Archive for March 2009

Roasted Tomato Soup with Crispy Pancetta
Makes 4-6 servings

This soup is fantastic with Pesto Grilled Cheeses-or really any grilled cheese sandwich. Read the original post here.

Ingredients
2 medium yellow onions, diced
6 plum tomatoes (2 ½ lbs), halved
1 28 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp red pepper flakes (so taste)
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup basil, chopped (3/4 oz)
4 slices bacon or pancetta
Parmesan rind (optional)

NOTE: If you are making…

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savory pancake topped with tofu, greens, and sweet peas

DISH: Fried Lentil Salad with Leeks; Savory Cornmeal and Grain Pancake with Herbed Tofu; Baked Eggs with Tofu Croutons
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Lentils, Tofu, Grain Pilaf
TYPE: Creating and Using Leftovers

Recently, my co-workers and I got to talking about food. We were eating lunch (of all things) in the conference room on a Friday, some of us from our own brown bags, some from always-delicious Midtown takeout joints. In the adult equivalent of the Twinkie swap, we were exchanging ideas of dishes to cook,…

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EVENT: Hoboken St. Patty’s Pick Me Up Brunch; Post-Party
VENUE: Adam’s Apartment, Chelsea
PARTY SIZE: 50-60 Green American Apparel T-Shirts Wearers; 30 Recovering Daytime Drinkers
TYPE: Brunch Buffet; Evening BBQ
MENU: Green Eggs and Ham i.e. Phoebe’s McMuffins with Farm-Fresh Eggs, Prosciutto and Pesto; Post-St. Patty’s Patties i.e. Adam’s Famous Man Burgers

One day a year, us New Yorkers get the a chance to be the “Bridge and Tunnel” crowd, as degenerates young and old flee the island of Manhattan across the gray yonder to…

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Adam’s Man Burgers
Makes 8-12 patties

The recipe you’ll see below is the result of years of trial and error, and using whatever condiments or spices we had in the kitchen to get the taste just right. As Phoebe informed me last time, ingredient quantities like “a poop load” aren’t particularly helpful, so I tried my best to quantify what was coming out of my crazy hands into these tasty morsels; that said I encourage you to mix and match as you see fit. -Adam
Read the original recipe here.

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Chipotle Mango Salsa
Makes 6 servings

Read the original post here.

Ingredients

1 medium mango, diced
1 garlic clove, minced or pushed through a press
½ small red onion, finely diced
1 lime, juiced
1 small canned chipotle pepper, minced*
1 tbsp of adobo sauce (juice from can)*
½ tsp salt
fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)

*From one 7oz (or smaller) can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and toss to combine. For best results, make the salsa the night before to allow the flavors to intensify.

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EVENT: Meeting Swathi’s Man Friend
VENUE: Phoebe’s Apartment, Flatiron
PARTY SIZE: 5
TYPE: Casual Weeknight Dinner
MENU: Carne Asada with Chipotle-Mango Salsa

My friend Swathi never had a serious boyfriend in college. Well, this can be debated. But I liked to think of myself as the closest she ever came to it, evidenced by our intimate two week road trip cross-country. That said, being the pinnacle of maturity that I am, when it came time a few weeks ago to meet her mysterious (yet real) new…

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EVENT: Sunday Supper
VENUE: Cara’s Apartment, Park Slope
TYPE: Simple dinner
PARTY SIZE: 4 total
MENU: Spicy black bean dip; Rice noodle salad with vegetables and cashews; Asian baked tofu; Thai cod; Minted fruit salad and cookies

One of the excellent perks of my neighborhood is the fact that it’s really easy to park on the street. This numbers among the reasons it’s easy to convince Jill, my older sister who lives in Gramercy and is now the…

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Thai Steamed Cod
Serves 4

Read the original post here.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb cod (or other white fish)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 scallions, white and green parts chopped
about 1/4 cup chopped mint, cilantro, and basil, if you have them—some or all

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

In a baking pan with a tight-fitting lid, combine the fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, and vegetable oil. Add the fish and sprinkle…

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Asian Baked Tofu
Serves 4

Read the original post here.

Ingredients
1 package firm tofu
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons grated or finely minced ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons mirin or other white wine
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Cut the tofu into 10 even slices and use them to line a baking pan with edges. Mix together all the other ingredients, stirring well to dissolve the honey, and pour them over the tofu.…

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Minted Fruit Salad
Serves 3-4

So I really like the idea of serving fruit salad (light) with little cookies (less light) after a big dinner. However, I could really use some ideas for presentation—I wound up just piling the cookies along the side of the fruit salad bowl, but they didn’t look that inspired, plus they got soggy. If any expert platers have thoughts, I’d love to know (in the comments)! Read the original post here.

Ingredients
1/2 cup blueberries
2 kiwis, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 Asian pear, seeded and…

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