Archive for May 2010

Many BGSK readers-to be are graduating from college just about now. Cara’s sister Kate (aka the Best Commenter Ever), is taking the leap from college to real life this very Sunday.

In honor of her and the rest of the soon-to-be graduates, who in a matter of weeks will be stocking fridges and cabinets of their brand-new (to them) tiny kitchens, we’re hosting a giveaway over this Memorial Day Weekend. The item up for grabs is this Le Creuset 28cm Large Stainless Steel Saute Pan. It’s an awesome pan–enough surface area for frying, but also great for sauces and sautes…

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EVENT: Dinner, anytime, anywhere
VENUE: Cara’s apartment
PARTY SIZE: 2
TYPE: Simple, infinitely adaptable
MENU: Ginger Scallion Noodles with Pickled Cucumbers, Carrots, and a Fried Egg; Ginger Scallion Noodles with Pickled Carrots, Bok Choy, Grilled Eggplant, and Gomasio

The first time I tried Ginger Scallion sauce was the same night I was introduced to the Momofuku Pork Bo Ssam. The sauce is one of the many that arrives at your table and is meant to be piled on the rice-lettuce-pork wraps. The only problem with the array of sauces is that the rice-lettuce-pork…

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Ginger Scallion Sauce
Adapted from Momofuku

Read the original post here.

Ingredients
1 1/2 – 2 cups thinly sliced scallions (greens and whites; from 1 large bunches)
1⁄3 cup grated peeled fresh ginger (from about a 5-inch piece of fresh ginger)
1⁄4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
1 1⁄2 teaspoons soy sauce
3⁄4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

Mix together the scallions, ginger, oil, soy, vinegar, and salt in a bowl. Taste and check for salt, adding more if needed. Let rest at least 15 or 20 minutes.

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COCKTAIL PARTY MENU: Cilantro Succotash Quesadillas; Caprese Skewers; Corn Cakes with Lemon Chive Crème Fraiche; Jonestown Punch

Aside from the occasional crab cake (when someone else is paying), we rarely feature fancy ingredients like lump crab meat in our recipes. But in this case, the crab meat in question was for a birthday party we catered (on which more soon!). It was a special occasion and we wanted the food to match. Still, we tried to channel our usual frugality and stretch eight ounces of quality crab meat across as many…

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EVENT: Matt’s Birthday
VENUE: Phoebe’s Parents’ Car (Bobby), I-95
PARTY-SIZE: 5
TYPE: Friday Night Roadtrip (with lots of fun traffic)
MENU: Roast Beef Baguettes with Cider Onion Jam and Fennel Remoulade; Ancho Chicken Sandwiches with Avocado and Chipotle Mayonnaise; Friendship Crispy Treats

Over the course of the past year, most of my friends have been celebrating year 25, the great quarter-life birthday milestone, and making my life more festive than ever. For many, it was a matter of pulling out all the stops…

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Apple Cider Onion Jam
Makes about 1 cup

Read the original post here.

Ingredients
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white wine
1/3 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

To make the jam:

Combine the onion, butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan with a lid. Saute over medium-low heat, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, add the wine, cider, and vinegar and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring slightly more frequently,…

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Roast Beef Baguettes with Cider Onion Jam and Fennel Remoulade
Makes 4 sandwiches

The parts of this sandwich sound fancy and complicated, but the sum really is not. Each can be made up to a week in advance and used for a variety of different dishes, not just this sandwich. Read the original post here.

Ingredients
1 baguette
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 small fennel bulb, heart and outer leaves removed, thinly sliced
1 cup Apple Cider Onion Jam…

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Chipotle Mayo
Makes 1/2 cup

Read the original post here.

Ingredients
½ cup mayonnaise
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce
1 tbsp adobo sauce (from the can)
1/2 lime, juiced

Mix all the ingredients together. This can be done up to a week in advance and kept refrigerated.

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SPRING-Y BRUNCH MENU: Toasted Pecan Scones; Scrambled Eggs with Caramelized Onions, Arugula, and Gouda; Toasted Baguette Slices

After making 6 plus batches of Yes, Pecan! cookie dough for ThinkBlue’s Valentine’s Day party gift bag, I was left with a cup or so of toasted pecans. I put them into an old takeout container and put them in my freezer, thinking I’d keep them stocked for future cookies or chocolate bark. But then I found myself sneaking into the freezer, cracking open the container, and grabbing a couple of nuts. Every morning, I put

…

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MORE QUESADILLAS: Avocado Quesadillas, Cilantro Succatash Quesadillas, Curried Sweet Potato Quesadillas, Butternut Squash & Leek Confit Quesadillas, Spinach Pie Quesadilas

In his book A Platter of Figs, David Tanis has a recipe for avocado quesadillas. I remember reading it at my mom’s over breakfast and noticing that it sounded delicious, but also thinking it was curious to be featured in a book that also contained recipes about how to make duck leg hams from scratch. Of course the idea of the cookbook, captured in its name, is…

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