1 Meyer Lemon
½ lb. Wild Alaskan King Salmon
½ Zuchini
½ Summer Squash
1 medium-sized carrot
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the Salmon on a square piece of aluminum foil.
Take the spring vegetables and peel off outer layer. Then, using the peeler, grate thin but wide strips of each vegetable over the salmon.
With a zester, grate lemon peel and squeeze half of the lemon juice over other ingredients. Add salt and pepper and bake for ½ hour.

Delicious with a side of wild arugula sprinkled with white balsamic vinegar and argan or olive oil.

[Image thanks to Marionlon according to this license]

|More

'Not Exactly Roughing it'

I love getaways. After a few months hard-at-work, there’s nothing like an extended weekend to relax –um, scratch that – to decompress and have a little fun (that’s more like it!).
It was perhaps two months ago, when the idea of a ski trip was first tackled. We were at a local bar (Zombie Hut?) sipping on some winter drinks to warm us up from the chilling weather when our good friend, Michael mentioned his home in Beaver Creek, CO and extended an invitation for a long weekend getaway from the urban jungle. A couple spiced ciders later, dates were thrown about to escape to winter wonderland. I was beaming with excitement. I hadn’t skied in three years!


Two weeks and some spontaneous planning later, my sister, Michael, and I, Cranium in-hand, were off in the sky on our way to snowy Colorado peaks. Michael had also invited other friends of his dispersed everywhere in the US. We all met in the Denver airport upon our arrival. When we arrive in Beaver Creek, the beauty of the mountains immediately blows me away. I revel in the vast and boundless splendors I can gaze at through my bedroom window.
We wake up early the next morning. Michael cooks a delicious breakfast for all the guests (an amazing host!). We need all the energy we can get before we hit the slopes. We scarf down eggs, bacon, and toast, and 5 layers of clothes later, find ourselves en route for a fun-filled day – well that is, until we are at the top of the slopes and start growing icicles out of our noses. However, although the feeling of numbness in my hands and toes is VERY painful, I kind of like the defrosting phase. I.e.: relaxing at the Chop House sipping on some hot cocoa, and eating pie. Any excuse for keeping my blood warm and flowing!
The next three days are filled with skiing, fun, and games...
Here is a list of the things I loved about my trip to Colorado:
~ Family breakfasts
~Nighttime Cranium charades
~Free marshmallow-roasting at the Hyatt Hotel
~Free freshly baked chocolate chip cookies being passed around at the bottom of the slopes
~Spontaneous dance party
~Outdoor hot tub overlooking the mountains
~Skiing!
However, the best thing about the trip was the company. :o)







[images 3 and 4 courtesy of Brady Hahn]

|More

Vive les Crepes!

Here is a recipe for French Crepes:

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 cups milk (at least 1%)
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Whisk eggs with milk and add vanilla extract. Add sifted flour, while stirring everything into a smooth batter.
Oil a crepe pan and place it on medium heat on the stove. Pour one ladle of the batter onto the pan, making sure it covers the pan entirely with a very thin layer. Flip to other side when bottom is cooked enough that it peels off the pan easily (be careful not to overcook because the crepe with break).

Makes about 15 crepes.

My favorite toppings:

Nutella
Raspberry
Bananas & whipped cream
Salted butter
ham, grated Swiss cheese, and mushrooms (top crepe with these ingredients when it's still in the pan, then fold crepe in half before serving)

|More