Most of the dishes we threw together for Thanksgiving this year were not my own recipes. In fact, some of them didn't have recipes at all. Who knew half a Thanksgiving meal would be on-the-fly? Anyway, I did make a couple of delicious appetizers that I can share with you.
Butternut-Leek Puffs
For these little wonders, I combined my love of the butternut squash with my love of puff pastry. Goodness, gracious is that a match made in heaven.
Ingredients
2 cups of the butternut squash ravioli filling - see recipe below (you can make it ahead of time and refrigerate before making this recipe)
3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
2 tbs butter
2 packages of puff pastry shells
a pinch of white pepper
a pinch of red pepper
a pinch of nutmeg
salt to taste
This couldn't be simpler. Preheat the oven to 375*. Thaw the pastry shells about halfway, then slice them in half (so you have two thin discs) very carefully. Place the shells on a prepared baking sheet.
Wash the leeks! Leeks grow in the ground and they have layers like an onion, which trap the dirt. I find the best way to wash them is to cut off and discard most of the dark green top, then slice up the remainder of the lighter green and white of the leek. Place the slices in a bowl full of cold water and agitate them a little. Then let them rest a bit while the dirt sinks to the bottom of the bowl. Fish out your slices, dump the water, rinse the bowl, and repeat the process as many times as necessary to make sure you get all the grit out.
Once the leeks are clean, dry them in a salad spinner. Then, over medium heat, melt the butter. Saute the leeks in the melted butter. As they soften, add the spices. Once the leeks are softened, assemble the puffs.
Place a heaping tablespoon of butternut squash filling in the center of each puff pastry disc. Place a tablespoon of leeks on top of the filling. That's it. Now bake them for about 20 minutes, until the bottoms start to brown and they puff up a bit. I sprinkled a little parmesan cheese on top of them when I took them out of the oven. Yum.
Prosciutto Baskets
These little bites were so good, it was a struggle to keep any around for late-arriving relatives. A real struggle.
Ingredients
sliced prosciutto
chevre
green grapes, halved
Break out the mini muffin pan! I really do love my mini muffin pan. Spray a little cooking oil in each indentation. Preheat the oven to 400*.
Cut your proscuitto into pieces, about 3 inches by 3 inches (or do a 3 inch circle). Push each slice of prosciutto into its own muffin tin to create a basket (or cup, or whatever you'd like to call it). Once all the indentations are filled, put the pan into the oven. Set a timer for 5 minutes - they'll probably take closer to ten, but you definitely don't want them to burn, so keep checking.
Once the proscuitto has curled and crisped up, take the pan out of the oven and set aside to cool.
Once the baskets are cooled, fill each one with a teaspoon of chevre (if you're fancy - and we are - shape the chevre into a quenelle) and top with one or two grape halves. Place on a serving tray. Watch your guests devour them.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I know I did.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
butternut squash x2
I had a butternut squash weekend, folks. Some friends and I got together to try our hands (8 of 'em) at homemade pasta dough. We ended up making butternut squash ravioli, and tagliatelle (or what I'm choosing to call tagliatelle).
Although we used Tyler Florence's ravioli dough recipe, the filling recipe was all mine. And as such, there was way too much of it. So I turned the leftovers into a soup. The two recipes are below.
Ravioli filling
Ingredients
1 (2 lb) butternut squash
1 (16 oz) tub of low fat ricotta cheese
1 tbs butter
olive oil for drizzling
salt
pepper
Preheat the oven to 400*.
Cut the squash in half, length-wise. Scoop out the seeds and seed accoutrement. Place the halves, cut side up, in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 1 hour.
After an hour, take it out and uncover it. Jab a fork into it, and if you meet no resistance, the squash is done. Let it cool down a little bit - maybe 5 minutes.
Using a spoon, scoop the squash out of its skin, putting the flesh into a large bowl. Stir it up with a spoon or whisk to give it a smooth and consistent texture.
Add the butter, stirring until it melts in. Then add the ricotta cheese, stirring until combined. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste. Use this filling for the ravioli, about 1 teaspoon of filling for each pocket of pasta. We served the pasta with a marinara sauce and a vodka sauce - but frankly, these little gems would be great with just a little extra butter and some Parmesan cheese.
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
About half the filling from above (about 1.5 to 2 cups)
Chicken broth (about 2 cups) - you can use vegetable
1 tsp cinnamon
1 carrot, diced
half an onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
olive oil
salt
Over medium heat, saute your mirepoix (onions, celery, carrots) in olive oil in a saucepan until softened. Add the squash and ricotta mixture and 1 cup of chicken broth. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Pour part of the soup into a food processor or blender (don't overfill, as hot liquid will expand - and if you use a blender, take out the little knob in the top to let the hot air out). Blend until smooth, then pour into a bowl. Blend the rest until smooth.
Pour all of it back into the saucepan. Over low heat, add as much of the remaining chicken broth as you want to get the texture you prefer. Then add the cinnamon. Add salt to taste. Feel free to let this simmer for a while, if you like. I served it immediately, and it was heavenly.
I'm thinking of serving this soup (or a variation) at my Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe without the cheese...but then, I do love cheese. Enjoy!
Although we used Tyler Florence's ravioli dough recipe, the filling recipe was all mine. And as such, there was way too much of it. So I turned the leftovers into a soup. The two recipes are below.
Ravioli filling
Ingredients
1 (2 lb) butternut squash
1 (16 oz) tub of low fat ricotta cheese
1 tbs butter
olive oil for drizzling
salt
pepper
Preheat the oven to 400*.
Cut the squash in half, length-wise. Scoop out the seeds and seed accoutrement. Place the halves, cut side up, in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 1 hour.
After an hour, take it out and uncover it. Jab a fork into it, and if you meet no resistance, the squash is done. Let it cool down a little bit - maybe 5 minutes.
Using a spoon, scoop the squash out of its skin, putting the flesh into a large bowl. Stir it up with a spoon or whisk to give it a smooth and consistent texture.
Add the butter, stirring until it melts in. Then add the ricotta cheese, stirring until combined. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste. Use this filling for the ravioli, about 1 teaspoon of filling for each pocket of pasta. We served the pasta with a marinara sauce and a vodka sauce - but frankly, these little gems would be great with just a little extra butter and some Parmesan cheese.
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
About half the filling from above (about 1.5 to 2 cups)
Chicken broth (about 2 cups) - you can use vegetable
1 tsp cinnamon
1 carrot, diced
half an onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
olive oil
salt
Over medium heat, saute your mirepoix (onions, celery, carrots) in olive oil in a saucepan until softened. Add the squash and ricotta mixture and 1 cup of chicken broth. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Pour part of the soup into a food processor or blender (don't overfill, as hot liquid will expand - and if you use a blender, take out the little knob in the top to let the hot air out). Blend until smooth, then pour into a bowl. Blend the rest until smooth.
Pour all of it back into the saucepan. Over low heat, add as much of the remaining chicken broth as you want to get the texture you prefer. Then add the cinnamon. Add salt to taste. Feel free to let this simmer for a while, if you like. I served it immediately, and it was heavenly.
I'm thinking of serving this soup (or a variation) at my Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe without the cheese...but then, I do love cheese. Enjoy!
Monday, November 2, 2009
cocktail time
This refreshing cocktail is best suited for consumption while sitting under an umbrella and enjoying some sunshine. However, it is almost equally as delicious when consumed while enjoying the heat from your fireplace. Just pretend you're getting a tan.
Ingredients
1 small bottle of blood orange Italian soda
1 bottle of brut cava (champagne or other dry, sparkling wine will do)
1 small bottle of pomegranate juice
a cup of thawed, frozen raspberries
2 oz. vodka
orange slices
ice
First, puree the raspberries in a blender. Set aside.
Fill a large pitcher about half-way full (between 70-90 oz.) with ice cubes. Pour in the vodka, Italian soda and pomegranate juice. Add in the cava until the pitcher is full. Stir to combine (gently now, there's a lot of carbonation!).
Pour about 1/4 inch of pureed raspberries into a martini glass. Top with your soda/juice/cava concoction. Garnish with an orange slice.
Settle back and let the world go by.
Ingredients
1 small bottle of blood orange Italian soda
1 bottle of brut cava (champagne or other dry, sparkling wine will do)
1 small bottle of pomegranate juice
a cup of thawed, frozen raspberries
2 oz. vodka
orange slices
ice
First, puree the raspberries in a blender. Set aside.
Fill a large pitcher about half-way full (between 70-90 oz.) with ice cubes. Pour in the vodka, Italian soda and pomegranate juice. Add in the cava until the pitcher is full. Stir to combine (gently now, there's a lot of carbonation!).
Pour about 1/4 inch of pureed raspberries into a martini glass. Top with your soda/juice/cava concoction. Garnish with an orange slice.
Settle back and let the world go by.
Monday, October 19, 2009
caramelized onion and brie puffs
One of the first things I learned how to make was a baked brie. They're always a crowd-pleaser, and they're relatively easy to put together. This weekend, I made miniature baked brie puffs, which is marginally more difficult by virtue of increased labor. I should've taken pictures. But, just between you and me, I can't find my camera.
Ingredients
1 large white or yellow onion, sliced into thin half-moons
2 tablespoons butter
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1 wedge of brie, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (triple cream melts the best)
a pinch or two of salt
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water
a handful (or 2) of flour for your countertop
First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then caramelize the onion slices. You want to do this over a medium heat because you do not want the onions to crisp at all. Put the butter in a skillet to melt. Once the bubbling has subsided, add the onion. Add the salt after a couple minutes. Let it cook, with relatively little stirring, until they are soft and brown. This will take some time - maybe 20 minutes. If your onions start to get a little dry, add some chicken stock (or water or vegetable stock if you're avoiding meat) to help the process along. Once the onions are lovely and brown, remove them from the heat and set aside.
Now, the hard part (and remember, hard is a relative term - nothing about this recipe is overwhelming) - the dough. Put some flour down on your work surface, and unfold the pastry dough onto it. If it doesn't unfold pretty easily, it's probably not thawed enough. Grab your rolling pin and roll out the dough from the center to the edges, making a bigger and bigger square. Pick up the dough and flip it over after every 2 - 3 rolls to keep it from sticking to the counter. Put down more flour whenever you need to, also to keep it from sticking.
This process is a little difficult if you've never handled dough before. Just remember, if it gets too sticky you can add flour to it. And if it gets too dry, you can add water to it. You can mash it back up into a ball and re-roll it as many times as you need too. Plus, it will puff up so wonderfully and taste so heavenly, that it won't matter if it wasn't rolled perfectly.
You want the dough to be about 1/8 of an inch thick. This is thin, but not so thin that it looks translucent or fragile. The dough will be about 50% bigger.
Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 2.5 inch squares (just eyeball it - I don't want to hear about anyone breaking out a ruler). Now, fill each individual square. I like to do this using a min-muffin tin.
Place a square of dough in each depression in the tin. Place a piece of brie into each square of dough. Place a spoonful of caramelized onions over each piece of brie. If you can't get all your dough into one muffin-tin, just cover it with a damp towel until the first batch is done.
(You don't need to have a muffin tin for this - you can just fill the dough squares while they're flat, and fold them up into little envelopes of deliciousness. Then bake 'em on a cookie sheet).
Next, whisk the egg yolk and water together. Brush this mixture onto the edges of each dough square. Then seal up the edges - this doesn't need to be perfect - by folding them over each other or pinching them together. The egg yolk will work like a glue. Finally, use any leftover yolk mixture to brush the tops of the newly sealed dough packets.
Stick the puffs in the oven. If they aren't golden brown after 10 minutes, let them cook another 5 minutes. Then check again. It won't take long.
Serve at your next fancy party and pretend you spent the whole day in the kitchen. Or serve to your close friends and give 'em the skinny on how simple they are to make. Either way, enjoy.
Ingredients
1 large white or yellow onion, sliced into thin half-moons
2 tablespoons butter
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1 wedge of brie, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (triple cream melts the best)
a pinch or two of salt
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water
a handful (or 2) of flour for your countertop
First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then caramelize the onion slices. You want to do this over a medium heat because you do not want the onions to crisp at all. Put the butter in a skillet to melt. Once the bubbling has subsided, add the onion. Add the salt after a couple minutes. Let it cook, with relatively little stirring, until they are soft and brown. This will take some time - maybe 20 minutes. If your onions start to get a little dry, add some chicken stock (or water or vegetable stock if you're avoiding meat) to help the process along. Once the onions are lovely and brown, remove them from the heat and set aside.
Now, the hard part (and remember, hard is a relative term - nothing about this recipe is overwhelming) - the dough. Put some flour down on your work surface, and unfold the pastry dough onto it. If it doesn't unfold pretty easily, it's probably not thawed enough. Grab your rolling pin and roll out the dough from the center to the edges, making a bigger and bigger square. Pick up the dough and flip it over after every 2 - 3 rolls to keep it from sticking to the counter. Put down more flour whenever you need to, also to keep it from sticking.
This process is a little difficult if you've never handled dough before. Just remember, if it gets too sticky you can add flour to it. And if it gets too dry, you can add water to it. You can mash it back up into a ball and re-roll it as many times as you need too. Plus, it will puff up so wonderfully and taste so heavenly, that it won't matter if it wasn't rolled perfectly.
You want the dough to be about 1/8 of an inch thick. This is thin, but not so thin that it looks translucent or fragile. The dough will be about 50% bigger.
Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 2.5 inch squares (just eyeball it - I don't want to hear about anyone breaking out a ruler). Now, fill each individual square. I like to do this using a min-muffin tin.
Place a square of dough in each depression in the tin. Place a piece of brie into each square of dough. Place a spoonful of caramelized onions over each piece of brie. If you can't get all your dough into one muffin-tin, just cover it with a damp towel until the first batch is done.
(You don't need to have a muffin tin for this - you can just fill the dough squares while they're flat, and fold them up into little envelopes of deliciousness. Then bake 'em on a cookie sheet).
Next, whisk the egg yolk and water together. Brush this mixture onto the edges of each dough square. Then seal up the edges - this doesn't need to be perfect - by folding them over each other or pinching them together. The egg yolk will work like a glue. Finally, use any leftover yolk mixture to brush the tops of the newly sealed dough packets.
Stick the puffs in the oven. If they aren't golden brown after 10 minutes, let them cook another 5 minutes. Then check again. It won't take long.
Serve at your next fancy party and pretend you spent the whole day in the kitchen. Or serve to your close friends and give 'em the skinny on how simple they are to make. Either way, enjoy.
Friday, October 16, 2009
thanksgiving
I've been eating mostly salad and baked chicken breast for what feels like weeks now. Therefore, there hasn't been much cooking for me to blog about. I worry that it would be condescending for me to blog about baked chicken breast - sprinkle with salt and pepper. put in 400* oven for 20 minutes - so instead, let's talk about thanksgiving.
This year will be the first thanksgiving I host for my family. I am bursting with excitement. I am also grappling with what dishes to make, and what dishes to ask others to bring with them. Here's the list from which I will make eliminations (or possibly additions if I just can't cut anything).
roast turkey or turducken or fried turkey
yam casserole (non-negotiable)
mashed potatoes
boudin stuffing or herbed stuffing or giblet stuffing
creamed spinach or spinach madeleine
cranberry apple lemon sauce
pecan pie
baked brie
some kind of fig and prosciutto appetizer
So there's my list. I'm sure it will fluctuate mightily in the next 5 weeks. In the meantime, what're your family thanksgiving food traditions?
PS: last night I watched Jaques and Julia cooking a thanksgiving dinner (from which I have happily poached the above-mentioned cranberry, apple, lemon sauce). Anyway, toward the end, Julia says "what wine do we serve with a thanksgiving feast?" To which the wonderful Jaques replies, "a lot."
Happy cooking and bon appetit!
This year will be the first thanksgiving I host for my family. I am bursting with excitement. I am also grappling with what dishes to make, and what dishes to ask others to bring with them. Here's the list from which I will make eliminations (or possibly additions if I just can't cut anything).
roast turkey or turducken or fried turkey
yam casserole (non-negotiable)
mashed potatoes
boudin stuffing or herbed stuffing or giblet stuffing
creamed spinach or spinach madeleine
cranberry apple lemon sauce
pecan pie
baked brie
some kind of fig and prosciutto appetizer
So there's my list. I'm sure it will fluctuate mightily in the next 5 weeks. In the meantime, what're your family thanksgiving food traditions?
PS: last night I watched Jaques and Julia cooking a thanksgiving dinner (from which I have happily poached the above-mentioned cranberry, apple, lemon sauce). Anyway, toward the end, Julia says "what wine do we serve with a thanksgiving feast?" To which the wonderful Jaques replies, "a lot."
Happy cooking and bon appetit!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
asparagus risotto
I find risotto really hard to pass up. I mean, if it's on a menu, I endure an inner dialogue something along the lines of this,
"Mmmm, risotto."
Yes, but there's also picatta. And lasagna. Ooooh! And manicotti!
"Yes, but risotto is so creamy..."
You think a tube of pasta stuffed full of ricotta cheese isn't creamy? Plus, you can make it at home! You're probably never going to make manicotti. Let's face it, if you tried, you'd just end up eating all the ricotta before you could stuff it into the pasta tubes. We both know that.
Whereupon I forgo my beloved risotto. But on the way home from the restaurant, I buy some arborio rice and plot the next night's dinner.
Ingredients
The amounts in this recipe are for 1 serving. There's instructions in the recipe to increase for more servings.
1/4 an onion, chopped
1/4 c. arborio rice (or other short grain, Italian, risotto-type)
1 c. chicken stock
1/4 bunch asparagus, ends removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbs. olive oil
1/4 c. grated or shredded cheese (I like peccorino romano, but any parmesan or romano works)
salt and pepper to taste
Be prepared: once you add the rice to the saucepan, you will be stirring constantly. So put on comfortable shoes, throw some music on the ipod and get ready to work that bicep...or whatever the stirring muscle is.
First, put your chicken broth over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. You should have about at least three times as much broth as you have rice. You want the broth to be hot (but not simmering or boiling), so that when it's added to the rice, it doesn't cool it down (and thereby increase the cooking time).
Over medium-high heat, saute the onion in olive oil, using a larger saucepan. Cook until the onion is soft. You may also add minced garlic to the onion, but I tend to leave garlic out of my risotto dishes. Increase the onion by 1/4 for each additional 1/4 cup of dry rice.
Risotto rice will generally increase in size by about 4 times. So when I cook it just for myself, I make around 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup, dry. This yields about a cup (maybe a little more) which is more than adequate for one person. So, using that, add enough dry rice to feed however many people you like (1 cup dry = 4 cups cooked = feed 4-6 people, depending on appetites).
Now, and this is important, add your dry rice in with the onion and cook it without any liquid for a few minutes. Stir constantly! You want the rice to look a little beat up - it will get opaque white edges. I'd estimate this takes between 3 - 5 minutes. This process will help the starches work properly in the cooking process - yielding that creaminess we're looking for.
Once you've got opaque rice, add about a cup of the hot broth (use a ladle). Again, stir constantly. In total, you'll want to cook the rice for about 18 minutes.
Stir until the rice absorbs the broth. You don't want it looking dry - but no obvious liquid either. Once you get to that point, add another half cup of broth.
Keep repeating this (add 1/2 cup broth, stir until absorbed) until you reach the 12 minute mark. At this point, toss in the cut-up asparagus. It will cook in the broth with the rice. (I like a lot of vegetables in my rice, so when you're increasing the recipe, bear that in mind - just put in what looks right to you).
Continue adding broth and stirring until absorbed until the rice has been cooking a total of 18 minutes. At that point you should have plump and creamy risotto. If you don't, then keep adding more broth and letting it get absorbed until the texture is right.
Add cheese. Lots of it. I put 1/4 cup of cheese in when I make 1/4 cup of dry rice. Trust me, it's essential.
Once you've mastered the basic risotto recipe, you can add any ingredients you like. My favorite additions (besides asparagus) are mushrooms, spinach, tomato, or cooked chicken.
"Mmmm, risotto."
Yes, but there's also picatta. And lasagna. Ooooh! And manicotti!
"Yes, but risotto is so creamy..."
You think a tube of pasta stuffed full of ricotta cheese isn't creamy? Plus, you can make it at home! You're probably never going to make manicotti. Let's face it, if you tried, you'd just end up eating all the ricotta before you could stuff it into the pasta tubes. We both know that.
Whereupon I forgo my beloved risotto. But on the way home from the restaurant, I buy some arborio rice and plot the next night's dinner.
Ingredients
The amounts in this recipe are for 1 serving. There's instructions in the recipe to increase for more servings.
1/4 an onion, chopped
1/4 c. arborio rice (or other short grain, Italian, risotto-type)
1 c. chicken stock
1/4 bunch asparagus, ends removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbs. olive oil
1/4 c. grated or shredded cheese (I like peccorino romano, but any parmesan or romano works)
salt and pepper to taste
Be prepared: once you add the rice to the saucepan, you will be stirring constantly. So put on comfortable shoes, throw some music on the ipod and get ready to work that bicep...or whatever the stirring muscle is.
First, put your chicken broth over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. You should have about at least three times as much broth as you have rice. You want the broth to be hot (but not simmering or boiling), so that when it's added to the rice, it doesn't cool it down (and thereby increase the cooking time).
Over medium-high heat, saute the onion in olive oil, using a larger saucepan. Cook until the onion is soft. You may also add minced garlic to the onion, but I tend to leave garlic out of my risotto dishes. Increase the onion by 1/4 for each additional 1/4 cup of dry rice.
Risotto rice will generally increase in size by about 4 times. So when I cook it just for myself, I make around 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup, dry. This yields about a cup (maybe a little more) which is more than adequate for one person. So, using that, add enough dry rice to feed however many people you like (1 cup dry = 4 cups cooked = feed 4-6 people, depending on appetites).
Now, and this is important, add your dry rice in with the onion and cook it without any liquid for a few minutes. Stir constantly! You want the rice to look a little beat up - it will get opaque white edges. I'd estimate this takes between 3 - 5 minutes. This process will help the starches work properly in the cooking process - yielding that creaminess we're looking for.
Once you've got opaque rice, add about a cup of the hot broth (use a ladle). Again, stir constantly. In total, you'll want to cook the rice for about 18 minutes.
Stir until the rice absorbs the broth. You don't want it looking dry - but no obvious liquid either. Once you get to that point, add another half cup of broth.
Keep repeating this (add 1/2 cup broth, stir until absorbed) until you reach the 12 minute mark. At this point, toss in the cut-up asparagus. It will cook in the broth with the rice. (I like a lot of vegetables in my rice, so when you're increasing the recipe, bear that in mind - just put in what looks right to you).
Continue adding broth and stirring until absorbed until the rice has been cooking a total of 18 minutes. At that point you should have plump and creamy risotto. If you don't, then keep adding more broth and letting it get absorbed until the texture is right.
Add cheese. Lots of it. I put 1/4 cup of cheese in when I make 1/4 cup of dry rice. Trust me, it's essential.
Once you've mastered the basic risotto recipe, you can add any ingredients you like. My favorite additions (besides asparagus) are mushrooms, spinach, tomato, or cooked chicken.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
the obligatory "why you should trust my recipes" post
Yes, most people explain themselves in the first post of a blog. But I've almost always done things backwards. Plus, I figured the recipes would speak for themselves.
But last night it occurred to me that if one never gave the recipes a chance because one didn't see any reason to think I know what I'm doing, then perhaps we'd circular logic our way back to needing an introduction.
So here we go:
Born in New Orleans to a Jewish caterer (mom) and a self-taught cook and food-lover (dad), I've certainly had a lot of influences on my palate. Some of my earliest memories are of helping my mom wrap 500 wontons in our home kitchen, rushing to fill the sufganyiot before our Chanukkah guests arrived, and listening to my dad ask Frankie the waiter at his favorite restaurant on the West Side to "just feed me." To this day, I'd rather eat my stepmom's bolognese sauce than any other in the world.
I was lucky enough to spend a few years living in both California and New York, which opened me up to the benefits of fresh produce and local ingredients (CA) and the wonders of culturally diverse cooking (NY and CA). Living in NY also reinforced my Jewish roots (I've been longing for a good bialy since about 1999).
Throughout my childhood and youth, I helped my mom in the kitchen. Her baked brie and dijon chicken recipes were favorites with her clients (and us kids!). One of my favorite activities was (and still is) watching my dad make a gravy from roast chicken or turkey breast drippings.
I started cooking on my own in college, mostly because I found that the best way to get a crowd of friends together was to make them something to eat. Though I worked at first from other people's recipes (mom's, dad's and stepmom's), I eventually figured out what flavors pleased me the most and simply created a repertoire of haphazard trial and error. Most of it ended well.
I don't imagine I'm much better a cook than most home chefs who really care about what they serve and enjoy the process, but I've been told cooking is the business I should really be in, asked how much I'd charge to prepare a thanksgiving dinner, and enjoyed many yummy faces aimed in my general direction - so I must be doing something right.
Also, happy birthday, Dad.
Okay, enough about me. Back to the food.
But last night it occurred to me that if one never gave the recipes a chance because one didn't see any reason to think I know what I'm doing, then perhaps we'd circular logic our way back to needing an introduction.
So here we go:
Born in New Orleans to a Jewish caterer (mom) and a self-taught cook and food-lover (dad), I've certainly had a lot of influences on my palate. Some of my earliest memories are of helping my mom wrap 500 wontons in our home kitchen, rushing to fill the sufganyiot before our Chanukkah guests arrived, and listening to my dad ask Frankie the waiter at his favorite restaurant on the West Side to "just feed me." To this day, I'd rather eat my stepmom's bolognese sauce than any other in the world.
I was lucky enough to spend a few years living in both California and New York, which opened me up to the benefits of fresh produce and local ingredients (CA) and the wonders of culturally diverse cooking (NY and CA). Living in NY also reinforced my Jewish roots (I've been longing for a good bialy since about 1999).
Throughout my childhood and youth, I helped my mom in the kitchen. Her baked brie and dijon chicken recipes were favorites with her clients (and us kids!). One of my favorite activities was (and still is) watching my dad make a gravy from roast chicken or turkey breast drippings.
I started cooking on my own in college, mostly because I found that the best way to get a crowd of friends together was to make them something to eat. Though I worked at first from other people's recipes (mom's, dad's and stepmom's), I eventually figured out what flavors pleased me the most and simply created a repertoire of haphazard trial and error. Most of it ended well.
I don't imagine I'm much better a cook than most home chefs who really care about what they serve and enjoy the process, but I've been told cooking is the business I should really be in, asked how much I'd charge to prepare a thanksgiving dinner, and enjoyed many yummy faces aimed in my general direction - so I must be doing something right.
Also, happy birthday, Dad.
Okay, enough about me. Back to the food.
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