Archive for October 2009

RECIPIENT: Sister Kate
REASON: Champion Commenter
TYPE: Gratitude, as usual
GOODS BAKED: Peanut M&M Blondies

I’ve been known to add the odds and ends of my pantry and fridge to my blondie, cookie, and brownie batters. Nothing gross of course, but a handful of raisins, a bit of lemon zest from a lemon I bought for some savory purpose, maybe some sweetened shredded coconut lingering in the freezer. It’s all about being resourceful, really.

Back when I was catering, in college, I made great use of the flexibility of my go-to cookie-dough base, customizing…

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DISHES: Salmorejo (Cream of Gazpacho Soup); Carrots with Parsley Butter
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Tomato, Bread, Garlic
TYPE: Orange. Adventurous.

In my global food reminiscences, I keep coming back again and again to my two-month post-college travel adventure—in particular, the final two weeks I spent flying solo in southern Spain. I’ve been trying ever since I returned to recreate some of the tapas I sampled during the meals of this trip, and always seem to fall a little short when it comes to the expert simplicity of the presentation…

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I like to think of this dish as a perfect union between Italy and Spain—a classic dish from one country, spiced up with flavors from the other. I’ve been having a bit of a love affair recently with pipérade—a smoky red pepper sauce from Basque country, which has become condiment-like in my repertoire, appearing in anything and everything on my plate. I made a vat of it and used half for my breakfast Pizzas with Crispy Prosciutto, and the other for this risotto. This particular combination was such a success, I’ve come back to it…

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EVENT: Cara’s Quarter Century
VENUE: Cara’s Mother’s House, Bronx
TYPE: Birthday Party
PARTY SIZE: 35
MENU: Retro BBQ: Peanut M&Ms, Pretzels, and Cape Cod Potato Chips; Homemade Onion Dip; Caprese Sandwiches; Hot Dogs and Chicken Sausages; Simple Salad; Vanilla and Chocolate Birthday Cake

Phoebe mentioned the Birthday Barbecue I was having in her ode to me, which was disguised as a post about baking. I couldn’t have been more surprised by the customized Rice Krispie Treats she gave me at lunch on September…

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DISH: Caramel Apple Cake
TYPE: College Nostalgia

This cake hearkens back to my college days in a very different way than dorm rooms, Solo cups or term papers. It was a mainstay of Adams House, where I lived sophomore, junior, and senior years. Adams was a “house” in the 400-person sense of the word, but since we called it home for three-quarters of college, there was a genuine sense of community that formed. The “parents” were a couple who taught at the Medical School, and every few Fridays they opened up their home…

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EVENT: We’re on a Boat, in October
VENUE: Robbins Family Boat, Long Island Sound
PARTY SIZE: 8
TYPE: Nautical Potluck Lunch
MENU: Pesto Chicken Salad Sandwiches; Orange Oatmeal Cookies & Bitsy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Steph); Boursin Hummus (Sophie); Beer (James)
TUNES: Noah’s Boat Mix

A few years ago, during the height of his mid-life crisis, my friend Sophie’s dad purchased a boat. He never learned how to drive it, and neither did Sophie or her brother, Noah. Luckily, they have friends…

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Basic Basil Pesto
Makes about 1 cup

Read the original post here.

Ingredients
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 cups basil leaves
½ - 1 lemon, juiced
¼ cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan
salt to taste

In a small food processor pulse the garlic and the pinenuts until finely chopped. Add the basil leaves and the lemon juice and blend until the basil has begun to break down. Add the olive oil in a gentle stream, blending until the mixture is smooth and…

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Once, at an Italian restaurant in Boston, my old roommate ordered this great-sounding dish called Ravioli Nudo, which the waiter described as ravioli filling unstuffed from its ravioli. Even though it was listed in the Pasta section of the menu, it turned out to contain no carbs, just lumps of ricotta filling, and though this tasted delicious, it was still disappointing to be served a pasta plate that lacked pasta.

It’s sort of random then that’s what I think of when I fill my bowl with this satisfying, easy, and…

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Squash Rings
Makes about 1 cup

Read the original post here.

Ingredients
1 delicata squash
olive oil for brushing
salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Wash the squash well. Cut the squash into 1/4-inch slices. Cut the seeds out of each slice. Brush with oil. Roast for 15 minutes on each side, then sprinkle with salt.

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EVENT: A Breakfast Meeting
VENUE: Cara’s Apartment, Park Slope
PARTY SIZE: 3
TYPE: Casual Brunch
MENU: Free-Form Samosas with Apple-Cranberry Chutney; Soft Scrambled Eggs; Squash Rings

There are a lot of obstacles that conspire to keep friends apart now that we’re young professionals. Back in college, there was hardly anything so important it couldn’t be put off in favor of some face-to-face time. But now, jobs and other obligations get so steadfastly in the way that a month can go by without so much as a glimpse…

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