Fall

Array

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Makes 20-24 cookies

  • 1½ cups AP flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1½ cups light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Mini marshmallows, frozen, ~100

  • ¼cup granulated sugar and 1 t cinnamon for cinnamon sugar step at baking

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and optionally cayenne and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.

0
Your rating: None

Chicken and Dumplings

Broth

  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 1 chicken cut into pieces
  • 1 onion
  • 3 large carrots cut into thirds
  • 3 stalks celery cut into thirds
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • bay leaf or a pinch of poultry seasoning optional

Dumplings

  • 1 ¾ cups flour plus extra for dusting
  • ⅓ cup shortening
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Broth Instructions

Combine chicken, onion, carrots and celery in a large pot. Season to taste.

0
Your rating: None

Chicken Curry

This was a spontaneous hack of a curry, after not quite finding a recipe I liked online. It turned out great, and is very scalable, in that you make a batch of curry sauce first, and can then use that in a variety of ways.

For the sauce:

(This makes ~ 4 cups of curry sauce)

  • 3 T coconut oil
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 5+ cloves garlic, whole
  • 2" ginger, chopped
  • ½ cup carrots, shredded, optional
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 T of curry masala
  • 2 t of cayenne
  • 2 t curry powder
  • salt to taste
  • 1 14oz can tomatoes
  • 1.5 cups broth
  • 4 tbsp cashew butter
4
Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

Chilaquiles

Chilaquiles at Casa Roja

Loosely based on guidance from https://www.muydelish.com/chilaquiles-rojos/ ;

  • Thick corn tortilla chips (or fry stale corn tortillas)
  • Salsa rojo or verde
  • Protein (optional, could include chicken, chorizo, fried eggs, or a combination)
  • shredded mild cheese (chihuahua, monterrey jack)

  • Refried beans, avocado, crema, and more for serving.

4
Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

Ratatouille

Ratatouiile

Adapted from Alice Waters's recipe (https://food52.com/recipes/14155-alice-waters-ratatouille)

Serves 3

  • 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more to taste
  • 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/2 bunch basil, tied in a bouquet with kitchen twine + 6 basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 pinch dried chile flakes
  • 1 sweet peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 medium summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 2 ripe medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • Salt to taste
4.5
Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

Fish and Chips

Fish and Chips

4 cups vegetable/canola or peanut oil, for deep frying
1 pound cod, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 cup rice flour, divided
½ cup AP flour
2t fine sea salt, divided
1¼t baking powder
¼t cayenne pepper
1 cup cold lager beer
lemon wedges, tartar sauce, and malt vinegar for serving

In advance:

  • Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until 365ºF.
  • Prepare a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
  • Place 1/3 cup of the rice flour in a pie plate.
4
Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

Mincemeat Pie

Mincemeat pie written recipe

1/2 jar Crosse and Blackwell's mincemeat pie filling
2 apples, cored, peeled and chopped
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c pecans, lightly chopped

Put in unbaked pie shell with a lattice crust top

Bake at 400° for 15 min, then at 350° for 45 min

0
Your rating: None

Lasagna

Meat Lasagna

Somewhat notional recipe based on an older recipe we're not really using anymore. Makes one 9x12 pan, which is a lot.

Ingredients
1 box (or less) lasagna noodles (preferably oven-ready)
~ 4 cups marinara sauce, thinned with water (required for oven-ready)
~ 4 cups shredded mozzarella
~ 2 cups shredded parmesan or mixed Italian cheeses
~ 16 oz ricotta, mixed with a pinch of nutmeg

5
Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

Sourdough Discard Foccacia

Sourdough Foccacia

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces (170 g) liquid sourdough starter (3/4 cup flat, 1 1/2 cups or more bubbly)
  • 1 teaspoon instant, rapid rise yeast (or 1 tablespoon fresh yeast) (you can omit this if your starter is very active)*
  • 1 cup (120 g / 4 ¼ ounces) whole wheat flour (or more AP flour)
  • 1 ¾ cups (225 g / 8 ounces) bread flour
  • 1 ¼ cups (285 ml) water, lukewarm
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea or kosher salt
  • ¼ cup (55 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon or so crunchy salt, such as Malden or fleur de sel
3
Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

Ham Sliders

Ham Sliders

Wow. Thank you, Kitchn, for introducing this into our lives.

Makes 12 sliders

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
~ 4 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 (12-ounce) package Hawaiian sweet rolls, such as King's
~ 12 slices Swiss cheese (about 7 ounces)
~ 12 slices deli ham (about 10 ounces)
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

5
Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

Ginger-Garlic Shrimp With Coconut Milk

Shrimp with Coconut Sauce

Fast and easy weeknight meal from New York Times.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 packed cups baby spinach
1 lime, halved
1 fresno, jalapeño or serrano chile, thinly sliced

3
Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder

A mash-up of two recipes was quite delicious and easy. A great late summer / early fall dish for when corn remains but days begin to cool.

Ingredients
4 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups total of milk/cream/half and half
4-6 ears of corn, kernels cut off cobs and cobs reserved
4 oz (4 slices) bacon, chopped
1 large onion, finely diced (1 1/2 cup)
¼ cup all purpose flour

4
Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

Salmon with Couscous and Arugula

Salmon with Couscous

This New York Times cooking recipe was a nice combination of flavors and textures. We did what many reviewers suggested and served it decomposed for assembly tableside. Each component of this dish could easily be made ahead and served a day or two later.

Ingredients
~1.5 lb salmon fillets
Olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 limes, 1 zested and juiced, the other quartered for garnish

3
Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

Easy Chicken Souvlaki

GreekChicken.jpeg

This New York Times Cooking recipe was surprisingly easy and delicious... and it makes great leftovers. Winner!

Ingredients
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
9 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 teaspoon dried oregano or mint
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (your choice thighs or breasts)
3-4 mini cucumbers
1 large tomato
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
4 ounces feta, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

4
Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

One Pot Chicken, Rice, and Beans

Skillet Chicken

This New York Times recipe is good for a dinner party. It easily serves 4-6 and spends 40 minutes unperturbed in the oven, making it something that can cook during cocktails and chit chat. We made just a few tweaks to the original recipe.

4
Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

Lemon Chicken Breasts

LemonChicken.jpeg

This New York Times cooking recipe was very easy (as promised), and seems easily adaptable. Want SW flavors? Replace herbs with peppers and lemons with limes. Looking for Levantine? Try oranges, cloves, and cinnamon! (Disclaimer: we used fresh herbs; I'm not sure which dried spices would be okay if you decide to mix it up.)

3-4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
½ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds, seeds discarded

3
Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

Smashed Tempeh with Sambal

I was intrigued by New York Times recipe, and honestly wasn't sure we were going to like it. But it turned out well, and we would make it again.

FOR THE TEMPEH:
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
16 ounces/455 grams tempeh, cut into ¼-inch-by-2½-inch slices
¼ cup canola oil, plus more as needed

FOR THE SAMBAL:
¼ cup canola oil
4 medium tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced
7 medium shallots, peeled and sliced

3
Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

Curried Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup

You know, I wasn't sure what cuisine this Yotam Ottolenghi recipe, courtesy of Bon Appetit was going to be. I assumed Levantine purely because it was an Ottolength recipe, but the combination of coconut milk, curry powder, and lime should have tipped me off to the final delicious bowl being somewhere closer to Southeast Asia than Eurasia.

In any case, I really loved this soup and would make it again and again as a filling yet relatively healthy meal.

4
Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

Poke Bowl

Poke.jpeg

The free-wheeling cousin of sushi, a good poke bowl can be a make-your-own adventure meal with whatever you have on-hand. The fish can be sauced or un-sauced, depending on your preference. Here are some ideas:

To season your fish, mix together the following to taste:
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Rice vinegar
Ginger
Garlic
Green onion
Sriracha

To make your poke bowl, compose many or few of the following together in a bowl:
Sushi rice flavored with rice vinegar and sugar and/or mirin
Tuna or salmon, seasoned (or not) as above

4
Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

Sunomono

A simplified version of this Kitchn recipe, this is a nice accompaniment to sushi and other Japanese meals.

2-3 Persian or mini cucumbers, cut to desired size/shape
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon mirin
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 medium scallion, thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Furkiake seasoning (optional)

4
Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

Pineapple-Marinated Chicken

This New York Times recipe uses a really interesting and tasty way to marinade chicken. The original also included a pineapple salsa recipe to accompany the chicken, but I think our pineapple chow recipe is better.

Also, the first time we made this we tripled the recipe. That created challenges in ensuring the chicken didn't marinate for more than 15 minutes, but I didn't think it was a problem.

3
Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

Pineapple Chow

Pineapple Chow.jpeg

A cousin to our delicious mango chow, courtesy of Caribbean Pot.

1 Large Pineapple (peel, cored, diced into pieces)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 jalapeno pepper (sliced thin)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced thin)
3 large cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped fine)
5+ oranges (juice)
2 limes (juice)
1 small red onion (sliced thin)

Mix all ingredients together. Store in a glass jar - will keep for up to a week.

4
Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

Crispy Gnocchi with Cherry Tomatoes and Cheese

Crispy Gnocchi.jpeg

Courtesy of The New York Times

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 (12- to 18-ounce) packages shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi
¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 pints small tomatoes, such as cherry, grape or Sungold
¼ cup thinly sliced or torn basil leaves (optional), plus more for serving

4
Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

Callaloo

Callaloo
  • 4 cups callaloo (amaranth) green, or substitute collard greens, rinsed well, chopped and tightly packed
  • 1 tablespoon bacon fat, olive oil, or coconut oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 1 Scotch Bonnet or habanero pepper
  • Salt to taste
5
Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

Pumpkin Lasagna

Pumpkin Lasagna.jpg

I wouldn't necessarily make this again if I didn't have pumpkin puree in need of a home. But it was a great use for a bag of frozen pumpkin puree! Mildly adapted from Food and Wine.

1 pound lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for tossing
1 onion, finely chopped
2 pounds Swiss chard, stems discarded and leaves chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Three 15-ounce cans pumpkin puree (or whatever is lying around in your freezer!)

2
Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

Bourbon Chicken

Bourbon Chicken.jpg

Billed as Cajun-Chinese fusion, we found this recipe to fit more with Chinese than the American south.  But, tasty either way.

Ingredients

<

ul>

  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup apple juice
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Sushi Bake

    Sushi Bake.jpeg

    Who knew we'd been eating sushi wrong all this time? Apparently Filipinos and Hawaiians.

    I used this website for guidance and accompanied it with this cucumber salad.

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Creamy Macaroni and Cheese (w/ Ham)

    MacNCheese.jpeg

    This is a delightfully easy and delicious rendition of a creamy (vice baked casserole style) macaroni and cheese. I will admit that it is reminiscent of boxed mac n' cheese, but it is one of the few hot dishes our toddler will share with us. And although I have included ham here, it is entirely optional (and frankly just a great way to use up leftover Christmas ham). A tweaked version of this Southern Living recipe.

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Salmon Burger

    Salmon Burger

    Jon was very skeptical due to lingering dislike of salmon patties from his youth, but he admitted these were actually quite good. Courtesy of Bon Appetit. Serves 4.

    1½ pounds boneless, skinless center-cut salmon, patted dry
    5 scallions, green parts finely chopped, white parts thinly sliced
    1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
    1 garlic clove, finely grated
    2 tablespoons plus ⅔ cup mayonnaise
    Kosher salt

    1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Easy Shrimp Scampi

    Shrimp Scampi.jpeg

    Based on this New York Times recipe, this dish was a snap. Use peeled frozen shrimp for an even easier dish that can be made almost entirely of pantry staples.

    Serves 2

    2 tablespoons butter
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    4 garlic cloves, minced
    ½ cup dry white wine or broth
    ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
    ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
    Freshly ground black pepper
    3/4 pounds large or extra-large shrimp, shelled
    ⅓ cup chopped parsley
    Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Sourdough (discard) crackers

    This is adapted from the https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-crackers-recipe">King Arthur recipe

    • 1 cup (113g) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 cup (227g) sourdough starter, unfed/discard
    • 4 T (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 2 T herbs (rosemary)
    • olive oil, for brushing
    • coarse / flakey salt (such as kosher or sea salt) for sprinkling on top

    Mix together the flour, salt, sourdough starter, butter, and herbs to make a smooth (not sticky), cohesive dough.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Sourdough Bread

    This recipe is based off of the New York Times' "No-knead" Sourdough. Though as far as I can tell most sourdough is "no-knead" so… Anyhow, it is at least a straight-forward and "simple" (in the world of sourdough) recipes.

    • 3 ½ cups (475g) bread flour, plus more for dusting
    • 1 teaspoon/6 grams kosher salt
    • ¾ cup (180g) sourdough starter, “fed”

    The Day before

    Feed your starter to wake it up.

    The night before

    In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Spicy Shrimp Salad

    Spicy shrimp salad

    A very tasty and very easy recipe from The New York Times. Especially easy if you use peeled and deveined shrimp.

    3 ounces lime juice (from about 3 limes)
    3 tablespoons fish sauce
    1 ½ tablespoons sugar
    2 tablespoons nam prik pao (Thai chile paste in oil -- we used our supermarket's sweet thai chili sauce)
    2 finely chopped Thai bird chiles, or to taste
    1 pound large shrimp
    2 stalks lemongrass, outer layers removed and white parts finely sliced
    1 large shallot, thinly sliced

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Fattoush Salad

    Fattoush Salad

    The fattoush salad has always been one of my favorite salads. It is a lettuce-less salad and has bread in it -- what's not to like! But fattoush salads are the kind of dish where everyone's grandmother makes it differently. This recipe is the closest I've found to my ideal fattoush salad.

    Ingredients

    1 whole wheat pita bread
    [roughly equal parts cucumber, tomato, red pepper + half-part onion]
    1 large English cucumber OR 2 small Persian cucumbers, diced

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Sunomono-ish Cucumbers

    Although not strictly necessary, the smashing of the cucumbers in this Bon Appetit recipe does yield a nice texture and, as Bon Appetit says, creates nooks and crannies for the marinade.

    1 pound Persian or English hothouse cucumbers
    1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
    3 scallions, sliced
    4 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
    1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
    Red chili flakes

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Broiled Salmon with Sesame Seeds and Scallions

    Salmon.jpeg

    Tasty and easy Bon Appetit recipe, tweaked only ever so slightly.

    Serve with steamed white rice and a vegetable side such as sunomono-style cucumbers or stir-fried broccoli.

    2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    2 tablespoons soy sauce
    2 teaspoons honey
    1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Sesame Noodles with Crispy Tofu

    This Bon Appetit recipe was good, but I've posted it here with a few tweaks we'd recommend for next time.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Fried Chicken

    Fried Chicken
    • 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
    • 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
    • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 3–4-lb. chicken parts (just boneless breasts worked fine)
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 1 large egg
    • 2-3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 qt Peanut oil (for frying)
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Menu for the week of December 15: Eat down some misc stuff in the freezer

    Sat: Pizza
    Sun: Beef/venison chili (use frozen hamburger patties, fridge chiles) https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/jons-chili and https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/corn-pudding
    Mon: Fall salad (greens, apples, cheddar cheese, fried squash, pom seeds, spiced pecans, TJs vinaigrette)
    Tue: ALL THE FROZEN ASIAN THINGSSSSS (tempura shrimp and veggie pouches and edamame and mango sticky rice rolls)
    Wed: frito pie
    Thus: chicken fingers with tater tots and green vegetables
    Fri: Order in

    Menu for the week of Dec. 8

    Sat: Out for date nighttttttttt (Union Mkt lunch,glass bottles)
    Sun: Lasagna + green salad
    Mon: Lasagna leftovers + veg
    Tue: Lasagna leftovers + veg
    Wed: Composed Italian Salad (greens, can tuna/salmon or salmon salad, cherry tomatoes, marinated mushrooms, burrata/fresh mozz, misc Literris/Union Market yummis)
    Thus: Eggplant Parmesan
    Fri: PIZZZZZZAAAA (make or order in?)

    Menu for the week of Nov 24

    Sat: Thanksgiving leftovers
    Sun: Chiles Rellenos with pintos and green salad; prep enchiladas
    Mon: Turkey Enchiladas
    Tue: Thanksgiving leftovers
    Wed: MX Salad night (greens, tomato, pickled onion, avocado) with Posole
    Thus: Tamales and beans
    Fri: Tacos/burritos (To go post doctor) or Huevos Rancheros

    Menu for the week of Thanksgiving (Nov 17)

    Sat: Steak Salad - greens, steak, tomato, red onion, avocado, parmesan crisps
    Sun: Baked potato soup /w small salad and bread/baguette
    Mon: Steak Bahn Mi
    Tue: Order in
    Wed: Smoked salmon, crackers, cheeses, moroccan carrot salad, olives, pickles, etc. + Noah BD
    Thus: Thanksgiving
    Fri: Thanksgiving leftovers

    Menu for the week of Nov 10: Soup and leftovers

    Sat: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/joses-basque-tuna-stew , make https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/dinner-rolls and https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/pie-crust
    Sun: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/mikes-potato-soup
    Mon: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/easy-hanger-steak + persimmons/burrata/pomegranate seeds with baguette
    Tue: Spaghetti and meatballs, veg, baguette
    Wed: Leftover tuna stew (chop veg for salad?)
    Thus: Panzanella salad with leftover baguette
    Fri: Leftover potato soup

    Menu for the week of November 3

    Sat: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/hot-smoked-salmon with creme fraiche sauce, baguette, https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/dill-cucumber-salad,
    Sun: 2x “Classic” Pizzas
    Mon: Composed salad - greens, green beans, and avocado + salmon + pickled items + cheese?
    Tue: Arancini with sausage marinara sauce and green salad
    Wed: pizza leftovers
    Thus: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/white-bean-ragout
    Fri: Spaghetti w/ sausage marinara sauce and salad or green veg

    Menu for the week of October 20 (something easy)

    Sat: Chiles rellenos
    Sun: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/butternut-squash-farrotto
    Mon: Chili with corn chips, sour cream, onion, and cheese with green salad
    Tue: Fall kale salad with roasted butternut squash, apples or pears, dried cranberries, candied pecans
    Wed: macaroni and cheese party!!!!!!!!!!!
    Thus: Baked potato (butter, cheese, sour cream, chives) and chili with romanesco
    Fri: Order in

    Menu for the week of Oct 13

    Sat: Carne asada fajitas with rice and black beans [make enough for Tuesday also]
    Sun: Fish tacos [make posole]
    Mon: Rotisserie chicken (Jon pick-up), rice and beans
    Tue: Posole
    Wed: Fajita salad with rotisserie? Or asada?
    Thus: Posole
    Fri: Chiles Rellenos

    Menu for the week of Oct 6

    Sat: Grill Steak, baguette, salad
    Sun: Neapolitan pizza, make tomato sauce
    Mon: Fried eggplant w/red sauce https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/bernices-fried-eggplant and broccoli
    Tue: Composed salad (green salad with green beans, avocado) w/salmon, 1 burrata, TJ cherry toms, marinated mushrooms on the side
    Wed: Frozen ravioli with red sauce, broccoli
    Thus: Aperitivo: green salad, cured meats, 1 burrata, TJ cherry toms, marinated mushrooms

    Menu for the week of Sept 29 (Mediterranean)

    Sat: No one is hungry
    Sun: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/hot-smoked-salmon with https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/jeweled-rice and tomato, onion, cucumber salad, roast eggplant
    Mon: kofta pita pockets with feta, yogurt dip, and https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/parsley-red-onion-and-pomegrana...
    Tue: Mediterranean salad (lettuce, chopped tomato onion cucumber red pepper, parsley) with feta and leftover salmon, yogurt dressing
    Wed: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/berber-eggs with https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/moroccan-carrot-salad

    Bahn Mi

    Bahn Mi

    An easy way to use miscellaneous southeast asian ingredients at the end of the week. We took our cues from the kitchn.

    • Rolls
    • Protein of choice
    • Crunchy veg - cucumber, jicama
    • Pickled veg - carrots
    • Spicy veg - jalapeno
    • Herbs - cilantro, mint
    • Mayo
    • Other sauces of choice
    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Corn Pudding

    Corn Pudding

    A terribly delicious Midwestern staple. Recipe by way of my coworker Kat.

    1/2 cup butter, softened
    1/4 cup sugar
    2 large eggs
    1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
    1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix
    1/2 cup 2% milk
    1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
    1 can (14-3/4 ounces) cream-style corn
    1 small can green chiles (optional)
    Pepper jack cheese (optional)

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Mango and Cucumber Chow

    Mango Chow

    Billed as Caribbean by Bon Appetit, this mango chow could go equally well with Indian, Thai, or other South/Southeast Asian cuisines. Sweet, spicy, salty, and sour -- delicious!

    INGREDIENTS
    1 small shallot, thinly sliced into rings
    2 garlic cloves, finely grated
    ½ Scotch bonnet chile or habanero chile, thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed if less heat is desired
    2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
    ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    1 ripe but firm mango, peeled, cut into ½-inch-thick spears
    ½ English hothouse cucumber

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Crispy Chicken Thighs with Harissa

    Crispy Chicken Thighs with Harissa

    Via Bon Appetit, with some modifications:

    • 4 small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total)
    • Kosher salt
    • Very small potatoes (or sunchokes?), cut down to 1" diameter pieces (about 6 fingerling potatoes)
    • 2 tablespoons harissa paste
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
    • 2 medium leeks (white and light green parts), cleaned, thinly sliced
    • 5 garlic cloves, crushed
    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Aloo Chat

    Aloo chat

    1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
    1 small onion, chopped
    2 serrano chile, seeds removed if desired, chopped
    1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, chopped
    1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
    ¼ cup vegetable oil
    1 can chickpeas, rinsed, patted dry
    Freshly ground black pepper
    2 teaspoons chaat masala
    2 tablespoons prepared tamarind chutney, divided
    pinch of sugar

    1 cup raita yogurt

    ¼ cup sev or similar/fried noodles

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Menu for the week of Nov 10 - Indian

    Fri: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/shahi-paneer and
    https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/lamb-vindaloo with
    Sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/yogurt-dips">raita,
    https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/naan and Rice
    Sat: Out
    Sun: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/saag-paneer
    Mon: Indianish salad - something like https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/chana-chaat and BHEL (Cold and crunchy, light and lovely. Puffed rice, Bombay Mix and nylon sev tossed with fresh pomegranate, tomato, onion(or shallot?), lime, tamarind, mint)

    Aloo chat

    Icelandic Langoustine Stew

    A few years ago when we visited Iceland, we had an amazing langostine stew at Fjörubordid near Reykjavik. It was so good, we detoured to return on our way back through. This recipe (which we haven't made yet) looks close to replicating it.

    • 2 lb. shell-on whole langoustines
    • 8 tbsp. unsalted butter
    • 2 tbsp. olive oil (for stock)
    • 2 carrots, minced (for stock)
    • 2 stalks celery, minced (for stock)
    • 1 large yellow onion, minced (½ for stock)
    • 2 tbsp. tomato paste
    • 2 tsp. paprika
    0
    Your rating: None

    Menu for the week of Nov 4 (Nordic)

    Sun: Steak, green salad with cherry tomatoes, fingerlings, green onions?
    Mon: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/march-2008-spinach-and-smoked... with goat cheese
    Tue: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/plokkfiskur-icelandic-fish-stew
    Wed: Smoked salmon with seed bread, tarragon creme fraiche, cucumber pickles, etc.
    Thu: Wild mushroom pasta with garlic scape pesto

    Plokkfiskur

    Menu for the week of Oct 21 (Italianish fall)

    Sat: Literary Feast
    Mon: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/white-bean-ragout with salad
    Tue: Out
    Wed: Eggplant parmesan
    Thu: Fall salad - greens, apples, nuts, (c)raisins, chevre/cheddar, sliced beets, balsamic dressing
    Fri: Berber eggs https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/berber-eggs and cauliflower https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/spice-crusted-winter-vegetables...

    Eggplant Parmesan

    Menu for the week of Oct 7

    Sat: burgers
    Sun: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/spicy-tamarind-steak + rice + http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/stir_fried_green_beans_with...
    Mon: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/shrimp-coconut-curry-with-rice... + veg? (¾)
    Tue: Thai tacos - leftover beef, avocado, mango, cilantro, scallions, radish, curtido, peanut sauce
    Wed: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/lao-crispy-rice-salad
    Thu: Leftover shrimp curry with rest of romanesco
    Fri: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/thai-beef-salad

    Crispy Rice Lao Salad

    Menu for the week of Oct 1

    Sat: Grill Steak, romanesco, green salad (lunch: leftovers)
    Sun:Burgers + pattypans; Smoke salmon (lunch: leftovers)
    Mon: Salmon Salad
    Tue: Pizza
    Wed: Steak salad?
    Thu: Leftover pizza

    Menu for the week of Sept 10 (Early Thanksgiving)

    Sun: Smoked turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, corn, grilled veg, sweet potato https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/dinner-rolls
    Mon: Fall salad (greens, peach, spiced pecans, goat cheese)
    Tue: Turkey leftovers
    Wed: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/fresh-tomato-tart-chevre and salad
    Thu: Tomato tart and salad
    Fri: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/berber-eggs

    Tomato Tart

    Easy Hanger Steak

    Hanger steak

    A simple, quick-marinating but tasty and hip steak recipe, Bon Appetit photo-shoot ready, serves 4.

    • 1½ pounds hanger steak, center membrane removed, cut into 4 pieces
    • 3 sprigs ea thyme, rosemary, chopped
    • 1 Fresno or mild jalapeno, finely diced
    • 6 garlic cloves, smashed
    • ¼ cup dry red wine
    • 2 Tbsp olive oil
    • Smoked salt, grill spice mix, and extra freshly ground black pepper

    1-2 hours before grilling, take hanger steak from the fridge, remove center membrane, and salt with smoked (or just kosher) salt and a salt/pepper/spices grilling mix. Let sit for 15-30 minutes.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Stone Fruit salad

    Stone Fruit Salad
    • 1 1/2 cups pitted and sliced mixed stone fruit (peaches, plums, apricots, cherries)
    • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
    • ¼ cup marcona almonds or hazelnuts
    • sharp greens (watercress)
    • mint
    • 6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
    • 3 Tbs. Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
    • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
    • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
    • ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese cheese

    http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/stone-fruit-salad-with-toasted-a... http://whatsgabycooking.com/summer-stone-fruit-salad/ https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/watercress-and-stone-frui...

    0
    Your rating: None

    Bloody Mary Tomato Salad

    Bloody Mary Tomato Salad
    • cherry tomatoes halved or heirloom tomatoes, sliced
    • chopped red onion
    • diced celery, optional

    • 3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar, divided

    • 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
    • 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
    • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
    • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

    Based loosely on http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/flank-steak-with-bl...

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Wheat sandwich bread

    Bread

    This recipe presumes a bread machine.

    • 1⅓ c water
    • ¼ c grains (fast-cooking better)
      ⅛ c gluten
      2 cups wheat flour
      1 c less ⅛ white flour
      2 T dry milk
      2 t salt
      3 T honey (use a T measure to make indents in the flour, pour in)
      3 T butter in small pieces
      just less than 2t yeast on top

    Add ingredients in order - the gluten and flour will "float" on top of the water, make sure the grains you add are in the water to soak.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Eggplant Involtini

    A recipe not yet tried from Cook's Illustrated.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Cheese Souffle

    A recipe not yet tried from Cook's Illustrated.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Vietnamese Pho

    An untried recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Pumpkin Recipes Galore

    Some untried pumpkin-based recipes from one of our local farmer's market vendors.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Menu for the week of Jan 15 (Icelandic)

    Sun: Icelandic fish stew / plokkfiskur with Rye Bread Toasts + blueberries and skyr for dessert https://guidetoiceland.is/best-of-iceland/delicious-icelandic-re..., https://icelandica.net/2014/02/23/me-and-my-plokkfiskur/
    Mon: Hot dogs with crunchy onions and other crazy addons
    Tue: Icelandic Salad (w/ smoked salmon?)
    Wed: Indian order-in
    Thu: Leftover fish stew
    Fri: Langoustines and salad http://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/icelandic-creamy-langousti...

    Plokkfiskur

    Plokkfiskur (Icelandic Fish Stew)

    Plokkfiskur

    Serves 4

    • 1 lb cod, haddock, or halibut filet
    • 1 lb waxy potatoes, boiled (or microwaved) and roughly chopped
    • 1 small white onion, diced
    • 12 oz milk
    • 3 tbsp butter
    • 4 tbsp flour
    • salt and pepper
    • (mustard? Curry? thyme? )
    • ½ cup of breadcrumbs
    • 1 cup grated cheese (edam or mild, easy-melting cheddar)
    • 2 tablespoons chives
    • White wine (optional)

    Serve with plenty of rye bread and butter!

    Salt fish and turn on broiler to low

    In a (very) large skillet, saute fish in half of the butter (and white wine if available) until cooked through and flaking, flipping halfway through and covering to heat through

    Remove fish and set aside, reserving liquids.

    Add the remaining butter to the pan and saute onions over medium heat until translucent [Add any additional desired spices, such as mustard powder.]

    Sprinkle flour on and stir to coat, then add the reserved liquids and deglaze the pan if needed

    Gradually add milk, slowly heat until steaming. (This would be another option to add additional seasoning, such as thyme or other herbs, to allow their flavors to infuse the milk.)
    Simmer for 3-4 min, stirring often, until the mixture becomes creamy.

    Add potatoes and stir briskly to break up the potatoes a bit.

    Add fish & stir gently. Adjust seasoning / salt and pepper.

    DO AHEAD:
    Fish stew base can be made up to this point and reserved for serving at a later time.

    DAY OF:
    Spoon into ramekins or another baking dish.
    Add bread crumbs and cheese.
    If fish stew base is still hot, broil for 5 minutes until cheese is bubbling and golden brown
    If fish stew base is cold, heat through in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, then broil briefly to brown cheese.

    Sprinkle ea serving with 1/2 tbsp chives. Serve hot w/dark rye bread & butter.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Northern Spain photos!

    Spain 2016

    Mushroom Frittata

    Mushroom frittata

    ½ lb mushrooms
    1 leek
    2 cloves garlic
    kale or spinach
    1 medium white potato
    grated cheese
    5-6 eggs, well beaten

    Pre-heat oven to 375°

    Slice the white part of the leek, combine with diced garlic.

    In a large, oven-safe sautee pan or cast iron, sautee in olive oil until soft and lightly browned. Add in muchrooms and more olive oil as needed, continue until mushrooms are cooked, soft, and reduced in size. Add in balsamic vinegar kale an continue sauteeing until fully wilted and reduced. Remove from pan and set aside.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Menu for the week of Dec 3 - Light Mexican

    Sat: Chiles rellenos fritatta https://www.hatch-green-chile.com/hatch-green-chile-recipes/gree...
    Sun: Chicken dish with green veg http://familyspice.com/back-to-school-dinner-hatch-chile-verde-w...
    Mon: Spinach salad with beets, pickled corn, avocado, pecans, and goat cheese (+ ficelle or hot rolls)
    Tue: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/berber-eggs a la mexico with corn tortillas, avocado, crema
    Wed: Vegetarian taco salad with avocado, pickled corn, queso fresco, etc.
    Thu: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/chicken-rice-and-beans with leftover chicken

    Menu for the week of Nov 26

    Sat: Ethiopian/out
    Sun: Smoked salmon + creme fraiche, pepper jelly, veg/broccoli
    (roast beets, sweet potatoes)
    Mon: Leftovers!
    Tue: Spinach salad with beets, pecans, and goat cheese
    Wed: Dinner out at events
    Thu: Salmon salad (greens, salmon, avocado, goat cheese, red onion, tomato)
    Fri: Pineapple and pearls (Early!!!)

    Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole

    sweet.jpeg

    Courtesy of the internet and tweaked to address some errant sweet potato purchases. The tweaked version was a big hit!

    Fills a ~9x13 oval dish.

    Base
    1 pound purple or white sweet potatoes (about 2 medium)

    Filling
    2.5 pounds orange sweet potatoes (about 4-5 medium)
    1 egg
    1/4 cup butter, melted
    1/3 cup brown sugar
    1 tsp salt
    1/4 cup milk or heavy cream

    Topping
    1/8 cup brown sugar
    2 Tbsp flour
    1/4 cup melted butter

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Devils Tears

    • 2 parts rye
    • 1 part scotch
    • juice of 1 lemon
    • 1 dash angostura bitters
    • 1 tsp saltwater

    Stir together with ice, serve in a lowball. Based on a cocktail at Water and Wall in Virginia

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Menu for the week of Nov 19

    Sat: Out
    Sun: Ricotta ravioli w/ pesto and salad
    Mon: Composed salad (pepper cheese, tuna / anchoas, olives, cherry tomatoes, red pepper x2, pepperocini)
    Tue: Salmon / cheese / etc
    Wed: (Ambar)
    Thu: THANKSGIVINGGGG
    Fri: Leftovers!

    Menu for the week of Nov 12: Mediterranean

    Sat: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/salmon-tomato-and-olive-salsa and green veg
    Sun: Steak with salad, sweet potato, green veg
    Mon: Out
    Tue: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/wheat-berry-fennel-and-pomegran...
    Wed: Ricotta ravioli w/ pesto and salad
    Thu: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/fried-chickpeas-chorizo-and-spi... (use kale!)
    Fri: Fried eggplant or arancini with marinara sauce and salad

    Wheat Berry Salad

    Persimmon with Burrata

    Persimmon with Burrata

    2 ripe Fuyu persimmons (wide, tomato/pumpkin shaped)
    3 tablespoons Roughly Chopped Toasted Hazelnuts or walnuts
    2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
    extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
    balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasses, for drizzling, optional
    Maldon sea salt or other flaky sea salt, for garnish
    1 piece fresh burrata cheese

    Thinly slice persimmon and distribute on a plate. Serve with burrata (or sliced fresh mozzarella), and nuts, pomegranite seeds sprinkled on top, lightly drizzle with olive oil.

    Via http://saltandwind.com/recipes/417-persimmon-carpaccio-burrata-r...

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Smoked Chicken

    SmokedChicken.jpeg

    1 ~4lp spatchcocked chicken
    Salt
    dry rub

    2 hours before grilling, rinse and dust the chicken with salt, let sit uncovered in fridge.

    When ready to start, rub on the dry rub of choice - we used a rosemary/thyme/HdP/sage/pepper/smoked salt rub for a classic roast-chicken flavor.

    Prepare the grill for 2-zone cooking, raising the ambient temperature to ~325-350°F

    Add smoking chips; Place chicken off-heat, with the dark meat towards the fire, and roast until the breast reaches 135°F

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Menu for the week of Oct 16

    Sat: Smoked chicken + broccoli; smoke salmon, grill veg (sweet potato, sunchokes, beets, carrots)
    Sun: Chiles rellenos w/ (defrosted) beans, (poblano rice), corn tortillas, pico, sour cream [make ravioli]
    Mon: Roasted root vegetable salad with tahini dressing https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/roasted-vegetables-quinoa-and-g...
    Tue: Salmon w/ http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/crunchy-turnip-apple-and-brusse... and broccoli
    Wed: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/beet-and-arugula-salad-with-qui... with salmon

    Menu for the week of Oct 9

    Sat: lasagna https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/meat-lasagna - our marinara + meat + BA bechamel + halfway between BA and our cheese + BA method w/ lima beans
    Sun: Hamburgers
    Mon: (pasta?)
    Tue: Italian composed salad - greens, cherry tom, green beans, mini potatoes, hard boiled egg, tuna
    Wed: https://audreyandjon.com/recipes/white-bean-ragout
    Thu: leftover lasagna and salad
    Fri: Radici?

    Huevos Rancheros

    Huevos Rancheros

    A tasty and relatively easy recipe with a great classic red sauce. The original recipe linked below uses canned chipotles, but this has been adapted to use more dried chiles, as the heat from the canned chipotles overpowers the eggs.

    Sauce
    * 3 whole dried ancho and/or pasilla peppers
    * 1 canned chipotle chile
    * 1/4 cup canola oil, divided
    * 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
    * 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
    * 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    * 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted (such as Muir Glen)

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Farro Pistachio Raisin Herb grainbowl

    Farro-pistachio-raisin-herb grainbowl

    1½ cups cooked farro (~2 cups dry, cooked)
    ½ cup pistachios
    2 cups coarsely chopped mixed fresh cilantro, mint, and parsley
    ⅓ cup golden raisins
    1 serrano chile, sliced into rings

    For the dressing:
    1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
    3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    1 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger
    ½ teaspoon honey
    ⅓ cup olive oil
    ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more

    Roast pistachios in a skillet over medium heat.

    In a large bowl, combine cooled/drained cooked farro, pistachios, raisins, herbs, and chiles; toss to combine.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Berber Eggs

    Berber eggs

    Bon Appetit called this recipe Tunisian-style eggs, but we instantly recognized it as a close cousin to the Berber Eggs we had for breakfast in Morocco. We tweaked the recipe slightly, and it was delicious!

    Serves 2

    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1/2 medium red onion, chopped
    2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    2 red bell peppers, cored, chopped or thinly sliced into strips
    1/2 large tomato, finely diced
    3+ tablespoon harissa paste and/or dried spice mix

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Morocco Photos!

    Aviation

    Via wikipedia: "The Aviation is a classic cocktail made with gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice. Some recipes omit the crème de violette. It is served straight up, in a cocktail glass."

    4.5 cl gin
    1.5 cl lemon juice
    1.5 cl maraschino liqueur

    Aviation
    0
    Your rating: None

    Thai Tacos

    Thai Tacos

    Rough recipe:

    Corn tortillas (~3 ea)
    Shrimp, peeled

    For taco fixings:
    peanut sauce
    diced mango
    Sriracha
    carrot/radish/pepper slaw

    Pan fry shrimp wih salt, pepper, garlic powder and a dash of cayenne

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Menu for the week of Nov 23

    Sat: Shakshuka with eggs and broccoli 
    Sun: Butternut squash farrotto or grain bowls
    Mon: Salad night 
    Tue: Out
    Wed:  Smoked Salmon, cheeses, ....
    Thu: THANKSGIVING
    Fri: Leftovers
     

    Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

    • 6 medium sweet potatoes (more or less, depending on size) Skin-off or on per choice
    • 1 cup light brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/2 lemon, juiced
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • Marshmallows

    Do-ahead option: pre-roast the sweet potatoes: Wrap them in foil and bake them whole for 1 hour at 400 degrees before slicing them - this provides a softer texture.

    Alternatively, slice the raw potatoes thin and add them directly to the casserole; this method results in a firmer texture.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Poblano Rice

    Poblano Rice

    Cribbed from Marcela.

    3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
    1/2 medium white onion, chopped
    2-3 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped
    1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
    1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
    1 cup long grain rice

    Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat.
    Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.
    Add the poblano chiles and saute, about 8 minutes.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Menu for the week of Nov 16

    Sun: sushiritos, cucumber salad, edamame
    Mon: crispy rice salad with asian sausage
    Tue: harvest grain bowls with green sauce, halloumi
    Wed:  harvest salad (apples, bacon, cheddar, ...)
    Thu: shakshuka with moroccan carrot salad, pita
    Fri: Cocktails, smoked salmon with cheeses

    Menu for the week of Nov 9

    Sun: Steak, green salad, bread
    Mon: Salad with cottage cheese, fruit
    Tue: Salad with cottage cheese, fruit, egg
    Wed... : SF

    Frisco Sour

    2 ounces rye whiskey
    ½ ounce Benedictine (see note above)
    ½ ounce fresh juice from 1 lemon

    Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add rye, Benedictine, and lemon juice. Shake until well chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into cocktail glass and serve.

    Some history: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/29/dining/29tipsy.html

    Frisco Sour
    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Menu for the week of Nov 2

    Hot Smoked Salmon

    Smoked Salmon

    Based on this recipe.

    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon kosher salt (ideally use ½ kosher, ½ smoked salt)
    • 1-2 lbs Salmon, center/thick cut is best

    • Cedar plank(s) to put salmon on

    • Wood chunks (Alder or other mild wood - apple, cherry)
    • Leave-in thermometer
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)

    Pumpkin Curry

    Pumpkin Curry
    • 2 lbs pumpkin
    • 14oz (1 package) Firm tofu, optional
    • 4 cups (2 cans) coconut milk (can use light milk, and/or sub in a cup of water)
    • 3-5 tablespoons Vegetarian Red Curry Paste
    • 8 kaffir lime leaves
    • 2 chili peppers (fresh red thai, or 1 jalapeno)
    • 2" fresh galangal (peeled and thinly sliced), or 2 T galangal powder (or ½ equivalent ginger)
    • 1 tablespoon salt
    • 3 sprigs Thai basil

    We used a marina de chiogga pumpkin, but any firm, yellow-flesh, slightly sweet/nutty pumpkin will do.

    2.5
    Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (2 votes)

    Cheesecake Brownies

    Cheesecake brownies (halloween edition!)

    Makes 16, 2-inch Brownies -- add food coloring (like yellow and red) to make it seasonal!

    Cream Cheese Filling

    • 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
    • ½ cup sour cream
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

    Brownie Batter

    • ⅔ cup (3 1/3 ounces) all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine (Giaredehli or Hershey's)
    • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1 ¼ cups sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Butternut Squash Farrotto

    Butternut squash farrotto
    • ½ tablespoon cumin, divided
    • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
    • 2 tablespoona fresh lemon juice, divided
    • 3 garlic cloves; 1 minced, 2 thinly sliced
    • 2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled butternut squash
    • 1 cup semi-pearled farro (can add in barley and other whole grains)
    • 1 tablespoons chopped Fresno chile or red jalapeño chile with seeds, divided
    • ½ cup 1/2-inch cubes red onion plus 1/4 cup thinly sliced
    • ½ 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
    • ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
    • Extra-virgin olive oil

    Yogurt Sauce

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Menu for the week of Oct 26

    Sat: Out to movie/Ethiopian
    Sun: Hot-smoked salmon w/ salad
    Mon: Steam buns w/pork belly + bok choi
    Tue: Heirloom squash farrotto http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/heirloom-squash-farrotto 
    Wed: Smoked salmon salad (w/ apple, nuts, goat cheese, red/caramelized onion, mustard vinaigrette)
    Thu: Pasta w/ http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/garlic-confit-toast + salad
    Fri: Leftovers (salmon, plus cheeses, pickled things)

    Smoked Salmon

    Menu for the week of Oct 18

    Sat: Literary Feast!
    Sun: Grilling - tuna/sriracha mayo sandwich + grill veg, green salad [prep pork belly]
    Mon:  Takorean Salad  
    Tue: Momofuku Pork Belly Steam Buns       
    Wed: Tofu grain bowl (black/wild rice, tofu, quick pickles, peanuts, cilantro, green beans, scallions)
    Thu: Crispy Rice Salad w/leftover pork belly
    Fri: Out post-HH

    Pork Belly with Steamed Buns

    Menu for the week of Oct 11

    Sat: grain bowl a choix de Jon (Barley  Rye with roasted yam, beets, watercress, green sauce and eggs 
    Sun: Steak w/ green salad; make marinara sauce
    Mon: eggplant parmesan and green salad
    Tue: Brussels sprouts and kale salad 
    Wed: shrimp saganaki with green vegetable
    Thu: mixed salad

    Green Sauce

    Menu for the week of Oct 3

    Sat: Chili
    Sun: oil-poached fish
    Mon: SW salad
    Tue: chili leftovers
    Wed: quinoa grain bowl w/ avoc & green sauce
    Thu: taco night
    Fri: Salad/leftovers

    Oil-poached fish

    Bitter Old Friend

    Based on Beuchert's "BITTER BOURBON GIUSSEPE," which advertised "cymar, bourbon, vermut negre, orange bitters, lemon juice":

    3 parts Rye
    2 parts sweet vermouth
    1+ parts lemon juice (to taste)
    ¾ part aperol
    ¼ part St. Germain

    Orange bitters.
    Angostura bitters.

    Shake well with ice, strain into a coupe or whiskey glass.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Carrot Ricotta Tart

    Carrot Ricotta Tart

    Via http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/carrot-tart-with-ricotta-and-herbs

    2 cups ricotta
    ¼ cup heavy cream
    Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
    3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    1 small onion, thinly sliced
    4 large carrots (about 8 ounces), scrubbed, thinly sliced into coins
    1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
    1 large egg, beaten to blend (optional)
    ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh chives
    2 tablespoons small dill sprigs

    Preheat oven to 425°. Whisk ricotta and cream in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

    2.5
    Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (2 votes)

    Green Sauce

    Green Sauce

    This sauce was AWESOME, and I made it all by myself.

    Makes about 1 cup:
    2 cups unpacked parsley
    1 cup unpacked mint
    1 cup unpacked basil
    1/4 cup olive oil
    1/4 cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
    Juice of 1 lemon

    Blend all ingredients, preferably with an immersion blender, until smooth.
    If needed, add more oil (and/or vinegar, to taste) to help blend.
    Alternatively, double (or triple!) the ingredients to make it easier to blend in a conventional blender. Trust me, you'll eat it all.

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)

    Grilled Turkey

    Smoked Turkey

    Dry brine turkey for at least one day, uncovered, in the fridge. See http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-dry-brine-a-turkey-cooking-lesso... for guidance, we used:

    • Salt (1/4 cup)
    • sugar (1.5 Tbsp)
    • sage
    • ground rosemary
    • thyme
    • black pepper
    • garlic powder
    • Smoked paprika
    • smoked salt

    Rub all over and under breast skin.

    Prepare bird:

    1-2 hours before grilling, remove turkey from fridge to bring up towards room temperature
    Place pats of butter under skin

    Prepare grill:

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)

    Weeks of September 6th and September 13th

    Sat: Grilled grain bowl: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/corn-and-fregola-with-grilled-halloumi-cheese with http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/grilled-green-tomatoes-with-bur..., avocado, scallions, squash
    Sun: Tgiving - pepper jelly/cc/crackers, turkey (14-16lbs), dressing balls, cranberry sauce, cole slaw, tomato salad + brussels sprouts salad, corn casserole, sweet potatoes, peach pie, apple pie
    Mon: Turkey Leftovers
    Tue: Out to Taberna del Alabardero
    Wed: Summer salad (corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, avocado, bacon, egg, fried onions)
    Thu: Turkey Sammies!!

    Mussels a la Dubrovnik

    Mussels a la Dubrovnik

    This is a modified recipe of "Mussels à la Buzara", trying to replicate a dish from http://www.dubravka1836.hr/

    2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded; dispose of any mussels with shells that stay open.
    2 medium tomatoes, diced
    ¼ cup breadcrumbs
    4 garlic cloves, minced or sliced
    1 medium onion, finely chopped
    1 cup dry white wine
    ½ cup parsley, chopped
    olive oil
    Salt and pepper to taste

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Grain Bowl

    Cosmopolitan

    1 1/2 ounces citrus-flavored vodka
    1/2 ounce triple sec (Cointreau, preferably)
    1/2 ounce or more cranberry juice
    1/4 ounce lime juice

    Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass

    Orange twist, for garnish

    0
    Your rating: None

    Caramelized Garlic Quiche

    Caramelized Onion Quiche

    For Crust (enough for two crusts - note, Jon finds this recipe difficult to work with, especially when doubled, and would consider using a different crust recipe next time)
    2½ cups all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
    2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

    For Quiche:
    5 large eggs
    3 heads of garlic, cloves peeled
    Kosher salt
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
    1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
    1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
    dash nutmeg
    Freshly ground black pepper

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)

    Fasolia

    Fasolia

    2 C snapped green beans (2 parts)
    1 large carrot, stick-cut (1 part)
    1 large onion, thinly sliced
    1 tsp finely minced garlic
    1 tsp finely minced ginger
    1 tsp tomato paste

    2 oz vegetable oil
    ¼ tsp black cardamom
    ¼ tsp corriander

    jalapeno peppers, optional, to taste
    salt to taste

    Start with a hot (non-nonstick) skillet and 2 oz vegetable oil. Sauté the onions until caramelized.

    Add finely mashed garlic, ginger and tomato paste, stir vigorously to combine.

    Add a little water to prevent garlic from drying out. Add the carrots, stirring continuously. Add green beans.

    2.5
    Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (2 votes)

    Timatim (Ethiopian Tomato/Jalapeno) Salad

    Timatim Salad

    1 tbsp olive oil
    3 tbsp lemon juice
    1 medium onion, finely chopped
    2 large tomato
    2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
    1/2 tbsp salt

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)

    TaKorean Spiced Kale Slaw with Hoisin Tofu

    Korean Kale Slaw

    So, I'm mildly obsessed with TaKorean's spicy kale slaw with hoisin tofu. The combination of flavors is so delicious that I forego the taco entirely to get a big bowl of this combination instead. When Bon Appetit posted a recipe that seemed similar in flavor profile to the kale slaw half of the TaKorean dish, I decided to try and recreate this treat at home. This is by no means the actual recipe that TaKorean uses, but I think it's a pretty damned good replica.

    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Homemade Applesauce

    Why didn't I do this sooner? These proportions make about a quart.

    6 medium apples (honeycrisp are a good choice)
    1/4 cup brown sugar
    1/2 cup apple juice/cider (substitute water)

    Core apples.
    Slice into wedges.

    In a large saucepan, combine juice, sugar, and apples.
    Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes, until apples are soft.
    If necessary, allow to cook with cover off for a few minutes to reach desired liquid level (remember it will leech a little liquid when pureed).

    Allow to cool.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Wine Jelly

    Makes four 1-cup jars

    Something full-bodied and fruity works best here.

    1 (750-ml) bottle red wine
    3¼ cups sugar (amount already minimized)
    1 (3-ounce) envelope liquid pectin
    3 tablespoons lemon juice
    ⅛ teaspoon butter (to reduce bubbling)

    Bring 1¼ cups wine to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook until reduced to ⅓ cup, 15 to 20 minutes; set aside. This reduction helps improve the wine flavor.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Fall Classic

    2 tablespoons apple brandy (such as Calvados or Laird's)
    2 tablespoons bourbon
    2 tablespoons fresh apple cider
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    1 dash of Angostura bitters
    Dried or fresh apple slice (optional)

    Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 1 tablespoon thyme simple syrup, apple brandy, and next 4 ingredients. Shake cocktail vigorously 10-15 times and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with apple slice, if desired.

    Thyme Syrup
    1/2 cup sugar
    15 sprigs thyme

    0
    Your rating: None

    Berry Pie

    Berry Pie

    Merging some thoughts and recipes from http://www.audreyandjon.com/recipes/fruit-cobbler , http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/marilyn-batalis-blackberry-pie , and http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/02/mixed-berry-pie-made-... :

    2 discs of Pie crust
    4 cups fresh or frozen berries
    ½ cup sugar
    2 T cornstarch
    1 T lo/no sugar pectin (modify thickener choices to your preference)
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

    Preheat oven to 425°F.

    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Thanksgiving 2014

    Collecting our t'giving meal recipe selections:

    Thanksgiving to-do lists

    Week Planning

    Weekend

    • Ladies and gentlemen... sharpen your knives!
    • Bake cornbread and biscuits and begin drying process
    • Prep vegetables for brine
    • Prepare and cool brine solution
    • Pick up Turkey
    • (Make cranberry sauce)

    Monday

    <

    ul>

  • Rinse turkey, take out neck and giblets, and remove all the goop inside
  • Begin brining the turkey
  • trellosgiving Screenshot from 2013-11-30 085049.png

    Parmigiano Gelato

    Courtesy of The Washington Post Magazine.

    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Menu for Weeks of November 16th + November 23rd

    Sat: Fondue
    Sun: Tuna Stew
    Mon: leftover tuna stew w/ veg [cook chickpeas]
    Tue: big Salad w/feta, fried chick peas...
    Wed: leftover tuna stew w/veg
    Thu: carrot salad, dolmades, yogurt dip, pita, olives, dry sheeps cheese, feta,
    Fri: Out
    Sat: http://www.audreyandjon.com/recipes/lamb-vindaloo w/ http://www.audreyandjon.com/recipes/saag-paneer + naan
    Sun: http://www.audreyandjon.com/recipes/shahi-paneer w/ http://www.audreyandjon.com/recipes/chana-chaat + naan
    Mon: Indian big salad with chana chaat
    Tue: Out with Jon's parents
    Wed: Indian leftovers + naan + rice

    Saag Paneer

    Broccoli with Soy Sauce

    Soy Chile Broccoli

    Based on this Bon Appetit recipe and a modified recipe we had at the 2014 Literary Feast.

    4 cups broccoli florets
    Kosher salt
    1/4 cup vegetable oil
    2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic
    1/4 cup oyster sauce (substitute soy sauce with a dash of Worcestershire)
    4 teaspoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
    2 teaspoons soy sauce
    2 teaspoons sugar
    1/2 teaspoon (or more) 1/8'-thick slices of red Thai chiles
    Pinch of ground white pepper
    1/2 sake

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Pan Seared Flounder on Greens

    pan seared flounder

    Sauce:
    3T sake
    2T soy sauce
    1T chile sesame seed oil
    1T sesame seed oil
    Juice of one lemon
    1T rice vinegar
    1t fish sauce
    2T minced ginger
    1T minced garlic
    Salt to taste
    Whisk until emulsified

    Sauteed Greens:
    1T sesame seed oil
    1" ginger, coarsely chopped or finely sliced
    1 shallot, finely sliced
    1-2 cups spinach or other hearty green
    1T sesame seeds

    Fish:
    ⅔lb Flounder, with salt and pepper (Serves two)

    Prepare the sauce.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Menu for Week of November 9th

    Sun: Cabin (salmon)
    Mon: Cabin (steak w/brussels sprouts)
    Tues: Flounder with broccoli and rice
    Wed: Chili and baked potato (hot sauce, sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips) + mexicanish salad (pickled corn, mexican dressing)
    Thus: Panzanella salad (http://www.audreyandjon.com/recipes/panzanella-salad
    Fri: Eggplant parm (w/ salad?) (http://www.audreyandjon.com/recipes/bernices-fried-eggplant)

    Eggplant Parmesan

    Menu for Week of October 26th

    Sat: Literary Feast
    Sun: Grilling at Dave's (pimiento mac and cheese)
    Mon: Turkey Posole with avocado, lime, hot sauce, and platano chips
    Tues: Vegetarian Taco Salad (avocado, pickled corn, bell pepper, black beans, queso fresco)
    Wed: Arepas (J - ham and cheese, A - refried beans, fried egg, avocado, tomato, mayo)
    Thus: A HH Turkey Posole with avocado, lime, hot sauce, and platano chips
    Fri: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/loaded-sweet-potato-nachos/ (black beans, pickled corn, pickled jalapeños, pepper jack, avocado, green onions?, sour cream) (Halloweeeeeeeen)

    Posole

    Barley Risotto

    Barley risotto with spinach

    1 cup pearled barley
    8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
    3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
    1 medium onion, finely chopped
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
    1 bay leaf
    2 cups baby spinach
    1 cup parsley, thick stems removed
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 garlic clove, finely grated
    1 teaspoon finely lemon zest
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    1 cup finely grated Parmesan
    ⅓ cup chopped tender herbs (such as tarragon and/or chives)

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Menu for Week of October 12th

    Fall Welcome Week (Chili, duck confit, truffle cream sauce w/rolls, pumpkin/gourd dish...)

    Sat: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/toasted-barley-risotto-with-spi...
    Sun: Butternut soup (http://www.audreyandjon.com/recipes/roasted-butternut-squash-soup ) w/ rolls and romanesco
    Mon: Duck w/ green salad http://audreyandjon.com/recipes/duck-confit-spicy-pickled-raisins
    Tues: Fall Salad night
    Wed: Duck w/ romanesco
    Thus: Soup (J late)

    Duck Leg Confit

    Menu for week of Oct 5

    Sat: Marinated hangar steak w/bok choi and rice
    Sun: Crispy Ho An pancakes
    Mon: Lao crispy rice salad
    Tue: Steam buns w/pork belly with bok choi
    Wed: Thai beef salad with grill leftovers
    Thu: Steam buns

    Steamed Buns with Pork Belly

    Crispy Hoi An Pancakes

    Hoi An Pancakes

    Batter

    1 cup rice flour
    ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
    ½ teaspoon kosher salt

    Assembly

    5 tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil, divided
    4 oz. small shrimp, peeled, deveined
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    6 scallions, thinly sliced
    4 oz. mung bean sprouts (about 1 cup)
    Large green-leaf or Bibb lettuce leaves and mixed tender herbs (such as mint, cilantro, and Thai basil; for serving)
    Nuoc Cham (recipe below)

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Parsley, Red Onion and Pomegranate Salad

    Parsly, Red Onion and Pomegranate Salad

    1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
    ½ teaspoon sugar
    ½ teaspoon ground sumac
    Kosher salt

    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses or ½ tsp. honey
    2 cups (lightly packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves with tender stems
    ¼ cup pomegranate seeds

    Toss onion, sugar, and sumac in a medium bowl; season with salt and let sit 30 minutes. Add oil, vinegar, and pomegranate molasses and toss to combine; let sit 5 minutes.

    Just before serving, toss in parsley and pomegranate seeds; season with salt. Could add crumbled feta as well.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Hot Sauce

    Green Salsa

    A Saveur recipe, modified by Merl and sent by Sharon.

    1 lb. mixed medium-to-hot fresh chiles, stemmed and seeded if very hot (Merl recommends 1/2 jalapeños and 1/2 serranos; Saveur recommends red peppers like fresno, holland, or cayenne)
    3 garlic cloves, peeled
    1.5 tbsp. or more kosher salt, to taste
    1/2 cup or more distilled white vinegar to taste

    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (2 votes)

    Week of September 19

    Sat: Out
    Sun: Pita burgers http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spiced-lamb-burger with http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/parsley-red-onion-and-pomegrana... [make rice dish, dips]
    Mon: Jerusalem+BA Rice dish http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/rice-salad-with-fava-beans-and-...
    Tue: Dip Night w/ Drinker's Choice, Hummus, Labne w/ Carrot Salad http://www.audreyandjon.com/recipes/moroccan-carrot-salad
    Wed: Dip Night redux + dolmades w/ Carrot Salad [roast eggplant?]
    Thu: Spiced Eggplant with Bulgur Salad http://www.audreyandjon.com/recipes/spiced-eggplant-bulgur-salad

    Grilled Lamb Pita Burgers

    Green Gazpacho

    Green Gazpacho

    A really nice alternative summer gazpacho. If you don't like vinegar as much as I do, feel free to reduce the vinegar and/or lime juice proportions to taste. Courtesy of Bon Appetit.

    ¼ cup white wine vinegar
    2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
    1 cup plain Greek yogurt, plus an optional ½ cup or serving
    ½ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
    4 oz. ciabatta or country-style bread, crust removed, bread torn into 1” pieces (about 2½ cups)

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Falafelesque Fritters

    Falafel Fritters

    I found this recipe on the internet. It was easy to make and pretty tasty. Also, I would imagine you can use almost any green, making this a relatively healthy year-round dish.

    4 cups stemmed and torn collard greens or swiss chard (about 1/4 lb or 1 bunch)
    1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or about 2/3 cup dry beans, soaked and cooked)
    3 medium to large cloves garlic, chopped
    2 Tbsp tahini
    Juice of half a lemon
    1/4 tsp cumin
    1/4 salt
    1/4 black pepper

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Satan's Whiskers

    This tastes like a screwdriver gone wrong, and not in a good, interesting way. Perhaps eliminate the OJ and up the bitters?

    1 ounce gin
    1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
    1/2 ounce dry vermouth
    1/2 ounce orange liqueur (try Grand Marnier or orange curaçao)
    1 ounce fresh-squeezed orange juice
    1 dash orange bitters

    Combine the ingredients in a Boston shaker or cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain the contents into a chilled cocktail glass.

    Via http://www.thekitchn.com/the-9bottle-bar-recipe-the-satans-whisk...

    Satan's Whiskers
    1
    Your rating: None Average: 1 (1 vote)

    Pide Pizza

    Pide (meat and cheese)

    Based off of this recipe, we simply used a pre-made pizza dough and focused on the fillings.

    Pre-heat oven to 400°F

    ½lbs minced beef or lamb (or pre-seasoned sausage, removed from casing)
    1 Onion
    2 or 3 Green peppers or red
    1 large tomato
    Salt and pepper to taste
    1 tsp ground corriander
    1 tsp ground sweet red pepper or paprika
    1 tsp red pepper flakes
    1 tsp cumin
    ½ cup finely shredded cheese to melt on top

    Finely mince onion, peppers and tomato

    2.5
    Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (2 votes)

    Lao Crispy Rice Salad

    Crispy Rice Lao Salad

    We first had this salad at a Thai/Lao restaurant in Virginia. It was freakin' awesome, and so we set making it at home. We combined three recipes and the result was quite good.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Port Cocktails

    Via http://boozenerds.com/2014/04/06/any-port-in-a-storm/

    2 oz ruby port
    1 oz scotch
    1 oz black walnut liqueur (we used the Dancing Pine)
    3 dashes blackstrap bitters

    Assemble in the glass. Add ice, Serve!

    2 oz tawny port
    2 oz rye
    1/4 oz honey
    3 dashes of Boker’s bitters (we used Jamie Boudreau’s from Canon)

    Stir all ingredients with ice. Strain into a glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Spice Crusted Winter Vegetables with Harissa Yogurt

    Roasted vegetables with harissa labneh sauce

    2 pounds small carrots or other hearty winter vegetable (we used brussels sprouts), salt
    1 tablespoon sugar
    1 teaspoon English mustard powder
    1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    ½ teaspoon ground coriander or fennel
    4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
    Freshly ground black pepper

    ½ cup labneh (or plain Greek yogurt)
    1 tablespoon harissa paste
    2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus more
    ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more
    Lemon wedges (for serving)

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Mustard-Crusted Branzino

    Mustard Crusted Branzino

    For some reason, Bon Appetit recommends using a whole butterflied fish, but that just presents you with many small bones to deal with. This dish will be equally good with filets. Serves 2 and can easily be doubled.

    2 branzini/ Mediterranean sea bass filets
    1/8 cup olive oil
    1 tablespoons whole grain mustard
    1 small garlic clove, finely grated
    1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
    1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or fresh coarsely chopped breadcrumbs, preferably sourdough)
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Lamb Shawarma

    Lamb Shawarma

    We took a lamb recipe from Jerusalem: A Cookbook and adapted it with a cooking technique from Cook's Illustrated to create a perfectly tender, medium-rare lamb roast with shawarma spices.

    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Basmati and Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currants and Herbs

    Basmati with Wild Rice

    This Yotam Ottolenghi recipe was amazing. The balance of the sweet currants with the curry-spiced chickpeas was surprising and delightful and the fried onions sealed the deal. Yes, it's got a lot of components, but it is totally worth it. I have halved the proportions to serve 8 as a side or 4 as a main.

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)

    Trinidadian Brown Stewed Chicken

    Brown stew chicken

    I have previously discussed my introduction to Caribbean food through my college roommate. Of the dishes she made, my favorite was a brown stewed chicken.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Menu for the week of Jan 25: Indian!

    With Jon having just returned from Ukraine, and me about to head off to Austria, we decided that some spicy food was in order. Although the Tandoori Chicken was a bit of a flop, the menu overall worked really well. We had good variety, got a lot of lunches, and had the perfect amount leftover for an easy Friday dinner.

    Sat - Vegetarian Indian Salad (no shrimp)
    Sun - Lamb Vindaloo and Saag Paneer with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce, Naan, and Rice
    Mon - Tandoori Chicken with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce and Naan
    Tue - Shahi Paneer with Indian-style Cauliflower, Raita, Naan, and Rice
    Wed - Indian Salad with leftover Tandoori Chicken (instead of shrimp)
    Thu - (Out)
    Fri - Eat ALL the leftovers!

    Vindaloo with Saag Paneer, rice, and naan

    2014 Food Lover's Cleanse: Week 2 (New American Theme)

    As a follow-on to Week 1 of the Bon Appetit Food Lover's Cleanse, we did a New American-focused menu. Again, we really only incorporated a few of the cleanse recipes, but those we did were really delicious this week! Also, by the end of these two weeks, I have taken off the ~4 pounds of holiday weight I had gained. Hooray!

    Sun: Grilled Rib Eye with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
    Mon: Roasted Root Vegetables with Quinoa and Green Tahini Sauce (vegetables roasted ahead on Sunday with the sweet potatoes)
    Tues: Roasted Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Oregano (not a cleanse recipe, and really not a winner…)
    Wed: Root Vegetable Salad (with leftovers from earlier in the week)
    Thus: A somewhat decent pasta dish (a recipe of Audrey's creation) made from leftover chicken thighs
    Fri: Out to Table to finish off the week

    Roasted vegetables with green tahini sauce

    Lemongrass Chicken with Black Rice and Garlicky Bok Choy

    Lemongrass Chicken

    From Bon Appetit 2014 Food Lover's Cleanse

    Serves 4, or 2 + 2 leftover portions to use in a salad (see below).

    2.5
    Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (2 votes)

    Soy-Braised Short Ribs

    Soy Braised Short Ribs

    This Bon Appetit recipe was a bit too umami for Audrey's taste, but a nice recipe nonetheless.

    Serves 6

    3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
    4 pounds beef short ribs (optionally cut cross-wise (flanken style) into 2-bone pieces), about 1 1/2-inch-thick
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    3/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems chopped, caps sliced, divided
    1 bunch scallions, whites chopped, greens thinly sliced, divided
    1 1-inch piece peeled ginger, thinly sliced

    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (2 votes)

    Torta Rojel

    Apple Cake

    French Apple Cake Slice

    1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith or Gold Rush apples, peeled and cored
    1 cup + 3 tbsp all purpose flour
    1 cup sugar
    1 T Calvados or brandy
    1 t lemon juice
    2 tsp baking powder
    1/2 tsp salt
    1 large egg + 2 large egg yolks
    3/4 cup vegetable oil
    1/4 cup butter, melted
    1 cup whole milk
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    2 tbsp confectioner's sugar + 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, for topping

    Preheat oven to 325F. You will be placing the cake on the bottom rack, so make sure the oven is set up for this.

    Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan (NOTE: a 10" pan is too wide, and the layers will be too thin)

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Duck Confit with Spicy Pickled Raisins

    Duck Leg Confit

    Bon Appetit comes through with another winner. We made this for Christmas 2013, and it was great. While total cooking time (roughly 5 hours) is a bit steep, most of that is hands off, and all but the last 30 minutes can be done ahead of time and frozen. Serves 8. Great for a dinner party.

    • 8 skin-on, bone-in duck legs
    • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more freshly cracked
    • 2 tablespoons plus 1 tsp. kosher salt
    • 10 sprigs thyme, divided
    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Fesenjoon (Walnut Pomegranate Stew)

    Walnut stew

    I've had versions of this dish in various restaurants, but never attempted it at home before. I found a lot of recipes online and cobbled together a best of breed. This recipe isn't difficult, but it does take about 4 hours from start to finish.

    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (2 votes)

    The Last Word

    equal parts:
    gin or genever
    Green Chartreuse
    maraschino liqueur
    lime juice

    Shake the ingredients together and strain into a cocktail glass.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Martinez

    2 ounces genever or gin
    1 ounce sweet vermouth
    1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
    Dash of Angostura or orange bitters
    Lemon twist for garnish

    Stir or shake ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish. Sub in genever for something even closer to a Manhattan (hat tip to TheGinisIN, with more good reference on the history of the drink here: http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/10/12/martinez-cocktail-recipe

    Martinez
    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Dinner Rolls

    Dinner Rolls

    These rolls from the The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook are deceptively easy to make and great par-baked and frozen. We make these for Thanksgiving - they're one thing we can check off our list a few weeks in advance.

    Dough Recipe

    <

    ul>

  • 1 cup plus 1 Tbsp milk
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 2 large eggs
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Thanksgiving 2013 Menu

    We hosted good chunks of both sides of our families for this year's Thanksgiving, serving a total of 10 people! I promise that the 78-item week-of to-do list was epic. I will neither confirm nor deny that we used a project management tool to keep it under control.

    Turkey and Dressing with Gravy (17 lb turkey)

    Cranberry sauce (3 bags worth)

    Dinner rolls (1 recipe)

    Potato Latkes (~5 lbs potatoes)

    Raw kale and brussels sprouts salad (4x recipe)

    Steamed romanesco broccoli (1 large head)

    Quinoa and butternut squash (1x recipe)

    and for dessert...

    Elaine's lemon meringue pie (1 pie)

    Maurine's pumkin pie (1 pie)

    Sharon's pound cake (1 cake)

    Turkey and Dressing 2013

    Cranberry Sauces

    Cranberry Sauce

    Each recipe makes 2-3 half-pints, depending on how long you let the cranberries break down for. If you want to preserve these, process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

    Basic Cranberry Sauce

    1 (12-oz) bag fresh cranberries
    1/2 to 1 cup sugar
    3/4 cup water

    Bring water and 1/2 cup sugar to boil. Add cranberries and cook over medium heat until berries have broken down to your desired level (15-20 mins). Stir occasionally and, if desired, mash with a potato masher to break berries down further. Add additional sugar to taste.

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Old Pal

    3 parts rye
    2 parts aperol
    2 parts dry vermouth
    orange bitters
    1 orange twist

    Shake with ice, serve up in a coupe with the twist.

    Via http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/old-pal, modified to use rye and add bitters to counteract the sweetness of switching this to aperol (which I stock) from campari.

    Recipe for aging

    This, called instead a Lincoln County, is via http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/lincoln-county ; original recipe by The Bachelor Farmer Marvel Bar in Minneapolis MN
    4 1/4 cups 100-proof bourbon
    2 1/2 cups Campari
    1 2/3 cups Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth

    Old Pal
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Lions Tail

    2 oz. bourbon
    ½ oz. pimento (allspice) dram
    ¾ oz. fresh lime juice (~1 lime)
    ¼ oz simple syrup
    1 dash Angostura or orange bitters

    (Tweak pimento dram and lime juice to taste)

    (Can drop the simple syrup and replace bourbon with rum)

    (a dash of Benedictine DOM also rounds it out well)

    Some history: http://badassdigest.com/2012/09/14/your-guide-to-drinking-this-w...

    Lions Tail
    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Double Layer Pumpkin Bourbon Cheesecake

    Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 12 to 16

    Cribbed from a co-worker's recipe:

    This has been adapted from a few recipes. I made a bourbon glaze, but you can also just put
    the bourbon into the batter as described here.
    !
    Also, two points from Cooks Illustrated:
    !
    - For a smooth and creamy texture, we blotted the canned pumpkin puree with paper
    towels to remove excess moisture before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. (see
    step-by-step instructions below)
    !
    - Baking the cake in a water bath in a moderate oven also helped give our pumpkin

    0
    Your rating: None

    Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

    Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad 2013

    This recipe from Bon Appetit uses raw kale and brussels sprout to make a delicious, nutty salad.

    Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side.

    For the salad:

    1/2 bunch of Tuscan or lacinato kale (about 1/4 lb), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced or shredded in food processor
    1/2 pint of brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely sliced or shredded in food processor
    1/2 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
    1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino

    For the dressing:

    1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    1/2 cup olive oil
    2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    1 tablespoon minced shallot
    1 small garlic clove, finely grated
    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
    Freshly ground black pepper

    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Smoked Salmon Dip

    Smoked Salmon Dip

    My goodness was this delicious. You have to give Martha credit where credit is due.

    8 oz smoked salmon, roughly chopped, divided
    8 oz cream cheese, softened
    1/3 cup mayonnaise (for texture; can be omitted if you don't like mayo)
    2 Tbsp diced red onion
    1 Tbsp capers
    1 tsp prepared horseradish
    Juice of half a lemon

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Deviled Eggs

    Deviled Eggs

    For some reason, I always get compliments on my deviled eggs. They're really not that hard to make. I typically go to deviledeggs.com for advice on cooking, peeling, etc. the eggs, but their tricks don't always work that well. I usually find inspiration in one of their recipes, but frankly it's not that difficult. This here is what I call a "notional" recipe because you can and should adjust the proportions to your liking.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Granny's Tea Cakes

    Tea Cakes

    1 large egg (or two medium)
    1 tsp. soda
    1 tsp. baking powder
    1 tbsp. vinegar
    ½ c. milk
    1½ c. sugar
    1 c. shortening
    Flour (see below, but about 3 cups in the mix)

    Mix all ingredients except flour. Gradually add flour until the shortening is mixed in and the dough is stiff enough to roll out. Roll on floured surface. Cut cookies out and bake at 400 degrees until brown, 10-12 minutes. Top with sprinkled sugar or icing:

    Black And White cookie style frosting:

    (Let cookies cool completely before starting)

    4 cups confectioners' sugar
    1/3 cup boiling water

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Cheese Snappy Wafers

    Cheesy Snappy Wafers

    From M. Egan via S. Camfield

    2 sticks (1c) butter, softened
    2c flour
    1.5 cups sharp cheddar, shredded and at room temperature
    1/2 t cayenne
    1/2 t salt
    2c rice krispies

    Cut butter into flour until texture resembles chunky cornmeal. Mix in cheese, spices. Fold in rice krispies.

    Mold small pices, place on ungreased cookie sheet.

    Bake at 350F for 45 minutes

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Brioche

    Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Beets with Citrus and Nuts

    Beets with citrus and almonds

    1 ½ pounds beets, trimmed and halved horizontally
    1 ¼ c water
    salt and pepper
    3 T light brown sugar, packed
    1 shallot, sliced thin
    1 t grated lemon zest
    ½ c whole almonds, toasted and chopped
    2 T chopped fresh mint
    1 t chopped fresh thyme

    Place beets, cut side down, in a single layer in an 11-inch saute pan or dutch oven. Add water and 1/4 teas salt; bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce to low; cover and simmer until beets are tender, 45-50 minutes.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Gingersnaps

    Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Chocolate Truffles

    Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Crepes

    Crepes

    2 large eggs
    1 large egg yolk (CI uses 3 whole eggs)
    1 cup buttermilk (or milk)
    ¾ cup rye (or AP, or white wheat) flour
    ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    2 tablespoons plus 4 tsp. sugar
    ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted, plus 8 tsp., room temperature
    Lemon wedges (for serving)

    Blend eggs, egg yolk, buttermilk, and milk in a blender until smooth. Add rye flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and 2 Tbsp. sugar and blend well. With blender on low, gradually stream in melted butter. Strain batter through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or medium bowl.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Crispy Orange Beef

    Crispy Orange Beef

    Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

    1.5 lbs flap meat (skirt steak or hangar steak can be used as substitutes)
    3 tbsp soy sauce, divided
    6 tbsp cornstarch
    2 oranges
    3 tbsp molasses
    2 tbsp sherry
    1 tbsp rice vinegar
    1.5 tsp sesame oil
    1 jalapeño, inner seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
    1 habañero, inner seeds and ribs removed, minced
    2 scallions, thinly sliced
    3 cups vegetable oil, for frying

    Cut beef along grain into 3" lengths.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Bean Dips

    Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Menu for the Week of October 14

    Sat: Wild mushroom and mozzarella risotto arancini with homemade Ciabatta
    Mon: Bernice's Fried Eggplant with marinara sauce, as eggplant parm
    Tues: Meats, cheeses, bread, and pesto
    Wed: White bean ragout + side salad
    Thus: Panzanella Salad

    Arancini

    Basmati Rice Salad

    Rice Salad

    Based on this recipe from Bon Appetit

    Dressing
    1 small shallot, chopped
    2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
    2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
    1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
    Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

    Salad
    2 cups cooked basmati rice, cooled
    2 cups bite-size pieces assorted vegetables (such as radishes, tomatoes, peas, summer squash) or carrot ribbons
    3/4 cup torn mixed leafy greens, sprouts, and herbs

    2.5
    Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (2 votes)

    Pomegranate-Marinated Lamb with Couscous

    Pomegranate Lamb with Couscous

    This is tasty recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit

    1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
    4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 tablespoon ground ginger
    1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
    1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon pepper
    2 pounds lamb shoulder blade chops, cut into 3/4-inch square pieces, bones reserved

    1 1/4 cups water, divided
    2 cups low-salt chicken broth
    1 10-ounce box plain couscous

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Menu for the Week of October 7

    Sun: Steak with corn and tomato salad
    Mon: Pomegranate Lamb http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/pomegranate-marinated-lamb-with...
    Tue: Fatteh bel djaje
    Wed: Dinner out with friends
    Thu: Basmati Rice and Summer Veg Salad http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/basmati-rice-and-summer-vegetab...

    Boulvardier

    Equal parts:

    Bourbon (or Rye)
    Aperol or Campari
    Sweet Vermouth

    Stir with ice in a lowball, garnish with a cherry or orange slice. Can also be drained into a highball.

    Secret Cocktail
    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Deep Dish Pizza

    This recipe is courtesy of our friends Sarah and Jason. They gave us a wonderful wedding gift set of a deep dish pizza pan, italian spices, and a great cookbook. Helpfully, they included this recipe as well!

    0
    Your rating: None

    Fatteh Bel Djaje

    Fatteh Bel Djaje

    This original recipe (attached) came from a cooking class we took at Lebanese Taverna for a friend's birthday. We finally made this at home, and frankly, the original recipe was way too complicated. I post here a simplified, notional recipe that I may refine in the future.

    The basic thing you're making is a layering of chickpeas, chicken, pita chips, yogurt, and garnishes - "Lebanese nachos," if you will. To make this an easy weeknight meal, you're ideally using leftover chickpeas and chicken, buying pre-made pita chips, and doing only minimal preparation on the day of. It does require some pre-planning but makes the final "cooking" really easy. Yes, it's tastier if all of these things are freshly made and still warm, but whatever. I'm a working woman.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Sloppy Joe

    Sloppy Joe

    This was one of the first recipes I learned to make while living on my own. Not the fanciest thing in the world, but it is quick, easy, and not terrible for you. It is Rachel Ray's. A full recipe (shown here) easily serves 4, but it can easily be halved to serve 2-3.

    1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
    1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
    1/4 cup brown sugar
    2 teaspoons steak seasoning blend
    1 medium onion, chopped
    1 small red bell pepper, chopped

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Ciabatta

    Ciabatta

    Courtesy of Jon's mom.

    1 T yeast
    1½ C warm water
    3 C flour
    1½ t salt

    Mix together to form a dough

    Divide into 3, shape (loosely) and place on one or two parchment-paper lined baking sheets.

    Spray with olive oil, let double or more (approx. 30 minutes)

    Poke dents across the top of each loaf.

    Optional: sprinkle chopped rosemary and salt or other hardy spices on top.

    Bake at 450°F until tops are dry and lightly browned.

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Cocktail Popovers

    Courtesy of Post Express.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Saag Paneer

    Saag Paneer

    Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

    Ingredients
    1 (10 ounce) bag curly-leaf spinach, rinsed (roughly 6 cups)
    3/4 lb mustard greens, stemmed and rinsed (sub: turnip greens, arugula) (roughly 4-5 cups)
    1 package store-bought Paneer (or make your own, recipe below)
    3 Tbsp unsalted butter
    1 tsp cumin seeds
    1 tsp ground coriander
    1 tsp paprika
    1/2 tsp ground cardamom
    1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
    1 onion, chopped finely
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
    1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Mongolian Beef

    Mongolian Beef.jpeg

    This recipe came from a cooking class my mom took many years ago (possibly before I was born). For several years, I've had a scanned copy of the photocopied recipe with her notes from the cooking class. We finally replicated the Mongolian Beef recipe. While we intend to play around with the sauce in future iterations, the "velveting" method of cooking the beef was a big success and will definitely be repeated.

    Ingredients

    Velveting:
    1.5 lbs flank steak
    3 egg whites
    2 tsp white wine or sherry
    Black pepper
    1/3 cup cornstarch
    Vegetable oil

    Sauce:
    3/4 cup soy sauce

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Black Rice Salad with Mango and Peanuts

    Black Rice with Mango Salad

    This Bon Appetit rice salad was easy and delicious. It also could easily be made vegetarian (and is already gluten free) by omitting the fish sauce or replacing it with soy sauce. The fish sauce smell can be a bit off-putting on the first day, so if you're not a fan, just skip it.

    Serves 2-4

    1 orange
    1/4 cup fresh lime juice
    1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    1/2 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
    1 cup black rice (preferably Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice)

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Ricotta Gnudi

    16 ounces ricotta (about 2 cups)
    1 large egg, beaten to blend
    1 large egg yolk, beaten to blend
    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano plus more
    1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
    1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus more

    3 cups Pomodoro Sauce or other sauce

    0
    Your rating: None

    Kofta (Mediterranean Meatballs)

    Kofta

    This tasty and relatively easy recipe came from this fantastic cookbook centered on one of my favorite cuisines. The recipe calls for a mix of lamb and veal, but lamb alone would probably be good too.

    Makes 24 kofta.

    1 lb ground lamb
    1 lb ground veal
    1 medium onion, roughly chopped
    3-4 large cloves garlic
    1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
    1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
    1 large medium-hot red chile, seeded
    1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
    1.5 tsp ground allspice
    3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Chicken, Rice and Beans

    Chicken Rice and Beans

    We originally intended to make this Bon Appetit recipe, but we morphed it to save some time. In the proportions here, this recipe will make two easy week-night meals. The rice and beans can be made the first night and reheated the second. A rotisserie chicken bought on the first night can be reheated in the oven or shredded and "fried" on the stovetop with a bit of olive oil.

    Rice
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1/4 medium onion, chopped

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Sushi

    Sushi (crab rolls in the foreground)

    SUSHI!

    More to follow. Maybe.

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Meringue

    Meringue Cookies

    Preheat oven to 250F, with the rack in the center of the oven.

    3 large egg whites
    1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
    3/4 cup superfine sugar
    1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can form the cookies with a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) plain tip, or I often just use two spoons to make the cookies.

    Beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy.

    Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Pasta al Funghi

    Another meal from our farmers market expedition in Venice.

    • 1/4 lb mushrooms
    • 1 medium onion, chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic
    • Fresh Rosemary, Sage, basil
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1/2 cup white wine
    • 1/2 cup cream
    • salt to taste
    • Fresh pasta

    Sautee onion, garlic and herbs until tender

    Add 1/3 of mushrooms, sautee, add 1/2 cup water and salt, reduce.

    Add 1/3 more of mushrooms, soften.

    Add 1/2 cup white wine, reduce, add 1/3 of best mushrooms and 1/2 cup cream, reduce

    Serve with pasta

    0
    Your rating: None

    DIY Vermouth

    I vaguely followed this recipe: http://www.winemag.com/Wine-Enthusiast-Magazine/April-2008/Homem... using a pretty awful white that was left at our place at some party.

    1/2 bottle white wine (I used the rest for cooking)
    5 juniper berries
    2 springs fresh rosemary
    1/2 tsp herbs de provence
    1/2 cup young brandy or eau-de-vie (I used some leftover juniper edv from our Italy trip to really go all-in on the botanicals)

    Toast the herbs, then add the wine and bring to boil. Take off heat, cover and leave steeping overnight.
    Strain, add the brandy... done.

    Vermouth
    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Bitters

    A collection of fascinating bitters recipes, mostly from Chow:

    Aromatic: http://www.chow.com/recipes/12039-aromatic-bitters

    Orange: http://www.chow.com/recipes/12038-orange-bitters

    Grapefruit: http://www.chow.com/recipes/11285-grapefruit-bitters

    Cardamon/Saffron: http://www.chow.com/recipes/11279-sunshine-bitters

    0
    Your rating: None

    Burnt Eggplant with Pomegranate Dip

    Burnt Eggplant

    Ingredients:
    2 large eggplants
    3 gloves garlic, minced
    Grated zest of 1 large lemon
    Juice of 1 lemon
    4 Tbsp olive oil

    To finish:
    2 tablespoons parsley
    2 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped
    Seeds of 1/2 pomegranate
    Salt and Pepper to taste

    Optional: top with smoked salt.

    Char eggplants on a stove top (~20 minutes), grill or on a broil mode in the oven (~45 minutes, turning twice). Turn around so it is very charred all around. If broiling, piece the skin in multiple places.

    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Smoky Chocolate Crackers

    Via http://www.bhg.com/blogs/delish-dish/2013/02/05/dorie-greenspan-... , see also http://discoveringblog.com/httpdiscoveringblogcom/discoveringsmo...

    ingredients
    1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
    1 teaspoon salt
    3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
    1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
    3 tablespoons granulated sugar
    2 egg whites
    1/2 cup finely chopped almonds, toasted

    In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, smoked paprika and salt; set aside.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Empanadas

    Empanadas

    So, not really a true recipe, but pretty good and pretty easy. Maybe next time we'll get fancy and make our own empanada dough, but for the first try this turned out pretty good.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (5 votes)

    Thai Collins

    This is basically just a Tom Collins with a bit more Thai flavorings incorporated.

    • 2 parts dry gin
    • 1 part lime juice
    • Dash lemongrass syrup
    • Dash lemon bitters
    • Chilled carbonated water to taste

    Mix in a highball glass with ice, top with soda water, garnish with a twist of something citrus or lemongrass spear and serve.

    Thai Collins Highball
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Thai Yellow Curry

    Thai Yellow Curry Paste

    On our vacation to Thailand a few years ago, we spent one of our days in Chiang Mai at the Thai Farm Cooking School. Some of the dishes we made were really delicious and frankly quite easy (if somewhat challenging to find all of the ingredients in the DC metro area).

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Pomegranate Lamb Shank

    Pomegranate Lamb

    When we first made this dish, we noted that it was good but a lot of effort. In this year's Bon Appetit food cleanse, they included a recipe with a suspiciously-similar flavor profile but significantly less work. We tested it out and it was good and pretty easy. The lamb still has to braise for like 4 hours in the oven, but the prep beforehand is very simple. Great for a snowzilla of a day!

    Serves 4

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Blistered Padrón Peppers

    Charred Peppers

    1/2 pound fresh padron, shishito, seranno, small Hatch, or hot banana peppers, washed and thoroughly dried
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    Coarse sea salt, such as fleur de sel or Maldon

    Place the peppers in a medium bowl, add the olive oil, and toss to coat; set aside.

    Heat an indoor sautee pan or outdoor grill to medium high.

    When the grill is ready, place the peppers on the grill in a single layer, making sure they’re not touching; reserve the bowl they were in. Grill the peppers uncovered, turning them occasionally, until they start to char and blister, about 6 to 8 minutes total.

    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Butternut Squash Mascarpone Agnolotti

    Agnolotti

    We had a butternut squash and some mascarpone in the fridge, and I was feeling like pasta. We've done ravioli before, so I thought we should try something new.  So I googled "butternut squash and mascarpone agnolotti" and came up with this recipe. We shamelessly copied it, and it turned out great. You absolutely must go to their site to watch the videos showing how to create the agnolotti.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Maurine's Orange Peel Bread

    Orange Bread

    Heat oven to 350 degrees.

    Blend together:

    • 1 c. sugar ( a little less if you are using the syrup from the rinds)
    • 2T. butter, melted.

    Then add

    • 2 eggs and mix well.

    Stir in

    • 3 ¼ c. flour
    • 3 t. baking powder
    • ½ t. salt
    • 1 c. chopped pecans (or more)
    • 2c candied orange peels (recipe follows, but can chop up candied mandarin oranges from Trader Joe's, or candied orange peel meant for baking)

    Mix well then add

    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Preserved Lemons

    Quinoa and Butternut Squash

    We hosted family for Thanksgiving this year and found ourselves innovating to accommodate a gluten-free family member. We very easily modified David Lebovitz's original recipe to create a delicious dish that everyone loved.

    ​1 1/2-pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded
    1 large onion, peeled and minced
    1 cup quinoa (alternatively, for a gluten dish, use 1 3/4 cup Israeli couscous, or Italian pepe-style pasta)
    1 small cinnamon stick
    1 large or 2 small preserved lemons

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Turkey Brine

    This is our default brine recipe for turkey.

    • 1.5 cups kosher salt
    • 1.5 cups sugar
    • 1 large onion, peeled, diced
    • 1/4 cup diced celery
    • 1 sprig rosemary
    • 2 large sprigs thyme
    • 3 bay leaves
    • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

    Bring salt, sugar, and 1 quart (4 cups) water to a boil in a very large (16-qt.) pot, stirring until salt and sugar are dissolved. Add remaining ingredients to brine base. Turn off heat.

    Refrigerate, uncovered, until cold.

    Add 7 quarts cold water to pot.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Meat Lasagna (Old Recipe)

    Meat Lasagna

    This recipe is a hybrid of Sharon's recipe and and a very intense online recipe. My guess is that both are derived from the Betty Crocker Cookbook.

    Serves 6. Bakes in a 9x9 pan.

    Meat sauce:

    Cook and stir together until meat is brown and onion is tender:

    • 3 Italian sausages (approx 0.5 lbs, mixed between mild and spicy; can substitute ground beef for all or part)
    • ½ cup chopped onions
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • ½ cup sliced mushrooms
    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Jennifer's Hot Rolls

    Hot Rolls

    Jon's cousin-in-law Jennifer makes these delicious biscuity rolls.

    In a stand mixer bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1.5 tsp salt, and 2 cups warm water.

    Sprinkle on 2 packages yeast. Let it sit for a few minutes until it "blooms."

    Add 1 egg and 1/4 cup shortening.

    Mix in 5 1/2 cups flour using stand mixer with dough hook. Make sure to scrape down sides occasionally to ensure all flour gets mixed in.

    Let rise until doubled (~1 hour or so).

    Punch down.

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    The Dark and Sandy

    A cousin of the dark-and-stormy, the dark-and-sandy is what happens when media frenzy meets frankenstorm.

    In a lowball with ice, mix:

    Juice of half a lime (or one key lime)
    2 shots of gin
    Top with ginger beer

    Dark and Sandy
    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Unusual Negroni

    Equal parts:

    • Gin (a fruit forward, botanical gin like Catoctin Creek is great for this)
    • Aperol
    • Lillet blanc

    Shake or stir with ice, serve in a lowball glass with ice, garnish with an orange peel.

    From http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2007/10/03/unusual-negroni/

    Unusual Negroni
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Chana Chaat

    Chana Chat

    Indigo, the Indian food stall at Eastern Market, makes a spectacular chana chaat - basically, a chick-pea/vegetable salad/snack thing.  It's quite frankly delicious.  In anticipation of an Indian dinner party were we hosting, I coaxed the main ingredients out of the very nice woman who does all the cooking at the stall.  While she wouldn't reveal her secret spice blend, some internet reserach gave us enough clues to fill in the holes.

    Obviously, this is a very notional recipe and the proportions can be added to suit your taste.  The resulting product shouldn't be soupy, but dressed in the sauce blend as a salad would be.

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)

    Pinto Beans / Frijoles

    Chiles Rellenos

    1 lb dried beans, soaked overnight
    1 hamhock
    2 hatch peppers, roasted and sliced
    bacon grease
    pepper, smoked salt

    I'm not sure it's possible to really make beans without a hamhock.  I've tried. 

    Soak the beans overnight; rinse.  Place back in large pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer. Add hamhock, bacon grease, and peppers.  Let simmer for as many hours as possible.  Add pepper and smoked salt close to the end to taste.

     

     

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Chiles Rellenos

    Blistering the peppers

    Dad tells the story of his first experience with Chiles Rellenos, with tears running down his face from the heat of the peppers, but loving every bite.  He worked long and hard to re-create that moment, and settled upon this recipe.

    • 12 Anaheim peppers, skin removed (see note)
    • 3 whole eggs
    • 2 egg whites
    • 1 Tbsp Flour
    • 1 dash salt
    • Queso Chihuahua (or Monterrey Jack) cheese cut in long "fingers"
    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Moroccan Carrot Salad

    Carrot Salad

    Adapted from The Bitten Word, adapted from Food & Wine.  We didn't have any Harissa handy, so we improvised.  This salad provides a great, bright and spicy contrast to a tagine dish.

    For the salad

    <

    ul>

  • 2 cups carrots, shredded or thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)

    White Bean Ragout

    White Bean Ragout

    Based on this recipe from Bon Appetit, we modified it to use what we had on hand, and it turned out great.

    1/2 large onion
    1/2 red pepper
    2 clove garlic (mince one, reserve one for the bread)
    2 tablespoons marinara sauce (or tomato paste)
    1 can (15oz) Cannellini beans (rinsed, drained)
    1 cup vegetable broth
    1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
    parmesan cheese, grated
    extra-virgin olive oil
    Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
    parsley, chopped (optional)

    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Nan's Bread and Butter Pickles

    Bread and Butter Pickles

    Courtesy of Nan.

    I use the recipe that is on Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime container. It can probably be found at the grocery store with the canning good--like jars, lids, etc. You'll need that lime.

    Briefly (as can be) I cut them up a tad LESS than 1/4 inch thick into a large non-reactive pot or big bowl--something that will fit in your frig. (with a plate on top you
    can put other stuff on top of it).

    Mix 1/2 cup lime with a gallon of water and pour over them. If you are doing a huuuuuuge amount in biiiiig bowl you can make more or this. Let this sit in frig overnight.

    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Dark and Balsamic

    Bufala Negra, from Imbibe: http://www.imbibemagazine.com/Bufala-Negra-Cocktail-Recipe

    Bourbon and fresh basil meet the tart and tangy cocktail from H. Harper Station barman Jerry Slater combining balsamic syrup and ginger beer.

    2 oz. bourbon
    4 fresh basil leaves
    1 brown sugar cube or sorghum
    1/2 oz. balsamic syrup (see below)
    2 oz. ginger beer
    Ice cubes

    Muddle the balsamic syrup, basil and sugar cube, add bourbon and ice and shake hard. Strain over fresh ice cubes into an Old Fashioned. Top with ginger beer and garnish with basil leaf.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    The Peppered Pear

    This recipe is modified from http://www.pearpanache.com/cocktails/the-peppered-poire/ :

    2 oz Poire William or similar pear-flavored liqueur
    1/2 ounce black pepper simple syrup (recipe follows)
    Sparkling wine

    To make The Peppered Poire, add the gin, Poire William, pear puree and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake well. Strain the contents into a champagne flute and top off the glass with sparkling wine. Float 2 or 3 whole black peppercorns on top of the fizz, if desired.

    Peppered Poire
    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Glazed Pear

    From http://backyardbartender.blogspot.com/2011/06/mxmo-lviii-carmen-..., yet another way to use Poire William, this time with balsamic syrup:

    1 oz Poire William eau-de-vie
    1 oz cachaça (I might sub in a darker rum here?)
    1/2 oz balsamic syrup (Make it from scratch with her recipe here: http://backyardbartender.blogspot.com/2010/10/el-sangre-de-fresa..., or buy it at a gourmet grocery store)
    1/2 oz Cointreau
    1/2 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
    dash of orange bitters
    club soda

    0
    Your rating: None

    Spiced Eggplant with Bulgur Salad

    Spiced Eggplant with Bulgar salad

    A delicious and easy Bon Appetit recipe.

    Serves 2

    1/4 cup olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
    1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon peel (optional)
    1 garlic clove, smashed
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
    1/2 teaspoon paprika
    1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more

    1 medium eggplant (9–10 ounces), halved lengthwise

    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    (Spicy) Pimiento Mac and Cheese

    Spicy Mac and Cheese

    I made a tweaked version of this Bon Appetit recipe. It was good, especially from a mac and cheese perspective - gooey and all the rest of that. I'm not sure how I actually felt about the spicy pimiento cheese aspect of it. Perhaps next time I will downplay the spicy pimiento and just use the basic recipe as a base for a more traditional mac and cheese dish.

    Ingredients
    3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
    1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Curry Chicken Salad

    Curry Chicken Salad

    A recipe of my own creation, but inspired by this one.

    I don't have measurements, but sort of just made this using the following ingredients until it tasted right and balanced.

    Cooked chicken, chopped or torn into smallish pieces (I always start with a rotisserie chicken from Eastern Market, but any chicken will do)
    Apple, diced into small pieces
    Red onion, diced into small pieces
    Raisins (I'm partial to golden raisins, but it doesn't matter; dried cranberries could be used here too)
    Cilantro, finely chopped

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Chicken in a Tomatillo, Chipotle, and Brown Sugar Sauce

    Chicken with Tomatillo sauce

    We recently got a digital antenna for our TV, which has opened up a mostly crappy selection of ".1" stations to us. But... there is an entire PBS station seemingly dedicated to cooking shows. My new favorite: Pati's Mexican Table. This is the first recipe of hers that we tried, and it was easy and delicious! I was especially excited to make this dish because we actually have a large log of piloncillo (like brown sugar) that we've been eating down for the last 2 years. Any opportunity to use that stuff is a win in my book.

    2.5
    Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (2 votes)

    Vesper

    This is otherwise known as the true James Bond martini;

    <

    blockquote>
    "A dry martini," [Bond] said. "One. In a deep champagne goblet."
    "Oui, monsieur."
    "Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?"
    "Certainly, monsieur." The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
    "Gosh, that's certainly a drink," said Leiter.

    Vesper
    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Vieux Carre

    1 ounce rye whiskey
    1 ounce Cognac
    1 ounce sweet vermouth
    1 teaspoon Bénédictine D.O.M.
    2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
    2 dashes Angostura Bitters

    Mix all ingredients in a double Old Fashioned glass over ice; stir.

    From http://gumbopages.com/food/beverages/vieux-carre.html

    Vieux Carre
    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Trinidadian Macaroni Pie

    Trini Macaroni Pie

    Throughout college, I had several Trinidadian friends (including a great freshman year roommate). One of the easiest (and most delicious and most fattening) dishes we would eat was macaroni pie. I stole this recipe from CaribbeanPot.com and it was quite tasty.

    14 oz "macaroni" (we used bucattini pasta)
    1/2 medium onion diced finely
    1 habanero or scotch bonnet diced finely (optional)
    2 large eggs
    1 can evaporated milk (~12 oz)
    2 tbsp butter, melted
    1/3 tsp dry mustard
    2 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Citrus-glazed Ribs

    Citrus glazed ribs with salad

    A great recipe for glazed ribs, perfect for the summer or winter with citrus. Adapted from Bon Appetit.

    <

    ul>

  • 3 1/2 lbs baby back pork ribs, cut between bones into individual ribs
  • 1 cup soy sauce, divided
  • 9 garlic cloves, minced, divided
  • 5 teaspoons cumin seeds, divided
  • 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, divided
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6 scallions (white and light-green parts separated from dark-green parts), finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice plus zest from 1 orange
  • 4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Shakshuka - tomato/chickpea with egg

    Shakshuka

    From Bon Appetit halved (still serves four) and with some modifications:

    Ingredients
    3 T olive oil
    1 small onion, finely chopped
    3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
    2 jalapeños, finely chopped
    1 1/2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (or 1 can chickpeas)
    1 teaspoon paprika
    1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    2 14-ounce can tomatoes (diced or whole+hand-crushed), juices reserved
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    salt to taste
    3/4 cup coarsely crumbled feta

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Posole

    Posole

    We modified a recipe from Bon Appetit to spice it up and re-balance this posole.

    Roasted Pork

    • 1 pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
    • ½ red onion, sliced
    • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • Dash smoked salt

    Posole

    <

    ul>

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ red onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)

    Food Hacking Link roundup

    Baconhattan

    Building off the classic Manhattan:

    3 parts bacon-infused rye bourbon
    3 parts cognac
    2 parts sweet vermouth
    dash of aromatic bitters
    dash of smoke flavor
    1 maraschino cherry

    Instructions

    Use the nitrogen cavitation method to quick-infuse rye using some fried bacon bits.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Jose's Basque Tuna Stew

    Tuna Stew

    WoW...

    One of our favorite recipes from our signed copy of Jose Andres' Made in Spain cookbook. Serves 4-6.

    Ingredients
    1 pounds fresh bonito or yellowfin tuna
    2 slices day-old bread, preferably country-style
    1/2 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

    3 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2 large onions)
    2 tbs minced garlic
    2 medium green bell peppers, roughly chopped
    1 pound tomatoes (5-6 plum or 2-3 medium), roughly chopped

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Baked Oysters with Bacon and Leeks

    baked oysters

    We had some leftover pre-shucked oysters and used them to make this Bon Appetit recipe. The recipe here originally used an entire 16-oz jar of pre-shucked oysters, but we halved it; serves two.

    Ingredients
    1/2 tablespoon butter
    1/2 tablespoon all purpose flour
    1/2 cup whipping cream

    2 slices thick bacon (preferably applewood-smoked), chopped
    1 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese

    2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; from 2 large leeks)

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Four Cheese Quiche

    Cheese Quiche

    This recipe is meant to replicate an amazing quiche I had at La Galette, in downtown Dakar, served as a 6" quiche with a green salad on the side.

    1 pastry shell (use the pastry crust from the tomato tart recipe.

    4oz st nectaire (soft, ripened cheese) without the rind
    3oz chevre
    1oz blue d'Auvergne or Roquefort (optional)
    2oz of grated emmental cheese
    2 eggs
    2 egg yolks

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

    Beef Short Ribs

    We merged a Bon Appetit recipe with a (strikingly) similar recipe from my canning book (which recommends topping the finished product with pickled red onions) and sprinkled it with input from Tom Colicchio.

    Makes about 4 servings.

    Ingredients

    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Ian's Corn Casserole

    This recipe, courtesy of our friend Ian (though we promised to keep it a secret...thus not promoting it on the Recipe Box) is really tasty. I mean, it's made from cans (which is sort of anti our whole food philosophy), but it's good... really good. So, I collect the recipe and will one day make it on some turkey-centric holiday and take credit for making it from scratch!

    Makes a 9 inch by 9 inch glass baking pan.

    • 1 16oz can of corn (with liquid)
    • 1 16oz can of cream corn
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • 1 box of Jiffy corn muffin mix
    • 1 cup sour cream
    • 1/2 cup butter (melted)
    0
    Your rating: None

    Gin and Pine

    Split a piece of the heart of a green pine log into fine splints, about the size of a cedar lead-pencil, take 2 ounces of the same and put into a quart decanter, and fill the decanter with gin.

    Let the pine soak for two hours, and the gin will be ready to serve. * be careful to strain all wood from drink before serving!*

    Some history: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F40A17F7345C16... via http://gincocktails.net/gin-and-pine :

    Gin and Pine Article
    1
    Your rating: None Average: 1 (1 vote)

    Crusta

    Brandy Crusta.
    (Use Small bar-glass.)
    Take 3 or 4 dashes of gum syrup.
    1 dash of Boker's bitters.
    1 wine-glass of brandy.
    2 dashes of Curacoa.
    1 dash lemon juice.

    Before mixing the above ingredients, prepare a cocktail

    0
    Your rating: None

    Lacquered Chicken (Pollo Asado en Mole Rojo Clasico)

    Mole Lacquered Chicken

    This is an adapted Rick Bayless recipe that we use with our mole.

    INGREDIENTS
    1/2 cup Classic Red Mole
    1/8 cup agave syrup (preferably organic raw) or dark corn syrup
    Bone-in chicken pieces
    Salt and fresh ground pepper
    Sesame seeds (toasted, if you like)

    DIRECTIONS
    Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Bernice's Fried Eggplant

    Fried Eggplant

    ... with just a little tweaking.

    Serves 8.

    Ingredients:
    2 medium-large eggplants
    1.5 cups breadcrumbs (panko or regular)
    1/2 cup freshly-grated parmesan cheese
    Spices from your pantry (such as garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper)
    2 eggs
    1/2 cup or more of all purpose flour
    Vegetable oil
    [Note: halve these proportions for a medium-sized eggplant]

    Pre-prep:

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Negroni

    Equal parts:

    • gin
    • Campari
    • sweet vermouth

    Mix with ice in a lowball.

    If you have genever, this is one of the few cocktails where you can sub it in directly for gin, though TheGinisIN recommends "In fact, if you up the Genever and Vermouth in the 1:1:1 ratio to a 2:2:1 you come up with a cocktail that is the sophisticated brother of the Manhattan. The Campari brings a lot of the qualities that the bitters in a Manhattan bring to the table."

    Variations:

    Negroni
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Brown Derby

    1 ounce bourbon or rye
    1 ounce grapefruit juice
    ½ ounce honey syrup (1 part water, 1 part clover honey)

    Via http://www.latimesmagazine.com/2009/09/brown-derby-cocktail-marc...

    Brown Derby
    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Lamb Chops with Mint Something

    Lamb Chops

    Made delicious and easy lamb chops tonight. Basically combined these two</a href> recipes and served it with this mint jelly.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    French 75

    The French 75 (Soixante Quinze) has a disputed history, and recipe, with some factions calling for cognac instead of gin. You can read more on the history at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_75_(cocktail) ) or an updated version (featuring local gin from Catoctin Creek here: http://goodbooze.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/the-friday-tipple-midn...

    I've modified it to be a bit more gin-and-lemon strong, balanced with the honey and a nice sparkling prosecco. A rosemary simple syrup also adds a nice twist.

    • 1.5 oz. Gin
    • 1 t orange blossom honey or a simple syrup
    White Lady
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Tandoori Chicken

    Tandoori Chicken

    Trying again with a loose interpretation of this recipe.

    Blend into a paste:

    • Juice of 1 lemon
    • 3 jalapenos
    • 5 cloves garlic
    • 1½" ginger, chopped
    • ½ cup yogurt
    • 2 t smoked paprika
    • 1 t coriander
    • 1 t chili powder
    • pinch of saffron, crushed
    • 5 t garam masala or chicken tikka masala

    Slice paper-thin some red onion (3 thin slices) and chop once, add in to paste

    Cut chicken breast and thighs into even chunks, ~1-2".

    1.5
    Your rating: None Average: 1.5 (2 votes)

    Lamb Vindaloo

    Lamb Vindaloo

    This recipe was awesome. Delicious and super easy. Made by simplifying a slightly (but not much) more complex recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking.

    Serves 6.

    Ingredients
    Vegetable oil
    2 medium onions, peeled and sliced into thin half-rings
    1-inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
    1 small, whole head of garlic, with all the cloves separated and peeled
    5 Tbsp white wine vinegar
    1 Tbsp ground coriander

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Georgian

    This is essentially a manhattan with peach-infused brandy.

    Using the nitrogen cavitation method, Infuse 4 oz Brandy with half a peach, sliced.

    Mix with 2 oz sweet vermouth, a dash of maraschino liqueur (or cherry brandy syrup left over from making maraschino cherries)

    Add the sliced peaches and a maraschino cherry.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish

    Ackee and Saltfish with callaloo

    Ackee ans Saltfish is the national dish of Jamaica. I was fed so much of this pungent breakfast during training that I swore off it afterwards. That didn't last very long. Ackee is an odd ... fruit? The wikipedia article on ackee can fill you in better than I can, but in short, the scientific name comes from a pirate, it's originally an African plant, and it's very poisonous if harvested incorrectly. It's related to lychees, but is better described as being similar to avocado.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Crab Rangoon

    Crab Rangoon

    All I can say is this crab rangoon recipe is ... delicious!! Shamelessly stolen.

    Obviously, this is a "notional" recipe.

    Ingredients
    Roughly equal parts cream cheese (at room temperature) and imitation crab meat (chopped up)
    (Go a little heavy on the cream cheese)
    Chopped green onion
    Dash garlic powder
    Smaller dash soy sauce
    Enough won ton wrappers (recommend cutting them in half and makings smaller pouches)

    Process
    Mix ingredients together (except won ton wrappers).

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Sangria

    Combine in a shaker with ice:

    The juice of 1/2 orange
    The juice of 1/2 lime
    The juice of a lemon

    half oz of brandy
    sweet syrup to taste

    Add a nice fruit-forward red wine (jammy cabernet blends work well)

    Shake to chill, serve in a margarita glass with plain soda or ginger ale, garnish with orange and lemon slices plus berries and mint sprigs

    Sangria
    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Pickled Beets

    Beets

    Yield: 5 pints

    ~12 medium sized beets (ideally, your beets are the same diameter as your jars)
    1 cup water
    1 cup white vinegar
    1 cup sugar

    Wash beets well. Trim roots, but leave attached to vegetable so the beet doesn't bleed too much when cooked.

    Put beets in boiling water for 30-45 minutes (until they peel easily).

    Peel beets. Put in cold water to cool.

    While beets are cooling, mix water, vinegar, and sugar. Warm on stovetop until hot, but not boiling.

    Meanwhile, warm jars and lids. Use mandolin to slice beets ~1/8-1/4" thick.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Sweet Pickles

    Sweet Pickles

    This is the recipe I used for our annual batch of canned sweet pickles.

    Yield: 3+ pints (I saved some in the fridge for a quick pickle with dinner)

    • ~6 small Kirby (pickling cucumbers), sliced 1/8" thick
    • 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
    • 2 cups vinegar (split between white vinegar and rice vinegar)
    • 1 cup sugar
    • Salt

    Sprinkle sliced cucumbers with salt. Let stand for 5 minutes. Wash off salt and drain.

    Heat jars and lids.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Thai Green Curry

    Thai Green Curry

    I had a hankering for Thai food since we're currently planning a trip to Thailand. I did a quick search, and voila! I modified the curry recipe from here. I have to admit this isn't the most authentic or even delicious green curry recipe, but frankly it's pretty easy to make and can be made mostly without often hard to find ingredients.

    I personally prefer this recipe with extra firm tofu, but it could theoretically go with any protein. Fish or seafood would be best, followed by chicken.

    Serves 4.

    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Gin and Tonic

    In a either a lowball or highball glass, add ice, gin, and a dash of lime juice. Stir, garnish with a lime wedge, and top the glass off with tonic water.

    Alternatively, go hog-wild:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/15/...

    Or even make them into gelee:
    http://kennethalan.blogspot.com/2008/07/gin-tonic-gele-shots.html

    Gin and Tonic with lime
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Seared Scallops with Pommes

    Seared Scallops

    This was in response to our taking advantage of a recent livinggrouponsocial deal with Arganica, and opting for one of their more CSA-like "give me a box of random local, organic goodies." We're already, honestly, pretty damned tired of kale and brussel sprouts, and hoped this would provide something slightly different. We got... chard and turnips. Well, OK. The dinner turned out quite good, and is somewhere between classic French and New American. We made the chard into a warm salad by wilting it and steaming it with a bit of apple cider, then tossing it with vinegar and adding pecans.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    The ChangeShot

    The ChangeShot draws inspiration from classic cocktails such as the manhattan (a popular drink among the cm team) and the old fashioned.

    Version 1

    3 parts rum (Flor de Cana 7yr is good)
    1 part cointreau
    2 dashes per 4 oz orange bitters
    1 dash per 4 oz aromatic bitters
    1 tsp Pomegranate liqueur
    1 tsp Grenadine (natural)
    Orange peel

    0
    Your rating: None

    Fir Coat: Cocktails with Pine Trees

    I finally got my hands on a Douglas Fir Eau-de-vie from Oregon's Clear Creek Distillery. I've been lusting after this since Adam Bernbach over at Proof managed to craft a cocktail for me that followed my directions (so botanical it tastes like a pine tree) but still tasted good. Now I have to start re-creating that concoction.

    Resin the Bar
    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Classic Red Mole Poblano

    Chicken glazed with mole

    Having just returned from Mexico, we were craving Mexican food. We decided to take on the ultimate: Mole. We headed up to our local latin-american superstore market to pick up the necessary ingredients. Because we couldn't exactly get everything we needed, here's the record of what we actually did (and how it turned out). Our recipe is basically the ingredients list from Fonda San Miguel, a delicious Mexican restaurant in Austin, with the process taken from Nuevo Mexican guru Rick Bayless.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Orange Spritzer

    1 fresh orange slice
    1/2 honey syrup (mix equal parts honey and hot water)
    2 dashes orange bitters
    1 oz lillet
    4 oz dry prosecco, chilled

    In a shaker, muddle the orange slice, bitters, and honey syrup. Add Lillet and stir. Fill shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled champaign flute and slowly add the prosecco. Garnish with orange twist.

    From Tiny Bubbles via http://www.expressnightout.com/printedition/reader.php?date=2010...

    Orange Spritz
    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Caramelized Onion and Apple Flatbread

    Caramelized Onion and Apple Pizza

    Adapted from a recipe we found online, this flatbread or pizza is easy to make and tasty. Cut it into small squares to serve at a party.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Eggnog cheesecake / pumpkin pie bars

    Pumpkin eggnog cheesecake bars

    1. Make a pie crust

    Preheat oven to 325F .
    Partially bake a double batch of pie crust spread out in a 9x13" casserole or baking dish. (Note, you'll only need 2/3rds of the crust here, but a single batch is not enough.

    2. Make a pumpkin pie filling

    3. Make the cheesecake layer:

    16 oz cream cheese, softened
    1/2 cup sugar
    1 egg
    1/3 cup eggnog
    1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    The Big Apple

    2 parts apple cider
    1 parts brandy
    1 part bourbon
    ½ part sweet vermouth
    ½ part lemon juice
    dash of bitters

    Basically a Manhattan with apple cider standing in for some of the sweetness. Garnish as usual with a cherry and/or an apple slice.

    Big Apple
    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Steamed buns with Pork Belly

    Steamed Buns with Pork Belly

    While the entire recipe is far too insanely complicated to repost here, it comes from the Momofuku cookbook.

    The components are:

    • steamed buns
    • roasted pork belly (start with 3lbs skinless pork belly)
    • scallions
    • sweet pickles
    • hoisin and siracha sauces

    The candied crispies from the roasting of the pork make a fantastic condiment to the buns

    Pork Belly

    • 3lbs skinless pork belly
    • ¼ cup kosher salt
    • ¼ cup suger
    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Clam Potato Leek Soup (or ... Clam Chowder)

    DSCN3176.JPG

    This recipe was in this week's Washington Post express. It wasn't explicitly cited, but I think its from a book about new Brooklyn restaurants. The recipe is called Clam Potato Leek Soup, but really it's clam chowder. It was quite tasty.

    I've replicated the recipe as we first made it here, but I've made some notes at the bottom about how we would modify the recipe next time to improve it.

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

    Butternut Squash Soup

    This recipe was super-easy and really delish! Courtesy of Yasmeen.

    1 medium butternut squash
    2 cups vegetable broth
    1 cup low fat Organic Greek Yogurt
    1/2 a medium onion(about 1/4 cup), finely chopped
    1/2 teaspoon of hot chili powder
    1 clove garlic,peeled and finely chopped
    third-inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    few leaves of fresh herbs, sage or rosemary
    Few toasted pumpkin or squash seeds for garnish
    2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Elaine's Lemon Meringue Pie

    Lemon Meringue Pie

    My grandmother makes the best lemon meringue pie. She swears by the My-T-Fine brand of lemon pie filing mix, though I've decided that Jell-O brand is an acceptable substitute. Her secret is the lemon juice.

    To make this into a pie, we use a one of Jon's pie crusts, pre-baked. However, you could just as easily fill bowls, ramekins, etc. and have as a tasty pudding treat.

    Filling Ingredients
    1 box lemon pie filling
    1/4 cup sugar

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Simple Syrups

    A fascinating read on making simple syrup that is shelf-stable, and some surprisingly fascinating food safety lessons: http://cocktailjen.blogspot.com/2007/04/not-so-simple-syrup.html

    In short:

    Stir sugar into water in a 1:1 ratio
    bring to boil
    Add a dash of cream of tartar
    simmer for 15 minutes
    Let cool. If it hardens, add more water, repeat.

    You now have shelf-stable simple syrup.

    Add a shot of neutral spirit (vodka, etc) at the end, after removing from heat, to help preserve these syrups.

    Add rosemary: 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary during simmering

    Syrups
    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Udon Soup with Prawns and Poached Egg

    Udon Soup Before Broth

    So, there's this Japanese movie, Tampopo, all about a woman's quest to serve the perfect noodle soup in her small roadside soup shop. If nothing else, its an interesting look at Japanese food culture.

    Anyway, inspired by that and memories of walking by this (Japanese, I think) soup shop ever day we were in Paris last year, I decided we should try and make Japanese. soup. Our local bodega, P&C Market, sells Japanese noodles (both soba and udon), so we gave it a whirl. It actually turned out pretty good for the first shot.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Mint Julep Manhattan

    A juleped Manhattan or Old Fashioned

    4 parts Mint Julep Makers Mark (or 3 parts bourbon mized with 1 part simple syrup muddled with mint)
    2 parts Cognac
    1 part sweet vermouth
    1 part dry vermouth
    Dash Peychaud's bitters

    Garnish with a cherry and a sprig of mint.

    Mint Julep Manhattan
    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Fried Chickpeas with Chorizo and Spinach

    Chickpeas and Chorizo

    This runs the risk of being Very Salty, but if you can avoid that fate, it is Very Tasty.

    From Mark Bittman via Tex-Mix

    1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
    2 cups cooked dry or canned chickpeas, as dry as possible
    Salt and black pepper
    4 ounces Spanish chorizo, finely diced (3 or 4 small links)
    1/2 pound leafy spinach, roughly chopped
    1/4 cup sherry (or sweet vermouth, or red wine - but not sherry vinegar)

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Smoked Salmon Crepe Pinwheels

    Salmon Crepe Pinwheels

    A delicious and fun twist on Kevin Dundon's salmon cake recipe.

    These are crepes, layered with cream cheese and smoked salmon (lox), rolled and cut into pinwheels. Great for a party!

    2/3 cup AP flour
    1 jumbo or 2 small eggs
    about 1 cup milk
    8oz smoked salmon slices
    8oz whipped cream cheese (with herbs/chives if available)
    1 tbsp snipped fresh chives, scallions, garlic, shallots, or your favorite herbs
    juice of 1/2 lemon

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Pink Gin

    2 ounces gin
    3 dashes of bitters
    Garnish with a twist of lemon peel

    Stir the gin and bitters (traditionally Angostura, but Peychaud's also works) in a cocktail glass, and garnish with lemon peel. This is generally served without ice, but you may want to chill the gin in the freezer. The British occasionally add water or a splash of soda.

    Recipe stolen from http://www.chow.com/recipes/10285 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Gin

    Pink ish Gin
    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Jalapeno Jelly

    Jalapeno Jelly

    <

    p>Audrey's homemade jalapeno jelly is always a huge hit at parties. The fact that Jon grows the hot peppers that go into the jelly impresses people even more. The secret is that this is actually one of the easiest canning recipes I have. Even though this is made with hot peppers (and trust me, the ones coming out of our garden are very spicy), its actually very mild when finished. To kick it up a notch, substitute a few habaneros or other spicy chilis. Three to four habaneros will make a medium heat jelly.

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (3 votes)

    Sidecar

    The sidecar is nice, citrusy drink with brandy as its base spirit. Modern mixtures often have equal parts, I prefer a 3/2/1 mix:

    3 parts Cognac
    2 parts lemon juice
    1 part Cointreau or triple sec

    Mix the ingredients in a shaker half full of ice. Strain and serve with crushed ice in a sugar-rimmed lowball. Garnish with a strip of lemon rind.

    Note that the original mixture, according to The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, is:

    8 parts Cognac or Armagnac
    2 parts lemon juice
    1 part Cointreau or triple sec

    Sidecar
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Apricot Couscous

    Apricot couscous

    1 cup couscous
    1 small red onion, small dice
    1 1/2 cups chicken stock, warm
    1/4 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
    1/4 cup whole almonds toasted, coarsely chopped
    2 scallions green parts only
    1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
    1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped plus leaves for garnish
    1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    pinch of lemon zest
    kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Dark and Stormy

    Wikipedia has a good writeup of the Dark n Stormy, but it is a classic Caribbean/seafaring drink - dark rum, a bit of lime, and ginger beer (DG brand works best).

    In a highball with ice, add in:
    The juice of a key lime (and both shells, or the juice of 1/2 of a normal lime and a dash of simple syrup)
    2-3 oz dark rum (Myers or Flor de Cana)
    If your ginger beer is not sharp enough, consider adding some ginger syrup.
    Fill with Ginger Beer to taste.

    A slight dash of vanilla can also amp it up.

    Dark and Stormy
    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Chicken Tikka Masala

    Chicken tikka masala

    This recipe eventually turned in to the Shahi Paneer recipe, and the sauce is the same. We broke them out separately to make them both easier to follow.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Oriental

    • 2 parts rye or bourbon
    • 1 part cointreau
    • 1 part sweet red vermouth
    • 1 part or less lime juice

    Shake and strain. Serve in a chilled cocktail glass with an orange twist.

    Oriental or James Joyce cocktail
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Margarita

    3 parts tequila
    1 part Cointreau or Triple Sec
    1/2 part Lime eaux-de-vie (or add in a dash of agave simple syrup and more lime juice)
    juice of one lime

    Serve in a margarita or cocktail glass rimmed with salt using lime juice, garnish with a thin slice of lime

    Margarita
    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Whiskey Sour

    3 parts Bourbon whiskey
    2 parts fresh lemon juice
    1 part egg white (optional)
    dash simple syrup or molasses/sorghum

    Shake with ice. Strain into ice-filled old-fashioned glass rimmed with sugar and serve on the rocks.

    Garnish with maraschino cherry and orange slice

    Whiskey Sour
    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    Rob Roy

    2 ounces blended Scotch whisky (Black Grouse is a nice mid-point)
    1 ounce sweet vermouth
    2 dashes Angostura bitters
    Garnish: lemon or orange twist

    Stirred over ice, strained into a chilled cocktail glass, garnished with a maraschino cherry or lemon twist, and served straight up in a chilled glass

    See also: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/02/rob-roy-scotch-whisky...

    0
    Your rating: None

    Bloody Mary

    3 parts vodka
    6 parts tomato juice (fresh tomato juice really makes this amazing)
    1 part lime or lemon juice

    To taste:
    Worcestershire sauce
    Tabasco sauce
    Celery salt / Salt

    Optional:
    horseradish (too much and it will taste like cocktail sauce!)
    liquid smoke
    Old Bay spice
    Fresh ground pepper

    Mix all ingredients; pour into highball glass over ice. Add a celery branch to garnish.

    Bloody Mary
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Greyhound

    2 oz vodka
    5 oz grapefruit juice

    Pour vodka and grapefruit juice on top of the ice in a low tumbler glass. Stir well.

    0
    Your rating: None

    Manhattan

    Custom version:
    2 oz rye bourbon
    1 oz cognac
    1 oz vermouth, split between sweet and dry
    dash of aromatic bitters
    1 maraschino cherry

    Instructions

    Pour bitters, liquors over ice in mixing glass. Stir and strain into martini glass, garnish with a maraschino cherry.

    Dive deep: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/21/WI1O...

    Joy of Drinking focuses on a simple bourbon or rye manhattan, and adds in peychaud's bitters to the mix, with a
    1.5 oz rye, .25oz each sweet and dry vermouth, 2 dashes angostura, 1 dash peychauds.

    Manhattan
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Moscow Mule

    1¼ oz vodka
    3 oz ginger beer
    1 tsp sugar syrup
    ¼ oz lime juice
    1 sprig mint
    1 slice lime

    In a copper mug or low tumbler glass, pour vodka over ice. Add sugar syrup and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir.

    Garnish with mint sprig and lime slice.

    Moscow Mule
    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Old Fashioned

    • 1.5 oz Rye whiskey
    • 1 sugar cube
    • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
    • 1 splash soda water

    Place sugar cube in old fashioned (low tumbler) glass and saturate with bitter, add a dash of soda water. Muddle until dissolved. Fill the glass with ice cubes and add whiskey. Garnish with orange slice, lemon twist and two maraschino cherries.

    Room 11 has a variation:

    Old Fashioned
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Martini

    After going all-in with the "bow in the vague direction of France" portion of vermouth, I actually believe a good balance of gin and vermouth creates the perfect martini.

    3 parts gin (see below)
    1 part dry vermouth (Dolin, or sub in Lillet Blanc)
    1 dash olive brine

    Shake with cracked ice, strain and pour into a cocktail glass.

    Garnish with an olive or two on a skewer, or cocktail onions for a gibson. The Columbia Room serves their signature martini with a twist and a dash of orange bitters.

    Martini (w steak in the background)
    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Fried Potstickers

    Potstickers Fried

    When I was a little kid, my mom and I once made dumplings/potstickers with this neat white foldy press (that helps crimp them together). There's a really cute picture of me at about 3 years old, standing on a step-stool, wearing an apron, and proudly holding up a potsticker.

    Anyway, on a recent visit to Los Angeles, I saw the potsticker crimper sitting in a drawer (probably unused by my mother since that day in the photo), and asked if I could take it home. (I subsequently saw the exact same crimper for sale at Hill's Kitchen about a week later, but oh well.) With the proper implement in hand, and having just acquired a "Cook's Illustrated" recipe for perfect potstickers (compliments of Jon's mom), we went to making potstickers.

    The recipe that follows is a combination of the Cook's recipe and the handwritten one my mom had from an Asian cooking class she took long ago. No doubt that is the recipe I followed at age 5.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Jon's Chili

    Chili

    There is no "real" recipe to Jon's chili beyond the base set of ingredients and improvisation with spices and available ingredients. If there are fresh peppers, they go in. If there's homemade salsa, it definitely goes in. Beer (Shiner Bock I find is best) cuts the spice level nicely without removing the flavor.

    I sautee the onion/garlic/jalapenos until tender, then add the meat and brown it. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, then add whole habaneros and the first spices (salt, pepper, first group of spices). Add 4 cups of water and some beer and bring to a boil.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Yogurt Dips

    Shallot Yogurt Sauce/Dip

    I never met a yogurt dip I didn't like. Seriously. If there's ever one on a menu, I order it. I will slather it on everything, especially middle eastern and mediterranean foods.

    Instead of proliferating pages and pages of yogurt dip recipes, I've decided to collect them all here. In most cases, the dips will be better on the second day once the flavors have had a chance to marry.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Sharon's egg and chile souffle

    Hatch Souffle

    3 large Hatch green chiles; roasted, chopped and seeded (or 2 small cans chopped green chiles)
    1 can corn (optionally briefly blended with hand blender to break down)
    1 small zucchini, sliced into half moons and salted for 10-30 minutes to release excess water
    1/2 lb. Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese, grated
    6 Eggs
    8oz sour cream

    Serves 4

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

    Mix chiles, corn, and zucchini in a bowl.

    Layer chile mix with the grated cheese in an buttered or greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish.

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Pumpkin Saffron Bisque

    Pumpkin Saffron Soup

    An adaptation of the recipe from The Food Network. We've used marina di chioggia and speckled hen pumpkins from our favorite farmer at Eastern Market. A butternut squash can also be used.

    2.5
    Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (2 votes)

    Pumpkin Pie

    Pumpkin Pie

    We tried making pumpkin pies from scratch (like, starting with a pumpkin scratch), but we never quite got it to come out right. We've reverted to Jon's grandmother's closely-guarded recipe, which comes from the side of a Libby's can:

    1 can Libby's pure pumpkin
    1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
    2 large eggs
    ¾ cup sugar
    ½ tsp salt
    1 tsp cinnamon
    ½ tsp ginger
    ¼ tsp cloves
    ¼ tsp allspice (optional)
    1 pie crust

    Mix together sugar and spices in a small bowl.

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Pumpkin Ravioli

    ravioli.

    With the arrival of the fall gourds, we decided to make a pumpkin ravioli. We really enjoyed this recipe. The first time, we didn't have enough ricotta cheese, so we added some creme fraiche as a substitute (seemed to work fine...). We used egg pasta sheets (available from the Eastern Market Grocery), though wonton wrappers are a good substitute. We put the dollops of batter evenly spaced on the pasta sheet (4x6 = 24 ravioli), laid a second sheet on top, and then cut into individual raviolis using a pasta cutter. A little water on the fingertips and squeezing the edges seemed to seal them just fine. This recipe yielded 144 ravioli and used 12 pasta sheets.

    We used a marina di chioggia pumpkin the first time (greenish color, oval shape) and a peanut pumpkin the second time (orangish color with white "peanuts" all over the outside.

    The original recipe came from http://theunemployedcook.blogspot.com/2006/03/pumpkin-ravioli-with-sage-...

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

    (Lightly) Candied Pecans

    CandiedPecans

    Jon's grandmother has a pecan tree in her yard. Two years ago, it was very prolific and we received a huge bag of pecans to bring back to DC. Having now waited two years for Jon to make a pecan pie, I decided to candy some of them. Note these are not the heavily sugared pecans you would have as a dessert, but more like a salad topper.

    From http://www.slashfood.com/2006/10/24/candied-pecans-easy-and-addictive/

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Chicken Enchiladas

    Chicken Enchiladas - mixed

    After many tries, we've settled on this yummy chicken enchiladas recipe. Makes about 4 big enchiladas.

    Ingredients:
    Non-breast parts of a rotisserie chicken (bought at Eastern Market), torn into pieces
    Green chiles (hatch/anaheim chiles, canned works)
    1 Onion, chopped
    Flour tortillas
    Enchiladas Sauce (see below)
    Jack Cheese (Pepperjack, if you want a little kick)

    Make Enchilada Sauce
    Mix together:

    1/2 cup of you favorite salsa / hot sauce (use Salsa Verde for a "suizas" enchilada)
    1 cup sour cream

    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Salsa Verde

    Verde Salsa

    A good, staple salsa verde recipe that balances the tartness of the tomatillo with a nice char and some spice. Makes about 2 cups.

    • 8 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed
    • 3-4 fresh chiles (a mixture of jalapenos and poblanos creates a nice flavor)
    • 8 unpeeled garlic cloves
    • 1 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
    • 1 small white onion, roughly chopped
    • Juice of 1 lime
    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Persian Chicken Kabab (Jujeh Kabob)

    Chicken Kababs

    Great!

    Serves 2-3. Can easily be doubled/tripled.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Ragda Patties

    Ragda Patties

    IndianFoodForever provides a good basic chaat recipe for ragda patties. I'd add more tomato and make them very finely diced.

    For the Patties (can be done ahead):
    3 large Potatoes
    1/2 tsp ginger, grated
    1/2 tbsp Garam Masala
    1/4 tbsp Turmeric
    2 Tbsp Bread crumbs
    Oil

    Peel, quarter, and boil the potatoes until soft, then mash them or pass them through a ricer.
    Add spices, mix and knead well into a dough.
    Add the bread crumbs and knead well.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Shahi Paneer

    Shahi Paneer alone

    A really yummy recipe - great on the first try. The original recipe was for chicken tikki masala, but we used paneer instead of chicken and the result was pretty similar to some of the best Shahi Paneer we had in India.

    Modified from Food and Wine.

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)

    Stuffed Mushrooms

    Stuffed Mushrooms

    Audrey's family's stuffed mushrooms. A vegetarian (but not vegan) treat. Always a hit at parties and holiday meals.

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Potato Latkes

    Latkes

    Audrey's family's latke recipe with a few process tips taken from Cook's Illustrated and the Los Angeles Times.
    See also the kitchn for an actual recipe. Closer to hashbrowns than pancakes. Serve with applesauce and sour cream.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Bernice's Brisket

    Bernice's Brisket

    This is Audrey's family's brisket recipe. Sort of like a potroast, but made on the stovetop. It has a sweet and savory sauce. It's really easy to freeze leftovers and reheat - almost better that way!

    2.5
    Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (2 votes)

    Truffle Cream Sauce

    Truffle Cream Sauce with Agniolotti, served with salad and a roll

    Inspired by the best meal we had in Paris, at Un Jour a Peyrassol. Goes with the potato gnocchi.

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)

    Potato Gnocchi

    Making Gnocchi

    The gnocchi are surprisingly easy (if messy) to make; and freeze well. This goes great with almost any creamy pasta sauce, but especially will with a truffle cream sauce, makes ~100 gnocchi

    2 lbs whole baking potatoes
    2 beaten egg yolks
    1 1/2 cups flour
    Pinch of salt

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Pecan Pie

    Pecan Pie

    Originally from Dear Abby / Houston Post, via Mom

    1c white Karo syrup
    1c dark brown sugar
    1/4t salt
    1/4c melted butter
    1t vanilla

    Mix above together. I found that using an immersion blender got the consistency to a pleasantly creamy texture, but I was also using block-style brown sugar, instead of granulated. Regardless, it should be well mixed together and not lumpy.

    Add:
    3 eggs (slightly beaten)
    1 heaping cup pecan halves
    squeeze of lemon juice

    Stir together.

    5
    Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Turkey and Dressing

    Turkey and Dressing 2013

    This is a modified version of the turkey and dressing recipe that Jon got from his Mom, who learned from hers. We buy a fresh (non-frozen), free-range turkey and dry brine it for 2-3 days. In years past, we have also wet-brined it for three days, but this is much messier (though it can save fridge space if you use a cooler). We have recently been doing simple injections to improve the juiciness of the breast meat

    4.5
    Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

    Jerk Chicken

    C.R.A.P.

    4 chicken breasts (bone-in, with skin on is best)
    5 Tbsp Jamaican jerk seasoning (I recommend Grace or Walkerswood)
    1/4 cup extra olive oil
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 finely chopped scotch bonnet/habanero (optional)
    1 scallion, chopped
    1 tsp Jamaican allspice
    1/2 tsp smoked salt
    1/2 tsp thyme
    1/2 paprika,

    Marinate chicken in the jerk seasoning, garlic, and olive oil for at least 1 hour.

    Mix in the rest of the seasonings, reserving some scallion for a garnish

    Grill over high heat for 20-30 minutes, turning often, or broil in the oven using the guidance below:

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Seafood coconut rundown

    Mackerel rundown with johnny cakes

    Classic Caribbean "rundown" stew - best served on rice with fried johnnycakes or "festival".

    1/2 lb salted or smoked mackerel, deboned and skinned (can also use mussels, or bite-sized mixed seafood). If using salted mackerel: rinse it, and then cover it with boiling water for ½ hour to extract some of the salt.
    2 cans of coconut milk
    ½ yellow onion
    5 cloves garlic
    3 stalks chopped scallion
    2 diced plummy (roma) tomatoes
    1 habanero pepper sliced
    ½ cup cubed pumpkin / butternut squash (optional)
    1/2 cup white wine (optional)
    Ground black pepper
    Thyme
    Cooking oil for sautéing

    2.5
    Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (2 votes)

    Jamaican Rice and Peas

    Rice and Peas

    2 cans dark red kidney beans
    1 can coconut milk
    3 cups water or broth
    2 cups rice
    1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, whole
    4 T butter
    salt, pepper and thyme

    In a very large pot, heat kidney beans with their can-water, water, coconut milk, and spices until simmering. Add rice, butter and pepper. Bring back to simmer, let cook, covered until done, approx. 30 minutes. Remove cover near the end, to let the mixture dry out a little.

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Baked Potato Soup

    Potato Soup

    Adapted from @MikeCotton's famous potato soup. Full instructions for that are at the end. This recipe can (and usually should) be halved!)

    5 lbs baking potatoes
    ¾ lbs (3 sticks) butter
    1 lb applewood smoked bacon, chopped
    1/2 lb sharp cheddar, grated or finely diced
    5+ cloves garlic
    1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
    sea salt, black pepper to taste

    Optional: Sour cream and chives.

    Kitchen needs: a large pot, another pot, and a lot of large prep bowls

    Prep

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Venezuelan Chicken caldo

    Venezuelan Caldo

    Turkey Carcass Soup V.2 - Venezuelan "Chicken" caldo

    I was making turkey carcass soup (http://audreyandjon.com/recipes/turkey-carcass-soup) and it ran away from me into a soup styled after the fantastic caldos de pollo I had in Merida, Venezuela. Here's a discussion of Spanish Caldos. Venezuela is not big on spicy foods, so I concentrated on savory spicing and the broth itself.

    1 liter turkey broth/soup with ~ 1 cup of turkey meat. It's best if there's still some turkey fat included.
    1 can diced tomato

    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    It's Bean a Long Thyme soup

    Soak overnight: 3 cups dried black beans 2 cups dried black-eyed peas 2 cups dried pintos Other beans as available

    Rinse and cover with 2" of water add 32oz of veg stock salt port (4 slices of fatty bacon work well!) 2 cans diced tomatoes 2 jalapenos, chopped (or 1 scotch bonnet or habanero, left whole) 2 medium onions, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced
    spices to taste (use a LOT, beans soak it all up):

    salt
    pepper
    rosemary
    thyme
    cumin
    chili powder or (better) powedered chipolte peppers
    a dash each of:
    allspice
    paprika

    bring to a boil, add:
    1 cup green lentils

    0
    Your rating: None

    Sunchoke Bisque

    Sunchoke Bisque

    (serves 6)
    3 tbsp olive oil
    1 lb sunchokes, unpeeled (about 4 medium/large sunchokes
    2 waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold
    1 celery rib (optional)
    1 onion
    5 cups stock
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    1 bay leaf
    3/4c milk or cream
    salt and pepper to taste
    croutons or toasted pumpkin seeds, hazenut oil or pumpkin seed oil (optional toppings)

    2.5
    Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (2 votes)

    Tortilla Soup

    Tortilla Soup

    6 tablespoons cooking oil
    8+ 6-inch corn or flour tortillas, halved and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
    2 onions, chopped
    6 large cloves garlic, smashed
    1 tablespoon paprika
    5+ tablespoons ground cumin
    4 tablespoons chili powder
    2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
    1 1/2 quarts canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
    3 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 28-ounce can)
    2 bay leaves
    2 1/2 teaspoons salt
    1/4 cup lightly-packed cilantro leaves plus 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (2 votes)

    Chinese Long Beans

    Long beans

    1 1/2 lb Chinese long beans*
    1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts (2 1/2 oz; not cocktail peanuts)
    2 teaspoons soy sauce
    2 to 3 small fresh Thai chiles** (to taste), finely chopped
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
    1 tablespoon chopped garlic
    2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    Add shrimp to make a full meal

    2.5
    Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (2 votes)

    Cornbread

    Cornbread

    Cornbread from scratch. The "one kit" recipe is for one normal-sized loaf. The "three kit" recipe is for Turkey and Dressing. When making cornbread for dressing, do not use stone ground cornmeal for the cornbread...although it makes great cornbread, it makes lousy dressing, it absorbs too much liquid.

    One Kit
    1 c. yellow cornmeal (Not stone ground)
    1 c. flour
    1 T sugar (optional if you are not feeding Yankees)
    4 t. baking powder
    1/2 t. salt
    1 c. milk
    1/4 c. shortening
    1 egg

    Three Kits
    3 c. yellow cornmeal (Not stone ground)

    4
    Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

    Wild Mushroom Arancini

    Arancini

    From delicious magazine. Difficult to form, but tasty! Freeze (and reheat) leftovers for an easy weeknight meal.

    2 tbsp butter
    1 cup assorted wild or chestnut mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
    1 onion, finely chopped
    1 garlic clove, crushed
    1.5 cups arborio rice
    1/3 cup white wine
    3 cups vegetable stock, hot (approx - make more if needed)
    1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
    4 oz buffalo mozzarella ball, cut into 12 pieces
    4 tbsp plain flour
    3 tbsp vegetable oil

    3.5
    Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (2 votes)

    Tuna with Basil Cream Sauce

    From great-chicago-italian-recipes.com

    2 8oz. Tuna steaks, cut into 1 inch pieces
    5 long green onions, chopped
    1 small zucchini, sliced in 1/4 inch circles
    2 cloves of garlic, chopped
    4 Tbls of extra virgin olive oil
    1/2 cup of fresh basil, broken into pieces
    1/2 cup of chicken broth
    1 cup of heavy whipping cream
    2 Tbls of flour
    1 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
    1 lemon
    1 pound of bow tie pasta

    Sauté the garlic, onions and zucchini in 2 Tbls of olive oil until tender, around 3 minutes.

    2
    Your rating: None Average: 2 (1 vote)

    Lebanese Tabbouleh

    Tabbouleh

    From Epicurious

    1/2 cup fine bulgur
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    1 cup boiling-hot water
    2 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (from 2 bunches)
    1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint
    2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
    1/2 cucumber, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
    3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    3/4 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon black pepper

    3
    Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

    Home >> Category >> Season >> Fall

    Syndicate content