You Say Risotto, I Say Risotto

Yesterday evening I was feeling mighty peckish and racked my mind and stomach to figure out what I wanted to eat. I try to make risotto a couple times a month because it is easy and affordable as well as delicious. Another plus is that risotto is incredibly versatile; you can literally throw anything you want in there with almost any liquids. Let’s face it, nowadays anyone with a suitable pot and some Italian rice can whip up a tasty risotto. It really is an uncomplicated technique to learn and master. All it takes is constant supervision coupled with a strong arm for the continuous stirring and ladling required. Aside from risotto I was similarly craving cauliflower, the oft-neglected redheaded stepchild of the vegetal realm. I happen to love its slightly bitter, milky, and nutty flavor and will gladly have it raw or cooked. After much internal negotiation in the produce aisle of the gourmet grocer I opted to cook a bacon and cauliflower risotto. The tastes of all three elementary components were superbly represented; the creamy rice just barely cooked through, the content in this case cauliflower florets, and the rich homemade vegetable stock and dry Pinot Grigio that were my liquids. The dish was exquisite, to shed my usual modesty and humble nature, full of contrasting textures and flavors that made every forkful interesting. A bite of smoky bacon here, a smooth hit of cauliflower there, with omnipresent creamy rice running the show. The spiced breadcrumb topping was the icing on the cake which provided a nice crunch and complex spice all their own. As always, I encourage you to enjoy and share delicious food and home cooked meals with yourself and others!

Bacon And Cauliflower Risotto
Serves 4

4 Strips of Bacon
2 Tsp. Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Bay Leaf
1 Large Cauliflower, stalk removed and florets separated
1 C. Carnaroli Rice
1/2 C. White Wine
2 1/2 C. Stock
2 Pieces of Stale Bread
1/4 Tsp. Paprika
1/8 Tsp. Red Chili Flakes
1/4 C. Grated Parmesan
1 Tbs. Ricotta
1 Tbs. Fresh Parsley
Salt & Pepper

1. Render the bacon over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven until browned. Set aside. Add a teaspoon of oil and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the minced garlic, bay leaf, and cauliflower florets. Cook for 3-4 minutes then add the rice. Cook the rice, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or so until the kernels brown slightly, shell their outer hull, and crackle in the pot. Bring the stock to a simmer in a separate pot.

2. Add the wine to deglaze and stir it into the rice. Wait for the wine to cook off and be completely absorbed. Ladle in half a cup of stock or so to the rice and wait for it to be absorbed. Add more stock and repeat the process, stirring frequently, until the rice has become tender though slightly firm or al dente.

3. While the risotto is cooking chop the bread into small pieces and pulse it several times in a food processor. Toss the breadcrumbs with a teaspoon of olive oil, paprika, and red chili flakes. Toast them for 4-5 minutes in a skillet over medium heat until they have browned but not burned. Set aside.

4. Crumble the bacon into small bits and add it to the risotto 2 minutes before it as finished cooking along with the parmesan, ricotta, and parsley. Stir in all the ingredients and adjust seasoning. Top with the spiced breadcrumb mixture and serve immediately.

A Is For Dining Alone

Eating alone is a trying thing for some people, writing cooking and eating off as products of a banal bodily necessity. I love to eat and cook alone, using the kitchen as an improvisational laboratory to experiment with recipe ideas, flavor combinations, and cooking techniques. MFK Fisher, a witty food writer with a fluid, deeply expressive writing style bursting with gastronomic knowledge, shared my passion. She was one of the best food writers out there, blurring the lines between the genres of food anthropology, ecology, travel literature, and cooking. Simply put, she made being a foodie cool long before it was fashionable. Her great strength as a writer is her ability to drag you into her prose to taste, smell, and feel your way through her experiences in and around the kitchen. Mary Frances was not afraid to dine alone, in fact she loved it, and one short and sweet chapter of her An Alphabet For Gourmets sums up her point of view. “It took me several years of such periods of being alone to learn how to care for myself, at least at table. I came to believe that since nobody else dared feed me as I wished to be fed. I must do it myself, and with as much aplomb as I could muster.” In regards to eating alone, I have taken a page from her book, and as a result treat myself to lavish meals regularly. I was in the mood to wine and dine myself tonight and decided to make a big bowl of curried mussels. This is a fantastic way to make mussels, which steam to perfection in five minutes accompanied by their cooking liquid enriched with coconut milk. The East meets West vibe is an interesting selling point of the dish, with the use of Schneider Weisse (an amber-mahogany hefeweizen) and exotic spices like turmeric and curry powder. I beseech you to shed the irrational fear of dining alone and treat yourself to a fancy meal from time to time. As always, I encourage you to enjoy and share delicious food and home cooked meals with yourself and others!

Curried Mussels
Serves 4

5 Lbs. Mussels
1 Tbs. Unsalted Butter
1 Large Shallot, minced
1 Tsp. Lemongrass, minced
1 Tsp. Fresh Ginger, grated
1 Garlic Clove, pressed
1 Jalapeno, rib removed and minced
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 C. Beer
1/2 C. Cilantro, chopped
1/2 C. Parsley, chopped
1 C. Coconut Milk
1/4 Tsp. Turmeric
1/4 Tsp. Curry Powder
1/4 C. Scallions
Salt & Pepper

1. Heat the butter over medium heat in a large stockpot. Cook the shallot, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, jalapeno, and bay leaf until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add mussels, beer, cilantro, parsley, and salt & pepper to the pot, cover, and cook over high heat for 5 minutes shaking occasionally.

2. Remove mussels and set aside, discarding all unopened ones. Filter the cooking liquid and return it to the pot over low heat. Add the coconut milk, turmeric, curry powder, and scallions to the sauce and whisk until combined. Bring to a low simmer.

3. Shell the mussels, reserving 10-12 intact for presentation, and add them to the sauce before serving. Serve with crusty bread and a sprig of both parsley and cilantro.

Graduate Vegetarian (Mostly) Feast

Last weekend was a very fun one indeed. My friend Risher was to be conferred a Bachelor’s degree at Bard College so Matt, the soon-to-be grad, and I piled into a rental and dashed upstate. Graduations are not your everyday party and they happen rarely so when they come around, you have to take advantage. We spent the whole weekend partying our faces off engaging in all sorts of commencement shenanigans like tent parties, diner breakfasts, and fireworks. When our ragtag crew arrived safely back home with splitting headaches and hungry bellies, I hit the gourmet grocer and set to work preparing a mostly vegetarian meal. The three of us did not really feel like eating meat for the third or fourth night straight and given our tender stomachs and overall sluggish nature I thought a light meal would snap us out of our hangovers. The first course was a corn bruschetta with herbed ricotta, bell pepper, and scallions. The dish was both sweet and savory with the corn bringing a nice crunch to the party. I really loved this dish, which was a total experiment, and will certainly be making it again as sweet corn season hits this summer.

After collectively swearing off alcohol that morning over breakfast, the three of us rethought our rash severance with drink and treated ourselves to a little hair of the dog, in this case a sixer of Stella to drink with the food. The second course was a bean dish that I make often with whatever fresh bean or pea I have on hand. Lima beans with red onion, mint, and sea salt is as easy to make as one would imagine given it only has four principal ingredients. I usually blanch shelled beans in salted water for three minutes before throwing then in a pan with butter, minced red onion, and finely chopped fresh mint which brings a bright herbal flare to the beans. A healthy pinch of flaky sea salt like Maldon’s or fleur de sel completes the dish. I highly recommend this easy and powerfully good side; all it takes is a knife and about fifteen minutes. It is also very versatile with any number of fresh or canned beans possible; I have even used edamame though fava are my go to bean in this scenario.

The third course was one of my personal favorites; prosciutto wrapped asparagus. These tender little bundles blanketed in crisp ham are so damn good and addictive that it is hard to share a platter of them. It was definitely the hit of the night which I gleaned from the quickness they were devoured. Just blanch the asparagus for a couple of minutes and then wrap them individually in a thin sheet of prosciutto. Bake them in a layered baking dish at 350 for fifteen minutes, sprinkle them with grated parmesan and balsamic vinegar, then return them to the oven to melt the cheese. It was great to spend the weekend with two good friends, especially to celebrate such a momentous occasion. This mostly vegetarian meal was the perfect way to cap a debaucherous though sentimental weekend. After six years, a super super senior, my man Risher got handed the diploma and the keys to the next chapter in his life. Way to go buddy. As always, I encourage you to enjoy and share delicious food and home cooked meals with yourself and others!

Knock The Rust Off Dinner Party

I am jokingly titling this post “knock the rust off dinner” because it seems like ages since I last cooked for a decent sized group. I have stretches were I host people a couple times a week if I get into a serious cooking rhythm rife with inspiration. Even when a few weeks elapse without entertaining I try to not go more than a week without cooking; it is simply too much fun and I find that I often eat better at home without running the risk of spending too much money in this gastronomic metropolis. A few friends of mine from Los Angeles and I gathered last weekend to watch a Lakers game and I invited them over for dinner afterwards. The first course was a recreation of a pasta dish my Uncle prepared a few days prior and I really wanted to see what I could do to jazz it up. I had a small bag of the ramps we had foraged outside a cemetery and used them in the sauce. I sautéed sliced baby leeks, ramps, and garlic in a pan and then added a couple spoonfuls of fresh ricotta, parmesan, and residual pasta water. I tossed cooked cavatelli in the pan with the sauce to make a creamy, oniony pasta served in small bowls. I think my Uncle Hitch’s pasta was still better but at least my guests liked it.

The second course was a chickpea dish that I make quite often because it is simple enough to make and requires very little prep. I have the recipe listed in my cookbook archive at right though I dressed this particular incarnation up with a few extra ingredients. I tossed some chickpeas and Italian tuna in olive oil, well drained of their liquid, in a large bowl with minced roasted red peppers, Meyer lemon, capers, and green olives. To continue with the Mediterranean vibe I dressed the colorful salad with a little lemon juice and Greek olive oil to give it a peppery bite and some richness. I served the chickpea salad with a side of micro greens dressed with olive oil and sea salt to mellow out the flavor packed beans. So far I was batting two for two and decided to end the savory part of the meal with a cheese course.

There is no better way to close a meal than a slab, slice, spoonful, or wedge of good fromage. Whenever my father comes to visit from France he brings me a package from my favorite cheese shop in Paris, Marie-Anne Cantain. His recent trip was no exception and my fridge has been packed with stinky gems ever since which I very graciously shared with my friends. The first cheese, the orange one at the top, is Mimolette, a relative of cheddar that is soaked in dark beer and aged for several months. The second one, moving clockwise, was aged Comté which is similar to Gruyere. It has a strong grass or hay flavor with a high salt content, pale yellow pâte, and nutty aroma. It is one of my standby cheeses that I try to always have on hand because it is versatile and absolutely delicious. The third cheese, the flat and round blue, is Fourme D’Ambert, a lesser-known French cheese typically served alongside fresh or dry fruit. It has a zesty flavor and very pungent aroma though it is deceptively mild for a creamy blue with tons of moldy patches. I think my friends enjoyed this one the most, even those who typically shy away from blues particularly the stinky ones. The final cheese is select Roquefort produced solely for the Cantain boutique in Paris. Everyone at this point is familiar with Roquefort and there are even Vermont cheese makers that have begun experimenting with it in the States so I will spare you a description of this supremely tasty cheese.

I rarely make desserts because I have no talent or patience for them but when I do they are usually thrown together on a whim and a prayer. It is fun to buy already made ingredients and then dress them up individually for guests, bringing a touch of elegance to otherwise banal desserts like pie and ice cream. I made each diner a little spread of multiple sweet treats including coffee-beer float. Sounds weird but it was actually pretty darn good. I tossed a scoop of coffee ice cream into each cup and topped it with a dark beer called Rare Vos from the Ommegang brewery in Cooperstown. The other three elements on the plate were purchased from the farmer’s market and bakery. The first was a slice of sweet potato pie, the second of key lime, and the third was a black and white cookie from my local cafe. The dessert course was mediocre at best though thankfully people were preoccupied by a raging religious debate sparked at the end of the cheese course. Someone launched an attack against Mormonism and the rest felt the need to respond being intelligent college graduates or doctoral candidates. At least we had a little drama and heated conversation to conclude the meal, getting everyone involved and making for a pretty raucous debate which carried into the midnight hours. The dinner party was a hit overall and the food was pretty good, allowing me to shed some rust and get back into the swing of entertaining and feeding others. As always, I encourage you to enjoy and share delicious food and home cooked meals with yourself and others!

Unexpected Breakfast

The morning after our fabulous dinner prepared by my Uncle Hitch I awoke to the smell and sight of an alluring breakfast spread. Hitch is a great host and loves to entertain friends and family at his Greek revival farmhouse, always putting the needs and wants of his guests above his own. The dinner he made was super good and needless to say it was accompanied by an array of wines. We drank a few New Zealand whites from the Marlborough region and then moved to a heady bottle of Pauillac, a commune in the Gironde department of southwestern France. This is one of my favorite wine regions, smack in the middle of two heavy hitting producing areas; Saint-Julien and Saint-Estèphe. Hitch had anticipated a groggy morning and made a simple breakfast from scratch to facilitate the recovery. When I descended the staircase from the bedrooms there were two small jugs of drip coffee and milk sitting on a platter alongside a dish of muffins. The breakfast was entirely unexpected since we had to drive back into New York City that morning and thought we had little time to eat before our departure.

Hitch had gotten up a few hours earlier and for the sheer reason of delighting his guests set to work making muffins from scratch. He used a combination of corn meal and wheat flour and then added dried currants and pine nuts to the dough before baking. They were sort of dense with tons of flavor and crunch due to the nuts, perfect for dunking into black coffee. As I mentioned in the previous post, Hitch is a phenomenal baker and these muffins attested to his skill in the pastry department. I thoroughly enjoyed the whopping four muffins I ate spread with sweet butter and Bonne Maman strawberry jam. Thanks to Hitch’s unexpected breakfast we got to have a little snack before jumping on the highway. Much to my delight we sat for a few minutes in the beautiful morning light enjoying our coffee and pastries. As always, I encourage you to enjoy and share delicious food and home cooked meals with yourself and others!