Big Girls, Global Kitchens: Salmon Tacos

CINCO DE MAYO MENU: Black Bean Cakes; Guacamole; Cilantro Slaw; Curried Sweet Potato Quesadillas; Salmon & BBQ Black Bean Tacos with Queso Fresco, Cabbage Slaw, and Chipotle Crema

Cinco de Mayo is approaching, and we'll be featuring several Mexican-inspired dishes in the coming days. But I've been cooking tacos for months.

I was telling Cara the other day how disproportionately I eat Mexican food at home in comparison to how often I go out to Mexican restaurants. I'm much more likely to pick up a slice of pizza than a quick burrito when I'm dining on the run, and much to the horror of every one of my guy friends, I've never tried Chipotle, or had the desire to. I always enjoy the more original creations at less Tex-Mexy restaurants, but when push comes to shove, I would rather spend my $15 on some sushi than on the experience of watching someone make guacamole at my table.

But of all the global cuisines I cook at home, Tex-Mex has got to be my number one. Ever since my quesadilla craze of late winter, I've been finding more creative, healthier ways to channel my tortilla addiction. And lately, that has meant a lot of tacos.

When I am having friends over, I usually try and jazz up my everyday taco makings with some fish. We've done this a variety of different ways on the blog--Baja-style with some quick fried mahi mahi, Chef Jennie-style with some grilled orata marinaded in a mixture of lime and garlic, and, now, my mother's style with some quick seared salmon and a splash of lemon.

This particular meal was a low-key affair. Keith was coming over for dinner, and I asked him to pick up some drinks to go with the fish tacos. I had just put the salmon in the pan to sear when he arrived, carrying tilapia instead of beer. Thanks to this bizarre miscommunication, we ended up adding a fourth method to the repetoire: Keith-style double fish tacos.

Though I wouldn't necessarily recommend this going forward, the second type of fish did make the meal a memorable one, and it goes to show how versatile and festive my type of taco can be, even without alcohol to wash it all down.

Stay tuned this week for some more Mexican recipes to help you plan your Cinco de Mayo festivities!

I'd reccomend this taco to start, and maybe a piniata.

From my kitchen, where I've been celebrating Cinco de Mayo since Diez de Febrero, to yours,

Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

**Recipe**

Seared Salmon Tacos with BBQ Black Beans, Cabbage Slaw, and Chipotle Crema
Makes 4 tacos

For the beans:

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1/3 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

For the slaw:

1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups shredded cabbage
3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

For the taco:

1.5lb salmon filets
1/2 lemon, juiced
4 tortillas
1/2 cup chipotle crema
queso fresco (optional)

In a small non-stick skillet, saute the garlic and shallot in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat until soft. Add the beans, BBQ sauce, and seasonings and cook gently over low heat until the flavors are combined. Keep warm on the stove until the tacos are ready to be served.

Combine the lemon, mustard, oil, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the scallions and cabbage and toss to coat. Set aside.

Wrap the tortillas in foil and place in a 350 degree oven to warm.

Wash the salmon filets and pat dry with towels. In a cast-iron skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil until it is smoking a little. To test the oil, flick it with a little bit of water. If it sizzles, the oil is hot enough. Put the filet flesh side down in the hot oil/butter.

When you can see the fish is cooked (opaque) about halfway up and the flesh side has a brownish crust, turn the heat down and flip the fish.

When the fish looks nearly cooked through, spoon some of the lemon juice over it. When the bottom is fully cooked, set aside. Season with salt.

Arrange the taco buffet for your guests: set the warm tortillas on a plate, and serve alongside the beans, slaw, salmon, chipotle crema, and cheese.


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Giveaway: Le Creuset Stainless Steel Roasting Pan [Closed]

To win this LeCreuset Stainless Steel Roasting Pan, read on and comment below!

We've begun the countdown to Mother's Day a little on the early side this year with our Virtual Bake Sale for Pediatric Cancer. And while we hope your gift to mom will include one of our Peanut M&M Blondies, it got us wondering about our readers' Mother's Day traditions and about how good old Mom factors into your cooking today.

We often feature recipes From Our Mother's Kitchen. Thanks to Sarah, Phoebe has an unhealthy love of mayonnaise and knows how to pan-fry a fillet of fish perfectly. And because of Joanne, who doesn't like Mother's Day that much because she thinks everyday is Mother's Day, Cara has a love of spaghetti for breakfast, and can bake one of the most decadent chocolate birthday cakes in existence.

It just so happens that many of these mother-daughter cooking traditions involve Thanksgiving, and watching our mothers hoist huge turkeys into large roasting pans, like this one we are giving away today courtesy of LeCreuset. We love LeCreuset's enamel-covered cast iron pan (Phoebe even uses her grandmother's), and their stainless steel line lives up to expectations.

To win this gorgeous pan for yourself (or for Mom), answer one of the questions in the comments section below:

*What's your favorite meal that your mother used to make? What dish do you cook yourself that reminds you most of your mom?

*What's the best kitchen technique or trick that you ever learned from your mother?

We look forward to hearing your answers, and we'll announce the winner next week on the blog!

From our kitchen, where we're influenced by our mothers every day, to yours,

Phoebe and Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOKS

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Recipe Flash: Warm Blue Potato & Green Onion Salad

SPRING BBQ MENU: Turkey Burgers with Red Onion and Beet Relish; Warm Blue Potato & Green Onion Salad; Spring Tonic Salad

When the weather starts getting warm, and we begin breaking out our best bright pink sundresses and laying our best bright blue picnic blankets on the Great Lawn, I start craving potato salad. It's no secret that my mother has a bit of an obsession with mayonnaise, so it should be no surprise that the version I grew up with contained plenty of it. It also contained plenty of gourmet twists though--lots of fresh chives and parsley, really good hot French mustard, and a sprinkle of capers to give the bland, creamy potatoes an extra briney bite.

But it isn't quite summer yet, and perhaps not quite time for my mother's creamy classic potato salad either. The Farmer's Market is finally starting to show some color, so a few weeks ago I decided to make a potato salad based on the vibrant ingredients I saw there. The dish was intended for a picnic, and the weather was supposed to be warm. But Mother Nature turned on us. So I made the salad for myself in my apartment, and since there was no sun to bask in, I decided to compensate by adding a little warmth to my potato salad instead.

From my kitchen, albeit small, to yours,

Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

**Recipe**

Warm Blue Potato and Green Onion Salad
Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients
1 pound small blue potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 green onions (scallions), white parts thinly sliced, green parts cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons chicken stock
1/4 tsp salt

Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil. Cook the potatoes until al dente--nearly cooked through, but still slightly firm. This will take about 5-10 minutes, but test with the point of a knife as you go. Drain the potatoes.

In the same pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and white part of the scallions. Saute until the garlic is beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar, stock, and salt and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute. Add the potatoes back to the pot and cook for another minute or so. Off the heat, add the green part of the scallions and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

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Potluck Parties: Perfect Veggie Picnic Fare

Act natural, colorful, warm!

EVENT: Cara and Phoebe's Quarter-Life Kitchen Photoshoot #2

VENUE: Central Park

PARTY SIZE: 4

TYPE: Saturday Picnic

MENU: String Beans with Mustard Dressing and Cured Shallots; Pomodoro Fresco Pasta Salad; Hard Boiled Egg Sandwiches; Carrot Raisin Cookies

Recently, we staged a picnic photoshoot for our book. Though the food, the friends, and the sun were real, and the mud was definitely real enough to engulf poor Essie's new gladiator sandal, the constant smiling and coordinated floral clothing may have been just a tad bit posed. The outtake above, by Alex, was taken on that unseasonably warm March day.

The picnic was early enough in the season that the following weekend was wool coat-wearing weather, and of course it's raining again now, but it got me thinking about the outdoor eating that's soon to be upon us. I've always loved eating outside; at camp, the best of all dinners were the ones that took place on the lawn, and I remember the last meal Essie, Phoebe, and I ate together before we all went our separate ways to college. Essie made sandwiches, Phoebe brought salad, and I baked toffee bars. We sat in Sheep's Meadow and exchanged cheesy notes about our friendship.

But the picnic that reminded me to make a batch of these green beans was a different affair. My mom and I had been invited to a potluck dinner on the beach late one summer a few years ago. My mom obviously knew the woman who'd invited us, but we hadn't met her friends, and so we didn't really know anyone else there. We were both a little nervous. In the afternoon, we made a double recipe of this string bean salad with summer's crop of beans. When we got to the beach at sunset, we put it down with the rest of the food spread and went about eating and making friends. By the end of the night, unlikely as it sounds, we'd talked to everyone at the picnic. It's not that either of us had gotten a sudden burst of outgoing-ness, but rather that nearly 100% of the guests had sought us out as the culprits behind the green beans.

Truthfully, I can't believe I haven't made these green beans for every potentially awkward situation since, but now that I've remembered them, I'd advise you to.

From my kitchen, where green beans make me a social butterfly, to yours,

Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

**Recipe**

String Beans with Mustard Dressing and Cured Shallots
Adapted from Peter Berley's The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen
Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1 small red onion or shallot, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds of string beans, trimmed
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons mild honey
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
pinch cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Spread a clean kitchen towel on a baking sheet and set aside.

Place the sliced onion or shallot in a small bowl and cover with the vinegar. Set aside to let cure for 10-15 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Salt it generously and add the trimmed string beans. Cook uncovered for 4-6 minutes, until just tender. When they're done, drain them, then spread them out onto the towel-lined pan to fully dry. This will allow the dressing to coat the beans.

In your salad bowl, combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, honey, salt, and cayenne. Whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk in the oil until creamy.

Mix the beans into the dressing. Drain the onions and toss to combine. This salad is best if you let it sit for 15-30 minutes after. That's what it's great for picnics--it only gets more flavorful with time.

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Big Girls, Test Kitchen: Soba, Meet Parmesan

DISH: Soba with Kale, Parmesan, and Walnut Sauce

TYPE: Craving For Fusion

MAIN INGREDIENTS: Soba, Nuts, Cheese

I’ve been thinking for a while about using soba noodles in an Italian-style dish. Though buckwheat isn’t hugely popular here, I do see it around: buckwheat pancakes and crepes on menus, buckwheat flour on grocery shelves, and kasha varnishkas, which I avoid at any buffet. But there was something about the nutty, grainy taste of soba that to me sounded like it would be perfectly complemented with Parmesan. However, I wasn’t about to grate cheese on my soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil-flavored soba noodle salad.

I embarked on a course to make this dream meal happen approximately two months after I first thought of the combination. I don’t know what took me so long. But it took a lazy Sunday after a busy week filled with takeout, potlucks, and restaurant eating for me to start a pot of water boiling for soba and a frying pan warming to toast the walnuts, which I thought would accentuate the buckwheat taste and help to meld it with that of the cheese.

Soba noodles really do have a distinct flavor, one that perhaps gets muffled by my usual sauce of sesame oil, soy sauce, etc. And this kind of semi-Italian treatment brings that taste out. But don't mistake this dish for anything traditional. Its meld of flavors and textures is probably somewhat different than most of the pasta dishes you cook from your pantry--at least, if you're anything like me--which makes this wacky combo definitely worth a test run.

From my kitchen, practicing pasta fusion, to yours,

Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

**Recipe**

Soba with Kale and Walnut Sauce
Serves 2 or 1 with leftovers

I've become a huge fan of grapeseed oil recently--it's far more neutral than canola or vegetable oil, and I find it imparts a glorious richness to dishes. But don't worry if it's not in your pantry. Just sub olive oil.

Ingredients
2 cups kale, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
5 ounces soba noodles
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 sage leaves
6 walnut halves
salt
cayenne
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Bring both a large and a small pot of water to boil. Salt both, then add the kale to the small one. Cook for about 10 minutes, until it's tender. Drain well and set aside. In the large pot, cook the soba according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Toss with 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil and set aside.

Over medium heat, warm the remaining tablespoon of the oil in a saucepan large enough to hold the soba. Add the walnuts and fry until they're fragrant and golden. Scoop them onto a plate. When they've cooled off, chop them coarsely and add to the kale.

Turn the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook until just golden, then add a pinch of salt, the cayenne, and the kale/walnuts. Stir and cook until warm through, then add about 1/4 cup of the cooking water and the soba. Mix to distribute the kale, adding more cooking water if the pasta seems dry. Taste for salt, then add half of the Parmesan.

Serve immediately, topped with the remaining Parm and lots of fresh pepper.

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Recipe Flash: Fried Egg Sandwich with Red Onion Jam

HANGOVER BRUNCH: Fried Egg Sandwich with Red Onion Jam; Sweet Potato Fries; Spinach with Bacon Bits

I discovered Merrill's Red Onion Jam on Food52 a few months ago and have been making it pretty much bi-weekly ever since. I've used it to top these little Smoked Mozzarella Tartlettes, sweeten up a savory Turkey Melt, and if there's just a little bit left in the jar, I've successfully found a home for it on my morning toast. One Saturday I was particularly hungry (and particularly hungover), so I decided to incorporate the jam into my favorite Fried Egg Sandwich. The combination was a revelation, and even though it is hard to call the instructions below a recipe, I had to share this creation with you. Warning: make enough jam to last you the week, as you will want to eat this sandwich every single day.

From my kitchen, albeit small, to yours,

Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

**Recipe**

Fried Egg Sandwich with Red Onion Jam
Makes 1 serving

For the sandwich:

2 slices of good white or wheat bread
1 egg
olive oil

For the jam:

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup red wine
1 tbsp red wine 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 and vinegar and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring slightly more frequently, until there is no liquid left and the onions are soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Let the jam come to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

For the sandwich:

Toast the bread until golden brown and crispy. Spread one side of each slice with a generous amount of red onion jam.

Generously coat a small skillet with olive oil. Let the oil get nice and hot--flick a little water that the surface and if it spatters, you are ready to roll.

Crack the egg in the pan and immediately rotate so the whites are evenly distributed and some of the olive oil envelops the egg. Allow egg to fry in the oil (beware, this may splatter). When the edges have begun to crisp up, but the top is still slightly under cooked, tilt the pan, and with a spoon, douse the top of the egg with the hot olive oil collecting in the corner. Once the whole egg is cooked and crispy, carefully remove from the pan to one of the pieces of bread. Top with the other slice.

Cut in half, watch the egg ooze out over the plate.

Take a bite, wipe the egg off your face.

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Giveaway: Wine Rack Winner!

Thanks to everyone for participating in our wine rack giveaway. We were fascinated by the responses and especially comforted to know we're not the only ones who a) buy inexpensive wine and b) glory in the extra wine that remains the day after a dinner party.

We chose a winner randomly from the list of commenters. Congrats to reader kylewright! .

Here's what Kyle had to say about wine, complete with great tips and excellent-sounding recommendations we can't wait to try:

One of the best things (sometimes) about dinner parties is that you end up with at least 5-6 extra bottles of wine. Unless they all end up being Beaujolais Nouveau, it's always a fun time to have the variety. I never have to tell people not to bring...and most people bring 1-2 (maybe I have pseudo-alcoholic friends?)

I love to bring white wine (for the spill effect) and usually bring either a Riesling: Blue Nun ($10) or Relax ($8) (same exact region of Germany, VERY similar taste) or Sauvignon Blanc: Barefoot ($8 - for just drinking parties), Kono ($10 for pretty decent dinner parties), or Lobster Bay ($16 - if I want something good).

What's also fun to bring is a local wine. I really enjoy Warwick Vineyards in New York (http://wvwinery.com/wine/)...the Riesling is delicious. It's got apple overtones (Warwick also has really nice apple orchards) and is unusual and a fun conversation piece.

Thanks again for all your brilliant words on wine. We knew we could count on you to illuminate quarter-life dinner party drinking habits. We'll have more questions, and more exciting kitchen toys to give away, soon--stay tuned. In the meantime, tell us about your cooking opinions on our urtak widget.

From our kitchen, learning more about wine (and our readers) every day, to yours,

Cara and Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOKS

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Baking For Good: A Little Sugar Goes A Long Way

THE PERFECT MOTHER'S DAY GIFT: Peanut M&M Blondies

We have always been the types to bake up a batch of cookies or brownies, pack them into an empty shoe box or oatmeal canister, and ship them off to friends in the place of actual material gifts. We've made these tins of treats for many reasons--for love, for gratitude, to assuage guilt, to apologize. But our friend Emily has made a business out of baking and sending tins of treats for charity, and we think this just might be the best reason of all.

In September 2009, Emily started Baking For Good a gifting site for sweet treats that donates 15% of every purchase to a cause of the customer’s choosing. Today, the site has over a hundred nonprofit and community organizations to donate to when you order, and their list of cookies is growing as well.

So we're really excited to be collaborating with Baking For Good in support of The Valerie Fund, an organization in the tri-state area that provides comprehensive health care for children with cancer and blood disorders. Beginning today--and going on through Mother's Day--BGSK Peanut M&M Blondies are available on the site as part of a blog-wide Virtual Bake Sale. Phoebe recently got involved with The Valerie Fund, and she's been really impressed and touched by the organization’s mission, and its commitment to social services that treat both patients and parents during the duration of their child's illness. For the sale, Emily has generously offered to donate an extra 5% of each BGSK Blondie purchase to The Valerie Fund.

I know it's not often we can convince a bunch of savvy bakers like many of our readers to put down the spatula and, instead, purchase a bag of blondies. But we've been lucky enough to be joined by some awesome bloggers who are helping us spread the word about the Mother's Day Virtual Bake Sale for Pediatric Cancer. (Over the next few weeks, checkout the sidebar on the blog for our list of supporters.)

We would be honored if you would deign to purchase the BGSK Blondie this Mother's Day! It's all in support of a great cause. As goes Emily's motto, a little sugar really does go a long way.

From our kitchen, where buying cookies can help save lives, to yours,

Phoebe and Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOKS

p.s. The Valerie Fund has recently launched a Young Associates Program. If you are interested in some offline volunteer opportunities in the greater NY/NJ areas, or would like to get more involved, sign up through the website, or feel free to contact me with any questions about the organization.

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Working With What You Have: Wonton Skins

ROMANTIC DINNER MENU FOR 2: Sundried Tomato Ravioli with Spicy Red Sauce; Lemon Roasted Asparagus; Dark Chocolate Cookies with Milk Chocolate Chips

The inspiration for this pasta came from the same source as the parmesan broth for Cara's White Bean Soup: Chef Jennie. We met up with all our high school friends one night recently, for drinks rather than the usual food. Jennie doesn't usually get out of work at the restaurant in time for our potlucks anymore, so we were excited to see her, straight from the kitchen, and proceeded to make her talk to us about nothing but work.

She proudly reported that she had invented one of the specials that week: Edamame Ravioli in a Parmesan Broth. Cara's ears perked up at the mention of parmesan broth, but apparently mine held onto ravioli. I had been dying to make some variety of stuffed pasta, but unlike Cara, I rarely get the urge to make my own dough. I'd much rather waste time making small portions of five different intricate fillings than take 5 minutes to make the wrappers from scratch. Silly, but true.

I think my hesitation dates back to college when my friend Luke hosted a pasta-making party at his house. A very ancient-looking pasta roller had recently come into his possession via the Providence vintage store. I had never made pasta dough before, and I'm pretty sure no one there had either. By the time all twenty of us had made our balls of dough and rolled them out, every surface in the small kitchen was covered in either egg and flour. I know this is not a likely scenario in my own kitchen today, given my tendency to clean as I go, but the image of gummy hand prints all over Luke's walls continues to haunt me.

But I digress...

Jennie mentioned that she had used wonton skins in place of regular pasta dough for her ravioli. I just so happened to have a good 100 of those lying around after one of our catering gigs, and I couldn't wait to use them. The weekend following was another cool rainy spring afternoon, and I decided it was about time I indulged in another Italian delicacy: watching The Godfather. I prepared a pasta feast, the appetizer being these delicate ravioli in a spicy red sauce, and the main course heaping bowls of Jennie's other BGSK contribution: Tuscan Spaghetti Bolognese.


From my kitchen, where wonton wrappers bring out the Italian in me, to yours,

Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

**Recipe**

Sundried Tomato Ravioli with Spicy Red Sauce
Makes 2-3 servings (10 ravioli)

Ingredients
1 cup ricotta
2 tbsp basil (plus more for garnish)
4 sundried tomatoes, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cu grated smoked mozzarella (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

20 wonton skins
Spicy red sauce (this can be made days in advance)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Combine the ricotta, basil, sundried tomatoes, garlic, grated cheese(s), salt and red pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine.

On a work surface, arrange 5 wonton skins and spoon a little less than a tablespoon of the cheese mixture onto the center of each. Brush the edges of the wonton skins with water, then gently top each with a second wonton skin. Using your fingers, press out all the air so each ravioli is tightly sealed. Using a fork, crimp the edges.


Drop the ravioli into the boiling water a few at a time. Remove each individual ravioli with a slotted spoon when they rise to the top, about 2-3 minutes.

Spoon the tomato sauce into each bowl, top with a few ravioli, drizzle with additional sauce and garnish with torn basil. Serve immediately.
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Giveaway: Small Kitchen Wine Rack! [closed]

If Phoebe owned a Wall-Mounted Wine Rack,
perhaps she wouldn't have to keep her stash in the closet...

After our trickery on April 1st, we're thrilled to be hosting another (real) giveaway! This time the real live prize is sponsored by CSN Stores, whose sister sites feature a ton of great small apartment (and kitchen) equipment, from corner tv stands to other space-saving necessities like this handy dandy Oenophilia Wall Mounted Wine Rack. To win the wine rack for yourself, read on and comment below!
Admittedly, we don't talk a whole lot about wine on this blog. That's because, as Quarter-Life Cooks, providing wine AND food just doesn't fit into our budget. Instead, we rely on our friends to bring the booze and, when the (all too rare) invitation arises to bring wine to someone else's home, we usually have a few leftovers lying around to re-gift. (Phoebe's friend Nathalie recently got into trouble with this tactic: she grabbed a random bottle of wine from her rack as she was jetting to a fancy dinner party only to discover as she handed it to the host, that the bottle had come from someone else's company gathering and bore the label of a well-known bank.)

We're always curious how you deal with the wine conundrum whether you're a cook or a guest, and we'd love to know more--especially since we're writing lots of pointers about this very subject for the book. From experience, we already know that for twenty-somethings the strategy often involves going to the wine store, finding the cheapest shelf, and choosing the nicest looking label from it. But we want to hear more about how you choose your bottles. And for those of you who are beyond quarter-life, we'll benefit from hearing your perspective on the art of BYOB.

SO...please answer one or all of the following, or feel free to just riff and have at it:

* Do you have a "go-to" bottle of wine that you always bring to dinner parties with friends? If not, how do you go about choosing a random wine? White or red, prosecco or champagne?

* What is the price range you try to stick to? Does this change depending on the event, depending on the friend? (Be honest! We promise, we're cheap sometimes too.)

* As a host, do you feel like you have to tell friends to bring wine, or they just know to?

* Has a host ever specified only clear white liquids on the premises?

*Have you ever spilled red wine all over yourself, your friend, or your host's carpet? Do tell...

We look forward to hearing your answers, and we'll announce the Wine Rack Winner next week on the blog!

From our kitchen, where the carpets are covered in red wine from dinner parties past, to yours,

Phoebe and Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOKS

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Recipe Flash: Quinoa Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

on the way to a picnic in the park

SPRING PICNIC MENU: Deviled Eggs; Fennel-Cabbage Slaw; Quinoa Salad with Basil Vinaigrette; Brown Sugar Shortbread

This dish falls into the what-do-I-make-from-my-pantry category, and it's a familiar type of salad in the BGSK repertoire. It takes a healthful grain and some easily stored vegetables and legumes and dresses them with an herbed vinaigrette. The whole thing tastes fresh and wholesome, even though not much really has to be fresh in the produce-drawer, did-you-notice-it's-spring sense. You might want to run out for some herbs, but in my case, even the basil was frozen (it's sold in squares at Trader Joe's). It's a miracle of sorts, and though you'd never call such a dish fancy, it does make good fare for work lunches, dinners alone, potlucks with friends, and--our favorite this time of year--picnics.

From my kitchen, albeit small, to yours,

Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

**Recipe**

Quinoa Salad with Basil Vinaigrette, Corn, and Black Beans

Serves 2

Ingredients

3/4 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup boiling water

about 1/4 cup rice or white wine vinegar

1 small fennel bulb, very finely diced

1/3 cup corn kernels, defrosted if frozen

1/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed well

2 teaspoons basil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

3/4 teaspoon salt

pinch cayenne pepper

Combine the quinoa and water in a small pot. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Turn it down, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the water is gone and the quinoa is cooked. Turn off the heat and leave the top on for another 10 minutes, then fluff the quinoa and set aside.

Meanwhile, put the onions in a small bowl. Cover with the boiling water and let sit 5-10 minutes. Drain the onions, then cover them with the 1/4 cup vinegar. Let them sit until you're ready to use, at least 15 minutes.

To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, basil, and mustard in a large salad bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing has thickened slightly. Whisk in the honey, salt, and cayenne, then taste. Add a bit more oil if the vinegar taste is too pungent. Now drain the onions, squeeze out the vinegar, and add them to the dressing with the corn, fennel, and black beans. Now add the quinoa and toss well. Taste for salt, adding more as necessary. Let rest for at least 10 minutes, then serve.

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Cooking For One: Winter to Spring Pantry Pasta

SPRING DINNER MENU: Avocado and Radish Crostini; Lemon Roasted Asparagus; Carrot Raisin Cookies

It's officially spring. I know this because when I got down to the subway platform last week, I immediately started to sweat through my tank top. My whole body feels the change in season, especially my stomach. But it's a strange transitional period for my pantry and crisper. I haven't quite gotten used to buying fresh vegetables at the beginning of the week again, because, well, there still isn't a whole lot of green lining the farmers' market stalls. After all, it was winter only a month ago.

But I saw the first beautiful spring onions the other day, robust white bulbs and all, and I also found a thick bunch of delicate chives. I've always been a sucker for fresh herbs, and there is nothing better to freshen up and spring-ify my usual winter lunch special: pantry pasta.

Perhaps it is the post-Passover craze, but for whatever reason, and in spite of my current tank top wearing, I am still craving warm noodles come noon. Ever since the carbonara obsession began back in January, I've taken to keeping bacon and pecorino in the fridge for daily use. To spruce up my usual winter meal, this time, I added the chives along with a little lemon and white wine.

The dish didn't do justice to the full breadth of green that spring will soon have to offer, but it was just enough color to launch me into a new season of pantry pasta, bacon, cheese, and all.

From my kitchen, shedding winter layers (but still eating pasta), to yours,

Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

**Recipe**

Lemon Fettuccine with Bacon & Chives
Makes 1 serving

Ingredients
3 slices bacon
1/4 cup white wine
1/2lb fresh fettuccine
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup grated pecorino
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt

In a small non-stick skillet, cook the bacon over high heat until brown and crispy on both sides. Set aside to cool, and then crumble with your fingers. Turn the heat down to medium-low and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Cook for a minute or two, until the alcohol has burned off. Reserve in a mixing bowl.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente (if fresh, about 2-3 minutes). Add to the bowl with the wine and toss together with the bacon, chives, lemon juice, cheese, salt, and red pepper.

Serve immediately.
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Working With What You Have: Coconut Curry Mussels

EVENT: BGSK Writers' Retreat
VENUE: Cara's Mother's House, Long Island
PARTY SIZE: 2
TYPE: Last Supper, Cooking Up the Cupboard
MENU: Coconut Curry Mussels; Bibb Lettuce with Soy-Sesame Vinaigrette; No-Knead Bread

We know: we've been dragging out the recipes from our January book writing retreat for a long time now. You'll be glad to know that this is the last of the lot, our last supper of the trip itself and of those featured on the blog. But the mussels were a wonderful way to end the week. So special even, that we've waited until now to share them with you. Though they're available year-round, making them now, in April, will make them seem like they're heralding spring in.

We spent very little money at the grocery store that week. Probably because most of what we ate involved spaghetti. But by the last afternoon we were down to our last few shallots, and we had a can of coconut milk still waiting to be used up. We also had half a loaf of No-Knead Bread waiting to be drenched in delicious sauces or slathered with scallion butter.

That last day, we decided to put the book-related brainstorming on hold and take a load off our minds by giving our legs some exercise. Perhaps it was the ocean air, but by the end of our jaunt, both of us were craving seafood, and we were both thinking the same thing: mussels.

Mussels are super cheap, and for but $5 dollars we added 2 pounds of them to our dinner table. I got to work chopping the remainder of our garlic, ginger, and shallots, and Cara threw together an Asian-inspired vinaigrette for our salad before taking the aromatics off my hands to saute. The dish came together in minutes and, save for some slightly stale curry powder, the mussels turned out perfectly creamy, spicy, and satisfying enough to celebrate our last night out of the city.

From our kitchen, where we're finally flexing our mussels, to yours,

Phoebe and Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOKS

**Recipe**

Coconut Curry Mussels
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 2-inch knob ginger, minced
¼ cup cilantro
3 scallions (light and dark),
1/3 cup mirin or rice wine (or white wine)
1 15oz can coconut milk (we prefer light)
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp cayenne
½ tsp salt
2lb mussels, soaked, cleaned and beards removed
crusty bread for serving

cilantro for garnish

In a large pot, sauté the garlic, shallot, and ginger in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Let the vegetables sweat and become fragrant, about 2 minutes, then add half of the cilantro, scallions, and rice wine. Allow the wine to simmer and reduce, then add the coconut milk, curry powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt.

Simmer the mixture for 3 minutes to allow the flavors to combine, then add the mussels and cover the pot. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until all the shells are open (discard any that fail to do so). Spoon the mussels and their broth into individual bowls, garnish with the remaining cilantro, and serve immediately with crusty bread and a side salad.

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Recipe Flash: Parmesan, White Bean, and Kale Soup with Torn Pasta

this is what I do while eating lunch: read cookbooks

APRIL SHOWERS LUNCH MENU: Parmesan, White Bean, and Kale Soup; Potato-Pesto Focaccia

Our chef friend Jennie was telling us recently about a dish she was helping to develop for her restaurant kitchen. It included Parmesan broth, and this captured our imaginations, especially mine because I duly save--and then ignore--all my Parm rinds. When you simmer one of those rinds in good broth, you get a rich, salty soup that's the perfect vehicle for conveying hearty white beans, kale, and fresh pasta to your mouth. Though the weather today in New York is much too warm for soup (especially because the A/C's likely not on yet), let's just admit it: it's April, and we probably have a month of rain ahead. To me, that means a month more of soup until I really have to put it away til the fall.

From my kitchen, albeit small, to yours,

Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

**Recipe**

Parmesan, White Bean, and Kale Soup with Torn Pasta

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups chicken broth or veggie stock, preferably homemade

1 Parmesan rind, about 2 by 3 inches

Large handful of kale, stems trimmed

3/4 cup white beans

1 cup fresh pasta, torn into uneven shapes*

Freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan for grating

*I start with a sheet of fresh pasta and tear it into uneven shapes. You can substitute fettucine or tagliattelle, fresh or dried, broken up into pieces.

Combine the broth and the Parmesan rind in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Meanwhile, bring a few inches of water to boil in a covered pot. Salt it, then add the kale and cover. Cook for 10 minutes until the kale is tender. Drain. When the kale is cool enough to handle, cut the kale into bite-sized pieces.

When the broth has finished simmering, remove the Parmesan rind. Add the white beans and the kale and cook to heat them through. Then add the pasta and cook until tender--just a few minutes for fresh pasta, and according to package directions for dried. Add a generous amount of pepper, and taste for salt. Serve hot topped with grated Parmesan.

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Cooking For Others: Momofuku Pork Bo Ssam

EVENT: Valentine's Day
VENUE: Cara's Apartment, Park Slope
PARTY SIZE: 2 (there were leftovers)
MENU: Meat and Scallion Pot Stickers with Tangy Soy Sauce; Momofuku Pork Bo Ssam with White Rice, Butter Lettuce Leaves, and Ginger Scallion Sauce

There are a lot of reasons I was not a Momofuku early adopter, and living across the street from Ssam Bar for a year is not one of them. Mainly, there was the vegetarian issue: most everything at Momofuku is heavy on the pork. But there was also the line-out-the-door issue. I am very grouchy when it comes to waiting to be seated, especially because I know I could have pasta on the table at home in just a little more time than it takes to boil water. Call me curmudgeonly, but that's how I roll.

So when I was invited to partake of Momofuku's Pork Bo Ssam at a friend's birthday feast, I went without all that much expectation, only knowing, via Google, that it was the restaurant's Americanized form of a pork-centric Korean dinner. Next thing I knew I was squeezed onto a narrow bench taking off layers of winter gear (a snowstorm was raging outside), and a massive hunk of pork was being set down in front of the birthday girl like a cake. Beside it were: a pile of lettuce leaves, bowls of short-grain white rice, oysters, and at least six small bowls of sauces. We were instructed to try one wrap plain (rice, oyster, pork) before adding sauces, and that's what I did, digging and ripping into the pork butt with my chopsticks along with everyone else. It was delicious--and the waiter was right, the sauces were good but unnecessary. What sets the Momofuku pork butt apart from some other butts we've made and eaten is that it's a) brined overnight in equal parts sugar and salt, and b) finished in the oven at a very high temperature with a layer of brown sugar and yet more salt. The crust that develops from this second round of sugar is truly awesome.

When I made the butt at home, I have to say I was pleased with the results. No, it's not something I'll make every day. And yes, it made my apartment smell like pork fat until I lit all three of my candles and opened my door and my window. But it is cheap, food-coma filling, and very impressive, and I will definitely make it again.

From my kitchen, where I'm borrowing a little Momofuku magic, to yours,

Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

**Recipe**

Slow-Roasted Pork Bo Ssam

Serves 5

Adapted from Momofuku Cookbook by David Chang

Ingredients

1 4-pound pork butt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

3 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar.

Combine the sugar and the 1/2 cup of kosher salt. Rub all over the pork, then put in a roasting pan, cover, and refrigerate overnight (at least 6 hours).

Heat the oven to 300°F. Take the pork out of the fridge and discard the juices. Put the roasting pan in the oven and cook for 5-6 hours, basting the butt with the fat from the pan every hour. Turn your fan on and open your windows: your apartment will smell strongly of pork. When the pork is very tender, remove from the oven. You can let the pork rest for up to an hour, or proceed immediately. Drain off as much of the fat from the pan as possible.

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Stir together 1/2 tablespoon salt and the brown sugar. Press it evenly on the top of the pork.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until a crust develops--watch carefully so as not to burn it. This is when you'll want to open your windows even more, maybe even light some candles. There is pork fat smoking away in your oven.

Serve with short-grain white rice, ginger scallion sauce, chile sauce, and butter lettuce leaves, washed and separated. To eat, arrange a couple spoonfuls of rice in a lettuce leaf. Add sauces as desired. Then reach your chopsticks into the pork and pull out a chunk, making sure to get plenty of the crust. Add to the lettuce wrap, fold it up, and eat.

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Big Girls, Global Kitchen: Rigatoni Treviso

DISH: Rigatoni Treviso
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Pasta, Sausage, Radicchio

A month or so ago, my friend Ali had a few of us ladies over to her new apartment on the Lower East Side. She made a beautiful Italian meal of rigatoni with a sausage cream sauce, and after downing two large bowls and thwarting any desire I once had to go out drinking, I realized I had to make this pasta.

The next week, in anticipation of my Valentine’s weekend excursion, I emailed Ali for the recipe and for the story behind it. The dish was passed down from Ali’s mother, who, after marrying an Italian man, had become quite well versed in the ways of perfect pasta. Though I’ve never had the pleasure of partaking in her cooking, when I visited Ali’s house on Long Island last summer, I spent the better part of my weekend pouring through her mother’s collection of Gourmet and Food & Wine magazines, lining the walls floor to ceiling, and dating back to 1942. It didn’t surprise me that this woman had given birth to both my new favorite pasta dish and the friend who made it for me.

When I went over the ingredient list, I was surprised to see radicchio was the other main component of the mixture (the first was sausage). Its usually bitter flavor had melted into the sauce, and the leaves had become unrecognizable after the simmering. Ali's notes specified to get the long radicchio versus the round version. I paused for a second and racked my brain. I just couldn’t picture this vegetable.

With my head bent low (if there had been anyone watching), I went on wikipedia to look up the varieties of radicchio. Sure enough, the long version, resembling a purple leafy endive, came on the screen. Radicchio Treviso as it turned out is most commonly found in Italian cooking, and is a little harder to find in American supermarkets, though I did eventually find it. Perhaps I had happened upon this vegetable at the markets in Rome, where Ali and I studied abroad together. Chances are, as my ignorance would reflect, I was too busy snatching up cute little eggplants and buying pizza by the pound to examine the heads of radicchio.


When I got around to making my new favorite pasta it was spectacular once again, though I think Ali’s version will still be the more special of the two as far as my mind and taste buds are concerned. But the best part about the dish was discovering a new veggie in the produce section, and it may just be making an appearance in Italian dishes I'll make in the near future.

From my kitchen, where I’m mixing my new favorite pasta with my new favorite vegetable, to yours,

Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

**Recipe**

Rigatoni con Radicchio, Panna, e Salsiccia
Makes 4 servings

I couldn't find breakfast sausage at the meat counter, just sweet Italian. Ali specified that the sausage should not have fennel seeds since they have such a distinct flavor. Unfortunately, the sausage I used was sweet Italian, and it did have fennel seeds. Oops. I still thought this version tasted great. One recommendation the (Italian) butcher gave me: add 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar to the sausage as it's browning. This will help adjust the flavors (breakfast sausage actually tends to be sweeter) and help the meat caramelize.

Ingredients

1 small onion, diced
1lb uncooked breakfast sausage (or sweet Italian,* just add sugar), removed from casing
1 1/2 tsp sugar* (optional, see note above)
2 small heads of radicchio di treviso (long, not round), halved and cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmiggiano cheese
1lb rigatoni

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of cooking liquid.

In a large skillet, saute the onion over medium-high heat in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.

Add the sausage to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

NOTE: I skipped this step since I don't have a food processor. It is fine to just add the sausage to the pan and break it up with a spatula into very fine bits as it browns. Just make sure there are no large chunks.

Push the onions to the sides of the pan and add the sausage. Continue to cook over high heat, breaking apart the pieces with your spatula, until fully browned and beginning to caramelize. If you are using sweet Italian, add the sugar with the meat.

Turn the heat back down to medium, and add the radicchio to the pan. Saute gently until the leaves are very wilted and reduced in size by half.

NOTE: try not to use too much of the base of the radicchio which has no red leaves, and is only stalk/core. If you do, chop it a little finer, as it will take longer to become tender.

Turn the heat down to low and add the cream. Saute for a few minutes until incorporated. Add the cheese add toss to combine. Add the drained pasta to the pot and continue to cook for a minute or so. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of the cooking water.

Serve immediately with some extra grated cheese and some chopped parsley, if you have it on hand.

Bon Appetito!

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April Fool's: And By "Trip," We Meant "Cookies"!

Unfortunately, the trip to St. Thomas was our idea of an April Fool's joke. We loved your menus, and we'll no doubt be cooking from them soon. But just so no one out there gets too mad, we'll still be giving away one box of tropical cookies featuring coconut, macadamia nuts, and BGSK love.

From our kitchens, full of practical jokes, to yours,

Cara and Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOKS

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Cooking For Others: Win a Trip with BGSK!

what this beach needs is some homemade food

As our readers know, we mostly cook from the confines of our tiny kitchens. We don't think our food suffers for being made in closet-sized regions, but that doesn't mean we don't jump at the chance to go cook in larger kitchens whenever we get the chance. We love catering in part because we get to take advantage of someone else's marble counter space, and we make pilgrimages to our parents' houses not just to see them but also to use their ice cream makers and looong dining room tables.

So though we don't say no to any old cooking getaway, what we're about to describe happens to be a particularly exciting excursion.

We're inviting one lucky reader on a four night, five day tropical cook-a-thon with us. We're headed to a big cottage on St. Thomas, in the Caribbean. The cottage isn't huge, but it's right on the beach, and, more importantly, it features an enormous, fully equipped kitchen. Since the cottage is small and the kitchen big, we'll all be sharing a room. But to make up for that, BGSK will commit to making you breakfast, lunch, and dinner from our archive of tropical recipes, and we'll be working to expand our repertoire of frozen drinks as well.

this could be you sipping a BGSK-made frozen mojito

We're really excited about this opportunity to alternate cooking and basking in the sun, but we're even more thrilled that we're able to invite one of you to come along! We've already started to figure out what we'll be serving, and here's one of the menus we can't help but share:

Breakfast

Coconut Pancakes with Passionfruit Syrup and Strawberries

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

Lunch

Chorizo and Grilled Vegetable Tortas with Chipotle-Lime Crema

Cilantro Slaw

Pineapple Sorbet

Dinner

Crab Cakes with Chipotle Mango Salsa and Cilantro-Cashew Chutney
Poached Lobster in a Truffle Butter Demi-Glace
Caramelized Corn Pudding

Papaya Panna Cotta

To win, tell us what meal you'd cook for us if you were on our Caribbean cooking retreat. Then stay tuned--we'll announce the reader tomorrow in our newsletter. (To sign up, enter your email here.) The rest of you don't have to worry too much about losing though--we'll be live blogging every moment of the vacation, complete with photos and recipes, on tumblr and twitter.

Good luck!

From our kitchen, about to migrate south, to yours,

Cara and Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOKS

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