The Small Boston Kitchen

For the Love of Food

2012-02-13T08:27:00.000-05:00

Just in case you missed it, last week I contributed a story to PBS's Food Site. When asked to write about the connection between love and food, I shared the story of how Richard and I met and what food has meant to us and our relationship. I also included a couple of recipes and pictures that I thought would be Valentine's Day appropriate (my Beet Risotto in particular, the color alone says love) If you're looking for some last minute inspiration, be sure to stop by their site for the full feature story!

Like the rest of the food loving population, I’ve always felt there is a very thin line between love and food. Heck, I even fell in love with my boyfriend over a burger. We met at a restaurant opening in Boston and through talking to him, I learned that he had a burger blog and had gone to culinary school, something that I was trying to get up the courage to do at the time. It wasn’t long after our initial meeting that we met for a burger. I fired away questions about culinary school, he talked about how well the meat was seasoned. We instantly hit it off and agreed to meet weekly for burgers. He listened to me go on about school and my transition from life in the corporate world to life in a chef’s coat, I listened to him gripe about brioche buns. Gradually our lunches started getting longer and the conversation turned more intense, but always with food as the focus.

To see the rest of my story and to get the recipes, please visit: http://www.pbs.org/food/features/valentines-day-recipe-ideas/

However you decide to celebrate this Valentine's Day, hope it's a happy one!

Classic French Onion Soup

2012-02-07T10:39:00.001-05:00

Even though we haven't had a traditional winter here, little snow to speak of and only a handful of bitterly cold days, that doesn't mean we should miss out on our opportunity to make some classic winter dishes, before this winter (or what we've had of it) slips away into early spring.

Of course a really great French Onion Soup requires just a couple of ingredients and the time to let them develop into a surprisingly complex soup that hits all the notes; sweet and complexly meaty with a bit of a subtle tang. To create a rich broth with a buttery quality, I simmered roasted marrow bones (which by the way can be found at almost any grocery store for just a couple of dollars) and then in a separate skillet I caramelized onions until they developed a nice golden sheen and sweetness. I do this in a separate pan because if I were to add those beautiful caramelized onions to my simmering stock, I'd run the risk of them disintegrating. Thus, I add them to my soup at the very last minute. Getting back to my stock, along with the roasted marrow bones, I add the classic trio of carrots, onions and celery then a couple of bay leaves and some sprigs of fresh thyme. Then I simmer it for at least 4 hours (although it gets even better the longer you let it go).

Besides the caramelized onions and rich broth, the third part (and my most favorite) is the crouton raft and melted gruyere cheese that sits on top. The bread absorbs the broth and you have to wrestle with the cheese but to me that's the fun of eating French Onion Soup in the first place. And even though I think a grey snowy day is ideal for a soup like this, it's certainly not a requirement. So check out the recipe below and get your stock pot out...it's soup time!

French Onion Soup
- 2-3 marrow bones
- 6 onions; 2 of them cut into fourths, 4 of them cut into thin half-moon slices
- 4 carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 celery stalks, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
- Olive Oil for the pan + 1 pat of butter
- 3 Bay leaves
- 7 sprigs of fresh thyme
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Splash of Sherry Vinegar
- Sourdough Bread, cubed and toasted (any bread you have on hand works well here too)
- Enough shredded Gruyere cheese for the top of each soup

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a foil lined baking sheet, roast marrow bones until they start to get fragrant and brown a bit. Remove from oven and set aside. In a medium size skillet, melt 1 pat of butter and enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the thinly sliced onions and a generous pinch of salt. Stir onions to coat them in butter/olive oil mixture and reduce heat to low, continuing to stir every once in a while until the onions are very soft and deep brown in color.

In a stock pot, Add the other two onions, celery and carrots. Add a pinch of salt and sweat the vegetables until they start to get a little golden in spots. Add the marrow bones, bay leaf and thyme. Add just enough water to cover the bones and vegetables in the pot. Bring water to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Continue to simmer for at least 4 hours, preferably 6-8 hours.

Strain the liquid and discard the vegetables and bones. Return liquid to pot and add caramelized onions. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Sherry Vinegar. Ladle into oven safe bowls and top with croutons and cheese. Heat until the cheese melts and serve immediately.

Restaurant Review - East by Northeast, Cambridge

2012-02-02T13:51:00.000-05:00

In a rare turn of events, we had a Saturday night free and couldn't pass up the opportunity for a proper date night. We had just finished up teaching a chicken class at the BCAE and, feeling a craving for something different and fun, we headed to East by Northeast to take advantage of the Five Course Prix Fixe menu. It isn't often that I dissect such a big number of dishes in one post and had only planned to mention a couple but as I started to write this review, I couldn't help myself. So sit back and get comfortable, this one's going to be a long one!

Best seat in the house - at the bar overlooking the action in the kitchen!

If you ever happen find yourself in East by Northeast's tiny dining room in Cambridge, please don't pass up the five course prix fixe menu. For a mere $30 you'll be asked to select one of a couple options of vegetable dishes, one from a bread section and finally, one noodle dish and then the rest lies in the hands of the chef. Once you've placed your order, that's when the fun really begins. Dish after dish, all thoughtfully and beautifully plated, start appearing almost like rapid fire. We decided to each select three different choices so that we could sample 6 different dishes, plus whatever the chef had in store for us.

Turnip Soup with Tofu Amuse

It wasn't long before a soup amuse arrived- a velvety turnip base topped with a soft and smoky tofu cluster and a couple chive rings, it was a perfect teaser of what was to come. Shortly after we had finished, we were presented with an edamame salad. Light and refreshing, the salad had a beautiful tartness to it, courtesy of some diced apples and a thick ginger lemon vinaigrette that evenly coated the surface. Simple and satisfying, this salad was one of my favorite dishes. Rounding out our vegetable selections was a creative plate of kale, smoked mushrooms and puffed rice; a great earthy dish with a welcoming snappy crackle from the puffed rice.

Edamame Salad with Kale, Apple and Lemon Ginger Vinaigrette

Kale, Smoked Mushrooms and Puffed Rice

Next to appear in front of us were two, terribly cute, bite-sized steamed pork belly buns that had pickled vegetables peeking out. Sticky and sweet with a hint of tartness from some slivered apples, when you got a bite of each component at once it was great. My only complaint was that each component was a little scarce and not evenly disbursed, with the exception of the apples, and I had wished that each bite contained that same great balance of flavors.

Pork Belly, Mantou Bread, Pickles and Sweet Bean Paste

Scallion Pancake with Roasted Garlic Chili Sauce

The real fun in this meal was that the dishes seemed to keep coming, providing pure entertainment for us. It seemed that just as the pork belly buns were whisked away some thick wedges of scallion pancakes appeared accompanied by a roasted garlic chili sauce. Surprisingly light for their size, they were everything you'd want in a scallion pancake; a crispy exterior and lots of scallion flavor. The sauce seemed to be missing a step, sort of flat and tasting neither of chilies or roasted garlic. Our next dish was another instant favorite. Sort of a play off of arancini, black bean and tofu rice balls had a perfectly fried, crispy exterior with a light dusting of crispy salt that gave way to a silky smooth center that was creamy and bearing almost a smoky quality to it; a total win.

Tofu and Black Bean Rice Balls

Next, two noodle bowls were placed in front of us; one, dark and soup-like with bits of root vegetables and beef shanks peeking out and the second, a more rustic looking dish of pork ragout and shredded cabbage. Both were served with long, broad handmade noodles, something that I am surprised to say I didn't love. I'm a freak for noodles but found them too be a bit too toothsome and long, making for a sloppy delivery from bowl to mouth. (Or maybe I'm just not as skilled at chopstick management as I thought?) Furthermore, I found the broth of the beef shank bowl to be a bit bitter and too earthy for me. I don't think that this was done in error on the chef's part and perhaps this is a traditional way to serve a dish like this, but it just wasn't for me.

Pork Ragout, Napa Cabbage, Marinated Sunchokes, Chili Vinegar and a Fried Egg

Braised Beef Shank, Parsnip, Grilled Scallions, Greens, Spicy Beef Broth

Lastly, our dinner concluded with four cream puffs stuffed with a light and creamy butternut squash mousse and a drizzle of apple brown butter sauce. These were outstanding. The cream puffs were light and buttery, the mousse spicy and sweet and the sauce a caramely tart-sweet sauce that balanced everything out.

Cream Puffs, Butternut Squash Mousse and Apple Brown Butter Sauce

Sesame Caramels

While not flawless, this was one of the most enjoyable meals I've had in the city in a long time and a steal for the variety and price. The restaurant also offers an 8 course chef's tasting menu for $35/person and while we toyed with whether or not to select that, we liked the idea of choosing some of the different dishes and we were happy we did.

Peppers Bolognese

2012-01-26T10:54:00.001-05:00

I thrive on the challenge of repurposing yesterday's leftovers. There's a certain thrill I get out of opening the fridge and taking out bits and pieces of this and that and combining it with some basic pantry staples to create something totally new. Not only, have I found, does this help to keep my taste buds anticipating the next dish, but it also helps me with my kitchen improvising skills and learning about how different flavors work together.

The other day, Burger Boy made this incredible Bolognese; slowly simmering some gorgeous steaks in a mixture of diced carrots and onions with crushed tomatoes until all of the flavors just came together. He then used the hearty sauce to make a comforting lasagna made with a mess of pasta sheets, a mushroom brie bechamel sauce and the satisfying Bolognese sauce. Naturally it wasn't long before the lasagna plate was scraped clean. He hadn't used all of the sauce in making the lasagna and since I wanted to avoid the easy route of just serving it over a pile of pasta, I took the opportunity to cook the sauce with bulgur wheat to create something new. Bearing similar qualities to polenta but with much more of a bite, the Bolognese and bulgur wheat was heartier and so satisfying, rich with all of the flavors that made the sauce so good to begin with. Once the bulgur was cooked through, it found its way into hollowed out yellow peppers and then cheese was melted on top, because, well, what's a stuffed pepper without a healthy bit of melted cheese on top?

If you find yourself without homemade Bolognese on hand, fret not. You can substitute your own favorite sauce instead. Also, don't miss out on your opportunity for creativity here as this dish is a great way to use up some vegetables or meats that may be just kicking around your fridge. If you find yourself a little short on time, feel free to substitute quick cooking couscous for the bulgur or take a little more time and make some quinoa. Nice, easy and just healthy enough, this makes for a great weeknight meal.

Peppers Bolognese
Makes 2 stuffed peppers with extra bulgur

- 2 peppers
- 1 1/2 cups Bulgur Wheat
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups Bolognese sauce
- Salt to taste
- Cheddar cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Carefully carve out the top of the pepper, where the stem is, and remove the seeds while keeping the pepper in tact. Bake on a cookie sheet until the peppers soften, about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small pot, bring the bulgur wheat, water and a generous pinch of salt to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the bulgur is tender (about 30 minutes). Special note: if you notice that the bulgur has absorbed all of the water and is still not cooked, just add a bit more.

Once the bulgur is cooked, stir in the sauce and fill peppers with the bulgur-sauce mixture. Top with cheese and bake again for another 15 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve immediately on top of a pile of extra bulgur.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Date Muffins

2012-01-25T07:50:00.000-05:00

I can't predict how long this muffin craze of mine will last but until it fades, I'm totally loving it. My pantry is now stocked with all sorts of dried fruits, nuts and seeds and my fridge is full of buttermilk, just to ensure that each batch of muffin is different. Since my craze started a couple weeks ago, my oven's been churning out about a dozen muffins a week and miraculously they all disappear by week's end and then I'm back at it, making another dozen.

Because I want each batch of muffins to be different, I've been creating different recipes each week and sometimes it takes a couple of tries to make them just right. For some reason, the pumpkin muffins were a little trickier for me to perfect. The first batch wasn't sweet enough or as light and fluffy as I wanted them to be. It took the addition of more buttermilk and maple syrup to make them just the way I wanted - sort of crispy on the outside and very soft and light on the inside with a great texture, courtesy of the millet and chia seeds that I added just before baking.

Since I don't expect my muffin obsession to end anytime soon, you can be on the lookout for more to come. Until then, I hope you give this one a try. It's a balanced combination of hearty and sweet and the texture is what really makes them; chewy from the dried fruit, and moist from the pumpkin and buttermilk. The flavors are bright with an extra bite of sharpness from the candied ginger bits. In addition, these little babies are so cheerful with their orangy hues and sunny millet seeds poking out, they make for a great start to the day.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Date Muffins
Makes 12

- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- A pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup millet
- 1 TBS cinnamon
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 can unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 2 TBS minced crystallized ginger
- 1/4 cup chopped dates
- 2 TBS Chia Seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients (flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, millet and cinnamon) into one bowl. Add the dates, chia seeds, and crystallized ginger to the dry ingredients and give them a good toss until everything is distributed evenly. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, buttermilk, maple syrup, egg) and lightly whisk to combine. Fold the wet ingredients in with the dry and bled until it just comes together (don't overmix -you'll end up with hockey puck shaped muffins!) Spoon batter into muffin tins and bake until a toothpick that is inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean (about 15 minutes or so). Store in an airtight container.

Restaurant Review: Estragon, South End

2012-01-18T08:57:00.000-05:00

The Tortilla Espanol

The other night I dined at Estragon in the South End. It was close to 9:30 and there was still about a 10 minute wait for a table. Usually this is a good indicator of what's to come but unfortunately on this evening, this wasn't the case. We were starving and after being seated, we quickly ordered 4 different items from various sections of the menu. It wasn't long before our food started to arrive and the Tortilla Espanol ($5.50) was the first to meet the end of my fork. Swimming in a puddle of aioli and served with a chill, the dense potato slices were the main attraction and the eggs were simply the glue that held them all together. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a snob when it comes to Spanish food and maybe I hold the bar a little too high, but these were a far cry from a real Spanish tortilla where there's more eggs and it has a lightness to it made richer with olive oil.

Croquetas de Jamon

The next to arrive were the Croquetas de Jamon ($10). Advertised as having a Serano ham filling, the golden exteriors revealed an unpleasant pasty interior where I had to hunt for minuscule bits of ham, that once found, offered little flavor anyway - a total fail. Next to arrive at our table was the Flamenquines ($11) which are four rolled, little sticks of fried pork, Serano ham and Manchego cheese that tasted like an under seasoned chicken cordon bleu (only with pork). It was served along with a wedge of lemon and a sauce that tasted of tomato paste, water and a just a hint of hot paprika. While the Flamenquines were fried well, they would have benefited greatly from a a couple of pinches of salt after being fried.

Flamenquines

The biggest disappointment of the evening was the Vegetable Paella ($22). The vegetables were grossly overcooked and almost grey in color. Additionally, they were not prepared properly and somehow the woody stems of the asparagus had made their way to our plate. The Paella rice was under-cooked and over-salted, not to mention missing that coveted crusty bottom that is so desirable.

Vegetable Paella

To add insult to injury, while our waiter was clearing almost full plates from our table, and when declining to have the food wrapped to go, he never questioned us on how our meal was or asked if we were satisfied. Instead, we were given a smile and the check. After a meal like this, I couldn't help but feel duped and brimming with a lot of questions. How could the kitchen send food out like that? How could the waiter not ask us why we weren't eating? Was this just an "off" night or is this how the food is prepared? And if it was in fact an "off" night, is that acceptable when the customer is paying a pretty heavy price for the experience? While I can appreciate that it is difficult to execute every dish with perfection, however, we ordered four different dishes and were disappointed by all. An evening similar to this happens every so often and it's frustrating. Where are the standards?

What's The {Tortilla A La Mexicana} Soup?

2012-01-13T10:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday just may have been the very definition of the perfect soup day. It was bitterly cold out and I had the great luck of being caught in a windy, rainy mess of a storm. The freezing rain was slapping me from all directions and my jeans clung to me, soaked by the rain. We finally arrived at the dark entryway of Temazcal, one of a handful of restaurants that have taken up residence in Boston's Seaport District. The entryway, only lit by an alter of candles and a friendly hostess, helped to warm us up a bit. She guided our shivering selves through an open and spacious dining room to our table, right by a massive wall of windows sprawling out over the high tide and stormy weather. We instantly had a massive craving for a bowl of soothingly hot soup.

The folks at What's the Soup had only sent me in to check out the Sopa De Tortilla A La Mexicana ($10) but that didn't stop me from playing around on the fun iPad menu that each diner is presented with. We briefly met with Chef Todd Hall who explained that the interactive and technologically forward menu was meant to help educate diners on the menu. A good number of menu items are accompanied by not only the recipe for the dish, but the history behind it as well - which made my inner food geek happy.

Not too long after we sat down, we were presented with freshly made tortilla chips and a trio of dips- the house salsa, sweet tomatillo and black bean with queso fresco - that were presented in mini cauldrons that were resting on top of banana leaves. I found the black bean dip, a combination of smooth, spiced beans, addicting. A short time after, our soup arrived, playfully plated and piping hot.

The soup, a giant bowl of fragrantly spicy broth, arrived with four mini cauldrons of toppings - diced tomatoes, slivered fiery Serrano chilies, cubes of queso panela and thick crispy sticks of tortilla. I happily and heartily dumped my cheese into my soup along with a couple of chilies and tortilla strips. The broth itself was spiced and had a beefy quality to it and the cheese softened with the heat of the soup but still maintained its shape while the tortillas provided a very welcoming crunch to the soup.

We lingered over lunch and watched the angry waves outside lap over the docks and we fantasized about coming back on a warmer day and securing a seat on the spacious deck and enjoying a cocktail. We regretted having to brace the elements and leave but the soup bowls were empty and our day had to continue.

Nutella Dipped Espresso Shortbread Cookies with Sea Salt

2012-01-10T10:06:00.001-05:00

My recipe for Nutella Dipped Espresso Shortbread Cookies was featured on Boston.com last month and with all of the craziness of the holidays, I forgot to share it here. These are so simple to make and require only a couple of ingredients; butter, flour, salt, sugar, instant espresso powder and rice flour. The cookies are then cut into delicate little sticks and then dunked in a warm mixture of Nutella and Bittersweet Chocolate and finished with a dusting of sea salt. The results are a cookie you can't help but eat a couple of, that salty-sweet combination paired with a crispy texture make them an addicting treat.

A quick note about the ingredients: I created this recipe based on my research of shortbread cookies and found that rice flour is what gives shortbread cookies that pleasingly sandy texture, so I was sure to include that. Rice flour, if you haven't used it before, can be found at Whole Foods, although you'll pay handsomely for it. A cheaper solution is to make your own by pulverizing rice in a clean coffee grinder until it is powdery. At that point, I like to take the extra step of running the powder through a fine mesh strainer to make sure any larger bits that didn't get ground up well enough don't make it into to the cookies.

I made several batches of these over the holidays, mostly for clients, but some for myself too! And while they make a perfect holiday cookie, I think they also make a perfect anytime snack, especially when you consider how easy they are to make and how fun they are to eat. Paired with a hot cup of coffee, it's enough to make for a very happy afternoon.

Nutella Dipped Espresso Shortbread Cookies with Sea Salt

Makes 2 dozen cookies

For the cookies:

2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup rice flour

½ cup sugar

2 tsp instant espresso powder

1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9 x 9 pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a stand mixer, beat the butter, flour and sugar until it starts to come together. Add the espresso powder and salt and continue to mix until a dough is formed. With wet fingertips, press the cookie batter into an even layer in the prepared pan. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Cool the cookies a bit and then gently remove from pan. While they are still slightly warm, cut them into 3 inch sticks and place onto a cookie sheet. Bake again for another 5-10 minutes or until the edges and bottoms are golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.

For the Nutella:

½ cup Nutella

¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 TBS milk

1 TBS Confectioner’s sugar

Sea Salt for sprinkling

Over a double boiler, combine the Nutella, chocolate chips, milk and Confectioner’s sugar. Continuously stir until all of the chocolate melts.

To assemble:

Dip one end of the cooled cookies into the warm Nutella mixture and then sprinkle with sea salt. Place onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely. These can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for a couple of days.

Whole Wheat Banana - Currant Millet Muffins

2012-01-09T08:16:00.000-05:00

Breakfast might be the most important meal of the day but to me, it's also the hardest. Lately, I've been feeling like I'm in a breakfast rut, relying too heavily on cereals and yogurt that only temporarily fill me up or on the other extreme, an egg and cheese sandwich can be too filling. Instead, I wanted to find something nutritious and portable, should a busy morning keep me from sitting down to enjoy breakfast. A muffin seemed like a natural candidate for the job, but I didn't like any of the recipes I found. Too much butter, oil or just plain old boring, nothing seemed to be what I was looking for so I took to my kitchen to create my own breakfast muffin recipe.

These muffins are whole wheat and they get their sweetness from maple syrup, mashed bananas and dried currants, rather than sugar, which is a nice change of pace. They're so easy to make, I'm already planning to make them weekly, they were exactly what I was looking for. Heartier than most muffins but still light and airy, the millet (a round seed-like grain) adds such a welcome texture to the muffin, providing a healthy, and delightful crunch with each bite. My favorite aspect of this recipe is that even though there are such strong flavors, it doesn't necessarily taste of one in particular. Instead, they all mingle together to create a harmonious balance.

Maybe it was the creativity I got to exercise by creating my own muffin recipe, but they turned out to be the answer to my breakfast quandary and I've already got plenty of ideas for my next muffin recipe creation. Until then, give this one a shot, I think it'll be just what you need to start your day!

Whole Wheat Banana - Currant Millet Muffins

Yields 12 muffins

- 1 cup whole wheat flour

- 1/2 cup All-purpose flour

- 1/4 cup millet

- 3 TBS Baking Powder

- 1 tsp Baking Soda

- 1/2 tsp Salt

- 1/4 cup dried currants

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp ground ginger

- 1/4 cup maple syrup

- 3 ripe bananas, mashed

- 1 egg

- 1/2 cup buttermilk

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter and flour muffin tins. In a medium size bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flours, millet, baking powder, baking soda, salt, currants, cinnamon and ginger. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients: banana, maple syrup, egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and only mix until just combined. Pour into muffin tins and bake until a toothpick entered into the center of the muffin comes out clean (about 30 minutes). Store in an airtight container.

The Avenue Burger "Meat"-Up

2012-01-05T10:15:00.000-05:00

Just before the start of the New Year, I attended one last local food event, the Burger "Meat"- Up at The Avenue in Allston. The Avenue is not a place you'd walk by and think to yourself, "I bet the food in there is great" and I can't say I blame you. With an outdated exterior that gets it's decor from neon beer signs and a glowing blue roof, it's something that could easily be dismissed as a seedy bar by day and college dive bar by night. But don't let that fool you, the burgers in there are worth the trip.

The Avenue Burger

The Menu for the evening

I have had these burgers a couple of times now and my experience with each visit has been consistently the same - a nice thin patty, seasoned well, served with crispy bacon, adequately cheesed and padded between two pieces of a soft roll, what more could you ask for? With my burger choice, the Bacon Cheddar Delux only making a $4.50 dent in my wallet and a big basket of sweet potato tots making me dip only $2.00 deeper, I'm happy. While I suspect the tots may be of the frozen variety, I don't care, they're addicting. Crispy on the outside and soft, sweet and potatoey on the inside, when dipped in the accompanying maple-bacon ketchup, it's a nice change of pace from the standard fry option.

Getting back to last week's "Meat"-Up, it was hosted by Burger Boy and held in conjunction with the folks at The Avenue to help announce their new burger menu, to be unveiled early this year. The event started with a hand stamp and a drink ticket that got each guest unlimited burgers off of a special menu, tots and fries and a beer, not to mention the opportunity to mingle with other local burger lovers. Also, throughout the night, a contest for who could build the best burger was held and a winner, who's burger will appear on the menu for a month, will be selected soon.

Addicting sweet potato tots with Maple-Bacon Ketchup

It was great to see some familiar faces, some that have helped us out serving at our Harvard dinners (Thanks Katie, Colleen and Cameron!) and some we taught cooking classes for as well as some new faces, it was a fun way to close out 2011. Looking forward to 2012 and hopefully more burger Meat Ups!

Katie and Scott showing off their stamps

Colleen and Cameron eating tots

2011 in review and 2012 looking forward

2012-01-04T14:04:00.000-05:00

So it seems I slid right into 2012 without so much as a whisper of 2011 and all that it meant to me. This past year was such an important year for me, maybe I should pause and then take a moment to reflect on it all and talk a little bit about 2012..

To me, 2011 was one of the most memorable years of my life. It's the year that I completely flipped my life upside down to start a new career in the field I love. My year started as a bundle of nervous and excited energy as I handed in my resignation to Corporate America and put on a Chef's coat for the very first time. This was the easiest decision I ever made but the hardest thing I have ever done. I loved culinary school and quickly got caught up in kitchen life, learning anything and everything I could about what I was doing. Simply put, I felt like I had wasted my whole life up to this point not fully putting my all into anything and I wanted that to change. I lived, breathed, slept (and ate) food, trying to learn as much as I could. I was determined to do this right and it wasn't long before I felt like my life had a new sense of purpose and for the first time ever, I felt fulfilled with what I was doing.

However, it wasn't all sparkles and sunshine. While I was busy learning, I was watching my bank account dwindle with daily city living and culinary school tuition. I cut corners every which way I could to save pennies. I graduated from the culinary school program in May and with that certificate, wanted to start my own business. This was scary, mainly because I had so much to learn before I could do that. Calculating taxes? State Laws? How to advertise and find business? All new concepts for me. Fortunately, at this time I started hanging out a little more seriously with a certain burger fanatic who talked me off of that scary ledge more than a handful of times and was the first to interrupt me from my daily routine of freaking out over whether or not anyone would actually hire me with a joke or a laugh or a coffee break. He became my rock.

From there, The Skinny Beet just sort of happened organically and I can't even pinpoint when it all started. We never really talked about joining forces on the business front, it just sort of materialized. Maybe it was our natural rhythm in the kitchen or the realization that we had similar thoughts and feelings towards food and cooking style but it wasn't long before we were trying to come up with a name for our business and working to get the clients to roll in.

The beginning months were the toughest just because there was so much to learn and do. When you own your own business, you are the accounting, marketing, creative, customer service, decision maker and everything else in between. In this case, we were also meeting with clients, creating and pitching menus, shopping and cooking and to fit it all in, workdays started at 7 AM and ended around 11 PM and a full day off was (and still is) unheard of. To top it all off, I was barely making ends meet. Those couple of months were the hardest for me - no one warns you of how massive the learning curve is to start and maintain your own business.

It wasn't until this September that the learning curve narrowed a bit and we were finally able to settle into a routine. We still work on average 12-14 hour days but the majority of that is kitchen work now. I'm also happy to report that we currently have 5 regular clients and have catered numerous parties, dinners and luncheons and even a wedding, not to mention all of the classes that we teach. After all of this, I'm finally starting to get settled into this new life I created. I love that I learn more and more everyday and when I wake up, I have no idea what's in store for me. Though it wasn't easy, this was by far the best move for me and looking back, I'm proud of myself for having the confidence to do it. It's not always easy but it is always what I love doing and that's what is most important to me.

As I move into 2012, I'm really looking forward to this year. We're wiser and ready to grow our business, but we've found that it's also important to make sure to leave room for fun. You can check out the adventures of the Skinny Beet at our site www.TheSkinnyBeet.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook. In the meantime, I'm also maintaining things here at the Small Boston Kitchen. If you've been a long time reader, you may have noticed that I deviated from restaurant talk for the past couple of months and focused more on my recipes at home and for the most part, that will still carry on. Additionally, I had done restaurant reviews in the past and sort of put that on hold, wanting to focus more on honing my skills and since culinary school and working as a chef, I've noticed that my outlook on food and opinions have grown and changed with experience and I'm looking forward to sharing.

Additionally, and I can't say this enough, I couldn't have done any of this without an amazing family and a fantastic network of friends and not to mention my readers whose comments and emails have kept me going. Most importantly, I'd like to thank my boyfriend for just being an amazing person. Always knowing how to make me laugh so hard I cry and for surprising me with delicious cheeses, I couldn't have asked for a better person in my life or a better business partner.

Thank you to all and a very, happy New Year!

Starbuck's Inspired Salted Caramel Mocha Cookies

2012-01-03T13:17:00.000-05:00

Forget the New Year's diets and resolutions, I say let's start 2012 off on a sweet note - with a Starbuck's inspired cookie. This past week we had some Canadian visitors and one (Burger Boy's sister) had presented me with a challenge: convert her favorite Starbucks beverage, the Salted Caramel Mocha, into a cookie bearing the same flavors. Never one to turn down a challenge, I accepted and after a little bit of work, created this recipe for Salted Caramel Mocha Cookies.

The recipe is simple enough, starting with a basic chocolate cookie, a generous amount of instant espresso powder was added to the batter to give it an intense mocha flavor. Then, after the cookies had cooled, caramel was swirled on top just before a pinch of sea salt was added, giving the cookies that desired sweet-salty combination and a gentle little pop with each bite. The key here is to get a good quality sea salt with nice big flakes so that the salt is stays visible and crunchy.

I was happy with the results and the feedback was good, these tasted very much like the popular Starbuck's holiday beverage, but if you feel like you've had your fill of cookies this holiday season or if you're sticking to a healthy resolution, be sure to stash away this recipe to try some other time.

Salted Caramel Mocha Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen cookies

For the cookie:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
12 ounces + 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 stick butter (at room temp)
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
Caramel (recipe follows)
Enough sea salt for each cookie to get a generous pinch

Preheat oven to 375. In a stand mixer, combine butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine. Melt the chocolate, either slowly in a microwave or using a double boiler, until consistently full melted and smooth. Combine melted chocolate with egg/sugar mixture and beat until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Gently mix in the flour mixture by thirds into the egg/sugar mixture. Blend until well combined, fold in the chocolate chips. On a parchment-lined cookie sheet, drop batter by the teaspoon full. Bake for 8-10 minutes (the cookies will still be soft when they come out of the oven). Transfer the cookies onto a wire cooling rack and cool completely. Once the cookies have completely cooled, swirl the caramel on top with a spoon and top with a generous pinch of sea salt. Store in an airtight container.

For the caramel:

3/4 stick of butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
A pinch of salt

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add sugar. Stir in the milk and add the salt. Let the caramel cool to room temp before spooning over the cookies.

New York, New York Food Crawl

2011-12-27T14:32:00.000-05:00

I couldn't help but note the irony of the fact that while this month has been flat out crazy for us and the first chance we get to take a vacation, our destination is arguably one of the most active places in the U.S., if not the world. After a long week of back-to-back holiday party catering, regular clients, classes and demos we packed up our appetites and headed to the Big Apple for the ultimate food crawl.

Wanting to share all that we ate, I struggled with how to present it all and came to the conclusion that the best thing to do would be to tell the story of our food crawl via pictures and a couple of quick sentences to sum up my thoughts on each experience. Fair warning, this is going to be a longer post so get yourself comfortable :)

I'm leaving most of the burger talk for Burger Boy but Shake Shack deserves a mention. Worthy of the hype, I found the burgers to be loosely packed, seasoned well and nestled into a form-fitting soft bun. The fries were a surprise, they look rather plain-jane but were actually crispy. I'd be lying if I said we only had one of these throughout our stay..

We stopped by the tree at Rockefeller Center for a quick sweet snack and enjoyed some of Milk Bar's Crack Pie and Cereal Milk along with a Nutella Macaron from Bouchon Bakery. The Crack Pie I found to be a bit to rich and sweet for my liking and the Macaron, while still good, didn't taste luxuriously light like and instead, it tasted like yesterday's Macaron. The cereal milk, however, was a fun little treat. Tasting of cornflakes, I was left wondering why no one thought of this before.

Les Halles, surprisingly enough, was one of my favorites. While the menu seems cliche and I was afraid it was only popular due to a certain somebody's celebrity status, the dishes we sampled were executed with perfection. We ordered a classic French Onion Soup and it was presented with a rich, meaty broth and plentiful quantities of sweet onions and cheese. The Rillettes were incredibly addicting - hearty flavors were elevated by tangy cornichons and spread easily over toasted rounds of bread. I also couldn't help falling in love with the restaurant's vibrant dining room.

Eataly is somewhere that I felt I could be dropped off for hours and still not fully experience it. I loved how each nook and cranny of the massive space was a tribute to food and presented it as art. Rows and rows of beautifully packaged treats made hours of gazing seem like minutes. I left feeling inspired and, if at all possible, falling even deeper in love with food.

The simple Margarita pizza that I had at Eataly was one of the best pizzas I have ever had. A light yet crackly dough glazed in a tangy-sweet tomato sauce and dots of fresh mozzarella and basil, this pizza proved that when executed exceptionally well, even the simplest of foods can be set apart from the rest.

In comparison, the pizza at Motorino in the East Village was a very close second. With a thick, yet airy crust, the pizza was finished with Brussles Sprouts leaves, smoked Pancetta and a duo of Mozzarella and Pecorino cheeses - a delightful combination of salty, cheesy, crunchy and slightly bitter.

A little bit of a let down, the pork buns at Momofuku, while flavorful, lacked that punch that I was hoping for. The salty and overly greasy pork belly was tamed by the sweet Hoisin and cooling cucumber, which proved to be balanced enough but I wanted more. Maybe it's easy to blame the hype, but I expected to be blown away with flavors but instead found it to be average.

Getting right to it, the pastrami on rye at Katz's was the best thing I ate on the trip. The ruby red pastrami was so thickly sliced, yet it instantly fell apart in my mouth, leaving behind the remnants of its flavors (and black bits in my teeth!). Peppery and salty the tangy mustard only helped to extend the flavors while the bread took on a sweet role of balancing it all out. At the risk of sounding too over the top, I will never look at a pastrami sandwich the same way again.

The Spotted Pig, was another one of my favorites. Currently raging with popularity, this cute, dimly lit restaurant is worth the hype. The menu is creative and before we dug into our burgers, we sampled the Prosciutto Fritters. Crispy and with a prosciutto and greens (spinach? swiss chard?) core, the fritters came accompanied by a buttery tomato sauce that provided a velvety contrast to the crispy exterior.

Because a trip to New York isn't complete without a slice of classic cheesecake, we stopped at Junior's on our last night. Bobby must have made one hell of a cheesecake in his Throwdown against them because this one was one killer cake. Sweeter than most cheesecakes I've had, it almost had a delightful fluffy quality to it.

New York always holds a special place in heart. I've always been fascinated with the hustle and bustle and the general excitement of the city, not to mention it's home to some of the best and most talked about dining destinations in the world. It's hard to be a food geek like me and leave without a renewed and strengthened sense of appreciation for the art of the food industry. While the vacation proved to be hours upon hours of walking and lots of eating, I left feeling rejuvenated and inspired with lots of ideas for the New Year and with a strong desire to get back to work, doing what I love to do best.

A Morning at Panera

2011-12-12T10:32:00.000-05:00

It isn't often that I'll turn down cookies for breakfast and a chance to learn about how a national bakery operates.

And because I'm not the only one that enjoys a cookie for breakfast, I invited Burger Boy to come along with me and on Friday, bright and early, to walk to the Coolidge Corner Panera to get a peek at their holiday offerings and spend a little time in their kitchen.

While we're both very comfortable in commercial kitchens, it was the first time either of us had the opportunity to see what it's like on the bakery side of things as well as on a national level. Walking into Panera, we weren't really sure what to expect, but we ended up having a lot of fun.

The bakery was already bustling with activity and the air was warm with the aroma of cinnamon and bread. After a quick cookie sampling (the Mint Crinkle Cookie was my favorite) and a hot cup of Hazelnut coffee, it was into the kitchen to see how it's all done. With Zach The Baker as our guide, we were showed their step-by-step process of converting dough into pastries. After stuffing the pastries with fruit, cream cheese and pastry cream fillings, we waited for our desserts to bake off.

At the end of our visit, we were given a box of the baked goods that we made, still warm from the oven. And while I had always liked Panera, I had a new found appreciation for them. Going into it, I had expected things to be more mass produced. I had pictured frozen pastries being reheated and put out for purchase but instead found that, while everything isn't made from scratch in each store, it's pretty darn close for being such a big organization. I appreciate the fact that each Panera store never closes because there is always someone there baking. I also like the fact that their dough, while made in mass quantities in a facility in Framingham, is never frozen and all of their pastries are made fresh daily. For locations, visit Panera at www.PaneraBread.com

Pretzel Bread Panzanella Salad

2011-12-06T09:41:00.003-05:00

Pretzel Bread is a curious thing: half roll, half pretzel. A nice toasty, pretzel-like exterior that gives way to a soft and bready center, it's my newest obsession. That may be due to the fact that my favorite snack is pretzels but regardless, it gives my sandwiches more oomph and makes them more special and admittedly, I've even snacked on them before. Needless to say, I'm happy to have this new bread option in my pantry however, I thought I could get a little more out of it and give it a different use, other than making my sandwiches more exciting.

Taking all of the flavors that just naturally compliment pretzels, mustard, cheese and herbs to start, I thought a Panzanella salad would be a great, new way to enjoy my new fave. Panzanella is Italian in origin and is traditionally comprised of stale bread, tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper, and sometimes onions and cucumbers sneak into the mix as well. Because of its heartiness, versatility and the fact that it can be thrown together in a pinch, Panzanella is something I often make. In this case, fresh baby spinach acted as the base of the salad, while little cubes of sharp cheddar cheese dotted the plate and a hearty mustard-herb vinaigrette supplied a welcoming tang at the end of each bite. The real star, of course, were the broken up bits of pretzel bread that were toasted with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. It provided a great pretzel-like crunch; more texture than regular bread but still had that pretzel like quality that I love so much.

This salad is easy to make, yet satisfying enough to be a full on meal. Of course the ingredients can be interchanged and it works with practically any vegetable or fruit that you have on hand. The pretzel bread can be a little tricky to track down, but should you come across it, don't pass up the opportunity to give it a shot. At some point over the next couple of months I'm going to be making my own pretzel bread at home and when that happens, I'll be sure to share.

Pretzel Bread Panzanella Salad
Serves 2

- 2 pretzel rolls, broken up into small bits
- 2 large handfuls of baby spinach
- Cheddar Cheese, cut into cubes
- 2 TBS whole grain mustard
- 1 tsp fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 TBS Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 TBS Sherry Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375. On a baking sheet, lay out the pretzel bread into a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until the pretzel bread crisps up and turns golden brown. Set aside to cool. In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, dill, parsley, olive oil and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the salad into two bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Toss in the pretzel bread and drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.

Mushroom Ragout over Cranberry Beans

2011-12-05T08:27:00.000-05:00

It seems that we've been doing a lot of braises lately, they're just so convenient; get a cheap cut of meat and cook it slowly for hours upon end until it's irresistibly tender. But woman cannot live on braises alone, unfortunately, so I set out to create a (almost) vegetarian option for all those braise-worshipers out there, like myself, and I ended up with a hearty, slow-cooked mushroom ragout served over a big heap of cranberry beans.

Of course, with practically any recipe there are shortcuts that can be taken but in this case it's not encouraged. The trick to making this dish great is letting all of the flavors build slowly and develop fully. The good news is that aside from some early vegetable chopping, there's little hands-on time and you can sort of forget about your pot of Mushroom Ragout and just let it simmer away, leaving you free to tend to other things.

After a couple of hours of simmering, you'll be left with a deep, dark, and surprisingly hearty ragout to pour over cranberry beans. A great balance of earthiness from the mushrooms and herbs, a natural sweetness from the carrots and the slightest gentle hint of tang from the Sherry vinegar, this Mushroom Ragout is a respectable and satisfying meatless dish, perfect for any chilly day.

Mushroom Ragout over Cranberry Beans

2 cups dried cranberries beans (soaked in water over night)
1 carton of baby portabella mushrooms, scrubbed clean and quartered
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 carrot, peeled and largely diced
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 can of tomato paste
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, plus more to taste
2 tsp Sherry Vinegar, plus more to taste
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups stock (I used homemade turkey stock but any stock works well here)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil for the pan

For the Ragout:
Heat a pot, or preferably a dutch oven, and add a little olive oil. Brown the mushrooms and add a generous pinch of salt. Add the celery, carrots and garlic. Heat until the vegetables have sweat a bit and then add tomato paste. String constantly, combine the paste with the vegetables and then add the stock. Stir until everything is well incorporated. Add another generous pinch of salt and pepper. Add the herbs, sherry vinegar and Worcestershire Sauce. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and simmer for about 2-3 hours. Season with salt and pepper and I like to finish with a splash of vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Serve over cranberry beans (recipe follows).

For the Cranberry Beans:
Soak the dried beans in a large bowl of water overnight. Drain beans and add them to a heated skillet. Cover with water and salt generously. Add a sprig of rosemary to the pot and simmer the beans until they are softened. You may need to replenish water a couple of times if it gets absorbed. Drain beans if you have excess water left behind once they are done cooking.

Breakfast: Bulgur "Oatmeal" with Chia Seeds and Fresh Berries

2011-11-29T08:37:00.002-05:00

Like clockwork, this time of year I always look back on what I ate over the holiday weekend and I start to feel, well, gross. While I don't believe in diets, I do believe in making smart eating choices and keeping my diet varied with different grains, fruits and vegetables. I feel that lately my focus has been on healthful lunches and dinners, but what about breakfast? I find that I usually fall victim to a meager bowl of cereal, which is all fine and good but only keeps my hunger at bay for about an hour. It was clear that some new breakfast recipes had to be created.

Bulgur isn't usually a typical breakfast favorite, at least not in this country, but in my opinion it should be. When made with a touch of vanilla yogurt, dried cranberries, cinnamon and brown sugar, the flavor is very similar to oatmeal, but with a texture I find more satisfying. Best yet, this breakfast is warm and perfect for a chilly morning and hearty enough to keep me full until lunch. Chia seeds, my new find, are sprinkled on top just before serving to not only supply a delightful little crunch, but also an added boost of nutrients. Chia seeds, if you haven't had much experience with them, are little flecks of seeds packed with Omega-3's, a bunch of calcium, protein and other stuff that's important to your body.

From start to finish this recipe will take you about 30 minutes, which may be a bit too long for some on a busy work day. To solve that problem, I recommend making a big batch of it on a Sunday and then storing it in the fridge, taking a bit out at a time and microwaving it until warm. Creamy and spiked with cinnamon, sweet from berries and brown sugar and the subtle little pop of Chia seeds, this Bulgur "Oatmeal" makes for a great change of pace first thing in the morning.

Bulgur "Oatmeal" with Chia Seeds and Fresh Berries

1 cup bulgar wheat
1/4 cup cranberries
Water
1/2 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1 cinnamon stick
Brown Sugar, to taste
A generous pinch of salt
5-6 fresh berries, rinsed
Chia Seeds for topping

Heat a pan to medium hi heat and ad the bulgar and then add just enough water to totally cover the wheat. Keep some extra water handy because you'll probably need to ad some more as the water gets absorbed. Add the cranberries and cinnamon stick along with the salt, brown sugar and cinnamon stick (Alternatively, you could just use a couple pinches of cinnamon if you don't have cinnamon sticks) Let the pot simmer until the bulgar gets soft but still has some bite to it (about 25-30 minutes). Remove the cinnamon stick and add the Greek yogurt. Stir to combine and adjust flavors if needed. Serve warm and top with fresh berries or other fruit and sprinkle Chia seeds or flax seeds on top.

A Duo of Roasted Dips: Beet and Parsnip

2011-11-28T09:11:00.000-05:00

Roasted Parsnip Dip with Sweet Potato Chips

Like every year prior to this, my family and I each have our own roles in the Thanksgiving day festivities. My Dad leads the charge on the turkey and stuffing front while my sister handles things in the potato department, contributing her sweet potato casserole and whipping up the mashed potatoes in addition to making the desserts. My Mom is our interior decorator, setting a fancy table scene fit for a king, all while she makes a classic green bean casserole. I am left to snack detail, and since I don't take my responsibility lightly, I like to challenge myself to try new things and change it up each year to keep things interesting. A couple of this year's appetizers were inspired by some of Ana Sortun's recipes from her book Spice, Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean as well as influenced by seasonal ingredients and flavors. I made two dips, the first, a roasted parsnip dip, served with sweet potato chips and the second one, a vibrant beet dip with toasted bread.

Roasted Beet Dip

Roasted parsnips are the unexpected star of the first dip, sweet and with a nuttiness and a natural nutmeg flavor to them, when pureed with fresh rosemary and oregano and a couple splashes of milk, the end result is quite tasty. Smooth and luxuriously creamy, it's a perfect accompaniment to crispy sweet potato chips. The second dip also features something that doesn't make frequent appearances on the dip front - beets. Once they are roasted, they are grated and mixed with Greek yogurt to create something that the eye can't help but be drawn to. Lemon juice and zest perk up the flavors and fresh parsley rounds everything out, creating a beautiful contrast of colors.

Roasted Parsnip Dip

Not only are these dips something a little different, they're super easy to make, with most of the flavors being attributed to the caramelization that happens when the vegetables are roasted and force all of the sugars to the surface, concentrating their flavors and making them naturally flavorful. Give 'em a try..

Roasted Parsnip Dip
- 4 to 5 parsnips, washed, peeled and cut into even sized pieces
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves removed and minced
- 1 sprig of fresh oregano, leaves removed and minced
- Milk - just enough to make the dip come together (I used about 1/4 cup)
- The juice of half a lemon
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Fresh Parsley for garnishing

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put parsnips onto a baking pan and drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper and half of the herbs. Roast the parsnips until they start to brown. In a processor or blender, puree the parsnips with the lemon juice and gradually add the milk until the dip reaches your desired consistency. Add nutmeg and the rest of the herbs. Season to taste and serve with fresh parsley.

Roasted Beet Dip
- 1 large beet, scrubbed clean
- The zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 1 - 6 oz. container of Greek Yogurt
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Tightly wrap the beet in foil and place onto a baking sheet. Roast for about 40 minutes or until a knife can easily slide in and out of the beet. Once it is cooked through, set it aside until cool enough to handle. Using paper towels, gently rub the skin of the beet off and carefully grate it with a box grater. Add the yogurt to the beets and blend thoroughly, adding the zest and juice. Season to taste and add the parsley right before serving, reserving one piece for garnish.

Thanksgiving Recipe Inspiration

2011-11-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

With my favorite holiday quickly approaching, I'd be remiss if I didn't provide a couple of ideas to those that are responsible for the holiday cooking. Even if your plan is to avoid the kitchen and instead park in front of the tv for some football action, there's no reason why you can't stash away these late fall inspired recipes for another day, right? Here's a couple of recipes that are some of my favorites for this time of year, and especially good for any Thanksgiving Day feast.

Starting things out, I find a great way to begin a big meal is with a soup. I make a similar version for my clients pretty regularly and this soup is a nice little nod to this season's flavors, not to mention, it's easy to make.

Bacon and Sweet Potato Soup with Sage

Celery Root is just starting to come into season. Once that ugly, knobby exterior is peeled, it can be cooked fairly similarly to potatoes and mashed up just the same. With just with a slightly sweet celery taste to it, it's a nice change of pace from the standard mashed potato.

Mashed Celery Root

Staying with sides, Sweet Cinnamon Glazed Carrots always make an appearance at my Thanksgiving dinner table. When the carrots are roasted in honey, cinnamon and a bit of brown sugar, their sugars all concentrate and you're left with an addictingly sweet side dish.

Moving on to a healthy little side dish, this Pomegranate Quinoa Salad gets its texture from all of its different components. The quinoa has a naturally satisfying little "pop" to it and the Pomegranate seeds only echo that, as well as add a sweet and tangy note to the dish.

Pomegranate Cranberry Quinoa Salad

I think that twice-baked potatoes put a great spin on the average, played out Thanksgiving day mashed potatoes. Not to mention, twice baked potatoes can be made way in advance and then just warmed up right before dinner.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

I'm really looking forward to the holiday. We're heading to my parent's house in Western Mass for a couple of days and we're looking forward to just relaxing. Oh, and we're deep frying a turkey (again...yes!). Happy Thanksgiving!

Cinnamon-Banana-Granola Pancakes

2011-11-16T10:00:00.002-05:00

I like to make pancakes about once or twice a year. This isn't for any particular reason, I just don't usually crave sweet things first thing in the morning, but because we happened to have a giant jug of maple syrup just patiently sitting in our fridge, how could I resist? The stars just seemed to align.

I think my gripe with pancakes has always been that they're usually sort of boring. There are of course exceptions to the rule, plain, fluffy pancakes can be great but usually I'm left wanting more and wishing that there was something more exciting going on. Some sort of fruit mixed in with the batter is usually a respectable solution to my pancake quandary, but sometimes I find even that's not enough. After all, doesn't the pancake deserve to be elevated, even if it's just a bit?

When I'm at my best, I'm making granola on a regular basis and I like to add it to my morning yogurt or just snack on it throughout the day. But I don't think it should end there, why not put a little crunch into in my pancake batter? I started with a basic Cook's Illustrated recipe for these pancakes and added a mashed up banana, a hefty pinch of cinnamon and a drizzle of vanilla extract. When the batter is poured into a hot skillet, it gets topped by sliced bananas and sprinkled with homemade granola. When the pancake gets flipped, the granola side gets toasted and crispy so that when you bite into them, it tastes a little reminiscent of banana bread, but with a hearty crispness to it. With lots of flavor and the added texture, courtesy of the granola, and when finished off with a good quality maple syrup, this is my kind of pancake.

Cinnamon-Banana-Granola Pancakes

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk (plus an extra tablespoon or so if batter is too thick)
2 bananas, one mashed up and one thinly sliced
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, separated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups granola (my homemade version can be found here
A drizzle of vegetable oil and a small pat of butter (for brushing griddle)

Start by mixing the dry ingredients into a bowl. Pour buttermilk and milk into a bowl and add the egg white. Mix egg yolk and melted butter together and then combine with the buttermilk mixture. Add vanilla extract, add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk to combine. Fold in the mashed banana.

Add the butter and vegetable oil to a large, hot skillet. Pour batter into the skillet, 1/4 cup at a time making sure not to crowd the skillet. Top each pancake with granola and a couple slices of banana. Once the surface of the pancake starts to bubble a little and the bottom starts to brown a bit, carefully flip the pancake. Heat until the other side is done and serve while warm, granola side up.

Cranberry-Maple Breakfast Cake

2011-11-14T08:01:00.003-05:00

Richard's best friend's family owns a maple syrup farm in New Hampshire and when we received a giant box of it last week, I spent a good amount of time trying to narrow down what I wanted to make first with the syrup. Pancakes seemed the obvious but I wanted to try something a bit different. I also had some beautifully glossy, deep red fresh cranberries on hand and I felt that it was my civic duty to find a recipe that combined the two. After all, what sort of New Englander would I be if I let a fall season slip by without making a maple syrup and cranberry dessert?

I settled on this recipe by the almighty queen of pastry, Joanne Chang. The recipe originally called for pecans but I only had almonds on hand so I used those instead. I also made mine in a round pie pan, as opposed to the suggested loaf pan. Other than that, I stuck to the recipe and before I knew it, my apartment was smelling of baked sweet maple and tangy cranberries.

The cake itself was soft, yet had a lot of great body to it, courtesy of the chopped almonds and fresh cranberries. The sweet and tangy cake was balanced by the crackly syrup glaze that was rich with maple flavor. While this cake is called a breakfast cake, it's a little too sweet for me to take on first thing in morning but paired with a hot cup of coffee in the afternoon, it's the perfect snack for a windy, late fall day.

Cranberry-Maple Breakfast Cake

Recipe by Joanne Chang

For the maple pecans:

3 tbsp. maple syrup

½ c. pecan halves, toasted and chopped

For the cake batter:

1 1/3 c. cake flour

¾ c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. kosher salt

6 tbsp. (¾ stick) unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into 6–8 pieces

1/3 c. nonfat buttermilk at room temperature

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 c. maple syrup

1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

For the maple glaze:

½ c. confectioners’ sugar

2–3 tbsp. maple syrup

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, or line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper.

To make the maple pecans:

In a small saucepan, combine the 3 tablespoons maple syrup and pecans over medium heat and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the syrup is completely absorbed by the nuts.

Remove the pan from the heat, scrape the pecans onto a plate, and let cool completely. (If you leave the pecans in the saucepan, they will stick to the pan.) Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), beat together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and butter on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the butter is completely incorporated into the dry ingredients. The mixture will look like coarse meal. (If you use a handheld mixer, the same step will take 5 to 6 minutes.)

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and cup maple syrup until thoroughly mixed. Add about half of the buttermilk mixture to the butter-flour mixture and beat on medium-high speed for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all of the buttermilk mixture is incorporated. On low speed, add the remaining buttermilk mixture and beat for about 30 seconds, then stop the mixer and scrape again. Turn the mixer to medium speed and mix for another 30 seconds.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cranberries and the maple pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and springs back when you press it in the middle. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.

To make the maple glaze:

While the cake is cooling, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and enough of the maple syrup to make a thick, spreadable glaze.

When the cake has cooled for at least 30 minutes, pop it out of the pan and place it on the rack. Spread or spoon the glaze over the top of the still-warm cake, letting the glaze dribble down the sides. The cake can be stored tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days. Makes one 9-inch loaf.

The Skinny Beet Update

2011-11-11T09:02:00.000-05:00

It's been exactly one month since we launched our new site, The Skinny Beet. It's been great to have an outlet to share what's going on in our world that we both can contribute to and we've also got our Twitter and Facebook pages up and running! On our new site, we write about work and the events that we cater as well as what we're cooking up in our own home. In case you missed it, here's some things that we talked about over the past month...

In October we got to work catering a dinner for the Phoenix Club at Harvard University, then, we entered the Boston Chefs Lamb Pro-Am (we both didn't make the final cut but we had a blast creating our recipes!).

Also in October we had date night at Hamersley's Bistro where we sampled their famous roast chicken that lived up to the hype. So much so, that we had to recreate it at home a couple weeks later.

We also squeezed in a mini-food crawl to two local hot spots in Cambridge; Catalyst and Area Four. Catalyst disappointed but we totally dug the atmosphere at Area Four.

Finally Richard made buffalo burgers at home and accompanying homemade spicy ketchup and steak sauce and we proved yet again that homemade anything is way better than store bought.

We can't tell you how much we've been touched by the support that we've received. We're thrilled with the work that we're doing and we're really looking forward to what the next couple of months have in store for us. In the spirit of this month of thanks, we'd like to express our extreme gratitude to those that have supported us on this journey. It's not always easy but it is always fun and the work is so satisfying.

Breakfast Fried Rice

2011-11-09T08:47:00.001-05:00

This is the post that almost never was. You see, I get a lot of pleasure from and take pride in my ability to take random bits of this and that and transform them into something totally different. However, not all of these recipes make the blog. Why? Because sometimes I'm starving and puttering around the kitchen, trying to throw something together quickly so I can eat and get on with my day. Pausing to plate, style and snap pictures of my food seems like too much of a delay to me getting what I want: food in my belly.

But then, I was staring down at my skillet and was happy with the slightly sunny hue and the way the strands of cheese and egg clinged to each grain of warm rice. I couldn't resist grabbing my camera, I wanted to share. This little breakfast recipe is embarrassingly easy to throw together (especially if you have some leftover rice in the fridge from last night's Thai take-out) and it's very satisfying and hearty as well, not to mention it's just different enough to keep things exciting first thing in the morning.

While this obviously isn't a traditional recipe nor something totally new, I think the story still needed to be told. Sometimes it just takes doing something a little outside the box, without extra effort required. No fuss, no muss, just good comfort food at it's best. The dish was finished simply with salt, pepper and a bit of fresh chopped parsley. I actually think that you could make this for an early morning crowd, and I happily would. It could be fancied up by tossing in a veg or two, sprinkle in some bacon bits or sausage and I dare you to find someone who can resist.

Breakfast Fried Rice
Serves 2-3, comfortably

- 3 eggs
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1/2 cup cheese (I used cheddar)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh Parsley, chopped

Start by warming the rice in a hot skillet. In a small bowl, whisk together the three eggs and add a generous pinch of salt. Over medium-low heat, add the eggs to the rice and gently push them around with a rubber spatula. Add the cheese, salt and pepper to taste and serve with fresh chopped parsley.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes on Polenta "Flatbread"

2011-11-08T08:08:00.000-05:00

At the height of summer I find that I'm a surrounded by tomatoes so fragrant I'd like to bottle it up and wear it as perfume. But then it's deep into fall and I'm trying to ignore that our days are getting shorter and chillier and it's back to crappy, dull tomatoes. While, for the most part, my recipes and cooking are based around what's in season, to say that I don't crave something at an off-season time and find a way to work it into my meals would be a stretch of the truth. It's impossible for me to banish tomatoes until next summer so instead, I try to find a way to make them the most flavorful they can be, in-season or not.

Roasting tomatoes is a great way to force all of those sugars within the tomato to concentrate and, when done low and slow for an extended period of time, the results get even better - jammy, sweet and the perfect way to satisfy that tomato craving out of season. Simply slice your tomatoes in half (or you can even leave them whole) and place them onto a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and a healthy pinch of salt and a couple pinches of pepper and then it's into the oven. Sometimes, before the pan goes into the oven, I'll drape thyme or rosemary delicately on top of the tomatoes, just to help give my tomatoes an extra boost of flavor.

While roasted tomatoes can be used in an innumerable amount of ways, I like them best on a flatbread. Layered with other meats and then scattered with a variety of cheeses, I think that an added layer of sweetness gives my flatbread a touch of something extra special. For this particular flatbread, instead of going traditional, I made my flatbread "dough" out of cheesy, herbed polenta that I spread onto a sheet pan before crisping it up and then adding my beautiful roasted tomatoes, shreds of cheese, slices of pastrami and fresh parsley. The base of the flatbread was delightfully crispy and poppy in the way that only polenta can be while the center was still soft. While I do think this took a little more time than you're average flatbread and probably isn't your best bet for an easy weeknight dinner, this is something extra special that you can throw together when friends come over. Especially since the majority of the cooking is hand's free and a lot of it can be made in advance and of course you can interchange toppings, but why not give the roasted fall 'mater a try?

Oven Roasted Tomatoes on Polenta "Flatbread"
- 1 1/2 cup Cornmeal
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (any tomato works well here too!)
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely minced
- 2 cups cheese, divided (I used a mix of cheese bits that were in the fridge, really, you can't go wrong!)
- 4-5 slices pastrami, thinly sliced
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Half tomatoes if desired and and place them, skin-side down onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay thyme on top of tomatoes. Roast tomatoes for about 3 hours or until softened and starting to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a pot, add polenta and rosemary to a pot. Cover with water, add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. You may need to add more water as the polenta cooks. If it starts to stick to the bottom, add a little more water. Once the the polenta has softened, add the cheese and stir to combine. Season to taste. Coat a parchment lined baking sheet with butter or olive oil and spread the polenta out in an even layer. Chill for at least 30 minutes or until ready for use.

Remove polenta from the fridge and lightly coat with olive oil. Place under the broiler and broil for about 10 minutes, or until the outside crisps. Drop the heat to 400 and remove the polenta from the oven and top with cheese, tomatoes and pastrami. Bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Top with fresh parsley and salt. Serve immediately.

Whole Wheat Lamb Pizza

2011-11-02T10:19:00.000-04:00

As part two of a three part series, I hosted my second Lamb Supper Club dinner party last night. Sponsored by the Tri-Lamb Group, I was provided with all of the ingredients to make the supplied Lamb Pizza with Peppers and Arugula recipe. The point of these lamb suppers is to prove that lamb can be a great alternative to other proteins. Because I'm a huge fan of lamb and a firm believer that it deserves more attention, I got started on my pizza.

If you haven't worked much with lamb before, this recipe is a great way to get introduced. Ground lamb is exceptionally easy to work with and it cooks just as easily as any other ground beef, turkey or chicken would. It's got a taste similar to beef but it just has a bit more complexity to its flavor.

For this pizza, I added a couple of my own twists to the original recipe posted below, just because I happened to have some extra items on hand. I also doubled the amount of tomato paste used and added a touch of water so that the lamb would be more "saucy". Fresh basil was chopped and added at the last minutes and I also mixed the provided goat cheese with mozzarella cheese; more cheese is always better, I say.

When the pizza came out of the oven, I took a couple of pictures before it was devoured. The crust was hearty and the lamb was the predominant flavor, heightened by the tomato paste and herbs. The pickled pepperonchini peppers added a great tangy spice and the goat-mozzarella mixture helped to balance out all of the flavors while the arugula provided a nice freshness and subtle crunch.

If you haven't worked with lamb before, I encourage you to try your own version of this lamb pizza. It's easy enough to put together on a weeknight and just different enough to shake things up a bit. Of course this recipe would work with any number of ground meats and any combination of cheeses, but the ground lamb just adds that bit of something extra special.

Lamb Pizza with Peppers and Arugula
1 package premade whole grain pizza dough (about 1-pound)
Olive oil, for drizzling
1 pound ground lamb
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minched
1 TBS tomato paste (*I used 2 TBS)
1 TBS dried oregano (*I used half this amount)
* Added 2 TBS fresh basil, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup pickled sliced pepperoncini peppers
3/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
* Added 3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese
2 cups arugula

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Brush rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and spread the dough over the entire length of the baking sheet. Bake pizza dough for five minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat enough olive oil to coat the pan and add shallots and a pinch of salt. Sweat the shallots and add the garlic and heat until tender. Add the ground lamb and generously season with salt and pepper. Once the lamb is cooked, add the tomato paste, oregano and fresh basil. Add 1/4 cup of water to the lamb to create a thick sauce.

Brush the crust with olive oil and top with lamb mixture. Top with cheeses and pepperonchini. Bake about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust turns a deep brown. Remove from oven and top with arugula. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Sage Breadcrumbs

2011-10-30T20:22:00.000-04:00

Last week my Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Sage Breadcrumbs was featured on Boston.com and because I was really happy with the results, I wanted to share the recipe here as well. While you can certainly make this recipe utilizing canned pumpkin puree, I suggest making your own pumpkin puree from scratch. It does take a little extra elbow grease with the seeding and roasting of the pumpkin but I assure you the extra effort is well worth it. Homemade pumpkin puree has this velvety texture that the canned stuff just can't compete with.

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese with Sage Breadcrumbs

1 – 2 1/2-3 lb. Sugar Pumpkin, scrubbed clean

6-7 whole cloves

3 pieces of whole wheat bread

1 lb. dried pasta

½ Vidalia onion, diced

6 TBS + 2 TBS butter unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 TBS flour

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup shredded smoked Gouda

1 + ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese

1- 8 oz. log of goat cheese

1 TBS whole grain mustard

1 TBS + 1 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped

A generous pinch nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

Olive Oil for drizzling

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Carefully cut the pumpkin into six equal parts and scoop out the seeds. Pierce the insides of the pumpkin pieces with the cloves, salt generously and then lay onto a cookie sheet, flesh side down. Roast pumpkin until it is very soft, about 35-45 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then peel off the skin of the pumpkin and place the flesh into a blender or processor. Blend the pumpkin until smooth and velvety, and set the pumpkin puree aside.

On a baking sheet, toast the three pieces of bread until they start to brown a bit. Set them aside to cool, then use a processor to pulse the bread crumbs. Mix in 1 tsp fresh sage and a pinch of nutmeg. Using your hands, combine 2 TBS of softened butter to the crumbs until they are evenly distributed. Season with salt and set aside.

Heat a medium-sized sauce pot and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan. Add the diced onions and a generous pinch of salt and cook on medium heat until they start to lightly brown (about 15 minutes). Add the butter to the pot and once it has completely melted, gradually add the flour, stirring constantly. Let the butter-flour mixture heat for a minute or two and then remove the pan from the heat and gradually add in the milk, stirring constantly. Return the pan to medium heat and add two cups of the pumpkin puree, stir, then add the mustard, goat cheese, smoked Gouda and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. Add the 1 TBS sage and cinnamon and season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add a generous amount of salt. Cook the pasta until very al dente (about 5 minutes). Strain pasta and add to the cheese sauce, and pour into an oven-safe casserole dish. Top with remaining ½ cup of cheddar cheese and Sage Breadcrumbs. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees until the breadcrumbs brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Posole Soup

2011-10-27T09:04:00.000-04:00

I always find that the more grey and chilly the day, the more vibrant and spicy I want my soup to be. It seems that we've had a fair amount of rain in Boston over the past month or so and as a direct result, my soup intake has increased. This soup is inspired by a classic Mexican Posole Stew, but, true to my cooking style, I deviated a bit from the classic to make room for my own special twists.

Posole soup traditionally is a made with hominy, pork and chilies. Hominy, if you haven't had it or worked with it before, looks like a pale, bloated corn kernel. It has a potatoey quality to it but has a very intense corn flavor and it's a nice little surprise to bite into. Additionally, I swapped out the pork for some meaty chicken thighs and I added carrots, for their sweetness, and mushrooms for their earthiness to my soup. Two dried chilies that were plumped up in boiling water and then pureed to round out the soup and contribute not only some spicy heat, but a nice bright hue. Just before serving, the brightness of the soup was reinforced by a couple drops of fresh lime juice as well as fresh cilantro.

Chicken Posole Soup
- 4-5 large chicken bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 can of Hominy
- 2 ancho dried ancho chilies
- 3 large carrots, largely diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carton button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 1 TBS ground cumin
- 1 TBS ground coriander
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup cornmeal flour
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the pan
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Lime wedges and cilantro to garnish

Boil water in a kettle and pour hot water over the dried ancho chilis. Set them aside and let the chilies plump up (about 20-30 minutes). Removed chilies from water and discard the stems and seeds. Place the chilies in a blender and add a bit of water. Puree until as smooth as possible and set aside.

Coat the bottom of a heavy dutch oven with olive oil and heat until very hot. Using a thick paper towel, dry the chicken thighs and season generously with salt. Place skin side down in the hot oil and sear the outside of the chicken until golden brown and crispy. Set aside the seared meat and add the mushrooms. Heat the mushrooms until cooked through and then add the onions and carrots and a generous pinch of salt. Sweat the vegetables for a couple of minutes and then add the chicken back to the pan. Add the chili puree, cumin, coriander, thyme and bay leaf and then add just enough water to cover the chicken. Add the cornmeal flour and hominy. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce it to simmer. Let the soup simmer for about 45 minutes and then remove chicken, let it cool, and remove skin and bone, and pull the chicken meat. Return it to the pot and serve with lime wedges and cilantro.

Classic Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

2011-10-21T09:29:00.000-04:00

I always seem to have a freezer full of bananas. You see, I'm extremely high maintenance when it comes to my bananas. I like them just when perfectly ripe. Under ripe and I find them sort of chalky and slightly sour, over ripe and mushy, I'm grossed out by their bruises and want no part of it. So when they start to show some signs of aging, I pop them into the freezer to use at a later date, and most likely, to make banana bread.

Everyone should have an easy, no-fail banana bread in their recipe arsenal. You know, something that can be thrown together easily at a moment's notice and without an extra trip to the store. From time to time, I like to make banana bread, or if I can resist, I like to freeze it whole to have on hand for out of town guests, or just to pull out and have for any non-occasion day.

Banana bread is one of my favorite kinds of quick breads. It's sweet, but not too sweet and it's slightly perfumed with banana's fragrant scent. For an added texture and flavor boost, I like to add a generous handful of chocolate chips to my bread batter, just before baking. The recipe I used is one from Dorie Greenspan and the only change that I made, besides adding chocolate chips, is that I used 1/2 cup whole milk that I soured with a couple drops of lemon juice because I didn't have yogurt or sour cream on hand. Other than that, I followed this recipe and was thrilled with the results - a light bread, full of flavor and golden brown with the exterior, creating a slightly crisped crust that makes this bread something special.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
Recipe by Dorie Greenspan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
3 ounces chopped chocolate, optional

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then the egg, beating for about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half the dry ingredients (don't be disturbed if the batter curdles), all the sour cream and then the rest of the flour mixture. Stir in the chopped chocolate by hand. Pour the batter into a bread pan. Bake the bread for about 28 to 32 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the bread pan to a rack, cool for 3 minutes, then gently turn the bread out of the tin. Cool to room temperature on a rack. Storing: Wrapped airtight, the bread will keep at room temperature for 2 or 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Muir Glen Tasting at the Boston Center for Adult Education

2011-10-18T09:39:00.001-04:00

I've always loved late summer and all of its fresh, everything's in season glory. But then October rolls around and the tomatoes start to fade from farmer's markets stands, only to be replaced by apples and root vegetables; both of which I love and welcome their arrival, but I can't help but miss tomatoes. It is for this reason that I always keep cans of good quality tomatoes on hand to help add some freshness and life to sauces and soups during those times when tomatoes are out of season.

Last night I had the pleasure of getting a sneak peek at this year's Muir Glen Limited Edition Reserve tomatoes. These tomatoes are picked in the peak of freshness in Northern California and then packaged up to preserve their freshness. The thing that I like most about the tomatoes is the chunkiness of them. Often times I find that canned tomatoes seem to loose their shape and plumpness but the Muir Glen Reserve tomatoes maintain that heartiness that I like.

Muir Glenn Fire- Roasted Tomatoes

Ratatouille

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

To help display the sample the tomatoes, Chef Will Gilson was on hand last night at the Boston Center for Adult Education to do a cooking demo utilizing the Muir Glen tomatoes. Within an an hour's time, and with some help from the audience of bloggers, he had made a classic Ratatouille, utilizing the Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, and a Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese. I was also lucky enough to snag a sampling box of these limited edition tomatoes on my way out and I'm already starting to dream up what soups, stews and braises these tomatoes will be added to this winter. If you're interested in sampling the Muir Glen Reserve Tomatoes, they will be available to purchase online only, starting November 1.

Guinness Braised Lamb Poutine

2011-10-14T14:44:00.002-04:00

A lamb recipe contest...what could be more fun than that? I've always thought of lamb as an underdog in the protein world full of steaks and pork and chicken; I think it's so much more versatile than people give it credit for. When I sat down to create this recipe, I started with a theme already in my head; I wanted to spotlight my lamb in a fun and very approachable way and I couldn't think of anything more fun than Poutine.

Poutine, by design, is meant for sharing, which in my book means fun. It's meant to accompany a tall frosty beer and and it's never a sad day when Poutine's around. How could it be? I took some creative liberties and deviated from a traditional Poutine of white potatoes, gravy and cheese curds, to bring you a roasted sweet potato and Guinness braised lamb with Feta. It's a seasonal spin on a classic - sweet potatoes not only provide a beautiful bright hue to the plate, but also give off their natural sweetness, which complements and balances the lamb. And speaking of the lamb, oh the lamb...when it's ever so slightly simmered in spices, aromatics and Guinness, it just absorbs all of those wonderful flavors as it starts to relax and soften. Then all of those flavors get reinforced by the rich sauce that coats the meat and everything is punched up by a hit of Feta's natural saltiness.

Don't let the length of this recipe intimidate you, most of the work is done up front and then it's hands off until the end, when it's a matter of roasting the sweet potatoes and reducing the sauce. And while it may seem like this dish takes a while to make to make, I assure you the flavors that you yield are well worth the effort. I even made a point to make extra lamb and I'd encourage you to do the same. The leftover meat makes for a fantastic sandwich or a stellar topping for a pizza.

This week and next, I'm participating in the American Lamb Pro-Am, sponsored by BostonChef's.com and this recipe will be featured on their site on Monday, where it will be up against other local talented lamb blogger's recipe creations. Be sure to check out the site and vote for your favorite (which is hopefully my Poutine!)

Check out the recipe after the jump!

Guinness Braised Lamb Poutine
Serves 2

- 2 lbs boneless leg of lamb
- 3 TBS smoked paprika
- 3 TBS cumin seeds
- 2 TBS coriander seeds
- 1 TBS hot chili powder
- 1 TBS mustard seeds
- 2 TBS fennel seeds
- The zest of 1 orange
- 2 bottles Guinness Beer
- 1- 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 medium sized carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
- 1 large sweet potato, cut into even sized batons
- Feta Cheese Crumbles
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Chives, optional

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Start by trimming the lamb of most of its fat. Cut into large, fist-sized pieces and set aside. In a small skillet, toast the paprika, cumin, coriander, chili, mustard and fennel seeds until they just start to smoke. Remove from heat and grind in a spice grinder. Add the orange zest to the mix of spices and rub over the lamb, coating it completely and evenly. Set aside.

Heat a large dutch oven on the stove and add just enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom. Generously salt the lamb. Working in small batches, sear the meat on all sides and set it aside. Add the onions, carrots and celery and a hefty pinch of salt. Stir, being sure to scrape up any browned bits that are on the bottom of the pan. Cook the vegetables until they start to soften a bit and then add the tomato paste. Stirring pretty constantly, continue to cook the vegetables in the tomato paste until it turns a deep red-brick color. Once this happens, rest the seared meat on top of the vegetables and add the beer and bay leaves. If the beer doesn't completely cover the meat, add water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then cover the pot and place in the oven. Let it heat in the oven for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is soft and very tender.

Once this has happened, remove meat from the pot and wrap it in foil so that it doesn't dry out. Strain the contents of the dutch oven into a large bowl. Discard the vegetables. Place contents of bowl into a fat separator and then pour the stock into a large skillet, being careful not to pour the fat into the skillet. On high heat, reduce the stock until it reduces by half and thickens to a sauce-like consistency. Season to taste.

While the stock is reducing, heat the oven to 450. Heavily coat a sheet pan with olive oil and then add the sweet potatoes. Heat, turning them twice, in the oven until they start to brown. Season with salt. While the sweet potatoes are baking, remove 1 of the bits of lamb and using a fork, pull the meat until it's shredded into bite-sized pieces.

To assemble, place the sweet potatoes onto a plate, top with lamb and drizzle with sauce. Top with feta cheese crumbles and chives, if desired. Serve immediately.

Please Meet The Skinny Beet

2011-10-12T09:18:00.001-04:00

Please allow me to back up a bit, to this day last year to tell you a little story...Last year at this time, if one more person told me that "things would change when I least expected it", I was going to stab myself with a rubber spatula (okay, maybe that's a tad dramatic). But, as it turns out, that advice was right and one year ago, today, things did change when I least expected it.

October 2010, Back Bay Social Club

It had been an awful day at work and I was debating not even going to an event at the newly opened Back Bay Social Club - sweatpants, tv and a solo glass of wine seemed much more comforting to me than socializing. But I blame the intrigue of a new restaurant as well as the suggestion that maybe it would do me well to be out and to have fun. So I went. It was raining that day as I trudged there, still debating my choice to go. But once in and settled, I was having fun. I snagged a seat at the end of a table full of bloggers and just before the food started to come out to the table, a dark haired man had arrived late and sat next to me.

I had never met him before but was instantly drawn to his friendly, laid back attitude. He introduced himself as Richard and we talked practically the whole night. He was a personal chef - something at the time I had wanted to learn more about. Once the evening had ended, we had loosely talked about meeting up for lunch sometime to talk more. It seemed like a polite offer and one that I hadn't taken seriously until, sadly, a friend of mine passed away and I wrote this post. Earlier, that day, before I heard the news, I chose a light salad over the burger that I really wanted to order. My friend's passing had made me realize how short life was. Why hadn't I stopped for a moment to enjoy life, worry less and get what I really wanted to eat? A polite and sympathetic response from Richard included an invitation to get a that burger. And that's how this story really starts..

We met at Post 390 for our first burger. He talked about what it was like to be a personal chef as well as culinary school. I, feeling like I had been at a crossroads in my life, felt like his story was so closely related to mine. I had been waiting for the answer on what to do for so long and there it was, right in front of me. I realized that I wanted to go to Culinary School. It was a Friday and I went back to work and spent the rest of the afternoon researching schools and crunching some numbers. By Sunday evening, I had completed my application and by mid-week, had sent it out.

As the story goes, I took a deep breath and quit my job this past December, went to school and graduated from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts this May. All the while, I met up with Richard once a week, on Fridays, for a burger. It wasn't too long before he was making me laugh so hard, I cried and we became close friends. Our hour-long lunches grew to three hour food-talking marathons. And then, it just sort of happened. I fell in love with a Burger Boy. Last month, we moved in together and today, on this one year anniversary of our meeting, we celebrate not only our meeting, but the announcement of our official venture into business together. We had been teaming up in the kitchen, and now we're teaming up in the blogasphere as well and today we launch our joint venture, The Skinny Beet.

How did we decide on that name? In Polish, Richard's last name translates loosely to mean "skinny". My last name translates to mean "beet soup". We put our hands together and came up with The Skinny Beet. We invite you to check out our new site, which will be launched later today. In the meantime, you can "like" us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter. We're planning to use our new space as a medium to talk about our mutual passion for food. We're going to share our lives as personal chefs and caterers as well as talk about our life at home and what we're cooking up in our kitchen.

As today is a personally important day for us, we've been asked what we're doing to celebrate..to answer that, quite simply, we're doing what we love best - we're spending time in the kitchen, cooking up the best food we know how to make for one of our regular clients as well as catering a dinner party this evening - and I can't think of any better way to celebrate than that.

Spiced Port Fig Jam

2011-10-11T08:59:00.000-04:00

The other day, I made a spiced port fig jam for a dinner party that we were catering and I couldn't wait to share the recipe with you. Ripe with spiced fall flavors, it's perfect for slathering on bread, topping with yogurt or simply eating on its own with a spoon. For the dinner party, we topped a crisped round of bread with a paper thin slice of prosciutto a generous dollop of the jam and a drizzle of balsamic reduction - It was a hit!

Figs are in season right now and are absolutely beautiful. Soft and pear-shaped, once cut into, they reveal a center that is full of little seeds. These seeds are what makes figs so enjoyable; popping and delicately snapping with each bite, they provide a special texture to whatever it is you're making.

The jam is made very simply; the figs are de-stemmed and quartered and then put into a small pot that is heating on the stove. Then, a bit of port is added (I had this beautiful Blackberry Port on hand) and along with some sugar and spice, the entire delicious mess is simmered and and reduced to a thick and jammy consistency. The jam is then set aside to cool before it's ready for eating. Fig jam is by no means a new kitchen concept but I believe that all fig jams are not created equal and I attribute the port and the classic fall spices to what makes this jam stand out. My only advice to you, if you make this, is that you double the recipe. This stuff will go quickly..

Spiced Port Fig Jam
- 8-10 figs (either green or black)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup Port wine
- 1/2 tsp fresh chopped sage
- 1/4 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
- A hefty pinch of cinnamon
- A pinch of salt

De-stem and quarter the figs and dump into a heated pot. Add sugar and port wine, stirring to combine. Add the rosemary, sage, cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine and over medium-low heat, simmer the jam until it reaches a thick consistency (about 20 minutes). Keep an eye on it and add more port or water if the jam gets too thick. Once the jam has reached the desired consistency, scoop it out of the pot and set aside to cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Queso Fundito with Roasted Poblano Puree

2011-10-10T07:51:00.001-04:00

I think that lounging around on a Sunday with the football on just begs for a hearty snack. In between plays and downs, there should be the sounds of chips crackling. It's just the way it should be. In fact, I'm surprised nobody has made that the an official rule. Maybe someone should get on that?

With cheese as the focus (really, when should it not be?) I melted it down into a creamy sauce before spiking it with smoked paprika and pouring it into a small cast iron skillet. The skillet then spent some quality time in the oven, getting hot and bubbly before it was dressed up with a spiced up poblano puree and set to out to rest beside homemade spiced corn chips.

Queso Fundito, or a melted cheese dip, isn't a new concept. It's been gracing our snack tables with its presence for quite some time but it's the simple addition of a bright and spicy puree that just elevates it a bit. I drizzled the puree with a heavy hand because I wanted each chip to have the opportunity to be dipped in the mix of flavors. Of course this could have been made without the puree but with the help of a blender it doesn't take that long to prepare and the outcome is not only quite the eye catcher, but also adds an extra layer of flavor to the party.

Queso Fundito with Roasted Poblano Puree

Queso Fundito
- 3 TBS Butter
- 3 TBS Flour
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack Cheese
- 1 TBS smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup milk
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In a pan, heat the butter until it melts. Add the flour and whisk together until well incorporated. Continue to heat to butter stirring every couple of seconds until the mixture starts to bubble a bit. Add the cheese and milk. Keep stirring until the mixture comes together and is smooth (more milk might be necessary). Pour into a cast iron skillet and then heat in the oven until the cheese starts to bubble. Once it's out of the oven, gently spoon the poblano puree over and serve immediately.

Poblano Puree
- 2 pobalno peppers
- The Juice of half a lime
- 2 TBS Vegetable oil
- 1 TBS red wine vinegar
- Salt and Pepper

Set the oven to broil and place the poblanos on a sheet pan. Roast them, turning them every so often to ensure they brown on all sides. Once they are consistently browned, take them out of the oven and let them cool enough to handle. Once you can handle them, peel the skins and stems and de-seed them. Put the poblano peppers into a blender and combine the rest of the ingredients. Puree the peppers and add a splash of water if the puree is too thick. Season to taste and set aside.

A Catered Affair - Last Minute Dinner Party

2011-10-07T09:56:00.000-04:00

Seared Cod with Pomegranate Salsa and Roasted Tomato Lentils

One of the biggest sacrifices that I've made since starting my new career is my free time and the realization that at a moment's notice, something can come up and I may have to drop everything to be there. As much as this can be a little annoying, it's also kind of exciting too. I love that fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants feeling and the adrenaline rush, not to mention that elevated sense of satisfaction that comes along with pulling something off on the fly - it's quite an incredible feeling.

Gougeres

On Monday evening around 9 PM, I received a call from a woman who was hoping to get a last minute dinner party catered on Wednesday evening. She requested that it be a formal three course sit-down dinner. She also requested gougeres to snack on while their guest arrived. We also threw in an extra appetizer as well to help them get their evening started. The agreed upon menu for the evening was:

Gougeres

Spiced Fig and Port Jam Crostini with Prosciutto and Balsamic Reduction

Sweet Potato Bisque with Crisped Pancetta and Fried Sage Leaves

Seared Cod with Clementine-Pomegranate Salsa and Roasted Tomato Lentils

Shaved Fennel Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Mulled Wine Poached Pears with a Homemade Pistachio Cookie

Homemade Pistachio Cookies

Once the menu was finalized, the next day was a blur. In between grocery shopping and prepping for the evening, in addition to catering to our regular weekly clients, we didn't stop until the last dessert plate was cleared. Of all of the dinner parties that we've catered, I think I was most proud of this one. Usually, we have at least a couple week's time to pull off our events and countless hours to plan. This one was done totally on the fly and challenged our adaptability and efficiency and I consider the work we did to be a success.

Mulled Wine Poached Pears with Homemade Pistachio Cookie

Yesterday, I was dead tired from it all and decided it was time to take a day off. Never had I had a more satisfying and well deserved day of relaxation.

Braised Pork and Sweet Potato Hash with Black Beans

2011-10-05T08:46:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I mused on about the benefits of braising a large piece of meat with the intent of having leftovers to use up throughout the week and, last night, I reaped those benefits. It seems this week has turned out to be a busy one; we're teaching a bunch of classes and then got a last minute dinner party booking for tonight, in addition to the families that we already cook weekly meals for. Yesterday I got so distracted with menu planning and creating grocery lists that I was starving before I even had the opportunity to start dinner. In attempt to maximize my time, I took my own advice and made a quick evening dinner using bits of the already flavorful braised pork and tossing in some other ingredients that I had on hand to make a simple hash.

If you haven't come across hash all that much, please allow me to introduce it to you. Hash can mean many different things but at it's simplist, it's a mix of starch, usually a potato that is fried up with bits of this and that. In a pinch, it's a lifesaver if you find yourself having one of those busy weeks.

I happened to have a sweet potato on hand, some leftover black beans and an apple - all a perfect match for some pulled pork. When I tossed it all together and gave it a quick fry, I added some fresh chopped rosemary and a pinch or two of cumin. For freshness, parsley was sprinkled on top, right before serving. While this isn't the most glamorous of dishes, it's comforting and full of fall flavors and when you add ingredients of varying textures and flavors, you get something extra special Most importantly, it's made in a matter of minutes. Below is the recipe for the hash that I made but if you plan to make it yourself, feel free to use whatever you have on hand. You could also skip the meat entirely and make it a vegetarian dish, or, this makes a terrific, hearty breakfast with a poached egg on top.

Braised Pork and Sweet Potato Hash with Black Beans
Serves 2

- 1 cup cooked, shredded Pork (or any other cooked meat, or can be made vegetarian without the meat)
- 1 large sweet potato, baked until cooked through
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 TBS fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Olive Oil for drizzling
- Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the potatoes, apples, pork, garlic and rosemary. Quickly fry until all of the ingredients are heated through. Add the black beans and season to taste. Just before serving, sprinkle with parsley.

Braised Pork with Citrus, Star Anise and Dried Chilies

2011-10-04T09:07:00.000-04:00

The other day, in the middle of realizing I had nothing in the fridge except for yogurt, cheese and a couple of stray sage leaves, I decided that it was time to make something of sustenance and get my braise on.

I'd like to kiss whoever is responsible for creating and developing the process of braising. It's pure culinary genius - a cheap cut of meat, some flavorful herbs, spices and vegetables and a little bit of water or stock, cover and just let it go - low and slow, baby. Letting all of those flavors seep deeply into the meat and gently heating it until the meat doesn't have the energy to cling to the bone anymore. Once this happens, the meat is pulled from the oven and set aside to rest until it's cool enough to be handled.

In my mind, there are two results of a good braise. The first being obvious - a huge Tupperware container of pulled meat at the ready, to be tossed with hearty grains, mixed with fresh vegetables or melted with cheese and sandwiched between slices of bread. The second, and my personal favorite, an apartment that is filled with the aroma of slowly braising meat, soaking up all of the intended flavors. I don't know what it is about the scent of braising, it just makes me feel like I'm curled up beside a roaring fire; it's instantly relaxing and comforting.

There really is no defined recipe for this braise and that's another bonus of the whole process, I literally just tossed spices from my pantry (star anise, ground ginger, cumin, smoked paprika, dried chilie, etc.) into a skillet, toasted them a bit and then coated the meat, which in this case was pork. I made a simple marinade of citrus zest and Dijon mustard and poured it on top along with some water. The meat went into a low, 300 degree oven and stayed there for six hours. The pork had a great citrusy-sweet anise flavor with some spice and heat that rushed in at the end. If you haven't braised before, give it a try. Pick a chilly day, an inexpensive cut of meat (brisket, short ribs, pork shoulder, etc..) flavor it with whatever you have on hand and then just let it go in the oven for hours. You'll reap the benefits of having tender, flavorful ready-to-eat meat on hand for days..if it lasts that long!

Appetizers on the Fly at the BCAE

2011-10-03T08:35:00.001-04:00

Chef Burger Boy toasting some spices

One of the most rewarding things that I find about teaching is watching people learn. I love seeing that "ah-ha!" moment and watching people go from not knowing exactly how to hold a knife to feeling confident chopping away. Ah, the mighty, mighty power of food...

Spiced Chicken Skewers

This week, Burger Boy and I were at the Boston Center of Adult Education again to teach a class on how to make great appetizers with little hands-on time and without sacrificing flavor. The inspiration for this class came from the private classes that we've been teaching. It seems the "what's something easy that I can make to take to a party" question always comes up. Our class was designed to help answer that question, as well as give time and money saving tips. We also designed a menu that would be interchangeable, based on what's in someone's pantry.

Making meatballs

Throughout the class, we made four different dips - Tapenade, Tzatziki, Eggplant, Tomatillo Salsa and made an assortment of items to dip with - crostini, pita chips, endive, lamb and pork meatballs and chicken skewers. The idea is that any of these dips would pair perfectly with any of the other items that we made, meaning more snacking options.

Tomatillo Salsa and Spiced Pita Chips

This was my second class at the Boston Center of Adult Education and I really enjoyed myself and I look forward to these classes. There's something so personally satisfying about sharing some tricks in the kitchen and talking with people of all different skill levels who, in some way or another, all love food. Special thanks to our class this weekend, we had a blast and hope you did too! And thank you for agreeing to let me snap pictures and write about our class. Burger Boy and I are scheduled to do another class in December. Hope to see you there!

My First Rosh Hashanah and an Orange-Almond Tart

2011-09-30T08:21:00.001-04:00

It's not my style to make, let alone post two dessert recipes in one week but I think this week deserved a special exception - I celebrated my very first Rosh Hashanah. While I'm not Jewish, my boyfriend is and to celebrate, we made a huge dinner - eggplant dip and spiced bread, braised brisket topped with a red wine reduction, parsnip and potato puree, pomegranate salad and, true to Jewish tradition, we ended with something sweet and fruity to symbolize a sweet new year.

This recipe is from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table and it instantly became a unanimous favorite. The tart itself was very thin but I think that made it dainty and a little more elegant. The texture of it was my favorite, a sweetened, flaky crust and a creamy almond filling. The tart was topped with orange segments which added another textural component and a nice fruity finish.

While this recipe was a little more time consuming than some others I've made, the extra effort was worth it. The only change that I made involved the almond flour. While I only could find it at Whole Foods, it would have cost almost $12 (!!) so I decided to take the cheap way out and make my own by pulverizing roasted, unsalted almonds in a coffee grinder until super fine and powdery. I can't say for sure, but I like to think that this is what made the almond cream extra nutty and flavorful.

The recipe can be found after the jump and to all of those that celebrate - happiest of happy New Years!

Orange-Almond Tart

Recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table

For the oranges:
4 navel or other meaty oranges

For the Almond Cream:
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 large egg
2 teaspoons dark rum or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 9- to 9 ½-inch tart shell, made with Sweet Tart Dough (recipe follows), partially baked and cooled
Confectioners' sugar for dusting, or about ¼ cup apple jelly and ½ teaspoon water, for glazing
1. To prepare the oranges: Using a sharp knife (I use a chef's knife), cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of each orange so it can stand upright. Working from top to bottom and following the curve of the fruit, use the knife to remove the peel in wide bands, cutting down to the fruit. You want to expose the juicy fruit, so take the thinnest little bit of fruit away with each strip of peel. Carefully run the knife down the connective membranes to release the orange segments one by one. Place the segments between a triple layer of paper towels and let them dry for at least 1 hour, or for several hours, or even overnight. If you have the chance and the towels seem saturated, change them.
2. To make the Almond Cream: Put the butter and sugar in a food processor and process until the mixture is smooth and satiny. Add the almond flour and process until well blended. Add the all-purpose flour and cornstarch, and process, then add the egg. Process for about 15 seconds more, or until the almond cream is homogenous. Add the rum or vanilla and process just to blend. (If you prefer, you can make the cream in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a bowl with a rubber spatula. In either case, add the ingredients in the same order.) You can use the almond cream immediately or scrape it into a container and refrigerate it until firm, about 2 hours. It's better if you can allow the cream to chill, but it's not imperative. (The cream can be refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.)
3. When you're ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the tart shell on it.
4. Stir the almond cream, then turn it into the crust, smoothing the top. Arrange the orange slices in a decorative pattern over the top. Don't cover every bit of cream — it will bubble and rise as it bakes, and it's nice to leave space for it to come up around the fruit.
5. Bake the tart for 50 or 60 minutes, or until the cream has risen and turned golden brown. If you slip a knife into the cream, it should come out clean. Transfer the tart to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature.
6. Right before serving, dust the tart with confectioners' sugar. Or, if you prefer, prepare a glaze by bringing the apple jelly and water to a boil (you can do this in a microwave oven or saucepan). Brush the glaze over the surface of the tart.
7. Remove the sides of the pan, slide the tart off the bottom of the pan (if you can't do this easily, don't bother with this step), and slice.
Sweet Tart Dough

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup confectioners' sugar

½ teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

1. Put the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in coarsely — you'll have some pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and some the size of peas, and that's just fine. Stir the egg yolk, just to break it up, and add a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses — about 10 seconds each — until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds. Just before you reach this clumpy stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change — heads up.

2. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and very lightly knead it just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing. (The dough can now be refrigerated for up to 5 days.)

3. When you are ready to make the tart shell, butter a 9- to-9½-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. (Butter the pan even if it's nonstick.)

4. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. You probably won't use all the dough, but it's nice to make a thickish crust so you can really enjoy the texture. Press the crust in so the pieces cling to one another and knit together when baked, but don't use a lot of force — working lightly will preserve the crust's shortbreadish texture. Prick the crust all over and freeze for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

5. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a piece of aluminum foil and press the foil snugly against the crust. If the crust is frozen, you can bake it as is; if not, fill it with dried beans or rice (which you can reuse for crusts but won't be able to cook after this).

6. Partially bake the crust for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the foil (and weights). If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Return the tart to the oven and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, or until lightly golden. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to cool before you fill it.

Bacon Polenta with Gouda and a Poached Egg

2011-09-29T10:35:00.000-04:00

For better or worse, my schedule, for the most part, is opposite of what most people's is. My afternoons and evenings tend to be the busiest and I don't have any free weekend time until mid-November. While I do love the irregularity of my schedule (it enables my days to be a little more flexible and it's kind of nice being able to run errands when no one else is) there is a downside to it too. I've learned that I don't get "true" weekends anymore; I'm always doing something for work and sometimes it's tough to remember to schedule in some downtime to allow for a little recharge. This week has been a particularly exciting one, we just took on a new client, we have four cooking classes in three day's time and are putting together proposals for some future catering jobs. In between all the menu planning, recipe writing and shopping, a leisurely mid-week brunch just seemed like the right thing to do.

The inspiration for this meal was based around some beautiful thickly cut bacon and polenta. The two seemed to be a natural pairing - the saltiness of the bacon and the gentile pop of the cornmeal are a welcome and hearty addition to the breakfast table. Just before serving, a nice smokey gouda was folded into the cornmeal-bacon mix to help get things a bit creamier and to bring out that smoky flavor from the bacon.

A poached egg was then placed on top of a heap of the soft polenta and eaten while everything was still hot. With a side of coffee, this was the perfect way to take just a little break before my day got started. If you'd like to recreate this simple dish at home, you can do so without the bacon, but why would you want to do that?

Bacon Polenta with Gouda and a Poached Egg

- 2 eggs

- 1 TBS white distilled vinegar

- 1 cup cornmeal

- 2-3 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled

- 2 TBS smoked gouda, shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

In a pot, combine the polenta with enough water to totally cover it. (You'll want to keep some extra water on hand too.) Salt the water and simmer the polenta, adding a little more water once it gets absorbed. Add in the bacon and heat until the polenta is soft. Fold in the cheese and adjust seasoning.

In a shallow pan, bring water to a soft boil - little bubbles should be snaking up from the bottom. Add the vinegar. Crack the eggs into separate small bowls and gently slide it into the pan. Heat the egg until the yolk is just set and then carefully scoop it out of the water and set aside.

To plate, put a scoop of polenta into a shallow bowl and top with poached egg and additional gouda (if desired)

Deep, Dark, Spicy Gingerbread with Coffee Glaze

2011-09-28T10:12:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure what exactly to accredit my new found desire to bake to. Maybe it's the fact there's something so meditative about sifting flour, mixing and pouring batter into a pan. Or maybe it's more than that. Maybe it's the fact that I love the smell of something sweet, warm with spices and baking away, and how it makes my apartment feel that much more homey; especially when it's starting to get a little chillier out. Whatever the reason for my new found hobby, I've decided to embrace it, while I think of what I'm going to bake next week...

After apple picking last week, I was craving something sweet that would be very seasonal, with lots of traditional fall flavors and heavy on the spice. I ended up selecting a gingerbread cake recipe from the cookbook Flour because it had everything that I was looking for, plus utilized what I already had on hand.

This was my first attempt at a recipe by local celebrity chef Joanne Chang and I was very happy with the outcome. The cake was moist with a deeply spiced taste and, while the cake looks a little unsuspecting, it packed a generously sweet bite from all of the ginger. It was a rich brown shade, courtesy of molasses and the coffee glaze that topped everything off created a thin shiny sheen that firmed up when the cake was cooled. I took some creative liberties and added a light snowy layer of powdered sugar to the top of the cake. It was enjoyed best with when slightly warm from the oven and with a hot cup of coffee by its side. This cake is a new favorite of mine and I wouldn't be surprised if it made another appearance or two this year, particularly around the holidays..

Deep, Dark, Spicy Gingerbread with Coffee Glaze
Recipe from Joanne Chang's Flour Cookbook
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 large eggs
3½ cups (490 grams) unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 ½ cups (480 grams) unsulphured light or dark molasses
1 cup (240 grams) boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda

Coffee Glaze
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2-3 tablespoons double-strength brewed coffee

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), cream together the butter and brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. (This step will take 5-6 minutes using a handheld mixer.)
Stop the mixer a few times and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar.
In a small bowl, whisk together the grated ginger and eggs until blended. On low speed, slowly add the egg mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again and beat on medium speed for 20 to 30 seconds, or until the mixture is homogeneous.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, pepper, cinnamon, and cloves.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the molasses, boiling water, and baking soda. It will foam up! On the lowest speed, add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg-butter mixture, and mix until incorporated. Add the rest of the molasses mixture and mix until incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Again on the lowest speed, add about half of the remaining flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Add the rest of the molasses mixture and mix until incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture, mix on low speed for about 1 minute or until the batter is homogeneous. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the middle with a fingertip. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.
To make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and enough of the coffee to make a smooth, thick, spreadable glaze.
While the cake is still warm, spread the glaze evenly over the top. Let the glaze set for at least 1 hour before serving.
The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Purple Potato-Leek Soup with Sorrel Puree

2011-09-27T10:01:00.000-04:00

The other day I was at a farmer's market in Watertown. I was just about ready to leave empty handed when I spotted a giant leafy bunch of sorrel. I had only seen it in small packages at Whole Foods but never had I seen it like this before. At $2 a bunch, I couldn't resist and before I even got to the car, I plucked a piece of the leaf off to steal a taste - and I haven't been the same since.

Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic but I have never been so blown away by the natural, raw flavors of a vegetable before. Sorrel is a sturdy, leafy green with a certain hardiness to it and once you start chewing, this surprisingly vibrant lemony flavor gets released. Before I could stop myself, I was so smitten with this new find, I was eating it like candy and couldn't wait to get it back to my kitchen to experiment.

I wanted to really showcase the sorrel and give it a dramatic role on my dinner plate; it just felt like that's what it deserved. I had planned to make a classic potato-leek soup anyway and thought this would be a welcome addition. Because of the sorrel's bright green hue, I opted to use purple potatoes instead - I just love the contrast of purple and green. I started by making the sorrel into a pesto with some garlic and olive oil but the results were too grassy for my liking. So I strained the pesto and was left with a beautifully flavorful smooth puree to drizzle over my soup. I had some leftover chicken on hand too so I neatly stacked it into the center of the bowl and then, for garnish, I crisped up purple potato peels in the oven.

The results of this dish were really something, if I do say so myself. The bright citrus flavors of the sorrel just cut through the rich potato base and the colors of this dish made it playful and artistic. Best yet? This was all pulled together in under an hour's time. Of course, regular russet potatoes work just fine here and if you can't find sorrel, fear not, a basil or cilantro would also work, just don't be shy with the lemon. But if by chance you can find the sorrel, I encourage you to try, it's totally worth it. (Quick Sorrel Tip: if you plan to use it, eat it raw and enjoy all of it's beautiful flavors. I found that when cooked, the flavors get muted.)

Purple Potato-Leek Soup with Sorrel Puree
- 3 purple potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cubed, peels reserved
- 1 leek, white part only, cleaned well and sliced thin
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
- Olive Oil for Drizzling
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Sorrel Puree (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a medium-sized stock pot on medium heat. Drizzle olive oil into the pan and add the leeks and a generous pinch of salt. Heat until they soften and then add the potatoes and another generous pinch of salt. Add water to the pot, just until potatoes are covered and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and let the potato-leek mixture simmer until the potatoes are cooked through. Once the potatoes are cooked through, strain them and set aside to cool, being careful to reserve the cooking liquid. In a blender, puree the potatoes until smooth and then gradually add the liquid until the soup reaches a smooth and velvety state but still is relatively thick. (You may need to work in batches). Return the soup to the pot, add the butter and heat through, adjusting seasonings as necessary.

While the potatoes are cooking, lay the potato peels onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until they are crispy. Remove from heat and set aside until ready for use.

Just before serving, reheat the chicken and set aside. In shallow bowls, ladle the soup into the bowls and stack the chicken into the center of the plate. Top with crispy potato skins and drizzle with sorrel puree. Serve immediately.

Sorrel Puree
- 1/2 cup sorrel
- 1 clove garlic
- Olive oil
Salt to taste

In a blender, combine sorrel, garlic and just enough olive oil to get the blender going. Season to taste. Remove the mixture from the blender and run it through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the pulp and reserve the puree for the soup.

Apples to Apples at the BCAE

2011-09-26T09:31:00.000-04:00

I never knew how much I like to teach. Standing in front of the class in my chef's coat, I feel totally at home talking about food. This shouldn't come as a surprise to me, I've never been one to have a loss of words, especially when the subject is something that I'm so passionate about. Additionally, it never ceases to amaze me how easily food connects people and how eager people are to learn all about it, which makes teaching all the more enjoyable for me.

Yesterday morning, Burger Boy and I taught "Apples to Apples" at the Boston Center for Adult Education. Within minutes of the class starting, a bunch of strangers worked as a team to create a killer three-course meal and leave, three hours later, feeling like they've accomplished something. The class that we created was devoted to the classic fall favorite, the apple. Based on the premise that a big majority of New Englanders visit apple orchards this time of year, only to return home and make the same old apple pies, apple sauces and cakes, we wanted to teach a class that showed the many more possibilities an apple can have. Our menu for the three-hour class was:

Apple Bacon Jam with Cinnamon Spiced Toast Points

Chicken Breast with Spiced Apple-Cranberry Stuffing

Twice-baked Apple Sweet Potatoes

Homemade Apple Cider Doughnuts

As this was a basic class, we created a menu that was simple, yet still provided many techniques. Throughout class, we talked about how interchangeable these recipes are and we gave additional suggestions and ideas. I had planned to snap some pictures of the class; I wanted to capture some action shots of knives snapping away and prep bowls full of apple scraps. But somewhere between the meeting and greeting and apple talk, we got to work in the kitchen and before I knew it, we were eating apple-themed dishes and class was over.

Wanting to get our star ingredient straight from the source, our apples came from Honey Pot Orchards in Stowe, MA. We had a lot of fun picking them as well as brushing up on our apple knowledge (did you know that the crabapple is the only apple native to North America?) We also decided that it was our responsibility to sample cider doughnuts in all of their cinnamon-sugar glory.

Next Sunday, we are teaching a class on Appetizers that are easy to make and even easier to transport. There are still a few seats left if you're interested in joining the fun!

What's the {French Onion} Soup at Deuxave?

2011-09-23T09:49:00.001-04:00

On a dreary and chilly Boston September day, the folks at What's the Soup sent me to check in and report back on the soup scene at Deuxave, located at the corners of Mass Ave. and Comm Ave. in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. I hadn't had the pleasure of dining at Deuxave before and was looking forward to dipping my soup spoon into their 9-Hour French Onion Soup ($12).

When I arrived, I snagged a plush seat in their trendy bar and placed my order for the soup. Within minutes, a foiled round of creamy French butter was set before me and a warm roll that crackled when torn was all mine. It wasn't long before a crock of steaming soup was in front of me, its cheese blanketing the top and hiding the deliciously rich broth of buttery soft onions that were underneath.

Within my first few bites, it was the obvious that there was so much time and attention that went into the making of this soup. The broth had bold, beefy flavors and was skimmed thoroughly and properly throughout the cooking process, leaving a flawlessly deep, golden colored base for the abundant slivers of onions that were so soft, they (pardon the cliche) melted in my mouth. The raft of hearty bread and cheese that was dressed up with freshly snipped chives was so fully saturated by the rich broth by the time I got to it, I couldn't help but savor every last bite. The cheese was also in abundance, with playfully long strands of it running from my spoon to my bowl, this was everything I'd want my French Onion Soup to be.

I found the portion size to be a little deceiving, when it was first presented to me I thought I'd I'd be hungry afterwards but there was more in that little crock than met the eye. I left full and satisfied, but not before trying the special little treats send out by the pastry chef - a bite-sized butter cookie that was packed with buttery flavor, and a passion fruit jelly that was so soft and fruity with lots of tangy tropical flavor. So, dear readers, if you find yourself craving a classic French Onion Soup, made that way it was intended to be made, then stop in to Deuxave, grab your soup spoon and enjoy.

Purple Sweet Potato Vegetable Soup with Sausage

2011-09-22T09:31:00.000-04:00

I have always loved the start of fall - and I even welcome the realization that flip-flops can no longer be my default choice of footwear and I have to reach for a sweater instead of a tank top. To me, there's something so renewing and enticing about the change in seasons. Ripe summer berries are no longer present in my grocery bag and instead, I'm creating meals that are based around root vegetables and at least once a week, a big pot of soup or stew is simmering away on my stove.

Oh soup. How I love thee.

I've always thought that the trick to a really great soup (besides ample simmer time and seasoning it properly) is to add at least one surprising ingredient or component to the mix. Bonus points if there are two, but it shouldn't be much more than that. Soup, after all, should be kept simple, but that doesn't mean that it has to be boring. I find that the addition of a few surprise ingredients is what keeps things interesting and begs people to ask the question, in between hearty slurps and satisfied grins, what is in here?

With this soup, the two elements of surprise are purple sweet potatoes, which taste like regular sweet potatoes but are purple (fun!), and Harissa, a spicy paste of mixed peppers and spices that hail from Africa. (For the locals: both of these items can be found at Russo's in Watertown.) Fear not if you can't find these two ingredients though, a regular sweet potato will do just fine and you can swap the Harissa for another spicy component - chipotle or any hot sauce you may have on hand. But if you can find this duo, give them a try. Not only are the colors fantastic, but the flavors are really something.

This soup gets it's hardiness from a wide array of vegetables - sweet potatoes, leeks, carrots, parsnips and spinach, its richness from two sweet Italian sausage links and its body from lentils that were thrown in at the last minute to help thicken it up. When making this soup, I suggest you make extra; you'll want to enjoy the leftovers.

Purple Sweet Potato Vegetable Soup with Sausage

- 2 Sweet Sausage Links, casings removed
- 1 purple sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 3-4 parsnips, chopped
- 1 large carrot, sliced into thick rounds
- 1 leek, white part only, washed and thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup lentils, rinsed
- 1/2 bag baby spinach
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- Harissa - to taste
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat a large stock pot on medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil and add sausage. Allow it to brown on all side and break it up into small bits. Add all of the vegetables (except the spinach) and cover generously with water and add the rosemary. Season the water with salt and add the Harissa to taste, cover and let simmer (do not boil). Just before the vegetables are done, add the lentils and let them simmer until just done. Add the spinach, check for seasoning before serving.

Classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2011-09-21T08:21:00.001-04:00

It seems that lately I can't get enough of cookbooks. I guess I've always been that way, but even more so lately. The other day I was reading Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc and I came across this recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It just so happened that I had a fresh pineapple sitting on my counter, waiting to be a part of something special. And, if that wasn't reason enough, I had never attempted to make a classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake before.

As much as I take joy in creating a new recipe, every once in a while, I like to make a classic. No twists and turns, just something that has been made for years, in exactly the way it was intended to be made. While I carefully arranged the pineapple on top of the brown sugar mixture, I couldn't help but feel like I should be sporting a 50's inspired dress, frilly apron and those dark-rimmed glasses that point up at the ends and I liked that sort of connection to a dish.

One of the things that surprised me the most about this dessert was just how easy it was to make and also, how much I liked the end result. (Although, that heavenly aroma that filled my apartment didn't hurt its case..). I guess this might be due to the fact that I made this dessert on a whim, once I realized that I had everything needed to make it. It wasn't sparked by a craving and it wasn't planned in advance. It just sort of happened. I didn't expect the cake to be so delicately soft and the fresh pineapple to mix so well with the brown sugar and butter mixture to form such a delightfully sweet topping. What's more is the topping makes (and keeps) the vanilla cake base so moist that the whole thing just sort of melts into one delicious bite.

If you haven't made a classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake before, I encourage you to pick a random and unassuming afternoon and give it a try. I've listed the recipe from Keller's book below and the only modification that I made was the fact that I added all of the brown sugar-butter "Pan Schmear", because, well, why not?

Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Recipe from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc

Pan Schmear
8 tablespoons (1 stick; 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon dark rum
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Kosher salt
1 Gold (extra sweet) pineapple
Cake
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick; 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the butter, honey, rum, brown sugar, and vanilla and beat until smooth and well blended. Spread 1/3 cup of the schmear over the bottom of a 9-inch silicone baking pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt. (The remaining schmear can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 1 month; bring to room temperature before using.)
2. Cut the top and bottom from the pineapple and cut away the peel. Cut the pineapple lengthwise into quarters, and cut off the core from each section. Cut each piece into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Beginning at the perimeter of the pan, make an overlapping ring of pineapple slices with the curved side facing out. Make a second ring inside the first one, overlapping the slices in the opposite direction, working toward the center of the pan. Reserve any extra pineapple for another use.
Sift the flour and baking powder together; set aside. Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and mix on low speed to combine, then beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Mix in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding the second and scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in the milk. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan and spread over the pineapple.
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan for even browning and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Run a knife around the edges of the cake, invert onto a serving platter, and serve warm. (Leftover cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

French Lentils with Meyer Lemon and Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes

2011-09-20T08:07:00.001-04:00

Lentils, if you haven't cooked with them a lot before, are something that you must try. It seems that lately, lentils have become one of my go to main meals. So saturated in nutrients and bearing a striking resemblance to little pebbles, once cooked in simmering water or stock, they're so easily made delicious.

I like them best with a hearty scoop of Dijon mustard and a splash of Sherry vinegar mixed in just before serving. It gives the lentils a slight, yet welcome tang. I also like to add seasonal roasted vegetables and sometimes I'll add meat (pork, I find, works especially well) to make them even heartier. I like to cook them just until they are cooked through so that they have a great texture to them.

This recipe has an unsuspecting addition of tomatillos, which I happened to have on hand and I roasted them down before pureeing and mixing them in, which gave the dish some extra body. Beautifully sweet heirloom cherry tomatoes were also roasted down until their sweetness concentrated and they got delightfully jammy. I also used the zest and juice of a Meyer lemon, a softer, muskier relative of the lemon (of course, regular lemon would work just fine here too). Fresh herbs finished everything off and the meal was served right away, while everything was warm. Alternatively, bits of leftovers would make a fantastic addition to a next-day lunchtime..

Meyer Lemon Lentils
- 1 cup lentils, preferably French lentils, rinsed
- Just enough water to cover the lentils, additional might be needed
- 1 leek - just the white part, cleaned thoroughly and sliced into half-moons
- 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, washed and halved
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
- 1 generous splash Sherry Vinegar (balsamic also works well)
- The zest and juice of 1 Meyer Lemon
- 3 tomatillos
- Fresh parsley and mint, washed and finely chopped
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
- Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 and place the tomatillos and cherry tomatoes on a silpat, parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the tomatoes soften and start to brown. Note: the cherry tomatoes will probably roast faster keep an eye on them. Once done, take them off the pan and set them aside until ready to use and continue roasting the tomatillos until very soft. Once the tomatillos are done, set aside until cool enough to handle. Using a blender, puree the tomatillos until they are a thick, sauce-like consistency.

In a hot skillet, drizzle olive oil and add the leeks. Heat until softened and add the lentils and just enough water to cover them. Sprinkle in salt and allow the lentils to simmer gently. You may need to add additional water if the lentils absorb it all before they are done cooking. You'll know the lentils are done when they are softened but still have the slightest bit of bite to them. At that point, add the mustard, vinegar and pureed tomatillos. Stir to combine. Add the Meyer lemon zest and just enough juice so that you can taste a little lemon but without it being too strong. Taste for seasoning and then dot the cherry tomatoes on top just before serving and finish with fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

Beet Risotto with Early Fall Vegetables

2011-09-19T08:37:00.000-04:00

Poor beets. They're like the kid that always gets picked last in gym class. They're rarely the star of the dish, instead, and not even until recently, had they earned themselves a supporting role in salads, but isn't it time that they deserved more attention and respect? When simply roasted, their sugars concentrate and they become intensely sweet and they give off this unparalleled deep magenta color that seeps into whatever it is you're making. Shouldn't that earn them some points?

The base of this dish was going to be brown rice at first, but then I decided that I wanted capitalize on that beautifully bright juice and make sure those beets really got their opportunity to shine. Risotto gave me that chance to spotlight my star ingredient and with that early fall chill in the air, a nice creamy risotto seemed like a good move.

Because I wanted to play off of that earthiness that the beets already have, I added roasted parsnips to my risotto, which only deepened those fresh late summer/early fall flavors. I then took advantage of the naturally rich magenta color of the dish to add a color contrast of bright green blanched and chopped spinach and sliced heirloom tomatoes that were kept away from heat so they give off a burst of delightful freshness with each bite. The entire dish was finished off with lemon zest, for brightness, and goat cheese, to boost up the richness of the dish and make everything just sort of melt together into one giant bowl of seasonal flavors, with all the focus being on the humble beet.

Beet Risotto with Early Fall Vegetables

- 1 large beet

- 1 cup Arboro rice

- 1/2 onion, finely diced

- Water for boiling and to add to the risotto

- 1 lemon, zested and juice reserved

- 2 TBS goat cheese

- 4-5 parsnips, roughly chopped into equal sizes

- 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

- 1 small bag fresh baby spinach

- Salt and Pepper to taste

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- Fresh parsley

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, spread out the parsnips and drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper. Entirely wrap the beet in foil or parchment paper and place it on the baking sheet with the parsnips. Roast the vegetables until the parsnips start to brown and are very soft and the beet shows no resistance when pierced. (Note: the parsnips will be done first so just remove them and set them aside while you continue to roast the beet). Once the beet is done, set it aside to cool and using paper towels to avoid staining your hands, gently pull off the skin, dice the beet's flesh and set it aside.

In a large skillet, wilt the spinach and then shock it in ice water to preserve its color. Chop the spinach and set it aside.

In a medium-sized sauce pan, bring water a boil. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and coat the pan with a light layer of olive oil. Add the onions and a generous pinch of salt and sweat them for a couple minutes until they become translucent. Add the arborio rice and heat for a minute or so, stirring to warm the rice. Gradually add a ladle full of the boiling water to the rice and stir until most of the water is absorbed. Continue to add more boiling water once it gets absorbed while stirring frequently. Once the rice is almost cooked through, add the beets and stir to release their juices and to color the risotto. Next, add the goat cheese, lemon zest and enough lemon juice to give the risotto a light lemon flavor. Add the parsnips and fresh tomatoes, season to taste and add the spinach right before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Black Barley of Death

2011-09-16T09:47:00.000-04:00

The inspiration for this recipe came from one ingredient and this post started the same way all the others do; with a grocery list and a general idea what I wanted the end result to be. In this case, the inspiration inducing ingredient was black barley; a deeply colored cousin of the commonly known white barley. I had come across it the other day in Whole Foods and couldn't wait to put it to use, especially since I had never seen, nor heard of it. A quick Google search rendered little information on my new find so I got to work, treating it just like I would treat white barley.

I wish I could tell you that every recipe I create comes out at least somehow how I imagine it to be, but as anyone whose ever spent any time in the kitchen knows, that is an impossible feat to achieve. When things go wrong in the kitchen, it's easy to get frustrated and it seems the more you carefully select your ingredients and plan it all out, the more of a let down it can be. For me, one of the hardest lessons to learn (and I'm still in the process of learning it) is to take that frustration, learn what you can from it and then make the most of it, by salvaging what you can.

This dish was supposed to be a fusion of Middle Eastern flavors combined with some classic combinations and prepared with a couple of twists and turns. I started by prepping my ingredients and laying them out on the butcher's block so that they'd be at the ready. I made a vegetable stock out of the classic trio of carrots, celery and onions and then I added whole cloves and a bay leaf and let that simmer before I strained it. Once that was done, I reached for my star ingredient, black barley, and added it to my homemade stock. I let that simmer for an hour, but noticed that the barley still hadn't done much. I added water, the stock had been absorbed, then covered and let that simmer for another hour and a half. Still no results. By this time, in an emotional fit of frustration combined with hunger, I threw in the towel, dubbed the barley, "Black Barley of Death" and reached for my jar of couscous. Within 5 minutes, I had all of my components of my original dish added and I was ready to eat. Thank heavens for couscous..

While the results were not entirely what I expected, the flavors still worked together nicely. The fresh figs still gently popped with each bite, the eggplant still was soft and earthy and the fresh mint and parsley were still bright and welcome. I've put the original recipe below and I recommend trying it with barley, risotto, rice or in a pinch, turns out, couscous works just fine.

1 cup barley
5 fresh figs, quartered
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 eggplant, cubed
1 mango, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 bay leaf
3 whole cloves
1 orange, zested and juice reserved
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
A handful fresh parsley, chopped
A handful fresh mint, chopped
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil

In a medium-sized sauce pan and on medium heat, coat the pan in a thin layer of olive oil. Add the carrots, onion and celery and a generous pinch of salt. Cook the vegetables until they soften slightly and start to caramelize a little. Fill the rest of the pan up with water, add the bay leaf and cloves, lower the heat and let it simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes, strain out the vegetables and set the stock aside.

While the stock is simmering, coat the eggplant in a thin layer of olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the eggplant in an 400 degree oven until softened and set aside until ready for use.

Heat another sauce pan on medium heat and add another layer of olive oil. Heat the barley for a minute or so to toast it a bit. Add 3 cups of the vegetable stock, cumin and coriander, and bring mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the barley and let it cook until tender. Add the peppers and gently stir the barley to let the heat cook them through. Add the figs, eggplant, mango and orange zest, season with salt and pepper and then gradually add in orange, adding just enough to give it a light orange flavor. Finally, add the fresh mint and parsley, gently stir and serve when warm.

Libation Elimination at The W Hotel

2011-09-15T10:17:00.000-04:00

A good beverage, just like any good dish, is a work of art that takes talent and skill to pull together; making sure all the right notes are hit and that the flavors really shine. Last night, six of the city's best bartenders competed in the Libation Elimination, hosted in conjunction by The W Hotel and BostonChefs.com. Throughout the evening, guests mingled and sipped tequila based concoctions and voted for which one they thought was the best.

With flavors ranging from fruity and tropical to spicy with flavors of pumpkin and cinnamon, I was torn between two drinks in particular - one from TJ White, bartender at Restaurant Dante and the other from the The W's own, Joe Black. The drink from Restaurant Dante was packed with lots of flavors from jalapenos, pineapple and then the cup was smartly lined with smoked salt and garnished with a slivered pineapple wedge. It had a smoky aroma to it and all of the flavors were so well balanced. My other favorite, and the one that ended up earning my vote, was created by the bartender at the W lounge. A refreshingly chilled ginger cocktail that tasted almost like a sweeter, grown-up version of ginger beer. It had a strong ginger flavor but a nice sweet finish.

Throughout the event, I couldn't help but be impressed by what our hometown bartenders could do with one ingredient and I enjoyed seeing things like eyedroppers full of Taza chocolate extract and microplanes for grating fresh nutmeg and cinnamon at various bartender's tables. It gave me a renewed sense of appreciation for the art of drink making.

Take A Break..

2011-09-14T08:28:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, all you need is a break. Even if it's just for a small window of space, it's amazing how pausing for a moment does a world of good. It's just so easy to run around like a crazy person and being a slave to work and email and everything else in life and it took a gentle reminder of that for me to make the time to enjoy the day.

Without even thinking about it or stressing over what to bring, yesterday, an impromptu picnic bag was packed and I was off to my new favorite spot, a local park that has a breathtaking view of the city. With simple sandwiches, an assortment of cheeses, marcona almonds and fresh figs, I felt a million times lighter and more refreshed, just sitting and talking in the shade of a tree on a perfectly sunny day. No cell phones interrupted, no computers were there to distract.

Once the lunch break was over, the items were packed up and I left the park a different person than when I came in. I felt rejuvenated, smiley and relaxed, not to mention ready to get back to work. It felt so good, I've vowed to take breaks like this more often.

Now it's your turn. I invite you to stop what you're doing. Please. No matter how stressful your life is and with all that you have going on, I urge you to put it aside for one lunch break. Call up someone, whether it be a friend, a co-worker, a significant other and invite them to lunch. Don't stress about what you're going eat and don't over think it. Just turn off the computer, put your phone on silent and grab a couple of items and go. You'll feel worlds better.

Charcoal Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb

2011-09-13T08:29:00.001-04:00

It's a good day when a box of lamb arrives at your doorstep. It's an even better day when that box is packed with all that you need to create dinner for you and a few of your friends. The other week, I received my introductory package of lamb goodies courtesy of the Lean on Lamb group, a collaboration of the US, New Zealand and Australia whose main goal is to raise awareness on the meat's nutritional benefits as well as to increase the demand of it in the States.

Lamb, if you haven't had much experience with cooking it, is pretty similar to beef, only you'll want to rid it of it's fat to reduce that gaminess that it naturally has. But once you trim the fat, you're left with a beautiful change of pace for your dinner table. My box of goodies came with an accompanying recipe as well as all of the ingredients to season up my lamb - the leg of lamb itself, olive oil, Anaheim chili peppers, scallions, ground ginger, honey, soy sauce and salt and pepper. I followed along with the enclosed recipe but doubled the marinade and when it came time to grill the lamb, I added some applewood wood chips to the charcoal party to give it a deep smoky flavor.

Once I had marinated the meat for about 6 hours, I butterflied the lamb and wrapped it around the Anaheim chilies before sealing it up tight with heat-proof ties. Then, it was on to the grill to give the exterior a good charring before allowing the meat to slowly cook through to a nice medium-rare temperature. At the last minute, the scallions were tossed onto the grill to wilt a bit and they were served alongside the lamb.

If you haven't tried lamb before, I encourage you to do so. The recipe below is fairly simple and if you make it, I would recommend that you double the amounts for the marinade. If you don't have access to a grill, no worries, an oven will do the trick as well. Just sear the meat on the stove and then pop it into the oven to finish cooking.

Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 3-4 Anaheim Chilies, sliced thinly
- 5-7 lb boneless leg of lamb, butterflied
- Olive oil
- 4 bunches scallions
- salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, ground ginger and chilies and then transfer to a large ziplock back or baking dish. Add the lamb and rub with marinade. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least an hour, overnight preferred. Once you're done marinading, remove lamb from marinade, salt and pepper heavily, and set aside. Heat grill and scrape the grates clean. Grill lamb on high heat first to sear it, then move the lamb to a cooler spot on the grill to allow for the meat to heat through. Cook lamb to an internal temperature of 145 for medium-rare or 160 for medium. Once this has happened, remove lamb from heat and allow to rest. While the lamb is resting, toss the scallions in a light coating of olive oil. Add salt and pepper and grill until wilted and charred. Serve alongside leg of lamb.

Vote For Your Favorite - Who Makes The Best Philly Cheese Steak?

2011-09-12T08:13:00.002-04:00

On an unassuming Sunday and in the spirit of some friendly kitchen competition, two unnamed chefs went head-to-head to determine who can make the best Philly Cheese steak. To the soundtrack of sizzling pans, clanking prep bowls and the murmur of football playing quietly in the background, each chef was given 30 minutes, the use of identical ingredients and free reign of the kitchen to create their best take on the Philly Cheese steak. Here's how it all went down..

First up - the ingredients. The chefs were given the opportunity to use (or not use): Shaved Steak, Onions, Poblano Peppers, Scotch Bonnet Peppers, Mushrooms, Serrano Peppers, Tomatillos, American Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Goat Cheese, Provolone, Sub Rolls

Next, the creations:

Chef #1: At the end Chef #1's 30 minutes, a hot steak and cheese came out of the oven with layer after layer of shaved steak, honey-caramelized onions and a roasted poblano-tomatillo cheese sauce that was packed with smooth cheddar, monterey jack and tangy goat cheese and then punched up with flavor from mustard seeds and smoked paprika. The finished product was a show stopper; with a toasted bun, a smear of poblano-tomatillo cheese sauce, a generous serving of steak, slices of provolone cheese and pile of the honey caramelized onions. The entire sub was finished with another layer of sauce and then dusted with fresh parsley before serving.

Chef 2: In 30 minutes time, Chef 2 created a cheese steak that was packed with ribbons of sweet caramelized onions, sliced mushrooms and doused with a four cheese roasted poblano sauce - made with a combination of cheddar, American, provolone and monterey jack cheese. The sauce was hit with a touch of hickory smoked salt before diced roasted poblano pepper were added. For the final presentation, a layer of four cheese poblano sauce started things off, followed by a heaping portion of seared shaved steak, mushrooms and caramelized onions. Another heavy-handed drizzle of the cheese sauce and finely diced roasted poblano peppers were sprinkled on top to finish things up.

Now, dear reader, these two unnamed chefs are asking for your help in determining the winner of this challenge. Who do you think made the better Philly Cheese steak, Chef #1 or Chef #2? Leave a comment to vote for your favorite!

Additionally, I have it on good record that both chefs thoroughly enjoyed themselves throughout this challenge and I wouldn't be surprised if similar events happen in the very near future. That being said, what would you suggest the challenge be? Tacos? Pizza? Lobster Thermidor? What else?

Homemade Burgers - Take 2

2011-09-09T09:34:00.000-04:00

As fun as it is to visit different restaurants in search of the best burger that our city has to offer, there's nothing quite like the satisfaction gained from the challenge of perfecting the homemade burger. In a second attempt, Burger Boy and I got to work utilizing a different (and top secret for now) blend of meat, creating a homemade spicy blackberry ancho sauce and selecting a trio of cheeses (because sometimes just one isn't enough).

Because everyone has their own definition of a perfect burger, maybe it helps if I start off this post with an explanation of what sorts of things we're looking for in these home trials. To me, the perfect burger is medium-rare, seasoned well and simply with salt and pepper. I like a nice crusted exterior and juices flowing all the way through. Ideally, the toppings are uncomplicated, yet still creative enough to keep things interesting and in my ideal burger world, I can distinctly taste each individual component of the burger, but the flavor of the meat is still the star. When it comes to the bun, I want a soft, lightly toasted bun that is big enough to support my burger and toppings without being too bulky and stealing the spotlight. I think a nice classic bun works best (brioche need not apply) and I prefer seeded rolls to non-seeded because I love that textural "pop".

Getting back to this particular batch of homemade burgers, we utilized a blend of meats and seasoned only with salt and pepper. As always, the meat was ground by us and loosely packed before hitting a hot skillet. Once they were cooked to their desired level of doneness and the cheese had turned into a deliciously melty, gooey mess, they were gently laid on top of sesame studded buns and drizzled with the homemade spicy blackberry ancho sauce, a crisped round of pancetta and served alongside, in a last ditch effort to enjoy the flavors of summer before they're gone, a cooling and summery watermelon, fennel and cucumber salad. While burgers are a classically summer time favorite and while the warmer days might be winding down, the homemade burgers will be going all year long.

A Catered Affair - 50th Birthday Party

2011-09-07T11:33:00.000-04:00

In addition to unpacking boxes and setting up the new kitchen, we squeezed in a catered dinner party on Sunday evening for a group of 11 people to celebrate a 50th Birthday. The client wanted a classically elegant dinner and we worked to design a menu that merged late summer and early fall produce and flavors, and staying true to our cooking style, we added some creative twists along the way.

We started the evening out with some light refreshments - Honeyed Herb and Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates, Scallop Ceviche served atop Fried Plantain Chips and Oven Roasted Golden Tomatoes, Arugula Pesto and Whipped Lemon Ricotta Crostini (not pictured).

For the first course, we presented our diners with a warm Summer Corn Soup that was simmered for hours with herbs and packed with lots of sweet corn flavor. To finish the soup, we drizzled creme fraiche and dotted a vibrant homemade chili oil before topping it with a generous chunk of lobster tempura. (Unfortunately this picture was snapped before the lobster was placed on top.)

The star of our main course was a generous slice of Beef Wellington - tenderloin coated with a thin layer of duxelles (a finely chopped mixture of mushrooms and shallots sauteed in herbs and butter) before being wrapped with sheets of puff pastry and baked until golden brown on the outside. The Wellington was served alongside some duckfat roasted purple potatoes.

In the world of catering, there's always a twist or two along the way and I've learned to be prepared for the unexpected. In this case, we found out (after our Wellington had already been served) that one of our diners is vegetarian. Fortunately we had enough items on hand leftover from our apps and we were able to move quickly to throw together a vegetable wrapped puff pastry entree that we drizzled with leftover arugula pesto. For our final course, we ended with a warm apple crostata served with homemade sea salted caramel and spiced whipped cream.

After spending 10 hours on my feet in a hot kitchen, I've come to truly appreciate the whole art of catering an event. There's something so exhilarating about starting out with an email or phone call from a client and watching an event come to life through menu planning, hours of grocery shopping and prepping and there isn't much that is more satisfying than watching it all come together successfully and hearing that our clients are happy.

The New SBK

2011-09-06T16:43:00.001-04:00

Hello friends, food lovers and cooking fanatics alike and greetings from the new, slightly bigger (yet still pretty small) Boston Kitchen! I've finally moved and while I'm still busy unpacking boxes and turning my new apartment into a home, I couldn't help but share some pics and favorite aspects of my new kitchen...

My new apartment has the luxury of a little more space and larger appliances (hallelujah!) and I'm psyched that I've got a gas stove. As you can see, counter space is still very limited but the kitchen itself is bright and has plenty of room to move around in comfortably. Additionally, I'm giddy about the ample storage and closet space. I just feel so organized and like that things are much more visible and ready for use.

One of my very favorite aspects of my new kitchen is the fact that I've organized all of my dried beans, rices, and grains into Ball jars and lined them up on a shelf - it looks like pure art!

Ahh, just looking at that makes me excited! I cannot wait to start really cooking in my new kitchen, just a couple more boxes to unpack (I still haven't found my silverware..) and then I'll be back to cooking up a storm!

Is Boston's Best Burger at Pop's?

2011-08-19T08:11:00.002-04:00

The burger at Pop's reminds me of that hot guy that you went on a date with who turned out to be a bit of a dud. Looking at him, you couldn't stop staring at him and were psyched to even be sitting at the same table with him. You couldn't help but feel that everyone was looking at you, heck, even staring at you, wishing they were in your shoes. But then you got to know him a bit and see what he was all about and he became less appealing by the minute.

No doubt, the Pop's burger ($14) is a head turner. As it made its way from the kitchen to the spot in front of me at the table, people were watching, enviously. For sitting in front of me was a massive burger piled high on an exaggeratedly big, glossy bun and a tall cone of golden french fries spilling out of the top. I couldn't help thinking that this just might be one of the largest burgers that I've seen since my quest started.

Excitedly, I tore into it, revealing an initial bite of strong pepper followed by intense sweetness, thanks to the bun which, while had a nice flavor on its own, was almost dessert-like and overpowered everything. Hiding under the bun was a little pile of caramelized onions, a sparse scattering of button mushrooms, bits of bacon and a thin layer of cheddar cheese. While a traditional choice of toppings, they didn't bear traditional flavors and I found the onions to be too sticky-sweet and the bacon, while crispy, to be off tasting. The cheese and mushrooms weren't significant enough to even make an impact on the overall flavor of the over-peppered patty. The fries were odd too; while seasoned well and golden brown, they looked the part but weren't very crispy and instead were dense and lacked that deep, desirable potato flavor.

While Pop's atmosphere is a comforting one, its prime South End location ideal and the service terrifically attentive and friendly, this burger was a bust.

Sweet Pea Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Cranberry Beans and Swiss Chard

2011-08-17T10:09:00.002-04:00

Just the other day I had made the startling observation that we are already halfway through August. When did that happen? I have yet to shuck enough peas, eat enough juicy heirloom tomatoes or have my fill of enough berries to be ready to move on the next season. It then occurred to me that there are so many fruits and vegetables that are at the peak of their prime this time of year and if I was going to experience them at their best, I had better get cracking. It was this thought and mindset that inspired this dish - homemade pasta with fresh pea and mint puree, tossed with cranberry beans, roasted cherry tomatoes and chopped swiss chard.

There's something so calming about sitting on a front porch, barefoot, on a sunny day shucking peas. It made me long for a Mason Jar filled with chilled iced tea or maybe some freshly squeezed lemonade? As much as I love fall, I'm just not sure I'm ready to wave good-bye to summer yet and all its tank top and flip-flop wearing glory.

This dish honors all of those wonderfully sweet flavor of summer and neatly packages them up in a bowl. The fresh tomatoes, once they've spent some time slow roasting in an oven with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, get delightfully jammy and the chard provides a naturally rustic balance while the cranberry beans emphasize that earthy tone, reminding you where everything came from. The pea puree ties it all together and brings out a bright sweetness and then it gets lightly dusted with fresh Parmesan cheese, just before serving. This dish is best served when warm and enjoyed slowly, preferably on a front porch on a hot summer night.

Sweet Pea Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Cranberry Beans and Swiss Chard
- 1 pound linguine (I used fresh, but boxed works just fine)
- 1/2 pound fresh peas, shucked and rinsed
- 1/2 pound cranberry beans, shucked and rinsed
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- 1/2 cup fresh mint
- 1 bunch Swiss Chard, rinsed thoroughly and chopped, separating the stems from the leaves
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper

Start by blanching the peas by boiling them in generously salted water for a couple of minutes until they are just cooked through. Immediately strain the peas and dump them into a bath of ice water to stop the cooking process and to preserve their color. Repeat the process with the cranberry beans and set both bowls aside. Next, blanch the swiss chard by cooking the stems first until almost done and then adding the leaves. Cook until tender and dip into ice water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.

In a 350 degree oven, heat the cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper until they start to brown and become very soft.

In a blender, combine the Peas, a healthy splash of olive oil, the zest and juice of the lemon and the fresh mint. Blend until very smooth and season to taste. (If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little water.)

Next, cooking the pasta in a large pot of generously salted water. While the pasta is cooking, heat a skillet with a bit of olive oil and heat the cranberry beans and Swiss chard. Once the pasta is very al dente, add it, plus a little of the pasta water, to the skillet and toss to combine. Add the tomatoes and finally the pea sauce and heat it through. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Three Burgers, One Post - The Gallows, Burger's Priest and White Hut

2011-08-15T15:55:00.002-04:00

The Burger's Priest - "The Priest" Burger

It's been a while since I last wrote about a burger and I've missed it. I think somewhere between fresh produce being available to me at the ready (thank you, summer) and the desire to cook more at home, I've neglected my dear friend, the burger. Please accept this post, with three reviews, as my formal apology...

The Gallows - "Our Way" Burger

Starting things out, The Gallow's located in the South End, is just simply a good burger. For a mere $10, you can enjoy their "Our Way" burger, served with American cheese, grilled onions, iceberg lettuce and homemade pickles. A thin patty bearing that favorable, crackly griddled crust and American cheese that's so melted it almost doubles as a sauce and adds extra richness to the burger. The pickles provide a further boost of briny flavor and the onions were cut thick and made sweet from the grill. The accompanying fries were hot and salty with a hearty crispness to them. The idea behind this burger isn't rocket science and there's no tricks or games. It's just a classic burger done really well and should be on any local burger lover's list to try.

The Burger's Priest - French Fries

The next burger up for discussion was enjoyed on my Toronto vacation. Obviously not a local burger, it still deserves mention because it was just that damn good. Burger's Priest is a tiny little restaurant marked only by the massive line that is perpetually formed outside of it. Offering only enough seating for about six people, most people get theirs to go. The menu at Burger's Priest is simple: a couple of burger options and fries, all with prices ranging from $7 - $15. Keeping it simple, I opted for the cheeseburger with mustard, tomatoes and pickles, although I immediately wished I had ordered "The Priest" which is a cheeseburger with a breaded and fried portabello mushroom on top (fortunately, I was able to steal a bite of it). Getting to my cheeseburger, quite simply, it was right up there with some of the best that I've had. The meat was buttery soft, loosely packed, juicy and salty. A perfect mess of melted cheese rested on top and the pickles were sweet and tangy. The whole burger was cradled into a cushiony bun that didn't steal the spotlight, and let the beef be the star. The fries, on the other hand, were forgettable; seasoned well but swapped a favorable crispy exterior for an undesirable soggy one.

The White Hut - Cheeseburger

Lastly on the list, we move a little closer to home, on the other side of the state to The White Hut, located in West Springfield, MA. The White Hut is a classic burger joint that got its start in the 1930's and is still going strong. With a bare-bones approach to its burgers, their paper thin patties hit the griddle for a couple of minutes, and then can be topped with cheese (American) caramelized onions (which I recommend you not pass up) and mustard, ketchup and relish are added, to order. The cheeseburgers are ever so moderately priced at $2.75 each. (Although they're so tiny, you'll probably want two..) The fries were standouts with a crispy exterior, fluffy on the inside and rich in deep potato flavor. While the meat would have benefited from a bit of seasoning, everything was fresh, made to order and generously portioned, considering the exceptionally low price tag.

The White Hut - Fries

In future burger news, I plan to be getting back to my regularly scheduled burger posts soon and Burger Boy and I are going to be taking another crack at perfecting the homemade burger. Stay tuned, burger lovers and in the meantime, tell me, have you had any good burgers this summer?

I'd Love To Cook With You..

2011-08-12T07:45:00.002-04:00

Would you like to cook with me?

I'm very excited to announce that Burger Boy and I have teamed up to teach two classes at the Boston Center for Adult Education this fall! If you haven't been to the BCAE yet or taken one of their classes, their kitchen alone is enough to make any food lover giddy. With shiny new appliances and lots of space for everyone to comfortably work, the BCAE is also easily accessible and conveniently located on Arlington Street, right in between the Back Bay and the South End.

The first of our classes, Apples to Apples provides inspiration and creative ideas for things to do with all those apples once you've returned from the orchard. On Sunday, September 25 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM, we'll be talking about different types of apples, their ideal uses and we'll be making creative dishes featuring this fall favorite. The class is $50 dollars for non-members ($43 if you're a member) and this includes all food, recipes and the class itself. Not to mention maybe a surprise or two...

Then, on Sunday October 2 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM we'll be back at the BCAE teaching Appetizers on the Fly, a class that's all about using basic pantry staples to make a last minute gourmet appetizers. In particular, this class is all about making creative apps that can easily travel to a party, leaving minimal to no work for the host. The cost of this class ($45 for non-members and $40 for members) includes all materials, food, recipes and of course, a surprise or two along the way..

I hope you can make it, we're going to have a lot of fun!

Spiced Chicken Pita with Eggplant Puree and Pomegranate

2011-08-10T09:37:00.000-04:00

Ufra, Aleppo and Sumac

It's always been a pet peeve of mine to hear TV chefs tempt and tease their audience by saying that they wish that people could smell what's going on in their kitchen. (Even worse when corny references to "smell-o-vision" are made.) While it's true that the fragrances that develop play a huge part in what makes cooking so enjoyable, I believe expressions like that should only be used when you really mean it. Last night, somewhere between all the searing, toasting and roasting, the fragrances just bloomed and captivated the kitchen and I couldn't help but think - I wish you could smell what's going on in here today..

Toasting Spices

The key to great dishes is layers of flavor and with that comes aromas that build the excitement and anticipation that enhance the whole art of cooking. Calling on influences from the Middle East and Mediterranean cuisine, this dish was simple by design but bold in flavor. Zesty sumac, earthy urfa and spicy aleppo were the main flavor components and together, once toasted with a touch of lemon zest, they created such an intoxicating aroma, it left me wishing I could have captured those scents.

Roasted Eggplant and Lemon

While those aromatic spices were toasting away, in the oven, the eggplant was roasting, gently softening along with half of a lemon. Light and perfumey, the fruity scents grew more powerful as the flavors concentrated and deepened. Once cooled, the eggplant was peeled and whipped into a puree along with a hint of nutty tahini and a couple drops of rich pomegranate molasses to add a sweet and tangy note, that smelled just as good as they tasted.

Spice-Rubbed Chicken Breast

That aromatic toasted spice blend was used, along with olive oil and lemon juice, to dust over chicken before the outsides got seared and then it was into the oven, while whole wheat pita bread toasted away. To finish it all off, the chicken was thinly sliced and peppered with just a bit more of the spice blend and laid over the whipped eggplant and warmed pita. Pomegranate seeds were then dotted on top to provide a surprising little "pop" with each bite and fresh chopped mint and slivered scallions provided a bright and fresh flavor.

I attribute all of these intoxicating smells wafting out of the kitchen to the use of ingredients and combinations that are relatively new to me. I'm making a conscious effort to push myself to try new cuisines and flavors and it seems I can't get enough of learning about food, utilizing different techniques and creating new dishes. The added bonus of the personal satisfaction gained from giving the kitchen an enticing aroma and great food to match is what keeps me motivated and ready to get started on the next meal.

Oh, Canada!

2011-08-08T11:40:00.002-04:00

Beef Heart Tartare, The Black Hoof

"What did you do on your vacation?" I was asked when I got back from a week's stay Toronto. "I ate", I responded, jokingly, but after reviewing the pictures of my vacation, it turns out, my answer wasn't too far the reality; I ate my way through Toronto and enjoyed every last bite. While typically my blog posts consist of words supported by pictures to describe the foods that I make and eat, I thought for this post it'd be more appropriate to do the opposite, and let the pictures speak for themselves...

Sweetbreads, The Black Hoof

Strawberry-Pineapple Sangria, The Black Hoof

"Poutine" - Fried Gnocchi, Braised Rabbit, Sheep's Milk Cheese Curds, Beast

Wild Boar and Marrow Tacos, Beast

Lamb Ribs, Carolina BBQ sauce, Slaw and Hush Puppies, Beast

Nutella, Coffee Biscotti and Blood Orange Gelato, Cafe Uno

Kangaroo, Camel and Venison Sliders

Pastries, Brick Street Bakery

Poutine, Smoke's Poutinerie

Porchetta Sandwich with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella, Porchetta & Co.

Cheeseburger, Burger's Priest

I hadn't really thought of Toronto as a culinary mecca but my trip and full belly now believe otherwise. Throughout the entire week, not a bad meal was had nor a plate left empty. My kind of vacation..

Garlic and Lemons, Allston, MA

2011-07-27T09:41:00.000-04:00

The other day I had a discussion with someone as to what classifies a restaurant as a "hole in the wall". I think we can all agree this classification means that it has to be small in size. But does it also need to be dumpy looking and small in size? Or can it be trendy and modern while not seating many people? I stood my ground that a "hole in the wall" has to be something that looks sort of sketchy and if you were traveling from out of town you'd walk right past it, dismissing it in the name of uncertainty. However, the locals know the real deal. That shady looking spot turns out food that should not be missed.

Garlic and Lemons falls into the category of "hole in the wall" in my book. With only a brightly lit sign to mark its place on Harvard Ave, this small cafeteria-style restaurant doesn't offer many frills. Seating only about 20 guests, the main focus of this small space is the open kitchen and it's your first hint that something good is happening. Rows of crisp and vibrant salads, dips and rice are on display and it's also hard for your eyes to not be drawn to the marry-go-rounds of spinning meats.

Offering vegetarian and meat options of traditional Middle Eastern dishes, not to be missed is the spicy chicken. A neat pile of delicately slivered meat with spiced up ends makes it hard for you to want to try anything else. But please do. The Tabbouleh is full of freshly minced parsley and the Cucumber Salad is spiked with dots of bright and citrusy Sumac. The baba ganoush is fresh and consistently creamy with fresh eggplant and nutty hints of Tahini and the smooth, cooling garlic sauce balances everything right out. The kebabs are rich with Middle Eastern spices and salty, in a good way. Nothing on my plate on any of my visits was left untouched or under appreciated.

There are few restaurants that I frequent in the city and that's certainly not to be a knock on the food scene here in Boston. There's just so many places to try and it seems a new one is popping up every other week and for that reason, I don't like to go to the same place twice. There's just too much to explore. (Okay, well not that often at least). Garlic and Lemons is the exception to that rule. Maybe it's not fair for me to be partial to this place because I have a well defined soft-spot for that whole Middle Eastern/Mediterranean Cuisine, which I could eat daily and be a happy girl. On the other hand, because of that reason, I've eaten at many places offering up a similar type of fare and I don't know what it is, but Garlic and Lemons is notch above most others in the same category.